1 . As the oldest of three children, I never had any hand-me-downs to wear like other poor kids. Instead, Mom got my wardrobe (全部衣物) from neighborhood mothers. Imagine the fun other kids had when they saw me wearing their used clothing.
Perhaps my biggest challenge came from Charlie. As far as I was concerned, Charlie’s main fun was to make fun of me. During those years, I slowly learned to hate. I hated Charlie, but I also hated myself for not being able to change my situation.
But situations do change. That opportunity came after high school when I joined the Navy. The Navy made me a social equal for the first time in my life, and the GI Bill gave me a college education. Hard work and a few lucky career choices finally lifted me into the middle class.
One beautiful summer afternoon, my friend and I celebrated Friday in Jackson’s Steak House. For the first time in almost twenty years, I saw Charlie. Not only did I see him, but he spoke to me. I could tell he didn’t recognize me, but I surely recognized my childhood tormentor (折磨者). His words were short, but I’ll never forget them. He said, “Sir, what kind of dressing would you like with your salad?”
The tables had turned. Charlie was calling me “Sir”. While hundreds of improper ideas raced through my mind, I could only give a two-word reply: “Blue cheese.” As much as I wanted to taste the sweet taste of revenge (复仇), I refused to do it. I wouldn’t put another person through what I had gone through as a child. It was time to put childish things behind me and make use of the new opportunity that life had given me. I left him a good tip and I didn’t say one word about recognizing him.
1. Where did the author usually get his clothes as a kid?| A．His mom bought them for him. |
| B．They were from other families. |
| C．Other poor kids collected them for him. |
| D．They were handed down by his brothers. |
| A．Painful. | B．Funny. | C．Strange. | D．Lucky. |
| A．A hairdresser. | B．A waiter. | C．A soldier. | D．A cook. |
| A．Live your own dream |
| B．Best memories in childhood |
| C．Don’t hate but love your enemy |
| D．Grow up and let it go |
2 . The morning had been a disaster. My tooth was aching, and I’d been in an argument with a friend. Her words still hurt, “ The trouble with you is that you won’t put yourself in my place. Can’t you see things from my point of view? ” I shook my head stubbornly-and felt the ache in my tooth. I’d thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable. I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one could see me immediately. Finally, at about lunchtime, I got lucky.
“ If you come by right now, ” the receptionist said, “ the dentist will fit you in. ”
I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car. But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist. What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn’t he as busy as the others?
In the dentist’s office, I sat down and looked around. I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried. The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my icecold one.
When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, “ Don’t worry. The dentist is very good. ”
“ How long do I have to wait for him? ” I asked impatiently.
“ Come on, he is coming. Just lie down and relax. And enjoy the artwork, ” the assistant said.
“ The artwork? ”I was puzzled.
The chair went back. Suddenly I smiled. There was a beautiful picture, right where I could enjoy it: on the ceiling. How considerate the dentist was! At that moment, I began to understand what my friend meant by her words.
What a relief!
1. Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling that morning?| A．Upset. | B．Nervous. | C．Cheerful. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．The laughing assistant of the dentist. |
| B．The surroundings of the dentist’s office. |
| C．The dentist’s being as busy as the other dentists. |
| D．The dentist’s agreeing to treat her at very short notice. |
| A．Because the dentist came at last. | B．Because she could relax in the chair. |
| C．Because she saw a picture on the ceiling. | D．Because the assistant kept comforting her. |
| A．Strike while the iron is hot. | B．Put oneself in other’s shoes. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | D．Have a good word for one’s friend. |
3 . A few years ago, I stood in a small classroom just outside of New York City, watching a high schooler named Serena Stevenson answer math questions. An instructor read outnumbers — 74,470, 70,809, 98,402 — and Stevenson added them in her head. For each question, she closed her eyes, and then the fingers of her right hand began to move. She answered most of the problems correctly.
The key to her success was an ancient technology called the abacus. Stevenson used a practice called “mental abacus”, imagining the abacus in her mind and then using her fingers to work through the problems.
