1 . A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C. Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended. In a natural reflex, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar. But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office.”
In a moment, I realized what I had done. I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be. I hated what I saw in myself. This incident re- awakened my belief in humility (谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S. at the age of 15. I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见). I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me. I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better.
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness. She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open. By the way, I helped that lady to the post office. And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson.
1. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that _.A.the author was a native American |
B.the blind woman needed the money badly |
C.the author was as poor as the blind woman |
D.the author regretted his act of prejudice |
A.rather hurt | B.very excited | C.greatly inspired | D.deeply moved |
A.One should try to experience different kinds of life. |
B.One should think about one’s past as often as possible. |
C.One should treat others equally with love and respect. |
D.One should be nice to the elderly and the disabled. |
A.She has made him value what he has right now. |
B.She has reminded him of the past experiences. |
C.He has got a chance to think about his past and future because of her. |
D.He has regained his belief in humility with her help. |
A.How my dream comes true |
B.A priceless lesson in the street |
C.A Belief that will never change |
D.Learn from your past |
2 . Fifteen years ago. I took a summer vacation in Lecce, Italy. After climbing up a hill for a full view of the blue sea, I paused to catch my
Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and
Another 15 minutes passed and I grew more
This photo, with the
Perhaps we all live in each other’s spaces. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to
That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken
A.sight | B.breath | C.words | D.attention |
A.found | B.lost | C.planted | D.enjoyed |
A.howl | B.sorrow | C.leap | D.sigh |
A.Patient | B.Cautious | C.Relaxed | D.Astonished |
A.extremely | B.eventually | C.randomly | D.abruptly |
A.back up | B.run over | C.move away | D.stay out |
A.protected | B.got | C.divided | D.prevented |
A.anxious | B.confident | C.content | D.disappointed |
A.annoyed | B.confused | C.excited | D.scared |
A.instead | B.anyway | C.indeed | D.still |
A.determination | B.presence | C.behaviour | D.silence |
A.puzzling | B.interesting | C.boring | D.shocking |
A.unless | B.although | C.until | D.because |
A.strange | B.regrettable | C.unique | D.remote |
A.created | B.completed | C.ruined | D.discovered |
A.frozen | B.drawn | C.buried | D.hammered |
A.hanging | B.living | C.shining | D.wandering |
A.promise | B.convince | C.inform | D.remind |
A.respect | B.sense | C.desire | D.effect |
A.conversation | B.contribution | C.distribution | D.affection |
3 . An immigrant is a person living in a country that is not their own, often in a culture with which they are not familiar. There are, of course, translation and interpretation services available to recently arrived minority groups in most host countries.
However, it is more important to provide motivations for language learning for immigrants to accelerate their integration (融合). The language barrier increases intercultural misunderstandings. Those seeking work are at a disadvantage due to subjective factors (因素) such as employers fearing migrants are unable to learn a trade because of language problems. In workplaces where the majority of employees are from the same linguistic background, which is other than the host language, there is the danger of apathy (淡漠) setting in and it is therefore necessary to encourage immigrants to take advantage of whatever language tuition(辅导)not only to help integration but to achieve self-improvement.
The general tendency is to acknowledge that the government should provide money for the teaching of the language. The British Advisory Board on Naturalisation and Integration stated that some of the pressure for English language classes could be reduced by employers taking responsibility for the language needs of migrant workers. As for their children, a high percentage speak languages at home other than that of their country of adoption which increases the burden on schools to provide an adequate standard of linguistic education.
The goal is for immigrants to become “anonymous”. For example, many Turks in Germany have lost their “visibility” as poor workers to become “invisible” - thus not immediately recognized as foreigners - but as professionals (doctors, engineers, etc.)
Apart from the responsibility of governments and education authorities, the duty also lies with the individual migrant families. Of course they should not lose sight of their own cultural identity and “cross-cultural exchanges should be promoted to improve the understanding between immigrants and the host population. At the same time, parents must be ready to adapt to their new situation and not influence their children who, through the host country education system, will learn the language quicker and wish to integrate into the local society.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?A.The disadvantages of immigration. |
B.The advantages of receiving tuition. |
C.The importance of understanding each other. |
D.The harmful effects of language barriers. |
A.Employers should pay for their employees’ English language classes. |
B.Schools provide various language classes. |
C.Government shoulders the responsibility of language training. |
D.Immigrant children should speak their mother tongue at home. |
A.Educated. |
B.Responsible. |
C.Unidentified. |
D.Unacceptable. |
A.Don’t speak their native language. |
B.Learn English from their children. |
C.Don’t practice the customs of their homeland. |
D.Help their children integrate into the new environment |
A.How immigration changes language |
B.Immigration and language |
C.Does immigration threaten our culture ? |
D.English language requirements for immigrants |
4 . ①When we think of humor, we generally think about entertainment - enjoying a stand-up comedy or watching a funny film. But psychologists believe humor can also help improve our mental health and promote social bonding.
