1 . Do you think you are too old to do something? Just go online and ________ the video of John Harrison doing the 50m backstroke in 2014.

He ________ the 100-104 years world record by 15 seconds! Yes, you read that ________. The 100-104 years group! A time of 1:29.78. The first ever British man to set records in that age group. The applause (掌声) is long-lasting and heartfelt from all the crowd. A(n) ________ moment.

John loved swimming. He still tried to keep ________ by swimming in his last years before he passed away at the age of 105 in January 2020. Many of John’s friends speak ________ of him saying he was a “wonderful man”.

John was born in Farnborough on 25 July, 1914. And his ________ in swimming was unusual. “When I was five years old, on the way home from school, I came across a small pond,” he said ________, “so I went swimming. It taught me two things. One, to swim; and two, not to drink the water.”

“My parents ________ two years later that I was still doing it. They were ______ at first. But their anger soon ________” when I said, “I didn’t get asthma (哮喘病) last winter. They then bought me a costume and ________ me swimming skills.”

However, John didn’t start swimming ________ until his wife told him to stop teaching swimming and life-saving classes and ________ the sport for himself at the age of 79. From then on, he didn’t look back and was full of praise for everyone who ________ him during his successes.

1.

A．change

B．watch

C．use

D．make

2.

A．broke

B．held

C．quit

D．put

3.

A．carefully

B．proudly

C．correctly

D．freely

4.

A．interesting

B．brief

C．private

D．amazing

5.

A．safe

B．close

C．fit

D．warm

6.

A．simply

B．highly

C．openly

D．lightly

7.

A．position

B．belief

C．start

D．success

8.

A．humorously

B．angrily

C．finally

D．shortly

9.

A．guessed

B．discovered

C．hoped

D．repeated

10.

A．happy

B．curious

C．sad

D．mad

11.

A．began

B．increased

C．disappeared

D．remained

12.

A．taught

B．forced

C．advised

D．reminded

13.

A．competitively

B．dramatically

C．comfortably

D．necessarily

14.

A．work out

B．take up

C．depend on

D．go through

15.

A．found

B．answered

C．supported

D．introduced

2 . In 2005, Rachel O’Neill, of Rockwood, Michigan, was working full-time as an assistant in an engineering company. While _______ in a local charity, she’d never done any global volunteering. But after a travel in Africa for her fiftieth birthday, followed by a trip to Malawi, she said, “I felt I had to do something more.”

She was struck by the heavy work done by girls to _______ their families. “I wanted a way to honor them,” she says. She _______ a few women at her local church to make 1,000 simple _______, which were _______ to girls in Malawi.

Rachel _______ her goal that first year. As word spread, donations _______ in. “Dresses started coming every day from all over the country!” Rachel says. In 2008, without any _______ , she started a nonprofit organization called Little Dresses for Africa, with a goal of getting simple homemade dresses for girls(and pants for boys)in _______ communities, where people hardly change their ________ for a year.

So far, more than 10 million dresses have been donated to children in 97 countries, including the United States, though Africa remains a focus. The nonprofit runs a distribution center in Malawi and works ________ with community leaders there to distribute donated dresses and pants, which have proven the key to keeping girls in school.

“Nearly half of Malawi’s population is under age 14,” Rachel says, “We are ________ meeting their needs. For dress designs and donating information, go to littledressesforafrica.org. We only ask people to make high-quality, colorful clothes. ” She also asks for money to ________ shipping costs, estimated at $2 a dress. ________ donations have allowed Little Dresses for Africa to address other needs, including building more than 85 wells and two primary schools. “I couldn’t have done any of this on my own,” Rachel says, “But when you step out in ________ , miracles(奇迹)may happen.”

1.

A．active

B．internal

C．elegant

D．primitive

2.

A．load

B．preserve

C．support

D．form

3.

A．interrupted

B．prevented

C．persuaded

D．warned

4.

A．dresses

B．cakes

C．books

D．trousers

5.

A．led

B．donated

C．floated

D．leaked

6.

A．set

B．achieved

C．lost

D．had

7.

A．flooded

B．froze

C．dived

D．took

8.

A．experiment

B．exposure

C．evidence

D．experience

9.

A．simple

B．harmonious

C．royal

D．poor

10.

A．customs

B．hairstyles

C．clothes

D．possessions

11.

A．violently

B．directly

C．severely

D．hurriedly

12.

A．apart from

B．far from

C．absent from

D．tired from

13.

A．cover

B．charge

C．shelter

D．remove

14.

