1 . The guy who tried to edit English
The English vocabulary is not only huge, but also full of words that mean practically(几乎) the same thing- Get, obtain, acquire. Shine, gleam, glow, sparkle.
That was the thinking of a British writer named C. K. Ogden, who in the 1930s proposed (提议) a new form of English with a vocabulary of just 850 words. He called the project Basic English
Ogden arrived at his 850-word list through experimentation, rephrasing texts over and over until he was satisfied. The words he finally included were not necessarily the shortest or most concrete.
Winston Churchill was a fan of the concept as a way to get foreigners to speak English, and he encouraged the BBC to use it.
| A．Do we really need them all? |
| B．How many words are there in English? |
| C．Ogden himself didn't actually use Basic English. |
| D．Plenty of seemingly basic words did not make the list at all. |
| E．He also tried to persuade President Franklin Roosevelt to promote it. |
| F．He believed it would make the language more efficient and easier to learn. |
| G．Despite attention from world leaders, Basic English never got very far off the drawing board. |
2 . Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.
Let’s state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?
In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It’s said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different color or belief—they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.
A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender(性别)are “really, really smart.” Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief: Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart.” Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn’t take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.
Here’s the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we’re all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors(因素)like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance(毅力), and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world.”
1. What does the author think of victors’ standards for joining the genius club?| A．They’re unfair. | B．They’re conservative. |
| C．They’re objective. | D．They’re strict. |
| A．They think themselves smart. |
| B．They look up to great thinkers. |
| C．They see gender differences earlier than boys. |
| D．They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs |
| A．Improved global communication. |
| B．Less discrimination against women. |
| C．Acceptance of victors’ concepts. |
| D．Changes in people’s social positions. |
| A．Geniuses Think Alike | B．Genius Takes Many Forms |
| C．Genius and Intelligence | D．Genius and Luck |
3 . You’ve heard that plastic is polluting the oceans — between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes enter ocean ecosystems every year. But does one plastic straw or cup really make a difference? Artist Benjamin Von Wong wants you to know that it does. He builds massive sculptures out of plastic garbage, forcing viewers to re-examine their relationship to single-use plastic products.
At the beginning of the year, the artist built a piece called “Strawpocalypse,” a pair of 10-foot-tall plastic waves, frozen mid-crash. Made of 168,000 plastic straws collected from several volunteer beach cleanups, the sculpture made its first appearance at the Estella Place shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Just 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. Plastic straws are by no means the biggest source (来源) of plastic pollution, but they’ve recently come under fire because most people don’t need them to drink with and, because of their small size and weight, they cannot be recycled. Every straw that’s part of Von Wong’s artwork likely came from a drink that someone used for only a few minutes. Once the drink is gone, the straw will take centuries to disappear.
In a piece from 2018, Von Wong wanted to illustrate (说明) a specific statistic: Every 60 seconds, a truckload’s worth of plastic enters the ocean. For this work, titled “Truckload of Plastic,” Von Wong and a group of volunteers collected more than 10,000 pieces of plastic, which were then tied together to look like they’d been dumped (倾倒) from a truck all at once.
Von Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.
1. What are Von Wong’s artworks intended for?| A．Beautifying the city he lives in. | B．Introducing eco-friendly products. |
| C．Drawing public attention to plastic waste. | D．Reducing garbage on the beach. |
| A．To show the difficulty of their recycling. |
| B．To explain why they are useful. |
| C．To voice his views on modern art. |
| D．To find a substitute for them. |
| A．Calming. | B．Disturbing. |
| C．Refreshing. | D．Challenging. |
| A．Artists’ Opinions on Plastic Safety |
| B．Media Interest in Contemporary Art |
| C．Responsibility Demanded of Big Companies |
| D．Ocean Plastics Transformed into Sculptures |
4 . Procrastinators (拖延症患者)，take note: If you’ve tried building self-control and you’re still putting things off, maybe you need to try something different. One new approach: Check your mood.
Often, procrastinators attempt to avoid the anxiety or worry aroused by a tough task with activities aimed at repairing their mood, such as checking Facebook or taking a nap. But the pattern, which researchers call “giving in to feel good,” makes procrastinators feel worse later, when they face the consequences of missing a deadline or making a last-minute effort, says Timothy Pychyl, an associate professor of psychology at Carleton University.
Increasingly, psychologists and time-management consultants are focusing on a new strategy: helping procrastinators see how attempts at mood repair are destroying their efforts and learn to control their emotions in more productive ways.
The new approach is based on several studies in the past two years showing that negative emotions can damage attempts at self-control. It fills a gap among established time-management methods, which stress behavioral changes such as adopting a new organizing system or doing exercises to build willpower.
