1 . “I was a bad student who became an astronaut.” Scott Kelly, an engineer and a retired astronaut, visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison and shared his own experience.
As a kid, he was distracted in school and he earned terrible grades and barely graduated from high school. The biggest struggle was that he used to ignore what the teachers were saying, and even he started to accept the fact that he would never be able to achieve what he dreamed.
After graduation, everything changed, quite by accident, when he picked up and read The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe’s classic account of the lives of the pioneering Americans who first explored space. Inspired at last, he decided he wanted to be an astronaut. To do that, he needed to get a technical degree. So starting that day, he was determined to do well in all the subjects. After so many years of daydreaming, it wouldn’t be easy. But he started thinking about it like a sport. The more he practiced his study skills, the better he got and the more he learned. Eventually, it became a competition with himself to see how good he could get.
But how can we find our motivation? There’s no fixed way. It’s about finding an interest and putting in the hard work. It’s likely that you just haven’t found what interests you or the topic is not being explained in a way that resonates (共鸣) with you. Reflect on your daily behavior. Do you find yourself absorbed in building things, interested in the ecosystem, enjoy reading the latest graphics in video games? That will give you clues about your interests-engineering, biology, coding, etc. Then talk to professionals in those fields and hear their stories for guidance and inspiration.
Kelly encourages young people to dream big and aim for the stars. Hard? Maybe. But anything worth having is worth pursuing.
1. What was Scott’s major challenge when he was in high school?| A．To understand what the teachers say in class. |
| B．To find his motivation in learning at school. |
| C．To finish the assignments with higher quality. |
| D．To realize his dream of becoming an astronaut. |
| A．Useful but irrelevant. |
| B．Interesting and pleasing. |
| C．Challenging but rewarding. |
| D．Stressful and time-consuming. |
| A．By following other’s path and devoting yourself to it. |
| B．By running back over your behavior and putting efforts in it. |
| C．By trying various interests and picking what you like most. |
| D．By discovering personal interests and seeking professional advice. |
| A．Well begun is half done. |
| B．Chances favors the prepared mind. |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
| D．Birds of a feather flock together. |
2 . Matthew Cuthbert and his sister, Marilla, live on Green Gables farm, in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. They want to adopt an orphan boy, but Matthew doesn’t find the boy at the train station. Instead, he is attracted by a sweet, talkative 11-year-old girl called Anne. Having heard about Anne’s poor childhood, they think Anne might not be the “useful boy” they’ve wanted to work on the farm, but she needs their sympathy. Anne is overjoyed to be allowed to stay.
On Anne’s second morning at home, however, Matthew abruptly suffers from a heart attack. Soon, Marilla sees a specialist and learns that unless she takes measures to prevent her eyesight, she will be blind within six months. Anne finds herself involved in a dilemma.
Anne, anyway, gradually gets familiar with the beauties of Green Gables, the household duties she will have to fulfill. Even though Marilla often scolds Anne for daydreaming and ignoring her chores, both she and Matthew find Anne’s imaginative talk amusing, and soon they can’t picture the farm without her.
In the fall, Anne starts off well at Avonlea School, but then she’s teased by Gilbert Blythe, a handsome boy in her grade, for her red hair. Anne hits Gilbert on the head, and she is punished by her teacher and refuses to attend school for a while. After Anne returns to school, she takes a renewed enthusiasm in her studies and a growing academic competition with Gilbert. Besides, Anne forms a story club to help her friends improve their imaginations.
When she is 16, Anne studies for the entrance exam to Queen’s Academy. With intense effort, Anne and Gilbert both get the highest exam scores in Prince Edward Island, broadening Anne’s ambitions for the future. The following September, Matthew and Marilla, both tearful over Anne’s growing up, say goodbye when Anne settles into Queen’s for the year. Anne earns teacher certificate, and though she’s defeated by Gilbert for the highest academic honor, she wins a scholarship.