A．Urgent

B．Distinct

C．Generous

D．General

15.

A．trouble

B．danger

C．faith

D．silence

3 . The Internet’s carbon footprint is as bad as air travel. While it is difficult to measure precisely, estimates place it at over two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions(排放)—the same as the air travel.

Information may appear to spread around the world unseen to our eyes, but it actually passes through enormous data centers placed strategically about the globe, which store, organize and deliver everyone’s data. These centers are extremely energy intensive. In the EU, they consume close to three percent of its total energy usage and also require lots of water to prevent their computers from overheating. In the US, about a fifth of data centers draw water from already stressed water sources.

A typical spam email(垃圾邮件)emits around 0.03g of CO₂ emissions, though longer messages read on a laptop can go all the way up to 26g. Now multiply that by 333 billion(roughly the number of emails that get sent every day in 2022). That puts all those work emails into perspective. One study found if every British adult sent one less “thank you” email a day, it would save 16, 433 tons of carbon a year. It even predicted that the ICT industry could account for up to a fifth of the world’s energy consumption by 2025.

However, there are measures that we can take to reduce our digital carbon footprint. For instance, you can unsubscribe from marketing and other spam emails and only subscribe to newsletters that you still regularly read. Have regular data checks where you delete old contact lists and other documents that no longer have any use. Keep a clean inbox and delete emails you no longer need.

1. Why does the author make a comparison in the beginning?

A．To present the digital carbon footprint.

B．To emphasize the importance of air travel.

C．To advise people not to travel by airplane.

D．To inform the disadvantages of the Internet.

2. What can we infer about data centers?

A．It enjoys a wide popularity.

B．It has various kinds of functions.

C．It causes large energy consumption.

D．It has quite a complex mode of operation.

3. What’s the purpose of mentioning the figures in Paragraph 3?

A．To draw the readers’ attention.

B．To illustrate a certain information.

C．To highlight the change of CO2 emission.

D．To stress the importance of reducing CO2 emission.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards reducing digital carbon footprint?

A．Neutral.	B．Optimistic.
C．Unfavorable.	D．Concerned.

4 . Vitamins, minerals, and multivitamin supplements won’t protect you from cancer, heart disease, or help you live longer, the US preventive Services Task Force said in the new guidelines released Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association on June 21.

Following the release of the previous guidelines in 2014, the Task Force reviewed 84 studies testing vitamins in almost 700,000 people, including 52 new studies.

However, the conclusion is still the same as that of 2014: If you are a healthy adult who is not pregnant, there is not enough evidence of benefits to expand one’s life in taking vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin A, calcium tablets, carotene (胡萝卜素), vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin C and other supplements. The Task Force does not recommend taking carotene supplements to prevent cardiovascular (心血管) disease or cancer, with enough evidence that it “may increase the risk of death, the death rate of cardiovascular disease and the risk of lung cancer”. Nor should people take vitamin E, “because vitamin E is not likely to be beneficial in reducing death, cardiovascular disease or cancer risk,” the Task Force said.

“Lifestyle recommendations for preventing chronic diseases (慢性病) should continue to focus on evidence-based methods, including balanced meals rich in fruits and vegetables and physical activity,” Dr. Jeffrey Linder, Director of General Internal Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University in Chicago, wrote in an additional commentary.

Take the Mediterranean diet for example. Eating the Mediterranean way, which focuses on a plant-based diet, physical activity and social engagement, can reduce the risk for high cholesterol, dementia (痴呆), memory loss, depression and breast cancer. And numerous studies found meals from the sunny Mediterranean region have also been linked to weight loss, stronger bones, a healthier heart and longer life.

Another evidence-based approach is the DASH diet, which stands for “dietary approaches to stop hypertension (高血压)”. Many studies have shown that this diet successfully reduces hypertension. Both the Mediterranean and DASH diets avoid processed foods and focus on fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

“Rather than focusing money, time, and attention on supplements, it would be better to emphasize lower-risk, higher-benefit activities...following a healthy diet, getting exercise, maintaining a health y weight, and avoiding smoking,” Linder and his colleagues wrote.

However, certain groups of people do need to take specific vitamins. Some seniors may need vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 supplements because they absorb fewer vitamins from food as they age. Because the elderly often have less sun exposure than younger people, they may need vitamin D supplements, but the dosage must be checked by the doctor, as too much vitamin D intake can be harmful.

1. What can we learn from the Task Force?

A．Vitamins must be useful to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer.

B．Doctors want to control cardiovascular disease.