②Rod Martin at the University of Western Ontario examined the relation-ship between a sense of humor and psychological wellbeing. He found individuals with a good sense of humor had higher levels of self-esteem (自尊), were more positive in the face of challenging life events, and had more self-protective ways of coping with stress
③However, this finding is only corelational. It could be that a good sense of humor fosters the positive qualities, and that high levels of self-esteem and a positive mindset may be what allows an individual to develop a good sense of humor. To prove it, researchers randomly appointed 55 adults to three courses: a humor group, a social group, and a control group. At the end of the courses, those in the humor group scored significantly higher on levels of emotional wellbeing and showed decreased levels of stress and anxiety. The researchers also tested the effects of attending parties as well as watching comedies and funny films. They found that these positive social activities also made these adults more humorous and welcome.
④Wellbeing in the workplace can also be increased by humor. Both Eric Romero and Kevin Cruthirds at the University of Texas found encouraging moments of jokes among colleagues were generally associated with increased work performance and decreased reports of stress. However, they also raise a caution: any positive result depends on the jokes in question. That the type of humor is key to its benefits clarifies why positive findings in this area are often weak or unclear. As some researchers wisely point out, the problem is that too few of them begin by defining clearly what humor is. He believes there are two types: adaptive and maladaptive (适应不良的).
⑤Adaptive humor encourages us to feel closer to others and better about ourselves, whereas maladaptive humor is self-defeating, rude and aggressive. Maladaptive humor leads only to lower self-esteem and a distance between you and your colleagues.
⑥The conclusion? Humor can definitely help you, not only with your mental wellbeing, but also with your colleague relationships - only if it's adaptive, self-enhancing and acceptable. All in all, kindness is the key.
1. What did Rod Martin find about humorous people?A.They liked seeing funny performances. |
B.They used humor to increase self-esteem. |
C.They tended to enjoy better mental health. |
D.They attached more importance to self-protection. |
A.humor and positive qualities affect each other |
B.humor plays a role only in certain cases |
C.the finding needs to be further improved |
D.there's still strong argument on the finding |
A.Workplace is a special place for people to tell jokes. |
B.There are too many factors affecting the results. |
C.There's not enough evidence to show its effects. |
D.Different types of humor may have different effects. |
A.Put yourself in others' shoes when telling jokes. |
B.Avoid hurting others when telling jokes. |
C.Pay attention to the occasion of your jokes. |
D.Get used to others' jokes about you. |
A.①-②③-④-⑤⑥ | B.①②-③④-⑤⑥ |
C.①②-③-④⑤-⑥ | D.①-②③-④⑤-⑥ |
5 . There had been worrying news about Justice League in the months before its release, with a lot of reshoots of scenes, a new director being brought in to finish the film after Zack Snyder's loss of his daughter (Zack Snyder was the original director). And, of course, there had been a lot of negative talk about Ben Affleck's acting skills in the role of Batman.
Some people are saying that Justice League is another big disappointment, because it could have been wonderful and instead fails to really entertain. Others say that Warner Bros. has finally got it right and that the future for Justice League looks bright.
My opinion lies somewhere in the middle. The film was by no means a disappointment: it was exciting and funny and brought a lot of fun. There was something special about watching the heroes from your childhood brought to life on the big screen and maybe that was affecting my opinion.
However, I will say that a lot of work needs to be done if the producer wants to produce better sequels (续集). Although the film was good, it was obvious which scenes had been reshot and how the characters had been changed. I also have to mention the special effects created in several scenes. These are the ones that you don't expect to see in a film with such a big budget.
Another point to add is that it is good to see the producer making Superman slightly a brighter character and adding some jokes to the plot to keep things fun. But the producer must be careful not to make the mistake that another film producer - here, not mentioning its name - is coming very close to doing: turning all of the films into bright and colorful shows and losing a lot of serious and seriously good stories.
So, Justice League is not a great film but it is certainly not a terrible one. A lot of work is still to be done.
