1 . Michael Todd wore the same clothes every day for the first three weeks of school. The other kids began to notice that he was wearing the
Two of kids laughing at him were Antwan Garrett and Kristopher Graham, a pair of freshman football players. But over time, they realized that their
“I felt like I need to do something,” Graham said to Garrett. So they
“He wasn’t smiling or anything but I thought this was going to make him smile,” Graham said. They apologized for laughing at him. They then handed Todd a big
“
A.large | B.small | C.very | D.loose |
A.nothing | B.something | C.everything | D.anything |
A.afford | B.determine | C.refuse | D.promise |
A.angry | B.hurtful | C.empty | D.plain |
A.record | B.rule | C.spirit | D.silence |
A.thought of | B.gave up | C.focused on | D.turned down |
A.broke | B.passed | C.swept | D.searched |
A.curious | B.enthusiastic | C.amazed | D.anxious |
A.coat | B.bag | C.document | D.bottle |
A.other than | B.instead of | C.as well as | D.in spite of |
A.alone | B.straight | C.still | D.aside |
A.teammates | B.roommates | C.friends | D.relatives |
A.Concentrating on | B.Recalling | C.Taking up | D.Forgetting |
A.school | B.hall | C.store | D.classroom |
A.last | B.first | C.worst | D.best |
2 . Take a look at your fingers. Would you believe me if I told you that the length of your fingers in relation to one another can predict your personality? I know that it sounds like one of those silly tests you see on Facebook, but I have to admit that it was spot-on for me.
Look at your three middle fingers of your left hand. Is your index finger(食指)longer than your ring finger? Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? Or are the two the same length?
Category 1: A longer ring finger. If your ring finger is longer than your index finger, research shows that you’re likely a charming type, and you can probably talk yourself out of any situation. Others often find this personality type irresistible(无法抵制的)and will go to great lengths to help you. You’re more likely to take risks, and you’re good at problem-solving. People in this category make great engineers, soldiers and crossword-puzzle solvers.
Category 2: A longer index finger. If your index finger is longer than your ring finger, chances are that you are full of confidence — possibly even to the point of being over-confident and too proud. You are not necessarily shy, but you do enjoy time to yourself especially when you’re trying to complete a project. You are a determined go-getter who can make things happen, but you may be shy when it comes to taking the first step in building up a friendship. You are also probably happy with what you have, but you’re always wishing for more.
Category 3: The two are the same length. If your index finger and ring finger are roughly the same length, you are likely to avoid conflict at all costs and seek to keep the peace in your relationships. You are well-organized, faithful and sympathetic. But deep down under all of that caring and peace-loving, you also can go mad unexpectedly when you’re pushed too far.
How well did these descriptions match your personality? I was surprised at the accuracy in my case.
1. What might people with a long ring finger tend to be like?A.Creative. | B.Attractive. | C.Hard-working. | D.Harm-hearted. |
A.They are not welcome most of the time. |
B.They always feel confident and never feel shy. |
C.They are always satisfied with what they have. |
D.They prefer to be left alone when working on a project. |
A.The crossword-puzzle solver. | B.The adventurer. |
C.The peacemaker. | D.The sweet talker. |
A.Never believe the silly tests on Facebook. |
B.The length of fingers can show personality. |
C.Why your fingers are not of the same length. |
D.How to find out about one’s personality exactly. |
3 . Jose Alberto Gutierrez’s life would never be the same again after finding a copy of Anna Karenina 20 years ago. It happened that he was driving his garbage truck through wealthier neighborhoods and seeing books thrown away by the rich. It inspired him to start rescuing books from the trash. Eventually, he turned his book collection into a community library.
In Colombia’s capital city of Bogota, libraries tend to be far away from poorer communities. The choice of buying new books is non-existent for poor families and having access to a library of books is a luxury. Gutierrez grew up poor, and his family could not afford to educate him beyond primary school. But his mother was a passionate reader and read stories to him every night. Her love for books left a deep impression on Gutierrez, who never let a lack of formal education stop him.
Today, his community library, “The Strength of Words”, occupies most of his home and is piled from floor to ceiling with fiction and non-fiction titles. Everything from school textbooks to storybooks can be found in his collection of over 20,000 books! The Strength of Words library is open every weekend, and children in Gutierrez’s neighbourhood are allowed to look through the book collection. Adults are also welcome to expand their vision and develop new skills for a better life.
Today, the Gutierrez family doesn’t only want to start libraries in neighbourhoods. They want to create more safe spaces for school children to spend their time reading. This is important for kids living in Bogota where many young people waste time in the streets.
Gutierrez’s journey to give treasure back to his local community is an amazing example of how every one of us can improve the lives of those around us by identifying needs, investing time and finding a simple solution. We can take a leaf out of Gutierrez’s book and act the same way.
