Hi Kelsey,
Happy 18th birthday! You’ve officially reach
Many bittersweet events will happen in the next ten years. There will be highs. Stick to
The world will always throw new challenges at you.
As you become an adult, jump at every opportunity
Happy birthday, Kelsey! See you in ten years.
28-year-old Kelsey
2 . In a small, rough shipyard on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, a small team is building what they say will be the world’s largest ocean-going clean cargo ship.
Ceiba is the first ship built by Sailcargo, a company trying to prove that zero-carbon shipping is possible, and commercially available. Made largely of wood, Ceiba combines both very old and very new technology: sailing masts stand alongside solar panels, a uniquely designed electric engine and batteries. Once on the water, she will be capable of crossing oceans entirely without the use of fossil fuels, which sets her apart.
“The thing that is striking is the fact that she’ll have one of the largest marine electric engines of her kind in the world,” Danielle Doggett said. The system also has the means to capture energy from underwater propellers (螺旋桨) as well as solar power, so electricity will be available for the engine when needed. “Really, the only limit on how long she can stay at sea is water and food on board for the crew.”
Despite some hold-ups due to the global disaster, the team hopes to get her on the water by the end of 2024 and operating by 2025, when she will begin transporting cargo between Costa Rica and Canada.
“There are actually loads of innovations happening that could transform shipping emissions, but few companies are willing to apply them to building ships like Ceiba.” says Lucy Gilliam. “So it’s not that we don’t have great ideas. The problem that we have is that fossil fuels are still too cheap. And we don’t have the rules to force people to take up the new technology.”
When it comes to promoting this kind of boat, it has to be said that Ceiba is small for a cargo ship — tiny in fact. She will carry around nine standard shipping containers. She is also relatively slow. Being a world-first, there are some aspects of Ceiba’s design that have yet to be proven at sea.
1. What is unique about Ceiba as a cargo ship?| A．It is the world’s largest. | B．It is environment-friendly. |
| C．It is wooden with old technology. | D．It is modern with unique equipment. |
| A．The size of the sail. | B．The weather of the ocean. |
| C．The power of the electric engine. | D．The quantity of the living supplies. |
| A．The rules are disobeyed. | B．The fuels are affordable. |
| C．The bigger ships are preferable. | D．The innovations are distrusted. |
| A．Objective. | B．Doubtful. | C．Critical. | D．Favorable. |
For years, putting up Christmas lights had been a family tradition for the Patrick’s household. It was an occasion when they would busily prepare for the celebration of Christmas.
Their Christmas light display was always a highlight of the neighborhood and brought much delight to the whole community. Typically, Anthony would invite the neighbors over as they decorated the Christmas tree in the front yard. Emily, who lived next door and had known Sara’s family for long, often came to admire their wonderland of Christmas lights.
In early December, Anthony would string colorful lights all around their roof until it looked dazzling. On the front lawn, he would blow up a large white Frosty the Snowman and a Rudolph with a glowing red nose. Sara always joined in, along with their warm-hearted neighbors, hanging gifts on the tree and playing “White Christmas” over and over to keep everyone in the spirit.
Yet the bad news came in the midst of the festive mood, before they could finish the Christmas decoration. Anthony fell desperately ill. The symptoms suggested acute heart failure and he was soon admitted to hospital. Sara spent days and nights in the ward, attending to Anthony and praying for his recovery, though the hope was slim. On Christmas Eve, Anthony passed away.
It came as a huge blow to Sara. In the following days, she had to manage the funeral while struggling to figure out a way to cover housing and household expenses, and tackling a seemingly endless list of difficult to-dos. Perhaps hardest of all, she had to persuade herself into accepting the loss of her father. It was too much to take.
When she pulled up to the house after a long day on the go, the only thing that could comfort her were the twinkling Christmas lights, which brought her a spark of hope-it felt as if the brightness of the lights could cancel out some of the darkness of the past days’ misfortune.
Wanting to help, Emily shared their story on a community website.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Touched by their kindness, Sara decided to fulfill the lighting decorations, though Christmas was gone.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Very few people can say that they have achieved all that they are capable of. But what is it that is preventing you from fulfilling your potential (潜能)?
It is easy and natural to settle into a rut (墨守成规). Why try something new when you are already doing that you are good at?