1. What makes Matthew and Marilla decide to adopt Anne?| A．Anne’s pitiful childhood. | B．Anne’s attractive appearance. |
| C．Anne’s easy-going personality. | D．Anne’s familiarity with farm work. |
| A．She teases her classmate. | B．She hurts a handsome boy. |
| C．She fails to get good scores. | D．She refuses to attend school. |
| A．She defeats Gilbert academically. |
| B．She is full of hope for the future study. |
| C．She earns the highest academic honor. |
| D．She is discouraged not to be admitted into the college. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Amused. | C．Indifferent. | D．Content. |
3 . Going to school can be a demanding obstacle for many, but some people are well prepared for the challenge. For Dylan Kuehl, being a student has been a challenging joy. The 38-year-old has had a passion for studying, and believes that the more he learns, the more he learns to see the world differently. This open-minded approach and enthusiastic mindset are all the most inspiring as Kuehl has Down syndrome (唐氏综合征).
He knows the struggle of breaking new ground from a lifetime of experience of being different. He has sustained his ability to shine as a unique individual by graduating from The Evergreen State College in Washington State. Kuehl is the first person with Down syndrome in the college’s 51-year history to earn a four-year degree. Not only that, but this also makes him the first person with Down syndrome in Washington state to achieve this remarkable milestone.
Kuehl’s passion for creativity led him to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree. He enjoyed classes in painting and dance as part of his curriculum, but his primary focus was writing. Out of 900 graduates, he was one of three to be selected to give an address at the graduation ceremony.
“Celebrate your abilities,” Kuehl tells his fellow students in his speech. “Live your life with ambition and pride.”We can all take a leaf out of this inspiring man’s book which is about enthusiasm, positivity, determination and a whole lot of motivating hard work.
Aside from graduating college, Kuehl is also an entrepreneur (企业家). He started his own visual and performing arts company called DK Arts in 2005, where he sells his own artwork and glass jewelry. He plays the drums in a band called Living the Dream, advocating for inclusion through his music.
1. What does Kuehl think his studying is?| A．A must for his own business. |
| B．A way of viewing the world. |
| C．A relief from his Down syndrome. |
| D．An approach to showing his gifts. |
| A．He has a gift for invention. |
| B．He is good at selling things. |
| C．He leads a colourful life. |
| D．He makes music as his career. |
| A．Wealthy. |
| B．Generous. |
| C．Strict. |
| D．Inspiring. |
| A．Art. |
| B．Academy. |
| C．Business. |
| D．People. |
4 . Bookstores are fascinating places. That’s because the books on the shelves can take you away to magical lands, help you learn a foreign language, or cook a delicious meal. But when your community is too small to house a real brick bookstore, sometimes you have to make a compromise. A mobile bookstore that brings books around the country was the result. That is the case for Rita Collins, 70, who dreamed of opening a used bookstore after retiring from teaching.
A business planning class from the American Booksellers Association convinced Collins to abandon her idea that opening a bookstore in the small town where she lives, which would not be sustainable. Eureka, Montana, located just seven miles from the Canadian border, only has a population of 1,517. Collins asked her instructors about a traveling bookstore on wheels and they were skeptical. But she persevered.
Collins was inspired by Dylans Mobile Bookstore, a traveling bookstore in Wales run by Jeff Towns. She contacted Jeff for advice but she was largely on her own when it came to building her bookstore. First, she had to find a vehicle large enough to stand in. Then she had to have it refitted with shelves that would hold the books at a 15-degree angle so that they would stay in place while in transit. Collins named her bookstore St Rita’s Traveling Bookstore, which has been on the road since 2015.
At first, she drove through Montana and then she made her first cross-country trip in 2016. After she retired in 2017, it became a full-time job all year round. Collins and her mobile bookstore have visited 30 states, stopping at festivals and events along the way. While the locations change, some things always stay the same. Collins loves meeting people and making connections. While she loves what she does, Collins doesn’t think she can keep doing it. In several years, she hopes to pass her traveling bookstore onto another bibliophile who shares the same interest and will keep it on the road.
1. Why did Collins abandon opening a bookstore?| A．It would cost a lot of money. | B．It was not promising. |
| C．It would be out of date. | D．It was not approved. |
| A．To beautify the mobile bookstore. |
| B．To make full use of space of the shelves. |
| C．To keep the bookstore’s balance. |
| D．To protect the books from falling down. |
| A．Merciful and delightful. | B．Intelligent and reasonable. |
| C．Determined and social. | D．Generous and lovely. |
| A．A book lover. | B．A publisher. |
| C．A famous writer. | D．An editor. |
5 . Rollins College’s graduate, Elizabeth Bonker gave a powerful speech at the school’s graduation ceremony using text-to-speech technology. “You have a voice. Use it,” she advised graduates. It seems funny that a non-speaking autistic (孤独症患者) encourages you to use your voice. However, her moving speech touched not only her fellow classmates but also the worldwide audience with a powerful message of hope.
