1 . Most of us have no difficulty recognizing luck when it’s on apparent display, as when someone wins the lottery. But _________ often plays out in delicate ways and it’s easy to construct narratives that portray success as out of everything but luck. These misleading stories have surprising implications for human mindset, downplaying the power of chances.

Consider the history of the Mona Lisa. After having staved in the _________ for most of its early existence, the painting was pushed into the spotlight in 1911 when it was stolen from Louvre. The famous theft remained _________ for two years until a maintenance worker was arrested after trying to sell the painting. His arrest caused a second wave of _________, with the painting on everyone’s lips. As in the art world, it is so too in the world of work. Almost every career path consists of a sequence of steps, each of which depends on former ones. Inevitably, some of those _________ steps can be influenced by chance factors, which, as a result, are sure to affect the following process. So it is reasonable to conclude that _________ all successful careers involve at least a certain degree of luck.

One’s date of birth _________, for example. According to a study, most children born in the summer tend to be among the youngest members of their class, which explains why they are less likely to hold _________ positions during high school and thus, less likely to land good jobs later in life.

To acknowledge the power of chance events is not to suggest that success is independent of _________. Charlie Munger has said. “The safest way to get what you want is to __________ what you want.”

Of course, luck counts too. Being born in a good education system is a kind of luck we can control— that is, at least we can decide how lucky our children will be. But in America, we’ve been doing a bad job as the budget for education has __________. The human tendency to __________ luck’s role has caused this troubling state by unwillingness to invest in education, the strong system of which can produce __________ for the next generation.

Luckily, there is a solution. Guiding people to __________ their good fortune tends to make them more willing to contribute to the __________, according to a study. So try to engage your successful friends in reviews about their experiences with luck. In the process, the next generation’s odds of success may well increase and meanwhile, all the social members are more likely to enjoy the improved public service.

1.

A．randomness

B．potential

C．masterpiece

D．success

2.

A．emergency-

B．maintenance

C．review

D．shade

3.

A．accidental

B．unsolved

C．official

D．objective

4.

A．protest

B．suspicion

C．publicity

D．investigation

5.

A．previous

B．negative

C．realistic

D．entire

6.

A．virtually

B．sustainably

C．adequately

D．negatively

7.

A．occurs

B．contracts

C．matters

D．approaches

8.

A．accessible

B．original

C．superior

D．secure

9.

A．effort

B．logic

C．relationship

D．investment

10.

A．deserve

B．evaluate

C．modify

D．exploit

11.

A．shone

B．shrunk

C．ballooned

D．flown

12.

A．preserve

B．popularize

C．underestimate

D．revolutionize

13.

A．challenge

B．luck

C．motivation

D．experience

14.

A．reflect on

B．save on

C．adjust to

D．live on

15.

A．mutual understanding

B．mental fitness

C．family value

D．common good

2 . A line of men tugged on ropes and dropped from the ship into the sea, with a group of Saibs prepared to pull them later from the sea bottom. Nasser, one of the divers, climbed over the railing of the ship and his Saib emptied his basket full of shells onto the deck.

“Get me something to fill my stomach with, boy.” I knew he was teasing as he is my father’s good friend.

“But I’m no longer an errand boy. I’m a diver, like my father was.”

“Your father was bald and deaf, like the rest of us,” Nasser laughed.

The salty Arabian Gulf produced the finest pearls in the world while the salty water also made divers lose their hair. Let alone the high pressure which cost them their hearing. I had shaved my head, in which way I felt more like a real diver. Of course, there’s no need for me to worry about the hair problem.

“I’ve dived the shallow seas before, and I can hold my breath fora whole minute.”

“Just pull your rope before you feel breathless.” He then disappeared into the water again.

I tied a heavy stone to my foot with a rope. Taking one more deep breath. I plugged my nose and jumped. With the stone finally hitting the seabed with a thump. I freed my foot from the rope. I scratched at the rocky ridge (脊), when three oysters dropped into my hands. I even didn’t have enough time to feel surprised at how easy the job was before I felt breathless.

