1 . Jim Thorpe is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He had amazing athletic abilities and was well-known during his lifetime, yet that did not make Thorpe a stranger to adversity.
Thorpe was an American Indian from Oklahoma who developed his extraordinary athletic skills in his youth through hard labor. It was also in his youth that he learned to endure hardship brought upon by racial prejudice. Many would say his childhood was not easy. He grew up poor and at age 9 his twin brother passed away and a few years later he lost both of his parents.
But that did not stop him from doing what he loved and pursuing his dreams. Nothing seemed to stop him, not even stolen shoes. Just hours before Thorpe was going to compete in the 1912 Olympics, somebody stole his shoes. Thorpe improvised (临时拼凑) by getting shoes out of the garbage. The shoes were two different sizes. He wore an extra pair of socks on one foot to even them out.
He still went on to win two gold medals—winning each event he competed in except for one, the javelin (标枪). The javelin was the only event he didn’t win, probably because he had never competed in that event before. It is interesting to note that Thorpe had tried to throw the javelin once before in the Olympic trials. At the time, he didn’t know that he could throw it with a running start. He threw it standing still and was placed second.
At the Olympics，he also took part in the decathlon (十项全能运动). He finished first in two events, third in four events, and fourth in two more. Thorpe ended up finishing third in the world. He was undoubtedly a dominating force that couldn’t be stopped and just kept on going.
I think Paul Dughi said it best, “It’s hard to imagine now that pro athletes get paid millions of dollars just to wear a particular brand of shoes. For Jim Thorpe, it didn’t matter what kind he wore.”
1. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．The adversity Thorpe met with led to his success. |
| B．Thorpe’s success was no guarantee of a better life. |
| C．Thorpe’s career brought him both gains and losses. |
| D．Thorpe suffered many hardships despite his success. |
| A．To prevent the foot from injury. | B．To make the shoe fit the foot. |
| C．To stop the shoe from being stolen. | D．To show his problem-solving skills. |
| A．Loss of his own sports shoes. | B．A casual attitude towards the event. |
| C．Lack of experience in the event. | D．A shortage of talent for the event. |
| A．Loyal and enthusiastic. | B．Genuine and creative. |
| C．Tough and strong-minded. | D．Selfless and good-tempered. |
2 . Most college students think that there are only two choices after graduation—finding a job or entering graduate school. An opportunity that is often missed is volunteering with an organized volunteer program.
Volunteering provides a year of intention (计划) in a community where recent graduates can learn about the world they are entering, about themselves as individuals (个体) and about their role in this world. It provides intentional time to understand the purpose that drives one as an individual in life. Taking a year off after graduation to volunteer allows students to slow down and really understand where they want their future to lie. Not only this, but students will also be helping others, getting work experience, living in a community and giving back to society.
Volunteering often leads to a job opportunity. A volunteer might stay and work with the organization, shifting from a volunteer position to a paid position. For example, an individual doing volunteer teaching with an organization might be offered a teaching position at their school. Even if the volunteer position does not lead to a paid position, the volunteer should keep in touch with their organization. One reason is that the organization can write letters of recommendation (推荐) for the volunteer’s job applications. What’s more, volunteer experience on a resume could catch the attention of schoolmates from the organization or program who work at a place of employment (雇用). A shared volunteer experience with the manager might help one find a job!
Volunteers have fun together and like helping others a lot. They share a common mission and vision (使命和愿景), continue personal and professional development, and get new ideas about the world around them. They get to know the community, practice their social responsibility, and build their skill set and network with others. Even if volunteers are not paid, they receive these and many other benefits through their service.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．Why students should volunteer during college. |
| B．What the value of volunteering after graduation is. |
| C．Whether recent graduates should have a yearly plan. |
| D．How to find a volunteer program that works for you. |
| A．To receive a job offer. | B．To find old schoolmates. |
| C．To apply for a new program. | D．To get support when seeking jobs. |
| A．Sharing your future plans. |
| B．Showing your social responsibility. |
| C．Letting others know more about you. |
| D．Catching the attention of your schoolmates. |
| A．To explain what volunteering is. |
| B．To offer new volunteer opportunities. |
| C．To encourage recent graduates to volunteer. |
| D．To discuss whether to volunteer without pay. |
Peru is a country on the Pacific coast of South America,
Peru
There are two especially interesting things for us
4 . Did you know that the color of uniforms can influence the performance of an athlete? It may sound strange, but a study suggests this might be true.
Two British scientists studied the results of four sports in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games where the athletes had been given either a red or a blue uniform. They discovered that when there was a big difference in the score, color had no influence on the result. But if it was a close match, the athlete in a red uniform was more likely to win. Then they looked at the uniforms of the soccer teams at the Euro 2004 tournament. Again, teams wearing red won more games.
