1 . For many, Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer and an opportunity to host a socially-distanced barbecue (an outdoor meal). But this national holiday—celebrated every year in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September—has revolutionary (革命性的) origins.
By the late 19th century, the Industrial Revolution had made working life miserable for people around the world. In many places, workers toiled for at least 12 hours a day six days a week in mines, factories, railroads, and mills. This holiday actually originated in the US on May 1, 1866, in what came to be known as the Haymarket Riot, workers flooded Chicago streets to demand an eight-hour workday.
It would take another conflict in the American Midwest to make Labor Day a national holiday. On May 11, 1894, workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company, a railroad car manufacturer near Chicago, went on strike to protest their low wages and 16-hour workdays. In August 1893, James Kyle introduced federal legislation (立法) to make Labor Day a public holiday, but for ten months the legislation was put on hold. To quiet the strikers and their supporters, the Senate quickly passed the bill on June 22. The bill passed the House four days later and President Grover Cleveland signed it into law on June 28, 1894.
The holiday is more information May Day labor celebrations. Many observers relax at home or head to outdoor recreational activities, such as boating, barbecues, and camping. It may also be marked with fireworks shows and other events. Labor Day has also become associated with retail sales, as many shop owners try to take advantage of the customers’ day off. It is one of the largest sales events of the year. meaning retail employees actually have to work more on this day. Parades are the most common model of celebration, which often feature processions of labor groups.
1. What do we know about the workers in the late 19th century?| A．They were paid well. | B．They had long workdays. |
| C．They often had a barbecue. | D．Their contributions were recognized. |
| A．Put off. | B．Introduced. | C．Got through. | D．Protected. |
| A．On May 1, 1886. | B．On August 22, 1893. | C．On May 11, 1894. | D．On June 28, 1894. |
| A．The origins of Labor Day. | B．The labor groups achievements. |
| C．The ways to celebrate Labor Day. | D．The official activities on Labor Day. |
2 . Life on earth evolves (进化) through the passing on of genes. How does culture evolve?
The evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins, coined the term “meme” in his book The Selfish Gene. According to Dawkins, while genes are the pieces of biological information from our parents which determines our appearance and how we grow, memes are units of cultural information — ideas and beliefs — that “pass from brain to brain”. Like genes, memes must compete for survival — if a meme cannot gain our attention. it disappears.
Basically, any shared idea related to culture is a meme. Myths, for example, are memes. Every society has its own stories that have survived, with some variations, for hundreds or thousands of years. The mythological dragon in Chinese culture is an idea that has been successfully passed among people for generations and is therefore also a meme.
Historically, memes have spread very gradually by word of mouth. Within Internet culture, though, a successful idea can be shared among millions of people within a few hours. Internet memes (which may for example, take the form of an image, a video or a website) may not last long, but they are particularly catching. They are shared “liked” copied and thus rapidly grown.
Then why do some ideas succeed in gaining our attention while others fail to attract us? It’s difficult to say, but humor is generally a factor. People are most likely to forward something to their friends if they think it is funny and the easier it is to digest the further the meme travels. Other memes may gain ground because they are something out of the ordinary. Aside from pure entertainment. Internet memes have a commercial aspect. Given their mass appeal, it is no surprise that advertisements turn up alongside them.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “coined” in Paragraph 2?| A．Accepted. | B．Preferred. | C．Invented. | D．Understood. |
| A．They are genes passed down from our parents. |
| B．They are cultural units that spread among people. |
| C．They belong to myths in different cultures. |
| D．They determine the development of the Internet. |
| A．It spreads faster and wider. | B．It takes fewer forms. |
| C．It’s harder to digest. | D．It lasts longer. |
| A．The distance a meme can travel. | B．Achievements of Internet memes. |
| C．Reasons for the success of some memes. | D．The uniqueness of a meme. |
3 . A double chin occurs when a layer of fat around your neck sags (下垂). Overweight and aging are closely related to double chins.
Pout (撅嘴)
It sounds a little odd, but stretching your head up to whistle at the ceiling can help strengthen your muscles. Tilt the head back and look at the ceiling while sitting.
Chew gum
Not only is chewing gum a small exercise for the facial muscles, but it can also help you lose those extra pounds to rid you of your double chin. Studies have found that people who chewed gum felt more satisfied after their meal and were less likely to snack. By resisting the urge to snack, you’re reducing the amount of calories in the diet.