Throughout her academic career, Elizabeth has studied hard to reach her goals at school and in life. She wrote a book, I Am in Here, which highlights the abilities of people like her with non-speaking autism. She also founded a non-profit organization called Communication 4 All.
Elizabeth has a form of autism that resulted in her losing the ability to speak when she was 15 months old. After she lost her speech her family helped her learn to communicate by typing. She has become a supporter of assistive communication and typing instruction for those with non-speaking autism.
“I have typed this speech with one finger with a communication partner holding a keyboard,” shared Elizabeth. She gave her persuasive speech through text-to-speech technology.
Elizabeth majored in social service with the purpose of helping the 31 million people in the world who have non-speaking autism. She strongly believes that service to others gives meaning to each individual and to those they serve.
Throughout her life, Elizabeth has sought a platform where others would hear and accept her. She ignored negative comments and the low expectations others had for her life. Instead, she walked down her own path and set out to realize her dreams using intellect, talent and determination. She encouraged her fellow classmates to use their education and the power of their own minds to help make their dream a reality.
1. What effect does Elizabeth’s speech have on the audience?| A．It brings them hope. |
| B．It inspires them to use technology. |
| C．It informs them of more about autism. |
| D．It encourages them to make speeches. |
| A．They tried their best to teach her how to speak. |
| B．They started a non-profit organization for her. |
| C．They helped her find another way of communication. |
| D．They created the text-to-speech technology to help her. |
| A．To develop her potential and strengths. |
| B．To get better employment opportunities. |
| C．To make her childhood dream come true. |
| D．To help more people like her in the world. |
| A．Positive and creative. |
| B．Strong-minded and helpful. |
| C．Energetic and humorous. |
| D．Kind-hearted and imaginative. |
6 . For many years, Croatian-American recording artist Nenad Bach toured the world performing with famous musicians like Bono and Pavarotti. Everything came to a stop in 2010, however, when Nenad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease — a progressive disease that affects a person’s movement.
“I love music,” he said. “When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010, I didn’t know what it was. Five years later, I couldn’t even play the guitar.”
One day, a friend of Nenad’s asked him to play ping-pong with him, and Nenad said yes. The effects were immediate and positive: he woke up the next day filled with a “desire to live”, and his physical and mental issues had improved. Encouraged, he kept playing.
For months he told everyone around him about how ping-pong was helping his Parkinson’s, but his praise fell on deaf ears. Finally, he took matters into his own hands and started hosting Ping Pong Parkinson’s events at the Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville, New York. Once the events attracted enough attention, he started an organization called Ping Pong Parkinson (PPP) in March 2017.
PPP hopes to encourage people living with Parkinson’s to play ping-pong for its benefits. In addition to promoting social connectivity, PPP also says that it increases neuroplasticity (神经可塑性) which creates new neural pathways in the brain. Nenad has seen evidence of this with his own eyes many times in the past years. He said that their “facial expression changes from when they arrive until they leave. In addition, some people start walking again.”
Nenad has made spreading the word about the power of ping-pong his new life’s work! He hopes others will take up the sport and see the same improvements he’s enjoyed since the first time he picked up a paddle (乒乓球拍).
1. What happened to Nenad in 2015?| A．His disease got worse. | B．He learned to perform. |
| C．He began to play the guitar. | D．His acting journey ended. |
| A．Organizing social events. | B．Taking his mind off his work. |
| C．Setting up Ping Pong Parkinson. | D．Playing ping-pong with his friend. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Favorable. | C．Uninterested. | D．Curious. |
| A．Nenad’s fighting against Parkinson |
| B．The benefits of playing ping-pong |
| C．The severity of Parkinson’s disease |
| D．The sporting experience of Nenad |
7 . Devon Gallagher, a college graduate from Philadelphia, wants the world to know exactly where she’s been during her worldwide vacation in a special way.