The two scientists got their idea from earlier studies of wild animals. It had been discovered that when a male show red on its body, it sends a signal of its power and strength. For example, in many kinds of monkey, the more the male shows off its red scars, the more females it can attract.
Based on this fact, the British scientists thought that the idea might work for humans, too. According to them, when an athlete sees a competitor in a red uniform, he gets a feeling that his competitor could be stronger than him. And that kind of feeling may have a bad influence on the player’s performance in the actual game.
Although the idea is Interesting, most people don’t accept that color signals in the animals world can really be useful to humans in sports. They think that it is unreasonable to develop an idea based on such a small number of examples. Much more research has to be done to prove the influence of uniform colors on the performance of athletes.
1. What did the scientists find out about the 2004 Athens Olympic Games?| A．Athletes played equally well in four sports. |
| B．Game results had a big influence on the athletes. |
| C．Athletes dressed in red scored more in a close match. |
| D．There was a big difference in red and blue team’s scores. |
| A．It is quite strong. | B．It is a failure. |
| C．It has power over other males. | D．It has attracted a lot of females. |
| A．weakness | B．pride | C．danger | D．shame |
| A．Interested. | B．Satisfied. | C．Doubtful. | D．Thankful. |
The use of chopsticks has been
So how did chopsticks come into being? It’s said that Dayu, a legendary ruler of ancient China
But of course, this is just a story. The
6 . Scientists say they have developed a system that uses machine learning to predict when and where lightning will strike. Researchers report the system is able to predict lightning strikes up to 30 minutes before they happen within a 30-kilometer area. Lightning is a strong burst of electricity in the atmosphere. Since it carries an extremely powerful electrical charge, it can cause very deadly results. European researchers have estimated that between 6,000 and 24,000 people are killed by lightning worldwide each year. For this reason, climate scientists have long sought to develop methods to predict lightning.
The system tested in the experiments uses a combination of data from weather stations and machine learning methods. The researchers developed a prediction model that was trained to recognize weather conditions that were likely to cause lightning.
The model was created with data collected over a 12-year period from 12 Swiss weather stations in cities and mountain areas. The data, related to four main surface conditions: air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity (湿度) and wind speed, was placed into a unique machine learning algorithm (算法), which compared it to records of lightning strikes. Researchers say the algorithm was then able to learn the conditions under which lightning happens.
The researchers test-ran the system several times. They found that the system made predictions that proved correct almost 80 percent of the time. “It can now be used anywhere,” the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology said in a statement.
The researchers plan to keep developing the technology in partnership with a European effort that aims to create a lightning protection program. The effort is called the European Laser Lightning Rod project. Scientists working on the project are experimenting with a laser technology that could someday control lightning activity, transferring lightning charges from clouds to the ground. They hope that such technology can one day be used as protection against lightning strikes. Possible uses could be at stations, airports or places where large crowds gather.
1. Why was the system developed?| A．To keep track of lightning deaths. |
| B．To meet people’s curiosity about lightning. |
| C．To protect people from lightning strikes. |
| D．To take advantage of the energy of lightning. |
| A．It collects data samples from around the world. |
| B．It involves the use of a machine learning algorithm. |
| C．It was test-run several times before being put into use. |
| D．Its success owes greatly to a European effort. |
| A．Prevent the formation of lightning. | B．Get lightning striking under control. |
| C．Inspire the study of a laser technology. | D．Raise the accuracy of lightning prediction. |
| A．A system of Controlling Lightning | B．A Theory of Employing Lightning |
| C．A Method of Forecasting Lightning | D．A Model of Creating Lightning |
7 . You Life is What You Make It
Zhang Tian graduated from university and got a teacher’s certificate last year. His parents wanted him to get a good job in Shanghai. But he was inspired by the idea of living independently away from home. So he applied for and became a volunteer teacher in a village school. Bringing with him lots of books, clothes, and two pairs of trainers, Zhang Tian travelled to the village with an eager heart. He imagined all sorts of exciting things about living and teaching in a village.
However, not everything lived up to Zhang Tian’s hopes. The school was much smaller than he expected, with only three classrooms. In front of the classrooms, there was a playground which got dusty on windy days and muddy on rainy days. Living In the village was also more challenging than he had thought. The power and water supplies were unstable, so he could only shower every three or four days, and he had to learn how to cook. The thought of leaving once flashed through his mind, but he quickly gave up the idea and found ways to deal with the challenges.
