1 . I am a writer. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke (唤起) an emotion, a visual image, or a simple truth. Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all—all the Englishes I grew up with.
Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California, I’ve been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” English. But feel embarrassed to say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than “broken”, as if it lacked a certain wholeness. I’ve heard other terms used, “limited English, as if everything is limited, including people’s perceptions(认识)”.
I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother’s “limited” English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
I started writing fiction in 1985. And for reasons I won’t get into today, I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for lack of a better term might be described as “broken”, her internal (内在的) language, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure: I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show her intention, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.
1. By saying “Language is the tool of my trade”, the author means that________.| A．she uses English in foreign trade | B．she is fascinated by languages |
| C．she works as a translator | D．she is a writer by profession |
| A．impolite | B．amusing | C．imperfect | D．practical |
| A．Americans do not understand broken English |
| B．The author’s mother was not respected sometimes. |
| C．The author’ mother had positive influence on her. |
| D．Broken English always reflects imperfect thoughts. |
| A．well structured | B．in the old style | C．easy to translate | D．rich in meaning |
| A．The changes of the author’s attitude to her mother’s English. |
| B．The limitation of the author’s perception of her mother. |
| C．The author’s misunderstanding of ”limited“ English. |
| D．The author’s experiences of using broken English. |
2 . Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.
Recite and repeat in conversation.
When you hear a person’s name, repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.
Ask the other person to recite and repeat.
You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone, ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.
Admit you don’t know.
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say, “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”
Use associations.
Link each person yon meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example, you could make a mental note: “Vicki Cheng — tall, black hair.” To reinforce (加强) your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early.
Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That’s fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others — an automatic review for you.
1. How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?| A．They will be moved. | B．They will be annoyed. |
| C．They will be delighted. | D．They will be discouraged. |
| A．tell him the truth | B．tell him a white lie | C．ask him for pity | D．ask others to help you |
| A．write them down | B．say it to yourself several times |
| C．go early to parties | D．spell and pronounce the name correctly |
| A．all their names | B．a couple of names first |
| C．just their last names | D．as many names as possible |
| A．Tips on an important social skill. | B．Importance of attending parties. |
| C．How to make use of associations. | D．How to recite and repeat names. |
3 . With a thirst for a new challenge, I decided to begin my language journey and my only regret is that I didn’t start earlier. Since starting to learn, I have made good progress. The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) is a test of Chinese language for non-native speakers. In July 2020, I passed my HSK3 exam with a score of 100 percent. I am now almost ready to start HSK5.
Learning to speak Chinese isn’t as insurmountable as I once thought. When I speak to native speakers in Chinese, they almost always understand me. I also find it not too difficult to remember characters and I am now even able to write over 400 characters. I find studying the language relaxing and worthwhile, particularly writing the characters. The thing I find most challenging is listening since native speakers talk at such a speed. I can’t always understand what’s been said, but my weekly online language exchanges help with this greatly.
Despite my progress, it has still been the challenge I desire and has taken a lot of hard work. Furthermore, there is a long way to go before I reach my goal of fluency. The key to progress is to be patient and persistent (坚持不懈的). The satisfaction that comes from simple things like ordering food in Chinese, buying things on the Internet or communicating with a taxi driver makes all the hard work worth it.
My biggest takeaway from learning Chinese is that it’s not only doable but can also be enjoyable. Learning Chinese not only helped me in day-to-day life, but deepened my cultural understanding of such a colorful and beautiful country. Considering where I am now, compared to two years ago, as long as I keep studying hard, I can image a time when I’ll be able to read famous Chinese novels not in English but in the original text. So, to all my non-Chinese friends, I always say “Don’t give up. Embrace (拥抱) the challenge.”