The traveler, who was born with a bone disease, had her right leg amputated(截肢) at the age of four. Although the amputation caused misfortune for Gallagher early on, she now sees it as nothing short of inspiration for living her best life.
To spread the message, Gallagher has taken to social media, where she shares photos of her travels across the globe. Besides, she writes her location across her artificial leg before taking a picture.
Now she has been taking pictures across the Continent, which show her cycling over the canals in Amsterdam, relaxing on a wall overlooking the city of Barcelona, posing with a waffle (华夫饼) in Brussels, taking spectacular pictures in Athens and enjoying a river cruise in Budapest, with all the well-known locations written on her artificial leg.
“I get a new leg every two years and I can choose the design on it. One day I had a sudden thought of getting a chalkboard,” Gallagher said. “My mum and grandmother weren’t too interested in the idea, but my friends thought it was great and told me to go for it, so I did.”
Gallagher said people often stare when she’s writing on her leg, but once she shares the photos, she receives only positive feedback. “My leg hasn’t stopped me from doing anything I’ve wanted to do,” she said, “I know it’s my determination to prove to myself that I can do it. Therefore, I’ve been able to keep up with my peers and lead a pretty great life.”
Gallagher shows us that you should never let anything stand in the way of your dreams. And if life gives you an artificial leg, make art.
1. What message did Gallagher want to spread in her special way?| A．She enjoys her traveling across the globe. |
| B．She suffers little from her leg amputation. |
| C．She looks on her misfortune as another form of blessing. |
| D．She has exactly fallen in love with posting photos online. |
| A．Gallagher was interested in art. |
| B．Gallagher had her right arm amputated at the age of four. |
| C．Gallagher wrote her travel’s locations on her artificial leg. |
| D．Gallagher’s family supported Gallagher’s idea of getting a chalkboard. |
| A．Helpful and cooperative. | B．Friendly and generous. |
| C．Independent and selfless. | D．Determined and creative. |
| A．Never Too Late to Share | B．A Special Artificial Leg |
| C．An Outstanding Photographer | D．Gallagher’s Summer Holidays |
8 . Growing up, Deka Ismail says she let labels define what she could be. “I was a black girl, from a refugee (难民) family,” Deka said. “It was as if I was only allowed to explore in this predetermined box.”
After a high school chemistry class inspired her to think about a career in science and gave her confidence in the field, Deka learned to live outside labels and began making big plans for her future. Now she is about to begin her freshman year at the University of California, planning to become a professor.
Born and raised in San Diego’s City Heights neighbourhood, Deka is the daughter of a Somali refugee couple. While some might say Delta’s success happened in spite of her background, she would say differently, that her experiences shaped her and inspired her to be the driven, young scientist that she is today.
When Deka was eight years old, her mother got a job by studying hard back in school in order to support the whole family. That made Deka realize that education could make a difference to one’s life. She spent a lot of time in the library reading books, and didn’t do many of the things her peers did, like partying or having romantic relationships.
“I always felt like I had to be the perfect girl for my family,” Deka said. “You have to not even do your best but two times better than everyone else. I felt like the whole world was waiting for me to mess up.”
Delta’s efforts paid off. The summer before her senior year of high school, she was accepted to the American Chemical Society Project SEED Programme. “She brought both enthusiasm and focus,” Botham, a researcher at this research institute, recalled. “She arrived every day ready to work, ready to learn and ready to tackle new challenges regardless of whether or not she had done anything similar.”
When asked what advice she would give to others like her, Deka warned them not to underestimate themselves. “Don’t tell yourself that the scholarship is too big or this programme is too competitive or I'll never get into this school,” she said. “I was not sure whether I could make it until I started seeing the acceptance letters rolling in.”
1. From the passage, we can learn that ________.| A．Deka was adopted by a refugee family | B．Deka spent a lot of time going to parties |
| C．Deka became a professor after graduation | D．Deka’s experiences drove her to work hard |
| A．from her mother’s experience | B．after her chemistry class |
| C．by reading books in the library | D．through working at the institute |
| A．patient | B．confident | C．ambitious | D．generous |
| A．Life is not all roses. | B．Practice makes perfect. |
| C．Well begun is half done. | D．Hard work leads to success. |
9 . Wherever on the globe she may be, humanitarian Nyamayaro keeps close to her native Africa by carrying a yellow dress. ''It reminds me of the bright, beautiful African sky I used to see in my small village,'' she tells People. Nyamayaro's life path wasn't always so high-profile. Growing up, she assumed she'd spent her life contributing to her village, and farming in the fields like the other women around her. But a chance encounter with a United Nations worker that came amid a severe drought altered that path forever.
