In March 2019, when Sara Cook first got a letter in the mail telling her that someone had paid off a large amount of her medical debt, she simply couldn't believe it. Cautiously, she called the number listed on the letter. What she learned was that this was not a scam. It was 100 percent real.
A remarkable nonprofit called RIP Medical Debt had indeed paid $5,000 toward her bills. The organization didn't take care of all the debt she'd accumulated from several back surgeries, but the former nurse was still moved by the gesture. “I felt really loved and blessed,” she says, “knowing that complete strangers just did that out of the goodness of their hearts.
Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton do have good hearts. They're also former collection agents who have seen how heavy health-related debt has destroyed lives. “I never thought about all the hardship of the people who couldn't pay. Now I'm trying to find the people who need help.” said Antico. They got their money from individuals and charities that support RIP's mission.
RIP researches potential receivers based on three criteria. First, they look for people who make no more than two and a half times the amount established as the federal poverty level. Then they screen for those whose debt is equal to 5 percent or more of the gross income (总收入). Third, they look to see whether a person can pay off debts.
For the people who do qualify, RIP's help is life-changing. “After their letter, I realized that my life really wasn't so hard,” says Cook, “I may never be able to work as a nurse again but I can sit at the school library and help kids read or serve up food in the soup kitchen. When people do something out of the kindness of their hearts, sometimes they may wonder: Does it really make a difference? I want people to know that this has a positive impact.”
1. What does the underlined word in Para.1 most probably mean? (1 word)2. What was Sara Cook's reaction to RIP Medical Debt? (no more than 2 words)
3. How did RIP Medical Debt get funds? (no more than 10 words)
4. What's the main idea of the 4th paragraph? (no more than 8 words)
5. What's your example of doing "kindness"? Please share. (no more than 20 words)
2 . Bird pattern carved on Yubi in Chinese, comes alive and circles around, while an audio guide introduces the cultural relic and the bird’s connotation (寓意). Such is the experience of watching a cultural relic through a pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses at the Liangzhu Museum.
The museum displays various burial objects found in the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City in Hangzhou, showcasing the civilization of prehistoric rice agriculture and a state-level society between 3,300 B.C. and 2,300 B.C. The site was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2019, providing profound and compelling evidence that Chinese civilization started 5,000 years ago.
Using AR to tell Liangzhu’s ancient story and let the young people sense and feel close to cultural relics through modern technology is an important task at the museum, making it a pioneer in using modern technology and a hot place for tourists.
“I found that most students were very curious about it, and it could inspire students to have the desire to learn more,” said Chen Xi, the AR glasses provider. “I’ve never seen this before. The illustration of the ancient wild birds above is not that clear. But with the AR glasses, I know what the ancient wild bird exactly looks like and how it is different from what we see on TV,” said Rong Mei, a visitor in her twenties. “Compared with traditional ways of appreciating a cultural relic, AR glasses guide has virtual images which help people visually understand the information behind the relic, such as in which life scenarios was the relic used, its function and its cultural connotation,” said Zhou Liming, director of the Liangzhu Museum.
From digitalization to intelligentization (智能化), the Liangzhu Museum took more than five years. It started to collect the digital information of the ruins and relics since 2015. It paves the way for the museum to deliver Liangzhu’s story through multimedia approaches to attract more people, especially the youth, as modern technology bridges the gap between young people and cultural relics.
1. What is the crucial significance of Liangzhu cultural relics?| A．Unearthing various prehistoric burial objects. |
| B．Representing the world’s earliest rice culture. |
| C．Enriching the UNESCO World Heritage List. |
| D．Confirming China’s 5,000-year-old civilization. |
| A．To inspire the curiosity of students. |
| B．To show the aim and effects of using AR glasses. |
| C．To highlight hi-tech brings people close to cultural relics. |
| D．To present opinions of appreciating cultural relics vary. |
| A．The discovery of the cultural relics. |
| B．The restoration of the ruins and relics. |
| C．The process of forming intelligentization. |
| D．The reconstruction of the Liangzhu Museum. |
| A．Stories behind the AR Glasses |
| B．Adventures in Liangzhu Museum |
| C．A New Chapter for Liangzhu Museum |
| D．An Encounter with the Prehistoric China |
3 . Ant Forest, a green initiative by the world’s leading payment and lifestyle platform Alipay, received the “U.N. Champions of the Earth” award, the UN’s highest environmental honor. It was given to Ant Forest for motivating half a billion people to adopt an eco-friendly and greener lifestyle, greatly contributing to ecological protection with the help of digital technology.