1. What is the author’s regret?| A．He had a new challenge. | B．He decided to begin his language journey. |
| C．He didn’t start learning Chinese earlier | D．He passed his HSK3 exam. |
| A．Easy to upset. | B．Possible to change. |
| C．Comfortable to study. | D．Hard to overcome. |
| A．Writing characters. | B．Taking part in HSK exams. |
| C．Listening to the native speaking. | D．Speaking to a taxi driver. |
| A．It can make the author proud. | B．It makes the author know more Chinese. |
| C．It can be useful in daily life. | D．It makes the author more competitive. |
| A．Passing exams isn’t a piece of cake | B．Learning Chinese isn’t unbeatable |
| C．Explore the historical and cultural country | D．Deepen understanding of Chinese culture |
4 . There exist cruel wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, so it’s not only necessary, but also essential to have a good sense of humor just to help us go through difficult times in our lives. Putting a smile on someone’s face when you know they are feeling depressed, as the saying goes, makes me feel good and warms my heart.
How would you feel if you could not joke around with wife, husband, child, co-worker, neighbor, close friend, or even just someone that you are standing in line with at your corner store? I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don’t know the person I’m joking around with. My Grandma always found humor in everything she did, even if it was the hardest job anyone could imagine. This not only relieves stress in any situation, but also is a common manner to speak to others that are around you.
I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say. Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor after hearing a great joke and they would sit there without the slightest smile on their faces. They don’t get the joke that makes others laugh. I am, busting a gut while they just sit there, looking at me as if I were from outer space. How can people not get a really funny joke?
Laughing is essential to keep your stress levels under control. Without humor, we would find ourselves with a lot of psychological problems, or on a lot of medications to keep us from going crazy. There is too much sadness and bring a little light into our lives.
Therefore, I believe our best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and have some fun laughing together.
1. According to the passage, humor is necessary and essential because ______.| A．it can pick up people’s spirit |
| B．it can help people get on well with others |
| C．it can help get rid of the cruelty in the world |
| D．it makes people more confident |
| A．the writer is funny and polite |
| B．family members should play tricks on each other |
| C．the writer’s grandma is humorous |
| D．we should relieve stress in any situation |
| A．keeping silent | B．speaking loud |
| C．laughing hard | D．explaining carefully |
| A．talk about his own understanding of humor |
| B．encourage people to be humorous in daily life |
| C．introduce a practical way to get through daily life |
| D．convince people of the power of being optimistic about life |
| A．Indifferent | B．Positive |
| C．Satisfied | D．Critical |
5 . The California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) is in Old Sacramento. It was completed at a cost of $16.1 million, and the museum opened in May 1981. It houses 21 old locomotives (火车头) and cars. Here, visitors can learn a lot about railroad history in California and the West in America.
Hours & Tickets
The museum is open from 10 a. m. to 5 p. m. daily (except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Tickets are sold until 4:30 p. m. $12 adults; $6 students; children aged 5 and under are free.
Parking
A small number of parking spaces are on the streets of Old Sacramento. However, these spaces are not for guests visiting longer than 90 minutes. All-day parking is in large public garages at both ends of Old Sacramento.
Food Service
The Silver Palace Restaurant serves good food at the right prices. It is just one block southwest of the main entrance to the museum.
1. What can we learn about CSRM?| A．It has a history of 154 years. | B．It has some old locomotives. |
| C．It is open for 8 hours every day. | D．It cost up to $ 15 million to build it. |
| A．$12 | B．$24 | C．$30 | D．$36 |
| A．In the underground parking garages of the museum. |
| B．Anywhere along the streets of Old Sacramento. |
| C．On the parking spaces in front of the museum. |
| D．Somewhere at both ends of Old Sacramento. |
| A．is worth visiting | B．is far from the museum |
| C．is famous for its expensive food | D．is the best one in Old Sacramento |
| A．book review | B．research paper | C．travel magazine | D．newspaper report |
6 . Foreign visitors to the UK might be disappointed when they learn that not everyone there speaks like Harry Potter and his friends. Usually, there’s an assumption by many non-Brits that everyone in Britain speaks with what’s known as a Received Pronunciation (RP，标准发音) accent, also called “the Queen’s English”. However, while many people do talk this way, most Britons speak in their own regional accents (口音).
Scouse, Glaswegian and Black Country — from Liverpool, Glasgow and the West Midlands — are just three of the countless non-RP accents that British people speak with. There are even differences in accents between towns or cities just 30 kilometers apart. What is even more disappointing is that not speaking in a RP accent may mean a British person is judged and even treated differently in their everyday life.
