1 . I was driving when my phone warned me of a new email. Filled with eager expectation, I pulled over, turned on my lights, and opened it. My emotions quickly changed as I learned, for the sixth and final time, that I hadn’t been given a promotion to full professor. I was devastated that my institution didn’t seem to value what I brought to the table. But when I told my family that night, my children offered a surprisingly positive response. They were excited to see what I was going to do next, they said.
This had been the final step in a long process lasting 15 months. I had started by studying successful promotion bids and asking senior scholars for discussions about my readiness. I had carefully prepared my application packet, summarizing everything I had achieved in my career. For more than a year. I had spent hours every day trying to prove my worth to my university.
To my surprise, having a final answer brought a welcome sense of closure. As a first step toward healing (治愈), I decided to prioritize (优先考虑) my own values and follow my own internal (内心的) compass. I spent more time with my family. I founded a nonprofit that helps first-generation and low-income students and young professionals advance in the workforce while serving their community. The project had long been a dream of mine, but I never pursued it because typical academic hiring and promotion don’t reward such efforts. Now, such considerations were no longer my North Star.
Five months after that email from top leadership, I found myself in the car again, experiencing another career-defining moment . I may have lost my bid for a big promotion, but in the end, it brought me to the right place.
1. What does the underlined word “devastated” in the first paragraph mean?| A．Sorrowful. | B．Anxious. | C．Relieved. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．What contributions the author had made. |
| B．How successful the author’s career had been. |
| C．How long the author had prepared the application. |
| D．What efforts the author had made for this promotion. |
| A．Success is more than a title or a rank. |
| B．It is difficult to give up our careers. |
| C．Serving the community may heal a broken heart. |
| D．His real value first lies in his family interaction. |
| A．Promotion prospect: my North Star |
| B．Full professor: a double-edged sword |
| C．A career setback becomes a great opportunity |
| D．My academic career witnesses a failed promotion |
2 . Find your new favorite hobby
Challenging and fun hobbies have the power to make us happier and healthier. They can lead to better physical health, lower stress, greater life satisfaction, a larger social network and improve work performance.
Ask yourself how you want to feel
Hobbies present an escape — they can help you get out of your head and calm down. Ask yourself how you want an activity to make you feel. Mentally engaged? Distracted? Relaxed? Socially connected?
Start small
When people feel guilty about spending time on leisure, they experience increased symptoms of depression and anxiety. Give yourself permission to do something that you like and keep in mind that if a hobby makes you healthier and happier, everyone around you will benefit. Think of discovering new hobbies as a way to add new dimensions to your life, and enjoy the process.
Take a trip back in time
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? The answer could point you toward an appealing hobby. Revisit some activities you loved when you were young, like drawing, putting together model kits, collecting things or building clay figures, which is really helpful to start your new hobbies.
Keep a list
Keep a list on your fridge or other things of all the things that strike you as interesting. Write down potential interests as they come to you, and you’ll have no shortage of options to explore when you’re ready.
| A．Remove guilt. |
| B．Keep optimistic. |
| C．Plus, they often promote connection with others. |
| D．Those childhood delights can easily develop into adult hobbies. |
| E．Don’t invest a ton of time and money in a new hobby immediately. |
| F．You should keep an open mind and don’t ignore some potential hobbies. |
| G．It’s also helpful to consider what your life is missing, like creativity or physical activity. |
3 . In an increasingly busy world, finding moments of peace is more important than ever. One way to make you have a peaceful feeling at home is to have an indoor water fountain.
Indoor water fountains can also improve the quality of the air in your home. As water flows, small drops of water go away into the surrounding air. They can help humidify (使湿润) the environment.
Indoor water fountains can help improve concentration by creating a calming environment. Whether you are working from home or dealing with a challenging project, it helps you keep focused and improve your performance. Students also need to be highly focused when studying.
