1 . At the age of seven, while his friends were spending their allowances on things like candy and toys, Jose Adolfo Quisocola was busy saving money for basic purchases. To try to get his peers(同 龄 人 ) to do the same, the boy from Peru came up with the idea of an eco-bank, the Bartselana
Student Bank, which allows kids of all ages to become financially independent while also helping the environment.
Set up in 2012, the bank is the world’s first bank for kids. To become a member, a kid has to bring in at least 5 kilograms of solid waste and set a savings goal. Once accepted, all bank “partners” are required to deposit at least one additional kilogram of recyclables on a monthly basis and observe other requirements, such as attending financial education and environmental management workshops.
The waste accumulated is sold to local recycling companies, who, thanks to Jose’s efforts, pay a higher-than-market rate for everything brought in by the bank members. The money received is placed in the personal account where they collect until the savings goal is reached. The account holder can then withdraw the money, or choose to leave it and continue to grow for a bigger target. “At the beginning, my teachers thought I was crazy or that a child could not undertake this type of project,” Jose recalls, “They did not understand that we are not the future of the country but its present. Luckily, I had the support of the school headmaster and an assistant in my class.”
The boy’s efforts paid off, and by 2013, the bank had over 200 members, who brought in one ton of recyclable waste. Today, the eco-bank, which now has the support of several local institutions, boasts ten educational centers. They are designed to teach the over 3,000 students, aged 10 to 18 , to become financially independent, use their money wisely, and help the environment.
Not surprisingly, Jose’s efforts have earned him several national and international awards. On November 20, 2018, Jose won Children’s Climate Prize, which comes with a medal and $5,500 in prize money and is given to a child or youth who has accomplished an extraordinary achievement for the climate or environment.
1. Why did Jose set up the bank?A.To raise money and set up a recycling company. |
B.To buy necessities and donate them to needy kids. |
C.To save much money and protect the environment. |
D.To educate the students and help them win prizes. |
A.By donating to the eco-bank. |
B.By turning in one kilogram of waste in a month. |
C.By sending in an application. |
D.By presenting a goal and a certain amount of waste. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Excited. |
C.Moved. | D.Worried. |
A.How the environment is improved. | B.What the project has achieved. |
C.How tons of waste has been recycled. | D.What support the local institutions get. |
2 . One spring morning many years ago, I had been prospecting for gold along Coho Creek in southeastern Alaska. Suddenly, no more than 20 paces away was a huge Alaskan timber wolf-caught in a trap.
From her appearance, I guessed she had been trapped for several days. She needed my help, I thought. But if I tried to release her, she would turn aggressive to me. The wolf was clearly suffering. The trap's steel jaws had imprisoned two toes. They were swollen and lacerated, but she wouldn't lose the paw (爪子) — if freed. Yet each time I moved closer, she would make a frightening growl. If I could only win her confidence, I thought. It was her only hope.
Over the next few days, I divided my time between prospecting and trying to win the wolf's trust. I talked gently with her, throwing her some meat. Gradually, I kept edging closer — though I was careful to remain beyond the length of her trap chain.
At dusk on the fifth day, I delivered her dinner. Suddenly, I saw a slight wagging of her tail. I moved within the length of her chain. She remained sill. As a towering man, my heart was in my mouth, though. Within her reach, I wrapped my blanket around myself and slowly settled onto the cold ground. It was long before I fell asleep.
The next morning, I slowly placed my hand on the wolf's injured leg. Unexpectedly; she made no threatening move. Then I applied pressure, the trap sprang open, and the wolf pulled free.
My experience told me the wolf would vanish into the woods quickly. But cautiously, she crept toward me and sniffed my hands and arms. This went against everything I'd ever heard about timber wolves. Yet, strangely, it all seemed so natural.
1. What happened to the timber wolf?A.She was stuck in a trap. | B.Her food ran out. |
C.Her legs were swollen. | D.She was caught in the author's trap. |
A.Some food. | B.The author's care. |
C.Her trust in the author. | D.Winning the author's confidence. |
A.He was too close to the wolf. | B.The ground was too cold. |
C.The wolf remained still. | D.The wolf wagged her tail. |
A.It was frightening and surprising. | B.It was unexpected but natural. |
C.It was humorous and natural. | D.It was terrifying but encouraging. |
3 . “No matter where you are or what time it is there’s something going on at a Hard Rock Cafe. All over the world our cafes not only serve great food, but they serve up great music.” Hard Rock Cafes around the world symbolize the timeless energy, originality and unifying (团结的) spirit that have helped to shape rock music over the last century.
