1 . I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt’s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see — the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost — having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times.”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
1. How did the author get to know America?A.From her relatives. | B.From her mother. |
C.From books and pictures. | D.From radio. |
A.confused | B.excited | C.worried | D.amazed |
A.She worked as a translator | B.She attended a lot of job interviews |
C.She paid telephone bills for her family | D.She helped her family with her English |
A.her future will be free from troubles | B.it is difficult to learn to become patient |
C.there are more good things than bad things | D.good things will happen if one keeps trying. |
2 . Once, when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus (马戏).
Seeing what was going on, my dad
That day we came home without any tickets. When I asked dad why he did so, dad said, “My child, it was heartbreaking and
That was a
A.Finally | B.Actually | C.Really | D.Nearly |
A.at | B.over | C.under | D.in |
A.nervously | B.hurriedly | C.carefully | D.excitedly |
A.So | B.Although | C.Instead | D.However |
A.hand | B.arm | C.head | D.face |
A.closely | B.near | C.closer | D.nearly |
A.fell | B.flew | C.threw | D.dropped |
A.out | B.from | C.down | D.away |
A.recognized | B.explained | C.proved | D.understood |
A.straight | B.straightly | C.plain | D.plainly |
A.means | B.proves | C.helps | D.gives |
A.exciting | B.embarrassing | C.amazing | D.surprising |
A.asking for | B.looking after | C.aware of | D.adapting to |
A.excitement | B.privacy | C.emotion | D.pride |
A.previous | B.precious | C.proper | D.possible |
3 . Several months ago, a tornado fiercely hit our city without any signs before. We hadn’t
Never did I imagine that we would put our regular
I couldn’t
Because of the tornado, I realized that my job as a teacher meant a lot. Behind every well-behaved students are a long line of teachers who have made it their life’s
A.paid | B.searched | C.accounted | D.prepared |
A.agency | B.education | C.emergency | D.selection |
A.suddenly | B.finally | C.secretly | D.immediately |
A.games | B.trainings | C.languages | D.saving |
A.mixed up | B.stood out | C.lined up | D.spoken out |
A.fear | B.anger | C.shame | D.shock |
A.encounter | B.comfort | C.satisfy | D.praise |
A.problem | B.result | C.success | D.reason |
A.hate | B.expect | C.see | D.approach |
A.simple | B.ideal | C.scary | D.strange |
A.follow | B.provide | C.repeat | D.change |
A.fortunate | B.honest | C.confident | D.brave |
A.trust | B.pride | C.interest | D.growth |
A.reward | B.power | C.wisdom | D.goal |
A.chances | B.challenges | C.adventures | D.discussions |
4 . To raise money for restaurant workers who had to stay at home during COVID-19, two brothers, Aiden and Louis Ardine, decided to walk 3,200 miles across America to raise money.
Having just arrived on the sands of the Pacific Ocean, Aiden and Louis Ardine have now completed their five-month walk which started on the Asbury Park boardwalk in New Jersey. They hoped to raise $30, 000 for some charities (慈善组织) that were helping restaurant workers waiting for lockdown (隔离) to end, but ended up making $70,000 — which they gave away to the COCO Fund and the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.
“This would not have been possible without the help of a huge community of people, whether people were donating or helping us guide our way across the United States,” said Aiden Ardine. “This was surely an adventure full of hope, and it proved people are born good and want to help their neighbors.”
Just like cross-country trips in this nation, their journey was characterized by amazing views, long roads, and helpful strangers: like a man who passed them in the extreme heat of summertime Iowa, before doubling back and giving them a cold Gatorade; or a Nevada campground manager who left them stay for free.
In Utah they had what the naturalist John Muir would have described as an “interview” with a black bear, when rounding a corner in the path, they found themselves within a few feet of it.
When they reached San Francisco, their supporters were waiting for them on the beach. Afterwards they flew home along with their mom who had been there to meet them. After their adventurous stay away from home, we can only imagine she was really feeling proud of her sons.
