1 . In the campus bookstore, I shop for the items on Morrie’s reading list. I purchase books that I never knew existed, titles such as Youth: Identity and Crisis, I and Thou, The Divided Self.

Before college I did not know the study of human relations could be considered scholarly. Until I met Morrie, I did not believe it.

But his passion for books is real and contagious. We begin to talk seriously sometimes, after class when the room has emptied. He asks me questions about my life, then quotes lines from Erich Fromm. Martin Buber, Erik Erikson. Often he defers to their words, footnoting his own advice, even though he obviously thought the same things himself. It is at these times that I realize he is indeed a professor, not an uncle. One afternoon, I am complaining about the confusion of my age, what is expected of me versus what I want for myself.

“Have I told you about the tension of opposites?” he says.

The tension of opposites?

“Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn’t. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted.”

“A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. And most of us live somewhere in the middle.”

“Sounds like a wrestling match,” I say.

“A wrestling match.” He laughs. “Yes, you could describe life that way.”

“So which side wins,” I ask?

“Which side wins?”

He smiles at me, the crinkled eyes, the crooked teeth.

“Love wins. Love always wins.”

1. Which of the following is the relationship between the author and Morrie?

A．Uncle and nephew.	B．Teacher and student.
C．Friends.	D．Classmates.

2. What does the author want to show by telling the story?

A．The author’s college time is amazing.

B．We should love everyone in life.

C．Morrie is a senior full of wisdom.

D．There is always surprise in the campus bookstore.

3. What is the purpose of the author writing underlined sentences?

A．To express that Morrie is unreliable.

B．To show the confidence and pride of Morrie.

C．To show how funny the author’s question is.

D．To contrast with the author’s disappointment.

4. Which of the following is right according to the dialogue?

A．Two forces in life limit our development.

B．We need to take anything for granted if we want to go on.

C．We are sandwiched between two forces in our lives.

D．Sincere and loving heart can heal the life.

2 . Turning around corners, weaving through traffic, every second matters. It is neither a street race nor a 007 chase, but the risky journey of a sushi (寿司) roll.

The streets of China are filled with delivery drivers racing noodles, sandwiches and soups across cities. While the everyday consumer may find these services convenient, most do not realize the true cost of their delivery. How much is that late-night snack really worth?

Strict time limits are the main concern for delivery drivers. The Chinese delivery app Meituan decreased the maximum time allowance from 50 minutes to 30 or even 20. Time literally means money: Surpassing the limit can result in fines, which are paid to the firm rather than to the consumers. Yet, beyond fines, there is often a greater cost. According to Pandaily News, one delivery worker is injured or killed in accidents every 2.5 days in Shanghai and, sadly, companies seldom provide insurance claims when their time limits lead to these consequences. Drivers are pushed to break traffic rules and risk their lives so your sushi is not a minute late.

Furthermore, low wages and extensive working hours exacerbate these issues. Some companies in China take advantage of the economic inequalities between China’s large cities and less developed interior to offer extremely low pay to migrant delivery drivers while demanding long hours. Yet these long hours and low pay are common throughout the global delivery industry. In the United States, advertised earnings of $22 per hour are largely exaggerated while workers complain that food delivery apps rarely give them all their tips.

What is the solution? First, consumers should recognize what is behind their impossibly cheap and fast delivery: exploitation. We should expect more from the delivery app companies and less from their drivers. That is, we should pay more and wait longer while only ordering from companies who offer their drivers fair wages, insurance and a safe working environment. In the end, your sushi is just not worth it.

1. Who will be paid the fines for a delayed delivery?

A．The delivery firm.	B．The delivery worker.
C．The sushi restaurant.	D．The ordinary consumer.

2. What does the underlined word “exacerbate” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Integrate.

B．Comprise.

C．Worsen.

D．Alleviate.

3. Why does the author mention the “earnings of $22 per hour” in the US?

A．To indicate that delivery drivers shouldn’t expect much.

B．To emphasize that delivery companies should provide insurance.

C．To prove that the pay and working environment are better in the US.

