1 . Like many young people, Jessica wants to travel the globe. Unlike most of them, this 25-year-old is doing it
They’re part of a new form of the
It’s not all sightseeing. The two travelers carefully
The couple has a high
A.indoors | B.online | C.single-handed | D.full-time |
A.game | B.service | C.vacation | D.procedure |
A.safe | B.busy | C.helpful | D.affordable |
A.local | B.private | C.sharing | D.agricultural |
A.strangers’ | B.parents’ | C.co-workers’ | D.neighbors’ |
A.favor | B.defense | C.honor | D.absence |
A.plan | B.explain | C.compare | D.complete |
A.buy | B.transport | C.choose | D.please |
A.support | B.comfort | C.control | D.attention |
A.cooking | B.staying | C.waiting | D.studying |
A.success | B.survival | C.growth | D.unemployment |
A.budget | B.abilities | C.expectations | D.understanding |
A.admiring | B.donating | C.sending | D.borrowing |
A.clean | B.open | C.simple | D.empty |
A.guess | B.decision | C.response | D.impression |
1. 活动的过程;
2. 收获与感想。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Getting to Know the Plants Around Us
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . As Ginni Bazlinton reached Antarctica, she found herself greeted by a group of little Gentoo penguins (企鹅) longing to say hello. These gentle, lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni would never forget.
Ever since her childhood, Ginni, now 71, has had a deep love for travel. Throughout her career (职业) as a professional dancer, she toured in the UK, but always longed to explore further. When she retired from dancing and her sons eventually flew the nest, she decided it was time to take the plunge.
After taking a degree at Chichester University in Related Arts, Ginni began to travel the world, eventually getting work teaching English in Japan and Chile. And it was in Chile she discovered she could get last-minute cheap deals on ships going to Antarctica from the islands off Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of the South American mainland. “I just decided I wanted to go,” she says. “I had no idea about what I’d find there and I wasn’t nervous, I just wanted to do it. And I wanted to do it alone as I always prefer it that way.”
In March 2008, Ginni boarded a ship with 48 passengers she’d never met before, to begin the journey towards Antarctica. “From seeing the wildlife to witnessing sunrises, the whole experience was amazing. Antarctica left an impression on me that no other place has,” Ginni says. “I remember the first time I saw a humpback whale; it just rose out of the water like some prehistoric creature and I thought it was smiling at us. You could still hear the operatic sounds it was making underwater.”
The realization that this is a precious land, to be respected by humans, was one of the biggest things that hit home to Ginni.
1. Which of the following best explains “take the plunge” underlined in paragraph 2?A.Try challenging things. | B.Take a degree. |
C.Bring back lost memories. | D.Stick to a promise. |
A.Lovely penguins. | B.Beautiful scenery. |
C.A discount fare. | D.A friend’s invitation. |
A.It could be a home for her. | B.It should be easily accessible. |
C.It should be well preserved. | D.It needs to be fully introduced. |
A.A childhood dream. | B.An unforgettable experience. |
C.Sailing around the world. | D.Meeting animals in Antarctica. |
4 . By day, Robert Titterton is a lawyer. In his spare time though he goes on stage beside pianist Maria Raspopova — not as a musician but as her page turner. “I’m not a trained musician, but I’ve learnt to read music so I can help Maria in her performance.”
Mr Titterton is chairman of the Omega Ensemble but has been the group’s official page turner for the past four years. His job is to sit beside the pianist and turn the pages of the score so the musician doesn’t have to break the flow of sound by doing it themselves. He said he became just as nervous as those playing instruments on stage.
“A lot of skills are needed for the job. You have to make sure you don’t turn two pages at once and make sure you find the repeats in the music when you have to go back to the right spot.” Mr Titterton explained.
Being a page turner requires plenty of practice. Some pieces of music can go for 40 minutes and require up to 50 page turns, including back turns for repeat passages. Silent onstage communication is key, and each pianist has their own style of “nodding” to indicate a page turn which they need to practise with their page turner.
But like all performances, there are moments when things go wrong. “I was turning the page to get ready for the next page, but the draft wind from the turn caused the spare pages to fall off the stand,” Mr Titterton said, “Luckily I was able to catch them and put them back.”
Most page turners are piano students or up-and-coming concert pianists, although Ms Raspopova has once asked her husband to help her out on stage.
“My husband is the worst page turner,” she laughed. “He’s interested in the music, feeling every note, and I have to say: ‘Turn, turn!’ Robert is the best page turner I’ve had in my entire life.”
