An Act of Neighborliness
The skies were dark. A strong wind was blowing hard, cutting my face like a sharp knife. Rain fell in big drops and thunder and lightning flashed across the skies. I shook with cold and fear as I walked home, through the streams of muddy water. Some people were rushing by, completely wet in the heavy rain.
Along the way, I saw some schoolchildren holding their heavy schoolbags tightly and rushing home, I also saw that some road repair work had been abandoned by workers. Obviously, the workers had left in a hurry because of the storm. There were few signs and it was hard to see what was on the road. There were pieces of wood and metal and it looked like a hole had been dug and hurriedly covered with boards.
I moved on but suddenly stopped as I heard some sounds. It sounded like children crying. I quickly turned back and went back to the place from where the sounds came. I was frightened! To my sadness, I found that a small child had fallen into the hole on the road. The boards had moved away with the force of the rushing water. I could hardly see the child as it was dark all around me. I told he that I was going to look for help. I knew the neighbors well, and they all shared a sense of neighborliness, willing to give a hand.
注意：1．续写词数应为150左右；2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。Actually, I was not sure of what to do or where to go but decided to go to the nearest house for help.
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The parents of the child who just arrived from work were totally shocked to hear of what had happened.
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2 . Camogli looks like any other small Italian coastal town. The little
This fishing village is full of trompe l’oeil — an art form in which nothing is what it appears to be. While some flowers die, others live for years. Why? Because they’re
Trompe l’oeil has been around for centuries.
And today? There are still many trompe l’oeil houses in villages like Camogli, but only a few artists are
His
Carlos painting style
Fortunately, in Camogli, local art and culture are still
| A．colored | B．crowded | C．damp | D．wooden |
| A．fancy | B．novel | C．real | D．valuable |
| A．carved | B．pressed | C．painted | D．planted |
| A．Creatively | B．Mistakenly | C．Frequently | D．Originally |
| A．closely | B．easily | C．happily | D．hopefully |
| A．comfortable | B．complicated | C．grand | D．harmonious |
| A．allowed | B．available | C．responsible | D．introduced |
| A．designers | B．followers | C．customers | D．partners |
| A．appearance | B．capacity | C．convenience | D．privacy |
| A．civilized | B．faraway | C．natural | D．unexpected |
| A．comes from | B．brings about | C．goes against | D．leaves out |
| A．artists | B．buildings | C．paints | D．traditions |
| A．accepted | B．discussed | C．learned | D．seen |
| A．changing | B．alive | C．diverse | D．unique |
| A．believe | B．block | C．widen | D．cheat |
It is no secret that China has an incredibly rich, complex and ancient history and culture. My first
Culture and food are closely connected and perhaps nowhere else can this be seen more clearly
4 . Seeing kids doing amazing things, you have to stop. When we tell you a 9- year- old Indian weightlifter, Arshia Goswami, made us do a double take, we aren’t
Arshia, a(n)
In a recent post, she
The video was titled “The youngest and strongest Indian” and people were impressed. She gained
The fact that Arshia is so young and so strong was not
| A．hesitating | B．kidding | C．complaining | D．responding |
| A．teacher | B．judge | C．professional | D．audience |
| A．spread | B．reported | C．attained | D．collected |
| A．records | B．plans | C．changes | D．arranges |
| A．known | B．fit | C．connected | D．sincere |
| A．sets out | B．comes back | C．goes away | D．shows off |
| A．opposed | B．accustomed | C．adapted | D．committed |
| A．tournament | B．music | C．schedule | D．project |
| A．randomly | B．easily | C．freely | D．tightly |
| A．respect | B．doubt | C．experience | D．access |
| A．education | B．talent | C．health | D．development |
| A．efficient | B．modern | C．reliable | D．incredible |
| A．stage | B．game | C．life | D．story |
| A．lost | B．based | C．dependent | D．passed |
| A．remembered | B．believed | C．praised | D．welcomed |
5 . PFAS are found in nonstick pans, water-proof fabrics and food packaging. They’re called forever chemicals because of their ability to stick around and not break down. Now, using a bit of heat and two relatively common compounds, researchers have degraded (降解) the chemical in the lab.
