1 . Within the beautiful scenery of Wisconsin’s Lake Chippewa lies a natural wonder that is a unique challenge for the local community. This hidden wonder is exactly a giant floating island. The island, made up of plants and trees, sometimes floats around the lake, causing a major inconvenience by blocking (阻塞) an important bridge. Later, the local people came up with a solution to this problem. Every year, local boat owners work together and push the island away from the bridge.
Lake Chippewa was born in 1923 when a vast bog (沼泽) was changed through flooding. Soon after that, many of the dark bogs started rising to the surface and became perfect growing places for plants, with seeds carried by wind and wild birds to this floating place. Over the years, these bogs have grown plants and trees and turned into full islands. As time goes by, plants take root, and the oldest islands even have trees that act as sails (船帆) when the wind blows, moving the entire floating island around the lake.
Although the years-old floating island does not relocate (重新迁移) so often, when it does, it causes trouble for the community by blocking the important bridge that serves as the only passage between the lake’s East and West sides. The only solution is to gather a group of boats, and not just one or two, but dozens of boats working together to push the island away. “It takes a community’s effort, and you must have the winds at your back to push them in,” said a resident. Moving the island also requires precision (精确), as just relocating it a short distance may result in its return within days.
Some people have suggested destroying the floating islands to get rid of the problem. However, the big bog in Lake Chippewa has been around for many years, and during that time a variety of animal and plant species have made it their home. Therefore, local government advises they be dealt with in a way that won’t do harm to wildlife, paying more attention to the fine-drawn balance between human convenience and environmental protection. The annual tradition of relocating Lake Chippewa’s floating island is evidence to the coexistence of man and nature, a heartwarming display of community unity, and a reminder of the importance of preserving the unique areas that enrich our world.
1. What does the underlined word “solution” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Building a new bridge. | B．Moving the floating island away. |
| C．Transforming the vast bog. | D．Rebuilding the local community. |
| A．The formation of the floating island. | B．The history of flooding in Lake Chippewa. |
| C．The varieties of species in Lake Chippewa. | D．The impact of the wind on the floating island. |
| A．It is usually finished within days. |
| B．It is a must in cooperation and precision. |
| C．It can only be carried out during windless days. |
| D．It greatly disturbs the community residents’ lives. |
| A．To save costs for local people. | B．To ensure the safety of residents. |
| C．To improve the bond between communities. | D．To protect the wildlife species on the island. |
2 . Everyone has got a plan, a goal, a target that we all want to achieve. However, for many reasons we pause to take a sigh, and most times we don’t do anything about them anymore. So how can you set goals properly?
Reading some good books about setting goals is a great place to start. These books should push you ahead of the rest, and importantly, to make you attain your set goals.
Creating Your Best Life
Written by Caroline Miller, MAPP, she takes the standard SMART formula for goal setting and goes beyond that approach. She makes a point of giving you specific exercises while also sharing related stories. It’s a great book to consider as we connect better with stories and can find more motivation to set goals in the manner that Miller outlines in her book.
The Magic of Thinking Big
“You are what you think you are,” writes David J. Schwartz, PhD in The Magic of Thinking Big. Exceeding your goals is possible when you believe in yourself. Get over the fear of failure and use the power of a positive attitude to achieve big things.
The Book of Mistakes
Skip Prichard is a wonderful storyteller and weaves that skill into this book. This book takes a figurative person who discovers nine mistakes that highly successful people never make.
Goals!
Author of dozens of books on personal development, Brian Tracy explains the 12 steps necessary to accomplish goals both large and small. The author emphasizes self-discipline and persistence and two keys to achieving your goals.
