1 . William Shakespeare was the greatest writer in the English language and is known around the world. But how much do you really know about him?
Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon, located in central England, in 1564. At age 18, he married Anne Hathaway and they had three children. Then Shakespeare went to London to work as an actor and writer. In 1599,the Globe Theatre was built in London. It was in this theatre that some of Shakespeare's plays were first performed. In 1613. the theatre was destroyed by a fire. However. a modern reconstruction of the theatre was built near the original site in 1997, so even today you can go to the Globe Theatre to see one of Shakespeare's plays.
His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets and some other poems. He is best known for his plays. which have been translated into every major language and are performed more than those of any other playwright (剧作家) in the world. Shakespeare's works remain very popular. But why do we like these old plays? Perhaps it is because they all contain fantastic stories. His characters suffer bloody battles, deaths by poison, and dramatic family battles. His plays are full of exciting storylines and lessons about morality.
Hamlet, for example, is about revenge (复仇) and also about how difficult it is to take action sometimes, even when it is important to do so. Hamlet's father is murdered by another man, who then marries Hamlet's mother, Everybody wants to see Hamlet dead. Hamlet must take revenge. but will he be able to? The famous quote“To be or not to be, that is the question" comes from this play.
1. How is Paragraph 2 organized?A.In order of time. | B.In order of location. |
C.In order of importance. | D.In order of preference. |
A.poems | B.characters |
C.performances | D.achievements |
A.enjoy good stories | B.experience history |
C.admire heroes | D.gain knowledge |
A.He is in a dilemma. | B.He hates his father. |
C.He is afraid of death. | D.He never takes action. |
2 . After bikes and umbrellas are made sharable across China, some companies started eyeing the fitness market, so shared gym rooms have hit the streets in Beijing.
Unlike regular gyms that provide large, open spaces for many members to share at the same time, the newly built shared gym rooms are small, stand-alone rooms for a person to use, often set up near living communities.
Every four-square-meter room is equipped with a treadmill (跑步机), an air cleaner, a mirror, a television and an air conditioner, and users can let down the curtains for privacy. When exercising, users can listen to music, watch movies and check emails by connecting to the Internet by the screen fixed on the treadmill. There’s no shower or washbasin.
Similar to using a shared bike, users can locate a shared gym room by smartphone application, book a room in advance and then need to scan (扫描) a QR code for use. A refundable deposit (保证金) of 99 yuan is required, and users are charged 0.2 yuan per minute.
The shared gym rooms are created by Misspao, a Beijing-based technology company founded in July. Within two weeks since it was founded, the company has already got two rounds of funding valued over 100 million yuan, Yicai Global reports. The idea of the shared fitness experience is not entirely nascent. Last December, the Shanghai-based technology company VRUN set up shared treadmills in office and apartment buildings.
The sharing economy is still becoming popular in China. According to Yicai Global, confident investors are pouring millions into sharing start-ups. In March, the State Information Center published a report which predicts that the total value of China’s sharing economy will see a yearly growth of 40% in the coming years, and it is expected to contribute around 10% to the country’s GDP by 2020.
1. What makes the shared gym room different from the regular one?A.Offering open spaces. | B.Standing in the living zone. |
C.Holding one person at a time. | D.Having some advanced equipment. |
A.Users can have a shower in it after exercise. |
B.Users who want to use it need a smartphone. |
C.Users who use it first need to pay for 99.2 yuan. |
D.Users’ privacy can’t be protected while they are exercising. |
A.Simple. | B.Popular. | C.Satisfying. | D.New. |
A.To introduce shared gym rooms. |
B.To advertise a technology company. |
C.To predict the future of the sharing economy. |
D.To persuade people to support the sharing economy. |
3 . Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village lay near some wetlands which became his second
When he was 16, Molai began to notice something
Molai
A.dream | B.job | C.home | D.choice |
A.nature | B.youth | C.culture | D.knowledge |
A.precious | B.interesting | C.disturbing | D.awkward |
A.waste | B.tension | C.pain | D.damage |
A.Besides | B.However | C.Therefore | D.Otherwise |
A.agreed | B.realized | C.remembered | D.predicted |
A.noise | B.heat | C.disease | D.dust |
A.directions | B.partners | C.help | D.shelter |
A.labor | B.police | C.forest | D.finance |
A.rebuilt | B.discovered | C.left | D.managed |
A.Decorating | B.Observing | C.Watering | D.Guarding |
A.tough | B.illegal | C.fantastic | D.beneficial |
A.back | B.top | C.foot | D.side |
A.cool down | B.keep off | C.purify | D.collect |
A.returned | B.learned | C.failed | D.continued |
4 . I sat down, with food in my lap, waiting to watch a movie. It sounds like a typical Friday night at home, but this time it was not. I was sitting down in a theatre of over 300 Filipinos speaking their native tongues. We were watching a film named Ulam: Main Dish. It’s directed by a Filipino-American director, and it’s about Filipino / Filipino-American food.
