1 . One of Twitter’s main characters recently was a man who chose to keep his middle seat between a couple on a flight instead of moving to the side. The situation raised some questions: Who are these middle-seat lovers? What do they want?
Many of the thousands of replies suggested that the majority of the flying public cannot understand why someone would ever choose the middle over a window or an aisle (走廊). But among the majority appeared a few people who endorse middle seats. “In the middle seat I don’t feel I should lean one way or another and generally sit pretty comfortably,” one person wrote. Another added: “I’m not getting hit by someone walking down the aisle or luggage either.”
Kyle Burke, in Florida, said on Twitter that he usually exchanged seats when asked. “I didn’t want to sit between a couple that were upset with me,” he told The Washington Post. At 6-foot-7, Burke, 41, said he didn’t fit well in plane seats, anyway. So, he preferred the middle, which gives him double chance of having a chatty neighbor.
Frederick resident Samantha Jones told The Post by email that she usually chose the middle seat when traveling alone. As a mother of three, “Having personal space is a far-off memory.” she said. “Middle seats have the least amount of responsibility,” she wrote. “I don’t control the window shade and only have to get by one person to get out or to go to the bathroom.”
Despite the few fans, middle seats are still not likely to get much respect. “There’s nothing good in the middle seat,” Scott McCartney, the writer of the journal Middle Seat said. “The position’s infamy (臭名昭著) was part of the reason for the journal’s name.” He added: “People really care about the ‘middle seat’, so they are more likely to pick up this magazine on seeing it.”
1. How does the author start the text?| A．By challenging a common belief. | B．By raising a couple’s questions. |
| C．By comparing travelers’ preferences. | D．By presenting an unusual seat choice. |
| A．Exchange. | B．Resist. | C．Support. | D．Indicate. |
| A．It provides larger space. | B．It reduces unnecessary trouble. |
| C．It avoids family responsibilities. | D．It offers networking opportunities. |
| A．To catch readers’ eyes. | B．To voice his own taste. |
| C．To make people think. | D．To urge airlines to change. |
I was eight years old and wasn’t aware of all the arrangements being made for our journey as a family to London in 1950. My mother was in great pain and wished to visit specialists in London. My father reluctantly had to sell our property in Queensland. The day before we boarded the ship, Father unwillingly said goodbye to his five-year-old cattle dog, Spider, who was loved by us all. Father’s friend Sandy was to be his guardian while we were overseas, as he had been getting to know Spider for many weeks.
Six weeks later, an airletter arrived from Sandy, giving my father the news that Spider had run away just two weeks after we had sailed. Sandy had advertised constantly on ABC and other regional newspapers. Despite many “sightings”, the dog was never found. It seems Spider just kept running and searching for us. As he was cattle dog, my father thought he would shoe or dingo-trapped, because of his appearance. But our family thought that Father held a secrets hope that Spider was still alive.
We sailed back to Australia two years later and re-established our home. My father immediately began his own search for Spider. One cold winter’s Saturday morning eight months after our return, my father had a call from an elderly lady living on her own on the outskirts of the town. As she told my father on the telephone, it was “just glimpses of a dingo-type dog in the shadows” of her disused tennis court. That was enough for my father to interrupt my homework.
We set off in his blue and black Jensen car which he had brought back from England. It was hardly the right vehicle for the rough roads we travelled that day. Five and a half hours later, we found the run-down old property. Sadly, she told my father that the “dingo dog” hadn’t been around for a few days. My father had a strange look in his eye. He put two fingers to his lips and did his special whistle for Spider.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly there was a sound in the bush.
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Once home we had the task of getting all the prickles (刺) off him.
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As winter draws in, many flock to the south of China for its warmer climate and great beaches. However, those who are more daring head north looking for snowy adventures in the icy climates of Northeast China.
Harbin, whose name is said to originate from a Manchu word that means “a place for drying fishing nets”, sprung up from a small rural
The city flourished with the arrival of the Chinese Eastern Railway,
The city is
Apart from these festivals, the city has much more to offer, from its
While winter may be the best time
1. 亚运冠军的精神品质。
2. 亚运冠军带给你的启发。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 短文的题目已为你写好。
Growing up along with Champions
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The Olympics are a series of international athletic competitions held in different countries. They’re
The IOC has a complete guide for those
Despite being 75 years old, Chai Tixia’s expertise in Jianzi is truly impressive. With quick kicks, he effortlessly sends the Jianzi into the air and gracefully guides it to land
Jianzi,
While enjoyed throughout China, Jianzi
Chai’s spirited matches with his neighbors have a big audience
Having practiced Jianzi for over 30 years, Chai cherishes the physical and social
7 . Art comes in two main categories: realistic and abstract. Realistic art aims to show real-life scenes, people, and objects exactly as they appear. It involves paying close attention to details, making things look like photographs.
Realistic art is easy to understand. Viewers can easily recognize what is portrayed. Take the Mona Lisa, for example—it’s a realistic painting of a lady with a mysterious smile.
Unlike realistic art, abstract art is more about being creative.