1. What did the two brothers collect money for?A.Setting up some charities. | B.Helping to end the lockdown. |
C.Completing their five-month walk. | D.Aiding restaurant workers stuck at home. |
A.Humorous. | B.Caring. | C.Curious. | D.Honest. |
A.They met with a bear. | B.They were interviewed. |
C.They visited a naturalist. | D.They were lost in the path. |
A.A Long Journey | B.Walk with Love |
C.A Proud Mother | D.Adventure with Fun |
5 . As a teenager in the 1960s, growing up in suburbs south of Boston, I fell under the control of the very pleasantly
So, entering college, I decided to
In 2012, I retired. I began to attend weekly presentations about Chinese affairs sponsored (主办) by George Mason’s Confucius Institute, where by late 2014 this casual (偶然的) contact had led to the
Under the teachers’ guidance the
A.relaxing | B.inviting | C.developing | D.confusing |
A.explain | B.deepen | C.uncover | D.evaluate |
A.look into | B.break off | C.seek out | D.take up |
A.launched | B.spread | C.delayed | D.shared |
A.shook off | B.wound through | C.set up | D.lived with |
A.interaction | B.break | C.improvement | D.exchange |
A.difficulties | B.encouragement | C.guidance | D.delivery |
A.strengthened | B.started | C.interrupted | D.ended |
A.formation | B.breakup | C.factor | D.wave |
A.regularly | B.highly | C.rapidly | D.suitably |
A.revised | B.respected | C.annoyed | D.doubted |
A.weaknesses | B.challenges | C.sufferings | D.strengths |
A.demanding | B.concerned | C.grateful | D.anxious |
A.promising | B.cancelling | C.selling | D.promoting |
A.increasingly | B.discouragingly | C.frighteningly | D.decreasingly |
6 . Ben Francis didn’t become wealthy through a family inheritance (遗产). Instead, the CEO and co-founder of Gymshark used his earnings as a Pizza Hut delivery guy to buy a sewing machine and start his fitness apparel (服饰) company at 19.
Eleven years later, his effort paid off. Francis, 30, who has a reported net worth of $1.3 billion, joined Forbes’ billionaires list. He’s in rare company: the list’s average age is 65 years old.
Originally, Francis and co-founder Lewis Morgan launched Gymshark as a website selling fitness products. But after getting bored with his ill-fitting clothes, Francis suggested pivoting the company.
Francis and Morgan bought a sewing machine. The pair brought Gymshark to a bodybuilding exhibition in 2013, but didn’t have any money to spend on advertising. On a whim (一时兴起), they decided to give popular fitness YouTubers free products. “My heroes were on YouTube,” Francis said. “So it would be so cool if my heroes could come to be with Gymshark at this event. I didn’t really think that much about it.” Some of those influencers went on to wear the clothes on their channels, bringing Gymshark’s sales to $45,000 per day, up from just $450.
Francis quit the CEO role in 2017. “CEO was not the right role for me when I was in my early 20s,” Francis said. “That I’d started a business which had grown very quickly didn’t mean I have the full ability to be a good leader.” He spent the next four years supporting leadership roles within Gymshark---including chief product officer and chief marketing officer – to learn more about the ins and outs of the business, before returning as CEO in 2021.
That year, the company was valued at $1.45 billion. Still, the company’s billion-dollar valuation is a small percentage of the market value of competitors like Nike and Lululemon. “I really think Gymshark can be the UK’s answer to those brands,” Francis said. “But that’s not saying that the UK is where it starts and ends for us. We also want to be a truly global brand.”