D．To show that low pay and overwork are common issues in the industry.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．The Harm of Delivery Services	B．The True Cost of Convenient Deliveries
C．The Overrated Popularity of Sushi	D．The Benefits and Problems of Delivery Apps

3 . Sean Sherman, aged 49, has dedicated his career as a _________ to celebrating Native American cuisine. For his efforts, he received the 2023 Julia Child Award, which _________ those who make a difference in how people cook and eat. He is the first Native American to be _________ with the award which comes with a $50,000 grant.

Sherman, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, was born and raised in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. When he was a teenager, his family _________ the reservation to Spearfish, South Dakota. He began working in local restaurants and fell in love with cooking.

_________ working as a cook early in his career, Sherman noticed that the food of _________ people was not featured on menus and that native American restaurants were not _________. He dedicated himself to studying his culinary _________, including learning to use clay grills, grow corn, and source local ingredients. He used what he learned to _________ The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous kitchen and to start a(n) __________ organization to teach others about indigenous food for free.

In 2021, Sherman opened Owamni, a restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that __________ modern indigenous dishes, such as venison tartare, smoked whitefish, and mushroom stew. The restaurant quickly became __________ and was named Best New Restaurant in the US in 2022 by the James Beard Foundation.

In his __________ statement on receiving the Julia Child Award, Sherman said he is a longtime __________ of Julia Child (1912-2004), a beloved chef for whom the award is __________. “I saw the impact food can have on the world through Julia,” he said. “I’m excited to continue her legacy through my work.”

1.

A．chef

B．actor

C．baker

D．professor

2.

A．announces

B．sends

C．honors

D．teaches

3.

A．adopted

B．recognized

C．evaluated

D．promised

4.

A．moved over

B．moved in

C．moved off

D．moved on

5.

A．While

B．Before

C．After

D．Unless

6.

A．young

B．foreign

C．old

D．native

7.

A．common

B．obvious

C．ordinary

D．normal

8.

A．experience

B．information

C．heritage

D．diversity

9.

A．feel

B．write

C．read

D．hear

10.

A．worldwide

B．nonprofit

C．kind

D．advanced

11.

A．prefers

B．approaches

C．serves

D．deserts

12.

A．considerable

B．prosperous

C．available

D．popular

13.

A．presentation

B．assumption

C．recommendation

D．acceptance

14.

A．admirer

B．friend

C．colleague

D．teacher

15.

A．identified

B．based

C．shaped

D．named

4 . UK safety advisers have dismissed concerns that highly processed food, also known as ultra-processed food (UPF), is automatically unhealthy because of the way it is made or its artificial ingredients. The current way that the UK and most other countries assess the nutrition al value of foods—which is generally by how much fat, salt, sugar and calories they contain—remains the best approach to achieving a health y diet, said a team of scientists. They also warned that people who cut out all ultra-processed foods could make their diets more unhealthy, for instance, if they avoid foods such as yogurts, low-fat spreads, wholemeal bread and food made of grains.

Concerns about processed foods have been growing, but it is unclear if there is something uniquely bad about them or if they just tend to be higher in things like fat and sugar. The issue has come into focus this year since Chris van Tulleken, a doctor and TV presenter, published a book called Ultra-Processed People: Why do we all eat stuff that isn’ t food... and why can’t we stop? Chris van Tulleken has called for more countries to adopt dietary guidelines pioneered in Brazil, where people are advised to prioritise eating whole foods and homemade meals, and avoid eating factory-made foods.

On 27 September, researchers from nutrition organisations rejected the proposed system. “We absolutely need foods to be processed so that we can feed the world,” said May at the University of Leeds, UK, who is a member of the British Nutrition Foundation. May also said UPF includes products that are both healthy and unhealthy. “It’s important we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water here. There are many components that have a very important role to play in nutrition and in safety,” he said.

Benefits of food processing include the use of preservatives that make food last longest and artificial sweeteners that help people reduce their sugar intake, said May. Other examples of processed foods that can be beneficial include baby food, infant formula milk and breads with added vitamins and minerals, said the panel.

1. What can be known from paragraph 1?

A．Low-fat spreads are ultra-processed food.