Out of honor, I dragged the rope. Knowing that, tar above, the Saib’s strong arms strained to pull me toward the surface. I reminded myself to endure for a little more time. Just when I thought my lungs would burst, my cars popped and there was light.

Nasser burst through the water. He removed his nose plug and grinned at me looking at the three pitiful shells on the deck. “Not bad for an errand boy.” Seeing me upset with my head down, he patted me “It’s your first for such a depth. You did better than all of us.” Cheering up, I wrapped the empty basket around my neck and raised my chin, “I’m a pearl diver.”

1. According to Nasser, what did an errand boy usually do?

A．Pull divers from the sea.	B．Empty baskets for divers.
C．Serve snacks for divers.	D．Dive for shells.

2. Why did the author have his hair cut?

A．Because he tried to avoid losing hair.

B．Because all divers had shaved hair.

C．Because high pressure made him bald.

D．Because he wanted to look professional.

3. Why did the author get little harvest?

A．Because there were not many pearls in the area.

B．Because he still lacked experience in the job.

C．Because the Saib pulled him up too early without permission.

D．Because the rocky ridge was too rough.

3 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Soft Skills—Soft or Not?

Rapidly advancing technology and its impact on education have been a subject of much debate. How can schools equip students with the skills to succeed in a changing job market? Since technology is driving many social changes, there is an opinion that governments should keep focusing on STEM subjects. These are often referred to as “hard skills”, which are prioritized in primary schools and right through to university level.

However, research from Harvard University on the global job market has shown that STEM-related careers grew strongly between 1989 and 2000 but have slowed ever since. In contrast, jobs in the creative industries, which are probably most associated with the need for soft skills, are growing rapidly. A study by Deloitte Access Economics predicts that “soft skill-intensive occupations will account for two-thirds of all jobs by 2030”.

With the rapid evolution of technology, a focus on hard skills leaves people delicate when facing change, as these skills often have a limited shelf life. According to a survey, more than one in four adults reported a mismatch between their skills and those needed for their job role. Fortunately, soft skills can solve the problem, enabling people to adapt to change more easily in their chosen field. Additionally, interpersonal interactions in the modern workplace require some level of soft skills. At a company they might be negotiating to win a new contract or networking for a new job. People use soft skills every day at work and developing them will help things in the job go smoothly.

Many universities have begun to emphasize soft skills such as critical thinking alongside hard skills. But the issue goes much deeper. Soft skills need to be handled across the entire education system so that by the time students reach university level, they are already armed with the qualities needed to further develop these skills.

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4 . Age Reversal Technology

Our life spans (时间段) used to be relatively short.     1     Within the next 150 years, this was raised by medical advances. And fast forward to 2020 and global life expectancy is 72.6 years — higher than that in any country in 1950.

As people live longer, population aging becomes a greater economic problem. It has both placed a burden on public health spending and decreased productivity of workforce. And aging is the fundamental driver behind many diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, to name just a few. One expert in population aging at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Halldór Stefánsson, explains that some serious diseases related to aging — that very few people lived long enough to experience in the past — have replaced infectious diseases as the main cause of death.     2    

The amazing news is that age reversal technology will soon be a reality. On the bright side, the process of reversing aging is already possible for cells in scientific experiments.     3     In the foreseeable future, we will be able to enjoy a longer life as well. The goal is to preventively target aging — the major risk factor for a wide variety of diseases and disabilities — instead of treating one disease at a time, which is very costly. One future model projected an increase in NHS expense of £42 million year-on-year until 2031 due to the aging population.

    4    That means the technology will restore our vitality and bodily function by removing the damage inevitably caused by the processes of life.

A．And science has moved on to extend life spans of some animals, though not yet of humans.

B．Human aging timeline is also driven by other factors.

C．In the 1800s, life expectancy across the world was less than 40 years of age.

D．So, the question on all our mind is — can science stop aging?

E．Initially restricted to developed countries, population aging has also become a trend in the developing world.

F．Age reversal technology will also increase health span — the length of time during which one is healthy.

5 . From Smells to Soundtracks

When a young sawfly, a bee-like insect, is threatened by its attackers like ants, it emits a mixture of unpleasant smells to defend itself. These emissions can seriously annoy a potential enemy.