Alipay achieved this by inspiring its users to do environmentally-friendly things, such as walking, using public transportation, going paperless in the office and more to earn “green energy points”. These points can then be used to water and grow their own virtual young trees. After the virtual young trees have grown up on line, Ant Forest will plant real trees somewhere in China.
The number of Ant Forest users has reached 350 million, reducing 3 million tons of carbon dioxide. “Such programs are quite attractive to me. I feel satisfied to see a real tree planted just by doing some simple things such as riding bicycles and buying tickets online,” said an interviewee.
This initiative of Ant Forest is in line with the Chinese government’s strategy of a “Green Economy”. The country is taking aggressive actions in expanding its green coverage. Now, its efforts are paying off, with improved biodiversity and a healthier economic growth. Rare animal species have been spotted and forest parks are now popular attractions of tourism.
The planet is at a critical point which could result in natural disasters. It seems clear that unless governments, businesses and people form a focused team, it’s difficult to stop global warming. Fortunately, Ant Forest shows that it is possible to make joint efforts while relying on digital technology. And more initiatives are using technology to contribute to a sustainable future of the planet.
1. What was Ant Forest given the award for?| A．It brings convenience to people’s lives. |
| B．It is run by the world’s leading payment platform. |
| C．It technically assists many people to protect ecology. |
| D．It has made the greatest contribution to global development. |
| A．How Alipay makes profits. |
| B．How Ant Forest is carried out. |
| C．What a low-carbon life is like. |
| D．Why Alipay takes up the initiative. |
| A．350 million people have planted real trees. |
| B．Promoting tourism can help save animals. |
| C．China keeps a balance between economy and ecology. |
| D．The expansion of green coverage mainly results from Ant Forest. |
| A．By criticizing natural disasters. |
| B．By stopping the global warming. |
| C．By providing a platform to make joint efforts. |
| D．By encouraging people to donate money to plant trees. |
The United Nations Children’s Fund, also known as UNICEF, is a United Nations organization based in New York. It offers help needed by children all over the world.
UNICEF
5 . The World Food Program won the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting hunger and seeking to end its use as “a weapon of war and conflict" at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has driven millions more people to the edge of starvation.
“We are sending a signal to every nation who raises objections to international cooperation committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen said. “We are sending a signal to this type of nationalism where the responsibility for global affairs is not being faced.”
The Rome-based agency has brought aid to multiple crises, including Ethiopia's hunger of 1984, the Asian tsunami of 2004 and the Haiti earthquake of 2010. It continued to bring assistance to the world's most dangerous and unsafe places, from air-dropping food in South Sudan and Syria to creating an emergency delivery service that kept aid flowing even as pandemic restrictions prevented commercial flights taking off.
“Where there is conflict, there is hunger. And where there is hunger, there is often conflict,” Beasley said in a statement on the agency's website. “Today is a reminder that food security, peace and stability go together.”
The Nobel Committee called on governments to ensure that WFP and other aid organizations receive the financial support needed to feed millions in countries such as Yemen. Congo, Nigeria and South Sudan.
When the award was announced, Beasley was in Niger, following a visit to neighboring Burkina Faso-two countries in the Sahel region of Africa that he said is “under attack by extremists and climate extremes" and going through “a devastating” time.
The award comes with a gold medal and a 10-million krona ($1.1 million) cash prize that is dwarfed by the funding that WFP requires for its work. So far in 2020, the organization has received almost $ 6.4 billion in cash or goods.