While some scientists have found relatively simple ways of breaking down select PFAS, most degradation methods require harsh processes using intense pressure — in some cases over 22 mega-pascals — or extremely high temperatures — sometimes upwards of 1,000℃ — to break the chemical bonds.
William Dichtel, from Northwestern University in Evanston, and his team experimented with two substances found in nearly every chemistry lab; sodium hydroxide (氢氧化钠), also known as lye, and a solvent (溶剂) called DMSO. The team worked specifically on a group of forever chemicals which contain a large percentage of PFAS.
When the team combined chemicals with the lye and DMSO at 120℃ and with no extra pressure needed, the carbolic acid (羧酸) fell off the chemicals and became carbon dioxide. “What happened next was unexpected, ” Dichtel said. The loss of the acid helped degrade the chemicals into fluoride ions (氟离子) and smaller carbon-containing products, leaving behind no harmful by-products.
“It’s a neat method; it’s different from others that have been tried,” says Chris Sales, an environmental engineer at Drexel University in Philadelphia who was not involved in the study. “The biggest question is how this could be adapted and scaled up. Understanding this mechanism is just one step in undoing forever chemicals,” Sales said.
This process wouldn’t work to deal with PFAS in the environment, because it requires a concentrated amount of the chemicals, but it could one day be used in wastewater treatment plants, where the pollutants could be filtered out of the water, concentrated and then broken down.
1. What can we learn about the previous ways to break down PFAS?| A．They’re eco-friendly. | B．They’ve been widely used. |
| C．They’re difficult to operate. | D．They’re regarded as useless. |
| A．They experimented with different solvents. |
| B．They tried two very common substances. |
| C．They tested every group of forever chemicals, |
| D．They exposed chemicals to extreme temperatures. |
| A．Environmentally-friendly reactions occurred. |
| B．The carboxylic acid became carbon dioxide. |
| C．No extra pressure was needed for the trial. |
| D．The lye and DMSO could work at 120℃, |
| A．It is difficult to deal with PFAS in the environment. |
| B．This mechanism will soon be used in the environment. |
| C．The method will be applied to different kinds of chemicals. |
| D．More research is needed before the method is widely used. |
6 . Whom should you marry? Where should you live? How should you spend your time? For centuries, people have relied on their gut instincts (直觉) to figure out the answers to these life-changing questions. Now, though, there is a better way. We are living through a data explosion, as vast amounts of information about all aspects of human behavior have become more and more accessible. We can use this big data to help determine the best course to chart.
There has long been overwhelming- and often surprising- evidence that algorithms (算法) can be much better than people at making difficult decisions. Researchers have collected data on various kinds of choices people make, the information they base those choices on, and how things turn out. They have found, for example, that a simple data-driven algorithm would have been better than judges at deciding whether a defendant should stay in jail (监狱) or be released; better than doctors at deciding whether a patient should get a procedure; and better than school principals at deciding which teachers should be promoted.
The power of data analysis has been proved in the sports and business worlds, too. As made famous by the book and movie Moneyball, baseball teams found that algorithms were better than scouts (物色优秀运动员的人) at picking players, and better than managers at picking strategies. In finance, the hedge fund (避险基金) Renaissance Technologies dramatically defeated competitors by seeking out patterns in stock market data and using them to inform its investment strategy. Tech firms in Silicon Valley have found that data from experiments provides better insights into how to design their websites than designers could.
These are the early days of the data revolution in decision-making. I am not claiming that we can completely outsource (外包) our lifestyle choices to algorithms, though we might get to that point in the future. I am claiming instead that we can all dramatically improve our decision-making by consulting evidence mined from thousands or millions of people who faced dilemmas similar to ours. And we can do that now.
