1 . As a kid growing up in a suburb of London. I loved to go looking for the perfect park bench. Some Sunday mornings, my dad could be persuaded to drive to new parks. We’d have a kick-around with a soccer ball, share a bag of Doritos and check out all the benches in the area, reading the words on them.
The good park bench leaves me in a state, somewhere between nostalgia (怀旧) and eager anticipation. Where once I was excited by the words carved on wood, I now find, as a 10-year-old, that I’m more appreciative of each bench’s quiet stoicism (坦然淡定), the way they are willing to wait out their turn in every weather, remaining available to all-comers. Like a good book or piece of music, a park bench allows for a sense of solitude (独处) and community at the same time, which is crucial to life in a great city.
Part of my obsession with park benches is as spaces where history settles. By planting seeds of curiosity, and making space for reflection, park benches become doors to the past. Maybe that’s the greatest power of the park bench: its capacity encourages the art of observation. A good bench catches us in our quietest, most vulnerable (脆弱的) moments, when we may be open to imagining new narratives and revisiting old ones. Our masks are taken off, hung from the bench’s wrought iron. On other nearby benches, babies are being burped. Glances exchanged. Sandwiches eaten. Newspapers read it .
......
Which aspect of park benches does paragraph 3 focus on?| A．Design. | B．History. | C．Location. | D．Power. |
2 . I used to be bad at playing basketball. Gym class in middle school was the worst. I was always the last kid to be picked. The only reason why I was even picked at all was that I was good friends with the best player in the class.
In the eighth grade, I finally decided I was sick and tired of being a nonentity. I dedicated (奉献) that entire summer to getting better. I spent every day playing basketball, practising for hours in the gym. I remember playing pick-up games with one group of kids until they all eventually got tired and left. Then a whole different group of kids would come in and I’d play with them too.
After months of this devoted routine, something amazing started to happen. People began passing me the ball. They trusted me to take the shot. They even started picking me first to be on their team! The last game of organized basketball I ever played was the culmination (高潮) of all my hard work. Against a team far more talented than mine. I scored 27 points. We still lost, but I walked away from that game feeling like a total champion.
What I learned from those years of rejection and waiting to be picked was that life really isn’t any different. Most of us spend our lives waiting for opportunities to land in our laps. What’s worse, sometimes we feel entitled (使有权) to them. And when things don’t go our way — when no one picks us — we find something or someone to blame.
I could have complained when no one wanted me on their team. I could have convinced myself that I deserved to be picked. But I didn’t. Instead I took matters into my own hands and put in the work to become better.
Should we have our fate controlled by a few people who in most cases don’t even know us? I certainly don’t think so. We have a choice. We can choose to create something meaningful, and so move forward with our ideas.
1. What can we know about the author in the first paragraph?| A．He was always to be picked. |
| B．He was picked because of his good friend. |
| C．He was once crazy about playing basketball. |
| D．He used to be really good at playing basketball. |
| A．short person. | B．A superior player. |
| C．An important player. | D．An insignificant person. |
| A．People still refused to play with him. |
| B．Now he is good at playing basketball. |
| C．He gained people’s trust through his effort. |
| D．His team was defeated by a more talented one. |
3 . Every year, high school students aged 15-19 from all around the world make a huge decision. They
“An exchange year isn’t a(n)
“I had the worst and the best time here. The beginning was
When the year 2020 started, Seixas
“I love all the seasons, watching the changes and the changes in me. I learned that it’s
Exchange students grow a lot during their exchange year and they see the world in a
“You will have bad days, but if you open your mind to new experiences and share your
| A．leave | B．protect | C．miss | D．find |
| A．travel | B．work | C．study | D．volunteer |
| A．warn | B．remind | C．train | D．educate |
| A．opportunities | B．difficulties | C．journeys | D．methods |
| A．understand | B．avoid | C．grow | D．care |
| A．relaxation | B．event | C．excuse | D．year |
| A．hoping | B．choosing | C．agreeing | D．worrying |
| A．share | B．connect | C．exercise | D．stay |
| A．different | B．boring | C．terrible | D．dangerous |
| A．ready | B．excited | C．angry | D．afraid |
| A．marked | B．changed | C．comforted | D．thanked |
| A．dream | B．look | C．plan | D．attitude |
| A．great | B．funny | C．strange | D．possible |