1. What can we learn about Berit Reiss-Andersen from Paragraph 2?| A．He was excited. | B．He was dissatisfied. |
| C．He disliked cooperation. | D．He knew his responsibility. |
| A．The location of the agency. | B．Multiple crises it has dealt with. |
| C．Various kinds of help it provided. | D．The conflicts in plenty of areas. |
| A．Important. | B．Effective. | C．Regional. | D．Urgent. |
| A．In Yemen. | B．In Congo. | C．In Niger. | D．In Nigeria. |
6 . Leslie Morissette’s son, Graham, was six years old when he was diagnosed with leukemia (白血病). Throughout Graham’s treatment in the hospital, Graham connected with everyone he met, from
Inspired by how Graham lived his life caring about others, Morissette founded the
One of the major goals of Morissette’s work is to
The robots “
“Every time I can help a child in need, I feel as if Graham is looking
| A．lonely | B．elderly | C．daily | D．lively |
| A．lend | B．submit | C．return | D．apply |
| A．laughing | B．imagining | C．going | D．lying |
| A．strength | B．warmth | C．opinion | D．direction |
| A．associated | B．nonprofit | C．unconditional | D．appointed |
| A．reacting | B．guarding | C．going | D．battling |
| A．invite | B．show | C．connect | D．limit |
| A．gained | B．missed | C．suffered | D．graduated |
| A．turn | B．transform | C．exchange | D．transport |
| A．build | B．operate | C．teach | D．separate |
| A．hardly | B．randomly | C．mostly | D．simply |
| A．call in | B．catch on | C．give away | D．leave behind |
| A．over | B．during | C．between | D．within |
| A．responsibility | B．ability | C．personality | D．technology |
| A．in | B．out | C．down | D．over |
7 . Have you heard of Creative Growth? The Oakland institution offers a professional studio space where adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities can create work. It also provides gallery exhibitions, representation, guidance, a community of likeminded artists and a safe space in which to grow. The late Judith Scott, whose artwork lit up the Brooklyn Museum in a retrospective(回顾展)last year, was a Creative Growth artist who suffered from down syndrome(唐氏综合征)and hearing loss.
“It’s the best facility for local adult artists living with disabilities,” Jonah Olson, an artist and former teacher in Creative Growth’s printmaking studio said. “ The amount of work they produce and the quality of it are remarkable.”
Olson, who now lives in Los Angeles, is a member of the band L.A. Takedown. Along with his bandmates, Olson decided to use the opportunity to expose Southern California to lesser known contemporary outsider artists, living and working just a few hours up north.
“I’ve had an interest in outsider art for a long time,” Olson explained. “You make art as a child and the reasons for doing it now, in my case, are no different now from what they were then. It’ s very basic. Intrinsic (本质的). I think that’s what drew me to art made by people with developmental disabilities.”
The show, a survey of the space’s better-known and lesser-known names, loosely revolves(围绕) around themes of art and music. “Not a lot of the recent artwork specifically is about music, but we are grouping the work around the idea of being in the cities of L.A. and Oakland.” Olson said.
The artists of Creative Growth will be on view throughout the month of August, coupled with musical performances and film screenings organized by L.A. Takedown. All proceeds from the month will benefit the artists and space. The money will be used to improve the condition of the studio and for the development of the artists. “L.A. doesn’t really have a place like Creative Growth,” Olson said, discussing his hopes for the show.
1. What do we know about Creative Growth?| A．It was founded by Judith Scott. |
| B．It hosts exhibitions of famous artists’ works. |
| C．It offers professional service to physically disabled people. |
| D．It provides an artistic environment for disabled adult artists. |
| A．It is created by children. |
| B．It focuses on the art itself. |
| C．It is different from contemporary art. |
| D．It shows the feelings of disabled people. |
| A．Activities. | B．Work |
| C．Profits | D．Arrangement |
| A．An art show brings music along. |
| B．Outsider art challenges traditions. |
| C．Creative art helps people develop across many fields. |
| D．Artists with disabilities explore the potential of visual expression. |
8 . Guide to Stockholm University Library
With good studying environment and different types of studying places, our library is a perfect place for study.
Zones
The library is divided into different zones. The upper floor is a quiet zone with over a thousand places for silent reading, and places where you can sit and work with your own computer. The reading places consist mostly of tables and chairs. The ground floor is the zone where you can talk. Here you can find sofas and armchairs for group work.
Computers
You can use your own computer to connect to the wi-fi specially prepared for notebook computers, your can also use library computers, which contain the most commonly used applications, such as Microsoft Office. They are situated in the area known as the Experimental Field on the ground floor.
Group-study places
If you want to discuss freely without disturbing others, you can book a study room or sit at a table on the ground floor. Some study rooms are for 2-3 people and others can hold up to 6-8 people. All rooms are marked on the library maps.
There are 40 group-study rooms that must be booked via the website. To book, you need an active University account and a valid University card. You can use a room three hours per day, nine hours at most per week.
Rules to be Followed
Mobile phone conversations are not permitted anywhere in the library. Keep your phone on silent as if you were in a lecture and exit the library if you need to receive calls.
Please note that food and fruit are forbidden in the library, but you are allowed to have drinks and sweets with you.
