1 . Last fall, I went to New York for sightseeing. I visited many tourist attractions there, and I also saw many unfortunate citizens on the street, like beggars and homeless folks.
Standing outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I heard a voice ask, “Can you do me a favor?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended out. Naturally, I reached into my pocket for some change immediately and placed it in her hand without even looking at her. I was really annoyed at being bothered by a beggar. What I only thought at that moment was to send her away.
But the blind woman said with a warm smile on her face, "I don't want your money. I just need you to show me the way to the subway entrance."
In an instant, I realized what I had done just now. Her unexpected words took me by surprise and shame. I had acted with prejudice ——I'd judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be. I felt ashamed of myself and couldn't face the old woman anymore. And I felt small beside her.
The incident reminded me that I believed in being humble, even though I had lost that belief for a moment. The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in the U. S. at the age of 15. Through the years, I have experienced many acts of prejudice. I remember a time at the age of 17 when I was a busboy, I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me. But now, living my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to go. It is the blind woman who cured me of my blindness.
1. What did the author think the blind woman wanted at first sight?| A．To ask for directions. | B．To offer him some help. |
| C．To demand some donations. | D．To borrow money from him. |
| A．He had a prejudice on the woman. | B．He couldn't face the woman. |
| C．He was judged by his appearance. | D．He was an immigrant himself. |
| A．To indicate he led a miserable life. | B．To tell he didn't work hard at school. |
| C．To prove he used to be a humble man. | D．To show he used to be unfairly judged. |
| A．Be Considerate - Always Minding Your Words |
| B．Be Humble - Always Dropping Your Prejudice |
| C．Be Generous - Always Helping Those in Need |
| D．Be Aggressive - Always Having a Big Dream |
2 . The Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle is a park on the central California coast and a National Historic Landmark.It was designed by Julia Morgan for William Randolph Hearst from 1919 until 1947.Despite its location far from any urban center, the site attracts roughly one million visitors per year.
Guided ToursTour 1 is recommended for first time visitors.It now includes the movie, Hearst Castle Building the Dream.
Tour 2 gives visitors a closer look at the main house's upper floors, Mr Hearst' s private suite, the libraries,and the kitchen.
Tour 3 looks at the Castle's North Wing,guest rooms and guest house Casa Del Monte.
Tour 4 includes the impressive gardens and grounds, the largest guest house,the wine basement,and the Hidden Terrace.
The evening tour is a special tour that allows visitors to experience the Castle at night as one of the Hearst 's own visitors might have.
Ticket PricesHearst Castle accepts VISA,Master Card,American Express and Discover.Free day use parking is available for automobiles,motorcycles,tour buses and recreational(休闲的）vehicles.
Reservation(预订）Information
While tickets may be purchased at the Visitor Center upon arrival, tour reservations can be made online now or by calling 1-800-444-4445,see below for time.
Reservation Call Center HoursDates Monday-Friday Saturday-Sunday
March-September 8 am-6 pm 8 am-6 pm
October-February 9 am-5 pm 9 am-3 pm
Visit www.hearstcastle.org for more information.
1. If you are quite interested in wine,which tour will you choose?| A．Tour 1. |
| B．Tour 2. |
| C．Tour 3. |
| D．Tour 4. |
| A．36. |
| B．48. |
| C．60. |
| D．75. |
| A．At 8 am on Monday in February. |
| B．At 6 pm on Saturday in October. |
| C．At 7 pm on Friday in September. |
| D．At 9 am on Sunday in March. |
3 . Bees are essential for the pollination of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Sadly, over the past 15 years, the global population of the hardworking insects has been dropping worldwide at alarming rates due to loss of food and habitat. Now, Dutch cities are coming up with creative ideas to help stem the population decrease of these all-important insects.
In Amsterdam, bees can live for free in specially built “hotels” — tall wooden structures — across the city. While they may not look like much to the untrained eye, they provide perfect homes for members of the over 200 known species of solitary bees. As the name indicates, the insects spend their lives alone. The smart insects nest inside holes like the ones provided by the insect hotels, marking their occupancy by covering the entrance with a mud “door”. Though unable to produce honey, solitary bees are excellent pollinators and perform an essential role in many ecosystems.
Additionally, city officials are also educating people on the use of harmful chemicals and are providing prize money to encourage developers to build green roofs and populate them with local plants. In 2015, they set a goal to change some plants in public green spaces to native plants. Geert, one of eight ecologists working for the city, says, “Our idea is when we design a park, we use native species but also the species that give a lot of flowering and fruit for bees.” Many people, with help from the government, are replacing the sidewalks outside their homes with small gardens featuring flowers.