C．It’s necessary for all people to take vitamins.

D．In some regard, taking vitamins is not beneficial.

2. How many kinds of diets are mentioned to reduce death, cardiovascular disease or cancer risk?

A．One

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

3. According to the passage, who can take vitamins regularly?

A．A 40-year-old healthy worker.	B．A 15-year old healthy boy.
C．A 34-year-old healthy lady.	D．A 69-year-old healthy man.

4. What’s the main idea for the text?

A．The history of vitamins.

B．The functions of vitamins.

C．Taking vitamins to prevent diseases may fail.

D．People’s attitudes towards vitamins.

5 . Mount Everest (珠穆朗玛峰), located in Asia, is the highest mountain in the world. Many climbers have tried to climb to the top of Mount Everest’s about 29,028-foot peak and about 900 people have _________ the climb to Mount Everest’s summit. One of the most successful climbers is Erik Weihenmayer because of his _________.

Erik Weihenmayer was _________ an eye disorder. As a child his eyesight became _________ and then he lost his sight eventually. However, he did not lose his _________ to lead a full and active life. Erik began climbing when he was 16. Having climbed the tallest mountains on five continents, Erik became the first blind person to reach the peak of Mount Everest.

_________ the age of 32, Erik began his climb as part of a team. His team wore bells that he could follow during his climb, and fellow climbers could quickly warn him of such things as a big drop on the right or a big stone to the left. Erik _________ his own method for climbing mountains. He also carries two long climbing poles to feel his way _________ him. Erik is a good team member. He does his _________ of the job, such as setting up tents and building snow walls.

During his climb, Erik faced many dangers. He __________ through 100 m.p.h winds and sliding masses of snow, ice and rock. Because the air became thinner the higher Erik climbed, he wore an oxygen __________ that helped him breathe as he climbed higher. It took Erik about two-and a-half months to reach the top of the mountain.

Although he couldn’t __________ the view, Erik felt the __________ of being on the summit of Everest. He hopes that his success will change __________ people think about the blind. “When people think about a blind person, now they will think about a person standing on top of the __________.”

1.

A．attempted

B．survived

C．observed

D．created

2.

A．blindness

B．skin

C．emotion

D．anxiety

3.

A．born with

B．fed up with

C．aware of

D．interested in

4.

A．more

B．less

C．better

D．worse

5.

A．solution

B．determination

C．harmony

D．pressure

6.

A．On

B．In

C．At

D．With

7.

A．discovered

B．donated

C．invented

D．booked

8.

A．ahead of

B．away from

C．in the middle of

D．behind

9.

A．work

B．share

C．experiment

D．project

10.

A．appeared

B．walked

C．struggled

D．crawled

11.

A．scarf

B．mask

C．gloves

D．cap

12.

A．celebrate

B．advance

C．inspire

D．admire

13.

A．disappointment

B．happiness

C．excitement

D．anger

14.

A．how

B．what

C．why

D．where

15.

A．shoulder

B．world

C．bridge

D．people

6 . A team of researchers at the University of Cambridge have created an innovative floating device that uses solar power to transform polluted water or seawater into clean hydrogen (氢气) fuel and purified water.

This device is particularly beneficial for areas with limited resources or without access to the electricity, as it can operate with any open water source and does not rely on external power sources.

It takes its inspiration from photosynthesis, the process by which plants turn sunlight into food. However, unlike earlier versions of the “artificial leaf”, which could produce green hydrogen fuel from clean water sources, this new device operates from polluted or seawater sources and can produce clean drinking water-at the same time.

“In remote or developing regions, where clean water is relatively scarce and the basic facilities necessary for water purification are not readily available, water splitting (分解) is extremely difficult,” said Ariffin Mohamad Annuar, a member of the research team. “The device that could work using polluted water could solve two problems at once: it could split water to make clean fuel, and it could make clean drinking water.”

The device that can make clean fuel and clean water at once using solar power alone could help address the energy and the water crises facing so many parts of the world. For example, the indoor air pollution caused by cooking with “dirty” fuels, such as kerosene, is responsible for more than three million deaths annually, according to the World Health Organization. Cooking with green hydrogen instead could help reduce that number significantly.

“It’s such a simple design as well: in just a few steps, we can build a device that works well on water from a wide variety of sources,” said Ariffin Mohamad Annuar. “In addition, the new device uses more of the sun’s energy. The light-driven process for making solar fuels only uses a small portion of the solar spectrum (光谱) — there’s a whole lot of the spectrum that goes unused.”