1. What makes people better at finding answers to life-changing questions?| A．People’s better gut instincts. | B．Changed human behavior. |
| C．The modern information era. | D．Various courses accessible. |
| A．court rulings | B．job promotions |
| C．operative estimation | D．teaching practices |
| A．The plot of the movie Moneyball is related to successful data analysis. |
| B．Scouts and managers are not needed in successful baseball teams. |
| C．The hedge fund Renaissance Technologies had some financial problems. |
| D．Tech firms in Silicon Valley mainly relied on data to design websites. |
| A．The modern information era is mature enough to take advantage of. |
| B．People should outsource all the lifestyle choices to algorithms. |
| C．With big data people can learn from countless similar examples. |
| D．Face-to-face consultation will be the major trend in the future. |
7 . Rushing over to take a picture with Mickey Mouse, Emma Sinclair, from Australia, smiled at the camera and said, “I can’t
There was another
She loved children, but she decided not to have children,
In 2 020, a
Though her treatment for the tumour remains ongoing, she has lots to
| A．arrange | B．stop | C．claim | D．wait |
| A．land | B．history | C．love | D．popularity |
| A．match | B．reason | C．charge | D．admiration |
| A．form | B．adapt | C．join | D．take |
| A．did away with | B．got on with | C．came up with | D．ended up with |
| A．proud | B．afraid | C．ashamed | D．certain |
| A．As a result | B．On average | C．In a word | D．In general |
| A．resolution | B．presentation | C．information | D．satisfaction |
| A．sincere | B．lucky | C．relevant | D．traditional |
| A．simple | B．serious | C．regular | D．relative |
| A．lost | B．developed | C．avoided | D．hid |
| A．character | B．background | C．spirit | D．movement |
| A．expect | B．abandon | C．consult | D．recall |
| A．works | B．reduces | C．worsens | D．improves |
| A．sensitively | B．casually | C．formally | D．positively |
8 . Lindsey Stallworth, a high school student from Alabama, is on her way to a promising career in paleontology (古生物学) due to an unexpected discovery on family property. For years, she had been collecting fossils on their land in Monroe County, unaware of significant scientific value. However, her teacher at the Alabama School of Math and Science, Dr. Andrew Gentry, a paleontologist himself, took an interest when she showed him her collection.
“Upon examining the fossil shark teeth Lindsey presented, I quickly identified one and became eager to learn about its origin,” said Andrew.
Lindsey guided her teacher through the rural area where she had unearthed various relics, including shark teeth. Before long, they encountered an especially significant find on the grounds: a large bone from a 34-million-year-old whale skeleton! This led the pair to launch the huge project of uncovering the rest of the bones. After two months of hard work, they’ve managed to find the animal’s skull (颅骨).
“Assuming the entire skeleton is present, it may require several years for us to have the entire animal back in the lab,” Andrew explained.
Lindsey secured a research scholarship to persist in her fossil-digging expeditions alongside her instructor. Her enthusiasm for the project was at an all-time high, though she had never imagined a childhood pastime would lead her down this road. “We would go out and pick up shark teeth and fossil shells, but we never knew anyone that could tell us anything about them,” she recalled. “We just thought they were cool.”
“The Research Fellows Program allows Lindsey to gain real-world experience in scientific research and even present that research at professional conferences,” Andrew said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a high school student to stand out when applying to college and maybe even discover a new career path.”
1. Why was Andrew fascinated by Lindsey’s finds?| A．He had a personal interest in geography. |
| B．He recognized the significance of one fossil. |
| C．He was hoping to be financially independent. |
| D．He wanted to start a paleontology club at school. |
| A．A primitive whale’s bone. | B．Some fossil shells. |
| C．An animal’s skull. | D．Some shark teeth. |
| A．Risky but interesting. | B．Dangerous but rewarding. |
| C．Demanding but motivating. | D．Boring but groundbreaking. |
| A．The unexpected joy of discovering fossils. |
| B．The additional benefits of applying to college. |
| C．Lindsey’s potential to become a high school teacher. |
| D．Lindsey’s unique opportunities for future development. |
9 . How often is your mind quiet? If you’re a typical human being, the answer is probably very rarely. For most of our days, our attention is focused on external things—the tasks of our jobs, TV programs, or social media interactions. In the moments when our attention isn’t focused externally, it’s usually focused on what is called “thought-chatter”—a stream of mental associations consisting of expectations of the future, memories, daydreams, and so on.
But from time to time, we all experience moments when our thought-chatter quiets down, or even disappears altogether. In these moments, we experience a sense of great well-being. We feel a sense of inner harmony. We feel as if we’re free of problems, and feel satisfied with our lives as they are.
