1 . It’s very necessary for you to make a plan in advance before travelling abroad. An important part of the plan is probably to find the right
Now consider another
If you are a contributor, use Wish Trip from the beginning of your tour to
You can use Wish Trip in any country where you want to travel. Now the sharing economy is rapidly
A.custom | B.route | C.companion | D.routine |
A.offer | B.share | C.convey | D.gather |
A.experienced | B.adventurous | C.energetic | D.respectable |
A.abundant | B.limitless | C.typical | D.precious |
A.run out of | B.live up to | C.fall short of | D.look forward to |
A.situation | B.event | C.option | D.function |
A.boring | B.attractive | C.necessary | D.complex |
A.tracking | B.handling | C.following | D.watching |
A.develop | B.publish | C.print | D.upload |
A.simple | B.right | C.short | D.straight |
A.lately | B.automatically | C.extremely | D.currently |
A.solution | B.sign | C.promotion | D.reaction |
A.reporter | B.learner | C.guide | D.visitor |
A.exchange | B.memorize | C.record | D.communicate |
A.order | B.give | C.adapt | D.attach |
A.begin | B.set | C.keep | D.finish |
A.generate | B.invent | C.perform | D.copy |
A.save | B.imagine | C.catch | D.edit |
A.building | B.breaking | C.gaining | D.ruining |
A.ability | B.technology | C.power | D.information |
2 . The 65-year-old Steve Goodwin was found suffering from early Alzheimer’s (阿尔茨海默症). He was losing his memory.
A software engineer by profession, Steve was a keen lover of the piano, and the only musician in his family. Music was his true passion, though he had never performed outside the family.
Melissa, his daughter, felt it more than worthwhile to save his music, to which she fell asleep each night when she was young. She thought about hirıng a professional pianist to work with her father.
Naomi, Melissa’s best friend and a talented pianist, got to know about this and showed willingness to help.
“Why do this?” Steve wondered.
“Because she cares.” Melissa said.
Steve nodded, tear in eye.
Naomi drove to the Goodwin home: She told Steve she’d love to hear him play Steve moved to the piano and sat at the bench, hands trembling as he gently placed his fingers on the keys.
Naomi put a small recorder near the piano. Starts and stops and mistakes. Long pauses, heart sinking. But Steve pressed on, playing for the first time in his life for a stranger.
“It was beautiful.” Naomi said after listening to the recording. “The music was worth saving.”
Her responsibility, her privilege, would be to rescue it. The music was still in Steve Goodwin. It was hidden in rooms with doors about to be locked.
Naomi and Steve met every other week and spent hours together. He’d move his fingers clumsily on the piano, and then she’d take his place. He struggled to explain what he heard in his head. He stood by the piano, eyes closed, listening for the first time to his own work being played by someone else.
Steve and Naomi spoke in musical code lines, beats, intervals, moving from the root to end a song in a new key. Steve heard it. All of it. He just couldn’t play it.
Working with Naomi did wonders for Steve. It had excited within him the belief he could write one last song. One day, Naomi received an email. Attached was a recording, a recording of loss and love, of the fight. Steve called it “Melancholy Flower”.
Naomi heard multiple stops and starts, Steve struggling, searching while his wife Joni called him “honey” and encouraged him. The task was so hard, and Steve, angry and upset, said he was quitting. Joni praised him, telling her husband this could be his signature piece.
Naomi managed to figure out 16 of Steve’s favorite, and most personal songs. With Naomi’s help, the Goodwin family found a sound engineer to record Naomi playing Steve’s songs. Joni thought that would be the end. But it wasn’t.
In the months leading up to the 2016 Oregon Repertory Singers Christmas concert, Naomi told the director she had a special one in mind: “Melancholy Flower.”
She told the director about her project with Steve. The director agreed to add it to the playing list. But Naomi would have to ask Steve’s permission. He considered it an honor.
After the concert, Naomi told, the family that Steve’s music was beautiful and professional. It needed to be shared in public.
The family rented a former church in downtown Portland and scheduled a concert. By the day of the show, more than 300 people had said they would attend.
By then, Steve was having a hard time remembering the names of some of his friends. He knew the path his life was now taking. He told his family he was at peace.
