1 . In 2016, Mark Raymond learned the hard way that life can change in a split second(一瞬间). One day, Raymond went boating with his friends. He jumped off the back of the boat and hit a sandbank, leading to a severe injury to his neck. He became paralyzed(瘫痪的)and spent months in the hospital receiving treatment. When he was allowed to leave the hospital, he realized that the hard part was just beginning. He still needed to exercise to recover his strength after finishing the outpatient(门诊病人)treatment.
However, when Raymond returned home, he realized there was a serious lack of accessible gyms or facilities that could help people with different abilities work out and improve their health in his community. The lack of them caused Raymond to take action. In 2018, he established the Split Second Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides treatment that takes up from where outpatient treatment left off.
“The Split Second Foundation has equipment for people who have different disabling conditions,” Raymond explained.“Our specially trained staff will evaluate(评估)disabled customers’ physical needs and limitations and then provide recovery, education, and ongoing fitness classes suitable for them. We’re able to push them in a recovery driven fitness environment to be their best selves.”
Raymond’s goal is to open more accessible gyms, not just in New Orleans where he lives. He hopes the Split Second Foundation can help even more people get their lives back after disastrous accidents. “People with disabilities should also be thought of as productive members of society,” said Raymond. “Anybody’s life can change in an instant due to some kind of injury or disabling condition, and we are providing what’s next.”
When Raymond couldn’t find the services he needed, he made some for himself and others. This is the sort of cleverness we love to see in the world.
1. What does the underlined part “the hard part” in Paragraph 1 refer to?A.The mental problem. | B.The process of recovery. |
C.The high pressure of work. | D.The treatment in the hospital. |
A.His love for a variety of sports. |
B.His dream of becoming a businessman. |
C.A boating accident that happened to his friend. |
D.A lack of accessible exercise resources in his community. |
A.It provides treatment by cooperating with hospitals. |
B.It focuses on holding basic classes for poor children. |
C.It offers fitness and recovery services to the disabled. |
D.It creates plenty of job opportunities for disabled people. |
A.Mark Raymond’s Journey from Paralysis to Recovery |
B.Mark Raymond: Help the Disabled Rebuild Their Lives |
C.The Importance of Accessible Gyms for Disabled People |
D.Split Second Foundation: Offer Patients Postoperative Treatment |
2 . Falcons are powerful birds that may be trained to hunt in cooperation with humans. The art of training falcons as “hunting dogs of the skies” is called falconry (训鹰术). It was developed in the ancient Arabian Desert around 4000 B. C. In the past, falconry mainly involved hunting with falcons to supplement one’s diet. But now, it has become the favorite sport and pastime in the Arabian Peninsula.
Falconry includes three major processes: acquiring the falcons, training them, and hunting with them. Every year, falconers begin capturing wild falcons in June and July, the migration season. The best birds to catch are the ones with naturally nurtured hunting skills, aged one or two years. Once the falcons are captured, their heads are immediately covered with a leather hood. This is essential because they imprint as their master whomever they see first after the hood is removed. Right after a bird is caught, the training process starts. It begins by depriving (剥夺) the bird of food to make it easier to tame. The birds are taught to know their own name and respond to their master when called. Arab falconers live with their birds day and night in order to build a strong relationship with them.
By the end of October or mid-November, the trained falcons are ready to hunt in the desert. They have excellent vision, 2. 6 times greater than that of a human. They are also the fastest divers on the planet. One hunting technique that sets them apart from other animals is that they can be trained to deliver their prey, without killing it first. This is vital in Islamic culture because animals used for food must still be alive to ensure that the meat is halal, that is, properly prepared according to Islamic law.
Falcons have played such a crucial role in traditional Islamic cultures that a number of countries in the Middle East have made them their national bird. Falconry has grown so popular that specialist hospitals have been established to take care of these magnificent birds. Falcons are even issued their own passports. They are the only animals in the United Arab Emirates that are legally allowed to travel inside planes, enjoying a level of luxury that some humans can only dream of.
