1 . The curb cut (下斜路缘). It’s a convenience that most of us rarely, if ever, notice. Yet, without it, daily life might be a lot harder—in more ways than one. Pushing a baby stroller onto the curb, skateboarding onto a sidewalk or taking a full grocery cart from the sidewalk to your car—all these tasks are easier because of the curb cut.
But it was created with a different purpose in mind.
It’s hard to imagine today, but back in the 1970s, most sidewalks in the United States ended with a sharp drop-off. That was a big deal for people in wheelchairs because there were no ramps (斜坡) to help them move along city blocks without assistance. According to one disability rights leader, a six-inch curb “might as well have been Mount Everest”. So, activists from Berkeley, California, who also needed wheelchairs, organized a campaign to create tiny ramps at intersections to help people dependent on wheels move up and down curbs independently.
I think about the “curb cut effect” a lot when working on issues around health equity (公平). The first time I even heard about the curb cut was in a 2017 Stanford Social Innovation Review piece by PolicyLink CEO Angela Blackwell. Blackwell rightly noted that many people see equity as “a zero-sum game (零和游戏)” and that it’s commonly believed there is a “prejudiced societal suspicion that intentionally supporting one group hurts another.” What the curb cut effect shows though, Blackwell said, is that “when society creates the circumstances that allow those who have been left behind to participate and contribute fully, everyone wins.”
There are multiple examples of this principle at work. For example, investing in policies that create more living-wage jobs or increase the availability of affordable housing certainly benefits people in communities that have limited options. But, the action also empowers those people with opportunities for better health and the means to become contributing members of society—and that benefits everyone. Even the football huddle (密商) was initially created to help deaf football players at Gallaudet College keep their game plans secret from opponents who could have read their sign language. Today, it’s used by every team to prevent the opponent from learning about game-winning strategies.
So, next time you cross the street, or roll your suitcase through a crosswalk or ride your bike directly onto a sidewalk—think about how much the curb cut, that change in design that broke down walls of exclusion for one group of people at a disadvantage, has helped not just that group, but all of us.
1. What was the curb cut designed for at first?| A．Riding a skateboard onto a sidewalk quickly. |
| B．Pushing a baby stroller onto the curbs independently. |
| C．Making it easy for wheelchairs to move up and down curbs. |
| D．Taking a full grocery cart from the sidewalk to a customer’s car. |
| A．an unforgettable symbol | B．an impassable barrier |
| C．an important sign | D．an impressive landmark |
| A．it’s not worthwhile to promote health equity |
| B．it’s necessary to go all out to help the disabled |
| C．it’s impossible to have everyone treated equally |
| D．it’s fair to give the disadvantaged more help than others |
| A．Spaceflight designs are applied to life on earth. |
| B．Four great inventions of China spread to the west. |
| C．Christopher Columbus discovered the new world. |
| D．Classic literature got translated into many languages. |
| A．Caring for disadvantaged groups may finally benefit all. |
| B．Action empowers those with opportunities for better solutions. |
| C．Society should create circumstances that get everyone involved. |
| D．Everyday items are originally invented for people in need of help. |
2 . Every year, thousands of teenagers participate in programs at their local art museums. But do any of them remember their time at museum events later in life? A new report suggests that the answer is yes — and finds that arts-based museum programs are credited with changing the course of alumni’s (毕业生的) lives, even years after the fact.
The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Walker Art Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles recently asked researchers to conduct a study to find out how effective their long-standing teen art programs really are. They involved over 300 former participants of four programs for teens that have been in existence since the 1990s. Alumni, whose current ages range from 18 to 36, were invited to find out how they viewed their participation years after the fact.
Among the alumni surveyed, 75 percent of them thought the teen art program experience had the most favorable impact on their own lives, beating the family, school and their neighborhoods. Nearly 55 percent thought that it was one of the most important experiences they had ever had, regardless of age. And two-thirds said that they were often in situations where their experience in museums affected their actions or thoughts.
It turns out that participating in art programs also helps keep teens keen about culture even after they reach adulthood: Ninety-six percent of participants had visited an art museum within the last two years, and 68 percent had visited an art museum five or more times within the last two years. Thirty-two percent of alumni work in the arts as adults.
Though the study is the first of its kind to explore the impact of teen-specific art programs in museums, it reflects other research on the important benefits of engaging with the arts. A decade of surveys by the National Endowment for the Arts found that the childhood experience with the arts is significantly associated with people’s income and educational achievements as adults. Other studies have linked arts education to everything from lower dropout rates to improvement in critical thinking skills.