For those who struggle with sleep issues, an indoor water fountain can be a valuable aid. Listening to the sound of an indoor water fountain can bring them into a deeper and more restful sleep.
| A．It adds a touch of beauty to your home. |
| B．This is because flowing water sounds relaxing. |
| C．This is particularly valuable during the winter months. |
| D．The presence of a water fountain is beneficial to them too. |
| E．Indoor water fountains can also make you get close to nature. |
| F．The gentle sound of flowing water can reduce stress and anxiety. |
| G．Whether it’s a modern design or a more traditional style, add one indoors. |
4 . Whether it’s an overnight pre-college program, a local day camp, or a sleepaway adventure experience, summer programs for teens are a great opportunity to pursue new interests, improve existing skills, and make new friends outside of the classroom.
World Scholars Academy
World Scholars Academy offers elite (精英的) summer computer science courses for ages 12-18 designed and taught by world-leading software engineering scholars. Explore your future career path and accelerate your success with personalized college guidance and high-level instruction in coding and computer science led by the world’s most accomplished educations.
Cost: $1,500
Provided by: independent provider
Session length: two weeks
Entering grade: 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Hollinsummer
Hollinsummer is a summer program for young women with interests in creative writing, social justice, theater, or riding. Designed for passionate, talented high school girls, Hollin-summer brings together students from across the country for an exciting week of learning on one of Virginia’s most beautiful campuses.
Cost: $500
Provided by: college
Session length: one week
Entering grade:9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
ArtsBridge Summer
Sing, dance and act your heart out for two incredible weeks. These programs provide specialized guidance on what it takes to be a theater artist, from acting to song &dance with an eye on college admission in the performing arts.
Cost: $3,000
Provided by: college
Session length: two weeks
Entering grade: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Future Stars
The baseball camp is designed for campers of all skill levels, whether you’re a young player learning about the game or an experienced athlete looking to improve your talent. We put the time into group each camper accordingly. With these age and skill specific groupings, campers are able to improve their level of play and raise their confidence on the field in a fun, team-oriented environment.
Cost: $1,499
Provided by: independent provider
Session length: one week
Entering grade: 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th,10th
1. What are the summer programs for teens mostly designed for?| A．To develop good habits. | B．To promote social skills. |
| C．To achieve teenagers’ dreams. | D．To experience adventures. |
| A．It is financed by a college. | B．It is aimed at cultivating passion. |
| C．It is targeted at young females. | D．It is programmed to raise confidence. |
| A．World Scholars Academy | B．Hollinsummer | C．ArtsBridge Summer | D．Future Stars |
5 . In the 1920s, Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik observed a strange thing. While dining out, she was impressed by the complex orders the waiters were able to remember at one time.
The Zeigarnik Effect refers to our tendency to remember incomplete or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. At first glance the Zeigarnik Effect can seem like a handy adaptation: It’s good to remember the things we need to do, and it’s a positive thing to want to finish the things we start.
First, each incomplete task your brain reminds you about takes up a bit of your attention, making it harder to concentrate on whatever you’re currently working on. Second, even if we manage to physically disconnect from work, the Zeigarnik Effect ensures that our unfinished tasks follow us home. They bring trouble to our vacations, our weekends, and even our sleep.
So what can you do about it?
Write your tasks down. Your brain is a terrible filing system. Instead of keeping tasks in your head, make a habit of writing them down as soon as they come to you.
Don’t forget to look back at how far you’ve come.
| A．Establish a work shutdown routine. |
| B．Have a system for expanding your job skills. |
| C．The problem when it comes to our productivity is two-fold. |
| D．Yet when customers checked out, these were totally forgotten. |
| E．We always quickly forget everything we’ve already accomplished. |
| F．We need a way to mentally disconnect in our hours away from work. |
| G．You have to actually complete all of your tasks to feel mental relief from it. |
6 . Antarctica (南极洲) is a great, icy land mass, surrounded by the huge Southern Ocean. The ice in Antarctica doesn’t just cover the land. There’s also a huge area of sea ice which floats (漂浮) on the ocean’s surface.
However, scientists have reported that Antarctica’s sea ice is at a record low level. That’s worrying because the sea ice is an important part of the Earth’s cooling system. When it’s frozen, sea ice throws sunlight back out into space. But when the sea ice melts (融化), the water left behind is darker, and takes in and keeps more heat.