1. What is the main reason for Arabic people to hunt with falcons today?A.To serve as entertainment and exercise. |
B.To supplement their diet. |
C.To replace the practice of hunting with dogs. |
D.To honor their national bird. |
A.Falconers don’t give food to falcons in order to capture them. |
B.Falcons are not allowed to see their masters during the training process. |
C.Wild falcons with natural hunting skills are ideal for falconers to catch. |
D.The trainers’ names are written on the hoods covering the birds’ heads. |
A.Falcons keep their prey alive before delivering it to falconers. |
B.Falcons can form a strong bond with their owners quickly. |
C.Falcons’ vision is particularly suitable for hunting in deserts. |
D.Falcons are relatively easy to train for specific hunting. |
A.Free air ticket. | B.Passports issued by the King. |
C.Expensive meals. | D.Access to specialized medical care. |
3 . Accompanied by the rhythmic sound of bamboo strips (竹板), Yang Ziqi, 17, from Xi’an Qujiang No l High School, listens to interesting stories in the Shaanxi dialect. The stories range in subject greatly from the story of the Monkey King to instructions on garbage sorting.
“Shaanxi kuaiban is amazing. It can not only bring you great joy, but also broaden your horizons” said Yang. Shaanxi kuaiban is a traditional Chinese form of storytelling in the Shaanxi dialect to the rhythm of bamboo clappers. In June, it was recognized as an intangible cultural heritage at the national level. It can be performed by a group or solo. The art form can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty (1644 — 1911). According to its performers, the art was originally used by farmers to share their knowledge and earn money. But now, more people perform Shaanxi kuaiban on different occasions-for example, at festival celebrations, parties and art shows.
Yang Jinlong, 45, is an experienced Shaanxi kuaiban artist. He first learned the art at the age of 9. Before that, he often went with his father, an amateur performer, to watch kuaiban performances.
“As a young boy, I was attracted to the art form because many of the stories are about heroes. The performer tells stories while playing kuaiban, and it’s easy for the audience to remember the stories since all the lines rhyme,” Yang said. He has practiced Shaanxi kuaiban for more than 30 years. Since 2003, he has been teaching the art form to young people. At 9 am on weekdays, he drives to primary and middle schools in Xi’an and teaches students about Shaanxi kuaiban until about 6 pm. Then, he returns home to prepare classes for the next day. On the weekends, he teaches for six hours each day at art education institutions in Xi’an.
Yang has made some adaptations to the art form to relate more to students. When he tells modern stories, Yang abandons the traditional gown and wears a suit. He also integrates many pop elements like tap dance, ballet, jazz dance and the rhythm of popular music into kuaiban performances. His stories focus on more trendy topics, like stories of heroes who have worked to alleviate poverty (扶贫), as well as the Chinese Olympic team.
“Art education is important for students in China. Just as many students learn to play Western musical instruments like the piano and violin, there are many people learning traditional Chinese folk arts, including Shaanxi kuaiban. They are committed and passionate,” Yang said.
1. What do we know about Shaanxi kuaiban?A.It dates back to the late Ming Dynasty. |
B.People perform it in Shaanxi dialect. |
C.It was originally used by teachers for teaching. |
D.It focuses on Chinese ancient literature. |
A.Because all the lines rhyme. | B.Because he liked stories about heroes. |
C.Because it was away to earn money. | D.Because he wanted to be like his father. |
A.He wore local clothes of Shaanxi. |
B.He told stories about superheroes. |
C.He added pop elements to performances. |
D.He performed Shaanxi kuaiban in We stem countries. |
A.Talented and modest. | B.Patient and capable. |
C.Determined and creative. | D.Humorous and responsible. |
4 . Although the weather is very hot now, the carnival of ice and snow is getting closer. The preparation work for Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which are expected to begin on Feb. 4, 2022, has entered its final stage. In January, 2021, the icemaking work on the “Ice Ribbon”, a landmark venue for the Beijing Winter Olympics, was completed.
