1 . The other day I was shopping at a local store and came upon a lady from India squatting（蹲）on the floor looking for a certain product on the bottom shelf. She sprang up when she saw me as if to get out of my way. Apologetically she explained that she was a cashier at a nearby store and was on her lunch break trying to geta few needed items before her time was up.
I reassured her, “I am in no hurry. Go ahead and do what you need to do.” While she searched for a particular brand, she said that sometimes customers were rude to her at the store and she really appreciated my kindness. I told her that I had noticed cashiers being treated rudely by some people.
I also explained to her that I was a retired nurse and understood some of what she was saying first hand. Sometimes patients, families, or doctors could be very rude or mean. But I tried to understand why they were feeling that way and let it go. “The world would be a better place if we all acted kindly toward each other. Those who are rude may have bad karma coming after them eventually.” I added.
She nodded and was surprised, “So you know about karma?” My reply was simple. “A little bit. Karma is the same thing as doing something bad and it comes back to bite you on the butt.” She paused, looked puzzled, then broke out in a big smile and covered her mouth with her hand, laughing as she walked away.
It felt so good that in a brief exchange I showed her there were kind people in the world, which might have helped her regain her faith in humanity.
1. How did the lady react when she saw the author in the store?| A．She stood up trying to make way for her. |
| B．She invited her to have lunch together. |
| C．She apologized for her rude manners. |
| D．She kept searching for the needed product. |
| A．Responsible and humorous. |
| B．Courageous and warm-hearted. |
| C．Kind and understanding. |
| D．Sympathetic and open-minded. |
| A．Working as a cashier is no easy job. |
| B．Those who are rude deserve bad karma. |
| C．Doing acts of kindness will make people feel good. |
| D．We should treat others the way we want to be treated. |
2 . He lived his whole life as a poor man.His art and talent were recognized by almost no one.He suffered from a mental illness that led him to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later.But after his death, he achieved world fame.Today, Dutch artist Van Gogh is recognized as one of the leading artists of all time.
Now,150 years after his birth on March 30,1853, Zundert, the town of his birth，has made 2003 “The Van Gogh Year” in his honor.And the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam，home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary with exhibitions throughout the year.The museum draws around 1．3 million visitors every year.Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life.Others are interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art.
Van Gogh was the son of a pastor.He left school when he was just 15．By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs including an art gallery salesman and a French teacher.Finally in 1880, he decided to begin his studies in art.
Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene.His style is marked by short, broad brush strokes (绘画笔法).“Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use color more freely, in order to express myself more forcibly，” he wrote in a letter to his brother in 1888．
Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life.He relied heavily on support from his brother, an art dealer who lived in Paris.But now his works are sold for millions of dollars.His portrait of Dr.Gacher sold for $89．5 million in 1990．It is the highest price ever paid for a painting.“I think his paintings are powerful and the brilliant color in them are attractive to people，” said a Van Gogh’s fan.
1. All through his life Van Gogh ________.| A．depended on his brother |
| B．worked hard on art studies |
| C．was not recognized by people |
| D．expressed himself in paintings |
| A．the likeness between his paintings and the reality |
| B．the short time for him to complete a painting |
| C．the various styles mixed together |
| D．the special strokes he made |
| A．his powerful art came from his poor life |
| B．his fellow townsmen regret treating him unfairly |
| C．all his paintings were drawn in the last 10 years of his life |
| D．most of his paintings are kept in the museum of his hometown |
3 . A big eating show, or mukbang in Korean, is an online audiovisual show in which a vlogger consumes large quantities of food while interacting with the audience. These shows originated in South Korea and have become a worldwide trend.
This eating performance has rapidly spread its influence to some Asign countries such as Japan and China where it became popular. In China, mukbang is' called “chibo”, in which mukbangers make their content into short videos and vlogs and upload them onto huge social media platforms like Weibo.
Many hosts of such shows become popular for their ability to eat large amounts of food, But these shows have also received criticism for their waste of food. On Aug 12，CCTV exposed several Chinese hosts who were pretending to eat large amounts of food while on camera, but actually later threw it away.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about a third of the world's food 1.3 billion tons is wasted every year, In China alone, as it was once reported that the amount of food wasted in China was enough to feed 200 million people a year.
In June 2020，the United Nations warned that the world is on the road of the worst food crisis in 50 years.
To discourage this practice, many video and live- streaming platforms, including Douyin, Kuaishou and Bilibili, have removed videos that show food waste.