There are many activities that have the effect of quieting our minds, and so produce a state of well-being.
For example, think about what happens when you go walking in the countryside. You might feel stressed when you start out, but slowly, after a couple of miles, your mind begins to settle down. The beauty and stillness of nature attracts your attention and you’re no longer in your thought-chatter. By the end of the walk you feel almost like a different person. You feel more alive, and much happier—largely because your mind is now quiet.
This is why people love to look at beautiful works of art. When people see the paintings of Monet or van Gogh, they experience a mind-stopping moment, in which they’re taken out of their thinking minds and experience a sense of great well-being.
The strange thing is, though, that most of the time this happens unconsciously (不知不觉地). We usually don’t associate this well-being with a quiet mind. And we usually don’t think of a quiet mind as the aim or result of these activities.
Our estimate of how enjoyable an activity is may depend on its mind-stopping capacity. In other words, the very best performances—and the most rewarding activities—are those which are so attractive and intense that they can completely stop our minds.
I’m not saying that inner quietness is the only reason why we enjoy these activities. Nevertheless, we should certainly become more aware of the association of a quiet mind with well-being. And at the same time we should be aware that it’s possible for us to consciously and directly create a quiet mind; rather than as a byproduct of certain activities. And in the end we might develop a permanent quiet mind and attain a state of ongoing contentment and harmony.
1. What can be inferred about thought-chatter?| A．It requires a lot of practice. |
| B．It might be unpleasant at times. |
| C．It might be a talk with a friend. |
| D．It helps reach a state of silence. |
| A．What activities lead to well-being. |
| B．What can be done to reduce stress. |
| C．How we can make our minds quiet. |
| D．How mental quietness leads to well-being. |
| A．By judging how much stress it can increase. |
| B．By judging whether it takes place unconsciously. |
| C．By judging to what extent it can quiet our minds. |
| D．By judging whether it associates with well-being. |
| A．Creating a quiet mind for all time. |
| B．Living a peaceful life permanently. |
| C．Being in harmony with inner quietness. |
| D．Participating in activities for inner quietness. |
10 . Aesha Ash is a ballet dancer who began The Swan Dreams Project in 2011. It is a program designed to bring ballet to girls of color in her community. Aesha Ash is one of the few women of color to ever grace the stages of the School of American Ballet in New York City. She wants to expose her community to more positive images of women of color through the use of ballet. She wants to show the world that beauty and grace are not defined by status or race.
Aesha grew up in the inner city of Rochester, New York, where crime, gun violence and poverty were among the biggest threats to the community. For her, that’s normal. That’s just life in the neighborhood, but what she remembers most is the dance studio. She started dancing at the age of five. A teacher mentioned to her mother that she had some promise in ballet, and that it would be difficult for her, as a woman of color, to enter the ballet world. But the hardship she faced was the very thing that pushed her to pursue a career in ballet.
And there’s so much negative stereotypes (刻板印象) and misunderstanding of who they are in the media. Through the use of imagery and her career as a ballet dancer, she challenges stereotypes that exist for women of color, particularly those from inner-city communities.
“It’s important that our girls see that side of themselves because for many kids it’s hard to be what you can’t see. I hadn’t seen a black ballet dancer before I decided that was what I wanted to be. It was really important for me to be in my environment displaying that because this is where I’m from. It was always beyond ballet,” Aesha Ash stated.
1. Why did Aesha start The Swan Dreams Project?| A．To promote the images of females of color by ballet. |
| B．To expose her community to a world of women of color. |
| C．To grace the stages of the School of American Ballet. |
| D．To show the world that beauty and grace are defined by status. |
| A．Comfortable. | B．Ancient. | C．Peaceful. | D．Unsafe. |
| A．Aesha had a gift for ballet according to her teacher. |
| B．The hardship Aesha faced was the color of her skin. |
| C．Acsha wanted to be a ballet dancer because of a woman dancer of color. |
| D．It is not easy to change the stereotypes that exist for women of color. |
| A．A teacher provides chances for girls of color. | B．A woman brings ballet to the girls of color. |
| C．Ballet changes the life of a woman of color. | D．A woman has changed the negative stereotypes. |
