2 . Invest in Your Passion to Find Success

Achievements aren’t easy. In fact, you will never feel a sense of achievement from doing something that is easy for you. The first time I climbed a mountain that was more than 5,000 meters high, it was _________: I was cold, I felt sick, and I couldn’t eat. But the satisfaction of persisting and achieving my goal was great. _________, the second time I climbed a mountain over 5,000 meters high, since I was better _________, it was not as hard. But reaching the top this time did not feel like as much of a(n) _________. So the more difficult it is to achieve the goal, the more you have to love it and have a passion for it in order to reach it.

Passion sets apart the people who love their work from the people who _________ through their work. It makes the pursuit of excellence _________. It also _________ the top achievers from the merely good ones. In One and Only, a dance film _________ this past summer, it is passion for street dance that _________ the main character Chen Shuo to pursue his dream and dance all the way to success.

The American psychologist Angela Duckworth has studied people who are highly __________ — swimming champions, spelling bee champions, CEOs — and concluded that their achievements result from grit which is the ability to persist in spite of failure and __________. But grit is not just something that some people are born with and some people aren’t. Grit comes from passion. If you want to be highly successful, you need to find the thing that you have a passion for and __________ it. My advice is to try as many things as you can as early as possible, and find the one thing that you love most.

Do you need to be a champion swimmer or a CEO to be happy? Probably not. But most of us would feel a lot more __________ doing something we have a passion for than something we don’t. __________, the natural born artist will probably not do well as an accountant. And the __________ person who loves numbers and analysis will probably not be happy cold calling (电话推销) people and going door to door as a salesperson.

1.

A．appealing

B．difficult

C．incredible

D．unsuccessful

2.

A．As a result

B．By contrast

C．In the end

D．What’s more

3.

A．concerned

B．divided

C．prepared

D．threatened

4.

A．accomplishment

B．attempt

C．challenge

D．desire

5.

A．achieve

B．break

C．enjoy

D．suffer

6.

A．alarming

B．hard

C．meaningless

D．rewarding

7.

A．learns

B．protects

C．recovers

D．separates

8.

A．delivered

B．documented

C．published

D．released

9.

A．discourages

B．motivates

C．persuades

D．stops

10.

A．accomplished

B．determined

C．passionate

D．skilled

11.

A．experience

B．hardship

C．hatred

D．success

12.

A．adjust to

B．contribute to

C．respond to

D．stick to

13.

A．depression

B．pride

C．relief

D．satisfaction

14.

A．Above all

B．For example

C．However

D．In conclusion

15.

A．confident

B．emotional

C．experienced

D．quiet

3 . As I reflect on my educational journey, it becomes evident that the impact of education extends far beyond the ranges of the classroom. Education has been the guiding force that has shaped not only my academic progress but also my personal development and outlook on the world around me.

From my earliest days in school, education has stimulated my intellectual curiosity and developed a deep-seated passion for learning. I remember the thrill of getting on a voyage of discovery with each new lesson, as my understanding of the world expanded through the acquisition (获得) of knowledge and the development of critical thinking skills. These experiences have not only nurtured (培养) my intellectual growth but have also equipped me with the tools to navigate the complexities of the modern world.

However, the impact of education goes beyond the field of academia. It has played a critical role in shaping my character and values, equipping me with a sense of sympathy, understanding, and respect for others. Through interactions with peers from diverse backgrounds and exposure to various perspectives, education has been beneficial in cultivating my social and emotional intelligence. It has taught me the value of cooperation, the importance of embracing diversity, and the power of empathy (共情) in making meaningful connections with others.

Furthermore, education has opened doors to opportunities that have paved the way for my future hard work. It has provided me with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue my passions, offering a platform for personal and professional growth. The transformative potential of education is evident in the countless stories of individuals whose lives have been improved through access to quality education, breaking the barriers of social and economic inequality.

In conclusion, my journey through the fields of education has been nothing short of transformative. It has expanded my horizons, enriched my understanding of the world, and equipped me with the toots to make meaningful contributions to society. As I continue on this path of lifelong learning, I am deeply grateful for the profound impact of education on my life and remain committed to nurturing its transformative power in the lives of others.

1. According to Para. 2, how did education expand the author’s understanding of the world?

A．By equipping the author with knowledge.

B．By encouraging the author to accept others’ ideas.

C．By informing the author of latest scientific development,

D．By making the author more curious about others’perspectives.

2. What impact did education have on the author’s social and emotional intelligence?

A．It made the author competitive and individualistic.

B．It taught the author to value cooperation and varies.

C．It made it easier for the author to solve the difficulties.

D．It encourages the author to stick to his own opinion.

3. What does the passage suggest about influence of education in society in a broader sense?

A．Education has unlimited potential to make individuals’ lives more colorful.