In Utrecht, bus stop roofs are gradually being turned into beautiful, living gardens designed to attract varieties of bee species. The green roofs, which naturally collect both rainwater and dust, are also beneficial for the environment.
These cities’ collective efforts seem to be working. A recent study found that the variety of bee species there has increased by an astonishing 45 percent since 2000.
1. What does the underlined word “stem” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Review . | B．Stop. | C．Monitor. | D．Improve. |
| A．They’re not social insects. |
| B．They make high-quality honey. |
| C．They like to nest together in woods. |
| D．They’re scared of other species of bees. |
| A．Collect rainwater for future use. |
| B．Plant flowers for enjoyment. |
| C．Draw bees to them. |
| D．Clear dust away. |
| A．Protecting the environment. |
| B．Importance of bees in ecosystems. |
| C．Design ideas of insect hotels and bee stops. |
| D．Dutch cities’ attempts to restore bee population. |
4 . A Student Profile
Name: Kristin Lacey
Hometown: Merced, California, USA
School & College: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS) at MIT
Major(专业): English literature
Class year: 2021
Favorite book: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Favorite class: British Literature with Professor Anna Henchman
Favorite place to study on campus : Athan’s in Washington Square or Cafenation in Brighton Center
Favorite restaurant in Boston: Sweet Cheeks
Extra-curricular activities: President of the Graduate Student Association; leading the Graduate Student Fiction (小说) Group; Volunteering at Gifford Homeless Cat Center in Brighton
Study experience: I studied for four years and earned my undergraduate degree in English in 2015 at California State University, Fresno. I was the first in my family to attend graduate school and college.
When I graduate, I hope to teach literature at a local college and help the other first-generation college students to get higher education. It’s important to give a helping hand to those who need it.
Advice to other first-generation college students:
I know that being first-generation graduate means always pushing against your background and stepping out of your comfort zone. And it is important to take as many lectures as possible and be open-minded to good advice from your teachers, while know the line between helpful and bad recommendations. Be outgoing with your friends and build your support network by asking for help when you need it and giving help in return.
1. When did Kristin Lacey graduate from senior high school?| A．In 2011. | B．In 2015. | C．In 2019. | D．In 2020. |
| A．The Gifford Homeless Cat Center. | B．The British Literature Club. |
| C．The Graduate Student Association. | D．The Graduate Student Fiction Group. |
| A．Teach literature at a local college. |
| B．Work at a homeless animal center. |
| C．Build a support network for those in need. |
| D．Study British literature at a graduate school. |
5 . 18-year-old Kayla Perkins explains what is in her bedroom, “I throw something on the floor and I know right where it is.” However, her parents, Steve and Deborah Perkins, of McKinney,Texas, haven’t caught on. Even Kayla admits that, at the worst, her room is a mess.
Most families at some point have at least one child whose room looks like a landfill (垃圾堆) .The mess can disturb the whole household. Dirty clothes pile up; dirty dishes get lost in the mess and smell bad; homework is lost; and valuable things are ruined.
Some parents let it go, believing that a bedroom is private space for children to manage as they wish. Others lecture their children, offer rewards for cleaning, or punish them when they don’t. What doesn’t work, parenting experts say, is constant lectures, verbal (口头的，言语的) threats or getting very angry. Mrs. Perking says they picked up all the clothes on Kayla’s floor and hid them. They cleaned everything up. When Kayla came back to a bare bedroom, there was screaming and shouting, “How can I live without my clothes?” Mrs. Perkins asked Kayla to earn her clothes back by doing housework. These days, she keeps her room clean.
Humour can help, too. For example, since Jessica, the 14-year-old daughter wasn’t bothered by the dirty clothes all over her floor, the whole family started using her room as a place to store dirty clothes. Her attitude changed after her family did that. By the time she gave in and cleaned up her room a few days later, even she was laughing.
Parenting expert, Jim Fay, also recommends that parents first ask children in a nice way to clean up and agree on a reasonable time limit. Children often behave better if you treat them in the way you would want to be treated by your boss at work - with respect and high expectation.
1. What is the best title of the passage?| A．How to Make Children Clean up Their Bedrooms |
| B．Ways to Correct Children’s Bad Habits. |
| C．Encourage Children to Share More Housework. |
| D．Tips on Cleaning up the Room. |
| A．let children have their own private space. |
| B．lecture their children and give verbal threats. |
| C．set an example and offer rewards for cleaning. |
| D．ask them in a nice way and set a reasonable time limit. |
| A．Playing hide-and-seek can help children change their attitude. |
| B．Parents differ over their children’s bedroom cleaning. |
| C．Children often behave better if parents treat them like bosses. |
| D．Most children feel uncomfortable when their rooms are too clean. |
6 . My guide Farah, a tall, slim woman in her late 30s, wears jeans and a simple manteau. In public, wearing this robe(长袍）,covering neck to knee is a must for women in Iran. Her long, straight black hair is hidden beneath her headscarf.