The school had just three teachers and Zhang Tian was the only English teacher. The other two local teachers were responsible for maths and Chinese. To make school life healthier and livelier for his students, Zhang Tian introduced more subjects to the school — music, art and PE. It is not surprising that PE is the kids’ favourite subject! Their school lives are now more attractive and interesting, and they enjoy playing football in the playground, as well as singing songs they’ve learnt. The school is now full of laughter and music. Zhang Tian is planning to organise the first ever school concert! Everyone is very excited.
1. Why did Zhang Tian choose to be a volunteer teacher?| A．He wanted to live independently. |
| B．His parents wanted him to be a teacher. |
| C．He wanted a new lifestyle and was inspired by teachers he met. |
| D．He needed the experience to get a teacher’s certificate. |
| A．PE was the kid’s favourite subject. |
| B．Students were short of books and desks. |
| C．The school even didn’t have a playground. |
| D．Living conditions were worse than he had expected. |
| A．Tough but meaningful. | B．Dull but interesting. |
| C．Easy and comfortable. | D．Lonely and hopeless. |
Communicating with the old can be challenging, especially when considering the fact
First of all, you are supposed to respect the old’s thoughts, backgrounds and life experience. Do not correct their opinions even when you can’t reach any
When you’re together with them, try to know if they would like
As communication with old people can be difficult, it is
Summer Culture Welcome a student from France or Spain into your family!Exchange (交换) students from Spain and France are looking for welcoming, fun and loving hosts who will share life and culture with them for a few weeks in June, July and August. Stays can be from 4 to 6 weeks. What to do with your exchange student:Movies/ Museums/ Beach/ Cooking/ Community projects/ Volunteering/ Shopping/ anything you can think of... |
| Requirements to hosts: Loving and active family One stay-at-home host parent Willing to take students to places of interest once a week Contact information: If you are interested and would like more information, please contact: Shirley Wentzell 909-918-6715 Email: Shirley(@uceus.com |
| A．10 days. | B．5 weeks. | C．2 months. | D．1 year. |
| A．be rich and well-educated. | B．have good full-time jobs. |
| C．speak Spanish and French. | D．take students on a trip every week. |
| A．letter | B．notice | C．poster | D．diary |
10 . People have been predicting (预测) the death of cable TV (有线电视) for a long time, but this really might be it. Just a decade (十年) ago, nearly all Americans — more than 85 percent of U.S. households — paid for packages of TV channels from cable or satellite ( 卫 星) companies. That started to drop slowly at first and then far more quickly in the past few years. Now, the share of American homes that pay for traditional TV service is approaching 50 percent, according to expert Craig Moffett and S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Kagan research group.
For comparison, cellphones were around for decades before the percentage of Americans who didn’t have a landline ( 座 机) at home reached 50 percent, around 2017. Maybe it seems predictable that cable TV would go the way of the landline. I promise you that it was not necessarily obvious, even once Netflix started to take off. Old habits die hard. Old industries that make a lot of people rich die even harder. And don’t forget that some new technology habits catch on fast but don’t stick.
What may be a final drop in America’s cable TV industry is a big deal. It shows that technology can change deep-rooted ways of doing things slowly, and then suddenly.
Ian Olgeirson, a research director at Kagan who has been following America’s TV market for about 20 years, told me that he was surprised by how quickly the monthly cable bill went from being standard to outdated for many Americans. Olgeirson and other TV experts I’ve been speaking to didn’t single out a turning point in cable TV’s big drop. They said the downward trend ( 趋 势) was more like a series of progressive changes building up.
It’s clear that the cable TV system that for decades brought joy and headaches to tens of millions of Americans is wearing thin. The wild card is whether Americans keep turning away from cable and satellite TV relatively slowly, or whether it will fail suddenly.
I have always loved TV. I felt like a real grown-up when I first started to pay a huge bill for television, partly to watch my favorite football team. I had reduced my cable TV package, but then a few months ago I was told that my bill was going to increase by about $10 a month. That was it. I’m a no-cable household now, too.
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us about cable TV?| A．Its falling popularity. | B．Its increasing payments. |
| C．Its various TV channels. | D．Its high service standard. |
| A．To prove technology can change the world. | B．To show it is not easy for cable TV to go away. |
| C．To illustrate there is no market left for cable TV. | D．To explain technology can bring fortune to people. |
| A．America’s TV market was down suddenly. |
| B．The death of cable TV will come in about 20 years. |
| C．Americans turned away from cable TV so quickly. |
| D．There are still many Americans showing interest in cable TV. |
| A．Cable TV won’t be replaced by satellite TV | B．Cable TV brought joy to Americans |
| C．Cable TV has existed for decades | D．Cable TV is the new landline |
