1 . The early bird catches the worm, right?
There was a time in my life when it seemed I couldn’t advance at work. I had this coworker who was always one step ahead of me.
Then one morning I headed into work half an hour early so I could also leave early to catch my flight for a weekend vacation. When I got there, my coworker and boss were chatting over coffee. I joined in and realized they had been having these morning chats for months!
Often, we rank things based on how we understand the importance of our punctuality for that event. How early would you show up to something like a doctor’s appointment? Do you get there right on time, or 15 or more minutes earlier?
Think about your job. If it’s more casual and relaxed, do you always show up on time?
Now think about personal events. If you went to a friend’s birthday party or their dinner, would you show up on time? Consider how you show up for even more casual hangouts, like, checking in with your parents.
When we show up early, we give ourselves the chance to reduce stress about missing out or making anybody else upset.
| A．Look at a job where it’s very strict. |
| B．It’s safe to say I never showed up late again. |
| C．He wasn’t that much better than me at our job. |
| D．Have you ever shown up late to a flight on purpose? |
| E．Missing out something small in our life doesn’t matter. |
| F．Now, honestly, ask yourself, could you start these things earlier? |
| G．And we also account for any emergencies that might cause further panic. |
2 . Everyone wants to perform well at school. Add these tips to your life and you should be on your way to being a top student!
Taking notes is important. You don’t need to write down every single word your teacher says but write down what he or she writes on the blackboard, or any special fact you think you might need for a test.
Don’t skip school. You will be missing courses.
Keep a good attitude (态度) towards things. If you have an “ I don’t care about school or this class” attitude, then teachers will be less willing to help you with problems. The same goes for lazy attitude. Have a respectful attitude to the teacher and other students.
Always ask questions.
| A．Be prepared. |
| B．Write in your own words. |
| C．Staying organized will be helpful. |
| D．Pay attention to what the teacher says. |
| E．It is true that you could make up the work. |
| F．There is no shame (羞愧)in needing some help. |
| G．Try not to laugh when other students make mistakes. |
3 . Important Things to Know When Dining Out
Cultural dining etiquette (礼节) might surprise you with some of its important rules.
The way you handle chopsticks is important to avoid annoying your companions. When you put them down between bites, always put them down together so they are parallel with the edge of the table in front of you.
In India and the Middle East, it’s considered very rude to eat with your left hand. People in France expect you to eat with a utensil in each hand.
Some of these cultural dining etiquette rules may seem random and strange, but they are important in various countries.
| A．The more friends you make in your lifetime |
| B．The more time you spend in any given country |
| C．Mexicans consider it inappropriate to eat with utensils |
| D．Don’t get caught making an embarrassing mistake at a restaurant |
| E．It’s a good sign for the chef if you make a mess around your plate |
| F．Never stick them upright in your food or cross them as you use them |
| G．It may seem like a simple request to ask for salt and pepper at a meal |
4 . The Korean culture wave has swept through the editorial offices of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), which has added more than 20 new words of Korean origin to its latest edition.
The new words include hallyu, the Korean original for the wave of pop culture that has made BTS one of the world’s most popular bands and Squid Game the Netflix sensation of 2021. The dictionary defines it as the increase in international interest in South Korea and its popular culture, esp. as represented by the global success of South Korean music, film, television, fashion, and food.
But as the dictionary’s new additions make clear, there is much more to Korean cuisine than its spicy staple kimchi, which appeared in the OED as long ago as 1976. New food-related entries include bulgogi, thin slices of beef or pork, and chimaek, Korean-style fried chicken and beer.
Traditional culture is represented by hanbok, formal costumes worn by both men and women, and Hangul, the Korean alphabet (字母表) created by King Sejong in 1443.
Aegyo, a certain kind of cuteness or charm considered characteristically Korean, and similar to the Japanese word kawaii, has been included as both a noun and adjective. There is room, too, for mukbang, or livestreams of people eating extraordinary amounts of food while talking to the online audience.
The inclusion of “skinship” is more surprising. Commonly used in South Korea, where it is translated as seukinsip, and in Japan (sukinshippu), it captures the emotional bond that comes from close physical contact between a parent and child, lovers and friends, the dictionary said.