Steve arrived and sat in the front row, surrounded by his family. The house lights faded. Naomi took the stage. Her fingers. His heart.
1. Why did Melissa want to save her father’s music?A.His music could stop his disease from worsening. |
B.She wanted to please her dying old father. |
C.His music deserved to be preserved in the family. |
D.She wanted to make her father a professional. |
A.It was slow but productive. |
B.It was beneficial to his health. |
C.It was tiresome for Naomi. |
D.It was vital for Naomi’s career. |
A.thought the music talent of Steve was exhausted... |
B.didn’t expect the damage the disease brought about |
C.didn’t fully realize the value of her husband’s music |
D.brought her husband’s music career to perfection |
A.The Kindness of Friends | B.The Power of Music |
C.The Making of a Musician | D.The Value of Determination |
3 . Why does social media trigger feelings of loneliness and inadequacy? Because instead of being real life, it is, for the most part, impression management, a way of marketing yourself, carefully choosing and filtering (过滤) the picture and words to put your best face forward.
Online “friends” made through social media do not follow the normal psychological progression of an interpersonal relationship. You share neither physical time nor emotional conversations over the Internet. You simply communicate photographs and catchy posts to a diverse group of people whom you have “friended” or “followed” based on an accidental interaction. This is not to say that your social media friends can’t be real friends. They absolutely can, but the two are not the same. Generally speaking, there are no unfiltered comments and casually taken photos on our social media pages. And, rightfully so, because it wouldn’t feel safe to be completely real and honest with some of our “friends” whom we don’t actually know or with whom trust has yet to be built.
Social media can certainly be an escape from the daily routines, but we must be cautioned against the negative effects, such as addiction, on a person’s overall psychological well-being.
As humans, we are eager for social connection. Scrolling (滚动) through pages of pictures and comments, however, does not provide the same degree of fulfillment as face to face interactions do. Also, we tend to idealize others’ lives and compare our downfalls to their greatest accomplishments, ending in feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.
Social media can lead people on the unhealthy pursuit of perfection. Some people begin to attend certain events or travel to different places so that they can capture that “perfect” photo. They begin to seek validation through the number of people who “like” their posts. In order for it to play a psychologically healthy role in your social life, social media should enhance an already healthy social network. Pictures and posts should be byproducts (副产品) of life’s treasured moments and fun times, not the planned and calculated image that one is putting out into cyberspace in an attempt to fill insecurities or unmet needs.
Ultimately, social media has increased our ability to connect with various types of people all over the globe. It has opened doors for business and allowed us to stay connected to people whom we may not otherwise get to follow. However, social media should feel like a fun experience, not one that contributes to negative thoughts and feelings. If the latter is the case, increasing face to face time with trusted friends, and minimizing time scrolling online, will prove to be a reminder that your social network is much more rewarding than any “like”, “follow” or “share” can be.
1. What does the author imply social media may do to our life?A.It may facilitate our interpersonal relationships. |
B.It may filter our negative impressions of others. |
C.It may make us feel isolated and incompetent. |
D.It may help us make as many friends as we can.” |
A.They do not find all their online friends trustworthy. |
B.They do not want to lose their followers. |
C.They want to avoid offending any of their audience. |
D.They are eager to boost their popularity. |
A.Learn Jessons from other people’s downfalls. |
B.Strive for perfection whatever the cost. |
C.Paint a rosy picture of other people’s lives. |
D.Show their life’s accomplishments more impressive than reality. |
A.Use social media to increase their ability to connect with various types of people. |
B.Stay connected to those whom they may not otherwise get to know and befriend. |
C.Try to prevent negative thoughts and feelings from getting into the online pages. |
D.Strengthen ties with real-life friends instead of caring about their online image. |
4 . Germany’s top court (法院) has ruled that parts of the country’s 2019 climate action law must be changed because they don’t do a good job of protecting young people. Nine young people aged 15 to 24 took the government to court over the law. They said that the government’s failure to plan carefully was putting their future lives in danger.
The judges (法官) of Germany’s highest court said climate change will influence young people far more than adults. That’s because climate change will become more serious over time. As young people become adults, they’ll be left to deal with any problems that today’s adults don’t deal with.