B．Education is primarily focused on maintaining social development.

C．Education ensures better working opportunities in the future.

D．Education has the power to fight against inequality.

4. What is the topic of the passage?

A．The importance of education technology.	B．The role of author’s family education.
C．The transformative power of education.	D．The improvement of individuals’ education.

6 . I have discovered that I have a second shadow these days as I go outside. This one, however, has four legs instead of two. It is my daughter’s adopted, black cat: Miss Alice. Every time I go out the door she is waiting on my front porch, meowing to be petted. Then she follows me down the hill to my car sometimes running in front so she can get in my way for even more petting. And when I finally return home she is there asking for attention again.

It wasn’t always this way. The very first time I saw Miss Alice she was hiding under my house just having had a family of kittens. When I looked under there I got an angry hiss (嘘声) from her, warning me I was in for a clawing if I got near her kittens. It took a lot of time, patience, kindness, love, and cat food from my daughter to tame her. At first she didn’t want to be touched at all. Then she would only allow an occasional petting. Now my daughter can pick her up and carry her up the road to her house like a little baby. It still makes me smile to see how my daughter’s loving, caring and sympathetic spirit tamed this wild cat and made her as lovable as the most affectionate dog.

I guess that is the power of love. It can heal a hurting heart. It can save a broken spirit. It can uplift a sunken soul. It can free you from fear. It can transform your life. It can even take a violent, wild cat and turn her into a puppy dog in a cat suit.

Embrace (拥抱) the love in your own life then. Welcome the love of your family and friends into your life. And let your own love flow through everything you think, everything you say, and everything you do.

1. What do we know about the cat from the first paragraph?

A．It enjoys staying with the author.	B．It tends to be in the author’s road.
C．It is often ignored by the daughter.	D．It gets well along with the daughter.

2. What does the underlined word “tame” probably mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Feed her up.

B．Make her mild.

C．Arrange for her.

D．Dress her up.

3. What makes the author still smile?

A．The lovely dog.

B．The daughter’s love.

C．The cat’s babies.

D．The harmonious family.

4. What message does the text convey?

A．Where there is life, there is hope.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C．Love is life in its fullness like the cup with its wine.

D．Do what you fear, and fear that nature will fade away.

7 . I used to think I was a good person. I was caring to my friends, my partner, my family; I gave to charity and I volunteered. But when I started training to become a therapist (治疗师), I began to understand that however much we might like to think of ourselves as good people, we don’t actually know ourselves very well. I learned about how we might, without consciously realizing it, deny the feelings and motivations we consider to be bad, pushing them down into our unconscious and projecting them out on to others, so they become the bad people. I learned that deep in the human mind, alongside love and kindness, run currents of anger, need, greed, envy, destructiveness, superiority—whether we want to acknowledge them or not.

It was 22-year-old Boru who taught me what it really means to be a good grown up. We first spoke two years ago. He was unemployed, living with his parents, watching his friends’ lives progress. A good grown-up, he told me, is “someone who has his ducks in a row”—and that wasn’t him.   

I also didn’t feel like the competent, confident grown-up I thought I should be—and neither did most of the adults I knew. I researched statistics about people hitting the traditional landmarks of adulthood later and later, if at all—from buying a home to getting married or starting a family. I recognized what made me feel like a bad grown-up: that I’ll sit with a broken fridge rather than call an engineer to repair it.

Then I saw Boru again. He told me how, over two years, he’d found a job he loves, rented a flat with a friend. He’s now cycling round the world, having adventures that will keep him strong for the rest of his life. So what changed? “You start to have those conversations with yourself, and you become more of an honest person. I don’t feel like I’m hiding from anything anymore, because I’m not hiding from myself.”

     I think growing up must involve finding your own way to have those conversations. Boru does it on his bike, I do it in psychoanalysis, others I spoke to do it while cooking or playing music. That, for Boru, and for me, is what it means to “have his ducks in a row”.
1. What does the first paragraph imply about understanding ourselves?

A．Recognizing our positive traits is enough for growth.

B．Our understanding of our motives and feelings is accurate.

C．True self-awareness means accepting both good and bad sides.

D．Ignoring our negative traits does not affect our self-perception.

2. What critical lesson did the author learn from Boru about being a good grown-up?

A．It involves having a clear career path and financial stability.

B．It requires constant self-improvement and education.

C．It means being employed and living independently.

D．It is like a journey of self-discovery and honesty.

3. What does the author identify as a reason for feeling like an inadequate adult?

A．Escaping basic responsibilities.

B．Delaying reaching traditional life milestones.

C．Comparing personal achievements to others.

D．Investigating changing patterns of adult life.