“The adoption and development of these Korean words in English demonstrate how lexical (词汇的) innovation is no longer restricted to the traditional centres of English in the United Kingdom and the United States,” the OED said.“They show how Asians in different parts of the continent invent and exchange words within their own local contexts, then introduce these words to the rest of the English-speaking world, thus allowing the Korean wave to continue to ripple on the sea of English words.”
1. Why does the OED’s latest edition include new Korean words?| A．The Korean culture is gaining global influence. |
| B．The previous edition of the OED is out of fashion. |
| C．The OED wants to advertise Korean pop products. |
| D．The old additions have given way to the new ones. |
| A．Aegyo. | B．Hanbok. |
| C．Bulgogi. | D．Mukbang. |
| A．Transforms. | B．Ruins. |
| C．Establishes. | D．Represents. |
| A．Korean dominates the Asian cultures. |
| B．Innovative words are limited to English. |
| C．The Korean wave will impact more on English. |
| D．Korean and English words are interchangeable. |
5 . The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was invented by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. It is a self-report questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The MBTI personality inventory (量表) sorts people into 16 type categories, each of which is represented by four-letter codes such as INFP and ESTJ. Every year, about 1.5 million people have enjoyed discovering their personality type by completing the MBTI. Many companies, as well as hundreds of universities, use it in hiring and training.
Nevertheless, the MBTI has received a noticeable criticism from the academic community. Some research suggests the MBTI is unreliable because the same person can get different results when retaking the test. Other studies have questioned the validity of the MBTI, which is the ability of the test to accurately link the “types” to outcomes in the real world -for example, how well people classified as a certain type will perform in a given job.
Merve Emre, a professor a Oxford University, points out that it would be more scientifically advisable to score the MBTI scales continuously to show people the degree to which they resemble the types. Even when the MBTI’s results don’t quite match your intuition (直觉) about yourself or are just wrong, they can still provide self-insight and insight into differences and similarities between people.
Scoring and interpreting the MBTI the way other personality inventories are scored and interpreted might be less fun than finding. All of the folklore (民间看法) about INFPs, ESTJs, etc. would have to be dismissed. But, in the end the MBTI is sufficiently reliable and valid enough to be useful in a number of real-world contexts.
1. What do we know about the MBTI from the first paragraph?| A．It is a personality-testing tool. | B．It is divided into 16 categories. |
| C．It is a study of personal preference. | D．It is a questionnaire on four-letter codes. |
| A．It performs badly in job interviews | B．Its reliability has been questioned. |
| C．It requires people to retake the test | D．Its advantages are not fully shown. |
| A．It is beyond criticism. | B．It is a more scientific test. |
| C．It is less fun than other tests. | D．It is useful for self-exploration. |
| A．How Can We Use the MBTI? | B．Why do We Criticise the MBTI? |
| C．Is the MBTI Totally Meaningless? | D．Is Scoring the MBTI Really Necessary? |
6 . Sites for a family getaway
A selection of campsites perfect for a family break to enjoy time with the children.
Monkton Wyld Holiday Park
Monkton Wyld is the perfect campsite for children, yet maintaining a quiet atmosphere for adults to relax. here are walking routes from Monkton Wyld Holiday Park to Lyme Regis where little ones can enjoy the beaches and hunting for fossils (化石). Adults might wander selection of shops and restaurants.
High Moor Farm Park
High Moor Farm Park is situated four miles from Harrogate at High Moor Farm there is plenty to occupy all ages, including an indoor pool, nine-hole golf course, play area, pool tables and fishing lake. A 20-minute drive from the park is Knaresborough where there are many zoos including Yorkshire Dales National Park, Dartmoor Zoological Park and Paignton Zoo.
Polmanter Touring Park
This award-winning touring site is ideal for families looking for on-site entertainment and the convenience of the fishing town of St lves within waking distance.
For younger guests, there are two playgrounds indoor soft play and a games room. Practicalities are taken care of with an on-site shop, bar and restaurant, and four-legged family members have a devoted exercise field and shower.
Elie Holiday Park
Elie Holiday Park occupies a location behind a wide expanse of dunes (沙丘) that lead to a vast beach on Scotland’s west coast. Appealing to those travelling with children, the coastal location is ideal for anyone who loves to be beside the sea.
Aldult guests can walk the coastal path, go rock-pooling, and look out for wildlife. Youngsters can go wild at the Robinson Crusoe Adventure Park and enjoy the arcades in the games room.