1. What makes Ben Francis special on Forbes’ billionaires list?A.His age. | B.His wealth. | C.His talent. | D.His company. |
A.Taking control of. | B.Making the best of. |
C.Making changes to. | D.Attaching importance to. |
A.To win the support of popular YouTubers. |
B.To advertise their products in a cheap way. |
C.To build a good relationship with YouTube. |
D.To get the chance to meet their heroes on YouTube. |
A.Gymshark: From a website to a big company |
B.Gymshark: Taking the lead in fitness clothing |
C.Francis: Starting the UK’s fastest-growing company |
D.Francis: From a Pizza Hut delivery guy to a billionaire |
7 . Friday and Saturday were full of surprises for Chinese, as two places in China were listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The first, a World Natural Heritage, is made up of a series of migratory bird sanctuaries (候鸟保护地) along the coast of the Yellow Sea in Yancheng, East China’s Jiangsu Province. The second, the Liangzhu Archaeological Site in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province, was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site.
China began the application process for the bird sanctuaries in 2017. It only took two years to successfully complete the process. The migratory bird sanctuaries are the central point of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and many endangered species, especially threatened migratory birds including red-crowned cranes and flamingos, go there to hunt for food during the migration season. The birds usually take a month to finish their migration. At about 10 days into their migration, they must stop and find food in order to have the energy to continue their journey.
Compared to the short period for the World Natural Heritage’s application, the Liangzhu application was far more challenging. The application team spent six years making their dream a reality. The site in Liangzhu is evidence of the existence of an early regional state in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River during the late Neolithic (新石器) period in China, which helps fill in the gaps in the history of the rice-cultivating (种植) civilizations of China and East Asia more than 5000 years ago. The site was one of the 20th century’s most important archaeological discoveries in China.
With these two new additions, China now has 55 World Heritage sites, the highest number in the world. The successful application means greater responsibility and duties. Protecting these places is much more important and is our future work.
1. What do you know about the World Natural Heritage?A.Its application process is comparatively easier. |
B.It provides safe fixed habitats for endangered species. |
C.It’s located along the coast of the Yellow River. |
D.It prevents red-crowned cranes from finishing their migration. |
A.By creating warm places to produce baby birds. |
B.By keeping them from being killed by hunters. |
C.By providing food supplies during their migration. |
D.By offering treatment to the endangered birds after their journey. |
A.It shows the long history of China. | B.It proves the wisdom of the people. |
C.It sees the civilization of an age. | D.It introduces the food culture of the late Neolithic. |
A.China’s tourism industry has received greater promotion. |
B.China’s responsibility is getting bigger after the successful application. |
C.China’s history has been deeply influenced by these two places. |
D.China’s performance in protecting World Heritage Sites is the best. |
8 . According to related new research, tropical cyclones (热带气旋), from hurricanes to typhoons, are moving more slowly across the globe than they did decades ago, meaning that they get more destructive power and last longer.
It may seem like a good thing that cyclones pace at a slower speed, but in fact it’s not the case. Although the cyclones are moving slower across the ground, they still get high wind speeds inside, which makes hard rains stay longer over communities.
“Nothing good comes out of a slowing storm,” says James Kossin, a climate scientist, “It can increase the amount of time that buildings are suffering strong wind. And it increases rainfall.”
According to Kossin’s findings, changing storm patterns (模式) is causing greater destruction in another way. He noted that the speed of global tropical cyclones slowed by an average of 10 percent from 1949 to 2016. The pace of the storms slowed even more as they made landfall in some regions (地区). In the western North Pacific, it slowed down by nearly a third. That means there will be more time for a storm that may already contain large quantities of water to give off more of it in each place.
Basing his research on the details of nearly 70 years’ worth of storms, Kossin did not try to determine the cause of the slowdown. Even so, the change is the expected result of climate change, just as he and other cyclone experts said.
Kossin’s work was considered to be “important and new” and “pretty reasonable” by Christina Patricola, who has been studying this issue.
It is Kossin’s hope that a model (模型) showing which communities are likely to be at the highest danger could be developed by scientists. Given that in some areas, the storms are moving poleward (极地) and gaining in strength as well, places not normally passed by could be affected by unusually heavy rainfall as a result. “These are not good things to be put together,” he says.