In a 2015 study by The University of South Wales, videos of people reading a passage in three different UK accents were shown to a second group of people. The group then rated how intelligent they thought the readers sounded. The lowestrated accent was Brummie, native to people from Birmingham, a city whose accent is considered working class.
However, there is no need to be disappointed though you are not speaking in a RP accent. In fact, doing the opposite may even give you strength.
Kong Seongjae, 25, is an Internet celebrity from Seoul. After studying in the UK, he picked up several regional accents. He’s now famous for his online videos, where he shows off the various accents he’s learned. “British people usually get really excited when I use some of their local dialect words, and they become much friendlier. I think it makes a bit of bond between local people and foreigners to speak in their local accent,” he said.
So if you’re working on perfecting your British accent, try to speak like someone from Liverpool, Glasgow or Birmingham. You may not sound like Harry Potter, but you are likely to make more friends.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?| A．Non-Brits usually hold that all Britons speak in a RP accent. |
| B．Only “the Queen’s English” is accepted in the UK. |
| C．Foreign visitors are disappointed at their on spoken English. |
| D．Any Received Pronunciation around the world is also called “the Queen’s English”. |
| A．Favored by foreign visitors to the UK. | B．Closest to the RP accent. |
| C．Smart and easy to understand. | D．Spoken by people of lower class. |
| A．Speaking in a RP accent. | B．Speaking in regional accents. |
| C．Speaking the Brummie accent. | D．Speaking like Harry Potter. |
| A．A study about the most intelligent accent in Britain. |
| B．A comparison between different British accents. |
| C．How much British people value the RP accent. |
| D．The influence of regional accents on people’s lives. |
7 . In US emergency rooms (ER), the average wait time to see a doctor is more than two hours. There are more patients in need than there are doctors, nurses and other staff to help them. Many parents have suffered through hours in the ER with a sick, upset child, only to get sent home because their case is not considered urgent. What if there was another choice—like a house call from an intelligent machine?
Now, a new study shows that AI systems can assess (评估) a child’s medical chart and come up with a diagnosis (诊断), a determination of what is wrong with that patient.
The study took place at Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center in southern China. First, a team of doctors reviewed 6, 183 medical charts. They summarized the information in these charts into a list of keywords linked to disease-related symptoms or signs, such as “fever”. Researchers then taught these keywords to the AI system. Once trained, the system scanned children’s charts for the key terms, checking if they were present or not in order to come to a conclusion. Finally, it offered diagnoses based on the charts, narrowing down from among 55 illness categories.
Dongxiao Zhu, an assistant professor of computer science at Wayne State University who did not take part in the study, however, sees this as “augmented intelligence (增强智能)” rather than “artificial intelligence”, because the system handled only 55 illness categories. Compare that to thousands of possibilities in the real world. The machine cannot yet get into the more complex aspects of a medical decision.
Zhu is also concerned about the amount of human work that went into the study—namely, the time and energy spent by human doctors. They spent hours grading the machine’s assessments and comparing them to their own. It’s no wonder that the process took four years. Considering that, it may be a while before you can skip the ER and see a robot-doctor instead.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?| A．Patients pay too much for the ER. |
| B．American doctors aren’t responsible. |
| C．Children are treated urgently in the ER. |
| D．The emergency rooms are crowded with patients. |
| A．AI systems still have a long way to go. |
| B．AI systems diagnose disease like doctors. |
| C．AI systems will take over from doctors someday. |
| D．AI systems get into complex medical decisions. |
| A．By examining a patient first. |
| B．By reviewing many medical charts. |
| C．By scanning keywords about a disease. |
| D．By observing disease-related symptoms. |
| A．They need to be improved a lot. |
| B．They will replace real doctors soon. |
| C．They are suitable for complex disease. |
| D．They help doctors make a quick analysis. |
8 . Experts recently suggested that teens should start having early bedtimes. Before you think it as a habit suited only for young kids, consider that there are serious advantages in being well-rested. And now, even more research suggests that putting phones away before going to sleep is important to teens’ well-being.
A new study from Seton Hall University School of Health and Medicine Science found that 62 percent of kids used their smart phones before bed, and it’s causing less sleep and poor performance in school.