1. What is the main function of paragraph 1?| A．To make a comparison. | B．To propose a definition. |
| C．To provide the background. | D．To present the subject. |
| A．To change the course of alumni’s lives. |
| B．To introduce the art museums. |
| C．To explore the impact of teen art programs. |
| D．To invite people to participate in the art programs. |
| A．Students are more influenced by the family and school. |
| B．Teen art programs in museums are highly beneficial. |
| C．Many teens fail to realize the great value of art programs. |
| D．Most experiences in museums are boring for today’s teens. |
| A．They are intended to attract more adults. |
| B．They are designed to support art museums. |
| C．They create adults who are culturally aware. |
| D．They provide many job opportunities for adults. |
| A．All prove the good effects of art education. |
| B．All suggest the need to improve museum programs. |
| C．All show the growing popularity of art programs. |
| D．All focus on the link between art and education. |
3 . Bangkok’s Grand Palace is the busiest tourist stop in the city. People keep coming because the Grand Palace could arguably be called the birthplace of Bangkok
How to Get to the Grand Palace
Making your own way to the Grand Palace in Bangkok is more enjoyable and rewarding. Moving around by river taxi is inexpensive. Additionally, you’ll have a good excuse to see the Chao Phraya River up close. Going by boat won’t make you caught in traffic jams. It will let you see beautiful river scenery!
People staying in the Khao San Road area may choose to walk (around 20 — 25 minutes) to the Grand Palace.
Opening Hours
The Grand Palace is open seven days a week from 8:30 a. m. until 3:30 p. m. Occasionally, the Grand Palace does actually close for official visits and state functions. However, this is rare. Don’t believe any driver who states the Grand Palace is closed. If the statement of closure is too convincing, confirm it by calling: +6626235500 ext.3100.
Entrance Fees
Considering that temples in Thailand are often free, the 500 baht (around $16) per person entrance fee at the Grand Palace is relatively expensive. Thai nationals do not have to pay. An audio tour can be rented for an additional 200 baht. Besides, human guides are available for hire. Choose an official guide rather than accepting someone’s offer on the outside.
Dress Standards at the Grand Palace
To show enough respect, you shouldn’t wear sleeveless shirts in any temple or state building in Thailand. But unlike many of the other temples, dress standards are strictly required at the Grand Palace.
Men must wear long trousers, women must cover legs to just above the knee.
Don’t wear shirts with religious themes or symbols of death on them.
You may be told outside that flip-flops (人字拖鞋) are unacceptable footwear.
1. What do you know about the river taxi to the Grand Palace?| A．It is the only way to get to the Grand Palace |
| B．It is difficult for visitors to jump on and off it. |
| C．It is safe, clean and affordable for most visitors. |
| D．It allows visitors to avoid traffic jams and enjoy river scenery. |
| A．They’d better call to confirm the information. |
| B．They should call off their trips immediately. |
| C．They should wait until the Grand Palace reopens. |
| D．They should believe the statements and change the trips. |
| A．The Grand Palace provides an audio tour free. |
| B．Not all people need to buy tickets to the Grand Palace. |
| C．Guides outside the Grand Palace are more professional. |
| D．The locals always guide visitors voluntarily during the holiday season. |
| A．Mr Green, from the USA, wearing flip-flops and a T-shirt. |
| B．Alice, 16 years old, wearing a sleeveless shirt and a miniskirt. |
| C．Mark, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, long trousers and sports shoes. |
| D．John, wearing a hat and a shirt with religious symbols. |
| A．To encourage more people to visit Bangkok. |
| B．To introduce some palaces in Bangkok to readers. |
| C．To introduce some activities of the Grand Palace. |
| D．To provide guidance on visiting the Grand Palace. |
4 . Every act of kindness starts with something small, something we all can and should do every single day. I’m Will Ruhio, one of the
We’ve
On Random Acts, it may be a neighbour or a colleague who recognizes a need and
So, where can you start? The key is to be like Lily: look for an opportunity to make a
After two seasons of hosting Random Acts, the joy of
We’ve been working to
Be that person doing act of kindness out of the
| A．photographers | B．actors | C．viewers | D．hosts |
| A．display | B．conduct | C．recall | D．recognize |
| A．advertised | B．shared | C．filmed | D．tested |
| A．in search of | B．in need of | C．in defence of | D．in favour of |
| A．sets off | B．sets aside | C．sets down | D．sets out |
| A．Retell | B．Take | C．Create | D．Explain |
| A．anxious | B．proud | C．afraid | D．unwilling |
| A．exception | B．opportunity | C．competition | D．challenge |
| A．provided | B．kept | C．spotted | D．missed |
| A．acceptable | B．successful | C．reasonable | D．changeable |
| A．choice | B．decision | C．difference | D．promise |
| A．generous | B．caring | C．confident | D．sociable |
| A．never | B．even | C．still | D．just |
| A．put up | B．make for | C．work at | D．take up |
| A．reducing | B．adding | C．carrying | D．freeing |
| A．admit | B．realize | C．remember | D．imagine |
| A．truth | B．courage | C．progress | D．patience |
| A．entertain | B．surprise | C．locate | D．please |
| A．relieves | B．scares | C．hits | D．satisfies |
| A．respect | B．curiosity | C．trust | D．goodness |
5 . Once, during my summer holidays, my father was sick, but he worked in the rice field just the same, because there was so much to do. As I looked at his thin figure, crawling (缓慢移动) ahead of me, I thought of my own depressing future. I was tied to the land by job after backbreaking job, unlike other boys who had freedom to pursue happiness. Why were there people in the world who would never know what it was like to toil (苦干), and others, like me, who had been toiling ever since they were small boys, season after season, year after year? Why were some people sitting before electric fans or in air-conditioned rooms, while I was out of breath and sweating under the blazing sun? Why was there mud and more mud in front of me?
