Over a decade ago, Wu Kai, an enthusiast of ancient pagodas (塔), was looking for a book
“I read extensively but found the books available had limited information and few good pictures,” he explains. Dissatisfied with the
Visiting hilltop or cliff-top pagodas, or those hidden in deep forests,
“In each pagoda, I see the beauty of our heritage and the
2 . I have had no interest in football for as long as I can remember. While my classmates played, I
But occasionally, whether in a taxi or when meeting a friend's father, I found myself faced with a
I realized that my
Then I became a father. I didn’t want my boy to
During one victorious match, we even met David, the Captain, who happily
A.preferred | B.intended | C.wished | D.pretended |
A.believed | B.understood | C.noticed | D.hid |
A.confused | B.poisoned | C.defended | D.preserved |
A.doubt | B.smile | C.confidence | D.dislike |
A.well-informed | B.well-prepared | C.well-meant | D.well-presented |
A.challenge | B.disturb | C.amuse | D.disappoint |
A.attitude | B.personality | C.interest | D.habit |
A.otherwise | B.ever | C.still | D.therefore |
A.loser | B.fan | C.outsider | D.passer-by |
A.go wild for | B.turn away from | C.get the hang of | D.miss out on |
A.agreement | B.conversation | C.competition | D.connection |
A.stressed | B.engaged | C.successful | D.busy |
A.cheer | B.change | C.vote | D.play |
A.danced | B.waved | C.posed | D.clapped |
A.Gradually | B.Finally | C.Unexpectedly | D.Luckily |
3 . My father started learning French at 57, drawn by the potential benefits of bilingualism (双语能力) in delaying dementia (失智症). Now, 20 years later, he’s on his third teacher. Many people like my father have attempted to pick up a new language. But can this really boost brain health?
According to experts, regularly using a new language brings cognitive (认知的) benefits. If you’re trying to recall the right words in another language, your brain is forced to inhibit your mother tongue. This process, called cognitive inhibition, helps improve your brain function. Repeating this process makes your brain more resistant to diseases like dementia. The more you challenge your brain, the better it functions, even if your brain health starts to decline.
However, evidence for the benefits of learning a second language in your 60s is weaker. Research by Dr. Leo Antoniou found that older Italians who took English lessons for four months didn’t see any difference in their cognition scores, but people who didn’t saw their scores decline. Prof. Diana Smith’s 2023 studies found similar results.
Researchers offered a few potential explanations for their disappointing results. One is that the participants were highly motivated volunteers, probably of high cognitive level for their age, making it hard to see any improvements. “When choosing participants, we have to be careful, are they really representative of the population?” said Dr. Judith Ware. Another is that the language interventions were perhaps too short. These studies have used language lessons that “were very different in their length and frequency,” said Prof. Laura Grossman.
To Dr. Antoniou, the limited findings are not entirely surprising. No one would say that learning a new language for six months would be the same as having used two languages for your entire life. But he does think that language lessons can provide cognitive benefits by being cognitively stimulating.
Perhaps more important, Prof. Grossman said, learning another language offers other potential advantages, like traveling or connecting with new communities. My father, for example, has remained pen friends with his first teacher and traveled to France numerous times.
And at 76, he’s as sharp as ever.
1. What happens in the process of “cognitive inhibition”?A.Memory improves. | B.Brain health worsens. |
C.Dementia is cured. | D.Native language is held back. |
A.The poor choice of research participants. |
B.The great length of the language course. |
C.The intervention of the first language. |
D.The age difference of the research subjects. |
A.Leo Antoniou’s. | B.Diana Smith’s. |
C.Laura Grossman’s. | D.Judith Ware’s. |
A.Is it never too late to learn a new language? |
B.Can learning a new language delay dementia? |
C.Why does my father start learning a new language? |
D.How does learning a new language benefit aging brain? |
4 . When it comes to cruise (游轮) travelling, there is truly something for everyone. See which one sounds right for you.
Wonder of the Seas
Cruise line: Royal Caribbean
Length: 1,188 feet
Width: 215 feet
Guest capacity: 7,084
A true wonder, the current biggest ship in the world delights guests every week with a feast of activities, shows, meals and memories. Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas has 16 guest decks, 2,204 crew members and 20 dining destinations — nine of which are free of charge. It features a dry slide that twists down 10 decks, surfing simulators and an ice skating rink.
The World Europa
Cruise line: MSC
Length: 1,093 feet
Width: 154 feet
Guest capacity: 6,762
The World Europa, which took to the sea for the first time in 2022, features some of the best rooms on a cruise ship, thanks to most cabins with a balcony. People looking for something a little less dramatic will enjoy six pools, five mini cinemas and three featured libraries at sea. You’ll never go hungry on this ship, given its 10 restaurants. including four main dining rooms and three buffets.