In the Winter Olympics, where races can be won or lost by a small time gap, tiny imperfections in the ice can make all the difference. “It’s not just a hunk of ice like you’d normally think of, like ice cubes sitting in your freezer, ” told Kenneth Golden, a US mathematician who studies the structures of ice. “It’s a much more fascinating and complex substance than people would normally think.”
The first step for building any ice rink is to purify the water to remove dissolved solids like salts and minerals. Such impurities don’t fit in the regular hexagonal (六边形的) structure of ice that forms as water freezes. The more pure the water is, the more consistent the ice surface.
In addition to the need for excellence in the raw materials of icemaking, technology is also very important. As one of the most advanced technologies for winter sports venues, a carbon dioxide (CO2) cooling technology has been applied on a large scale for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. CO2 is not new when it comes to icemaking. However, it has been gradually replaced by the manmade refrigerant, like Freon.
With increasing attention toward climate change, the old refrigerant has come into use again. As an element of the atmosphere, CO2 doesn’t damage the ozone layer. Although CO2 is a greenhouse gas, its greenhouse effect is much lower than that of other synthetic refrigerants. The Winter Olympics venues adopted CO2 instead of Freon as a refrigerant in icemaking, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions greatly.
“We believe these technological innovations will bring Beijing 2022 to spectators all over the world in a more impressive way, ” told Gao Bo from the Media Operations Department of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
1. What is the result of impurities in water for icemaking?A.The water isn’t able to freeze completely. | B.The quality of the ice will be affected. |
C.The ice surface will be more consistent. | D.It’s likely for athletes to fall on the ice. |
A.It’s the most advanced technologies for icemaking. | B.CO2 is more efficient than other refrigerants. |
C.CO2 is more environmentallyfriendly than Freon. | D.CO2 has already existed in the atmosphere. |
A.Unclear. | B.Opposed. | C.Doubtful. | D.Favourable. |
A.The Beijing Winter Olympic Games Is Coming | B.Beneath Olympic Ice |
C.The Use of Refrigerants in Olympic Games | D.The Structure of Ice |
5 . In an ideal world, we would be able to devote as much time to sports as we feel we need. But in reality, with growing demands in both work and family, we can only jump at the chance for our physical exercise when we can. Making the most of that time to practice Yin Yang yoga, which mixes the dynamic and slow-paced elements of yoga, helps keep you active and relaxed.
Yin and Yang are the Taoist concepts representing a balance of opposite forces which are also interconnected. Yin is inactive, cooling, and negative, associated with the female force. Yang is active, warming, and positive, associated with action and movement. They are complementary to one another, as one cannot exist without the other.
Yin Yang yoga is a combination of high-energy movement which builds energy, increases strength and promotes stamina (耐力), followed by the more restful practice of Yin to give us a deeper stretch (拉伸) and calm the nervous system.
If you have a busy and active life you may feel more in Yang, so taking some cooler, slower Yin yoga practice into your routine may help you feel calmer and more balanced.
If you are practicing for an hour, divide the time in half, Warm up with sun salutations (拜日式瑜伽), continue into a dynamic flow and then move on to some standing postures. After half an hour your heart will be pumping, muscles tighten up and you are hopefully feeling energetic, but ready for a rest. Then pick five Yin postures to hold for 3-5 minutes, or even longer if you are enjoying them!
As ever with yoga, if you are a beginner or have health issues, always attend a class with a trained instructor first to guide you safely through the yoga practice and avoid injury.
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?A.Most of our sports time should be spent on Yin Yang yoga. |
B.We’d better devote as much time to physical exercise as we can. |
C.Busy schedule makes it impossible for us to do any form of sports. |
D.Yin Yang yoga can be a choice of physical exercise when time is tight. |
A.Independent from one another. |
B.Competitive against one another. |
C.Similar to each other but unable to work together as a whole. |
D.Different from each other but together making a good combination. |
A.Relaxing muscles. | B.Building stamina. |
C.Strengthening the body. | D.Quickening the heartbeat. |
A.Hold each Yin posture for longer than 5 minutes. |
B.Do not practice yoga when you are not in good health. |
C.Start your yoga practice under the guidance of a trainer. |
D.Spare half an hour for five Yin postures in every yoga practice. |
6 . This question has fascinated behavioural scientists for decades: why do we give money to charity?
