69-year-old Xia Boyu recently became the oldest double amputee (双侧截肢者) to climb Mount Qomolangma. That is amazing, but even what is more impressive is the fact that he did it after he tried four times.
Xia Boyu’s first try to reach the top of Mount Qomolangma was in 1975, as part of an expedition (远征) by the Chinese Government. With only 250 meters to go from reaching the top, the team was stopped by bad weather. To make sure that everyone made it back alive, the team decided to turn back and finish their dream another time.
On the way, Xia Boyu gave his sleeping bag to one of his teammates who was in worse shape than him. Unluckily, this selfless act made him lose both his feet to frostbite (冻伤).
In 1996, Xia Boyu got cancer. But it also didn’t stop the mountain climber from realizing his dream of climbing the world’s highest peak. “Climbing Mount Qomolangma is my dream, ” Xia said. “I have to realize it. It also stands for a personal challenge, a challenge of fate. ”
Over twenty years after losing his feet, Xia Boyu trained to get his body ready for another try at climbing Mount Qomolangma. In 2014, he tried again, but finally had to turn back because of bad weather. The same thing happened the following year, as well as in 2016.
In 2018, Xia Boyu finally reached the top of Mount Qomolangma on his fifth try. He thus became only the second double amputee to climb the world’s highest mountain top, after Mark Inglis from New Zealand, who did it in 2006, and the first to do it from the Nepal (尼泊尔) side.
Answer the following questions with no more than 7 words.
1. How many times did Xia Boyu try to climb Mount Qomolangma?
2. Who is the first double amputee to climb the world’s highest mountain top?
3. When was Xia Boyu’s first try to reach the top of Mount Qomolangma?
4. Why did Xia Boyu give up trying while climbing Mount Qomolangma in 2014?
5. What happened to him after Xia Boyu gave his sleeping bag to his teammate?
I like watching TV very much for I think it has many advantages（长处）. First of all, watching TV is a good rest. After a day of hard work, we need a good rest. Watching TV can make our mind and body not tired any more because of the pleasant music and TV plays.
Besides, watching TV is entertaining（娱乐消遣）. There are many kinds of entertainment, such as sports activities（活动）, singing and dancing concerts, plays and films all over the world at every time. It's not possible for us to go to every place to enjoy all the activities within a short time. We need at least over ten hours to fly from New York to Paris, a week by train from Beijing to Moscow and an hour to drive from Queens District to Manhattan District. But within just one second, TV can bring us from an NBA game in New York to a fashion show in Paris by changing the channels.
Most important, watching TV is educational（教育）. Our children can learn every kinds of subjects through the educational programs and the special reports on TV, and it's easy for them to learn Chinese from a Chinese teacher in Beijing and to learn Russian lessons from a Russian teacher in Moscow. Even we can learn how to behave well from the TV plays. Meanwhile, a teacher can teach millions of students without a huge classroom.
1. What’s the best title for the text?2. According to the writer, what’s the most important reason for watching TV?
3. Why watching TV can make the writer have a good rest?
4. Why it is not possible for us to go to every place to enjoy all the activities within a short time?
5. Why is watching TV educational?
How do students spend their spare time after finishing their homework? Watch TV, play computer games, or go outside to relax? Here's a good example.
Tim and Kerry Meek are both teachers. They live in the UK with their two daughters: eleven-year-old Amy and nine-year-old Ella. Recently, the Meek family has become the focus of the whole country after they completed 100 different outdoor activities in one year.
The Meek couple didn't want their children to spend all their free time in front of the TV and become "couch potatoes". So about one year ago, the Meeks decided that watching TV and playing computer games were not permitted. Instead, they set 100 tasks for the two girls to do outside. Although Mr. and Mrs. Meek are not outdoor activity fans, they took part in all the activities to encourage their daughters. It turns out that the two sisters really had a good time joining activities.
Every holiday and weekend, whether it's sunny, rainy or snowy, the Meeks' would set off to try the activities on their list, including hiking, sailing, climbing, skiing, and so on. The two little girls not only had a wonderful time, but also learned a lot of skills from the activities. They were even able to stand up in front of their school to give a talk for charity. "Our friends spend a lot of their free time doing things which are harmful to their health. Luckily, we've had the chance to experience something different." Amy and Ella also helped their parents to draw up a new list of challenges for the next 12 months.
1. Why did the Meeks become the focus of the UK? (no more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined phrase "couch potatoes" mean? (no more than 15 words)
3. When did the Meeks go out to do the activities? (no more than 5 words)
4. What did the two little girls learn from the activities?(no more than 5 words)
5. What have you learnt from the story? (no more than 25 words)
In the workplace, at home, in all areas of life, looking for a reason to laugh is necessary. A sense of humor helps us to get through the dull times, deal with the difficult times, enjoy the good times and manage the scary times.
Six-year old Hannah experienced one of the most frightening times of her life when she discovered she had cancer. And if she was to give life a shot, Hannah would have to suffer painful, almost endless medical treatments. At one point she lost all her hair due to chemicals pumped into her tiny body. On days when she felt strong enough to get out, she often covered her head.