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．Why Hide Harms

B．How to Be Better Adults

C．Why Growing up Matters

D．How to Have Effective Conversations

8 . Exhausted, Jia Ling ate five packs of chocolate cookies alone at night by her bed after wrapping up filming for her new film YOLO that day. “Recalling that moment, I felt so great, like a tired soldier claiming the spoils of war,” she said.

By then, she had lost an incredible 50 kilograms, and her entire image had changed. The chubby (胖乎乎的), round and cute comedian Jia Ling was gone, replaced by a cool, muscular warrior.

Audiences were shocked by her appearance on Chinese New Year’s Day, Feb.10, when the film was first released. Jia had kept everything so secretive, avoiding public appearances for a year, that her new look was only revealed when she appeared on the big screen. Conversations about her high-intensity weight loss training, along with her courage and determination, have become trending topics across China, propelling the film’s box office earnings.

YOLO, which stands for “you only live once,” is the theme Jia aims to tell in her new film. The story follows an overweight, depressed woman who becomes isolated from society. However, after meeting a boxing coach and taking up the sport, she begins to regain her passion and finds her way in life. The filming was divided into five stages. Jia had to gain 20 kilograms at first for the role, moving on to the final stage when she lost a significant amount of weight and became muscular. This method mirrors what some Hollywood stars, such as Christian Bale, have done, but Jia’s effort is jaw-dropping and takes it to an even more extreme level.

Yet, the film’s core goes beyond physical transformation. “This film is not about weight loss, nor is it much about boxing. It’s a film that tells the story of how a kind person finds her true self and learns to love herself,” Jia said.

1. What does the underlined word “propelling” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Disturbing.

B．Restoring.

C．Driving.

D．Slowing.

2. Which of the following can best describe Jia?

A．Generous and funny.	B．Determined and courageous.
C．Creative and sensitive.	D．Ambitious and enthusiastic.

3. What is the movie YOLO mainly about?

A．A woman’s pursuit of boxing glory.

B．A woman’s journey through weight loss.

C．A woman’s struggle with social pressure.

D．A woman’s discovery of self-love and acceptance.

4. What message does Jia want to convey through the movie?

A．The early bird catches the worm.	B．Actions speak louder than words.
C．It’s never too late to change.	D．Don’t cry over spilled milk.

9 . My mom is an immigrant from China. She speaks Mandarin. She is culturally and ethnically Chinese. She cooks Chinese food every night. She even complains when the local restaurants are not authentic — according to her, most of them are awful.

But weirdly enough, she also enjoys American Chinese food. When she wants to meet with her friends, who are also Chinese immigrants, she likes to have lunch with them at P. F. Chang’s. She likes Panda Express, and she is quick to point it out whenever we are at a food court with one.

Why, then, does American Chinese food seem to have a bad reputation among Chinese Americans? I see this kind of sentiment on the Internet: how American Chinese food, like Panda Express, isn’t “real” Chinese food, how it’s so much worse than actual Chinese food, how it’s “fake” and “unauthentic,” or when people joke about how eating it would be a disgrace to their family. While a lot of these things are technically true, they give American Chinese food too much flack.

American Chinese food deserves to be seen as its own legitimate cuisine. It’s important to distinguish American Chinese food from authentic Chinese food. They are not the same cuisine and should not be treated the same.

Like American Chinese food, many foods are borrowed from different cultures. Ramen (拉面) originated from China, but we associate it with Japan because Japanese people made their own version of the dish. Japan also has its own form of curry (咖喱). Should we avoid Japanese ramen and Japanese curry, then? Of course not, and American Chinese cuisine isn’t even the only variation of Chinese cuisine that exists: Indian Chinese cuisine is a popular fusion spin-off, for example.

In fact, American Chinese food is often created by Chinese immigrants themselves adapting their cuisine to cater to the American taste palette. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to have to adapt, as people from different countries will always have differences in taste; that’s just how it is. So there’s nothing wrong with going out to an American Chinese restaurant, because chances are that you’re supporting a “real” Chinese business. In this way, American Chinese food actually is real Chinese food.

1. How does the author’s mother like American Chinese restaurants?

A．She complains but enjoys them.	B．She thinks they are awful enough.
C．She regards them as distinct.	D．She thinks they deserve no consumers.

2. What does the underlined word in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Praise.

B．Evaluation.

C．Criticism.

D．Comments.

3. Why does the author use “ramen” and “curry” as examples?

A．To push us to rethink the origin and history of many foods.

B．To prove that Japanese people are good at making new dishes.

C．To urge that we should avoid eating Japanese ramen and curry.

D．To stress that foods borrowed from other nations are acceptable.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards American Chinese food?

A．Cautious.

B．Sympathetic.

C．Indifferent.

D．Ambiguous.