Let’s face it — your friends and family are really nice people but they are not challenging you to achieve more. Spend more time with high flyers and positive thinkers who understand ambition and achievement. Share some of your thoughts, dreams and challenges with them.
| A．High achievers go further. |
| B．This means that they run the risk of failure. |
| C．All successful people have strong self-belief. |
| D．They can take comfort in modest achievements. |
| E．You waste a lot of time every day on low value activities. |
| F．They will encourage you and give you the direct advice you need. |
| G．It is really very hard to make progress if you have no ambition for your life. |
5 . A gene variant (变体) that causes the “alcohol flush (脸红)” reaction increases the risk of heart disease by causing inflammation of blood vessels (脉管), especially in drinkers. Around 8 percent of the world’s populations has a gene variant called ALDH2*2 that impairs the body’s ability to break down alcohol and causes unpleasant symptoms such as flushing soon after people drink. Now, researchers have shown why this change also raises the risk of heart disease.
“We are trying to understand why ALDH2*2 is associated with a higher risk of coronary arte (冠状动脉) disease at a cellular (细胞的) level,” says Hongchao Guo at Stanford University in California.
The ALDH2*2 gene encodes one version of the enzyme (酵素) alcohol dehydrogenase (脱氢酶), which breaks down the toxic acetaldehydes (乙醛) produced when alcohol is metabolized (代谢), and also mops up other harmful substances known as free radicals.
The gene variant also impairs the growth of new blood vessels. “That means that when there is a heart attack, when there is a need of blood vessel growth, carriers have less ability to generate new blood vessels,” says Guo.
The team found that an existing diabetes (糖尿病) drug called empagliflozin may reduce these harmful effects in people with ALDH2*2 who drink a lot of alcohol. But for Wu, the take-home message is clear. “If you’re missing this enzyme, try not to drink,” he says. “If you drink consistently, you are at much higher risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer.”
Given its many negative consequences, there has been debate about why this change spread and became common, today being found in more than a third of people of cast Asian origin.
“My only explanation is that if you are missing this enzyme, you tend to drink less and there’s therefore less chance of you becoming alcoholic,” says Wu.
1. Which of the following may be caused by “alcohol flush”?| A．Heart disease and high blood pressure. | B．A gene variant called ALDH2*2. |
| C．Inflammation of blood vessels. | D．Diabetes and cancer. |
| A．Exiting diabetes drug can help people witALDH2*2. |
| B．People with ALDH2*2 shouldn’t drink alcohol. |
| C．People with ALDH2*2 have less chance of becoming alcoholic. |
| D．Drinking alcohol can bring about diabetes and cancer. |
| A．Diabetes drug can free people with ALDH2*2 of alcohol flush. |
| B．If you are missing this enzyme, you will easily become alcoholic. |
| C．People with ALDH2*2 tend to suffer from cancer. |
| D．More than a third of people of cast Asian origin may be affected by ALDH2*2. |
| A．To explain the impact of genetic variant causing the “alcohol flush”. |
| B．To introduce ways to stop drinking alcohol. |
| C．To introduce dangers of drinking alcohol. |
| D．To persuade people to get rid of drinking alcohol. |
6 . Obese people experience discrimination (歧视) in many parts of their lives, and the workplace is no exception. Studies have long shown that obese workers, defined as those with a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, earn significantly less than their slimmer co-workers.
Yet the costs of weight discrimination may be even greater than previously thought. “The overwhelming evidence,” wrote the Institute for employment Studies, “is that it is only women living with obesity who experience the obesity wage penalty (薪资损失).” They were expressing a view that is widely aired in academic papers. To test it, The Economist has analyzed data concerning 23,000 workers from the American Time Use Survey, conducted by the Bureau of Labour Statistics. Our number-processing suggests that, in fact, being obese hurts the earnings of both women and men.
The data we analyzed cover men and women aged between 25 and 54 and in full-time employment. At a general level, it is true that men’s BMIs are unrelated to their wages. But that changes for men with university degrees. For them, obesity is associated with a wage penalty of nearly 8%, even after accounting for the separate effects of age, race, graduate education and marital status.
The conclusion — that well-educated workers in particular are penalized for their weight — holds for both sexes. Moreover, the higher your level of education, the greater the penalty. We found that obese men with a Bachelor’s degree (学士学位) earn 5% less than their thinner colleagues, while those with a Master’s degree earn 14% less. Obese women, it is true, still have it worse: for them, the equivalent figures are 12% and 19%, respectively (分别地).