Those teens who text before bedtime tend to go to sleep later, and get up later in the morning. Such behavior can be associated with mental health illnesses like depression or anxiety. Besides, once teens do receive a text, experts found, they tend to respond right away. Then the text conversation continues — leading to an even later bedtime.
The study’s co-author Dr. Peter Polos says this leads to excessive stimulation (过度刺激) at night. Light from electronic devices can prevent the secretion (分泌) of melatonin — a hormone (荷尔蒙) that promotes sleep, which makes sleep difficult in the face of overuse of smart phones at night. It’s true! More screen time means less sleep time; other studies have suggested the same idea.
As for a final piece of advice, Dr. SushanthBhat says, since getting the proper amount of sleep is very important for brain development and learning in the teenage years, our study should encourage parents and guardians (监护人) to limit the smart phone usage of kids at night. Keep in mind that teens aren’t the only ones addicted to their phones! Adults can also benefit from setting a tech curfew (宵禁) for themselves. After all, kids learn by example!
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．How to promote sleep. |
| B．The disadvantages of phone usage before bed. |
| C．The advantages of going to bed early. |
| D．How kids learn from their parents. |
| A．Kids having text conversations before bed. |
| B．Kids putting their phones away at night. |
| C．Kids studying their lessons hard at school. |
| D．Kids exercising with friends after school. |
| A．wake people from a sleep | B．help people fall asleep |
| C．lead to later bedtimes | D．make sleep difficult |
| A．learn from their kids |
| B．get rid of smart phones |
| C．try to benefit from hi-tech development |
| D．set a good example to their kids |
| A．lesson plan | B．book review |
| C．science report | D．personal diary |
9 . There was a time when the word “surgery” used to scare people, and they would try their best to avoid a surgical procedure. The feeling is understandable, as the idea of a large cut on your body is discomforting in many ways. However, thanks to the advances in medical science, surgical techniques have improved considerably.
Compared with the traditional open surgery, minimally invasive surgery (微创手术)has several benefits to offer. Not only is the procedure quick and less painful, but also ensures rapid recovery. Now, surgical procedures, either big or small, are done within a few minutes to a few hours. The best part about the minimally invasive surgery is the painless procedure. The advanced techniques are helping with quality treatments to patients who have to undergo (进行) surgical procedures.
Unlike the traditional open surgery that requires a large cut, a surgeon makes multiple tiny cuts of less than an inch. For the process, the surgeon uses small surgical instruments, such as a tiny tube with a mini camera at one end. Once the surgeon marks the cuts, he then passes the tiny tube through one of the cuts. The doctor monitors the images taken by the mini camera on the screen and uses them as a reference. These images give the surgeon a clear picture of the area undergoing the surgery. After the surgery, the surgeon cleans the cuts and sometimes places a bandage for additional support.
Minimally invasive surgery has become the first choice of patients with multiple medical conditions. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that these surgeries are now the standard surgical procedures for many routine operations. Whether you have a minor issue or want a surgical intervention for a major health condition, it is the best option.
1. What makes people afraid of surgery?| A．The large cut. | B．The great risk. |
| C．The high expense. | D．The slow recovery. |
| A．The previous treatment plan. |
| B．The images by the mini camera. |
| C．The standard surgical procedures. |
| D．The advice from other surgeons. |
| A．Patients in need of additional support. |
| B．Patients lack of regular checkups. |
| C．Patients with several medical conditions. |
| D．Patients scared of surgical instruments. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Objective. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Supportive. |
| A．A medical magazine. |
| B．An online medical forum. |
| C．A technique discovery. |
| D．An advertisement for a medical product. |
10 . Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities-famous people-worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B. C. , painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
1. It can be learned from the passage that stars today________.| A．are often misunderstood by the public |
| B．can no longer have their privacy protected |
| C．spend too much on their public appearance |
| D．care little about how they have come into fame |
| A．to lose their way back |
| B．to forget their own names |
| C．to lose their memories |
| D．to forget their true selves |
| A．Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids. |
| B．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers. |
| C．Great heroes of the past were generally admired. |
| D．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history. |
| A．Huge population of fans. | B．Availability of modern media. |
| C．Lack of favorable chances. | D．Inadequate social recognition. |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Skeptical. | C．Disapproving. | D．Indifferent. |