As for personal preference, some people prefer the clear stories of realistic art while others are attracted to the mystery of abstract art, interpreting meanings in the shapes and forms. Together, the two kinds of art make the art world diverse and engaging.
| A．Both types of art take skills to make |
| B．Photographs preserve faces of folks from long ago |
| C．Grasping abstract art demands more artistic training |
| D．Both ways of creating art have their own value and beauty |
| E．In contrast, abstract art focuses less on realistic appearances |
| F．Artworks like this tell stories about history and everyday life |
| G．Artists have the freedom to go beyond real-life representations |
8 . “Why does grandpa have ear hair?” Just a few years ago my child was so curious to know “why” and “how” that we had to cut off her questions five minutes before bedtime. Now a soon-to-be fourth grader, she says that she dislikes school because “it’s not fiun to learm.” I am shocked. As a scientist and parent, I have done everything I can to promote a love of learning in my children. Where did I go wrong?
My child’s experience is not unique. Developmental psychologist Susan Engel notes that curiosity defined as “spontaneous (自发的)” investigation and eagerness for new information-drops dramatically in children by the fourth grade.
In Wonder: Childhood and the Lifelong Love of Science, Yale psychologist Frank C. Keil details the development of wonder — a spontaneous passion to explore, discover, and understand. He takes us on a journey from its early development, when wonder drives common sense and scientific reasoning, through the drop-off in wonder that often occurs, to the trap of life in a society that devalues wonder.
As Keil notes, children are particularly rich in wonder while they are rapidly developing causal mechanisms (因果机制) in the preschool and early elementary school years. They are sensitive to the others’ knowledge and goals, and they expertly use their desire for questioning. Children’s questions, particularly those about “why” and “how” support the development of causal mechanisms which can be used to help their day-to-day reasoning.
Unfortunately, as Keil notes, “adults greatly underestimate young children’s causal mechanisms.” In the book, Wonder, Keil shows that we can support children’s ongoing wonder by playing games with them as partners, encouraging question-asking, and focusing on their abilities to reason and conclude.
A decline in wonder is not unavoidable. Keil reminds us that we can accept wonder as a desirable positive quality that exists in everyone. I value wonder deeply, and Wonder has given me hope by proposing a future for my children that will remain wonder-full.
1. What is a common problem among fourth graders?| A．They upset their parents too often. | B．They ask too many strange questions. |
| C．Their love for fun disappears quickly. | D．Their desire to learn declines sharply. |
| A．They control children’s sensitivity. | B．They slightly change in early childhood. |
| C．They hardly support children’s reasoning. | D．They develop through children’s questioning. |
| A．By monitoring their games. | B．By welcoming inquiring minds. |
| C．By estimating their abilities. | D．By providing reasonable conclusions. |
| A．A book review. | B．A news report. | C．A research paper. | D．A children’s story. |
The village of Dafen, China was once thought
Things started to change for Dafen in 2008, when the global financial crisis cut down overseas
China is the world’s second-largest art market. But it is not clear where Dafen fits in. Locals say the demand for their paintings
10 . Many people are fascinated by the idea of being a journalist. They get to travel to different places, meet different people, and share their thoughts with a large audience. Peng Yixuan, studying digital media at the Communication University of China, has been a video journalist at China Daily for almost five years.
Peng is well-known for her vlogs recording big national events and taking the audience along for the ride. But the process of his becoming a famous vlogger was quite accidental. “When I came up with the idea of recording two sessions in the form of a vlog with just my phone in 2019, the others on my team felt unsure about it,” Peng said. “But we decided to give it a try, and it went viral.”
Compared with traditional media journalists, those in new media are “almighty (全能的)”. “From Script (脚本) writing to video editing, we need to be competitive in each step of the video-making process,” Peng said. “We also need to react fast to the latest news and think of what young people are curious about. Bringing the serious-natured national event closer to ordinary people is what I believe to be the reason for success.
Also, it’s important to “care”. Peng said that only when you actually care about the people and the topic you are covering will you make the interviewees open up and touch the hearts of your audience. “I’m an ENFP-an extroverted (外向的) person. I’m always curious about the lives of others and want to engage with them,” she said. Once, Peng tried to interview an ambassador. She saw him reject many journalists before her. “I knew I couldn’t simply ask him to do the interview.” Instead, she said, “Your outfit is so cool! Are these traditional clothes from your country?” That’s what got him to start talking to her.
Peng’s job makes her see the necessity and power of international communication. “I can feel the changes in Chinese media over the past few decades,” Peng said. “We went from telling stories from abroad to telling the world our stories. As a journalist, it’s my honour to be a part of it.”
1. What do we know about Peng Yixuan?| A．She starts her journalist career this year. |
| B．She is only good at video editing skills. |
| C．She always seeks interactions with others. |
| D．She was sure that her vlog would go viral. |
| A．News-audience engagement. |
| B．Timely capture of latest news. |
| C．High writing and editing skill. |
| D．Curiosity towards young people. |
| A．To show she is an outgoing and careful person. |
| B．To illustrate the importance of care in interviewing. |
| C．To prove she has more advantages than other journalists. |
| D．To show she likes communicating and engaging with people. |
| A．How to become a journalist | B．A new journalist and v logger |
| C．Reporting with her own style | D．Peng went viral in new media |