| A．spending | B．killing | C．wasting | D．enjoying |
| A．common | B．demanding | C．important | D．unnecessary |
| A．made use of | B．looked forward to | C．stepped out of | D．made way for |
| A．strict | B．new | C．fast | D．peaceful |
| A．overcome | B．notice | C．prevent | D．report |
| A．familiar | B．independent | C．intelligent | D．humorous |
| A．belongings | B．impressions | C．memories | D．feelings |
4 . My aunt came to my home with her six-year-old daughter Alice this morning. While my aunt was talking with my mom at home, my cousin felt a bit
Later, we sat down on a bench, looking at the gardens. As we were
Many people wait for their “best days”. But I think today is our
We often hear the expression that we should live in the
| A．tired | B．bored | C．hungry | D．sleepy |
| A．birds | B．presents | C．kites | D．planes |
| A．laughing | B．crying | C．complaining | D．running |
| A．willingly | B．truly | C．faithfully | D．hopefully |
| A．wonder | B．suggest | C．dream | D．admit |
| A．eating | B．jumping | C．sitting | D．walking |
| A．beautiful | B．great | C．warm | D．long |
| A．thinking about | B．looking for | C．aiming at | D．dreaming about |
| A．brave | B．strange | C．common | D．interesting |
| A．memorable | B．special | C．important | D．perfect |
| A．money | B．energy | C．time | D．experience |
| A．parents | B．teachers | C．relatives | D．children |
| A．morning | B．present | C．past | D．future |
| A．mood | B．home | C．family | D．life |
| A．reason | B．book | C．gift | D．tool |
5 . Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you”. When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realised that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right,or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.
1. Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?| A．Start the car the moment everyone is seated. |
| B．Leave the room for a minute with the iron working. |
| C．Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better. |
| D．Move an object out of the way before it trips someone. |
| A．keep her appointment with the eye doctor |
| B．meet her father who was already an old man |
| C．join in the holiday celebration of the company |
| D．finish her work before the deadline approached |
| A．By keeping herself busy. |
| B．By always doing the urgent thing. |
| C．By accompanying her parents every day and night. |
| D．By doing everything possible to avoid something unpleasant. |
6 . A professor entered the classroom and told the students about a surprise test. All students were
Students were
Now, professor began to explain, “Here everyone
Our life is a
We should try to take eyes
| A．disappointed | B．curious | C．concerned | D．surprised |
| A．handing out | B．working out | C．dealing with | D．mixing up |
| A．open | B．read | C．defend | D．turn |
| A．annoyed | B．addicted | C．confused | D．amazed |
| A．bring | B．speak | C．write | D．talk |
| A．still | B．hardly | C．never | D．mostly |
| A．communicated | B．described | C．accepted | D．used |
| A．concentrated on | B．depended on | C．insisted on | D．counted on |
| A．for | B．so | C．and | D．but |
| A．likes | B．means | C．prefers | D．deserves |
| A．picture | B．lesson | C．gift | D．text |
| A．events | B．adventures | C．solutions | D．problems |
| A．connected | B．compared | C．addicted | D．attracted |
| A．on | B．in | C．off | D．under |
| A．formally | B．differently | C．obviously | D．positively |
7 . Grandma is an amazing cook, especially when it comes to the traditional meal of rice and lamb cooked in tomatoes. But every night at dinner, I noticed something: Grandma
Years later, in a leadership seminar(研讨会), we were
It was then that I realized Grandma was not only
I couldn’t help but feel
| A．joined | B．greeted | C．served | D．invited |
| A．left | B．cooked | C．brought | D．suggested |
| A．impolite | B．unlikely | C．immoral | D．unfair |
| A．pleasure | B．desire | C．effort | D．faith |
| A．fast | B．last | C．alone | D．again |
| A．examining | B．comparing | C．appreciating | D．expressing |
| A．restrict | B．distinguish | C．defend | D．discourage |
| A．handed in | B．made up | C．asked for | D．came across |
| A．special | B．similar | C．difficult | D．personal |
| A．buying | B．sending | C．feeding | D．showing |
| A．roles | B．duties | C．customs | D．values |
| A．prioritizing | B．balancing | C．recovering | D．tolerating |
| A．reliable | B．practical | C．important | D．intelligent |
| A．maintain | B．sacrifice | C．promote | D．share |
| A．sorry | B．happy | C．concerned | D．grateful |
8 . Growing pains and gains
It’s not easy to grow up. Actually it’s far from easy. Growing up can be a real “pain” for some of us. We are always doing things that someone else makes us do and aren’t allowed to do all the things we like. Sometimes we feel trapped, sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don’t understand why we can’t stay young forever. When we look back on all the hardships in life with a positive attitude (态度), we realize that all of our growing pains actually turn into growing gains!
