1 . My family — my wife Joan, our two teenagers Hannah and Joseph, and I — live in Atlanta with our two dogs.
Ten years ago, we moved into our dream house—a big three-story home, thinking it would bring us the joy we desired. It was a beautiful place, but as our children grew up, our sense of togetherness began to disappear slowly. In the big dream house, we sometimes seemed to be strangers to each other.
One day when Hannah was 14, she became upset about the differences between the world’s haves and the have-nots (穷人). She expected us to be “a family that makes a difference in the world, even if it’s a small difference.” My wife, Joan, asked her, “What are you willing to sacrifice? Your house? Your room?” Hannah said yes to both. After talking it over as a family, we decided to sell our house and move to one that was half its size and price and donate the difference to those in need.
First, we needed to figure out where our money would go, a process that took about a year. We finally chose The Hunger Project, a US-based organization. It works with villagers in Africa, Asia and South America and helps them fight against poverty. Our money went to pay for building two centers. Each has a meeting place, a bank and a health clinic. Together, the centers would serve more than 20 villages in eastern Ghana. We also traveled to meet the villagers and were greatly impressed by their hard work and warmth.
To be honest, we were a little worried at first. Would we regard the new home as being too small for us? Or would we think we had given up too much? Two years later, I can tell you: It’s the best move we have ever made. While we worked together on our family project, we became much closer. As Hannah said the other day, “We learned how to really trust each other.”
1. After they moved into a larger house, the author’s family ________.| A．were not as close as before | B．wanted an even larger house |
| C．often went traveling together | D．often let poor people share their spare rooms |
| A．Hope for. | B．Look for. | C．Give up. | D．Build up. |
| A．To go abroad. | B．To help the poor. |
| C．To treat Hannah’s illness. | D．To save money for the future. |
| A．It was well worth it. | B．It was a bad decision. |
| C．It was a waste of money. | D．It wasn’t as satisfying as expected. |
2 . When I was young, I read many kinds of books, including fairy tales. Most of the books described heroes who were handsome and heroines who were beautiful. So, I believed I had to be beautiful if I wanted to become a great person.
As I grew up, I began to realize outer beauty was not so important to make someone good. I remember a friend of mine, Janie, who was so beautiful that every classmate wanted to talk with her, but she was very arrogant (傲慢的).
She believed that she could do everything she wanted because she was so beautiful, but she lost friends one by one. My poor friend! But she learned a good lesson: inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. After she learned that, she changed her attitude and made friends again.
Whenever I see TV advertisements, I feel that these things make us believe beauty is very important— especially physical attractiveness. Although we say that inner beauty is more valuable, we often look for plastic surgery to make us more beautiful. There seems to be a boom (流行) in plastic surgery. It is surprising to realize the number of people who try it is increasing day by day.
We know good-looking guys usually get higher scores on job interviews. So, what is real beauty? I want to say that inner beauty is the real one because if someone has beauty in his soul, he looks like a really beautiful person.
The beauty looked at with eyes doesn’t last forever. Instead of concentrating on outer beauty, we should concentrate on inner beauty. The point is that inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. So, if we make the effort to make our minds beautiful, we’ll be happier.
1. When the author was young, she thought if he wanted to succeed, .| A．she must learn from the heroes | B．she had to work hard at her lessons |
| C．she must have good looks | D．she had to read many kinds of books. |
| A．Because she looked down upon others. | B．Because she wouldn’t take their advice. |
| C．Because she was too ashamed. | D．Because she didn’t study well at her lessons. |
| A．化妆 | B．阅读 | C．健身 | D．整形 |
| A．The Importance of Beauty | B．Inner Beauty is the Real Beauty |
| C．Beauty Makes One Happier | D．How to Make Oneself Beautiful |
3 . Last weekend, I said goodbye to another dear old friend. We had 12 fine years together, but our relationship was becoming dysfunctional(不正常的). Unwanted emissions and serious health problems were the final straw, leaving me with no choice but to make a trip to the knacker’s(收废汽车者的)yard.
I am now car-free for the first time in 20 years, and it feels strange. When I gave up meat, I did so mainly for environmental reasons, and I didn’t miss it at all. I would like to say the same about my car, but I can’t. It was first and foremost a financial decision: keeping the old car on the road was getting too expensive.
But doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is still doing the right thing — I now have a chance to rethink how I move myself and my family around, and can try to find a more environmentally friendly means of transport.
Going car-free is, I think, a lifestyle change that many of us are going to make over the next few years, as car ownership becomes increasingly unnecessary, expensive and socially unacceptable. However, it is easier said than done. Now my car is gone. I still need to get around. But how? I already cycle to work and use public transport when appropriate. But there are some occasions when a car seems to be the only way.
I won’t buy one: I have joined a car-share program and will use taxis more often. I will hire a car if I need to drive a long distance. But then I am still travelling in fossil-fuelled cars(燃油汽车), like when I quit meat and ended up eating more cheese. I fear I may have swapped one environmental problem for another.
I am also afraid to think about the ultimate fate of my car. I have just offloaded more than a ton of metal, plastic, rubber, fabric, electronics, oil and petrol that will end up in a landfill. There are millions of similar vehicles in the UK alone that will have to go somewhere.
Maybe I am overthinking it. According to Charlie Wilson, a climate scientist at the UK’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, getting rid of a private car is no doubt a positive step to reduce CO2 emissions.
He points to research by the OECD’s International Transport Forum. “They showed that moving from a private vehicle fleet(车队)to a shared vehicle fleet can greatly cut the number of vehicles you need to deliver the mobility that we need and want. If that vehicle fleet is electrified, you can also bring CO2 emissions close to zero.”
So in other words, just get rid of your car.
1. What do we know about the author’s car?| A．It was old. | B．It was green. |
| C．It was his first car. | D．It was a second-hand car. |
| A．He did both for the wrong reasons. | B．He thinks both help him save money. |
| C．He considers both are right decisions. | D．He did both out of concern for the environment. |
| A．He may have to spend more on travel. |
| B．His lifestyle might be changed completely. |
| C．He might get bored with public transportation. |
| D．His decision may fail to help the environment. |
| A．It is wise to do away with old private cars. |
| B．It is very easy to deal with old private cars. |
| C．Electric cars are the solution to traffic problems. |
| D．The OECD plays a key role in promoting car-sharing. |
4 . For me, two of the loveliest words in English are “Life persists”.
I
Suddenly I wasn’t unhappy and impatient any more. Then I called my granddad. I loved to talk with him. And I was
He laughed again, and then in his lovely voice, he recited to me his
Many years later,
Life persists, and so do we, in the silence of
| A．looked for | B．came across | C．picked out | D．made up |
| A．bored | B．worried | C．tired | D．confused |
| A．running | B．dancing | C．rushing | D．moving |
| A．fear | B．doubt | C．terror | D．untruth |
| A．patient | B．confident | C．upset | D．desperate |
| A．got | B．made | C．undertook | D．managed |
| A．puzzlement | B．excitement | C．agreement | D．amusement |
| A．practically | B．especially | C．obviously | D．naturally |
| A．way | B．inspiration | C．mark | D．sign |
| A．nervous | B．interesting | C．merry | D．alive |
| A．impressive | B．superb | C．classical | D．favorite |
| A．exist | B．blossom | C．survive | D．sow |
| A．after | B．when | C．until | D．although |
| A．journeys | B．words | C．world | D．desert |
| A．convinces | B．ensures | C．reminds | D．strikes |
5 . Queen Elizabeth National Park is a place of outstanding beauty and extreme biodiversity. On a previous underwater assignment with my wife and photographic partner, Jennifer Hayes, we’d documented healthy coral reefs surrounded with fish, sharks, and crocodiles. We knew that time, increased tourism and climate change could make the park different—so 15 years later, we returned to see how it was going.
We were photographing some jellyfish. Jennifer, her back to me, was focused on something above her. Out of the corner of my viewfinder, I saw a sizable crocodile coming. As I began to take its photograph, I realized that the crocodile was going to swim directly between Jennifer and me. I started to make loud noises through my regulator and moved towards Jen, firing a burst of flash-lit shots to warn her that we had company. She quickly detected my signal and turned to meet our visitor.
