1 . At an airport I happened to hear a father and daughter in their last moments together. Standing near the door, he said to his daughter, “I love you, I wish you enough.” She said, “Daddy, your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too.” They kissed good-bye and she left.
He walked toward the window where I was seated. I could see he wanted to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, “Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?”
“Yes,” I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of my Dad. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was experiencing.
“When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough.’ May I ask what that means?” He began to smile. “That’s a wish handed down from my parents.” Looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more.
“When we said ‘I wish you enough’, we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things,” he continued the sharing. “I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.”
He then stood up and walked away.
1. What can we infer about the father’s family?| A．Hardworking. | B．Honest. | C．Supportive. | D．Generous. |
| A．Disturb. | B．Value. | C．Care. | D．Ignore. |
| A．Varied. | B．Rough. | C．Simple. | D．Smooth. |
2 . For many famous people, fame is more than being on the big screen or performing on a stage or scoring a game-winning goal, but about using their likeness to bring awareness to different social justice topics or rare medical conditions or assisting undeveloped communities.
Holly Robinson Peete, a black actress, along with her husband, Rodney Peete, started the HollyRod Foundation in 1997. It was inspired by Robinson Peete’s father, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. After it was confirmed that their son was autistic, they expanded their efforts to assist autism community, hoping to bring awareness and resources to this group and help them find jobs.
The Foundation has partnered with Delivering Jobs, an organization creating pathways to one million employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental differences by 2025.
“Thanks to our partner, Delivering Jobs, my son has a job with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the World Series Champions,” Peete explains. “We are so happy that the job has given this boy purpose, a paycheck and self-worth and friends. He never had friends growing up and now he has a whole family.”
As Robinson Peete and the HollyRod Foundation continue to help those less fortunate, she shares one principle on how companies can support the autism community: Donate to those supporting programs which provide training to help individuals find a role that best suits their abilities. “Don’t think of a hire from the community as charity. In some cases, these workers will turn out to be your best employees.” says Peete.
1. What is true about the HollyRod Foundation?| A．It helped Robinson Peete’s son find a job. |
| B．It has created 1 million jobs for autism community. |
| C．It was founded by Robinson Peete and her husband. |
| D．It supports the autism group through financial donation. |
| A．Action speaks louder than words. | B．God helps those who help themselves. |
| C．To be square and round, rules must be strict. | D．Teaching a man to fish is better than giving him fish. |
| A．The popularity of famous people. | B．An investigation into social justice. |
| C．The achievements of some companies. | D．An actress’s contribution to the less fortunate. |
3 . Happy workers are productive workers. So it should come as no surprise that companies are increasingly investing in training techniques to improve employee happiness. The question is whether these measures are effective.
New research published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology may have an answer. A team of scientists from Erasmus University analyzed the results of 61 happiness training studies published between 1972 and 2019. They found that 96% of the studies showed a gain in happiness after intervention and about half of the positive results were statistically significant.
Overall, the researchers estimate that such trainings increase people’s happiness by about 5%. To put that in context, the researchers note that getting married has also raised happiness by about 5% and becoming unemployed reduces happiness by 8%.
Then which techniques work best? More studies are needed to answer this question, but the researchers note that trainings like cognitive reframing work better. There’s also something to be said for exposing people to various types of trainings within a given course. For instance, the researchers found that happiness courses that trained employees on several techniques instead of just one were more effective. They also found that voluntary participation contributed to training effectiveness. This suggests that organizations would be wise to make such courses available to employees rather than force them to.
In addition, the researchers also highlight the difficulties. Sometimes chasing happiness can also lead to unintended negative emotions. Besides, genetic factor can be difficult for environmental interventions to overcome.
Still, the researchers regard happiness training as advisable both for individuals to look for a more satisfying life and for organizations to have more productive workers.
1. In paragraph 3, the researchers show the significance of happiness training by .| A．giving explanation | B．making a comparison |
| C．introducing a concept | D．referring to another study |
| A．workers are given more reward | B．the courses focus on one technique |
| C．workers are willing to participate in it | D．the courses provide interesting activities |
| A．Favorable. | B．Uncertain. | C．Doubtful. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Are Workers Really Happy? | B．Is Happiness Training Effective? |
| C．Why Does Happiness Training Count? | D．How to Increase Employees’ Happiness? |
4 . People may set an alarm on the phone or clock that sounds like this: beep beep beep. That hard, unpleasant sound may be making it harder to shake off the sleepy feeling in the morning known as grogginess. So, is there a better way to wake up? A recent study says yes. The answer is music .