| A．Whistle at the ceiling |
| B．Stretch your neck forwards |
| C．Close your lips into the whistling position. |
| D．This will help you lose the fat causing your double chin. |
| E．This is an effective way to strengthen the jaw and neck muscles. |
| F．A bad posture can also weaken the muscles around the neck and the chin. |
| G．Doing facial exercises is a natural way to make your face look younger. |
(1) 从下表中选择对你影响最大的一位伟人，描述他（她）的主要事迹；
(2) 谈谈该伟人对你产生的激励作用。
注意：
(1) 字数100-120； (2) 标题和开头结尾不计入总词数。
参考词汇：动物学家zoologist (n.) 黑猩猩 chimp (n.) 青蒿素artemisinin (n.) 杂交稻 hybrid rice
| Jane Goodall(1934-)，Britain | Tu Youyou(1930-), China | Yuan Longping(1930-2021), China |
| 动物学家, 前往非洲研究黑猩猩多年,在研究和保护野生动物方面做出巨大贡献。 | 药学家,多年从事中西药结合研究,创制了新型抗疟药青蒿素,首位获诺贝尔科学奖的中国人。 | 农业专家, 致力于杂交水稻研究, 在消除世界饥饿方面做出巨大贡献。 |
The Great Person I Admire
Ladies and gentlemen,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your listening.
5 . Climate breakdown threatens to cause a global food production crisis. The UN forecasts that by 2050, feeding the world will require a 20% expansion in global water use for agriculture. It is hard to see how agriculture can feed the population of the planet, let alone toward the end of the century and beyond. Agriculture is a major cause of climate breakdown, and both river and air pollution. Industrial fishing is similarly driving ecological collapse in seas around the world.
However, at this critical time, farming (a new kind of food technology) is creating astonishing possibilities to save both people and the planet. Farming will enable the return of vast areas of land and sea to nature, greatly reducing carbon emissions (排放物). It means an end to the employment of animals, a stop to overfishing, and a dramatic reduction in cutting down forests and the use of pesticides (杀虫剂). It is the best hope for stopping the destruction of the planet and, if it is done right, it means cheap and abundant food for everyone.
We are about to welcome one of the biggest economic transformations, of any kind, for 200 years. Arguments continue about plants against meat-based diets; however, new technologies will soon make these arguments irrelevant. Before long, most food will come neither from animals nor plants, but from micro-organisms (微生物).
Not only will food be cheaper, it will also be healthier. Due to the fact that farming creates food products built up from simple components rather than broken down from complex ones, hard fats and other unhealthy components can be screened out. Meat will still be meat, but it will be grown in factories rather than in the bodies of animals. Fats will still be fats, but food is likely to be better, cheaper and much less damaging to the living planet.
1. What is the major cause of sea ecological breakdown?| A．Food production. | B．Global farming. |
| C．Industrial fishing. | D．Climate breakdown. |
| A．Its benefits. | B．Its security. | C．Its research. | D．Its limits. |
| A．Sea animals. | B．Wild plants. | C．Micro-organisms. | D．Farm products. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Disapproving. | D．Unclear. |
6 . Arden University
Arden University has physical study centres in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Berlin, Germany, and also offers high quality online bachelor and master degree programmes to British and international students all over the world. They have supported over 50,000 students while remaining true to their core values, ensuring higher education is available for all. Covering a range of professional subjects in 12 academic fields, Arden University makes UK education accessible and affordable through their creative study platform. Click here to view this school.
University of London International Programmes
We have over 60,000 students in every corner of the globe studying on more than 100 different programmes. Our global footprint and flexible study method has enabled students to study wherever they live. As a family of 19 world-class colleges and admired institutes, the University of London has an international reputation for academic distinction in teaching and research. Our students achieve exactly the same standard of internationally recognized qualification as those who attend the University itself. Click here to view this school.
University of York
The University of York is one of the top ten universities in the UK for teaching and research, and is ranked in the top 100 universities in the world. This well-established university consists of over 30 academic departments and research centres and a student body of 13,000, and was named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2010. Most of the distance learning courses are designed to meet professional development needs, and reflect the benefits of online learning in this context. Click here to view this school.
Lloyd’s Maritime Academy
Course options include popular and well-established diplomas in Marine (海洋) Surveying, Ship Management, and Maritime Law. Various accreditation levels are available from short, online based certificate courses to fully-accredited diploma and postgraduate diploma study options. We also offer our best course — the MBA in Shipping&. Logistics. The continued strength of these distance learning programmes have over 6,000 students enrolled on our courses. Click here to view this school.
1. Which holds the largest number of students?| A．Arden University. | B．University of York. |
| C．Lloyd's Maritime Academy. | D．University of London International Programmes. |
| A．How to be a training teacher. | B．How to be a good programmer. |
| C．How to be a professional in shipping industry. | D．How to be an excellent shipbuilder. |
| A．They all offer online courses. | B．They are only accessible to the British. |
| C．They are all top ten schools in the world. | D．They were all built in the early 20th century. |
7 . Most young people are always on their phones, which may upset many people.