Right before the film began, I was caught in this realization: this is a film created by my people, for my people and about my people, and shared with an audience much larger than just us. This was the first time I had ever experienced a film of this nature. I could understand its stories and culture. The theatre went dark and before the film rolled, my eyes were already overflowed (洋溢)with pride.
I was watching this film at the Reel Asian Film Festival. At this year’s festival, I joined the Reel Asian team as their Social Media Assistant. This meant that during the festival I could actually get to speak to the filmmakers, actors, producers, etc. Particularly, I had the chance to speak to filmmakers about why a festival like this is important to them.
Through talking with them, I learned that there is something really unique about the Reel Asian Film Festival. It brings good Asian cinema a home in what is known as an incredibly diverse city, allowing these stories to be told to a diverse audience of diverse views.
For anyone looking to find themselves in a film, learn more about other cultures, and enjoy a good movie, I truly believe that Reel Asian is the place to be. As an annual event, it's so well planned and organized, and so much expectation is being built.
1. How did the author probably feel while watching the movie?A.She found the faces in the film strange. |
B.She realized making a film was really hard. |
C.She became very proud of being an American. |
D.She could relate to the cultural information of the movie. |
A.Ask directors for a role. | B.Sell her works to producers. |
C.Communicate with those making films. | D.Form a filming team of her own. |
A.Introducing Asian films to more people. |
B.Introducing other cultures to Asian producers. |
C.Helping Asian people know more about foreign movies. |
D.Helping Asian restaurants develop new markets. |
5 . If you are fond of learning languages, you must start learning Chinese. English is the most widely spoken language in the world and it is a more powerful language in all fields. But it is expected that Chinese, which is one of the six official languages of the United Nations (UN), will be the most important language in the coming years. What are the reasons behind the rapid spread of this language and why should you learn it?
My desire to learn languages was the reason why I studied many Latin languages and in the process, I deepened my knowledge of the languages and literature. However, I did not feel self-sufficient ( 自 给 自 足 的 ) from this knowledge. I gained a lot of information about the Western world. But my thinking was always about Asian civilizations. I always felt I needed to learn Chinese to be a global citizen (全球公民) because “without learning Chinese, we see with one eye”.
My contact with many international organizations and government institutions ( 机构 ) made me believe that Chinese is one of the most important languages of our time. After visiting the world’s most celebrated capitals such as Paris and London, I discovered that Chinese language can be seen everywhere in these places. In the subway in Paris, you will hear instructions in French, English and Chinese. In London, for example, the Chinese language was introduced for instruction in schools.
China is an important political (政治的) and economic country because it is making great economic progress that has never been seen before. The world is watching China with great surprise, and this peaceful Chinese rise makes us decide to focus on learning the Chinese language and knowing more about Chinese culture.
To be a global citizen these days, I would advise you to learn Chinese. It will add more beauty to your life and allow you to better understand Chinese civilization.