People in China have realized the need for safeguarding food security and halting food waste. In Shanxi province，local restaurants have been asked to serve half portions to avoid waste. The Wuhan Catering Association proposed that restaurants adopt the“N-1 mode”. For example, a group of 10 diners should only order enough for nine people at first. More food is only brought to the table if required.
In addition, a nationwide “Clear Your Plate” campaign has been launched online. Users of Sina Weibo are encouraged to share photos or videos of empty plates after finishing their meals.
1. Why do many hosts of mukbang become popular?| A．It has been a worldwide trend. | B．They are expert at attracting audience. |
| C．They are able to eat large amounts of food. | D．They can pretend to eat a lot in a vivid way. |
| A．The food waste has been shocking. |
| B．China is to blame for wasting food. |
| C．Food waste in the world is increasing annually. |
| D．The United Nations is preparing for the future food crisis. |
| A．defending | B．quitting | C．encouraging | D．criticizing |
| A．The“N-1 mode" is created to reduce cost on food. |
| B．Videos, about food should be, strictly banned online. |
| C．Chinese people are taking pains to fight against food wasting. |
| D．Only users of Sina Weibo participate in “Clear Your Plate"” campaign. |
4 . Pacific Asia Travel Association is warning people travelling to East Asia and the West and Central Pacific region about the ongoing threat of typhoons coming from the Pacific. The region covered by this warning includes countries in East Asia and the West and Central Pacific. Typhoons in these areas of Pacific may occur all the year round. However, historically, the most active months are June through November. Travellers in the region should pay attention to local weather reports and take appropriate action as needed.
People traveling abroad in these areas during the typhoon season may be forced to delay their travel or return home because of damages to airports and limited flight availability. In the event of a typhoon, you should be aware that you may not be able to leave an affected area within 24 to 48 hours or more. We recommend that you buy travel insurance to cover unexpected expenses during an emergency.
You may meet with uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous conditions after storms pass while you wait for transportation back home. In many places, typhoons are often accompanied by damaging high tides and flooding. If you are living close to the ocean, you may be at higher risk. Landslides and mudslides are also serious concerns during heavy periods of rain. Be sure to check with local authorities for safety and security updates. Because weather conditions can damage local facilities, security personnel and other emergency responders may not be able to assist you at all times.
Minor storms in these areas can develop into typhoons very quickly, limiting the time available for you to move safely. Please tell your family and friends where you are and keep in close contact with your operator, hotel staff, and local officials for evacuation (疏散) instructions in the event of a weather emergency. Protect your travel and identity documents against loss or damage as the need to replace lost documentation could delay your return home.
1. What may happen to travelers in a typhoon?| A．They may be forced to leave home. |
| B．They may be offered free travel insurance. |
| C．They may fail to get the latest weather reports. |
| D．They may stay in the affected area for over 48 hours. |
| A．Why travelers should keep in touch with others. |
| B．What travelers should do when a typhoon comes. |
| C．How travelers can move from the affected area safely. |
| D．When travelers need the travel and identity documents. |
| A．An official notice. | B．An introduction to an association. |
| C．A feature story. | D．A document from a travel agency. |
5 . Reducing plastic waste isn't easy because the cheap material is found in almost every household item. Now a delicious and nutritious solution has come up to help reduce our dependence on this environmental hazard（危害）.
David Christian, the co-founder of Evoware, says the idea of creating the biodegradable （生物降解的）products came from concern at the country's high pollution rate. Indonesia is home to four of the world's worst polluted river. Since single-use packaging is a large contributor to the problem, Evoware decided to deal with that first.
After investigating various materials, the company settled on seaweed. Unlike corn, commonly used for biodegradable containers, seaweed does not require resources like water or large amounts of space. Since Indonesian farmers already harvest more seaweed than they can sell, it's easy for the company to find the material.
Though they will not reveal their production process, Evoware says the seaweed packaging contains no chemicals and is safe to consume. The company has also invented single-use cups, which can break down 30 days after they're thrown away.
While replacing plastic with the seaweed products may seem appealing to most of us, it is a hard-sell in Indonesia. According to Christian, The awareness to reduce single-use plastic is still very low. This makes our bioplastic unnecessary.” Also a factor is the cost, which is higher than using plastic. Hopefully, Evoware will succeed in convincing Indonesians and people worldwide that switching to their products will be helpful to protecting our beautiful planet.