We're heading to Tajrish Bazaar in north Tehran, to explore ten different kinds of dried plums and other goodies. We choose the Metro- Farah for its convenience, and I, for a chance to go underground in the capital of Iran, because it provides a picture of the city most tourists never see.
Women and men sit separately on the train, but the rule is relaxed during busy times, like now. We, along with a few other women, clasp(握紧）our hands around a pole, standing next to men, young and old. Two stops later, and about 20 commuters（通勤者）fewer, segregation happens naturally-women at one and,men at the other, still within view,but separate.
A handful of fashionable girls admire their own reflections in the window. They wear tight leggings under their brightly colored robes, pushing back headscarves and boundaries. We find seats next to a group of conservative women dressed in black cloaks（斗篷）called chador. They are nothing like the other women I have met, most of them liberal.
＂We're a nation with one language," Farah says, “divided in two-traditional and modern."She tells me that it' all began, not with imports from the West, but with the 1979 revolution. A combination of education and a bad economy created a society where women now have independence, careers, and husbands feel obliged to help with household chores.
1. Why did the author choose to take the Metro?| A．Because it was accessible and convenient. |
| B．Because she would see a more realistic city. |
| C．Because she could sit separately on the train. |
| D．Because she would travel markets for goodies. |
| A．In rush hours. | B．At dawn. | C．At midday. | D．At midnight. |
| A．Conflict. | B．Isolation. | C．Combination. | D．Discrimination. |
| A．Iranian girls can dress as freely as they like. |
| B．Iran has strict rules for seating arrangements. |
| C．Iranian men never offer help with housework. |
| D．Wearing a robe is a daily routine of Iranian women. |
7 . Homebuyers nationwide are watching housing prices go up, up, and up. "How high can they go?" is the question on everyone's lips.
It's crazy, "said Tim, who is looking for a house near the beach. "In 1993, I bought a two-bedroom house in Venice for $70，000. My friends thought then that I was overpaying. Five years later, I had to move. I sold it for $230，000, which was a nice profit. Last year, the exact same house was for sale for S510,000!
It is a seller’s market. Homebuyers feel like they have to offer at least 10% more than the asking price. Donna, a new owner of a one-bedroom house in Venice Beach, said, "That's what I did. I told the owner that whatever anyone offers you, I'll give you $20,000 more, under the table, so you don' t have to pay your realtor(房地产经纪人) any of it. I was tired of looking.”
Tim said, "Whether you decide to buy or decide not to buy, you still feel like you made the wrong decision. If you buy, you feel like you overpaid. If you don't buy, you want to kick yourself for passing up a great opportunity.”
Everyone says the bubble has to burst sometime, but everyone hopes it will burst the day after they sell their house. Even government officials have no idea what the future will bring. "All we can say is that, inevitably, these things go in cycles," said the state director of housing. "What goes up must come down But, as we all know, housing prices always stay up a little higher than they go down. So you can’t lose over the long run. Twenty years down the road, your house is always worth more than you paid for it.”
1. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that .| A．it's not easy for people to buy a suitable house |
| B．the housing price in Venice Beach has gone down |
| C．the realtor can make $20,000 for each new house |
| D．Donna enjoyed looking for houses all the time |
| A．surely | B．luckily | C．strangely | D．terribly |
| A．Foolish Homebuyers | B．An Unfair Market |
| C．A Wrong Decision | D．Crazy Housing Prices |
8 . Welcome to the Friendship Hotel. To make your stay as enjoyable as possible, we hope you will use our facilities (设施) to the full.
Room Service
This operates 24 hours a day. Phone the Reception Desk, and your message will be passed on to the room staff.
Telephone: 48759
Dining Room
Breakfast is served in the dining room from 8 to 9:30 a. m. Alternatively, the room staff will bring a breakfast tray to your room at any time after 7 a.m., if you place an order for it by telephone. In this case, please fill out a card and hang it outside your door when you go to bed.
Lunch: 12:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Telephone: 48752
Telephone
To make a telephone call, dial 0 for Reception and Laundry (洗衣店), and ask to be connected. We apologize for delays in putting calls through when the staff are very busy. There are also public telephone booths (电话亭) near the Reception Desk. Early calls should be booked with Reception.