1. What can we learn about languages in the future according to the first paragraph?A.Some of them will disappear. |
B.More official languages will be added to the UN. |
C.English will still have an advantage over others. |
D.Chinese language will probably be second to none. |
A.Paris is a wonderful capital city worth a visit. |
B.Chinese learning is very popular in schools in London. |
C.People in some western countries like speaking Chinese. |
D.Chinese language is playing an important role in the world. |
A.The rise of Chinese economy. |
B.Their love for language learning. |
C.Their curiosity about Asian culture. |
D.The long history of Chinese civilization. |
A.How to be a global citizen |
B.Chinese — the language you must learn |
C.What you should know about Chinese culture |
D.Chinese economy—the most powerful engine |
6 . Every year, over 7.72 trillion kilograms of plastic is washed into the oceans. There are five huge areas in the world’s oceans that are a “soup” of floating rubbish. One of these areas, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), is three times as large as France.
Over a year ago, a group called Ocean Cleanup began using a huge floating screen to try to clean up plastic pollution in the ocean. After several failures, the group is now collecting plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. But the plastic is spreading out over a large area, so it's impossible to collect it piece by piece. So, the Ocean Cleanup had a plan. They got a long floating U-shaped tube with a screen hanging below it. As the tube and screen are pushed by the water and the winds, the U is meant to collect plastic rubbish, making it easy for a ship to collect and remove the plastic. The system uses the power of the wind and ocean, so it doesn’t need fuel.
The group began testing the first version, called “System 001”, last September. But it soon became clear that the screen was just moving with the plastic, not collecting it. Sometimes plastic would wash over the top of the tube. Even worse, System 001 got broken by surging seas and had to be towed to Hawaii for repairs.
But Mr. Slat, who got the idea for the Ocean Cleanup system, sees the project as an experiment, which means a failure is a chance to learn. The team collected and studied lots of information about what worked well and what didn’t. Then they changed the design. In June, an improved version, called “System001/B” was towed back to the GPGP.
The new version has a parachute (降落伞) attached to it. This makes the system move slightly slower than the plastic, allowing the plastic to be collected inside, as planned. But this success is still just the beginning of the work of the Ocean Cleanup. They want a better and larger system.
1. What does the author want to show in Paragraph 1?A.Humans should try to prevent plastic waste. |
B.The GPGP is facing different kinds of pollution. |
C.Plastic pollution in the oceans has become a serious problem. |
D.A series of problems has been caused by plastic pollution. |
A.To make use of the water and the winds. |
B.To create a ship to collect waste in the oceans. |
C.To collect the floating plastic waste piece by piece. |
D.To gather up the floating plastic waste in the oceans. |
A.It was a failure. | B.It was a great success. |
C.It worked with a parachute. | D.It needed to be fueled regularly. |
A.vast | B.rough | C.calm | D.peaceful |
Move over, mochaccino — Chinese tea culture is coming! If a group of senior high school
It was the first day of our new grade. Everyone in the classroom was chatting happily, excited to see each other again after the long holidays. When the door slid open, all of us stopped talking and turned to look. In came our teacher Ms. Sullivan, followed by an ordinary-looking boy,
“This boy’s name is Rafael.” Ms. Sullivan announced. “He’s a transfer student (转校生), and he’s going to be in our class starting from today. Make sure all of you welcome him warmly.”
The class clapped. But I didn't want to have a second look at the newcomer, for he had no outstanding qualities considering his small figure and casual T-shirt.
“Oh, I forgot to mention one thing.” Ms. Sullivan spoke up. “Rafael actually has hearing problems. Normally he would have hearing aids on, but his old ones have just been broken.
His doctor suggested that he stay at home until he got his new ones. However, Rafael insisted on attending his first day of school. So if you want to communicate with him, you have to write it on a piece of paper.”
This single speech sent the whole class up into an uproar (嘈杂). Some students looked at each other with expressions of surprise. Others voiced cries of concern out of pity.
Ms. Sullivan calmed everyone down. “I’d like someone to personally help him out throughout the day. Do I have any volunteers?”
“How can a disabled person be intelligent?” I thought to myself. I refused to raise my hand, expecting someone else would. But nobody did or said anything. Dead silence spread across the classroom.
It was by total bad luck that my eyes happened to meet Ms. Sullivan's.