1. Where might Gutierrez find a copy of Anna Karenina?A.In the trash. | B.In a community library. |
C.In a rich man’s house. | D.In his garbage truck. |
A.It aims to recycle and reuse the garbage. |
B.It is supported by wealthier communities. |
C.It is in the charge of his passionate mother. |
D.It makes knowledge accessible to poor kids. |
A.We should value Gutierrez’s spirit of paying back. |
B.We can follow Gutierrez’s example to help others. |
C.We should go to visit Gutierrez’s library personally. |
D.We can donate deserted books to Gutierrez’s library. |
A.From Trash to Treasure | B.The Books of Gutierrez |
C.From Home to Community | D.The Strength of Reading |
Nowadays, while the high-speed train is gaining increasing
Above all, the ticket price of the green train is so cheap that every average person can afford it,
Now the green train still exists and represents part of Chinese history. Not only does the green train reflect the speed of China’s development,
5 . Eric Erdman is all about helping others, especially children. The 20-year-old Pennsylvania native
“When I got diagnosed with cancer, I didn’t want to focus on the bad times,” he said. “I wanted to be happy and
Putting no time to
“We had so many amazing
“When I was being
A.founded | B.engaged | C.constructed | D.elected |
A.image | B.form | C.structure | D.sense |
A.exposed to | B.limited to | C.devoted to | D.adjusted to |
A.realized | B.felt | C.collected | D.experienced |
A.protective | B.courageous | C.available | D.resistant |
A.exactly | B.ultimately | C.approximately | D.obviously |
A.mind | B.effect | C.use | D.waste |
A.launched | B.sponsored | C.recommended | D.offered |
A.in need | B.in trouble | C.in charge | D.in pcace |
A.estimations | B.applications | C.introductions | D.presentations |
A.participant | B.donor | C.recipient | D.partner |
A.last | B.regular | C.normal | D.first |
A.bullied | B.confronted | C.punished | D.accused |
A.piano | B.weight | C.single | D.clinic |
A.lesson | B.insight | C.story | D.fortune |
6 . Be Aware of What You’re Scanning!
Anyone who entered a restaurant during the pandemic knows that the QR code is a contactless way to look at a menu and order.
So you need to be extra careful if you’re sent a QR code. A QR code is a bit like a shortened URL (网址) when it comes to a scam.
Here are some QR code security tips:
·If you receive a message from a stranger, don’t scan the QR code, even if he/she promises you exciting gifts.
·Be doubtful if, after scanning a QR code, a password or a login information is requested.
·If a QR code appears to come from a well-known company or government department, take extra time to go to the official website to confirm it.
·If a URL-shortened link appears when you scan a QR code, understand that you can’t know where the code is directing you.
·Download a QR scanner with added security to your smartphone. Some companies have developed software that checks the safety of a scanned link before you open it.
·
A.It could be hiding a malicious URL. |
B.Don’t give out that extra information. |
C.It might bring about a bug to your phone. |
D.Don’t forget to restart your smartphone often. |
E.This is a fantastic way to experience life in a new age. |
F.And now, scammers want to offer you that touchless experience, too. |
G.You will not be able to immediately see where the links will take you. |
7 . International scientists have found that people from different cultures around the world like and dislike the same kinds of smells.
The researchers, from Oxford University and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, tested smell preferences in 235 people. “We wanted to examine if people around the world have the same smell perception (感知能力) and like the same types of smell, or whether this is something that is culturally learned,” said the study author Dr. Artin Arshamian.
The scientists took 10 different scents and presented them to 235 people from nine different cultures to find out what was universally loved and hated. Dr. Arshamian said the people lived in various places, including rainforests, coasts, mountains and cities, and were therefore exposed to very different smells. The 235 people were asked to rank smells on a scale of pleasant to unpleasant. Different people within each group had their own preferences, but there were very few differences between the groups overall.
Vanilla was consistently ranked the most pleasant smell by the groups, followed by peaches and lavender. The least pleasant smell was isovaleric acid (异戊酸), which is found in many foods, such as cheese, soy milk and apple juice, but also in foot sweat.
“The smells we like or dislike are partly determined by personal preference but also by the molecular structure, or chemical makeup of the particular smell, which explains why we like or dislike a certain smell,” said the scientists.