Only we farmers were willing to crawl, to assume the lowliest of positions in order to have a better harvest. Even a horse, when working for man, stands tall. I was suddenly consumed with great pity and great respect for poor farmers, and the focus of my attention began to extend beyond myself and my family. This was an important turning point in my life.
While resting beside a field one day, my brothers and I resolved to pursue useful knowledge and technology to help ourselves and other farmers improve our circumstances, and lighten our burden of labour. This resolve gave me strength so that when I went to university, lighten our burden of labour. This resolve gave me strength so that when I went to university, and later to the US on a scholarship, my spirit rose above personal hardships. Crawling in the mud had taught me to lake bleeding and sweating as part of my life, and not to be afraid in the face of difficulties. But what was more important was that I had learned the meaning of “You reap what you sow”.
Mother used to say, “Judge a man not by his face, but by his fields.” I appreciate more and more the meaning of these words. The land is dependable, as long as you are willing to toil on it. When the wind blew and the green rice plants moved like waves in a sea, stunningly beautiful, a deep sense of satisfaction swelled up (充满) in me.
I laboured hard in the simple, isolated countryside of my home, and I am proud of this. Although later I went into academic research, I shall always remember what working in the rice fields taught me: plant your feet firmly on the ground, work hard and you will be rewarded.
1. What did the author think of his job as a farmer in Paragraph 1?| A．Unhappy but promising. | B．Free and meaningful. |
| C．Busy but rewarding. | D．Exhausting and hopeless. |
| A．The concern for his father’s sickness. | B．His pity and respect for poor farmers. |
| C．His eagerness for knowledge and technology. | D．His wish to have a better harvest. |
| A．A man should be judged by his academic background. |
| B．A man’s sense of satisfaction comes from the land. |
| C．A man willing to toil in his field is bound to reap a harvest. |
| D．A man shouldn’t be proud of his appearance. |
| A．achieves great success in his academic career | B．benefits a lot from his previous experience |
| C．lives in the isolated countryside | D．takes pride in his hometown |
| A．Crawling in the Rice Fields | B．Sticking to Your Dreams |
| C．Lightening the Burden of Labour | D．Sparing No Effort to Work |
6 . Charity is simple in theory: A heart warms, a hand reaches out. In practice, though, charity can become a troubled mix of motives and consequences. Giving can be driven by guilt, duty, praise, or perhaps the hope that giving will somehow make up for past cruelty or ignorance. Too little charity is far less than valuable. Too much can cause over-reliance, which makes the receiver continuously ask for more.
Giving from the heart is good. But critics have long worried about misdirected charity that does more harm than good. In his 2012 book, Harmful Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Solve the Problem), Robert Lupton, an experienced social worker of 40 years of community work in inner-city Atlanta, argues that charity must not do for the poor what they can do for themselves.
Due to emergencies such as natural disasters, the afterward financial aid is greatly welcome. Mr. Lupton advocates it should focus on the development of self-supporting. The task can be carried out via, for instance, offering micro-loans, hiring local builders and suppliers, and trying to found self-supported, locally owned and operated factories. What seldom works, he argues, are untargeted handouts from far-off providers and the sudden arrival of inexperienced volunteer-tourists hoping to earn personal reputation by digging wells or mending roofs that locals are perfectly able to take care of themselves.