Researchers have come up with a playbook of strategies to help procrastinators turn mood repair to their advantage. Some are tried-and-true classics: Dr. Pychyl advises procrastinators to just get started, and make the doorstep for getting started quite low. “Procrastinators are more likely to put the technique to use when they understand how mood repair works,” says Dr. Pychyl, author of a 2013 book, “Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.” He adds,“A real motive power comes from doing what we intend to do—the things that are important to us.”
He also advises procrastinators to practice “time travel”—projecting themselves into the future to imagine the good feelings they will have after finishing a task, or the bad ones they will have if they don’t. This cures procrastinators’ tendency to get so stuck in present anxieties and worries that they fail to think about the future.
Another mood-repair strategy, self-forgiveness, is aimed at dismissing the self-blame. University freshmen who forgave themselves for procrastinating on studying for the first exam in a course procrastinated less on the next exam, according to a recent study led by Michael Wohl, an associate professor of psychology at Carleton.
Thomas Flint learned about the technique by reading research on self-control, including studies by Dr. Sirois and Dr. Pychyl. He put it to use after his family moved recently to a new house. Instead of beating himself up for failing to unpack all the boxes gathered in his garage right away, Mr. Flint decided to forgive himself and start with a single step. I’d say, "OK, I’m going to take an hour, with a goal of getting the TV set up, and that's it, he says; then he watched a TV show as a reward. Allowing himself to do the task in stages, he says, is “a victory.”
1. What does Timothy Pychyl mean by mentioning the “giving in to feel good” practice in Paragraph 2?| A．It probably does more harm than good. |
| B．It prevents procrastinators from giving up. |
| C．It helps procrastinators meet the deadline. |
| D．It effectively drives away anxiety and worry. |
| A．Sticking to one’s intention. |
| B．Doing things that really matter. |
| C．Getting started from a low doorstep. |
| D．Learning important techniques of mood repair. |
| A．To make their future plan more practical. |
| B．To accelerate the speed of finishing the task. |
| C．To stop people from worrying about their travel. |
| D．To free people from the present negative emotions. |
| A．Self-blame prevents students from putting things off. |
| B．Procrastinators are still able to get good scores in exams. |
| C．University freshmen can get rid of procrastination easily. |
| D．Self-forgiveness is an effective way to cure procrastination. |
5 . After I graduated from the university, I got so pressured in finding a job. I did a lot of
Unfortunately, in this company the
Weeks passed and one day I received a call from a(an)
I was so happy and felt bad at the same time for
| A．designs | B．applications | C．preparations | D．examinations |
| A．hand in | B．give up | C．carry out | D．take back |
| A．result | B．chance | C．position | D．suggestion |
| A．lawyer | B．president | C．reporter | D．receptionist |
| A．thus | B．still | C．instead | D．therefore |
| A．create | B．share | C．deliver | D．exchange |
| A．amazed | B．frightened | C．puzzled | D．disappointed |
| A．fails | B．works | C．changes | D．happens |
| A．up | B．down | C．aside | D．forward |
| A．response | B．suggestion | C．project | D．comment |
| A．familiar | B．important | C．unknown | D．common |
| A．expect | B．connect | C．value | D．confirm |
| A．agree on | B．work on | C．refer to | D．search for |
| A．doubting | B．scolding | C．admiring | D．punishing |
| A．decision | B．conclusion | C．reminder | D．criterion |
要点如下：1.历史悠久；2.中国人独有的传统节日；3 .家庭团圆；4 .共进晚餐；5.吃月饼；6 .赏月。
注意事项：
1.词数80 左右；
2.可适当添加细节；
3.开头已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Mike，
I am glad to know that you are coming to China with your parents and spend the Mid-Autumn Day here．
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Yours，
Li Hua．
7 . Researchers say they have translated the meaning of gestures that wild chimpanzees (黑猩猩) use to communicate. They say wild chimps communicate 19 specific messages to one another with a “vocabulary” of 66 gestures. The scientists discovered this by following and filming groups of chimps in Uganda, and examining more than 5,000 incidents of these meaningful exchanges.
Dr Catherine Hobaiter, who led the research, said that this was the only form of intentional communication to be recorded in the animal kingdom. Only humans and chimps, she said, had a system of communication where they deliberately sent a message to another group member.
“That’s what’s so amazing about chimp gestures,” she said. “They’re the only thing that looks like human language in that respect.”
Although previous research has shown that apes and monkeys can understand complex information from another animal’s call, the animals do not appear to use their voices intentionally to communicate messages. This was a significant difference between calls and gestures, Dr Hobaiter said.
Chimps will check to see if they have the attention of the animal with which they wish to communicate. In one case, a mother presents her foot to her crying baby, signaling: “Climb on me.” The youngster immediately jumps on to its mothers back and they travel off together. “The big message from this study is that there is another species (物种) out there. that is meaningful in its communication, so that’s not unique to humans,” said Dr Hobaiter.