She gave me a quick thumbs-up, nodded OK, and said “Hello, handsome” as she bent closer to take its photos. I admired her for treating the crocodile with respect, calm curiosity, and absolute joy. She didn’t feel threatened. She was familiar with this kind of crocodile in this particular place—and she had a big underwater camera housing that could double as a mighty shield (盾牌) if needed. After a few pictures the crocodile, unimpressed with us, swam downstream on its way to do other crocodile things. We continued our search for jellyfish.
There is always risk in our line of work. But this encounter highlighted the good news that we saw all around us here. The crocodile is an indicator animal, a symbol of a healthy ecosystem that can support top predators (捕食性动物). The easing of travel restrictions is bound to bring more tourists—so it’s vital to maintain a balance among ecotourism, exploration, and conservation. That’s possible if visitors adopt the same philosophy that we hold toward that curious crocodile. We enter Earth’s oceans on their terms, not our own.
1. What was the author’s purpose in returning to Queen Elizabeth National Park?| A．To enjoy its beauty. | B．To assess a document. |
| C．To check its ecosystem. | D．To photograph jellyfish. |
| A．She met it before. | B．She trusted her husband. |
| C．She could protect herself. | D．She longed for its company. |
| A．Explore nature with curiosity. |
| B．Respect nature while exploring it. |
| C．Study nature while developing tourism. |
| D．Protect nature through biological research. |
| A．A Narrow Escape | B．A Risky Job |
| C．An Underwater Assignment | D．A Chance Meeting |
6 . Trying new things is the only way we can discover hidden talents. I
However, soon after I joined the company, its model changed to focus on K-12 education, and everything about my position changed. I was asked to take on the
I knew I wanted to grow as a (n)
I was fortunate to be
Over time, I discovered that the job was something I could do and liked doing. It was an amazing
| A．started out | B．moved up | C．turned down | D．focused on |
| A．steady | B．comfortable | C．flexible | D．challenging |
| A．account | B．suggestion | C．position | D．course |
| A．loose | B．perfect | C．mild | D．complex |
| A．slightly | B．relatively | C．completely | D．strangely |
| A．individual | B．consumer | C．student | D．adult |
| A．silly | B．tough | C．fresh | D．easy |
| A．choice | B．idea | C．dream | D．reason |
| A．control | B．touch | C．nest | D．method |
| A．informed | B．surrounded | C．followed | D．impressed |
| A．convincing | B．reminding | C．accessing | D．encouraging |
| A．staff | B．income | C．products | D．conditions |
| A．effort | B．money | C．offer | D．care |
| A．profit | B．reward | C．platform | D．behavior |
| A．Surprisingly | B．Additionally | C．Instantly | D．Actually |
7 . Have you ever heard the radio club in our school? It is great because it is run by the students for the school. Kate Jones is
It was
When parents come to visit the school and talk to the teachers, Kate and her fellows
| A．afraid | B．shy | C．lucky | D．angry |
| A．started | B．made | C．found | D．ended |
| A．paintings | B．sport | C．stories | D．music |
| A．order | B．question | C．idea | D．speech |
| A．to | B．about | C．as | D．from |
| A．tell | B．warn | C．call | D．ask |
| A．never | B．often | C．seldom | D．hardly |
| A．foreigners | B．reporters | C．friends | D．parents |
| A．club | B．party | C．team | D．class |
| A．thus | B．but | C．or | D．so |
8 . When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest.
The good doctor had some interesting theories about plant care and growth. He never watered his new trees as others did. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them and that if you water them each successive tree generation would grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things tough for them and weed out the weaker trees early on. He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture. I thought he meant that deep roots were to be treasured.
So he never watered his new trees. He planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. Smack! Slap! Pow! I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.
Dr. Gibbs passed away a couple of years after I left home. Every now and again, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty five years ago. They’re extremely tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now. However, the trees in my garden trembled in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years.
It seems that adversity and suffering benefit these trees while comfort and ease never could. I stood there, deep in thought.
Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray for them. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But I think that it’s time to change my prayers because now I know my children are going to encounter hardship.