One day while shopping with her mother, Hannah donned a ball cap with a fake small ponytail(马尾辫)sewn into the back. Unless one looked closely, she looked as if she had a full head of hair. Before long Hannah noticed a small boy staring at her as if he were trying to figure out what had happened to the girl. She tried to ignore him, but he followed her around the store. Finally, she took off her cap showing her shiny, hairless head. In a firm voice she warned, "This is what happens when you don't eat your vegetables!"
I don't know what became of the boy. As for Hannah, her sense of humor helped her get through one of life's scariest times.
As entertainer Bob Hope once said, "I've seen what a good laugh can do. It can transform tears into hope." And sometimes, a little more hope is all we need.
1. What did Hannah suffer when she had cancer? (no more than 10 words)2. Why did Hannah cover her head when she went out? (no more than 10 words)
3. What does the underlined word "donned" mean? (1 word)
4. What would the boy probably do after he heard Hannah's words? (no more than 10 words)
5. What can we learn from Hannah when we meet with difficulties in life? (no more than 20 words)
The way people hold to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness, then pain must be equal to unhappiness. But in fact, the opposite is true: more often than not things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very attempts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment and self- improvement.
Ask a bachelor why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he is honest, he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure and excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features. It more involves devotion and promises.
Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three-day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word “fun” to describe raising children. But they will also attain the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild.
Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes will do something to increase our happiness but they are temporary and far less effective than nourishing our dreams and hopes. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.
1. What is the author’s opinion of true happiness? (no more than 10 words)2. According to the author, why does a bachelor resist marriage? (no more than 10 words)
3. Please explain the underlined word “commitment” in English in Paragraph 3. (no more than 3 words)
4. What is the author’s opinion on raising children? (no more than 10 words)
6 . Moksh Jawa, 16, a student in the second year at Washington High School in the US, has already become a legend among students. “Why not?” might might be his favorite question to ask. His high school didn’t teach coding. As a sophomore ( 二年级学生) in this school, he developed his own online course and helped his classmates get through it while a student in higher grades even couldn’t do like him.
Everything he did came from his own interest. I just fell in love with computer science,” Jawa said. Along the way, he lit a fire of curiosity and passion among classmates to learn coding too.
“All of my friends, especially the girls, were really, really afraid of computer science,” he said. But the subject and exam weren’t things to be feared, he said. “Computer science is all about logic (逻辑), not about how smart you are.”
To make his knowledge available online, Jawa set about creating his own online course, with easy-to-follow lessons.
The course has so far attracted 3,200 students across the US and in 120 countries and regions, including China, Ukraine and Algeria. It shows, Jawa said, the huge need for coding lessons.
When video lecturing, “I deliver it like I’m talking from one high school student to another,” Jawa said. “It’s always great to make it as clear and fun as possible, and to try to keep my voice as energetic as possible.”
He also does that, when teaching members of the computer science club he founded at his high school.
“His tutorial was great,” said junior Taj Shaik, the club’s co-president, who took the whole course last year. “I’m definitely one of the early adopters of Moksh.” “He’s pretty amazing,” said Bob Moran, principal of Washington High School, who saw him lead the club. “He was just a fantastic teacher---clear, organized and entertaining. When a student got the right answer, he would throw them a piece of candy.”
1. What made Moksh Jawa a legend among students? (within 10 words)2. How do the girls feel the computer science according to Jawa’s opinion? (within 5 words)
3. What does the underlined word “tutorial” probably mean?(1 word )
4. According to the article, how does Jawa teach coding lessons?(within 15 words)
5. What do you think of Jawa’s courses? Why do you think so? (within 20 words)
7 . Weight control isn't that hard actually. It's just about making small changes that you can live with forever. As you make some changes to your lifestyle, you'll see how effective they are in big calorie savings and weight loss. Here are my top 5 habits to help you lose weight.
1. Evaluate your eating habits. Do you often eat late at night? Do you eat while cooking? Think about your eating habits carefully, and it won' t be hard to find out a few things that you can change for a healthier lifestyle.
2. Plan to fail. You need a strategy for your meals and snacks. There are always days when you’re particularly hungry and may break your eating plans. Remember to prepare some healthy snacks for those moments.
3. ________Figure out the frequency of your meals and stick to it. Regular meals help prevent overeating.
4. Don't eat after dinner. This is how people gain the extra pounds. If you are hungry, try some calorie-free drinks or a piece of hard candy. Brushing your teeth after dinner is also a good way to stop yourself from eating again.
5. Breakfast is very important. After a long night's rest, your body needs the fuel to get your metabolism(新陈代谢) going and give you energy for the rest of the day.