B．Wholemeal bread is unhealthy to us.

C．Ultra-processed food doesn’t contain sugar.

D．The nutritional value of food needs to be precisely recorded.

2. What does Chris van Tulleken suggest people do?

A．They should avoid ultra-processed food.	B．They should not have homemade food.
C．They should consume more Brazilian food.	D．They should read more books on healthy food.

3. What does May imply by saying the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

A．Kids should raise their awareness of food safety.

B．Children are the biggest victims of ultra-processed food.

C．Ultra-processed food does cause more damage to children.

D．Ultra-processed food has both advantages and disadvantages.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．How Ultra-processed Food Benefits People

B．Ultra-processed Food Isn’t Always Unhealthy

C．A Popular Book Brings Focus on Ultra-processed Food

D．What Health Risks Ultra-processed Food Brings to People

5 . Younger generations of Chinese citizens have developed new methods to relieve stress, which include raising unconventional “pets”, hugging trees, watching stress relief videos and so on.

On social media platforms, a new toy called “mango dog” recently emerged.     1     In the eyes of some netizens, the “mango dog” has special meanings. “Every time I see it, it heals me,” “It’s fluffy (毛茸茸的) and cute.”     2     For example, college students have shared online their experiences of raising stones and paper box “dogs”. These “pets” share similar characteristics—they don’t cry, make noise or get sick.

Tree hugging has also become a new stress relief for young people. “You may think you are hugging the tree, but in fact, the tree is embracing you,” this is a feeling shared by a netizen. Many netizens with such experiences have expressed that their anxiety has been reduced, and they feel a sense of communication with nature.     3    

“I came across the idea online. I tried it and felt truly relaxed,” said a young office worker. “In those brief seconds, it felt like the tree released a lot of pressure and stress from me.”     4     “I especially enjoy watching stress relief videos, like washing blankets and cutting soap. After watching them, I feel like the stress of the day is relieved and it’s easier to fall asleep.”

    5     According to public data, there are currently more than 800 companies in China with names, business scopes, products, services or trademarks containing the term “stress relief”. In 2023 alone, more than 70 new registered companies with this focus were added.

A．Various “pets” are made to cater to different people.

B．It is claimed to bring a sense of calmness and give a healing effect.

C．This is not the first time that young people have raised novel “pets”.

D．A young media worker also finds the relief in watching short videos.

E．In some cities people have even organized “tree hugging interest groups”.

F．Other toys such as squeeze balls have also gained popularity as a way to relieve stress.

G．The popularity of these methods reflects an increasing need to release people’s pressure.

6 . Last Christmas, I volunteered for WNWNB, a charity which takes surplus (剩余的) produce from New Covent Garden Market and ________ it to the local community.

The food was already in containers. So we set up the stand and got ready to distribute some Christmas ________. At first, it was ________. People seemed a bit suspicious of taking food for free. But they gradually ________ us and we had a fun afternoon singing carols and trying to ________ passersby to take our food.

It was then time to deliver meals to those who weren’t able to come. This is ________ things changed for me. The first door I knocked on was ________ by a woman in her 30s. She had children and looked absolutely worn out. I told her I was from WNWNB and gave her the ________ meals. It was probably only about two days’ worth of food but, the way she ________, I felt as if I was handing her gold.

I had similar responses to my next ________. In some cases, when people were elderly or alone, I’d go into their homes and have a brief ________ before heading off. Many felt ________, but I saw how happy they were to have another adult human to ________.

As a local politician I knock on doors and talk to people a lot, but there was something deeper about those ________ on Christmas Day. I finished my day at WNWNB a slightly different person from the one who ________.

1.

A．distributes

B．introduces

C．sells

D．exhibits

2.

A．forgiveness

B．images

C．recipes

D．cheer

3.

A．easy

B．nice

C．slow

D．safe

4.

A．broke away from

B．put up with

C．cut in on

D．warmed up to

5.

A．threaten

B．encourage

C．allow

D．command

6.

A．why

B．how

C．where

D．when

7.

A．opened

B．repaired

C．cleaned

D．guarded

8.

A．costly

B．unfinished

C．deserted

D．ready

9.