The study, carried out by researchers in Australia, involved 50 people. The researchers found that people who wake up to musical alarms reported feeling more awake and alert. Stuart McFarlane, a lead writer of the study stated, "We are very surprised by these findings as one might expect a harsh beeping sound to be more successful” at waking up a person.
Sleep inertia is another term for grogginess. It means a person has a heavy feeling when waking up, and has trouble getting moving again after sleeping. McFarlane said people need to better understand sleep inertia's harmful effects on human performance later in the day.
Not everyone will experience the full effect. But for those who do, "care should be taken" when performing duties that require a top performance within this period, he said. This includes "dangerous tasks like driving or riding our bikes" shortly after waking up. The same is true for people who work in dangerous situations shortly after they wake, including firefighters and pilots.
So, what makes musical alarms better for waking up? The researchers think the music may be more successful in reducing sleep inertia because it has several tones, compared to the single tone of a "beeping" alarm. McFarlane said that the changes over time between the music tones may help increase a person's attention when waking from sleep.
And is there a kind of music that is best to wake up to? There may be, McFarlane said. "We could suggest alarm sounds that are tune full and easy to hum or sing along with. The current sounds I have been using include “ 'Close to me' by the Cure and 'Borderline' by Madonna."
No matter how you wake up, experts say, the amount of sleep you get also matters -- a lot.
1. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?| A．What is grogginess? | B．Why are musical alarms better? |
| C．Which music is the best? | D．How can we overcome grogginess? |
| A．examples of good musical alarms |
| B．more findings of the application of music |
| C．explanations about why music is more helpful |
| D．suggestions on how to sleep well and feel fresh each morning |
| A．Health | B．Fiction | C．Technology | D．Entertainment |
5 . The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40th birthday party. The time printed on the invitation was 7:30pm. Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine, food, and song.
By 9:45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were starving. But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11:00, there was still no food, and everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and angry.
Their experience suggests that the words in the printed invitations need to be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently. Most of us would agree that 6:30 -8:30pm means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards; 8:00pm or 8:30pm means possible dinner, but 9:30pm and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, roll up late.
But this is not always the case. If asked to a students' party at 6:30pm, it is normal for guests not to appear before midnight, if at all, and no one cares. Being the first to arrive - looking eager - is social death. When my mother is asked to a party for 6:30, she likes to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven. My age group (late thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we’re young, we're probably closer to student-time than grown-up time.
The accepted custom at present is confusing, sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that precious element (成分) of surprise.
1. The underlined words “off their heads” probably mean_________________.| A．tired | B．crazy | C．curious | D．hopeless |
| A．party-goers usually get hungry at parties |
| B．party invitations can be confusing |
| C．people should ask for food at parties |
| D．birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull |
| A．are likely to arrive late for a party | B．care little about the party time |
| C．haven't really grown up yet | D．like surprises at parties |
6 . Teenagers who travel around the world alone have been making headlines quite often. A young person alone in a dangerous situation attracts attention and sponsors. Young sailors also attract various views. For example, Jessica Watson was asked by the government to cancel her voyage, yet the Prime Minister called her “a hero for young Australians” when she returned. It seemed there is confusion about the competence and independence of young people.
The popular psychologists tell us that teenage brains are likely to make wrong judgments. But such ideas often do not apply to specific individuals. Between the ages of 14 and 18, teenagers vary greatly in their abilities. The amount of independence that each is allowed should be determined not simply by their age but by discussion with the related, responsible adults. Some teens are certainly inexperienced and capable of childish mistakes, but the ones who attempt dangerous journeys normally do so by winning the confidence of hard-headed and well-qualified adult supporters.
But it’s also wrong to think that any 16-year-old can desire to get achievements as unusual as Jessica Watson’s. Watson calls herself “an ordinary girl who had a dream”. Her intention is to encourage teenagers but this idea can have the opposite effect of making them feel not good enough because great achievements are beyond them. Should all teens have such dreams? Actually, individuals face varying circumstances that restrict their dreams.