Every year, the sea ice at the South Pole goes through a cycle of melting and freezing. In summer, the huge masses of sea ice melt to their smallest point. Over the colder winter months, the sea ice grows and grows until it covers an extremely wide area. For most of this time, Antarctica has seemed to be almost unaffected by the changing weather conditions. In fact, until recent years, Antarctica’s sea ice area mainly set records for growing. That began to shrink.
This year, Antarctica’s sea ice was at a new record low — not just by a little bit, but by a lot. The last time Antarctica’s low sea ice set a record at the end of winter was in 1986. And this year, there’s about 398,000 square miles less sea ice than in 1986.
Scientists are working hard to better understand Antarctica. It’s not yet clear if the low sea ice level is a short-term problem, or part of climate change. The concern is that the melting sea ice could start a cycle that might cause even more ice to melt.
The ice loss problems in Antarctica are fairly recent, but the same is not true at the North Pole. where the low level of sea ice has been a concern for years. But the present situation is now similar in both places.
1. What makes the sea ice important for humans？| A．It helps cool the planet. |
| B．It increases the area of land. |
| C．It affects the height of the sea level. |
| D．It has the cycle of melting and freezing. |
| A．Cooling off. | B．Moving. | C．Breaking up. | D．Reducing. |
| A．It will become a long-term problem. |
| B．It will take time to discover its cause. |
| C．It will lead to rapid changes in climate. |
| D．It will affect its melting-and-freezing cycle. |
| A．the influence of Antarctica’s low sea ice level |
| B．the seriousness of Antarctica’s low sea ice level |
| C．the importance of dealing with climate change |
| D．the differences between Antarctica and the North Pole |
7 . Many young Tibetan college graduates long for a stable job in the public sector after graduation, but Samdrub Norbu is an exception. The 23-year-old founder of Yangchak Art has been running a Tibetan guitar business for more than half a year since getting his degree from Tibet University last year.
Samdrub Norbu, born to a Tibetan family in Lhokha, a cradle of Tibetan civilization, is captivated by Tibetan culture. “The Tibetan guitar is what I love. That’s why I chose this business,” Samdrub Norbu said. “I don’t know what the future hold, but I am happy every day about what I have been trying so far, never feeling tired.” He has a distinctive dual motive: earning a profit while preserving Tibetan musical instrument culture.
Despite finally achieving success, Samdrub Norbu’s business activities in Tibetan instruments got off to a shaky start. While still studying in college three years ago, he opened a shop in his home county selling music al instruments. However, the business failed and he lost almost 500,000 yuan ($69,000), which had a huge impact on him and his family.
“The most pain I suffered while having difficulties was not physical, but mental,” he said. During his darkest days, his relatives—apart from his supportive mother and father—friends and even his girlfriend, abandoned him.
In spite of the failure and setbacks in life, his strong determination to fulfill his dream emboldened him once more and supported him in the success of running the same business again after his graduation. In just a few months since opening the first shop in Lhasa last year, his business has already expanded, with a second shop opening in Lhasa four months ago. The number of staff in his workshop has grown to 10.
Besides selling various Tibetan guitars, he also operates a workshop to produce them himself and runs Tibetan guitar learning courses for beginners. He aims to found an art school in the future.
“Like the Tibetan saying, ‘There is no room for sorrow in a place where one can find music and dancing’, I believe what I have been doing can bring happiness to others.”
1. Why is Samdrub Norbu referred to as an exception?| A．He graduated with honours. | B．He pursued a stable job. |
| C．He enjoyed playing the Tibetan guitar. | D．He started his own business. |
| A．Confused. | B．Attracted. | C．Identified. | D．Represented. |
| A．His academic achievement. | B．His trustworthy relatives.: |
| C．His strong resolution. | D．His wealthy families. |
| A．A man can do no more than he can. | B．Adversity makes a man wise, not rich. |
| C．A good beginning makes a good ending. | D．Do what you love and love what you do. |
8 . I grew up in Kazakhstan. Before I moved to America, I never expected that I would experience a culture shock.
