Our animal rescue volunteers set up a shelter in a town in reaction to floods there. While out looking for animals left behind, we met a man who had a dog, which he had no intention (意图，打算) of taking with him when he finally left. When we offered to shelter his dog, he said, “Alright!”
Soon, he went into his tiny house’s backyard, returned with the dog and put it into our truck. Amy, one volunteer, asked what the dog’s name was. “He doesn’t have one,” the man said and left, without saying goodbye.
We returned to the shelter. After reaching there, the nameless dog sat still in the truck. When we put him on the ground, he just lay there, remaining still.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Amy replied that maybe the dog was timid (胆怯的) because of his owner’s long-term neglect (疏于照管). She determined to help the dog and named him Albert.
After that day, Amy often carried the sixty-pound dog around the shelter, since he still refused to stand up or walk. At night, Albert lay next to Amy’s bed. Luckily, six days later, Albert never stopped moving, always keeping up with Amy. Wherever she went, Albert would be no more than two steps behind her.
I began to notice, though, that Albert still didn’t have the energy of an eighteen-month-old dog. Later, a doctor found he had heartworm disease (心丝虫病), a deadly disease.
I called Albert’s owner. When I told him that Albert had heartworm disease and that it would cost at least $300 to treat him, I expected he’d say, “I don’t have the money, so you keep the dog.” But I was wrong. He wanted Albert back.
“If he isn’t immediately treated, he’ll die,” I said. “Yeah. I understand. That’s what happened to all my dogs. Although I don’t have enough money to treat him, I can’t let you pay the fee. I’ll be out shortly to pick up (接) my dog,” the man replied coldly and hung up.
In the distance, I saw Amy and Albert playing games.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150词左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
“How am I going to tell Amy we have to give Albert back?” I whispered.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________While he walked to Albert, I shouted, “Wait! Could I buy that dog from you?”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Lily’s Gift
Lily loved her mom more than anything in the world. Her mom worked hard every day to provide for Lily and her little brother, Jake, She was a nurse at the local hospital, and she often had to work long hours and night shifts. Ella knew her mom was tired and stressed, but she always had a smile and a hug for her children.
Lily wanted to do something special for her mom this Christmas. She wanted to show her how much she appreciated her and how much she loved her. She decided to buy her a gift, something that would make her happy and beautiful. She had seen a necklace at the mall, a silver chain with a heart-shaped pendant that had the word “Mom” engraved on it. Lily thought it was perfect for her mom.
But the necklace was expensive. It cost $50, and Lily didn’t have that much money. She only got $5 every week as her pocket money, and she had to save some of it for school supplies and snacks. She also had to help Jake with his homework and chores, so she didn’t have time to get a part-time job. Lily decided to save as much as she could from her pocket money. She also looked for ways to earn extra money. She sold some of her old toys and books at a garage sale. She offered to walk her neighbors’ dogs and water their plants. She even gave up her birthday money and asked for no presents.
It took her months to save enough money for the necklace. She had to resist the temptation to spend it on candy, movies, or clothes. She kept her goal in mind and reminded herself of how happy her mom would be.
Finally, on Christmas Eve, she had enough money. She ran to the mall and bought the necklace. She wrapped it in a shiny red paper and put a bow on it. She wrote a card that said, “To Mom, with love from Lily.”
注意：1．续写词数应为150词左右；
2．请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
She hid the gift under her bed and waited for Christmas morning.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“I saved up for it, mom. I wanted to give you something special. I love you so much,” Lily said.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pimple on the Nose
“Nooo!” screamed Asha as she saw a huge pimple(痘) on her nose. She didn’t have time to cover the pimple as she was running late to school. She gobbled her breakfast, grabbed her bag and got into her school bus just in time. As soon as she entered, kids started laughing. Nobody was willing to make her sit beside them. Even Anita, her bus mate acted a bit differently with her.
Asha was lost in thoughts. A new thought popped in her mind every second. Once she thought “Great! As if homework and exams were not enough, I have to worry about my pimple as well.” The next minute another thought popped in her mind. “I am tired of using that face wash. I still wonder how I agreed to use that horrible thing! How can…” Mr. Shetty, the bus driver said “Asha, do you want to miss the class?” Asha was so lost in her thoughts that she did not even notice that everybody had got down the bus except her.
