1 . He is regarded as having one of the brightest minds on the planet.But outstanding astrophysicist（天体物理学家）Stephen Hawking admitted that he did not learn to read until he was eight years old.In a public lecture at the Royal Albert Hall,Professor Hawking also admitted that he was not active in studying while at Oxford University,where he studied physics,and that only the diagnosis that he might die young from motor neurone（神经元）disease made him concentrate on his work.
Professor Hawking said,"My sister Philippa could read by the age of 4 and then she was definitely brighter than me."He said that he was unexceptional at school and was never further than halfway up his class."My classwork was very untidy,and my handwriting was the despair of my teachers,"he said."But my classmates gave me the nickname Einstein,so presumably they saw signs of something better."
But he said that it was when doctors told him that he probably only had a few years to live at the age of 21 that he was galvanized into focusing on his work and a period of productivity that resulted in some of his early breakthroughs.He said,"When you are faced with the possibility of an early death,it makes you realize that life is worth living and there are lots of things you want to do."
1. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?| A．Stephen Hawking is the second Einstein in the world. |
| B．Stephen Hawking couldn't read at the age of 7. |
| C．Stephen Hawking's handwriting was once terribly bad. |
| D．Stephen Hawking's sister once performed much better than him. |
| A．Patience. | B．Knowledge. | C．Disease. | D．Laziness. |
| A．Stephen Hawking didn't realize his dreams in physics. |
| B．It was possible for Hawking to face the early death. |
| C．The purpose of the doctor's diagnosis was to encourage him to work hard. |
| D．His life might be taken away by long hard work. |
| A．His sister. | B．His classmates. | C．His teachers. | D．His parents. |
2 . As I walked into the primary school, I looked down at my new black shoes. I stood at Mrs. Blackstone’s door. Before I tried the great escape, the door opened. “We’ve been waiting for you!” Mrs. Blackstone, my new fifth grade teacher, said loudly. With a smile my mom walked away and I was left taking center stage in front of a group of students.
Over the next few days, Mrs. Blackstone made it her job to find me a new best friend. During history lessons, when I didn’t want to speak in front of the class, she’d not only call on me but have me stand up to address my classmates.
One spring afternoon, Mrs. Blackstone asked me to stay after class. “I’d like to speak with you, Amanda.” My mind raced. Had I got a bad grade? Had I hurt anyone’s feelings? “Are you enjoying your new school?” She sat comfortably behind her desk. “I want to tell you something, between you and me, not to be shared with anyone else.” She continued, “I see something special in you. The way you communicate with others , and the kindness you show－I think you have great potential (潜力) to be something important.” I listened carefully to every word. “I have been a teacher for over twenty-five years; I can see it. But you must believe in yourself. That’s very important. Remember that and you’ll go far,” she said.
Her voice was music to my ears that day. I walked out of her office, not staring at my shoes, but looking straight ahead with my head high. My teacher saw something special in me! Years later, her words still remain inside of me.
1. The author went to school unwillingly most probably because she______.| A．didn’t like the school at all |
| B．often got low grades at school |
| C．was treated badly by her classmates |
| D．wasn’t used to the new environment |
| A．annoyed | B．embarrassed | C．tired | D．nervous |
| A．energetic | B．happy | C．confident | D．thankful |
| A．The author came from a poor family. |
| B．The teacher sang a song to the author. |
| C．The author never forgets what the teacher said. |
| D．The author no longer cared for anybody but herself. |
3 . Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas, in 1892. Her mother was African American. Her father was part African American and part American Indian. Her family was poor. Bessie had to walk more than six kilometers to go to school.
Bessie had to pick cotton and wash clothes to help earn money for her family. She was able to save a little money and went to college in the state of Oklahoma. She was in college only one year because she did not have enough money to complete her studies. But during that year, she learned about flying. She read about the first flight of the Wright brothers and the first American female pilot Harriet Quimby.
When she was 23, Bessie Coleman moved to Chicago, Illinois to live with two of her older brothers. There, she heard stories from pilots who were returning from World War I. She decided she was going to learn how to fly airplanes. But she soon found this to be almost impossible. What flight school would admit a black woman? Bessie learned that she would have a better chance in Europe. She began to study French at a language school in Chicago.
Soon after the end of World War I, Bessie Coleman left for France. She attended the famous flight school, Ecole d'Aviation des Freres Caudron. She completed seven months of flight training. Coleman earned her international permit to fly in 1921 and she became the first black woman pilot.
Coleman returned to Chicago. She was the only black female pilot in the United States. So her story became popular in African American newspapers. She was asked by the Dallas Express newspaper in Texas why she wanted to fly. She said that women and blacks must have pilots if they were to keep up with the times.