Getting charity right isn’t easy. But from money raising to the rising in volunteering among Millennials(千禧一代), from the increasing worldwide willingness to give to the efforts by charity organizations to become more effective and fruitful, there is strong evidence that human beings’ ability of taking care of others is growing along with their ability to help without harming.
Charity can be as simple as holding the door for a stranger and as complex as a global campaign to get rid of malaria(疟疾). Charity works best when it returns the weak to strength, and helps a small town shaken by an earthquake get back on its feet. A successful charity is one that eventually is no longer needed.
1. What can we know about charity in paragraph 1?| A．Charity is simple in both theory and practice. |
| B．Some charity providers are cruel or ignorant. |
| C．There is much less charity than needed. |
| D．Charity may result in dependence. |
| A．It may have a bad impact on receivers. | B．It may cause hurt to social workers. |
| C．It can be driven by guilt and duty. | D．It may help less to the poor. |
| A．Hiring local workers. | B．Founding advanced factories. |
| C．Building houses for victims. | D．Giving untargeted handouts. |
| A．It’s easy to give charity without harming. |
| B．Millennials enjoy earning personal reputation. |
| C．There appears ability promotion in giving charity. |
| D．Charity organizations are spreading all over the world. |
| A．To appeal for more charity. |
| B．To advocate getting charity right. |
| C．To introduce the process of performing charity. |
| D．To criticize unjust motives and results for charity. |
7 . Even though people have been paralyzed (瘫痪的) playing sports like rugby and football, extreme sports take the whole ordeal (磨难) to the next level. Sports like downhill cycling are very dangerous because one would be going downhill, over rocky or dirt zone, through forests, even at potentially deadly speeds. A slip up could be your downfall.
Nobody who gets into extreme sports goes with the desire to do harm to themselves. With that, athletes train for years and years before they attempt anything extreme. To most people, extreme sports are extreme simply because they take more skill than what an average person has. An athlete with skill and training makes an extreme thing become a daily routine, which does not wipe out the danger, but greatly reduces it.
Even when there is a lot of skill involved, things might not go the athlete’s way, not at all. Luck and circumstances have a lot to do with how things develop, whether above 8,000 meters or in a wood, going downhill. In some places, crossing the street is an extreme sport, considering how wild traffic can get.
Some view parkour, the sports of running, jumping and climbing under, around and through buildings, as an extreme sport, while it is more of a life philosophy, where the athlete does not have to do anything remotely dangerous. Free soloing, which means climbing a rock or ice face without safety gear, is absolutely deadly, where one slip means almost certain death, depending on the height, of course. Skateboarding is relatively safe, but if you constantly find ridiculous places to practice on, like the fence of a bridge, then things can get very complicated. The extreme part depends on the athlete.
To summarize, yes, extreme sports are dangerous, but the danger depends on the athlete, their choice of sport, direction in which they take it, as well as the circumstances. Some things are out of our control, while others we can influence through exercise and healthier risk choices.
1. Why is downhill cycling mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To call for attention to extreme sports. | B．To introduce the origin of extreme sports. |
| C．To illustrate the danger of extreme sports. | D．To show the complexity of the extreme sports. |
| A．Extreme sports differ from one another. |
| B．Skill matters a lot in maintaining safety. |
| C．Athlete’s luck is a key factor that influences safety. |
| D．Extreme sports are more dangerous than regular sports. |
| A．explain danger depends on the athlete | B．show free soloing is the most dangerous |
| C．compare which one involves the most skill | D．demonstrate how to choose an extreme sport |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Objective. | C．Intolerant. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．Do Extreme Sports Test Your Courage? |
| B．Why Should Extreme Sports Be Banned? |
| C．Why Do We Love Extreme Sports So Much? |
| D．Are Extreme Sports Really That Dangerous? |
8 . Ken Campbell had last attempted running at high school. When his wife, Susan, injured her foot, she needed
So how does someone with no
Campbell went out to visit Susan’s group, and “the trails were a terrible
What he liked
Running the 100km ultramarathon took Campbell 16 hours. When Campbell
Campbell suffered arthritis (关节炎) before he started running, and was “a(n)
| A．operation | B．support | C．dignity | D．arrangement |
| A．symptom | B．recovery | C．treatment | D．diagnosis |
| A．came out | B．got around | C．went off | D．fell away |
| A．talent | B．health | C．experiences | D．abilities |
| A．sporting | B．volunteering | C．appealing | D．inspiring |
| A．graduation | B．injury | C．growth | D．attendance |
| A．moved about | B．accounted for | C．got off | D．took to |
| A．fancy | B．atmosphere | C．mess | D．dream |
| A．sliding | B．moving | C．hiking | D．stretching |
| A．above all | B．at random | C．on purpose | D．in turn |
| A．appreciated | B．invited | C．buried | D．embraced |
| A．familiar | B．generous | C．native | D．strange |
| A．parted | B．returned | C．crossed | D．divided |
| A．locate | B．display | C．remain | D．advertise |
| A．community | B．achievement | C．process | D．class |
| A．drivers | B．vehicles | C．athletes | D．trees |
| A．target | B．alternative | C．candidate | D．survivor |
| A．staying up | B．living through | C．looking back | D．holding off |
| A．throw light on | B．put an end to | C．have an eye for | D．take advantage of |
| A．lie | B．rest | C．stop | D．walk |
9 . You may be surprised to learn that one of the best steps you can take to protect your health is to step outside and spend some time in the grass, dirt and water. Our ancestors enjoyed the healing power of nature, and now scientists are starting to catch up. Researchers have documented how contact with nature can decrease mental tiredness, and enhance moods, concentration and problem-solving. Just having a view of nature has been shown to improve hospital patients’ recovery and reduce illness rates. Exposure to the open air, horseback riding, hiking, camping can be helpful for a variety of health conditions in adults and children. Much of this type of research is focusing on children, and in fact an entire movement has quickly developed to connect kids with the healing power of nature.