“How about you, James?” She asked me. “Is it okay for you to take care of Rafael just for today?”
It is difficult to refuse a request by someone, especially if that person is a teacher. I sighed and nodded slightly. Ms. Sullivan gestured for Rafael to sit beside me and then asked us to share our holiday stories with the class.
Paragraph 1:Immediately, the class became excited.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Then Rafael rose and walked onto the platform.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th of the first month of the lunar calendar. This day is always the first full moon in the new year. Ancient people also called it Shangyuan Festival. Celebrations and traditions on this day began from the Han Dynasty and became popular in the Tang Dynasty.
Watching the red lanterns is one of the main traditions. Lanterns of different shapes and sizes are usually put on trees, or along river banks on show. It is said that sky lanterns were first used by Zhuge Kongming to ask for help when he was in trouble. Today, when the lanterns slowly rise into the air, people make wishes. Another tradition is guessing lantern riddles. The riddles are usually short, wise, and sometimes humorous(幽默的). The answer to a riddle can be a Chinese character, a famous person’s name, or a place name.
The most important thing is to eat sweet dumplings with different tastes. In northern China, they are called yuanxiao while in southern part they’re named tangyuan. Because making sweet dumplings is like a game or an activity, they are usually done happily by a group of friends or family members.
In old times, the Lantern Festival was also a good time for young people to find love. Watching lanterns gave young people a chance to meet each other. And there were many romantic stories about this festival. A line from Xin Qiji, a poet during the Song Dynasty, shows this, “Hundreds and thousands of times I searched for her in the crowd. Suddenly I turned, and there she stood in the dim light. ”
In a word, the Lantern Festival has brought us Chinese so much fun and joy over the years. We hope the young people can carry on these traditions and take pride in Chinese culture.
1. In ancient times, sky lanterns were first used for ______by Zhuge Kongming.A.making wishes | B.celebrating birthdays |
C.getting aid | D.guessing lantern riddles |
A.They have different tastes. |
B.They are named “yuanxiao” all over the country. |
C.People enjoy the process of making them. |
D.People usually make them with family and friends. |
A.boring | B.humorous |
C.romantic | D.important |
10 . Dale Carnegie(戴尔·卡耐基) was an American writer and lecturer, and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking and interpersonal skills.
Born in 1888 in Maryville, Missouri, Carnegie was a poor farmer's boy. His family moved to Belton, Missouri when he was a small child. In his teens, though still having to get up at 4 a.m. every day to milk his parents' cows, he managed to obtain an education at the State Teacher's College in Warrensburg. His first job after college was selling correspondence courses. He moved on to selling bacon, soap, and lard(猪油)for Armour & Company.
After saving $500, Dale Carnegie quit sales in 1911 in order to achieve a lifelong dream of becoming a lecturer. He ended up instead attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, but found little success as an actor. Later he got the idea to teach public speaking. In his first session, he suggested that students speak about “something that made them angry”, and discovered the technique that made speakers unafraid to address a public audience. From its beginning, the Dale Carnegie Course developed. Carnegie had made use of the average American's desire to have more self-confidence.
Perhaps one of Carnegie's most successful marketing moves was to change the spelling of his last name from “Carnagey” to Carnegie, at a time when Andrew Carnegie was a widely recognized name.
Carnegie's works include Lincoln the Unknown (1932), Public Speaking and Influencing Men in Business (1937), and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1948). His greatest achievement, however, was when Simon &. Schuster published How to Win Friends and Influence People. The book was a bestseller from 1936. By the time of Carnegie's death, the book had sold five million copies in 31 languages, and there had been 450,000 graduates of his Dale Carnegie Institute.
Carnegie died at his home in New York in 1955.
1. What do you think of Dale Carnegie's childhood?A.Difficult. | B.Joyful. |
C.Lonely. | D.Boring. |
A.Encouraging one to trust himself. | B.Helping people to get wealthy. |
C.Teaching people speaking skills. | D.Advising people to live happily. |
A.To get more help and support. | B.To replace Andrew Carnegie. |
C.To become more famous. | D.To avoid misunderstanding. |