1. Why do cyclones pacing more slowly cause more destruction?A.They get higher wind speeds outside. |
B.They cause more serious climate change. |
C.They move poleward in a faster speed. |
D.They make rains stay longer in a place. |
A.The speed of the storms there slows more. | B.It has much wetter air than other areas. |
C.It has higher danger of being hit by storms. | D.The storms there cause greater damage. |
A.To attract more attention to research on storms. |
B.To stress the importance of studying storms. |
C.To suggest she is a leading scientist in this field. |
D.To show that Kossin’s work has been recognized. |
A.Agriculture. | B.Science. | C.Health. | D.Education. |
9 . Russ Miller, 36, from Ohio, was first found ill with a serious disease when he was just 26. The condition attacked joints (关节),making it more and more difficult for him to do everyday tasks.
“My hands are not shaped properly and I can’t manipulate them normally,”said Miller in a letter to the company. “I can no longer use normal computer keyboards and it’s hard for me to even hold a pen anymore.”
Russ’ condition worsened at fast speed, which resulted in him living on the streets in Florida for 4 years —but in 2018, he started trying to turn his life around.
“I was trying to get help and get myself out of my situation. I had a phone, but I had difficulty typing on normal keyboards... So I started looking for different smartphone keyboards. I found Typewise by accident.”
Russ thinks much of the Typewise smartphone keyboard for it enables him to “get his life back”by giving him freedom to communicate with people, get help, get an apartment and even get a job.
“Because I was able to type on my phone again, I was able to use social media to reach out to an organization that helps people with disabilities.”
It’s the specially designed keyboard that Russ finds a lot easier to use. “I can move my fingers around and don’t mess things up as often.”
“Now I have a part-time job where I take care of dogs and cats. I can’t work full-time because of my physical problems, but at least I have something to do and something to look forward to.”
1. What does the underlined word “manipulate” in paragraph 2 mean?A.Control. | B.Wave. | C.Touch. | D.Wash. |
A.To enable Russ to live better than before. |
B.To enable Russ’ fingers to move more quickly. |
C.To enable Russ to do anything easily. |
D.To enable Russ to find more people like him. |
A.Helpless and boring. | B.Encouraging and easy. |
C.Satisfying and hopeful. | D.Active and busy. |
A.Illness is never an excuse. | B.Communication is powerful. |
C.The keyboard contributes to life. | D.A homeless man rebuilt his life. |
10 . Four famous classic Italian writers
When speaking of Italian literature, many people come up with Dante. But there are many other famous Italian authors. Below are four recommended writers and their masterpieces.
Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533)
Ariosto is best known for his epic (史诗般的) poem Orlando Furioso, which was published in 1977. As a poet always with new ideas, Ariosto invented the way of “singing the poem to the audience”. The poem presents a rich variety of characters, which has been an encouragement for many paintings and musical works.
Italo Calvino (1923-1985)
Calvino was the author of If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler published in 1979. The novel differs from others for its unique description of a frame story - a unifying story within which several tales are related. It has encouraged musicians like Sting to create their works. At the time of his death in 1985, Calvino was one of the world’s most translated Italian writers.
Umberto Eco (1932-2016)
Eco wrote The Name of the Rose, a historical murder mystery (神秘) novel published in 1980. In the story, he skilfully applied the use of signs and symbols to it. A number of his books deal with the meaning and understanding of communication.
Alessandro Manzoni (1785-1873)
Manzoni is most famous for his novel The Betrothed published in 1827. The novel was regarded to be connected with Risorgimento, the Italian unification movement(统一运动) in the 19th century. Probably we can say, without this great novelist and this masterpiece of world literature, Italy wouldn’t be Italy.
1. What do Orlando Furioso and If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler have in common?A.They have both influenced musical works. |
B.They both have related characters and stories. |
C.They were both published in the same year. |
D.They are both translated into many languages. |
A.A unique describing style. | B.A mix of new ideas. |
C.The use of signs and symbols. | D.The history of a movement. |
A.Ludovico Ariosto. | B.Italo Calvino. | C.Umberto Eco. | D.Alessandro Manzoni. |