1. Bessie Coleman walked to school every day probably because .| A．she couldn't afford to take the bus. | B．she was stronger than others |
| C．she wanted to do physical exercise | D．she lived close to her school |
| A．Going to Europe. | B．Attending flight school. |
| C．Living with her brothers. | D．Learning French in Chicago. |
| A．She earned a large amount of money. | B．She received a pilot's permit. |
| C．She made many good foreign friends. | D．She became a soldier in World WarⅠ. |
| A．Failure is the mother of success. | B．All roads lead to Rome. |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. | D．Actions speak louder than words. |
4 . Music and art festivals are fun and exciting events. If you're panning to go to a festival, it's important to plan your trip carefully to ensure that you re safe and have a good time.
■Bring clothes to keep warm or cool
In addition to your fun festival clothing, pack a raincoat, some light tank tops, and a sweater or sweatshirt. Don't forget longer pants for cool evenings or bad weather. In general, it's best to leave your umbrella at home because they can be dangerous in large crowds.
■Get a cheap tent and sleeping bag for multi - day festivals
A majority of people end up throwing their tent away after long festivals, since they normally break from the use. Pick up a less expensive tent with enough room for you and your friends and pack a comfortable seeping bag for yourself, 1f you don't want to camp at the festival, remember to book an AirBnb or a hotel room nearby!
■Place a first aid kit in a proper place
Before the festival, buy a small first aid kit with band aids, and any medication that you need to take, in case you get minor injuries or a headache. Keep it in a proper place that's easily accessible, like your tent or car.
1. Why should umbrellas be left at home?| A．They take up too much space. | B．The weather will be terrible. |
| C．They might hurt someone. | D．Travelers prefer raincoats, |
| A．Sell them. | B．Return them. | C．Pack them up. | D．Throw them away. |
| A．It should be put at hand. | B．It ought to be big enough. |
| C．It must contain all medicines. | D．It has to be placed in the car. |
5 . Last weekend I took a bus to New York City. As I took the window seat and wore headphones over ears, I almost didn't
We talked a lot about my dreams, my fears and my life. I
This elderly man made me
A few days later, he emailed me, saying, “I think you' re
| A．check | B．notice | C．excuse | D．believe |
| A．through | B．with | C．during | D．about |
| A．introduction | B．explanation | C．conversation | D．competition |
| A．searched | B．shared | C．demanded | D．reviewed |
| A．sorry | B．curious | C．anxious | D．afraid |
| A．puzzled | B．worried | C．amazed | D．disappointed |
| A．push | B．invite | C．treat | D．admit |
| A．raising | B．dropping | C．turning | D．nodding |
| A．regret | B．change | C．fear | D．desire |
| A．prepare | B．develop | C．consult | D．question |
| A．replaced | B．organized | C．discussed | D．predicted |
| A．uncertainty | B．danger | C．responsibility | D．conflict |
| A．spot | B．ignore | C．seize | D．accept |
| A．leaving | B．heading | C．watching | D．caring |
| A．genuine | B．normal | C．painful | D．serious |
6 . In the future, people will work fewer hours a week than today, right?
But there is a second reason for peoples overwork.
| A．Take the example of Lily P. |
| B．Most of people's work will be replaced by the robots. |
| C．People working longer hours will be much better paid. |
| D．More people are working long hours for two reasons. |
| E．Where will technology and the demands of the workweek take us? |
| F．Today, many companies are trying to do more work with fewer workers. |
| G．Actually, more people nowadays are working 10 to12 hours a day, six days a week than ever before. |
A young and successful manager was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out (窜出) from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick hit violently into the Jags side door! He stepped on the brakes and backed his Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.
The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?”
The young boy was apologetic. “Please, mister... please, I’m sorry but I didn’t know what else to do,” he explained. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop…” With tears rolling down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. “It’s my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the sidewalk and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Now sobbing, the boy asked the astonished manager, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”
Moved beyond words, the driver cooled his anger.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The driver watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8 . Craziest Food Festivals sounds like a joke topic, but once you start looking into it, you’ll realize they’re everywhere — the crazier, the better.
1. Bibimbap Festival
In the South Korean town of Jeonjuloves, their “mixed rice” dish is a hearty serve of rice topped with raw beef, a rainbow of vegetables, a raw egg and gochujang sauce so much. They take four days out of October to celebrate it.
Like any festival there’s music, entertainment and magic, but making it that little bit different is the bibimbap that’s whipped (搅拌) up in a big bowl by dozens of chefs and served to over 400 people.
2. Waikiki Spam Jam
Who knew this canned meat had so much love? Well, it turns out that a can of Spam is the go-to item in Hawaii, along with a grass skirt and garland (花环). The people of Hawaii love Spam so much that they even spend a day in May giving out the best Spam, a type of cheap canned meat made mainly from pork.
3. Bessieres Easter Egg Festival
At Easter time, for those in the French town of Bessieres it’s all about an egg far less sweet.
Here they celebrate the holiday by getting dozens of chefs to make one large omelette (煎蛋卷) — 15,000 eggs strong — for the townsfolk (市民).