She did not want to step into the campus. She thought, “What will my teachers think? What will my friends think?” After some time, she gathered courage and entered her class expecting that she would be laughed at.
It was a very hard day at school for her. As soon as she got home, she hugged her mother tightly. As she did so she felt all her worries were not even a dot in front of the warm and loving hug.
Later that day, she went to the supermarket with her mother. While coming back she heard people commenting on her pimple. A small child cried, “Daddy! My cherry is on her nose! Get it for me.” She heard some boys murmuring, “If she would have been in our school, she would definitely be chosen as the joker in the dance.”
Asha wondered why people cared so much about her appearance.
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。
Finally it was time for bed story, and mom asked her to choose a book.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Her mother asked her never to judge a book by its old cover but to pay attention to the details.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was so heartbreaking for Devan Bonagura to see 81-year-old Nola Carpenter sitting in the break room of a supermarket where she works. In the short video he shared, the woman appears tired and stares at the floor as if thinking of something. The video finally went popular, earning over 30 million views and causing a movement that would change Carpenter’s life.
It is widely known that retail (零售) workers are heroes. They put up with long hours and angry customers, among a lot of other things. This work is challenging for young people and able-bodied people, so it can really be more difficult to the old. That’s why Bonagura posted the video.
He posted the short video of her with the message “Life shouldn’t be this hard. . . ”and the caption(字幕)“I feel bad”. At last, his followers asked him to find a way to support this woman, and it inspired him to open a GoFundMe campaign titled“Let’s help Carpenter retire (退休)”. The idea was to support Carpenter so that she could retire early.
Although the goal was just $10, 000, 24 hours later over $100, 000 had been collected. Two days later, Bonagura met up with Carpenter and told her how he had posted a video of her and how people had come together to help her. “They see that you’re a very hard worker,” the social media platform told the woman. “We are all super proud of you, and we want to offer you the $110, 000 that has been raised for you.” “T’d accept it, but I’d still have to work until I get the other $60, 000 to pay off the house,” she explained. “The house is what’s holding me at work. ”She then talked about her daily life and how she struggled to help those in need.
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。
Knowing why Carpenter worked so hard at this age, every one was moved
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Reaching her goal, Carpenter won’t retire until the New Year.
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5 . The Fields Medal is awarded to recognize outstanding mathematical achievements for existing work and for the promise of future achievements. Out of a total of about 60 people, only one woman ever managed to receive these highest honors for impressive new mathematical discoveries.
Now a second woman has received this highest mathematical award: the 37-year-old Ukrainian Maryna Viazovska, holder of the Chair for Number Theory at the Swiss EPFL.
She was rewarded for solving a problem that can be explained quite clearly at first sight: It is the so-called sphere-packing(球堆积) problem that had appealed to mathematicians for more than four centuries: how to pack spheres like oranges as tightly as possible (using the smallest volume)?
Viazovska was born on Dec. 2, 1984, in Kyiv, Ukraine. “I’ve liked mathematics since my schooldays,” she says. “It always seemed like the most uncomplicated subject. And since I liked it, I spent more time on it, and eventually became better at math than other subjects. So then I liked it even more, and so on.”
After earning her Bachelor’s degree at the National Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, Viazovska went to Germany to earn a Master’s degree at the Technical University of Kaiserslautem (2007) before moving to the University of Bonn, where she completed her doctor degree on modular forms(模式研究) in 2013.
During her postdoctoral research at the Berlin Mathematical School and the Humboldt University of Berlin, Viazovska solved the sphere packing problem in 8 and 24 dimensions. Then, in December 2016, she accepted an offer from EPFL to become a lifelong assistant professor. Just one year later, at the age of 33, she was promoted to full professor.
What drives Viazovska is solving problems, which she describes as “doing a jigsaw puzzle” , and understanding abstract(抽象的) concepts “so I can link them to other problems and find practical applications.”