Scientists wanting to study these smelly compounds—to understand which aspects of them discourage attackers and why—face great challenges. Meetups between sawflies and ants in a lab are difficult to carry out. There are also a very limited quantity of the insects’ emissions. On the side, Jean-Luc Boevé, a zoologist who studies insects, from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, is an amateur musician and composer. He decided to try a different way—the sound approach. “To be honest, I considered this project so unpractical myself that I set it aside,” he said. It was months before Boevé and his partner, Rudi Giot, finally made a resolution to get started on it.

They chose 16 sawfly species’ emissions to translate into sounds. First, they figured out which molecules (分子) were present in each smelly compound and in what amounts. Then they assigned various characteristics of those molecules matching properties of sound. For example, smaller molecules like a kind of acid found in vinegar, a sour-tasting liquid, evaporate (挥发) quickly, so Boevé and Giot assigned them sounds with higher pitch ( 音 高 ). Larger molecules were given lower-pitched sounds. In all, the scientists created individual audio descriptions for 20 molecules. Then they combined the sounds of each molecule present in a sawfly’s smell to construct the insect’s soundtrack. If a molecule was of higher proportion in an emission, they assigned it a higher volume. In such a case, the smaller a molecule is, the higher its pitch will be; and the higher the proportion of a molecule is, the higher its volume will be.

To test out the audio descriptions they created, Boevé and Giot examined people’s reactions to the soundtracks and compared them to ants’ reactions to the original smells. They played the 16 emission soundtracks and the 20 molecule sounds through speakers to about 50 study participants. Then the scientists measured how far people backed up to get to a “comfortable position” away from the noise. Most of the study volunteers told the researchers that the high pitch, as well as the high volume, was what made them withdraw. “Ants and volunteers moved away from a chemical and its matching soundtrack respectively,” the researchers wrote.

Boevé said he hoped the process would give other zoologists a new way to compare sawflies’ chemical defenses with those from other insects. It may also offer researchers clues about which molecules fight off enemies most.

1. What do we know about Boevé from paragraph 2?

A．He was devoted to the research for several months.

B．He started a new approach after months’ hesitation.

C．He came up with a creative idea thanks to a composer.

D．He was faced with difficulties in studying rare sawflies.

2. What can be concluded in terms of the sound approach?

A．The volume of sounds is based on the proportion of molecules.

B．Smaller molecules and lower pitch share similar characteristics.

C．Audio descriptions of the molecules can be divided into 16 kinds.

D．Participants were required to compare the sounds with the smells.

3. From paragraphs 4 and 5, we can learn that ________.

A．the soundtracks are more than what humans are likely to bear

B．the ants dislike the sounds as much as humans hate the smells

C．humans’ reactions to the sounds resemble ants’ responses to the smells

D．other zoologists are looking for innovative ways of studying molecules

4. This passage is mainly intended to ________.

A．explain ways to transfer smells into soundtracks

B．introduce research on sawfly’s effect on humans

C．demonstrate a scientific study on insects’smells

D．test out people’s reaction to various soundtracks

6 . Welcome to the Hunter

Take a short break from Sydney’s urban delights and escape to Hunter Valley Wine Country! Just a two-hour drive north of open spaces, fresh country air, super wines and excellent food.

Set around the quiet villages of Pokolbin and Broke, this region is of fertile volcanic soils, backed by the rolling wooded hills of the Brokeback Ranges. It’s a place where the natural Australian landscape has been accompanied by a tradition of cultivating grapes dating back over 190 years. Grapes were first grown in this valley in the 1830s, making the Hunter Australia’s oldest wine-producing area, where you can find varieties of admired wines. The region is also popular for its fine dining and various activities.

Fine Wines

Begin your tour by visiting some wine factories dotted around the village of Pokolbin. Most wine factories are open daily for tastings. You could start at Tyrrell’s Wines, one of the area’s most popular and still family-owned after over 160 years. Taste award-winning wines in its atmospheric underground rooms, among the oldest in Australia.