In 2019, Germany passed a new law, promising that the country would be producing no more CO2 than the forest can take in by 2050. The law made a plan of action until 2030. But the law didn’t have any plans for climate actions that would be taken between 2031 and 2050.
The court has asked the German government to fix the law by the end of 2022. The climate law will now need to have a plan for the actions that will be taken after 2030.
The German government has said that it will quickly begin working to make the needed changes. One important part of high court decisions like this is that they act as guides or examples for future decisions. This means that in the future, Germany’s lawmakers will be more likely to think about the climate future of young people as they create their laws.
1. Why did the judges make such a decision?A.They decided the new law made no sense. |
B.They wanted to give the young more rights. |
C.They focused more on the future of the young. |
D.They thought it’s hard to solve climate change. |
A.It failed to take action before 2030. |
B.It was producing more and more CO2. |
C.It refused to consider the young’s rights. |
D.It didn’t plan the climate actions after 2030. |
A.It will make more decisions on climate change. |
B.It will ask the young to help make climate laws. |
C.It will consider the young when making climate laws. |
D.It will encourage the young to protect the environment. |
A.They were brave and forward-looking enough. |
B.They couldn’t bear the present climate change. |
C.They wanted to take part in law-making. |
D.They planned to work in the government. |
5 . Summer volunteer chances for students
Finding a summer volunteer chance is easier than you think. There are national programs all over the US that you can take part in. Check out these volunteer chances for students.
UN Volunteer ProgramIf you are an 18-year-old high school student, you might choose to volunteer in a UN organisation. The UN Volunteer Program (paid) is looking for excellent adults aged 18 to 55. Volunteer projects explore peace-building, climate change and disaster management (气候变化和灾害管理). Those looking for a summer program will also receive training before and after a short-term task.
National Park ServiceTeens aged 15-18 can take part in National Park Service and get paid. The volunteers work outdoors on several different projects including cleaning up campgrounds, improving wildlife habitat (栖息地), environmental education planning and teaching, and more! You’ll also take part in educational field trips where you’ll be able to see wildlife before your eyes.
Habitat for HumanityYou can find a lot of summer volunteer fun through Habitat for Humanity. Not only can you help build houses, but you can join in improving your community and helping out at the donation (捐赠) center. Youths aged 16 or older may take part in this program, and must have turned 16 by the first day of the project.
American Red CrossThe American Red Cross is always looking for youth volunteers. Its Red Cross youth programs offer students and young adults meaningful chances of leadership training and community service. The chances are given to all junior and senior high school students.
1. What is special about the National Park Service?A.It allows its volunteers to camp. | B.It offers chances to see wild animals. |
C.It offers job-related training to volunteers. | D.It allows volunteers to explore new interests. |
A.Clean up houses. | B.Enjoy some fun games. |
C.Make money to help people in need. | D.Make their community better. |
A.UN Volunteer Program. | B.National Park Service. |
C.Habitat for Humanity. | D.American Red Cross. |
6 . “If that little girl is causing that much trouble within your group of friends, I would simply stop her,” I said as Abby was about to set off to school. Abby listened carefully, as I continued. “If she causes any more
By this time, Allyson, my then eight-year-old daughter, had joined us, listening to every word too. Neither of my daughters cut in as I finished my
Hmmm, I had become a
“Yes, that’s a good point,” I said, forcing a
A.uncertainty | B.trouble | C.danger | D.harm |
A.warn | B.order | C.ask | D.encourage |
A.speech | B.job | C.class | D.discussion |
A.honest | B.right | C.brave | D.impressive |
A.friend | B.sister | C.adviser | D.teacher |
A.partner | B.designer | C.teenager | D.student |
A.imagined | B.remembered | C.realized | D.heard |
A.sit | B.hide | C.stop | D.talk |
A.smile | B.sale | C.conversation | D.question |
A.take in | B.depend on | C.learn about | D.deal with |
A.school | B.home | C.work | D.practice |
A.watching | B.following | C.calling | D.pushing |
A.asleep | B.alone | C.afraid | D.awake |
A.curious | B.confused | C.nervous | D.proud |
A.sign | B.need | C.listen | D.help |
7 . When you throw cats and dogs in a scene where they are falling from the sky, it might be hard for an English learner to know exactly what it means. So English learners should know the meaning of English idioms (习语).