Obesity. Rates of childhood, adult obesity and related conditions including diabetes (糖尿病) and heart disease have grown greatly in recent years, partly because of reducing the time of outdoor activities. This problem can be partly addressed by increasing the time students spend learning about nature, both in and outside the classroom. Such lessons are often more engaging to students and often lead them to become more active outside.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (注意力缺失症). An exposure to ordinary natural settings in the course of common after-school and weekend activities may be widely effective in reducing attention shortness symptoms (症状) in children. Participation in green activities helps ADHD patients keep focused and complete tasks.
Stress. Access to nature, even houseplants, can help children deal with stress.
Depression and seasonal emotional disorder. Major depression requires medical treatment, but physical activity, especially those done outdoors, can help ease symptoms. Staying in the sunshine for just a few minutes can also help supply bone-building vitamin D. Experts say that simply walking in a city park can enjoy nature’s benefits.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is the most important for you to keep healthy?| A．Healthy diet. | B．Exercises. |
| C．Outdoor activities. | D．No smoking. |
| A．improve | B．add |
| C．destroy | D．control |
| A．People didn’t enjoy the healing power of nature until recent years. |
| B．Having a view of nature is the only way to improve health conditions. |
| C．Outdoors activities are good for people’s health. |
| D．Researchers have found out what causes people’s mental tiredness and illness. |
| A．helping people to control stress |
| B．helping children to increase the vitamin D level |
| C．helping people to reduce the symptoms of ADHD |
| D．helping scientists to believe the rates of adult obesity and the healing power of the open air |
| A．Contact with Nature | B．The Benefits of Nature to Health |
| C．Exposure to the Open Air | D．Some Health Conditions |
10 . One day, a woman named Paula was in the bathroom
After finishing
Paula’s heart skipped a
Paula didn’t
Paula had no idea how she was going to tell her husband about this. She saw him
Paula said that she had some bad news to tell him. Michael was worried, but listened. Paula
Paula was completely shocked by Michael’s reaction to the
As suddenly as the ring disappeared, another ring suddenly reappeared on her finger, exactly the same, as if she had
| A．keeping | B．turning | C．working | D．cleaning |
| A．wore | B．had | C．carried | D．took |
| A．fixing | B．painting | C．moving | D．washing |
| A．day | B．trick | C．leap | D．beat |
| A．lighter | B．harder | C．cleaner | D．larger |
| A．looked up | B．watched over | C．looked down | D．put out |
| A．gift | B．award | C．praise | D．honor |
| A．damaged | B．stolen | C．taken | D．missing |
| A．doubt | B．realize | C．remember | D．accept |
| A．door | B．rest | C．spot | D．direction |
| A．sleeping | B．hiding | C．lying | D．falling |
| A．shouted | B．apologized | C．cried | D．jumped |
| A．excuse | B．explanation | C．comment | D．reason |
| A．waited for | B．turned to | C．asked for | D．whispered to |
| A．confused | B．quiet | C．annoyed | D．anxious |
| A．bursting into | B．raising up | C．breaking out | D．blowing up |
| A．solution | B．situation | C．coincidence | D．effect |
| A．adventure | B．failure | C．carelessness | D．impression |
| A．bought | B．lost | C．expected | D．made |
| A．never | B．once | C．almost | D．even |