Eating Well

When it’s time for a change of pace, turn to the Hunter Valley’s fantastic food, including cheeses, bread and vegetables. Dine on praised Modern Australian meals at excellent restaurants such as Roberts at Pepper Tree. If you’re after a light lunch, or just coffee and a snack, try the more casual Café Enzo or The Grill at Rothbury Estate.

Activities & Touring

When it’s time to work off all that food and wine, there are a host of options. Play tennis, or enjoy a round of golf. Hire a bike, or go horse-riding in the hills.

Enjoy a bird’s eye view of this beautiful rural landscape by taking an early morning hot-air balloon trip—or be really adventurous and sample the unforgettable thrill of double skydiving.

1. This passage is mainly intended for ________.

A．hunters all over Australia

B．villagers in Pokolbin and Broke

C．those interested in growing grapes

D．those living in urban areas in Sydney

2. It can be concluded from paragraph 2 that ________.

A．Pokolbin and Broke are located within the Brokeback Ranges

B．traditional ways of growing grapes are adopted in Hunter Valley

C．the locals produce wines in admiration of the region’s popularity

D．the Hunter enjoys the longest history of making wine in Australia

3. Which is recommended in the passage?

A．Having a light lunch at Roberts at Pepper Tree.

B．Riding a horse in the hills to help with digestion.

C．Purchasing wines in old family-owned wine factories.

D．Taking hot-air balloon trips whenever you feel the need.

7 . We owe our knowledge about the Earth’s geography largely to such explorers as Christopher Columbus and James Cook, who ventured into the seas in search of new lands. Portuguese ship captain Ferdinand Magellan was also such a man, who was the first explorer to sail around the world.

Magellan was interested in the paths Christopher Columbus had taken on his voyages, and after studying the maps of those routes for years, he requested King Manuel in 1513 to allow him to sail to the Spice Islands, but this time he would travel the waters south of South America. He was convinced that the trip would be shorter than if he headed to the southern tip of Africa and then across the Pacific Ocean. Nevertheless, Manuel refused his request. Later on, Magellan applied himself to astronomy ( 天 文 学 ) and navigation for almost two years. In 1517, he took the information gathered from his studies to Charles I of Spain, who agreed to fund his voyage.

In 1519, with 5 ships and 241 men under his command, Magellan sailed across the Atlantic to what is now Rio de Janeiro; he then headed south to find the passage to the Pacific. Luck was not with him, however—he was unable to find that passage before the end of summer, and he adjourned in Puerto San Julian, Argentina, a country in southern South America, where one ship was destroyed, and some of his crew rebelled.

Determined to continue, Magellan managed to restart his voyage in the spring of 1520, but difficulties once again nearly defeated him. The crew went for 98 days without seeing any land, ran out of food, and used up almost all their water. 19 men died before the ships reached Guam, and conflicts with people there prevented them from getting resupplied fully. When they finally reached the Philippines in 1521, Magellan himself was killed in a battle.

Only one ship, with 18 survivors, made it back to Spain in 1522. But the exploration must in one very important respect be considered a success—it paved the way for explorers, merchants, and settlers to sail the Pacific, travelling relatively quickly to new and far-off lands.

1. Magellan believed that the trip would be shorter if he ________.

A．cut through the Spice Islands

B．went across the Pacific Ocean

C．headed directly to the southern tip of Africa

D．traveled the waters south of South America

2. The word “adjourned” in the passage most probably means ________.

A．was held up

B．was cheered up

C．gave up

D．sped up

3. What troubled the team on their way to the Philippines?

A．Not taking along fresh water.

B．Not choosing the right time.

C．Magellan’s unexpected death.

D．Failure to get a full resupply.

4. What is this passage mainly about?

A．Magellan’s lasting and fruitful persuasion of the kings.

B．Magellan’s tough exploration of sailing round the world.

C．Magellan’s significant influences on Earth’s living space.

D．Magellan’s contribution to people’s knowledge of sailing.