Teenagers who travel around the world alone should not be judged by preconceived (事先形成的) views about young people. Nor should young “ordinary” teenagers feel pressure to long for extraordinary personal goals. In fact, I believe the example of solo sailing overstresses individualism. The teenage years are when most of us “ordinary” people learn that we can achieve great things in cooperation with others.
1. What can we learn about Jessica Watson?| A．She was criticized by the government. |
| B．She eventually canceled her voyage. |
| C．She has traveled around the world. |
| D．She made a successful voyage. |
| A．They have similar abilities. |
| B．They make decisions on their own. |
| C．They always make wrong judgments. |
| D．They need supports of responsible adults. |
| A．Parents. | B．Teenagers. |
| C．Psychologists. | D．Adults. |
| A．Divided Opinions on Young Adventurers |
| B．Problems Faced by Adventurous Teens |
| C．Various Ways to Become Independent |
| D．Pressure to Achieve Personal Goals |
7 . As the coronavirus (冠状病毒) outbreak continues, many Americans are fearful of using public transportation. They are also looking for ways to get exercise without going to a gym. So, it may not be surprising that the pandemic (疫情) has led to a major increase in bicycle sales.
In the US, bicycles at big stores have sold out. And small bicycle stores cannot keep up with demand for “family-style” bicycles: the low-cost, easy-to-ride models. “The bicycle industry is seeing its biggest sales increase since the oil crisis of the 1970s,” said Jay Townley, an industry expert. He compared the sale of bicycles to the rush to buy products like toilet paper at the start of the pandemic.
The rise in bicycle sales is not happening just in the US. Italy has created bicycle paths for the growing number of people who want to avoid public transportation. In London, city officials plan to ban cars from some central roads. Bike shop owners in Manila say demand is even stronger than what they see at Christmas time.
Of course, you can only buy a bicycle if you can find one. In the US, the shortages now mean it may take many months to get a bicycle. High demand is not the only reason for the shortage. Many bicycle factories were shut down to stop the spread of COVID-19. The increase in bicycle demand began in March as countries began to close down. In April, the sale of bicycles increased 200 percent in the US.
Joe Minutolo is the co-owner of Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop in Maine. He said he hoped the increased sales meant a change in the way people think about transportation. “People are having a chance to rethink things,” he said, “Maybe we’ll all learn something out of this, and something really good will happen.”
1. What causes the increase in bicycle sales?| A．Shortage of public transportation. |
| B．Outbreak of the coronavirus. |
| C．People’s desire to defeat disease. |
| D．People’s fear of natural disasters. |
| A．More bikes are sold than at Christmas time. |
| B．“Family-style” bicycles are in great need. |
| C．Cars are banned from some central roads. |
| D．New bicycle paths have been built. |
| A．It’s impossible to buy a bike. |
| B．Bike factories were closed in April. |
| C．High demand for bikes began in March. |
| D．It takes many months to produce a bike. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Uncertain. | D．Critical. |
8 . When Benjamin Cherkasky was in eighth grade, he quit the swim team. It wasn't because he lacked the passion; he just couldn't accept failures in matches. "I'm not Michael Phelps. Why am I even on the team?" he said. "My perfectionism prompted very high expectations, and that caused real suffering," he said.
Cherkasky is not alone in feeling that perfectionism can cause anxiety. So many millennials (千禧一代）suffer from the problems of being a perfectionist that psychologists are issuing warnings and schools are emphasizing the need to accept failure.
Jessica Pryor, a leading psychologist, said every generation is a sponge (海绵）for the messages it receives. "Millennials, more than any other generation in American society, are receiving clear messages about achieving," she said. "But there's an absence of the message that trying your hardest is still OK."
In college, Cherkasky found himself surrounded by so many intelligent people that he felt he should have been achieving a higher level than he was. "It makes you feel kind of crazy." he said. This type of thinking can lead people to putting in less effort, which as they fall behind, can create more anxiety. "It makes people feel kind of isolated." And that Cherkasky added, "can cause students to distance themselves from their school".
The American Psychological Association also found out that recent generations of college students have reported higher levels of perfectionism than earlier generations.