1. What do we know about the participants?A.They are of all ages. | B.They are from ten countries. |
C.They have colorful lifestyles. | D.They live in different environments. |
A.Vanilla is widely used in the world. |
B.Apple juice is the least preferred food. |
C.People’s smell preferences vary with altitude. |
D.Culture has very little to do with smell preferences. |
A.Because they have similar smell perception. |
B.Because they share common growing background. |
C.Because few individuals have their own smell tastes. |
D.Because sense of smell is mainly decided by personal tastes. |
A.By analyzing cases. | B.By conducting surveys. |
C.By performing observations | D.By reviewing documents. |
8 . Artworks get dirty. Art that has been around for centuries gets even dirtier. If any art is cleaned too often or with some harmful chemical materials, it can be ruined in an instant. In Italy, some scientists were tasked with cleaning status by Michelangelo at the Medici Chapels. They knew that just using soap and water wasn’t going to work because there were too many layers of dirt on them. So, what did they do? They made bacteria, which have traditionally been viewed as a threat to art, do the dirty work.
Michelangelo’s marble statues have been stained since the 16th century. Experts could not use a common chemical cleaner because it would easily cause great damage to or even destroy the details of the valuable pieces. Luckily, scientists developed a substance with bacteria that could eliminate the dirt without damaging the marble. The scientists tested several kinds of bacteria on small pieces of marble before finding the one that worked best to swallow the dirt. After seeing positive effects, they later applied the bacteria to whole statues. In the end, the substance turned out to be very effective. It is now considered the best way to get such statues to look new again.
After the special treatment, the statues began to glow again and visitors were impressed when admiring them. While the works will never look exactly the same as they did 500 years ago when they were first made and brand new, at least they now look much better.
1. Why weren’t water and soap used to clean the statues?A.Because the artworks could fade. |
B.Because the statues might be broken. |
C.Because the stain was too old to clean up. |
D.Because the material was too fragile to clean. |
A.Eat away. | B.Tidy up. | C.Blow away. | D.Wrap up. |
A.The statues were thoroughly cleaned. |
B.Some bacteria are the “natural enemies” of dust. |
C.The cleaned artworks are identical to what they used to be. |
D.The cultivated bacterium is the best cleaner to the artworks. |
A.A Special Substance Works Best on Marble. |
B.A New Cleaning Bacterium Catches Our Eye. |
C.Bacteria Rescue Priceless Works of Italian Art. |
D.Ancient Italian Artworks Take on a New Look. |
9 . The 36-year-old Jia Juntingxian was born in Pingxiang, Jiangxi Province, and was blind in both eyes due to congenital eye disease. She showed athletic talent since childhood and was selected as a track and field athlete by Jiangxi Disabled Persons’ Federation.
Although she can’t see the world, Jia breaks through the “immediate” obstacles again and again while running, letting the world see her. In her sports career, Jia has won 43 national and world-class sports medals. Among them, in 2016, she broke the world record and stood on the podium(领奖台)of the women’s T11-T13 4×100-meter relay event at the Rio Paralympics.
In 2017, Jia retired and chose to become a teacher at a special education school. Just a year ago, she found out that two young brothers, with visual impairments(视觉障碍), wanted to be an athlete. They had never attended a special education school and never achieved their athletic dream. Jia could only help them attend a local special education school. The experience made her realize that these children living in remote areas may have little knowledge of special education. Even she didn’t know about such schools until late into her education. As a result, she decided to become more involved with special education.
Changing from a Paralympic competitor to a special education teacher, Jia said that there is no discomfort, “Because I understand the students as well as myself and knows the inconveniences and difficulties of the children. I hope that every child is like a different seed. Through hard study, they can bravely realize their own life.”
Jia also has paid close attention to the rights and interests of disabled people. In 2021, Jia proposed the construction of audible traffic signals for blind people. Her advice to local authorities on dog management has resulted in more indoor public places allowing the disabled to enter with their assistance dogs. Jia and her husband founded a massage(按摩)shop and currently employ 16 visually impaired people, with an average monthly salary of 3500 yuan per person.
Jia always believes that the world is a circle, as long as the love of others is constantly passed on, the whole society will be full of love!
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?A.Challenges in Jia Juntingxian’s sports career. |
B.Jia Juntingxian’s achievements in sports competitions. |
C.Reasons for Jia Juntingxian to be a field athlete. |
D.Jia Juntingxian’s efforts to win the Rio Paralympics. |
A.The good salary at the local school. |
B.Her desire for enriching her life after sports. |
C.The difficult situation of disabled children. |
D.Her responsibility of looking after her brothers. |
A.By offering them working opportunities. |
B.By designing more traffic signals for them. |
C.By organizing long-term volunteer services. |
D.By giving advice on training their assistance dogs. |
A.Caring and cautious. |
B.Patient and generous. |
C.Humorous and brave. |
D.Kind-hearted and helpful. |
The traditional Chinese craft of turning thick bamboo into delicate slices achieves fame on overseas short video platform TikTok, receiving more than 10 million
Anne,
Bamboo weaving art,