1. What should Titterton be able to do to be a page turner?A.Read music. | B.Play the piano. |
C.Sing songs. | D.Fix the instruments. |
A.Boring. | B.Well-paid. |
C.Demanding. | D.Dangerous. |
A.Counting the pages. | B.Recognizing the “nodding”. |
C.Catching falling objects. | D.Performing in his own style. |
A.He has very poor eyesight. | B.He ignores the audience. |
C.He has no interest in music. | D.He forgets to do his job. |
5 . My life as a tax-paying employed person began in middle school, when, for three whole days, I worked in a baking factory.
My best friend Betsy’s father was a manager at Hough Bakeries, which, at Easter time,
Our
Dad
A.sold | B.ordered | C.made | D.reserved |
A.stores | B.families | C.schools | D.citizens |
A.generous | B.financial | C.technical | D.temporary |
A.plans | B.problems | C.excuses | D.hobbies |
A.offer | B.earn | C.set | D.suggest |
A.worked | B.closed | C.developed | D.survived |
A.ambition | B.permission | C.experience | D.invitation |
A.joys | B.ideas | C.roles | D.choices |
A.Save | B.Keep | C.Stop | D.Remove |
A.harder | B.better | C.longer | D.cheaper |
A.Calm down | B.Slow down | C.Stay on | D.Move on |
A.indicated | B.witnessed | C.expected | D.remembered |
A.cried | B.smiled | C.hesitated | D.refused |
A.tasting | B.finding | C.sharing | D.delivering |
A.withdraw | B.donate | C.receive | D.appreciate |
1. 读报的经历;2. 喜爱的栏目;3. 期望和祝福。
注意:1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式写字答题卡的相应位置作答。
Youth and Me
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. What position does the man apply for?
A.A salesperson. | B.An engineer. | C.An accountant. |
A.The company culture. | B.The free accommodations. | C.The competitive pay. |
A.Interpersonal relationships. | B.Quality-quantity balance. | C.Unplanned happenings. |
Kim Cobb, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, is one of a small but growing minority of academics
Cobb, for her part, started to ask conference organizers who invited her to speak
9 . I have the same 24 hours in a day as you do, but I have made specific choice that allow me to make the most of every day and still feel happy and relaxed.
Pick the most important.
Combine your activities.
Many people go crazy trying to figure out how to spend time with friends, family, work, play, etc.
You would think learning takes more time from you, but actually there are always new ways of doing things that can save you time on daily tasks, freeing you up for the most important. Always be looking for a new way to gain back an hour here or there.
Lighten up.
The world won't come to an end in most cases just because you left a few things undone. Celebrate progress and keep refining (改进) toward a happy productive existence.
A.Speed up. |
B.Be an active learner. |
C.Stop trying to balance time between them all. |
D.Make choices about what is meaningful in your life. |
E.The things you do well usually give you greater joy. |
F.Perhaps these tips will help you make the most of your time. |
G.This is why making lists is important in any productivity handbook. |
10 . During an interview for one of my books, my interviewer said something I still think about often. Annoyed by the level of distraction (干扰) in his open office, he said, “That’s why I have a membership at the coworking space across the street — so I can focus”. His comment struck me as strange. After all, coworking spaces also typically use an open office layout (布局). But I recently came across a study that shows why his approach works.
The researchers examined various levels of noise on participants as they completed tests of creative thinking. They were randomly divided into four groups and exposed to various noise levels in the background, from total silence to 50 decibels (分贝), 70 decibels, and 85 decibels. The differences between most of the groups were statistically insignificant; however, the participants in the 70 decibels group — those exposed to a level of noise similar to background chatter in a coffee shop — significantly outperformed the other groups. Since the effects were small, this may suggest that our creative thinking does not differ that much in response to total silence and 85 decibels of background noise.
But since the results at 70 decibels were significant, the study also suggests that the right level of background noise — not too loud and not total silence — may actually improve one’s creative thinking ability. The right level of background noise may interrupt our normal patterns of thinking just enough to allow our imaginations to wander, without making it impossible to focus. This kind of “distracted focus” appears to be the best state for working on creative tasks.
So why do so many of us hate our open offices? The problem may be that, in our offices, we can’t stop ourselves from getting drawn into others’ conversations while we’re trying to focus. Indeed, the researchers found that face-to-face interactions and conversations affect the creative process, and yet a coworking space or a coffee shop provides a certain level of noise while also providing freedom from interruptions.
1. Why does the interviewer prefer a coworking space?A.It helps him concentrate. | B.It blocks out background noise. |
C.It has a pleasant atmosphere. | D.It encourages face-to-face interactions. |
A.Total silence. | B.50 decibels | C.70 decibels. | D.85 decibels. |
A.Personal privacy unprotected. | B.Limited working space. |
C.Restrictions on group discussion. | D.Constant interruptions. |
A.He’s a news reporter. |
B.He’s an office manager. |
C.He’s a professional designer. |
D.He’s a published writer. |