It’s important to not only teach the meaning of idioms, but also teach how to use them correctly and effectively (有效地). When a non-native speaker uses an idiom correctly, he or she will sound very fluent. But on the other hand, if they use the phrase wrongly, they will sound the exact opposite.
Learning idioms is appropriate for intermediate to advanced (中到高级的) students. If you teach an idiom lesson to beginners or low-intermediate learners, they are very likely to use it wrongly. So how should teachers teach English idioms correctly?
Provide idioms in context, so students can fully understand the meaning. Be sure to provide a conversation around it as an example.
Watching videos of native speakers talking is a great way to show your students how idioms are used in the real world. FluentU is a great resource that can help you highlight the usage and context of various idioms used. FluentU takes real-world videos — like music videos, news and inspiring (鼓舞人心的) talks — and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
Teach idioms in spoken form, not written, and explain to students how they are conversational, rather than formal. Have students practice the idioms in dialogue to help them understand how they’re used in spoken English.
Don’t just hand out a long list of idioms. Be sure to provide a small selection of 5-10 idioms and explain each one. If you provide too many examples, it’ll simply turn into an introduction of what an idiom is, rather than how to actually remember the meaning and use one effectively in dialogue.
1. Why does the author give the example in Paragraph 1?A.To explain why English is difficult to learn. |
B.To show English idioms are quite interesting. |
C.To show idioms can be difficult to understand. |
D.To tell us the meaning of an English idiom. |
A.Using English idioms correctly in conversation. |
B.Finding the meaning of idioms themselves. |
C.Sounding fluent by avoiding English idioms. |
D.Learning English idioms as low-intermediate learners. |
A.It has the latest music videos and movies. |
B.It is appropriate for low-intermediate learners. |
C.It provides various resource books for teachers. |
D.It provides real-world videos on the usage of idioms. |
A.How to teach English in a fun way. |
B.How to learn English idioms by yourself. |
C.How to teach English idioms correctly. |
D.How to use English idioms in dialogue. |
8 . Chinese Teapot Escaping from British Museum Goes Viral
Chinese state media has praised a viral video series, Escape from the British Museum, which tells the story of a jade teapot coming to life and escaping from the British Museum to make its way back home.
In the video series released online on Sept 5th, a female vlogger plays the role of an ancient Chinese jade teapot, while her male partner acts as a journalist who helps it return to China.
The plot line taps into growing criticism of the British Museum after reports last month that more than 1,500 priceless objects, including gold jewelry, gems and glass items, were missing, stolen or damaged, which made headlines around the world. Also, the jade teapot’s reaction reflected the “casual attitude of the British Museum toward Chinese cultural relics, as many of them are crammed into just one cabinet for exhibition”. Problems in the management and security of cultural objects in the British Museum exposed have led to the doubts about a long-standing and widely-spread claim that foreign cultural objects are better protected in the British Museum.
The video series stirred up the emotions of Chinese people after first being released by independent vloggers on Douyin by showing how the teapot experienced the happiness of returning to China to see pandas and watch a flag-raising ceremony on Tiananmen Square. Many netizens expressed their eagerness for cultural artifacts overseas to return home with dignity and honor.
In August the state media Global Times also called for the return of Chinese artifacts from the museum “free of charge” in the wake of the controversy. It strongly supported the video series for touching on a “powerful message” about the importance of cultural heritage and reflecting “Chinese people’s strong and emotional desire for the repatriation of the Chinese cultural relics”.
State broadcaster CCTV gave the short films a glowing review saying “We are very pleased to see Chinese young people are passionate about history and tradition. We are also looking forward to the early return of Chinese artifacts that have been displaced overseas.”
1. What is the writing purpose of paragraph 3?A.To discuss the problem in management. | B.To introduce the content of the video series. |
C.To express criticism to the British Museum. | D.To provide background of the video series. |
A.Return. | B.Reserve | C.Repair | D.Reflection. |
A.Chinese netizens expressed anger towards it. | B.The Chinese media showed appreciation for it. |
C.The British Museum took it quite seriously. | D.The viewers were eager to learn history from it. |
A.A guidebook. | B.A story book. |
C.A news report. | D.A book review. |
9 . Grandparents are known as great companions (陪伴) and often give their grandchildren lots of love. Being a grandparent is a big job, but grandparents have a lot of experience. In many cultures, grandparents are looked up to as a source of wisdom (智慧).