Arvia
Cruise line: P&O Cruses
Length: 1.130 feet
Width: 138 feet
Guest capacity: 6.685
Whether you want the sunshine of the Caribbean or the culture found in and around Mediterranean ports. Arvia is P&O’s largest cruise ship with 1,800 crew members, a three-screen cinema complex, a wide range of staterooms and four pools, including one with a swim-up bar, providing food and beverage. Whether you’re single or have children, serious rest and relaxation are definitely on the agenda.
Symphony of the Seas
Cruise line: Royal Caribbean
Length:1.188 feet
Width: 216 feet
Guest capacity: 6.680
Imagine you’re enjoying an all-inclusive experience on a big cruise ship. Symphony of the Seas offers many spectacular activities, including Broadway-style theater shows, surfing simulators and the 10-story dry slide. There’s also delicious food all over the ship. Guests rarely feel overcrowded because seven distinct areas carve up the ship into unique spaces to play, eat, wander, sleep and enjoy live entertainment.
1. Which probably provides the best ship rooms?A.Wonder of the Seas. | B.The World Europa. |
C.Arvia. | D.Symphony of the Seas. |
A.Wonder of the Seas. | B.The World Europa. |
C.Arvia. | D.Symphony of the Seas. |
A.They provide free food service. | B.They have many pools. |
C.They provide various activities. | D.They follow the same route. |
5 . One early morning, I went into the living room to find my mother reading a thick book called Best Loved Poems to Read Again and Again. I became immediately interested because of the word “Poems” that appeared in big, hot pink letters.
“Is it good?” I asked her.
“Yeah,” she answered. “There’s one I really like and you’ll like it, too.” I leaned forward.
“Patty Poem,” she read the title. Who is Patty? I wondered. The poem began:
She never puts her toys away,
Just leaves them scattered(散乱的)where they lay, …
The poem was just three short sections. The final one came quickly:
When she grows and gathers poise(稳重),
I’ll miss her harum-scarum(莽撞的)noise,
And look in vain(徒劳的) for scattered toys.
And I’ll be sad.
A terrible sadness washed over me. Whoever Patty was, she was a mean girl. Then, the shock.
“It’s you, honey,” my mother said sadly.
To my mother, the poem described a parent’s feeling when her child grows up and leaves. To me, the “she” in the poem was terrible. It was my mama who would be sad. It was so terrible that I began crying.
“What’s wrong?” my mother asked.
“Oh Mama,” I cried. “I don’t want to grow up ever!”
She smiled. “Honey, it’s okay. You’re not growing up anytime soon. And when you do, I’ll still love you, okay?”
“Okay,” I was still crying. My fear had gone. But I could not help thinking about that silly poem. After what seemed like a safe amount of time, I read the poem again and was confused. It all fit so well together, like a puzzle. The language was simple, so simple that I could plainly understand its meaning, yet it was still beautiful. I was now crazy about the idea of poetry (诗歌), words that had the power to make or break a person’s world.
I have since fallen in love with other poems, but “Patty Poem” remains my poem. After all, “Patty Poem” gave me my love for poetry not because it was the poem that lifted my spirits, but because it was the one that hurt me the most.
1. Why was the writer attracted by the book Best Loved Poems to Read Again and Again?A.It has a meaningful title. | B.It was a thick enough book. |
C.Something on its cover caught her eye. | D.Her mother was reading it with interest. |
A.it was a sign of her own childhood | B.it was written in simple language |
C.it was written by a famous poet | D.it made her think of what would happen |
A.Easily. | B.Hardly. | C.Nearly. | D.Narrowly. |
A.experience great homesickness | B.recognize her love for puzzles |
C.find her wishing to grow up | D.discover the power of poetry |
An Insignificant Task
The day when the jobs were handed out was one of the most exciting for all the children in the class. It took place during the first week of the term. On that day, every boy and girl was given a job for which they would be responsible for the rest of that school year.
As with everything, some jobs were more interesting than others, and the children were eager to be given one of the best ones. When giving them out, the teacher took into account which pupils had been most responsible during the previous year, and those children were the ones who most looked forward to this day. Among them, Rita stood out. She was a kind and quiet girl. During the previous year she had carried out the teacher’s instructions perfectly. All the children knew Rita was the favourite to be given the best job of all: to look after the class dog.