1. The library’s ground floor is mainly for students to________.| A．read in a quiet place | B．get their computers fixed |
| C．take comfortable seats | D．have group discussions |
| A．contain software essential for schoolwork |
| B．help students with their field experiments |
| C．are mostly used for filling out application forms |
| D．are for those who want to access the wi-fi |
| A．A group must consist of 8 people |
| B．One should first register at the university |
| C．Three-hour use per day is the minimum |
| D．Applicants must mark the room on the map |
| A．Lemon juice. | B．Mobile phones. |
| C．Strawberries. | D．Candy. |
9 . At the age of seven, while his friends were spending pocket money on things like candy and toys, Jose Adolfo was busy saving money for more essential purchases. To try to get his peers to do the same, the youngster from Arequipa, Peru came up with the innovative idea of an eco-bank, which allows kids of all ages to gain economic independence— while also helping the environment.
Established in 2012, the Bartselana Student Bank is the world’s first bank for kids. To open an account, kids have to bring in at least 5 kilograms of solid waste (paper or plastic) and establish a savings goal. Once accepted, all bank “partners” are required to deposit(存储) at least one additional kilogram of recyclables on a monthly basis and meet other requirements, such as attending financial education and environmental management workshops.
The waste collected is sold to local recycling companies, who, thanks to Jose, pay a higher-than-market rate for everything brought in by Bartselana Student Bank members. The funds received are placed in the individual’s account until his/her savings goal is reached. The account holder can then withdraw his/her money, or choose to leave it and continue to grow for a bigger target.
“At the beginning, my teachers thought I was crazy,” Jose recalls. “They did not understand that we are not the future of the country but its present. Luckily. I had the support of the school principal.”
By 2013, the bank had over 200 members who brought in one ton of recyclable waste. Today, the eco-bank, which now has the support of several local institutions, has ten educational centers. They are designed to teach the over 3,000 members both finance and environmental management. On December 6, 2018, in response to the growing demand, Bartselana Student Bank began accepting applications from kids all across Peru.
As the teenager says, “Together we can change the world. We just need an opportunity.”
1. What is the purpose of the eco-bank?| A．To involve kids in the management of the local recycling companies. |
| B．To help kids get pocket money to spend on things like candy and toys. |
| C．To show kids how important it is to learn environmental management. |
| D．To get kids to help the environment and be economically independent. |
| A．Attending financial education workshops. | B．Bringing in 5 kilos of waste. |
| C．Saving one kilo of solid waste weekly. | D．Establishing a savings goal. |
| A．Kids are more responsible when growing up. |
| B．The future of the country relies mainly on kids. |
| C．Kids can contribute to the society though young. |
| D．The present is a vital period for kid development. |
| A．Generous. | B．Crazy. | C．Flexible. | D．Influential. |
10 . Why do you go to the library? For books, yes—but you like books because they tell stories. You hope to get lost in a story or be transported into someone else’s life. At one type of library you can do just that—even though there’s not a single book.
At a Human Library, instead of books, you can “borrow” people. People with unique life stories volunteer to be the “books.” For a certain amount of time, you can ask them questions and listen to their stories, which are as fascinating as any you can find in a book. (If you attend, be sure to review the habits that make you a good listener.) Many of the stories have to do with some kind of depressing topic. You can speak with a refugee, a soldier suffering from PTSD（创伤后遗症）, a homeless person and a woman living with HIV. The Human Library encourages people
to take time to truly get to know and learn from someone they might otherwise make a snap judgement about. According to its website, the Human Library is “a place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered.”
The Human Library Organization came to be in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000.Romni Abergel and his colleagues hosted a four—day event during a major Northern European festival. After the success of this event, Abergel founded the Human Library Organization, hoping to raise awareness among youth about depression, which has been growing ever since.
Though there are a few permanent human libraries, most aren’t places at all, but events. Though many do take place at physical libraries, you don’t need a library card—anyone can come and be part of the experience. There have been human library events all over the globe, in universities and in pubs, from Chicago to Tunis to Edinburgh to San Antonio. Check out the organization’s Facebook page to see when the Human Library might be arriving near you.
1. What shall we do before going to the Human Library?| A．Bring a book. | B．Get a library card. |
| C．Make an appointment. | D．Go over some listening habits. |
| A．True | B．Quick. |
| C．Wrong. | D．Obvious. |
| A．He expected to answer different questions. |
| B．He successfully held an event in Northern Europe. |
| C．He wanted young people to pay attention to depression. |
| D．He had set up the Human Libraries all over the world. |
| A．“Borrow” People Instead of Books | B．Human Library Organization |
| C．Human Library Is Near You | D．A Library in Denmark |