1. What problem did Evoware decide to deal with first？| A．Ways to clean the four worst polluted rivers. |
| B．How to deal with single-use packaging. |
| C．Means to contribute to the country’s economy. |
| D．What nutritious materials for people to use. |
| A．It could be found everywhere in his country. |
| B．It was most commonly used for packaging. |
| C．It didn't require much space and was easy to get. |
| D．It grew thickly in most of the polluted rivers. |
| A．Sometimes it's hard to get people to reduce the use of plastics. |
| B．Their seaweed products have won government support. |
| C．Their new products have received worldwide popularity. |
| D．The cost of making seaweed products will be lowered soon. |
Be careful what you say around your dog．It might understand more than you think．
A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany．The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child．Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee．
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects．Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back．In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right．As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words．
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew．The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before．
The correct object was chosen in seven out of ten tests, suggesting that the dog had worked
out the answer by process of elimination（排除法）．A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive．
Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog．For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed （品种）known for its mental abilities．In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months．
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say．Even if they do, they can't talk back．Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then．You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
1. From paragraph 2 we know that __________．
| A．animals are as clever as human beings |
| B．chimpanzees have very good word-learning skills |
| C．dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees |
| D．dogs have similar learning abilities as 3-year-old children |
| A．Rico is smart enough to get all commands right |
| B．Rico can recognize different things including toys |
| C．Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics |
| D．Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them |
| A．Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training． |
| B．The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's mental abilities． |
| C．The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects． |
| D．Rico is born to understand its owner's commands． |
| A．To train your dog． | B．To talk to your dog． |
| C．To be careful with your dog． | D．To be friendly to your dog． |
7 . Rain beat against the window, matching my mood. I should have known that my new job at the hospital was too good to be true. Throughout the day, rumors warned that the newest employee from each department would be laid off. I was the newest one in the training department.
My boss appeared. "You probably know we're cutting back," he said, "Administration wants us to offer outplacement classes to help those employees find other jobs, showing them how to act in an interview, for example." "Fine," I answered unwillingly, not knowing what else to say.
I decided to go home early that day. In the hall, I met the lady who brought us cookies every Friday. She was a little woman with gray hair. Only her head and the top of her green apron were visible over the car（小车）loaded with cleaning supplies. At least she had a job!
At the final meeting, laid-off workers formed a line at the door. A colleague whispered " I can't believe our Cookie Lady is being laid off. We'll miss her as much as we'll miss her cookies." When the colleague spoke to her in Spanish, I knew my classes would be useless for her and I realized how much better off I was than this poor woman.
I decided to do something for her. I wrote to a newspaper expressing how I felt about the unselfishness of the Cookie Lady who needed a job. A few days later, my article appeared in the newspaper and the Cookie Lady was allowed to stay in her position. On the same day, I received a letter, which seemed so unlikely that I read it twice. "An editor of a local magazine likes your piece and wants you to call her next time you're looking for work…"
1. What was the author asked to do？| A．Help the laid-off workers. | B．Resign from the hospital. |
| C．Leave earlier that day. | D．Take care of patients. |
| A．He offered her a high-paid job. |
| B．He gave her advice on job hunting. |
| C．He taught her how to pass an interview. |
| D．He made her story known to others. |
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| B．Good deeds have their rewards. |
| C．Little people can make a big difference. |
| D．Love brings more joy to people than work does. |
8 . Have you heard a story about Oliver Wendell Holmes and got what he meant? He once attended a meeting in which he was the shortest man present. "Doctor Holmes," joked a friend. "I should think you would feel rather small among us big fellows." "I do," smiled Holmes. "I feel like a dime（一角硬币）among a lot of pennies."
I ever believed only such a person like Holmes could think that way. But I was proven wrong.
Yesterday I watched a huge flight of geese winging their way south through one of those beautiful sunsets that colored the entire sky for a few moments. I saw them as I rested against the lion statue in front of the Chicago Art Institute, where I was watching the Christmas shoppers hurry along Michigan Avenue.
When I looked sideways, I noticed that a bag lady, standing a few feet away, had also been watching the geese with great attention. Sensing someone was looking at her, she cast a sideways look. Our eyes met and we smiled silently acknowledging the fact that we had shared an amazing sight, a symbol of the secret of the struggle to survive. I overheard the lady talking to herself as she walked away. Her words, "Life treats me kindly", nearly made my jaw drop.
Was the lady, this homeless street beggar, being kidding or even mindless? No. I believed the sight of the geese had reminded her of, however briefly, the difficult and unpleasant reality of her own struggle. I realized later that moments such as this one provided her with great comfort and encouragement; it was the way she survived the hardness of the street. Her smile was real.