Your line of work makes a difference, too. When we dealt with the numbers for individual occupations and industries, we found the greatest differences in high-skilled jobs. Obese workers in health care, for example, make 11% less than their slimmer colleagues; those in management roles make roughly 9% less, on average. In sectors such as construction and agriculture, meanwhile, obesity is actually associated with higher wages.
These results suggest that the total costs of wage discrimination borne by overweight workers in America are greater than expected. Now, it’s time for our governments to take it seriously.
1. What does the underlined word “it” refer to in paragraph 2?| A．Obese men earn less salary. |
| B．Only obese women earn less salary. |
| C．Both obese men and women earn less salary. |
| D．Weight discrimination may be greater than previously thought. |
| A．A fat woman office director. |
| B．An obese construction worker. |
| C．An obese man with a bachelor’s degree. |
| D．A heavier female doctor with a Doctor’s degree. |
| A．Supportive | B．Objective | C．Subjective | D．indifferent |
| A．Overweight discrimination in other countries. |
| B．The reason of discriminating obese people in their lives. |
| C．American people’s attitude towards overweight discrimination. |
| D．Actions taken against overweight discrimination in workplaces. |
Many quick service restaurant owners are looking ahead to a future where automation will play an important role. They believe it will be the key to greatly
Many people are afraid of being replaced by a robot. But the
Quick service restaurants with tools like Flippy are the kind of places
Automation in restaurants will become even more crucial in the future. Owners then
8 . Last summer I talked with my daughter studying in her last year in high school about her graduation album. I asked which
After two
Yes. I could have picked a photo my daughter didn’t like and submitted it behind her back, but I knew it wouldn’t have
My daughter is
I had my senior year and did it the way I wanted. Now it’s my daughter’s
| A．reporter | B．photographer | C．volunteer | D．teacher |
| A．paid | B．imagined | C．declined | D．chose |
| A．buy | B．deliver | C．pick | D．borrow |
| A．keeps | B．expects | C．loses | D．dislikes |
| A．shame | B．joke | C．punishment | D．hit |
| A．helpful | B．sure | C．safe | D．happy |
| A．seconds | B．hours | C．months | D．decades |
| A．celebration | B．schedule | C．semester | D．deadline |
| A．drawing | B．design | C．picture | D．number |
| A．disappointing | B．positive | C．strange | D．unclear |
| A．worked | B．looked | C．covered | D．moved |
| A．great | B．old | C．calm | D．kind |
| A．laugh at | B．exchange for | C．hand in | D．care about |
| A．hope | B．explain | C．determine | D．mean |
| A．turn | B．result | C．action | D．answer |
9 . 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. |
10 . Through your college experience you spent a lot of time learning about methodologies (方法论) and strategies for teaching. However, nothing quite prepares you the moment you first step in front of a classroom full of students. You’re not even sure of what to wear. With student teaching approaching near, here are some great books to help you better prepare for the moment.
The First Days of School
This book, written by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong, was assigned reading in one of my college courses. Rightfully so, as it provides great plans for how to set up a successful classroom at the beginning of the year. Some of the topics include teacher and student introductions, designing indispensable procedures, and helping students master lesson materials.
Teaching Content Outrageously
If you’re concerned about creating lesson arrangements that your students will enjoy, you need to check out Teaching Content Outrageously by Stanley Pogrow. This book has tips for getting students excited and engaged in lessons. And he provides lesson plans and examples for distinctive grade levels, too.
Discipline with Dignity
One of the toughest things teachers have to cope with is classroom management. In Discipline with Dignity, Richard Curwin explores common discipline problems and approaches to dealing with difficult students. He suggests practical ways of giving students leeway without losing control of the classroom.
Teach like a Champion
Doug Lemov offers 49 techniques you can employ to manage your class. There are piles of practical ideas that are broken down so they’re easy to copy. You’ll likely find every idea is not practical for you, but you’re sure to find several you can.
1. Which book gives introductions on lesson plans?| A．Teach like a Champion. | B．Discipline with Dignity. |
| C．The First Days of School. | D．Teaching Content Outrageously. |
| A．They offer advice on what to explore. |
| B．They provide skills on classroom managements. |
| C．They explore approaches to procedure designing. |
| D．They suggest practical ideas for common problems. |
| A．Young writers. | B．Learned managers. |
| C．Future teachers. | D．School Administrators. |