Each teen spent at least an hour of one-on-one time with their oldsters. Based on their
Some of the oldsters actually wanted to take part in e-commerce (电子商务), and needed help to
In addition to arranging group lessons for all of the seniors to
The eighth graders earned their “Silver Award,, for their job. After experiencing the
| A．Otherwise | B．Therefore | C．However | D．Besides |
| A．service | B．praise | C．invitation | D．donation |
| A．keep | B．untie | C．share | D．unlock |
| A．technological | B．medical | C．psychological | D．physical |
| A．record | B．teach | C．recall | D．investigate |
| A．get back | B．set up | C．check out | D．pay off |
| A．patience | B．luck | C．fun | D．trouble |
| A．write | B．phone | C．text | D．read |
| A．sweet | B．simple | C．rare | D．common |
| A．play | B．live | C．talk | D．review |
| A．amazed | B．experienced | C．confused | D．respected |
| A．success | B．arrangement | C．change | D．pressure |
| A．performances | B．clinics | C．clubs | D．competitions |
| A．organized | B．managed | C．visited | D．funded |
| A．needed | B．refused | C．enjoyed | D．deserved |
8 . When someone is homeless or trying to recover from a natural disaster, they are in need of a lot of the basic life necessities that many of us take for granted (认为……是理所当然的). While people are often encouraged to donate canned goods, not everyone is thinking about things like shoes.
Of course, you can’t go looking for a new job or a home, if you have no shoes to walk in. One woman in Hays, Kansas took this into consideration, and found a way to help hundreds of people.
Payless stores were going out of business, and shoes were selling for as little as $1 per pair, so a woman named Addy Tritt bought out all the remaining shoes at the Hays Payless store—more than 200 pairs—and donated them to flood victims (灾民) in Nebrsska.
Those shoes were then included in a flood relief shipment taken to farmers in Nebraska by Fort Hays State University. Tritt, who recently graduated from FHSU’s human resources program, wanted to “pay it forward”.
“I have been so lucky,” she said. “There have been so many great people in my life who have inspired me. I see so many terrible things in the news. So many people have helped me when I was down. They influenced me so much that I want to help if I can.”
Tritt has a history of charitable (慈善发) acts. She has donated more than 60 bags of school supplies to Hays students, and organized a baby clothes drive and two supply drives for the animal shelter.
“I really feel I have been directed and guided to help people,” she said. “If you can do something for someone else, you need to find a way even if it is a pair of shoes.”
1. How did Tritt help flood victims?| A．By sending some food to them. |
| B．By helping them find new jobs. |
| C．By selling shoes to raise money for them. |
| D．By buying shoes for them. |
| A．Pay ahead of time. | B．Save some money. |
| C．Pass the love. | D．Put forward the plan. |
| A．The low price of shoes. | B．Other people’s influence. |
| C．Ideas from her school. | D．The sad situation of victims. |
| A．Caring. | B．Independent. |
| C．Clever. | D．Brave. |
1. When did Betty Jameson win the Southern Championship?
| A．In 1932. | B．In 1934. | C．In 1939. |
| A．The United States Amateur competition. |
| B．The United States Women’s Open. |
| C．The Western Open. |
| A．Golf. | B．Basketball. | C．Tennis. |
| A．About 70 years old. | B．About 80 years old. | C．About 90 years old. |
10 . Recent research discovered that a low-cost computer training program can help older persons drive less dangerously.
“We developed a training program, called Drive Aware, which could be used by anyone who has a computer,” says Jing Feng, co-author of the study and a professor of psychology at NC State. “Drive Aware is a cognitive (认知的) training program for older persons that helps them notice traffic risks more effectively. The purpose of our recent study was to see how much Drive Aware changes trainees’ driving behaviors once they get behind the wheel.”
The researchers found 27 persons aged 65 and up to test Drive Aware. In a driving simulator (模拟器), all of the study participants (参与者) experienced a basic driving exam. The “active training” group was made up of nine of the study participants. Every two weeks, the active training group had two Drive Aware trainings. A group of nine additional study participants was asked to take “passive training”. This group watched videos of others receiving the Drive Aware instruction. This happened twice, with each lasting about a week. The control group, which was made up of the remaining nine study participants, received no training. After that, all 27 study participants performed a second driving exam in the simulator.
The study participants in the active training group experienced 25% fewer “unsafe incidents (事件)” following the training, according to the researchers. There was no obvious change in the number of dangerous incidents among study participants in the passive training and control groups.
“This testing was done with a fairly limited number of study participants,” Feng says. “If we can succeed in getting the fund, we’d like to further our testing with more people to clearly prove how effective this training is at reducing accidents among older drivers.”
1. What does the underlined phrase “get behind the wheel” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Take a risk. | B．Start a program. |
| C．Drive a car. | D．Use a computer. |
| A．Experience no training. | B．Receive two Drive Aware trainings. |
| C．Take three driving tests. | D．Observe videos of Drive Aware trainings. |
| A．By quoting former figures. | B．By investigating car accidents. |
| C．By operating the driving simulator. | D．By comparing participants’ performances. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Worried. | C．Positive. | D．Doubtful. |