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．Viazovska has received the Fields Medal twice for her great mathematical achievements. |
| B．The same number of outstanding male and female mathematicians won the Fields Medal. |
| C．The sphere-packing problem has attracted mathematicians’ attention at the present time. |
| D．Viazovska’s mathematical achievements are largely out of her enthusiasm and devotion. |
| A．Experience is knowledge. | B．Strike while the iron is hot. |
| C．All roads lead to Rome. | D．Interest is the seed. |
a. She received this highest mathematical award.
b. She became a lifelong assistant professor.
c. She moved to the University of Bonn and completed her doctorate on modular forms.
d. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the National Taras Shevchenko University.
e. She solved the sphere packing problem in specific dimensions.
| A．dbcea | B．cdeba | C．dceba | D．cbdea |
| A．By comparison. | B．By listing. |
| C．By example. | D．By questioning. |
I first started playing soccer on a Wednesday three years ago. My cousin played soccer every Wednesday at the park and he dragged me into playing with him that day. My cousin played soccer really well, which made me want to learn how to play soccer so that I could fit in with him.
Growing up without my father, I wasn’t so interested in sports. But that day as soon as I started playing soccer, I realized I had a new interest. So for almost a year I was playing soccer at the park every Wednesday with adults. However, I didn’t make much progress. I started thinking, “If I keep playing with adults, I might not get better because I could never get the ball.”
However, one day when I felt depressed for what had happened to me, I came across a special soccer payer, a lame man(跛脚的人)who was about 45 years old. Unexpectedly, his disability didn’t affect his skills, desire and courage to play although many people frequently laughed at him. No matter when it was windy or rainy, he always played soccer alone on the court next to our building, without a smile on his face forever. Maybe he and I couldn’t be accepted by a team.
Having no choice but to practice more, I played soccer on his court for ten days. And we almost had no communication. Day after day, my skills were still bad, so I was absent for playing for a long time. Then, I returned to the court without any aim and thought. Amazingly, it was he who asked me actively why I had been absent. We talked a lot. And I realized that a large number of factors affected my playing, such as skills, mood, teamwork, will and courage, etc. At the moment, I knew I was sick in mind and my unfitness seriously impeded(阻碍) the development of my sports.
Pragraph1:
To be honest, sometimes I had an idea to give up soccer, but I couldn’t when I met the special person.
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Paragraph2:
No pains, no gains. At last, my skills on playing soccer allowed me to join a professional soccer team and I attended a soccer competition.
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7 . According to a new study from Oxford Economics, a rise in artificial intelligence will result in an increase in “income inequality” as they estimate that 20 million manufacturing jobs will be lost in the next 11 years. In China alone, there could be 14 million robots taking work currently done by humans by 2030. While in the United States, more than 1.5 million workers would have lost their employment to technology by 2030.
The report predicts the use of robots worldwide has increased to 2.25 million over the past two decades. The researchers said, “As a result of robotisation, tens of millions of jobs will be lost, especially in poorer economies that rely on lower-skilled workers, which will therefore translate into an increase in income inequality.”
However, the researchers noted how “robotisation” has the potential to boost productivity and economic growth. They predicted a 5.3 percent rise in global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2030.The report said, “This means adding an extra $4.9 trillion per year to the global economy by 2030(in today’s prices).”
The report remained positive about the use of automation and urged lawmakers not to sand in the way of robots in the workplace, despite the threat of job losses.
The researchers said, “These findings should not lead policy-makers to seek to prevent the adoption of robot technology. Instead, the challenge should be to distribute the robot profits more evenly by helping workers prepare for and adapt to the big changes it will bring about. Explore all policy options from training, initiatives (新方案) and new welfare programs such as universal basic income.”
1. What is the number of potential job loss in Oxford Economics report based on?| A．Accurate figures. | B．Official statistics. |
| C．Artificial intelligence. | D．Approximate calculation. |
| A．It may enlarge the gap between rich and poor. |
| B．It has helped increase the global income. |
| C．It may increase international competition in lawmaking. |
| D．It has been universally recognized. |
| A．Boosting national economic development. |
| B．Providing citizens with lifelong education. |
| C．Slowing down the spread of robot technology. |
| D．Protecting workers’ interests by making new plans. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Favorable. | C．Conservative. | D．Tolerant. |
8 . Renting a home today is more popular than buying a house. You can choose an apartment for rent either on your own or with the help of a specialist from a rental agency.
First of all, it will be necessary to determine the quality and variety of infrastructure(基础设施) in a particular area. You should find out what objects are located in the immediate neighborhood.
If you plan to move into a rented apartment with children, you should find out which educational and preschool institutions are located nearby.