From watching Stevenson, I knew that gaining skill at the abacus was more than a matter of counting beads, so I decided to sign up for an abacus course with my two daughters to see if we could also improve our math skills. I was one of the many who had some math doubts and I felt a touch of fear. My typical solution was avoidance, and if I had to calculate something like a percentage change, I would go online.
Then after a few abacus classes and a good amount of practice, math seemed a little less frightening. I didn’t become Euclid, the founder of geometry. But the practice brought my numerical fears down. This is a time-tested power of the abacus. Confidence grows easily in the device, and abacus students are less likely to be nervous about an upcoming math test, according to one study. Part of the reason, it seems, is that practice and outcomes appear to move in step.
My kids gained much as well. My youngest daughter could work out those math problems that once baffled her, while my older child brought her abacus to school to show it to her classmates and teacher. These were just small successes for them, but that was how they finally developed confidence.
1. What is the main purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To prove the difficulty of math. | B．To introduce the topic of the abacus. |
| C．To show the high intelligence of Stevenson. | D．To stress the importance of abacus learning. |
| A．He was weak in math. | B．He was good at computer. |
| C．He regarded math as useful. | D．He had a close relationship with kids. |
| A．Knowledge starts with practice. | B．It’s never too late to learn. |
| C．Faith can move mountains. | D．Practice makes perfect. |
| A．Bored. | B．Inspired. | C．Defeated. | D．Interested. |
4 . Chinese New Year has been welcomed in Britain with its biggest ever program of events and celebrations.
From London's Trafalgar Square to major cities across Britain,tens of thousands of British people have joined Chinese communities to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. In Manchester there was a Dragon Parade(舞龙表演）,led by a very impressive 54-meter long dragon,ending in Chinatown where there was traditional Chinese entertainment, more than 6, 000 lanterns,street food villages and a fireworks show. Celebrations also took place in Liverpool, Birmingham, Durham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Newcastle.
Academic Dr Wu Kegang said that the Chinese New Year event in Britain “is now bigger than ever and it is growing every year”. When Wu arrived in Britain 26 years ago from Guangdong,the first thing he noticed was that Chinese New Year was celebrated mainly in towns and cities with big Chinese communities. “You would go to London Chinatown and join your countrymen to celebrate, or to Chinatowns in places like Liverpool and Manchester for events almost only held for Chinese people, ”Wu recalled.
“Now it is so different, and we are seeing local communities all over the country taking part alongside their own Chinese populations, ” he said. “It is clear to me that the celebrations will continue to grow in Britain. Chinese New Year has earned its place in the calendar of events in Britain,and is here to stay. ”
1. Where did the Dragon Parade take place?| A．In London. | B．In Liverpool. |
| C．In Manchester. | D．In Birmingham. |
| A．celebrated mainly by Chinese communities |
| B．celebrated by local communities all over the country |
| C．only celebrated in London, Liverpool and Manchester |
| D．celebrated by tens of thousands of British people with Chinese people |
| A．It will lose its attraction. |
| B．It will become a British official holiday. |
| C．More and more British people will join in the celebrations. |
| D．It will become the most important one in the calendar of events in Britain. |
| A．How Chinese New Year is celebrated in Britain. |
| B．Where Chinese New Year is celebrated in Britain. |
| C．Chinese culture is more attractive than British culture. |
| D．Chinese New Year has become more and more popular in Britain. |
5 . When HarmonyOS, the Chinese self-developed operating system for Huawei mobile devices, was released on Aug 9, it quickly became a hot topic on social media. Many believe it not only represents the rise of the country as a tech power, but also shows respect to classical Chinese culture by naming the system “Hongmeng” in Chinese.
“Hongmeng” is a classical word from Zhuangzi. In the ancient times of Chinese legend and myths (神话), “Hongmeng” was used to describe the original state of the universe before matter existed. For HamonyOS,“Hongmeng” indicates the developers’ aim to make an innovative operating system, unlike any other.
Besides “Hongmeng”, Huawei has also registered many of its products under the names of legendary creatures from Chinese myths. For example, the company’s Kirin mobile chip got its name after a lucky monster called “Qilin”. And its server chip is called “Kunpeng”, a creature that changed from a fish into a giant bird.