1. What can you do when you feel hungry and want to break your plan?(no more than 10 words)2. Fill in the blank with proper words. (no more than 5 words)
3. What can you do to prevent yourself from eating after dinner?(no more than 5 words)
4. Why is breakfast important?(no more than 20 words)
5. What is the best title for the passage? (no more than 8 words)
8 . There is no doubt that the actions such as using too much water or throwing rubbish into the rivers can put our water supply in danger. However, we could also affect the water supply in less obvious ways, for example, paving(铺砌))a road. Some may feel confused and wonder how such actions could result in less usable fresh water. To understand it, we have to know that a main component of our daily-used water is groundwater. Despite its name, it does not come from lakes or rivers on the ground。Instead, it comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we build, the less water there is that flows into the ground to become groundwater.
However, human activity is not responsible for all water shortages. Places with drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts than areas with more rainfall. Regardless of the cases, good management can help ensure enough water to meet our basic needs.
Meanwhile, paying more attention to the way we use water can make a difference, too. According to recent research, each American uses more than 80 gallons of water a day at home on average! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there is a lot we can do to lower the amount.
We can take steps to save water at home. To start with, use the same glass to drink water all day and wash it only once a day. Also, run the dishwasher only when it is full and use it in water-saving mode.Meanwhile, fix any leak in the house to avoid wasting water. We can also help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries and other rubbish instead of throwing them away.
1. Why does the author say people affect the water supply by paving the road?(no more than20 words)2. What could also be responsible for water shortages apart from human activity?(no more than 2 words)
3. What does the underlined expression"Regardless of the cases"in paragraph 2 probably mean?(no more than 5 words)
4. According to recent research, how much water does each American use one day at home?(no more than 10 words)
5. What does paragraph 4 mainly tell us?(no more than 15 words)
Travelling is wonderful in many ways.
1. You' ll find a new purpose.
As you travel, you re exposed to new people, cultures and lifestyles. With all the newness in your life, you're also opened to new insights, ways of seeing the world and living, which often give people a purpose for their lives.
2. You'll appreciate your home more.
Each travel has its advantages. If you visit better countries, you may learn to improve your own.And if fortune carries you to worse ones, you may learn to enjoy your own. In some parts of the world, like India and Uganda, people don' t have as much access to clean drinking water. Travelling through areas like that really makes you appreciate what you do have.
3. You’ll realise that your home is more than just where you grew up.
As Lin Yutang said, no one realises how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow. The more you travel, the more you will realise that your home is much more than the town that you’ve grown up in. You will realise that your home is the world, and you become more conscious of how you can live and support one another.
4. You' ll realise how little you actually knew about the world
The world is like a book, and those who do not travel read only one page When you travel, you may notice that some of the things you’ve heard about the world end up being very different. You may also realise how kind and friendly strangers can be. They are even willing to take care of you with a place to sleep at night. Beyond that, you have the whole world to learn about with every place you discover, every person you meet and every culture you experience.
5. You’ll realise that it's extremely easy to make friends.
A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles. One of the first things I learnt from travelling is how easy it is to make friends. Something magical happens in how people can show up in a more honest and real way when they're out of their conditioned environment and open to express themselves without feeling judged.
1. What is the main idea of the passage? (no more than 10 words)2. How does travel make you appreciate your home more?(no more than 25 words)
3. The underlined expression "conscious of" can be replaced by “_______”.(2 words)
4. How do you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?(no more than 20 words)
5. What do you think travel can bring you? Explain in your own words and give your reasons. (no more than 20 words)
Dianna Nyad had an Olympic dream when she was in high school because back then she was very interested in swimming and she was the champion of various games.However,she could not realise her Olympic dream when she was diagnosed with a serious illness.Instead of losing herself in disappointment and desperation,she took up marathon swimming as a new career.As a long-distance swimmer,she would compete against herself and the obstacles brought by distance,danger,cold and exhaustion.
After ten years'devotion,she came to the top and became one of the worlds best long-distance swimmers.In 1970,she swam a ten-mile marathon in Lake Ontario,setting the women's record for the course.In 1975 she became world famous for swimming around Manhattan Island.A few years later,she set another record by swimming 102.5 miles from an island in the Bahamas to the coast of Florida,USA.
In 1978,Nyad made an attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida.The journey was full of unknown dangers.She was confronted with all kinds of obstacles for about two days in the water,and then she had to give up halfway for the sake of her own safety.No one looked down on her.Instead,the world was impressed by her bravery and strong desire to succeed.For Nyad her strength of purpose was just as important as reaching Florida.That was how she defined success.It did not matter that her swim turned to be short:she believed she had touched the other shore.
After retirement,Nyad did not stop challenging herself and trying new things.She started to travel the world as a reporter,publishing books and making public speeches to inspire more people,which seems to be her duty right from the beginning when she swam the waters of the world.
1. What prevented Nyad from taking part in the Olympic Games?(no more than 5 words)2. What does the underlined word"obstacles"in paragraph 1 probably mean?(1 word)
3. What achievement did Nyad make in 1970?(no more than 10 words)
4. Why did Nyad believe that she had touched the other shore?(no more than 10 words)
5. What can you learn from Nyad?(no more than 20 words)