A．declined

B．reacted

C．argued

D．traded

10.

A．purchases

B．interviews

C．deliveries

D．schedules

11.

A．meal

B．chat

C．report

D．silence

12.

A．proud

B．free

C．lonely

D．content

13.

A．connect with

B．look after

C．turn to

D．rely on

14.

A．conversations

B．budgets

C．explanations

D．deals

15.

A．hesitated

B．started

C．ignored

D．struggled

7 . Whatever your reason for feeling blue, know that occasional feelings of sadness are completely normal and to be expected in life.     1    . And while such feelings aren’t fun and can be challenging to overcome, it’s absolutely possible to beat your blue mood with a little effort.

● Spend time with loved ones

Call or visit a friend or family member that you know you can count on. Since moods are contagious (传染的), try to choose someone with a positive perspective on life.     2    . Spend your time with them, recalling good times. Or do something that will make you laugh, such as watching your favorite stand-up comedian or go shopping. Allow yourself to feed off of their positive energy to boost your mood.

●     3    

Take a trip if you’re able to, even somewhere close by. If that’s not in the cards, try something simple like changing your hairstyle, eating dinner at a new restaurant, taking a different route to work, switching up your gym routine, or visiting a local museum. It doesn’t have to be anything significant. Even a small shift in your daily activities can improve your outlook.

● Do a good deed

It may sound counterintuitive (反常的), but perhaps one of the easiest ways to beat the blues is to do something for someone else.     4    . Help a friend or family member or volunteer at your local animal or homeless shelter. You can also perform a random act of kindness. It feels good to make others feel good.

●Change your environment

Your surroundings play a significant role in how you feel. If possible, a change of scenery can help you feel better. Rearrange your furniture, add plants or other pleasing decor to your home. You might also consider who you spend your time with since moods and attitudes are contagious. Negative people can bring you down, and positive people can uplift you.     5    

A．Change your routine.

B．Do something creative.

C．And it doesn’t cost a cent to just be nice.

D．There’s nothing wrong with you for feeling down.

E．Otherwise, you risk feeling worse than you already do.

F．You may try taking a walk or listening to a calming song.

G．Surround yourself with positive people and things to feel your best.

8 . Shortly before he turned 60, Mark Fuhrmann realized what he wanted. He, now, at 65, has just returned from a second voyage. His 6,835 mile-round trip from Nova Scotia took in the great lakes of the US, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic.

Fuhrmann started these journeys “to kickstart retirement” from the maritime PR business he ran in Oslo for the past 30 years. Before he set off, in June last year, he swapped (交换) his house for a flat, and greatly reduced his possessions. “It was good to get rid of all of those things and say: ‘This isn’t a phase; this is a new season,’” he says.

Amazingly, he didn’t plan his trip, beyond committing to fundraise for Medecins Sans Frontières. “I thought: ‘I’ll try to do 40km each day.’ But I never knew where I was going to lay down my head.”

The challenges were psychological, physical, and sometimes life-threatening. In Florida, he was chased by an alligator (短吻鳄), but narrowly escaped from it. In the Boston area, he saw “a black fin moving towards me like a snake”. He lay his oar (划桨) across his lap and waited. “If a great white shark can swim leisurely, that’s exactly what it did. It just passed me,” he says. Ten minutes later, Fuhrmann pulled his kayak (小艇) into a cove, where he ran into a man who invited him into his home for coffee and apple pie. His whole trip was filled with these switchbacks and moments of connection with strangers, which Fuhrmann experienced as “a call to authenticity”.

What does he mean? “Nature is born within us. If you avoid that, you avoid experiencing something that is vital to who you are as a person. I want real things — life isn’t about having more. I think we need to accept where we are at this stage of life, at 60 or 65.”

“I look at retirement as a season,” he says. He started his latest voyage because “I wanted to have a better understanding of who I was. I wanted to have time for my thoughts to wander, to restart, to discover the value and power within myself.”

1. Why did Fuhrmann get rid of most of his possessions?

A．To make donations to charity.	B．To start a new life in retirement.
C．To make up for his business loss.	D．To collect money for the journey.

