1 . Standing on the shore of a lake. I can’t help but marvel at the tens or hundreds of thousands of small rocks that surround my boots. They were all created from hard surfaces, their edges softening over time.

And I wonder, can we learn from a pile of rocks?

Even the tallest mountains have worn down; none are as tall as they were 1.000 years ago. And much like a rock, I’ve found my attitude has softened and my desire to better understand others has expanded with each trip around the sun.

Once I too was a sharp rock covered in pointy edges. Today, after decades of the waters of life coursing over me, my edges are softer and more understanding. I’m less likely to judge and more interested in learning how we can exist together.

But I’m not a rock. I’m a human being filled with all the drama built into my DNA.

Two years ago, while traveling in the Pacific Northwest, I watched a restaurant owner ask several people to leave for not wearing masks. Not forceful and not rude. On the door read a sign: “Please wear a mask before entering our restaurant. We don’t like it either, but let’s all do what we can to get through this together.”

The group of young men wished to argue about the note.

I sat watching, understanding both sides. I’ve been those guys before, using my youthful edges to chip away at the world. What I lost, however, was the ability to grow from experiences by looking through the eyes of others. In learning to be more open, I’ve also found more happiness and success.

You can fit more rounded rocks in a jar than those with sharp edges. The former look for ways to adjust and make room for others; the latter never give an inch to accommodate others.

Time, like the waters rolling against once sharp stones, changes us by washing away our resistance to seeing the world from another’s point of view.

I placed a rounded stone into my jacket pocket. Mother Nature is holding class again.

1. What does the author compare the rocks to?

A．People’s abilities.	B．People’s personalities.
C．What nature offers us.	D．Challenges we come across.

2. Why did the group of guys argue in the restaurant?

A．They were dissatisfied with the owner’s attitude to them.

B．They were unwilling to do what the owner wished them to.

C．They intended to skip out on the bill due to the poor service.

D．They were not allowed to leave the restaurant for their rudeness.

3. What does the author want to tell us with this text?

A．We should adjust to new conditions.

B．Be brave when in the face of difficulties in life.

C．It’s necessary to consider the feelings of others.

D．Being open and understanding brings you more happiness.

4. What might be the best title of the text?

A．Changing with Time	B．Learning from Nature
C．Growing from Experiences	D．Seeing from a Different Angle

3 . George Nakashima always insisted that he was a simple woodworker, not an artist. Even though major museums exhibited his works and the director of the American Craft Museum called him a national treasure, Mr Nakashima rejected the label of artist. For almost fifty years he simply went on shaping wood into beautiful chairs, tables, and cabinets.

Nakashima had a clear goal. He intended each piece of furniture he made to be as perfect as possible. Even making a box was an act of creation, because it produced an object that had never existed before. Initially Nakashima used local wood, sometimes from his own property. Later, he traveled to seek out English oak, Persian walnut, African zebra wood and Indian teak. He especially liked to find giant roots that had been dug out of the ground after a tree was taken down. Nakashima felt that making this wood into furniture was a way of allowing the tree to live again.

Most furniture makers prefer perfect boards, but Nakashima took pleasure in using wood with interesting knots (节疤)and cracks. These irregularities gave the wood personality and showed that the tree had lived a happy life.

He never failed to create an object that was both useful and beautiful. One early piece Nakashima designed was a three-legged chair for his small daughter, Mira, to use when she sat at the table for meals. The Mira chair became so popular that Nakashima later made both low and high versions. Another famous piece, the Conoid chair, has two legs supported by bladelike feet. Always, Nakashima's designs were precise and graceful, marked by a simplicity that revealed his love for the wood.

As the years passed, Nakashima's reputation grew and his work received many awards. His children Mira and Kevin, now adults, joined the team of crafts - people in their father's studio. Nakashima's dream of integrating work and family had come true.

1. Which of the following best describes Nakashima?

A．Generous and outgoing.	B．Honest and simple.
C．Capable and friendly.	D．Creative and modest.

2. Why was Nakashima called a national treasure?

A．His art work made trees live again.

B．He used precious wood materials.

C．His chairs were beautifully designed.

D．He was devoted to making furniture.

3. What can we learn about Nakashima from the last two paragraphs?

A．He loved his work and family.

B．He made chairs of the same style.

C．He sought for a simple life and art.

D．He was lost in researching the wood.

4. What can be inferred about Mira and Kevin?

A．They had an art studio of their own.

B．They still lacked the ability to create art works.

C．They had a common interest with their father.

D．They enjoyed the same reputation with their father.

4 . Being compared to great people like Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein is not something that happens to the average person. At the age of just 23, Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski has already achieved much more goals than most of us ever will in our lifetime.

When she was only 14 years old, the Chicago girl made her own single engine airplane—by herself. She then flew it across Lake Michigan, becoming the youngest person to ever fly their own plane.

She graduated from Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) in 2010 and entered Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

At first, she had to wait to be accepted into the school, but once Professors Allen Haggerty and Earll Murman watched her video they had no doubt. Femalista quoted Haggerty as saying: After just three years at MIT she has already achieved the highest possible grade point average of 5.0.

She is now studying further at Harvard University, with full academic freedom. Once again she is only 23 years old.

What's even more impressive is that she is no longer interested in building planes but has turned her attention to physics, namely black holes and how gravity (重力)affects space and time —that is why she is being compared to Einstein and Hawking.

Pasterski records all of her work on her website Physics Girl, but if you are a little shocked by her achievements, she has some words for you.

During an interview with Marie Claire earlier this year she said: Being optimistic about what you believe you can do. When you're little, you say a lot of things about what you'll do or be when you're older—I think it's important not to forget those dreams."

1. Why does the author mention Einstein and Hawking at the beginning?

A．To honour the two scientists.

B．To compare the two scientist.

C．To bring out the key character.

D．To introduce their achievements.

2. What might be the right order of the events about Pasterski?
a. Study at Harvard University.
b. Wait to be accepted by MIT.
c. Achieve grade point average of 5.0.
d. Graduate from IMSA in 2010.
e. Make a single engine airplane by herself.

A．edcba.	B．edbca.
C．decab.	D．deacb.

3. What is even more impressive about Pasterski?

A．She has full academic freedom at Harvard.

B．She records all of her work on her website.

C．She becomes the youngest person to fly a plane.

D．She is interested in some special fields of physics.

4. According to Pasterski， which are the important qualities that people need to succeed?

A．Independence and concentration.	B．Concentration and optimism.
C．Optimism and determination.	D．Friendliness and determination.