As a young girl my parents forced my sisters and me to do so many things that I never liked. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music, just because it was what they wanted me to do. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched my life in so many ways. I realize that my parents and teachers were always pushing me along, not because they wanted me to suffer but because they wanted me to succeed in life. They’ve always wanted me to have a better life than they did themselves.
Every moment of our lives we are either living or dying, so live life to its fullest! We are all going to experience growing pains, but they are just small pains in life. They might seem so huge at the time but we must be strong. Think about how we would feel if we had no fear and live life like that. The future is ours! A little hard work and sweat never hurt anyone! If we realize that these pains are just small bumps (凸块) on our road to success we will realize that our growing pains are actually growing gains!
1. What was the girl forced by her parents to do when she was young?| A．Take music lessons. |
| B．Turn gains into pains. |
| C．Take a look back on hardships. |
| D．Live a successful life by suffering a lot. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Thankful. | C．Passive. | D．Unfriendly. |
| A．Directly. | B．Terribly. | C．Carefully. | D．Completely. |
| A．Growing pains are necessary for us to grow up. |
| B．We all have to experience growing pains. |
| C．A little hard work and sweat are harmful to us. |
| D．Life without fear is a better choice for us. |
9 . CULTURE AND CUISINE
The French author Jean Anthelme BrillatSavarin once wrote, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” Put more simply, this means “You are what you eat.” Most people today relate this saying to healthy eating. However, BrillatSavarin was actually referring to our personality, character, and culture.
Certainly, in many ways this seems to be true. Chinese cuisine is a case in point. Prior to coming to China, my only experience with Chinese cooking was in America, with Chinese food that had been changed to suit American tastes. For example, America’s most popular Chinese dish is General Tso’s chicken, which consists of fried chicken covered in a sweet sauce, flavoured with hot red peppers. This is probably not an authentic Chinese recipe, however, so it cannot tell us much about the Chinese. On the other hand, it does tell us a lot about Americans. It tells us, for example, that Americans love bold, simple flavours. And, since the dish was also invented recently, it tells us that Americans are not afraid to try new foods.
Later, I had a chance to experience authentic Chinese food by coming to China. When my family and I had just arrived in China, we went looking for a good place to eat in Beijing. A Sichuan restaurant had been recommended to us by a friend, and finally, we found it. Tired, hungry, and not knowing a word of Chinese, we had no idea how to order, so the chef just began filling our table with the best food we had ever eaten. With this, we had the pleasure of experiencing an entirely new taste: Sichuan peppercorns. The food was wonderful and different, but what was even more important was the friendship offered us．
We soon moved to Shandong Province in the eastern part of North China. My favourite dish there was boiled dumplings served with vinegar. I observed that family is important to the people there. It has become a favourite traditional dish of the people in North China, where making dumplings has always been a family affair with everyone — from the youngest to the oldest — joining in to help. Later, I learnt that the most famous food in Shandong is pancake rolls stuffed with sliced Chinese green onions.