1. Before the release of Justice League, many people showed .A.their pity for the director, Zack Snyder |
B.their concern about the film's quality |
C.their higher expectation of the new director |
D.their support for the actor, Ben Affleck |
A.It advocates social justice. | B.It brings lots of fun to audience. |
C.It has some brave heroes. | D.It brings back childhood memories. |
A.The author's views on the film’s weaknesses. |
B.The author's advice to the film’s director. |
C.The author's love for the film. |
D.The author's expectation of the film’s sequels. |
A.stress the importance of fun in a film |
B.show Justice League’s lack of a serious plot |
C.serve as a warning to Justice League’s producer |
D.set an example for Justice League’s producer |
A.a travel brochure | B.an entertainment magazine |
C.a news report | D.an advertisement |
6 . At the age of 60, my father was hit by a car when he walked to a nearby supermarket to buy vegetables. After
Since I was his only child, it was my
Dad became the
It is eight years since the
A.lying | B.waiting | C.staying | D.sleeping |
A.excited | B.calmed | C.hurt | D.protected |
A.Luckily | B.Amazingly | C.Unfortunately | D.Regularly |
A.slowly | B.strangely | C.lightly | D.seriously |
A.turn | B.duty | C.favor | D.habit |
A.almost | B.half | C.truly | D.simply |
A.stopping | B.performing | C.accepting | D.planning |
A.so | B.though | C.if | D.before |
A.cleverest | B.oldest | C.bravest | D.kindest |
A.flew | B.jumped | C.drove | D.walked |
A.repaired | B.designed | C.answered | D.cleaned |
A.useless | B.wrong | C.dangerous | D.impolite |
A.foolish | B.big | C.shy | D.foreign |
A.show | B.lend | C.share | D.sell |
A.pick | B.hide | C.buy | D.plant |
A.graduation | B.invention | C.mistake | D.accident |
A.teacher | B.grandfather | C.doctor | D.uncle |
A.weight | B.age | C.height | D.look |
A.tiring | B.relaxing | C.amusing | D.interesting |
A.perfect | B.important | C.easy | D.happy |
7 . Memory, they say, is a matter of practice and exercise. If you have the wish and really make a conscious (自觉的) effort, then you can quite easily improve your ability to remember things. But even if you are successful, there are times when your memory seems to play tricks on you.
Sometimes you remember things that really did not happen. One morning last week, for example, I got up and found that I had left the front door unlocked all night, yet I clearly remember locking it carefully the night before.
Memory “tricks” work the other way as well. Once in a while you remember not doing something, and then find out that you did. One day last month, for example, I was sitting in a barber(理发师) shop waiting for my turn to get a haircut, and suddenly I realized that I had got a haircut two days before at the barber shop across the street from my office.
We always seem to find something funny and amusing in incidents caused by people’s forgetfulness or absent-mindedness. Stories about absent-minded professors have been told for years, and we never get tired of hearing new ones. Unfortunately, however, absent-mindedness is not always funny. There are times when “tricks” of our memory can cause us great trouble.
1. If we want to have a good memory, _______.A.we should force ourselves to remember things |
B.we should make a conscious effort of practice and exercise |
C.we should never stop learning |
D.we should try hard to remember things |
A.One night the writer forgot to lock the front door. |
B.One night the writer forgot having locked the front door. |
C.The writer remembered to lock the door. |
D.The writer remembered unlocking the front door. |
A.we enjoy hearing new stories about absent-mindedness of professors |
B.we don’t want to know anything more about absent-mindedness of professors |
C.we will never get tired of listening to new stories about absent-mindedness |
D.absent-mindedness happens not only to professors but to many other people |
A.forgetting things is serious and dangerous | B.always forgetting things is understandable |
C.forgetting things at times is natural | D.the way to protect yourself from memory “tricks” |
A.How to Get a Good Memory | B.“Tricks” of Memory |
C.Forgetfulness and Absent-mindedness is Dangerous | D.Get Rid of Absent-mindedness |
8 . When things went wrong, Ittleby Fein always had something nice to say.
When Dad forgot about the pizza and it burned, Ittleby said, “Don’t
Ittleby looked on the
Hazel was the
The class didn’t have to
Ittleby didn’t know what to say. Hazel seemed so
Emma came to look at Ittleby’s
So Ittleby added wings.
Everyone put a fingerprint on Ittleby’s paper. Only Hazel didn’t.
“Want to add one?” Ittleby asked her. Hazel thought about it, and she carefully added wings.