Many Chinese Internet users and media have praised Huawei’s use of these names, “as they stand for Chinese wisdom and ancient people’s imagination and spirit of exploration”, Global Times noted.
In fact, Huawei is not alone in using traditional culture for modern ventures. Ne Zha, the new film, also portrays traditional culture in a modern context. The movie is loosely based on the well-known work of classical Chinese myth The Investiture of the Gods. Earlier this month it became the biggest animated movie in China and was called “the glory of domestic anime (国产动漫)”.
Indeed, the long history and splendid classic works have given China a profound culture. Myths and legends are the creative works of tremendous imagination. As Global Times put it, today by revisiting a modern context, “ancient myths has the power to inspire imagination in young people”. After all, imagination is the beginning of creation.
1. What do we know about HarmonyOS?| A．Its release raised a storm of objections. |
| B．It is named after a creature in myth. |
| C．It combines high technology and culture. |
| D．It’s the best operating system. |
| A．creative | B．modern | C．popular | D．intelligent |
| A．Confused. | B．Unexpected. | C．Approving. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．The film Ne Zha is not adapted from myths. |
| B．The film Ne Zha is a big hit. |
| C．More businesses follow Huawei’s lead. |
| D．Ancient myths is a good choice for entertainment. |
6 . It can be really hard to learn a new language. I had always enjoyed learning languages in school. Only recently did I start learning German. I found that I could understand and learn individual words easily, but when it came to literature, I really struggled. That happened when my tutor at university suggested reading some children's books printed in the target language.
At first, I felt a bit silly going on a hunt for a book designed for someone half my age, but then I realized that everyone has to start somewhere. As children, we are given these basic texts to familiarize our brains with certain vocabularies and writing structures, and from there, we can learn and develop. I started with books which are taught to us as children in the UK. I managed to find Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl.The beauty of reading books that were introduced to you as a child is that you are already familiar with the plot. Therefore, you can work out some words with your knowledge of the story. At first, I used to read with the book in one hand and a dictionary in the other, but this did not work well. The method I would recommend is to read a chapter first and at the end of that chapter, highlight the new words and then look up the definitions. If you can wait a bit before using a dictionary, you may be surprised at what you can understand merely from the context. Additionally, a lot of children's books have pictures which may give you a clue as to what or whom the passage is referring to.
If you can find translations of the books you have read as a child, I would strongly advise you to read those if you are a complete beginner. However, if you feel a bit more confident of reading in English, I would personally recommend the series of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling or any of the Roald Dahl's children's books.
1. Why did the author find it hard to learn German?
| A．The author had a poor memory. |
| B．The author had no interest in it. |
| C．The author had no one to ask for help. |
| D．The author couldn't read German books fluently. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Stupid. | C．Helpful. | D．Boring. |
| A．How to deal with new words while reading. |
| B．Why it is helpful to read children's books at first. |
| C．How to choose a proper book to match your level. |
| D．How to form the habit of reading in the target language. |
| A．To give tips on how to learn a new language. |
| B．To persuade readers to learn a new language. |
| C．To stress the importance of reading in language learning. |
| D．To share stories of learning a new language. |
7 . It is a blue, cotton shirt. The shirt belonged to my
We shared the shirt, and as days
At times David also talked about his father. Usually it was late at night, in the dormitory just before bed, and the
Time passed and we had to say goodbye to each other. After lots of hugging, and words of thanks, we eventually departed. It was on my
I put aside the note, with
| A．colleague | B．brother | C．roommate | D．professor |
| A．Because | B．Unless | C．While | D．Even if |
| A．came across | B．went by | C．ran out | D．came up |
| A．victories | B．belongings | C．scholarships | D．stories |
| A．happened | B．refused | C．struggled | D．failed |
| A．turn out | B．stand out | C．figure out | D．drop out |
| A．interview | B．discussion | C．conversation | D．debate |
| A．failure | B．depression | C．poverty | D．illness |
| A．connection | B．distance | C．difference | D．conflict |
| A．first | B．last | C．next | D．second |
| A．touched | B．pulled | C．removed | D．folded |
| A．attached | B．applied | C．adjusted | D．admitted |
| A．guidance | B．devotion | C．friendship | D．mercy |
| A．less than | B．other than | C．more than | D．rather than |
| A．sympathetic | B．grateful | C．joyful | D．painful |
8 . For people who are interested in sound, the field of sound technology is definitely making noise. In the past, sound engineers worked in the back rooms of recording studios, but many of today’s sound professionals are sharing their knowledge and experience with professionals in other fields to create new products based on the phenomenon we call sound.