Then we moved to northern Xinjiang. Some of our friends were Kazak and Inner Mongolian. These groups traditionally wandered the open range on horses. As a result, their traditional foods are what you can cook over an open fire — usually boiled or roasted meat, such as lamb kebab．
Our travels then took us to South China, and then on to central China. In each place we went, we experienced wonderful local dishes, from Guangdong’s elegant dim sum — small servings of food in bamboo steamers — to the exceptional stewed noodles in Henan. Everywhere, the food was as varied as the people However, one thing is always true: Through food, Chinese people everywhere show friendship and kindness.
At a minimum, the kinds of food local people consume tell us what they grow in their region, what kinds of lives they lead, and what they like and do not like. Could we also say, for example, that those who like bold flavours are bold themselves? Or, that those who like spicy food tend to have a hot temper? Maybe. Maybe not. What we can say, however, is that culture and cuisine go hand in hand, and if you do not experience one, you can never really know the other.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．What people eat is related to their culture. | B．Chinese foods are delicious. |
| C．Americans are bold to try new foods. | D．What you eat reflects your health state. |
| A．Chinese. | B．French. | C．Japanese. | D．Americans. |
| A．Beijing. | B．Ji’nan. | C．Chengdu. | D．Urumqi. |
| A．an ocean beach | B．a vast grassland | C．a mountainous village | D．Zhujiang Delta |
| A．Cuisine is never seperated from culture. | B．Cuisine is always healthy no matter where it comes. |
| C．Cuisine always determines a man’s character. | D．Cuisine in China is kind of the same. |
10 . As Europe entered the 17th century, when traditional attitudes still held that a woman’s proper role was as a daughter, wife, and mother, more females were attracted to the Scientific Revolution, just like they had been drawn to humanism over the previous centuries.
One of the most wellknown female scientists of the 17th century, Margaret Cavendish came from a noble family in England.Cavendish was an active participant (参与者) in the important scientific debates of her time. Despite her achievements, however, she was not included in the Royal Society. She wrote a number of works on scientific matters. In these works, she attacked what she considered the faults of the conventional approaches to scientific knowledge and was especially doubtful about the growing belief that humans were the masters of nature: “We have no power at all over natural causes and effects...for man is but a small part. His powers are but particular actions of Nature, and he cannot have a supreme and absolute power.”
Another famous female scientist was Maria Winkelmann who lived in Germany and was educated by her father and received advanced training from a local selftaught astronomer (天文学家).When she married Gottfried Kirch, Germany’s foremost astronomer, she became his assistant.She made some original contributions, including an undiscovered comet, as her husband related: “Early in the morning (about 2：00 a．m.) the sky was clear and starry. Some nights before, I had observed a variable star, and my wife (as I slept) wanted to find and see it for herself. In doing so, she found a comet in the sky, at which time she woke me, and I found that it was indeed a comet. I had not seen it the night before.” In 1710, she applied for a position as an assistant astronomer. As a woman, with no university degree, she was denied the post by the Academy of Sciences in Berlin.
Cavendish’s and Winkelmann’s difficulties with the scientific societies of their times reflect the barriers women faced in the field of early modern science.The work of these female scientists is still viewed as being against the domestic duties women are expected to perform.
1. Which of the following would Cavendish probably agree with?| A．Nature was the master of humans. |
| B．Conventional methods always worked. |
| C．Humans’ knowledge had absolute power. |
| D．Science changed natural causes and effects. |
| A．Walking under the starry sky. |
| B．Studying a known comet. |
| C．Working with her husband. |
| D．Watching a star. |
| A．Both received formal education. |
| B．Both came from a family of scientists. |
| C．Both were rejected by scientific societies. |
| D．Both worked for male scientists as an assistant. |
| A．Women’s Study of Humanism in the 17th Century |
| B．Female Scientists’ Difficulties with Early Modern Science |
| C．The Role of Women in the Origins of Modern Education |
| D．The Cooperation Between Male and Female Scientists |