''I will never forget that day,'' Nyamayaro says. ''A child dies from hunger every five seconds, and I almost became one of those children. A severe drought had hit our village when I turned 8 years old and suddenly, my paradise changed overnight and there was nothing to eat or drink. I thought I was going to die. It felt like there was no way of getting out of this. But then this incredible thing happened, an African, who was a United Nations humanitarian, found me, and gave me a bowl of porridge that saved my life.'' The chance encounter provided more than just lifesaving nourishment-it opened the doors as to what could be possible for her, who immediately set her sights on working for the United Nations just like her savior.
''I thought I want to be like her, so that one day I can change the lives of others. I'm so grateful for that moment which was very devastating, because it gave my life so much meaning and purpose. The woman showed me what was possible. Sometimes one moment can really change your entire life.''
Just as the United Nations worker opened her eyes to opportunities previously unknown, Nyamayaro hopes girls from Africa can do the same for children growing up in villages just like her, as she knows her story is not unique.
1. Why is a yellow dress mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．It stands for her bright future. |
| B．It highlights her personal preference. |
| C．It is related to the scenery of her hometown. |
| D．It is the lucky color of her hometown. |
| A．To get rid of the poverty as soon as possible. |
| B．To shoulder the responsibility of helping others. |
| C．To seek for chances to broaden her mind. |
| D．To set an example for the whole country. |
| A．Fame is a great thirst of the young. |
| B．Success means getting person's desires satisfied. |
| C．Ups and downs make one strong. |
| D．Where there's a will there's a way. |
| A．A magazine. | B．A novel. |
| C．A brochure. | D．A guidebook. |
10 . Growing up in an underdeveloped zone of Johannesburg, South Africa, Musa Motha says his surroundings weren’t exactly ideal. Soccer was his favorite sport, and he fondly remembers the times when he played for the local youth team. But when he was 10 years old, he injured in his left leg. This changed everything.
A bone marrow biopsy(骨髓活检) revealed Motha had osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, in his left leg. While his soccer injury was not the cause, it did draw attention to the already-present cancer. He chose the amputation(截肢) and ever since that day, he decided he was going to approach life differently—more positively, he said.
True to his word, Motha, now 26, can be seen twirling(转动) across stages around the world. He first encountered dance at a neighborhood party, where he asked a friend to teach him some modified moves. “Then I danced the whole night,” he recalled. His talents did not go unnoticed; he began appearing in South African TV ads and shows. He even appeared in Drake’s One Dance music video.
Motha thinks that representation needs to extend beyond the performing arts. “The more we can see the disabled person in multiple aspects of life, such as helicopter pilots, engineers, chefs, choreographers and professors, the greater hope we can hold onto for a society where no one is on the margins,” he said. That’s Motha’s dream as well.
Though he said that dance gave him “a purpose”, he added “I don’t want to see myself as a dancer only.” He wants to create a space for other people with disabilities to go outside their comfort zone—from soccer to singing. He feels that greater representation will create more opportunities and inclusion, paving the way for people with disabilities to shine. “Instead of telling a sob story, I find that the most beautiful stories are after the amputation,” Motha said. He encourages others with disabilities that they, too, can do everything: “There’s a whole lot of things that you can overcome and that actually define how strong you are.”
1. What caused the discovery of Motha’s cancer?| A．The terrible living environment. | B．The routine medical examination. |
| C．The accidental injury in his left leg. | D．The high amputation of his left leg. |
| A．To indicate that dance is no longer his favorite. | B．To inspire the disabled to go beyond themselves. |
| C．To stress he hasn’t gone outside his comfort zone. | D．To show off his talents in more aspects of his life. |
| A．Everyone can make a difference. | B．Most of our dreams have come true. |
| C．Not all disabled people are influential. | D．No disabled people have been prejudiced. |
| A．Brave and humorous. | B．Friendly and sociable. |
| C．Humble and creative. | D．Optimistic and ambitious. |