But this year there was a big surprise. Each child received one of the normal jobs, like preparing the books for the lessons, telling the time, cleaning the blackboard, or looking after one of the pets. However, Rita’s job was very different. She was given a little box containing some sand and one ant. Even though the teacher insisted that this ant was a very special ant, Rita could not help feeling disappointed. Most of her classmates felt sorry for her. They sympathised with her and remarked at how unfair it was that she had been given that job.
Yet, Rita, who liked her teacher very much, chose to prove her worth through excellence. “I will turn this little task into something great,” Rita said to herself. What she didn’t know was that the teacher had secretly entered her into a rainforest insect raising competition.
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Rita started investigating all about her little ant.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On the last day of the school year, the teacher burst into the classroom with excitement.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________More young people are trying their hand at farming the soil. Guo Lan, 29, works in a vegetable greenhouse on his organic farm
“Growing tasty and healthy food
8 . I vividly remember the day when my husband and I set off on a new journey to Tanzania. He had been
As we got off the train, however, at six in the morning, a lady came rushing along the
I washed, changed, had a quick bite to eat and was
Though my entry into this
A.awarded | B.offered | C.allowed | D.presented |
A.disappointed | B.dissatisfied | C.unconcerned | D.uneasy |
A.priority | B.worry | C.action | D.response |
A.river | B.platform | C.sidewalk | D.channel |
A.probably | B.suddenly | C.desperately | D.occasionally |
A.longed for | B.waited for | C.heard about | D.worried about |
A.remark | B.interruption | C.suggestion | D.request |
A.keep | B.take | C.forget | D.quit |
A.introduced | B.recommended | C.assigned | D.compared |
A.colleagues | B.assistants | C.students | D.interviewers |
A.exactly | B.finally | C.immediately | D.smoothly |
A.expected | B.regretted | C.delayed | D.dropped |
A.career | B.country | C.agreement | D.relationship |
A.value | B.strengthen | C.renew | D.harvest |
A.comment | B.record | C.impact | D.impression |
9 . You are what you think. Whatever you are doing right now is determined by your thinking. All your emotions and desires are influenced by your thinking. The problem is that when you are not aware of your thinking, you have no chance of correcting it if it is poor. When thinking is subconscious, you are in no position to see any problems in it. And, if you don’t see any problems in it, you won’t be motivated to change it. What’s worse, few people realize the powerful role that thinking plays in their lives, so they don’t gain significant command of it. As a result, most people are in many ways victims of their thinking.
Consider your success as a student. The single most significant variable in determining your success as a student is the quality of your thinking. Your instructors will play a role in your learning, but even the best teachers cannot get into your head and learn for you. If you lack the intellectual skills necessary for thinking well through course content, you will not be successful in school.
Here is the key question we are putting to you in this book. If the quality of a person’s thinking is the single most significant determinant of both happiness and success, why not take the time to learn from the best thinkers?
This book will inform you of the tools that the best thinkers use and will illustrate the activities and practice you can use to begin to emulate them, and take control of your destiny as a thinker. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of these thinking aids, helping you discover the power of your own mind and of your potential to think systematically about your thinking.
This book, as a whole, introduces you to the tools of mind that will help you reason well through various challenges you face. If you take these ideas seriously and practice using them, you can improve the quality of your thinking and ultimately, the quality of your life.
1. Why do many people lack motivation to change their poor thinking?A.They are victims of emotions. | B.They are unaware of the need. |
C.They think highly of themselves. | D.They lack the academic guidance. |
A.The course content. | B.The school environment. |
C.The commitment of teachers. | D.The quality of an individual’s thinking. |
A.Make friends with. | B.Win over. | C.Follow the example of. | D.Look up to. |
A.types of life challenges | B.varieties of thinking tools |
C.determinants of life value | D.ideas of different thinkers |
10 . For most of history, people lived in small groups of up to 150 people. Then villages and small towns developed, offering safety and support through the sharing of resources. As time passed, urban living brought additional advantages such as better jobs, schools and healthcare. Larger towns also gave people more chances to meet and interact. This is important.
Today, over half of the world’s population currently lives in towns and cities. But this has resulted in a strange paradox (悖论). Although social opportunities are one reason people choose to live in large cities, research suggests that city life can be lonely.
The development of virtual communities can be traced back to the 1860s. Back then, telegraph operators exchanged messages and gradually formed friendships over long distances.
These days, there are thousands of virtual communities and that number keeps growing. Many people believe they will become more important.
A.This trend, however, is not likely to continue. |
B.As Aristotle said, the nature of humans is to be social. |
C.That may explain why virtual communities are so popular. |
D.The first popular online communities developed in the 1980s. |
E.Before cell phones existed, radio was an easy way to communicate. |
F.Nevertheless, others worry about problems with these communities. |
G.This is among the earliest examples of virtual community interactions. |