8 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. highlighting   B. total     C. enriched     D. urgent E. relief     F. perspective   G. ignoring     H. altered I. filling     J. separate   K. downgraded

Chinese Women Bridging Gap

Zhang Jianli used to employ only male workers on his construction sites throughout Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. Now with large quantities of work but inadequate manpower, Mr. Zhang has     1    his mind. He offers daily wages of roughly 160 yuan for women workers to do such routine work as moving wood and bricks, and up to 200 yuan a day for     2    or complicated jobs.

A labor shortage is pushing employers to hire more women to build high-rises, maintain rail tracks and drive trucks, among other roles. Chinese women are     3     the labor shortage. They are increasingly taking on heavy-labor jobs long dominated by men in construction or transportation,     4     traditional gender roles.

Women’s presence on construction sites has grown a lot. As a consequence, employers have set up     5     living spaces and bathrooms for them. About one-third of the workers on some construction sites in major cities are women, according to estimates by researchers who study China’s labor and gender issues. Just eight years ago, women accounted for just over one-tenth of the     6     , according to a survey of over 6,000 construction workers in nine cities. Over time, the types of jobs performed by women have been     7     —truck driving and machine handling added to their working list.

State media, in recent years, have praised the roles of women working as truck drivers and construction workers,     8    their contribution to the economy. In July, Xinhua News Agency featured Xu Yingying, a kind-hearted woman truck driver, who delivered     9    materials to the virus-stricken Hubei province three times within nine days last year. “Having lived through so much, I feel that the best status of a woman is being self-independent, living to become a beam of light and warming others,” she shared her     10    in the video.

9 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Three Myths About Skin

We put importance into caring for skin since it’s the first thing other people see. Skin might be one of the least correctly     1     (interpret) parts of our bodies. So today, I’d like to run through three myths we have about skin.

Myth No. 1: Healthy skin is skin that looks perfect. When we talk of healthy skin, we     2     think of a clear and smooth surface. But skin is a living organ,     3     heart or lungs and any other complex organ, serving many functions, not just about what’s going on at the surface.

Myth No. 2: You only need sunscreen on sunny days. UV rays from the sun are so strong that     4     damage our cells’ DNA. There are two types that affect the skin. UVA rays damage protein in skin, quickening the pace of aging. UVB rays, meanwhile, cook the outer layer of the skin, causing sunburn.     5     our cells can repair that damage to some extent, it accumulates over time, and can lead to skin cancer. When our skin     6     (expose) to UV rays, it gets darker, which is the way of showing it’s been damaged. So by wearing sunscreen, even when it’s cloudy, you are protecting yourself from sunburn, early aging and skin cancer.

Myth No. 3: You can shrink pores. Pores are the tiny openings in our skin. They’re     7     let sweat cool you and oil smooth skin. Pore size is largely determined by genes,     8     function is to carry information for particular characteristics, and rarely changes. In other words, pores don’t really shrink. So stop     9     (spend) your money on pore minimizers and just wash your face with the products basically made from stuff that won’t block pores.

Our skin is     10     amazing organ, so let’s treat it right and forget about those myths, OK?

10 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Filling up on Information

People now have access to more information than ever before thanks to the Internet. While there are clearly benefits to it, there are also unintended consequences. One in particular is information overload, commonly referred to as “infobesity.” As the name suggests, it involves consuming an unhealthy amount of information.

Infobesity comes in a number of different forms and affects people in a variety of ways. Business people, for example, may struggle to make decisions when faced with a huge amount of information. For younger people, infobesity is often linked to their use of social media. Young people may be bombed with messages from various social media apps. Furthermore, they may feel the urge to constantly check their phones so as not to miss out on anything. Even online shoppers are affected. With so much information and so many choices available, even the simplest purchase can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety.

Infobesity also has a negative effect on how long our attention lasts. According to a study by Microsoft, the average Canadian now spends less than 10 seconds digesting a piece of media before they move on to something new. This data raises concerns that our ability to pay attention to things will continue to decline as this information overload increases.

So, what can be done to prevent the effects of this condition? While there is no easy answer, one obvious step is to limit our sources of information. Try to only focus on things that really matter to you and on just one thing at a time. Taking a break from your cellphone can also help reduce your stress. And who knows? Since technology got us into this mess in the first place, perhaps it will also present solutions in the future.

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