1. What’s an advantage of the books in the text?| A．They stop you complaining of facts. | B．They identify the reasons for a pause. |
| C．They help you achieve your set targets. | D．They push you to design a grand project. |
| A．Goals! | B．The Magic of Thinking Big. |
| C．The Book of Mistakes. | D．Creating Your Best Life. |
| A．Brian Tracy. | B．Caroline Miller. |
| C．Skip Prichard. | D．David J. Schwartz, PhD. |
1. Why is Charles so tired?
| A．He has been playing games. |
| B．He has been doing housework. |
| C．He has been surfing the Internet. |
| A．It was so unexpected. | B．It was very instructive. | C．It was truly interesting. |
1. 时间、地点；
2. 参加人员；
3. 典礼内容介绍。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Tom,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
I drove to Yosemite Valley, California, for the first time in years. This was the first time I’d traveled to the valley by myself. I connected with my friends and found out about Facelift, a project started by a rock climber, Ken Yager. The goal was to spend a week volunteering to clean up trash in Yosemite Valley.
Thankfully, Yosemite Valley only has one or two roads, so it was impossible for me to stay lost for long. I pulled into Yellow Pine, the campground set aside for volunteers at the event.
I felt shy and insecure as a new comer. When I found the Group camp area, I saw eight event coordinators (协调者) I’d been talking with recently but had never met. These were outdoor people. I found a campsite, parked, got out, and walked over and introduced myself. They were nice.
The week turned into a wonderful learning experience. Meeting new people was a bonus. A few became forever friends. But the nights were really hard! I was alone in my tent in the thick, black forest. There were absolutely no lights. I rarely slept. A ranger (护林员) warned us about recent bear activity in our campground. A mother bear and her cub had been spotted wandering around during the day. The ranger explained that bears with cubs are especially dangerous. Great information, I thought. What should I do with it? I knew, my fear doubled.
Each night, I wrapped the band of my headlamp around my wrist so I could instantly turn on its bright light. I placed a couple of metal pots by my sleeping bag to make noise if I heard anything. I lay awake most of the night staring at the tent door to see if it moved.
The week flew by. I enjoyed every part of it, except for the sleepless nights. My daughter Leah joined me on the last day. We would drive together back home.
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。
Leah asked how I did camping alone for the first time.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After I finished, Leah gave me a funny look.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Born in 1986, traditional Chinese costume designer Chen Shiyu has been involved in the research, restoration, and creation of ancient Chinese costumes for over a decade.
Chen first found himself interested in ancient costumes in 2001, and then
His early team
They also engaged in
When it comes to his plan in the future, Chen said he would continue to reach a wider audience and help them understand the classical Chinese aesthetic (美学) and its relevance and
7 . How to Make the Most of Your Free Time of Holidays
While the holidays can be a fun time to relax and enjoy seeing family and friends, you can end up with a lot of downtime if you don’t plan ahead. If you want to get the most out of your holidays, schedule time for a mixture of fun activities and productive tasks.
Wake up early to get each day off to a good start. It can be tempting to sleep in during the holidays, but you’ll get more out of your time off if you wake up a little earlier than normal each day. Even setting your alarm 30 minutes earlier can help keep you from getting off schedule, and you’ll have more time during the day to get things done. If you do end up staying up late one night, try to get up as early as you can the next morning.
Spend time learning or improving a skill, craft, or hobby. If you think you’re going to have a lot of free time over the holidays, try using that time to learn something new. You might practice a new drawing technique if you love art, for instance, or you might try learning to play a new song if you play the guitar.
| A．Take time to read for fun or for study |
| B．The holidays are also a great time to improve cooking skills |
| C．But remember that frequent getting up early is harmful to your health |
| D．Then go to bed extra early the next night to help you stay on schedule |
| E．A well-scheduled holiday can make you more refreshed in the coming semester |
| F．If you have any assigned reading materials, you're supposed to do over the break |
| G．While keeping in mind that it's also important to spend some time relaxing yourself |
Birds have been closely related to big harvests in the culture of the Miao ethnic group. The Miao people have loved birds for generations. That’s
Kala birdcages are famous for their remarkable firmness. Each cage is
With the growing
9 . Old dogs may not have an easy time learning new tricks, but it’s not a problem for cockatoos (凤头鹦鹉). In fact, researchers believe they teach one another. In Sydney, Australia, these birds have learned to lift the lids of rubbish bins. Then they can enjoy the treats inside. At first only birds in a few suburbs of Sydney could do the trick. But nearly two years later, the technique had spread to birds in 44 suburbs. Cockatoos proved to be smart birds and good learners.