Founded by two Americans, the first Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) opened its doors to the public on June 14, 1971, in London. Today, HRC has become a global phenomenon with more than 180 cafes in different countries.
HRC has also become the world’s leading collector and exhibitor of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia. It all started when Eric Clapton, a regular at the first HRC, asked the staff if they could hang his guitar on the wall to mark his favourite stool (凳子) as “his spot”. They did and one week later, a package from Pete Townshend arrived with a guitar and a note with the message, “Mine’s as good as his! Love, Pete.”
Ever since then, Hard Rock Cafes have been collecting pieces of rock memorabilia and covering their walls with them. Their collection is rotated from restaurant to restaurant and provides the world’s most comprehensive “visual history” of rock ‘n’ roll. These treasures include an awe-inspiring collection of classic guitars and other instruments, posters, music, etc.
Throughout its history, HRC has been governed by a special service philosophy: “Love All — Serve All.” Since it was established, HRC has taken part in a wide variety of humane activities around the world. Following its idea of being more than just a restaurant, HRC tries to connect its business and its passion to make the earth a safer, healthier and better place to live.
All in all, Hard Rock Cafe International is an entertainment company that continues to successfully expand the Hard Rock brand through countless music-related activities.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To explain why HRC is a success. |
B.To show the characteristics of HRC. |
C.To describe the excellent service of HRC. |
D.To introduce what you can share in a HRC. |
A.He wanted to occupy a seat. |
B.He wanted to pay his bill with it. |
C.He wanted his guitar to be assessed. |
D.He wanted his guitar to be put on its wall. |
A.It is related to rock ‘n’ roll. |
B.It is housed in the first HRC. |
C.It was advocated by Eric Clapton. |
D.It was financed by regular customers. |
A.HRC welcomes everyone to the cafe. |
B.HRC is operated for a charitable purpose. |
C.HRC offers various activities to its customers. |
D.HRC provides the best service at the lowest price. |
4 . Going to college was not optional. In my family, it was just another step toward the American dream. As soon as I graduated, I enrolled (入学)in the English Department of Colorado State University. I went on to earn two scholarships, and membership in the National Honor Society. I truly believed the hard work was worth it.
It wasn't until a few months ago that I realized how clueless I was. I had been combing through the classifieds when my eyes fell upon my dream job: “National College Magazine looking for writers ”.
Thrilled, I spent the weekend composing a resume . Needless to say, I was stunned when the interviewer barely took one glance before throwing it aside.
"No experience," he said flatly.
I felt like screaming, "What do you mean, no experience? Look at these grades."
I was left to absorb the shock of rejection, thinking that nobody ever told me that a 4. 0 student would be turned down for a job.
Didn't all of my hard work count for anything?
I see plenty of demands for two years of experience at a print publication, but none requiring extensive knowledge of how to write academic papers. Yet 95% of my energy in school went toward the latter, leaving me little time to devote to anything else. If career preparation is supposed to be the point of college, then why isn't it the focus?
Has a college degree just become another societal status symbol like fancy cars or designer clothes?
Given my experience, I feel that a college degree would be a lot more valuable if students were required to get some outside experience to supplement their in — class knowledge. Instead of requiring four science classes, why not three science classes and an internship? In my college career, I took one class that taught me how to write and submit essays for publication. This ever — so — brief taste of the real world was like holding an ice cream sundae in front of a child and only giving her a small bite.