The first thing that
Another aspect of American culture that I found different from my culture was a sense of
Part of the excitement of living in a new culture is knowing how it differs from your own culture. By learning to
| A．encouraged | B．confused | C．annoyed | D．inspired |
| A．curious | B．honest | C．friendly | D．careful |
| A．speech | B．fight | C．business | D．chat |
| A．trust | B．confidence | C．support | D．strength |
| A．announce | B．promise | C．believe | D．explain |
| A．environment | B．balance | C．match | D．relationship |
| A．cold | B．surprised | C．irresponsible | D．emotional |
| A．catch up with | B．open up to | C．take notice of | D．look up to |
| A．adventure | B．authority | C．privacy | D．belonging |
| A．sorry | B．worthless | C．shocked | D．uncomfortable |
| A．preparation | B．distance | C．chance | D．advice |
| A．like | B．care | C．wait | D．need |
| A．cause | B．test | C．lesson | D．choice |
| A．normal | B．necessary | C．difficult | D．possible |
| A．change | B．understand | C．describe | D．celebrate |
9 . It’s often said that travel is all about the journey, but it can be almost as exciting to travel the world from the comfort of our homes. Just pick up several travel books that share the extraordinary ability to transport readers through time and space.
The Last Ride of the Pony Express
In 2019, American journalist Will Grant took on a 2,000-mile journey on horseback. Grant describes his 142-day adventure following the Pony Express that operated between April 1860 and October 1861. The Pony Express once used riders who traveled on horseback to deliver mall. While Grant reflects on the West’s modernization over time, it’s his vivid (生动的) descriptions of local residents along the way that make the book a real page-turner.
Unforgettable Journey s Europe
The book shows travel really is all about “getting there”. This inspirational book details 150 of Europe’s best slow adventures, such as kayaking through Lithuania and crossing the Arctic Circle by train. Photos, maps and plenty of information(including start and end points for trails, difficulty ratings and website links) are spread throughout the text, making the book as much colorful reference as it is inspiring to read.
Elixir: In the Valley at the End of Time
After a decade of living in the Scottish Highlands, native Bulgarian Kapka Kassabova returned to her roots (根) in Mesta Valley, a rural region known for its wild crops. The poet and writer set out to study the deep relationship between the area’s people and plants, as well as with the land itself. Her text explorers a lesser-known area filled with nature and traditional customs.
The Life Cycle
British writer and cyclist Kate Rawles took a 13-month journey across the length of the Andes Mountains en a self-built bamboo bicycle. During this journey, the author saw firsthand the harmful impacts of extreme biodiversity loss caused by human activity such as cutting down trees. She shared her concerns and insight in her book, and expected to inspire actions.
1. What is The Last Ride of the Pony Express mainly about?| A．A man’s journey along a historic mail route. |
| B．A comparison of different mail delivery systems. |
| C．A description of the American West’s modernization. |
| D．A man’s reflection on the history of the Pony Express. |
| A．It introduces various wild plants. | B．It offers some practical travel tips. |
| C．It focuses on landscape photography. | D．It shows different traditions in Europe. |
| A．Document cultural diversity. | B．Call on people to protect nature. |
| C．Suggest cycling for human well-being. | D．Promote tourism in the Andes Mountains. |
10 . The 13-year-old girl Anna Grace is a volleyball manager, a basketball manager, and a theater volunteer, but perhaps her greatest
Anna was first diagnosed (诊断) with a rare type of
For the following weekends after the surgery, doctors scanned her
And throughout all of this, Anna has had to
Anna is doing well these days though. She’s
| A．devotion | B．ambition | C．excitement | D．achievement |
| A．cancer | B．fever | C．pain | D．cold |
| A．recovery | B．growth | C．weakness | D．relief |
| A．perform | B．refuse | C．attend | D．have |
| A．briefly | B．partly | C．regularly | D．occasionally |
| A．erased | B．noticed | C．ignored | D．marked |
| A．operation | B．appointment | C．examination | D．assessment |
| A．harder | B．better | C．stranger | D．easier |
| A．solve | B．balance | C．abandon | D．connect |
| A．teach | B．control | C．convince | D．forgive |
| A．dropped out | B．blown up | C．caught up | D．held back |
| A．spare | B．create | C．imagine | D．appreciate |
| A．graceful | B．active | C．dominant | D．cautious |
| A．vacation | B．trust | C．treatment | D．duty |
| A．matters | B．suffers | C．declines | D．waits |