1. According to Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 3, we can infer that Dr. Gibbs’ motto may be _________?| A．“Seeing is believing” | B．“Honesty is the best policy” |
| C．“Practice makes perfect” | D．“No pain, no gain” |
| A．strange | B．deep | C．strong | D．old |
| A．The writer is twenty-five years old. |
| B．Dr. Gibbs beat his trees with a rope. |
| C．Dr. Gibbs thought that watering trees might spoil them. |
| D．The writer will not pray for her children any more. |
| A．A Doctor | B．The Deep Roots | C．My Prayer | D．My Childhood Memory |
9 . My children are at an extremely low-tech school. There are no televisions, computers or tablets in the classroom, and mobile phones are forbidden during the school day. Families are encouraged to keep their children screen-free in the early years (up until age six) and for grade one through seven, limited screen time is recommended for weekends only. Our family has followed these guidelines since our children started at the school and we have rarely broken them.
Now that my daughter is 13 and in high school, the struggle to limit screen time and exposure (接触) to the social media is real. Most of my daughter’s classmates have Instagram accounts (账号) and many of them are secretly bringing phones into the classroom, despite the “no tech” rule. She says that without her own account, she often feels disconnected from her classmates because she can’t see the latest Instagram post that everyone is talking about.
Are we preventing her from socializing and communicating with her friends? Maybe this is simply the latest way of reaching out each other, like what we did as teens when we pulled our long phone cords (电话线) across the hall to our rooms to chat with friends all night. This leaves me questioning my decisions and doubting that whether my husband and I are making the right choices for our daughter when it comes to limiting exposure to the social media and screens. And I’m also wondering why it seems that I’m one of the only parents that are still holding out.
However, after recently watching the film Growing Up in the Digital Age, I feel better about our decisions when I see studies on the effects of too much screen time and how it can harm the physical development of young people’s brains. Studies show a connection between too much screen time and poorer attention, as well as a bad effect on learning. The filmmaker and mother, Dr. Delaney Ruston, notes down the real pain her daughter feels when her mobile phone is taken away, and tells parents that teens are not able to control themselves when it comes to screen time and the social media. Parents and caregivers must be the ones who set limits and consider writing up a contract (合同) to regulate (限制、控制) screen usage if they decide to allow it. They must also set an example for children by being good role models themselves, which means having their own guidelines for time spent on devices.
Another encouraging moment for me comes at the end of the film, when a group of teens talk about how happy they are that their parents enforced limits and rules around their screen time, saying that they’d probably have failed if they hadn’t had clear limits. How refreshing (令人振作的)! And I think that the most important to remember as a parent is that you are still the shaper of your children’s future.
1. What can we learn about the school of the author’s children?| A．It has great fame. |
| B．It is a very advanced school in the local area. |
| C．It is a very backward and conventional (守旧的) school. |
| D．It places strict limits on students’ screen time. |
| A．code | B．signal | C．app | D．bank |
| A．The author is worried about her daughter’s relationships with others. |
| B．The author is not so sure about the effect of her limits on her daughter. |
| C．The author feels uncomfortable for having brought her daughter troubles. |
| D．The author finds the generation gap between herself and her daughter. |
| A．Children now spend too much time on computer games. |
| B．Parents shouldn’t play computer games too often, either. |
| C．Children usually can’t have strict control over themselves. |
| D．Parents play an important role in shaping their children’s future. |
10 . I have a degree in business. But it was my father’s
After I graduated, I worked as a marketing planner at a computer company. My
If you are in a
I like this motto “Success is not the key to happiness.
| A．ambition | B．commitment | C．decision | D．response |
| A．guarantee | B．save | C．leave | D．pass |
| A．ignored | B．valued | C．took | D．opposed |
| A．fantastic | B．awkward | C．painful | D．plain |
| A．paper | B．field | C．college | D．job |
| A．future | B．dream | C．scholarship | D．pay |
| A．only | B．also | C．still | D．even |
| A．quit | B．continue | C．consider | D．wait |
| A．promoting | B．teaching | C．writing | D．studying |
| A．firm | B．game | C．story | D．place |
| A．anxious | B．optimistic | C．enthusiastic | D．nervous |
| A．rush | B．hesitate | C．intend | D．stop |
| A．love | B．joy | C．confidence | D．knowledge |
| A．As a result | B．On the whole | C．In a word | D．On the contrary |
| A．applies to | B．arises from | C．differs from | D．spreads to |