1. What do we know about the new device?

A．It can hardly produce clean hydrogen fuel.

B．It needs a lot of power to function properly.

C．It is not as convenient as the “artificial leaf”.

D．It can turn polluted water into purified water.

2. What does the underlined word “scarce” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Insufficient.

B．Cheap.

C．Available.

D．Useless.

3. Which word can best describe the new device?

A．Costly.	B．Environmentally-friendly.
C．Outdated.	D．Complex.

4. Why does the author mention the example in paragraph 5?

A．To stress the harm of air pollution to human beings.

B．To predict how many people will buy the new device.

C．To show the potential impact of the new device on the world.

D．To explain the skills of selling the new device to the poor people.

7 . Born on March 21, 1958, in Louisiana, Grant Cardone is not a typical celebrity. He didn’t come from a wealthy family. He’s not a Hollywood superstar, nor does he have some amazing talents, like script-writing, politics or athleticism. However, what he has is something that is available to us all, and that is a determination to succeed.

At the age of 25, Cardone took the first job that he could find. That job was as a car salesman. It was a title and a position that Grant was not very fond of. However, the economy was slow, which meant he didn’t have many options, so he made it work.

Cardone was committed to becoming the best salesperson he could be. So, he invested (投资) heavily in his own self-improvement by reading books and studying his craft and his industry. After committing himself to becoming his very best, his income quickly doubled. And soon thereafter, he became one of the best car salesmen in the country. He eventually moved on to running his own business, and was extremely smart and disciplined (自律的) with his money. Cardone only spent money on what was absolutely necessary for food and housing. He would place anything left over into an investment fund just for the property market.

Cardone’s focus on learning more so that he could earn more, along with having the discipline to invest his extra money, instead of wasting it on useless things, helped him become a self-made millionaire just five years later by the age of 30.

Cardone has since gone on to become a well-known international businessman, speaker and the owner of Cardone Capital, a $ 1.5 billion investment firm. He’s authored the New York Times bestselling books If You’re Not First, You’re Last, and other famous books like The 10X Rule, and Axiom Award winning Sell or Be Sold. In addition to this, he also founded Cardone University, a popular sales training platform that has over 50,000,000 and growing users.

It took Cardone only five years to completely change his entire life. With the right mindset and sufficient willpower, just imagine what five years could do for you.

1. Why did Cardone choose to become a car salesman?

A．To meet a superstar.	B．To do research on cars.
C．To support himself.	D．To maintain his interest.

2. How did Cardone handle his money?

A．He bought many clothes.	B．He helped his family members.
C．He spent it on useful things.	D．He put most of it in the bank.

3. What does paragraph 5 mainly tell us about Cardone?

A．His achievements.	B．The plans for his company.
C．His experiences of education.	D．The reasons for his popularity.

4. What can we learn from Cardone’s story?

A．Failure is the mother of success.

B．Investment is risky but rewarding.

C．Making money calls for professional advice.

D．Success requires determination and efforts.

8 . Online Annual Refresher

This interactive yearly refresher course provides first aiders with an opportunity to practice and update their skills as qualified first aiders, at any time while their first aid certificates (证书) are valid (有效的).

Course description

Employers are legally required to ensure their first aiders are competent and maintain their skills throughout the three years in which their certificates are valid.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) strongly recommends that first aiders attend a refresher course once every year during this three-year period.

Course content

Session (阶段) 1:

Choking — 30 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is choking.

Session 2:

Chest Pains — 30 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is experiencing chest pains.

Session 3:

Severe Bleeds — 45 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is bleeding severely.

Session 4:

Recovery Position — 45 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is unresponsive and breathing normally.

Session 5:

Basic Life Support & AED (Automated External Defibrillator) — 30 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

Booking details

Please click this button below if you are the person who wishes to buy and sign up for the course. You will be directed to our Learner Management System where you will be asked to login or register for an account. You will then be given the option to buy access to the course.

1. What is HSE’s suggestion for first aiders?

A．Buying a four-year first aid course.

B．Attending an yearly refresher course.

C．Updating identity information regularly.

D．Downloading their certificates from the Internet.

2. At which session can first aiders learn how to help people with chest pains?

A．Session 1.

B．Session 2.

C．Session 3.

D．Session 4.

3. What is the text?

A．A news report.	B．A diary entry.
C．A research article.	D．An advertisement.

9 . In the busy and crowded Mexico City, an excellent woman has managed to build a shelter (庇护所) for one of nature’s most beautiful creatures—the hummingbird (蜂鸟) . Meet 73-year-old Catia Lattouf, an eager bird lover who has turned her apartment into a home for these tiny, lively birds.