The sight of the geese was her Christmas present. It was proof that hard work mattered. It was all she needed. I envy her.
1. From the story in paragraph 1, we can know that Holmes was .| A．patient | B．rude | C．wise | D．awkward |
| A．The bag lady's remarks on her life. |
| B．The secret of the survival of the geese. |
| C．People's enthusiasm for Christmas gifts. |
| D．The beautiful sunset and the colorful sky. |
| A．Her unusual experiences as a street beggar. |
| B．Her great pride in what she worked hard at. |
| C．Her friendly ways of getting on with strangers. |
| D．Her positive attitude towards her own struggle. |
9 . I am an active playgoer and play-reader, and perhaps my best reason for editing this book is a hope of sharing my enthusiasm for the theater with others. To do this I have searched through dozens of plays to find the ones that I think best show the power and purpose of the short play.
Each play has a theme or central idea which the playwright(剧作家) hopes to get across through dialogue and action. A few characters are used to create a single impression growing out of the theme. It is not my intention to point out the central theme of each of the plays in this collection, for that would, indeed, ruin the pleasure of reading, discussing, and thinking about the plays and the effectiveness of the playwright. However, a variety of types is represented here. These include comedy, satire, poignant drama, historical and regional drama. To show the versatility(多面性) of the short play, I have included a guidance play, a radio play and a television play.
Among the writers of the plays in this collection, Paul Green, Susan Glaspell, Maxwell Anderson, Thornton Wilder, William Saroyan, and Tennessee Williams have all received Pulitzer Prizes for their contributions to the theater. More information about the playwrights will be found at the end of this book.
To get the most out of reading these plays, try to picture the play on stage, with you, the reader, in the audience. The houselights dim(变暗). The curtains are about to open, and in a few minutes the action and dialogue will tell you the story.
1. What do we know about the author from the first paragraph?| A．He has written dozens of plays. | B．He has a deep love for the theater. |
| C．He is a professional stage actor. | D．He likes reading short plays to others. |
| A．Stating the plays’ central ideas. | B．Selecting works by famous playwrights. |
| C．Including various types of plays. | D．Offering information on the playwrights. |
| A．Control their feelings. | B．Apply their acting skills. |
| C．Use their imagination. | D．Keep their audience in mind. |
| A．A short story. | B．An introduction to a book. |
| C．A play review. | D．An advertisement for a theater. |
10 . Rising numbers of older adults are unable to care for themselves, often leading to serious health problems and even death, according to state and local government agencies. So-called self-neglect cases generally involve the inability to perform basic self-care, such as providing oneself with food, personal health, medication and safety.
Seniors who no longer drive, for instance, are often unable to get to medical appointments, worsening health problems that can make them unable to care for themselves. A fall can result in body injuries leaving one bedridden (卧床不起的) and unable to care for oneself. Failure to pay bills for public services could lead to service cutoffs. Forgetting to pay rent could lead to the loss of a home.
Mr. McCormack, 75 years old, and his wife, 71, both had mental illness and stayed in hospitals from time to time, unable to care for their possessions. Despite repeated visits to their home by local officials, the McCormacks declined assistance. But after they were found living in their car parked outside their house in December 2017, officials removed them from their home and helped them settle in a nursing home.
Self-neglect cases, like above, involved 144,296 people across the country in 2018, according to a report. The federal government doesn’t have comparable data for previous years, but several state and local service providers say they are seeing the self-neglect problem swell.
The reasons seniors stop caring for themselves vary, including illness, depression and poverty. The loss of the spouse or a neighbor who previously kept an eye on an individual often starts a decline into self-neglect, experts say. And the key to reducing self-neglect cases is providing services to enable seniors to remain in their homes safely, such as reliable transportation for medical appointments and shopping, as well as affordable home help.
1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 2?| A．Give examples of self-neglect cases. | B．Provide some advice for seniors. |
| C．Summarize the previous paragraph. | D．Introduce a new topic for discussion. |
| A．They longed for help from others. | B．They took good care of themselves. |
| C．They couldn’t afford to go to hospital. | D．They ended up living in the nursing house. |
| A．Self-care Benefits Greatly the Seniors. |
| B．Self-Neglect Rises Among the Elderly. |
| C．Government’s Encouragement on Self-care. |
| D．Many Years’ Investigation on Self-Neglect. |