You should also pay attention to the building itself, in which you plan to rent a home.
| A．It is your duty to help the neighbors |
| B．The second option is more preferable |
| C．It is better if it has thick enough walls |
| D．Special attention should be paid to the other details |
| E．Here are some simple ways to save money when renting |
| F．And near the house should be stations of public transport |
| G．It is desirable that there are shops with essential goods near the housing |
Dave had loved basketball for as long as he could remember and he had never had a day without playing it. At primary school and junior high school he joined basketball clubs, attended training programs and watched basketball games, from which he learned the moves of the star players, wishing to play in a professional team like them and shine on the court.
Now as a senior high school student, however, his dream of becoming a professional player was dimming (变暗) because he was only of average height. He had to give up the hope of joining the school team. The guys on the school team were all tall boys who played matches and won honors for the school. They were like heroes. Dave watched them play and cheered them but he knew he would never be one of them.
Dave felt it a pity not to be tall enough, but this didn’t stop him from pouring his passion into basketball. He just played for the love of the sport. He played in the school gym with other boys or by himself every day, even during holidays and weekends, when it was open for two hours in the morning. He enjoyed every minute on the court making every effort to play better.
It was one Saturday morning. Dave was playing in the gym by himself, as all the other boys were busy with other weekend affairs. Then he noticed a tall boy approaching. It was Lankas. Everybody knows him as captain of the school basketball team. “Hi, Lankas,” Dave greeted him. “My name is Dave.” “Hi, Dave,” Lankas replied as he got closer. “Nice to see you here. Do you need an opponent to play against?” Dave was shocked, frozen right there, unable to believe his ears but somehow, he answered, “Why not?”
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。
So, a game of two players began.
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The next Saturday, when Dave was playing in the gym, Lankas appeared shouting, “Dave, I have good news for you.”
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10 . In China, most sleep or bedtime procrastinators (拖延者) are workers on the soul-sapping and horribly common 9-9-6 schedule (9am-9pm, six days a week) who, despite being exhausted, use their late-night, post-work hours to claw back some sense of self, even when they know they should be sleeping.
My situation — two small children plus full-time job — is embarrassingly far from their experience, and yet many of us in the west find ourselves doing the same things. The revenge bit — which might be better translated as “retaliatory” — is that we are avenging ourselves against our busy lives, either by staying up too late or by not going to sleep once in bed, often because we’re on our screens.
Dr. Lindsay Browning, sleep specialist and author of a new book, Navigating Sleeplessness, agrees “I am seeing many more clients who describe staying up later because they need alone time.” In China, it’s young people working brutal hours, but in Europe, studies suggest it’s also parents and students. But sleep procrastination can affect anyone who struggles with stress, extended working hours or inadequate downtime, which, in pandemic times, puts many more of us at risk.
Earlier this year, Caroline Newte Hardie set up Peace+Riot, a family-friendly cafe-bar in south London, specifically to give knackered parents more support. But long hours working on a new business have exacerbated her revenge procrastination habit. “If I finish working at midnight, I need an hour, as I’m wired, even though I’m tired. Before I had kids I never needed time to myself, but now I need at least an hour to catch my breath, especially if I’ve spent the day in problem-solving mode. If I went straight to bed, my life would be just work-childcare-work-childcare.”
One downside is that sleep vacancy has been shown to make us more likely to procrastinate the next day. “But lack of sleep increases impulsivity, which increases your likelihood of sleep procrastination. It’s almost a self-fulfilling prophecy that the less sleep that we get, the more impulsive we become and the more vulnerable we are to sleep procrastination.” “The consequences of sleep deprivation are endless,” says Dr. Chris Winter, neurologist, sleep specialist and author of The Rested Child and The Sleep Solution. “Cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and numerous short-term performance issues — mood, concentration, memory, attention, decision-making — are all affected.” As Walker puts it: “The shorter your sleep, the shorter your lifespan.”
1. What will Caroline probably do if she finishes working at midnight?| A．Go out to catch her breath. |
| B．Go on solving problems unsettled. |
| C．Spend some time on her children. |
| D．Spend some time on her own blog. |
| A．The complexity of sleep vacancy. |
| B．The occurrence of sleep procrastination. |
| C．The approaches to enhancing your sleep. |
| D．The necessity of promoting a healthy lifestyle. |
| A．Why are we so bad at going to bed? |
| B．What is to blame for shorter lifespan? |
| C．How can sleep procrastination affect people? |
| D．Whether staying up later is acceptable or not? |
| A．Science. | B．Health. | C．Society. | D．Culture. |