1. Why did the author study so hard at college?A.To maintain a family tradition. | B.To land an ideal job. |
C.To fulfill parents' expectations. | D.To win scholarships for the tution |
A.His dull resume. | B.His misjudgment in high scores. |
C.His lack of experience. | D.His poor performance in the interview. |
A.Academic writing is a small part of college life. |
B.College education always covers unimportant things. |
C.Competition in college is not as fierce as that in the real world. |
D.The author feels held back by his lack of real — world experience. |
A.Get a college degree and you will go far. |
B.College students should make the best of their time. |
C.Career preparation is a necessity for college education. |
D.Landing a successful career is better than a college degree. |
5 . When Sarah Wishnia received an iPad from her daughter, “It was like Greek to me.” Max Rosenblum showed her how to socialize on Facebook and shop on Amazon with her new device.With Max's help, Elena learned to give orders to Siri, Mike familiarized himself with Waze and Honey began searching for information about movies, restaurants and books on her smartphone.Max is 16, a rising junior in Davie. His students are residents of Coral Gables, fascinated by technology and eager to learn about this brave new frontier. Max began offering his tech coaching for seniors a year ago, after he helped his grandmother with her iPhone and iPad. He taught her how to text and use Faccbook. He also downloaded a Scrabble app for her to play. “She loved it,”he said, not without a trace of pride.
That experience inspired him and his parents, Adam and Heather. They reached out to a connection at Coral Gables and launched a website, techmaxed. com. He also recruited(招募)other teens to teach the one-on-one lessons in Coral Gables. These youths go to the retirement communities at least once a month. Though teaching a class might appear to be more expedient,soon Max found out that group sessions simply didn't work.“People are at different levels,and it was hard to teach that way," he said. “It's much better to give them individual help.” “Most people come more than once,” he added. “I have my regulars.”
“First he showed me how to get my email on the phone,” Rosen, 88, said, “and then he wrote up a short step-by-step guide for me so I could remember.” Max admits that teaching older adults takes time, but he figures he's also paying it forward.
“Maybe when I'm 87 and there's new technology,” he said, “somebody will teach me, too.”
1. What can we infer about Sarah Wishnia when she received the iPad?A.She had no interest in it. | B.She could not shop on Amazon. |
C.She had some difficulty using it. | D.She managed to use it by herself. |
A.Because he was familiar with the new frontier. |
B.Because he enjoyed talking with senior residents. |
C.Because he wanted to apply the new technology. |
D.Because he got inspired after teaching his grandma. |
A.Exhausting. | B.Practical. |
C.Profitable. | D.Creative. |
A.A science book. | B.A travel guide. |
C.A local newspaper. | D.A product introduction. |
Aging brings wrinkles, sagging bodies and frustrating forgetfulness. But getting older is not all bad for many people. Mounting evidence suggests aging may be a key to happiness. There is conflicting research on the subject, however, and experts say it may all boil down to this: Attitude is everything.
Older adults tend to be more optimistic and have a more positive outlook on life than their younger and stressed opposites. The big question is why seniors are happier. A recent study suggests one reason: Older adults remember the past through happy memories. Aging can bring more cheer as people become more comfortable with themselves and their roles in society. The older adults said they were enjoying more time with their family, spending more time on hobbies and having greater financial security and did not have to work.
But others are doubtful about the link between happiness and growing older.
"The notion that those in old age are happiest is misleading," said Richard Easterlin, a professor of economics at the University of Southern California. "It is based on comparing people of different ages who are the same in terms of income, health, family life." Easterlin added, "When you take account of the fact that older people have lower income than younger, are less healthy, and more likely to be living alone, then you will find it hard to accept that they are happier.
In fact, scientists have found that as people age, their health declines and social networks disappear as their friends die, which can make the elderly less happy.
Even if one does give in to age's dark side, health and happiness don't always go hand-in-hand. It's all about attitude. Research by the University of Chicago’s Yang suggests that attitude about life and happiness, is partly shaped by the era in which a person was born. It turns out that individuals who adapt the best to changes also have the highest expected levels of happiness.
Despite the conflicting findings about aging and happiness, the good news is that there doesn’t appear to be a limit to how much happiness one can achieve in one’s life. “Most people desire happiness,” Easterlin said. “To my knowledge, no one has identified a limit to attainable happiness.”
1. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
A.The key factor to older adults’ happiness |
B.There is a conflict between aging and happiness |
C.No one can define the limit to happiness. |
D.The relationship between health and happiness. |
A.They focus on what makes them feel good. |
B.They have their own circle of friends. |
C.They have better income after retirement. |
D.They can enjoy social welfare services. |
A.People of the same age have the same sense of happiness. |
B.Attitude may play a very important role in happiness. |
C.People who adapt the best to changes are more likely to be unhappy. |
D.Older adults who have more valuable life experience are more optimistic. |
A.Whether aging or attitude brings happiness. |
B.Why seniors adapt the best to changes in society. |
C.What the limit to an elder person’s happiness is. |
D.How older people feel compared with younger people. |
阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从1-20各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One summer day my father sent me to buy wire for our farm. At 16, I liked
Sixteen is a
My family was
At Davis’s store, Buck Davis stood behind the cash desk, talking to a farmer. I nodded
The farmer gave me an amused, distrustful
The farmer nodded in a neighborly
That day I discovered that the good name my parents had
A.something | B.nothing | C.anything | D.everything |
A.and | B.so | C.but | D.for |
A.prideful | B.wonderful | C.respectful | D.colorful |
A.intention | B.shadow | C.habit | D.faith |
A.thus | B.just | C.still | D.ever |
A.guessed | B.suspected | C.questioned | D.figured |
A.watched | B.caught | C.dismissed | D.accused |
A.generous | B.honest | C.friendly | D.modest |
A.blame | B.excuse | C.charge | D.trust |
A.until | B.as | C.once | D.since |
A.purchases | B.sales | C.orders | D.favorites |
A.casually | B.confidently | C.cheerfully | D.carefully |
A.look | B.stare | C.response | D.comment |
A.patiently | B.eagerly | C.easily | D.proudly |
A.generally | B.never | C.sometimes | D.always |
A.pointed | B.replied | C.turned | D.introduced |
A.sense | B.way | C.degree | D.mood |
A.earned | B.deserved | C.given | D.used |
A.receive | B.expect | C.collect | D.require |
A.very | B.so | C.how | D.too |
假设你经常浏览的某个英语论坛正在进行主题为“What kind of family tradition do we need most? ”的讨论。请你用英语写一篇短文参与讨论,主要内容如下:
1. 家风的重要性;
2. 选择你认为最重要的一条家风并说明理由(至少两个)。
注意:1. 词数100左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
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9 . Mirroring China’s Past: Emperors and Their Bronzes
Chinese bronzes (青铜) of the second and first millennia BC are some of the most distinctive achievements in the history of art. These vessels (容器) were made to carry sacrificial offerings, to use in burial or to honor noble families in public ceremonies. When they were found by emperors centuries later, these spiritually significant objects were seen as signs of heavenly messages about a ruler or a dynasty and became prized items in royal collections. This exhibition—the first to explore these ancient objects throughout Chinese history—presents a rare opportunity to experience a large number of these works together in the United States.
Unlike Greek and Roman bronze sculptures of human and animal forms, most objects from Bronze Age China (about 2000 - 221 BC) were vessels for ceremonial use. Beginning with the Song dynasty (960 - 1279), emperors unearthed these symbolic works and began collecting them, considering them to be evidence of their own authority as rulers. In addition to impressive collections, the royal fascination with bronzes led to the creation of numerous reproductions and the comprehensive cataloguing of palace holdings. These catalogues are works of art themselves, featuring beautiful drawings and detailed descriptions of each object.
From the 12th century onward, scholars and artists also engaged in collecting and understanding ancient bronzes. Unlike emperors, scholars regarded bronzes as material evidence of their efforts to recover and reconstruct the past, and they occasionally exchanged them as tokens (象征) of friendship. Today ancient bronzes still occupy a primary position in Chinese culture — as historical objects and as signifiers of an important cultural heritage that inspires new generations, as seen in the works of contemporary artists on view in this presentation.
Mirroring China’s Past brings together approximately 180 works from the An Institute of Chicago’s strong holdings and from the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Shanghai Museum, and important museums and private collections in the United States. By providing viewers with a new understanding of ancient bronzes and their significance through time, the exhibition demonstrates China’s fascinating history and its developing present.
1. In what way are Chinese bronzes different from Greek and Roman ones?A.They fascinated the royal family. |
B.They took animal or human forms. |
C.They served ceremonial purposes. |
D.They were important cultural heritage. |
A.Unreal. | B.Creative. |
C.Artistic. | D.Necessary. |
A.It is held in China. | B.It is arranged by time. |
C.It is organized by scholars. | D.It includes modern artworks. |
A.Viewers. | B.Collections. |
C.Museums. | D.Art dealers. |
10 . The Sydney Opera House has a very interesting history.
The government held an
While drawing up the plans, Utzon remembered the temples he