2. What does the underlined word “switchbacks” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Blessings.

B．Ambitions.

C．Defeats.

D．Challenges.

3. Which of the following might Fuhrmann agree with?

A．The meaning of life is achieving more.

B．Old people should take things as they are.

C．It is good to have nature-based experience.

D．It is advisable for aging people to play safe.

4. Why did Fuhrmann start his latest voyage?

A．To reflect on his past.	B．To discover his true self.
C．To relax his mind and body.	D．To be free from the noisy world.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

When a person wakes up in the morning, seven items are necessary and unavoidable in his or her life: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea.

The saying     1     (update) recently, and it is now widely accepted     2     the seven items have been integrated into one thing-a parcel.

The     3     (adjust) saying illustrates the importance of parcels in Chinese people’s lives nowadays.

Although the delivery industry has boomed in the past decade, and many people rely     4     (heavy) on parcels to maintain their normal lives, it is easy     5     (forget) the most important part of the network-the millions of couriers who transport the items to their recipients.

In China, these essential people usually have busy schedules     6     handle heavy workloads. For example, in big cities such as Beijing, each courier usually collects and delivers 200 to 300 parcels a day, even during off - peak     7     (period).

They often wear colorful uniforms and ride electric bikes through the streets and communities. People call them “busy bees” in honor of       8     (they) hard work.

Sometimes, they rush to meet their schedules and aim to deliver     9     large number of parcels, raising the risk of traffic accidents. Sometimes they work overtime to complete deliveries. Occasionally, they are subject     10     unreasonable complaints.

10 . Cao Dewang was born in May 1946 in Shanghai. His family is said to have high social standing in Fujian province. But his family background didn’t guarantee a wealthy lifestyle. According to Cao, soon after he was born, his family lost all of their possessions on their way back from Shanghai to Fujian.

After losing their wealth, the family farm became their only means of survival. Cao worked on his family’s farm, and there were many days when he’d go without food. In order to support his family, he dropped out of school when he was 14 and began to work. Nonetheless,he taught himself over a thousand Chinese characters with the help of a dictionary.

Cao began selling tobacco leaves and fruit to earn a living. He also worked as a cook and repaired bicycles. For over twenty years, he worked 16 hours a day to escape poverty.

Cao Dewang was working as a sales manager at a glass factory run by the local government for glass used in water meters. He saved up his earnings until he had enough to buy out the very factory in 1983.

Japanese car producers were looking to set up production of their vehicles in China in the 80’s. Cao saw the opportunity and dove into the production of vehicle glass, establishing the Yaohua Automotive Glass Co. in 1987.

Now named Fuyao Group, it started as a joint venture company before it was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 1993 and on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2015. Headquartered in Fuging, Fujian, it is currently one of the largest auto glass producers in the world. Audi, Fiat, Ford, Honda, and Nissan are among Fuyao’s biggest customers.

Since 2013, the Fuyao Group had been looking to establish a factory in the U.S. and was looking at possible sites. It picked the site of an abandoned GM assembly plant in Dayton, Ohio in 2014. The factory brought job opportunities to former GM workers who had been unemployed for a long time.

Not disregarding his contributions to China’s economy, Cao is considered as China’s most generous philanthropist. Cao believes, “The more I donate, the more I realize how little use I have for money.” He further adds that his fortune is better used in the education of children.

1. What can be learned about young Cao Dewang?

A．He led a wealthy life.	B．He was home schooled.
C．He struggled to survive.	D．He grew up in Shanghai.

2. What was the history of the Fuyao Group?

A．It used to be a car maker.

B．It originated from a local glass factory.

C．It became the world’s largest glass producer in 1987.

D．It first got most of its profits by making water meters.

3. What do we know about Fuyao’s glass factory in Davton?

A．It was built in 2013.	B．It won support from GM.
C．It hired many laid-off GM workers.	D．It helped restore many abandoned plants.

4. What do Cao Dewang’s words in the last paragraph mean?

A．Money is worthless sometimes.	B．A good name is better than money.
C．Money makes the world go around.	D．Money should be used for meaningful things.