4. Potato Days Festival
This festival actually takes place in Barnesville, Minnesota, the US. Over the last Friday and Saturday in August the town celebrates its potato-growing skills by hosting potato picking and peeling contests, as well as a Miss Tater Tot pageant (盛典) for five- and six-year-old girls.
1. What makes Bibimbap festival special?| A．They take four days to celebrate it. |
| B．The mixed rice is rich in many vegetables. |
| C．There’s music, entertainment and magic during the festival. |
| D．The rice dish needs to be mixed in one big bowl by dozens of chefs together. |
| A．The spam is the most favorite for Hawii people. |
| B．People spend one day to prepare the Jam. |
| C．The Jam isn’t affordable for the plain townsfolk. |
| D．The Jam is mainly made from raw beef. |
| A．Bibimbap Festival | B．Waikiki Spam Jam |
| C．Bessieres Easter Egg Festival | D．Potato Days Festival |
9 . There are multiple experiences a Westerner can describe as a “culture shock” in China, one of the fastest-growing economies, like eating mouthwatering baozi for breakfast. These experiences, however, paled in comparison to the one I experienced during my time in an organization I’ve been serving in for two years to provide free educational tours at my leisure — the advancement and equalizing of China’s known wealth disparity（差异）through the social network and cashless payment giant（巨头）, WeChat, which I rarely used before.
Last month, the organization led a thrilling trip to camp. Initially, we went through a village kept alive by the residents. The views there are so attractive and refreshing. Walking through endless red apple trees, I saw an elderly woman who gently offered to sell me apples. Unfortunately, I informed her I didn’t have cash on hand. She quickly told me to scan the QR code（二维码）on her phone, which in seconds would get my money into her bank account via WeChat. Needless to say, I was blown away. And of course, the apples were tasty.
As an advocate of financial growth opportunities in under-served communities, it was inspiring to witness that technology lets people contribute to the economy regardless of socioeconomic background in China. Though the socioeconomic problems remain to some extent, access to and adoption of technology creating financial opportunities transforms the lives of everyday citizens and enables communities to flower.
While I once didn’t believe a “cashless society” was possible and thought it could cause more unfavorable conditions, I now stand corrected. Perhaps it might take longer for New York City to adapt, as we lag behind in this transformation and there is so much we can learn. I also wonder what the human race can achieve when technology provides endless opportunities for people of all backgrounds to advance.
1. What does the first paragraph tell us about the author?| A．She is struggling with culture shock. |
| B．She really enjoys Chinese breakfast. |
| C．She does voluntary work when free. |
| D．She likes using social networks. |
| A．Scenery of the village. | B．Taste of the apples. |
| C．Popularity of WeChat. | D．The way of paying. |
| A．Critical. | B．Positive. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Curious. |
| A．Technology helps narrow the wealth gap |
| B．New York will be the next cashless society |
| C．Humans will achieve more with technology |
| D．China becomes the fastest-growing economy |
10 . To see the world is one thing. To have someone to share it with is another. Indeed the travel becomes more interesting when you have a travel partner. A travel partner can be a close friend, a family member, a pal you’ve met online, or a business
You can have someone to talk to
Traveling alone is fun，but wouldn’t you feel lonely? Having a travel partner can remove the feeling of loneliness. This is especially true if you can get a travel companion who is very familiar with the place you, re traveling to. You don’ t have to ask any information from the locals, and you can increase the time you spend in the country.
One of the major headaches in traveling is the costs involved. You can’t simply ignore the rising price of hotels or plane tickets. You should also think about your daily needs, such as your food. Of course, you can’t simply go back without bringing any souvenirs (纪念品)to your friends and family. All these can ruin your budg- et(预算).However, when you have a travel friend, you can have someone to share the expenses with.
You can meet a good friend
Having a travel mate is a good way of meeting a new friend or even a lifelong partner. You can never count the number of couples who actually found their way into each other’s heart while traveling together in another country.
You can have someone to watch out for you
When you’re in a foreign land, you’ll never be really safe. You don’t know the rules as well as the culture of the people. A travel mate will be perfect to remind you of your duties in the country and to watch your back just in case you get lost. So why don’t you find a travel companion now?
Let’s find out how ...
1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?| A．To introduce a travel company. |
| B．To encourage us to have a travel partner. |
| C．To explain how to be a perfect travel partner. |
| D．To tell an interesting experience with a travel partner. |
| A．You can have someone to share the expenses with. |
| B．You can know the local culture well. |
| C．You can enjoy food with your partner. |
| D．You can save money by bargaining together. |
| A．Traveling alone is not fun. |
| B．Buying souvenirs isn’t necessary. |
| C．Many people fall in love when traveling. |
| D．It’s better to choose a stranger as a travel partner. |
| A．how to get along with a travel partner |
| B．how travel can benefit people |
| C．what we can learn from travel |
| D．how to find a travel partner |