Some kids live far away from their grandparents so they stay in touch by phone, through email, and with letters. Other kids live close to their grandparents, making it easy to visit often. And still other kids live with their grandparents.
Sometimes, the family is sharing the grandparents’ house and sometimes the grandparents move into the family’s house. Any change can be difficult to adjust (适应) to. But after the adjustment period, you might find you enjoy having someone else in the house and a new person to spend time with. If your grandparent needs help, you might be the one to lend a hand. And your grandparent might be able to help you by playing a game with you, telling the best stories or fixing you a snack after school.
Quite a few kids live with grandparents who take care of them in place of their parents. Kids who live with grandparents might miss their moms or dads and wish they could live with them instead. The grandparent may find it difficult to keep up with a kid and all of his or her needs. In this situation, both the kid and the grandparent should work together. Loving and caring for each other can be the glue that keeps everything together.
And one more thing: You might want to put the first Sunday after Labor Day on your calendar. Why? It’s Grandparent’s Day!
1. In many countries, grandparents ________.A.look forward to having a job | B.live far away from their grandchildren |
C.are regarded as rich in knowledge and experience | D.are considered to be the best friends and companions |
A.kids don’t like to live with their grandparents |
B.parents shouldn’t leave children to their grandparents |
C.grandparents find it too hard to live with their grandchildren |
D.living together does good to grandparents and grandchildren |
A.By sharing the best stories. | B.By having common interests. |
C.By meeting each other’s needs. | D.By loving and looking after each other. |
A.to celebrate Grandparent’s Day | B.to visit grandparents on Sunday |
C.that Labor Day is an important day | D.that Grandparent’s Day is on Sunday |
10 . A Canadian addicted to Chinese ink wash painting
Canadian Brandon Collins-Green calls himself a Chinese culture “addict”. He has lived in China for over six years, spending his time in painting in the Chinese ink wash style and translating Chinese classics into English.
Collins-Green, 37, is a doctoral candidate in classical Chinese literature at Jiangxi Normal University in Nanchang. About 15 years ago, his first encounter with a stage adaption of the classic Chinese novel The Dream of the Red Chamber in Singapore inspired him to study Chinese in the following years. Learning Chinese as a second language, Collins-Green found it was not easy to understand a novel written in Chinese. “Besides the stories, I am interested in the poems, dialogues and lantern riddles in the book,” he said, “Because of The Dream of the Red Chamber, I wanted to get a closer look at China.”
His strong curiosity about China and Chinese culture prompted Collins-Green to travel to the city of Nanchang in 2015, in the hope of learning what the real China was like. During a visit to Badashanren Memorial Hall in Nanchang, where paintings of a famous Chinese artist were on exhibition, Collins-Green was interested in how a tiny brush could depict (描画) the curves of hills, shade and light on paper.
In his years spent translating The Dream of the Red Chamber into English, he has gradually found his way of combining Chinese and foreign cultures into his paintings, writing poems in English as the backdrops of his figures. As of this year, Collins-Green has completed over 2,500 works, including translations of The Dream of the Red Chamber, landscape paintings and portraits.
He lives a life greatly influenced by The Dream of the Red Chamber, renting a loft of about 9 square meters beside his university as a studio. Since this March, his paintings have been exhibited at art festivals in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Xi’an, bringing him a group of fans. Some have sent him emails, asking about the meanings of the poems in his paintings.
“We can see from Collins-Green that traditional Chinese culture is becoming more attractive to people in other countries,” said Li Shunchen, Collins-Green’s mentor at Jiangxi Normal University. “I really recommend that more people come to China to see how fast it is changing and to enjoy the charm of its culture,” Collins-Green said.
1. What first inspired Collins-Green to study Chinese according to the passage?A.His love for Chinese paintings. | B.The stage version of a classic Chinese novel. |
C.The need of his translation work. | D.His second language learning. |
A.amazed. | B.disappointed. | C.relaxed. | D.frightened. |
A.His strong curiosity about China gradually faded away. |
B.He studied Chinese well in China. |
C.He made great achievements as an addict to Chinese culture. |
D.His works produced some negative reactions in viewers. |