Cockatoos are some of the most fascinating birds in the world. Members of the parrot family, they live in Australia and parts of Southeast Asia. Their striking good looks, intelligence and social nature make them popular pets.
One of the most distinctive features of cockatoos is the crest (羽冠) of feathers on their heads. The birds can raise or lower these feathers at will. If it is excited or scared, a cockatoo will raise its crest to show its emotions.
Cockatoos have powerful beaks (喙) that they use to open seeds and nuts—or rubbish bin lids. They are also versed in using tools. In the wild, some cockatoos use sticks to get insects out of tree bark. Others use small stones to crack open hard-shelled nuts.
Cockatoos are also very social. In the wild, they form large flocks of up to several hundred individuals. They make different sounds to communicate with one another. They engage in playful behaviours such as dancing and cleaning each other’s feathers.
As pets, the birds can form strong bonds with their owners and be entertaining companions. But cockatoos can be challenging pets to keep. They require a lot of attention and social interaction. If they don’t get it, they can become bored and destroy things. Cockatoos live long lives—around 70 years—making keeping one a serious responsibility.
Rather than committing to caring for one at home, enjoy the birds in the wild. Who knows what trick they will learn next!
1. What is Paragraph 1 aimed at?| A．Clarifying the weakness of old dogs. |
| B．Explaining the techniques of cockatoos. |
| C．Introducing a study in Sydney, Australia. |
| D．Confirming the intelligence of cockatoos. |
| A．Skillful. | B．Inexperienced. |
| C．Interested. | D．Hard-working. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Pets—Trick or Treat | B．Cockatoos—Beauty and Brains |
| C．Pets—Dogs or Cockatoos | D．Cockatoos—Social but Shy |
10 . After their three children grew up and left home, Margaret Thompson and her husband, Kenneth, stretched their legs together on walking holidays in Switzerland. In Interlaken, they would head up the mountain and watch the paragliders (滑翔伞运动员) launch themselves into the sky. Back in town, in a large park, they watched them return to the earth. “Some day I’d love to do that,” Thompson told Kenneth.
But there was always so much to do in Interlaken. Besides, Thompson didn’t know if Kenneth would have enjoyed it. He was not so keen on heights as I was, she said. So she continued to watch the gliders take flight and land.
Kenneth died in 2005. Eleven years later, Thompson finally took to the skies herself, in a paraglider at the age of 80. Although some people get scared while flying, she said she just feels free. Thompson did her second paraglide when she turned 85, and raised nearly £2, 000 for a local charity.
Before leaving Interlaken after her second flight, Thompson asked the organizers about the age limit for paragliding. They said: “Any age, as long as you’re fit.” Thompson, now 86, plans her third flight for when she is 90.
Thompson grew up living above her parents’ shop in Belfast. At 18, she helped in the shop while studying for her music diploma in Stranmillis, south Belfast. She started to teach piano to local children, and at the height of her teaching she gave 70 lessons a week. She still has 15 pupils. “Over the years I’ve had so many that I’m teaching their children now.”
Is she scared of getting older? “Fear? No. People say: ‘Isn’t getting old awful?’ I say: ‘No. You are free to do more of the things that you want to do.’” “People might worry about falling, it being the end of them. But that doesn’t bother me at all. When it’s your time, it’s your time. No matter where you are.” Thompson added.
1. What can we know about Thompson from the first two paragraphs?| A．She appreciated being alone. | B．She was crazy about paragliding. |
| C．She often worked overtime. | D．She didn’t fit in with her husband. |
| A．Courageous and optimistic. | B．Sensitive and open-minded. |
| C．Romantic and cautious. | D．Considerate and humorous. |
| A．To compare different old people. | B．To inspire people to care for the old. |
| C．To show getting old isn’t so unpleasant. | D．To erase doubts about old people’s health. |
| A．Aging makes a difference. | B．Time and tide wait for no man. |
| C．Rome wasn’t built in a day. | D．It’s never too late to fulfill a dream. |