Sound can be used as a weapon. Imagine that a police officer is chasing a thief. The thief tries to escape. And the officer can’t let him get away. he pulls out a special device points it at the suspect, and switches it on. The thief drops to the ground. This new weapon is called a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD, 远程定向声波发射器). It produces a deafening sound so painful that it temporarily disables a person. The noise from the LRAD is directed like a ray of light and travels only into the ears of that person, but it is not deadly.
For those who hunger for some peace and quiet, sound can now create silence. Let’s say you are at the airport, and the little boy on the seat next to you is humming（哼唱）a short commercial song. He hums it over and over again, and you are about to go crazy. Thanks to the Silence Machine a British invention, you can get rid of the sound without upsetting the boy or his parents. One may wonder how the Silence Machine works. Well, it functions by analyzing the waves of the incoming sound and creating a second set of outgoing waves. The two sets of waves cancel each other out. Simply turn the machine on, point it at the target, and your peace and quiet comes back.
Directed sound is a new technology that allows companies to use sound in much the same way spotlights（聚光灯） are used in the theater. A spotlight lights up only one section of a stage; similarly, a “spotsound” creates a circle of sound in one targeted area. This can be useful for businesses such as restaurants and stores because it offers a new way to attract customers. Restaurants can offer a choice of music along with the various food choices on the menu, allowing customers more control over the atmosphere in which they are dining. Directed sound is also beginning to appear in shopping centers and even at homes.
1. What could be inferred from Paragraph 2 about the effect of the LRAD?| A．It causes temporary hearing loss | B．It slows down a running man |
| C．It makes it easy to identify a suspect | D．It keeps the suspect from hurting others |
| A．silence the people around you | B．remove the sound of commercials |
| C．block the incoming sound waves | D．stop unwanted sound from affecting you |
| A．They travel in circles | B．They clear the atmosphere. |
| C．They can be transformed into energy | D．They can be directed onto a specific area |
| A．creative designs of restaurant menus | B．ideal sound effects on the theater stage |
| C．different choices of music for businesses | D．strict control over any suspicious customer |
9 . Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat (热). However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time—about eight hours after you wake up - your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern (模式). They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.
In many parts of the world, people take naps (小睡) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates (气候), where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional (传统的), people often suffer less from problem such as heart disease.
Many working people unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap - even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.
1. Why do people feel sleepy in the early afternoon according to the text?| A．They eat too much for lunch. | B．They sleep too little at night. |
| C．Their body temperature becomes lower. | D．The weather becomes a lot warmer. |
| A．About 12:30 pm. | B．About 1:30 pm. | C．About 2:30 pm. | D．About 3:30 pm. |
| A．Just for a Rest | B．All for a Nap |
| C．A Special Sleep Pattern. | D．Taking Naps in Warmer Climate. |
10 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860-1935)Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964)If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness(意识) of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and in 1981, the first woman to join the U. S. Supreme Court (最高法院). O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks(1913-2005)On December 1,1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (抵制). It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams famous for in history?| A．Her social work. | B．Her teaching skills. |
| C．Her efforts to win a prize. | D．Her community background. |
| A．Not having training in law. | B．Her little work experience in court. |
| C．Her identity as a woman. | D．Her poor financial conditions. |
| A．Jane Addams. | B．Rachel Carson. |
| C．Sandra Day O’Connor. | D．Rosa Parks. |
| A．They are highly educated. | B．They are truly creative. |
| C．They are pioneers. | D．They are peace-lovers. |