Shop
The hotel shop is open for souvenirs (纪念品), gifts and toiletries (化妆品) from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Telephone: 48687
Laundry
We have a laundry on the premises (附属) and will wash, iron and return your clothes within 24 hours. Ask the room staff to phone the laundrymen to collect them.
Telephone: 48867
Bar
The hotel bar is open from 12 to 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. The Reception staff will cash cheques and exchange money in many foreign currencies (货币).
1. What should you do if you want a snack (快餐) at 9 a.m?| A．Go to the hotel shop. | B．Go to the hotel bar. |
| C．Tell the waiter. | D．Phone Reception |
| A．48752 | B．48867 |
| C．48687 | D．48759 |
| A．give us information about the services of the hotel |
| B．persuade us to stay in the hotel |
| C．tell us the ways of serving |
| D．promise us good service |
9 . Magic (魔术) is believed to have begun with the Egyptians, in 1700 BC. A magician named Dedi of Dedsnefu was reported to have performed for the pharaoh (法老), or the king. He was also known to have entertained (使娱乐) the slaves who built the pyramids. The “Cups and Balls” trick that he was particularly good at is still performed by magicians all over the world today.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also fascinated by the idea of magic. Actually, one of their main interests was the art of deception (欺骗). This explains why at that time the priests even built magic devices into their temples. These devices made it possible for doors to open by themselves and wine to flow magically out of statues’ mouths. This was done mainly to make people believe that the priests had unusual power.
Magic however, was not well accepted before the 1800s. Magicians were thought to be freaks(怪物) and, were only allowed to perform in a circus. It was in the 19th century that the magician Robert Houdin came along and changed people’s views and attitudes about magic. It was because of Robert Houdin that many magicians were able to add Dr. or MD to their names. Today magicians try hard to find new ways to show their practiced skills. Magic is now entertainment for families all over the world.
1. What is the best title for the passage?| A．Magical Tricks | B．A Great Magician |
| C．Magic as Entertainment | D．The History of Magic |
| A．amused | B．encouraged | C．attracted | D．moved |
| A．They performed magical tricks to entertain people. |
| B．They made the statues in the temples drink wine as they wished. |
| C．They treated the people with wine flowing down from statues’ mouths. |
| D．They built magic devices in the temples to make doors open by themselves. |
| A．Magic should be used only in temples. |
| B．Magic could only be performed in a circus. |
| C．Magic was performed by freaks and doctors. |
| D．Magic was the major daily activity for the pharaohs. |
| A．Magic began about 3,700 years ago. |
| B．Dedi of Dedsnefu performed magic for kings only. |
| C．Robert Houdin was the first magician to perform magic. |
| D．The “Cups and Balls” trick has been performed for about 1,700 years. |
10 . The Top 4 Beaches on the East Coast
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Great point, at the easternmost end of the island of Nantucket, is one of the most secret beaches in the world. That's because you need a four﹣wheel drive vehicle and a beach permit to get there. Once you do, you'll find miles of beachfront and a historic lighthouse.
Block Island, Rhode Island
Accessible by ferry, Block Island oozes New England charm. It's worth the effort to get to Mohegan Bluffs, where you can experience a set of 141 wooden steps leading down to the sand. With clay cliffs and a view that reaches Montauk at the eastern tip of Long Island, this beach is especially unique.
East Hampton, New York
Named the best beach in the county in 2013, Main Beach in East Hampton is known for its wide stretch of sand plus a snack bar, bathrooms, and lockers. On﹣site parking is only available to village residents but there are free beach shuttles available.
Jekyll Island, Georgia
Located off the coast of Georgia, this 5, 700﹣acre barrier island is famous for its nesting sea turtles and hermit crabs. Glory Beach got its name because producers of the 1989 movie Glory, featuring Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, and Denzel Washington, built a long boardwalk to the beach that remains in place.
1. Which has one of the most private beaches in the world?| A．Jekyll Island, Georgia. |
| B．Block Island, Rhode Island. |
| C．Nantucket, Massachusetts. |
| D．East Hampton, New York. |
| A．Climbing the clay cliffs. |
| B．Experiencing the warm sand. |
| C．Admiring the scenery of Montauk. |
| D．Walking along a set of 141 wooden steps. |
| A．Jekyll Island is famous for its nesting sea fishes and hermit crabs. |
| B．Jekyll Island is located on the east coast of the United States. |
| C．There is a wide boardwalk to Glory Beach on Jekyll Island. |
| D．Glory Beach is named after the producers of the movie Glory. |