“It looks
A.argue | B.worry | C.touch | D.explain |
A.hungry | B.different | C.right | D.wrong |
A.and | B.but | C.if | D.as |
A.humorous | B.easy | C.bright | D.back |
A.liked | B.hated | C.heard | D.trusted |
A.shy | B.good | C.poor | D.new |
A.forget | B.want | C.enjoy | D.doubt |
A.met | B.helped | C.asked | D.believed |
A.Unless | B.When | C.Before | D.Though |
A.according to | B.along with | C.instead of | D.because of |
A.second | B.last | C.first | D.third |
A.prepare | B.rest | C.wait | D.practice |
A.calmed down | B.went down | C.fell down | D.looked down |
A.strange | B.bad | C.funny | D.interesting |
A.sure | B.sorry | C.excited | D.disappointed |
A.finger | B.butterfly | C.painting | D.board |
A.happy | B.surprised | C.angry | D.upset |
A.Then | B.Thus | C.Yet | D.Still |
A.simple | B.similar | C.great | D.normal |
A.answered | B.cried | C.shouted | D.smiled |
9 . While famous foreign architects are invited to lead the designs of landmark buildings in China such as the new CCTV tower and the National Center for the Performing Arts, many excellent Chinese architects are making great efforts to take the center stage.
Their efforts have been proven fruitful. Wang Shu, a 49-year-old Chinese architect, won the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize --- which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize in architecture ---on February 28. He is the first Chinese citizen to win this award.
Wang serves as head of the Architecture Department at the China Academy of Art (CAA). His office is located at the Xiangshan campus of the university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Many buildings on the campus are his original creations.
The style of the campus is quite different from that of most Chinese universities. Many visitors were amazed by the complex architectural space and abundant building types. The curves (曲线) of the buildings perfectly match the rise and fall of hills, forming a unique view.
Wang collected more than 7 million abandoned bricks of different ages. He asked the workers to use traditional techniques to make the bricks into walls, roofs and corridors. This creation attracted a lot of attention thanks to its mixture of modern and traditional Chinese elements.
Wang’s works show a deep understanding of modern architecture and traditions. Through such a balance, he had created a new type of Chinese architecture, said Tadao Ando, the winner of the 1995 Pritzker Prize.
Wang believes traditions should not be sealed in glass boxes at museums. “That is only evidence that traditions once existed,” he said.
“Many Chinese people have a misunderstanding of traditions. They think tradition means old things from the past. In fact, tradition also refers to the things that have been developing and that are still being created, ”he said.
“Today, many Chinese people are learning Western styles and theories rather than focusing on Chinese traditions. Many people tend to talk about traditions without knowing what they really are,” said Wang.
The study of traditions should be combined, with practice. Otherwise, the recreation of traditions would be artificial and empty, he said.
1. Wang's winning of the prize means that Chinese architects are ____.A.following the latest world trend |
B.getting international recognition |
C.working harder than ever before |
D.relying on foreign architects |
A.Its hilly environment. |
B.Its large size. |
C.Its unique style. |
D.Its diverse functions |
A.it used more than 7 million abandoned bricks of different ages |
B.it has complex architectural space and abundant building types |
C.the curves of the buildings perfectly match the rise and fall of hills |
D.it’s full of modern and traditional Chinese elements |
A.The mixture of different shapes. |
B.The harmony of old and new. |
C.The use of popular technique. |
D.The balance of complexity and simplicity. |
A.Spreading them to the world. |
B.Preserving them at museums. |
C.Teaching them in universities. |
D.Recreating them in practice. |
10 . My father lived a long life and was deeply loved by his wife, three children, eleven grandchildren and a large number of friends. He was smart and quick-headed. When I asked if he’d like to join me on Virgin Airlines, I remember him
While he could always make us
When I was a child,I
One day, while
Dad
After we left the shop, my father never spoke a word about the
His
A.nervously | B.deliberately | C.sensitively | D.humorously |
A.calm | B.laugh | C.benefit | D.reflect |
A.advice | B.patience | C.expectation | D.appreciation |
A.led | B.sent | C.helped | D.attracted |
A.dream | B.receipt | C.way | D.plan |
A.visiting | B.discussing | C.exploring | D.progressing |
A.reasonable | B.flexible | C.usual | D.common |
A.debt | B.trouble | C.honor | D.change |
A.confidence | B.pleasure | C.pride | D.money |
A.know | B.hope | C.admit | D.remember |
A.responded | B.exploded | C.attacked | D.comforted |
A.express | B.inform | C.accuse | D.warn |
A.question | B.incident | C.trip | D.shopkeeper |
A.absence | B.sadness | C.anger | D.silence |
A.put up with | B.kept away from | C.dealt with | D.lived through |
A.unspoken | B.proper | C.meaningful | D.enjoyable |
A.discovering | B.losing | C.defending | D.exhibiting |
A.concerned | B.powerful | C.annoying | D.frightening |
A.communication | B.friendship | C.blame | D.forgiveness |
A.grasped | B.benefited | C.expressed | D.surprised |