Dr Susanne Shultz, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Manchester, said the study was praiseworthy in seeking to enrich our knowledge of the evolution of human language. But, she added, the results were “a little disappointing”.
“The vagueness of the gesture meanings suggests either that the chimps have little to communicate, or we are still missing a lot of the information contained in their gestures and actions,” she said. “Moreover, the meanings seem to not go beyond what other animal convey with non-verbal communication. So, it seems the gulf remains. ”
1. What do chimps and humans have in common according to Dr Hobaiter?| A．Memorizing specific words. | B．Understanding complex information. |
| C．Using voices to communicate. | D．Communicating messages on purpose. |
| A．It was well designed but poorly conducted. |
| B．It was a good try but the findings were limited. |
| C．It was inspiring but the evidence was unreliable. |
| D．It was a failure but the methods deserved praise. |
| A．Difference. | B．Conflict. | C．Balance. | D．Connection. |
| A．Chimpanzee behaviour study achieved a breakthrough |
| B．Chimpanzees developed specific communication skills |
| C．Chimpanzees: the smartest species in the animal kingdom |
| D．Chimpanzee language: communication gestures translated |
8 . A couple of days ago, my 9yearold son and I were shopping at a grocery store (食品杂货店). At the checkout, a mother was trying to understand her bill. She didn't have enough
There had been
I whispered to my son and told him to run and get the
The lady left with her son and
He quickly called the manager back. I paid for my items and hers and my son and I ran to the parking lot where we
I felt
| A．space | B．money | C．patience | D．help |
| A．counted | B．added | C．removed | D．replaced |
| A．times | B．reasons | C．ways | D．stores |
| A．free | B．different | C．common | D．familiar |
| A．fridge | B．mother | C．partner | D．manager |
| A．wrong | B．bad | C．crazy | D．hungry |
| A．cheaper | B．heavier | C．fewer | D．larger |
| A．reward | B．search | C．pay | D．charge |
| A．pick | B．catch | C．cheer | D．give |
| A．need | B．buy | C．order | D．lose |
| A．proved | B．doubted | C．remembered | D．thought |
| A．grateful | B．unwilling | C．gone | D．tired |
| A．necessary | B．expensive | C．useless | D．beautiful |
| A．lucky | B．frightened | C．terrible | D．hopeless |
| A．had | B．missed | C．welcomed | D．refused |
9 . I believe even the smartest people have to work hard to achieve success. People make themselves into winners by their own
Many years ago, I took the head
I started doing anything I could to help them build a little
Six months after our defeat, we won our first game and our second, and continued to
| A．tests | B．luck | C．efforts | D．nature |
| A．operating | B．editing | C．consulting | D．coaching |
| A．new | B．excellent | C．strong | D．successful |
| A．cheer for | B．prepare for | C．help with | D．finish with |
| A．realize | B．claim | C．permit | D．demand |
| A．decision | B．attitude | C．conclusion | D．intention |
| A．pride | B．culture | C．fortune | D．relationship |
| A．leaders | B．partners | C．winners | D．learners |
| A．risked | B．missed | C．considered | D．practiced |
| A．expand | B．improve | C．relax | D．defend |
| A．shame | B．burden | C．victory | D．favor |
| A．chance | B．joy | C．concern | D．offer |
| A．surprise | B．relate | C．interest | D．affect |
| A．encouraged | B．observed | C．protected | D．impressed |
| A．naturally | B．individually | C．calmly | D．differently |
The Meredith family lived in a small community. As the economy was in decline, some people in the town had lost their jobs. Many of their families were struggling to make ends meet. People were trying to help each other meet the challenges.
Mrs. Meredith was a most kind and thoughtful woman. She spent a great deal of time visiting the poor. She knew they had problems, and they needed all kinds of help. When she had time, she would bring food and medicine to them.
One morning she told her children about a family she had visited the day before. There was a man sick in bed, his wife, who took care of him and could not go out to work, and their little boy. The little boy -his name was Bernard-had interested her very much.
“I wish you could see him,” she said to her own children, John, Harry, and Clara. “He is such a help to his mother. He wants very much to earn some money, but I don't see what he can do.”
After their mother left the room, the children sat thinking about Bernard. “I wish we could help him to earn money,” said Clara. “His family is suffering so much.”
“So do I,” said Harry. “We really should do something to assist them.”
For some moments, John said nothing, but, suddenly, he sprang to his feet and cried, “I have a great idea! I have a solution that we can all help accomplish(完成).”
The other children also jumped up all attention. When John had an idea, it was sure to be a good one. “I tell you what we can do,” said John. “You know that big box of corn Uncle John sent us? Well, we can make popcorn(爆米花), and put it into paper bags, and Bernard can take it around to the houses and sell it.”
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。
When Mrs. Meredith heard of John's idea, she thought it was a good one, too.
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With everything ready, Bernard started out on his new business.
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