In a city where green spaces are not enough, and city wildlife is often pushed to the edges, Lattouf’s love for hummingbirds began in 2011, just a year after recovering from a deadly illness, when she began caring for a hummingbird that had an eye injured by another bird. She named the bird Gucci after the brand (品牌) of the eyeglasses case where she kept it and soon they became the best of friends. The tiny hummingbird rested on Lattouf’s computer screen while she worked.

“It was a good medicine for my spirit,” Lattouf said of Gucei, adding, “It gave me a new life.” Gucci was the first, but many hummingbirds came to be cared for by Lattouf.

For years Lattouf’s home had been a bird shelter, but she was concerned about whether she would be able to meet the requirements of hummingbirds. However, since then, Lattouf has worked to make the public realize the importance of hummingbirds and has saved and freed hundreds of them.

Hummingbirds are an important part of the American food web. They help control the population of insects. Although they’re small in size, their diet includes the mosquitoes, spiders and fruit flies. Hummingbirds also pollinate (授粉) a wide variety of flowering plants from Alaska to the southernmost point of South America, which is especially important for native plant species. In fact, some plants depend almost completely on hummingbirds for pollination.

Through her effort, Lattouf has shown that even in the heart of a big city, it is possible to coexist (共存) with and protect the natural world. In a city that can sometimes feel disconnected from nature, Lattouf’s apartment is a wonder that can be found when we make space for the wild in our everyday lives.

1. Where did the bird’s name come from?

A．The shape of the eyeglasses case.	B．The place where Lattouf put it.
C．The park where Lattouf found it.	D．The picture on Lattouf’s computer screen.

2. What can we learn about Gucci?

A．It was hard to care for.	B．It nearly died of its serious injury.
C．It brought some trouble to the author’s work.	D．It benefited Lattouf’s health greatly.

3. What does Lattouf keep doing?

A．Making good use of hummingbirds.	B．Protecting hummingbirds from injury.
C．Calling on people to protect hummingbirds.	D．Improving the living environment of hummingbirds.

4. What does the author intend to tell us in paragraph 5?

A．The value of hummingbirds to humans.	B．The possibility of man living with nature.
C．The growing conditions of flowering plants.	D．The plants that are pollinated by hummingbirds.

10 . Morocco’s national women’s soccer team is set to make its first appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. After years of being largely hidden, Moroccan women’s soccer is getting new growth at home and around the world.

During one game in May, the audience was not very big. The game was between a Moroccan national women’s professional league team and the armed forces team called ASFAR. ASFAR, a strong women’s team in Morocco, won 7 to 0.

Dressed in a shirt reading “Morocco” in Arabic, Aliae Benazzouza went to the field to meet the players. “I was very happy,” the young girl said. Idriss Benazzouza is Aliae’s father. “I teach my daughters confidence, not fear,” he said. “There is no difference between men and women in physical exercise.”

The national women’s team is known as the Lionesses. Benazzouza said the Lionesses shows “how women’s soccer has progressed” in the North African country. He said the team has filed him with joy.

Morocco hosted the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The event drew large numbers of fans and augmented interest in this year’s worldwide women’s championship.

Hiba Karami plays for a local team called Fath Union Sport. The development in women’s soccer has made a dream of hers a reality. Last year, Karami was one of the players playing for Morocco in the FIFA under-17 Women’s World Cup. “Some kids or men would say that women belonged (属于) in the kitchen and weren’t made for soccer,” she said. “I knew that I loved the game and that I would play. Boys in my neighborhood accepted me because I played better than they did and they thought of me as a role model.”

Nouhaila Benzina also plays for the national team and for ASFAR. She said her soccer career (职业) opened up new chances for her. The 25-year-old never saw soccer going against her clothing. Many look up to her. “This makes me want to work harder to show girls that they can achieve great things,” Benzina said.

1. Which matches Aliae’s father’s opinion?

A．Women athletes are more popular.	B．Women should work for happiness.
C．Women play better than men in soccer.	D．Sports are fit for both men and women.

2. What does the underlined word “augmented” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Lost.

B．Increased.

C．Showed.

D．Compared.

3. Why did the boys show respect to her according to Karami?

A．She was good at soccer.	B．She was friendly to them.
C．She was a famous player.	D．She taught them to play soccer.

4. How does Benzina feel about her career?

A．Relaxed.

B．Worried.

C．Helpless.

D．Confident.