The explanations for charitable giving fall into three broad categories, from the purely altruisic (利他的)— I donate because I value the social good done by the charity. The “impurely” altruistic— I donate because I extract value from knowing I contribute to the social good for the charity. And the not-at-all altruistic— I donate because I want to show off to potential mates how rich I am.
But are these motives strong enough to enable people to donate as much as they would want to? Most people support charities in one way or another, but often we struggle to make donations as often as we think we should. Although many people would like to leave a gift to charity in their will, they forget about it when the time comes.
Many people are also aware that they should donate to the causes that have the highest impact, but facts and figures are less attractive than narratives. In a series of experiments, it was found that people are much more responsive to charitable pleas that feature a single, identifiable beneficiary(受益者), than they are to statistical information about the scale of the problem being faced. When it comes to charitable giving, we are often ruled by our hearts and not our heads.
The good news is that charitable giving is contagious—seeing others give makes an individual more likely to give and gentle encouragement from an important person in your life can also make a big difference to your donation decisions— more than quadrupling them in our recent study. Habit also plays a part— in three recent experiments those who volunteered before were more likely to do donate their time than those who had not volunteered before.
In summary, behavioural science identifies a range of factors that influence our donations, and can help us to keep giving in the longer term. This is great news not just for charities, but also for donors.
1. What can we learn about people who do charitable giving?A.Most people support charity as often as they think they should. |
B.Some people don’t want to leave a gift to charity until the time comes. |
C.Those who donate because they can gain an advantage are purely altruistic. |
D.Some people send money to charity simply to tell others they are wealthy. |
A.Not revealing the names of the donors. |
B.Showing figures about the seriousness of the problem. |
C.Telling stories that feature a single, recognizable beneficiary. |
D.Reminding people to write down what to donate in the will in advance. |
A.People will learn from others and follow the suit. |
B.Many people are familiar with charitable giving. |
C.Charitable giving helps the beneficiary in all aspects. |
D.Charitable giving can bring a lot of benefits to donors. |
A.To persuade more people to donate. |
B.To explain the science behind why people donate. |
C.To criticize some false charitable giving behaviours. |
D.To explore approaches to making people donate more. |
7 . I went with some colleagues for dinner in a very popular local restaurant. It was
As we were waiting for a table, we heard a crash when a cleaning boy
I had learned some first-aid lessons before, so I ran to the boy’s side
I slowly walked home, not hungry any more, feeling
A.busy | B.local | C.spare | D.regular |
A.kicked | B.touched | C.hit | D.swept |
A.silence | B.danger | C.doubt | D.suffering |
A.prediction | B.behaviour | C.experience | D.career |
A.fell about | B.fell asleep | C.fell behind | D.fell ill |
A.friends | B.strangers | C.partners | D.relatives |
A.pay | B.return | C.take | D.put |
A.frequently | B.quickly | C.sadly | D.excitedly |
A.select | B.mix | C.remove | D.bring |
A.knowing | B.wondering | C.ignoring | D.arguing |
A.reminded | B.comforted | C.observed | D.encouraged |
A.spotted | B.checked | C.noticed | D.finished |
A.prepared | B.required | C.received | D.ordered |
A.concerned | B.eager | C.grateful | D.ready |
A.kindness | B.honor | C.respect | D.service |
8 . Some scientists say that animals in the oceans are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings.
The noise that affects sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling,and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.
Decibels(分贝) measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of one hundred and twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of one hundred and ninety-five would have the same effect.
Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels in oceans. They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that louder noises can seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales’ ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected.
Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research.
Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?A.The man-made noises. | B.The noises made by themselves. |
C.The sound of earthquakes. | D.The sound of the ice-breaking. |
A.Different places with different types of noises. |
B.The very human ears sensitive to all types of noises. |
C.The same noise measured differently on land and in the ocean. |
D.The ocean animals’ reaction to noises. |
9 . Five years ago, French navy officer Chardon was listening to a radio program about the journey of the bar-tailed godwit (斑尾塍鹬) , a bird that flies 14,000 kilometers between New Zealand and Alaska. Chardon understood how dangerous the journey would be, as heavy storms frequently hit Pacific island communities. Yet, somehow, bar-tailed godwits routinely pass through the area uninjured. Chardon wondered whether learning how godwits navigate (导航) could help coastal communities avoid disasters. Could tracking birds help save lives?
This past January, a team began experiments designed to test Chardon’s idea. Researchers led by Jiguet equipped 56 birds of five species with cutting-edge animal tracking technology. The team were transported to remote islands in French Polynesia, where they attached tags (追踪器). These tags send the birds’ locations to the International Space Station, which sends the data back to scientists on Earth who can then follow the birds — all the while waiting to see how the birds respond to natural disasters.
The project is focusing on birds’ ability to hear infrasound, the low-frequency sound humans cannot hear. Researchers believe it’s the most likely signal birds would use to sense storms and tsunamis. In a 2014 study, scientists tracking golden-winged warblers in the central and southeastern US founded the birds flew up to 1,500 kilometers to escape from the outbreak of tornadoes that killed 35 people. This showed they’d heard the storm system in advance.
The team plan on tagging more birds across the Pacific to prepare for a potential tsunami. “I think if there’s one wave that spreads across islands, we should get data from different species at different locations,” says Jiguet. “That’d definitely show it’s worth continuing to tag birds and to develop local systems to better analyze this.”
Even if the attempt to develop a bird-based tsunami early warning system fails, the project will still help scientists protect birds. In that sense, the research will have already gained results by that time. Jiguet says their first season’s tracking data shows Hawaii is an important stepping stone for the birds they tagged — a useful clue to the protection of these species above rising seas.
1. What is the purpose of Jiguet’s experiments?A.To learn more about birds’ lifestyles. | B.To know birds’ reactions to disasters. |
C.To test an animal tracking technology. | D.To study birds’ adaptation to nature. |
A.To present a fact. | B.To make comparisons. |
C.To take a guess. | D.To introduce a new sound. |
A.Successful. | B.Challenging. | C.Regrettable. | D.Rewarding. |
A.Can birds predict most natural disasters? |
B.How do we develop a warning system? |
C.Can birds warn us of natural disasters? |
D.How do birds avoid natural disasters? |
10 . About 1.4 billion people around the world do not get enough physical exercise. The world’s adult population is about 5.6 billion, so that is tantamount to about one-fourth of the world’s adult population.
Researchers looked at 358 population-based studies between 2001 and 2016. Those studies referred to nearly 2 million people in 168 countries.
Regina Guthold was the lead author of the report. She said the study also found a wide range of physical activity levels for countries around the world. “Inactivity ranges from as low as 6 per cent in Uganda and Mozambique to 67 per cent in Kuwait. Four countries have prevalence (普遍) of inactivity of over 50 per cent. That’s Kuwait, America Samoa, Saudi Arabia and Iraq,” she said.
The report shows the levels of physical inactivity are more than two times as high in wealthy countries as they are in countries where people have low incomes. In wealthier countries, people are more likely to spend time sitting in offices. They are also more likely to use computers and electronic devices for entertainment.
There are actually many things people can do for themselves. If you work in a high-rise office building, take the stairs instead of an elevator. Go for a walk during your lunch break. Take more breaks during the workday and move around. If your workplace offers a gym or exercise classes, make sure to use them. At home, take walks with your family or friends after dinner.
1. What does the underlined part “tantamount to” in Paragraph 1 mean?A.Familiar to. | B.Harmful to. | C.Used to. | D.Equal to. |
A.Uganda. | B.Kuwait. | C.Saudi Arabia. | D.Iraq. |
A.To draw people’s attention to the problem. |
B.To give some advice to non-exercisers. |
C.To introduce a new topic for discussion. |
D.To add some background information. |