Researchers noted that social media adds pressure, along with the drive to earn money and achieve career goals. Perfectionists often create even higher goals, which can lead to a higher risk of failure.
1. What does the underlined word "prompted" in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Led to. | B．Met with. | C．Resulted from. | D．went against. |
| A．are unwilling to work hard. |
| B．desire nothing but to succeed. |
| C．should learn to deal with pressure. |
| D．need the message that failure is acceptable when trying their best. |
| A．the problems of college education |
| B．the bad influence of fellow students |
| C．the harmful effects of being a perfectionist |
| D．the pressure most college students experience |
| A．To share some experiences of a college student. |
| B．To show the reasons for becoming a perfectionist. |
| C．To present the findings of a research on college life. |
| D．To raise public concern over a problem of millennials. |
9 . Now that the internet provides us with direct access to all kinds of information, some people say we don't need public libraries. This may be why some public libraries are finding new ways to serve the public.
Finnish designers used the concept of a useful public space to prove the point. Helsinki Central Library Oodi pushes the boundaries of what a library can be. The library opened its doors at the end of last year.
Antti Nousjoki, one of Oodi's architects, said the idea behind its design is to make the place “an indoor town square”. The building was designed without interior support columns, so the inside is mostly a large open space. According to Tash Reith-Banks of the Guardian, this is quite different from the normal idea of libraries-"Dull and silent".
Of course, Oodi still serves as a traditional library, with a catalogue of about 100,000 books. Finnish news outlet Yle Uutiset reports that, since opening, Oodi lends out5,000 books each day. But given the fact that Oodi has attracted almost a million viewers during the past four months, with around 7,500 daily visitors, it's providing more than just books.
While most libraries around the world offer internet access and other services, Finnish libraries often differ themselves in services, including access to e-publications, sports equipment, power tools and even karaoke.
Oodi goes even further. On the middle floor, multi - function rooms are designed to accommodate both noisy and quiet activities. It also offers facilities like a 3D printer and recording studios.
“Oodi has been designed to give citizens and visitors a free space to actively do what they want to do-not just be a consumer,” said Nousjoki.
1. What is special about Oodi?| A．It has more books. | B．It's a place for both books and activities. |
| C．It only provides e-books | D．It allows visitors to stay overnight. |
| A．has a long history | B．makes architects popular |
| C．houses a large collection of e-books | D．is successful in finding new ways to serve people |
| A．A Library Of More Than Books | B．A Public Place For All Visitors |
| C．A New Way Of Reading Books | D．A Unique Experience of Visitors |
10 . John Rosher can treat a jellyfish sting and ice skate backwards.He is good at playing chess and can confidently talk about nuclear science.The 17-year-old from Kansas,US has gained knowledge about many subjects,all because of the Boy Scouts(童子军）.
The Boy Scouts is a kind of club that teenagers can join to learn skills. Every time members master a new skill, they earn a merit badge(勋章）. Rosher has earned all 137 available badges.In the 105-year history of the Boy Scouts of America,fewer than 300 scouts have achieved that.
When Rosher joined the Boy Scouts at 10,his only goal was to earn more merit badges than his dad,who had earned 54 during his time in the Scouts.After beating his dad's record,Rosher realized he wanted to keep going.He enjoyed the challenge.
The badges are earned for subjects from safety to career skills.Rosher earned some of the badges during his family vacations.He went water rafting in Colorado.He practiced fishing in the Amazon jungle with alligators(鳄鱼）all around him.Not all the badges needed a vacation.For example,for his model design badge,he spent hours building a 3-D model of a spaceship at home.
Earning so many badges wasn't easy,especially since he's also dealing with band, soccer,and volunteer work.But Rosher is thankful for all his experiences."They have shaped me and taught me to be more adventurous,"he said."Everything I learned in Boy Scouts will stay with me forever."
1. What do we know about Rosher?| A．He has earned 54 badges so far. |
| B．He has achieved a lot in nuclear science. |
| C．He has been a Scout member for 10 years. |
| D．He has learned many skills after joining the Boy Scouts. |
| A．enjoys collecting badges. |
| B．likes meeting more challenges. |
| C．wants to prove himself to his friends. |
| D．hopes to win more badges than his father. |
| A．Common. | B．Painful. | C．Rewarding. | D．Boring. |