1. Where can you go if you are interested in animals?| A．High Moor Farm Park. | B．Dartmoor Zoological Park. |
| C．Monkton Wyld Holiday Park. | D．Robinson Crusoe Adventure Park |
| A．It is far from the fishing town. | B．It wins awards for entertainment. |
| C．It is an ideal place for running a bar. | D．It provides essential services for pets |
| A．Play adventure games | B．Hunt for wild animals |
| C．Make a study of dunes. | D．Search for the fossils |
7 . While pedaling hard on a bike, do you feel like you are saving the planet? Or do you just feel out of breath? In fact, cycling is now considered one of the ultimate weapons humanity can use in the fight against climate change.
The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in March supporting bicycles as a tool for dealing with climate change. The resolution calls on member states to “integrate the bicycle into public transportation, in urban and rural settings in developing and developed countries”, with all 193 members of the UN unanimously (一致同意地) adopting the resolution.
This decision has received a positive response from numerous groups in support of cycling and environmental awareness internationally. “It is an important step toward the recognition of cycling as an important mode of transport,” said the European Cyclists’ Federation.
The resolution from the UN comes at a time when climate change has returned to the center of global attention. On Feb 28, the UN published a new report assessing recent climate change trends. The report warns that the global average temperature will rise by 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900), with more than 40 percent of the world’s population being “highly vulnerable” to these temperature changes.
In May 2020, bike sales in Spain increased 22-fold (22倍) compared with 2019. In London, large parts of the city are being closed off to cars so that people can walk and cycle safely. Cities like Berlin and Montreal have also added new, wider bike lanes.
More importantly, the resolution focuses on bike-sharing services, which could be seen as recognition of China’s bike-sharing success, noted CGTN.
China has some of the largest bike-sharing systems in the world. The country has more than 360 cities with dockless (无桩的) bike-sharing systems, with nearly 20 million bicycles for an average 47 million trips each day, according to China’s Ministry of Transport. This transportation option that produces zero emissions reduces the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere by 4.8 million tons every year, according to a 2020 report from the World Resources Institute.
1. According to the first paragraph, when cycling you may feel________ .| A．relaxed | B．proud | C．anxious | D．nervous |
| A．Because it is an only tool to cope with climb changes. |
| B．Because it can be used in urban and rural settings in all countries. |
| C．Because it has been agreed with by all 193 members of the UN. |
| D．Because most people support cycling and environmental awareness. |
| A．To show China has succeeded in bike-sharing services. |
| B．To indicate China has the most bikes in the world. |
| C．To call for the world to learn from China. |
| D．To suggest that China has developed quickly. |
| A．20 million tons. | B．9.6 million tons. |
| C．4.8 million tons. | D．24.8 million tons. |
8 . As a college student in Boston, I formed the habit of buying used books. I enjoy the hunt, the good price and the unrecognized treasures. I find old textbooks, ex-bestsellers, and books on subjects I’ve never heard of and now must learn all about. I don’t search for rare books, first editions, or leather-bound editions but books that are worth reading.
Rereading, for me, is a pleasure during retirement. The theater and the concert hall become less appealing to me, along with crowds. Staying alone and reading books have become extremely important to me. Literature needs the flesh of experience to have its full effect. Different books offer me insights and ways of expressing that stuck in my mind as grains of sand in an oyster now shine like pearls. My taste in books improves with age.
While packing for a move, which occurs at intervals of five to seven years, I clear my shelves and pick my books. I abandon a few, later regret my decisions, and look for them again. Several years ago, I got rid of books related to my job-architecture. Some were design guides, reference books, product catalogs, and things that went out of date. Some were historical or centered on a period or an architect. These had given me many hours of pleasure. Will I ever open their covers again? Certainly. I held on to the red bulk of Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture and books on Paris, Rome, and Boston.
I gave away drafting equipment and instruments. I threw out rolls and rolls of paper, and old drawings of projects completed long ago, some of which had even been damaged. This time, I stay put in a cottage that suits my status and I’ve moved on in spirit. No doubt I will acquire more used books and throw away more books as passions grow and fade, like feathers changing with the seasons.
1. What does the author consider most important when choosing used books？| A．Their appealing covers. | B．Their reasonable prices. |
| C．Their excellent content. | D．Their collection value. |
| A．He has a small circle of friends. | B．His attitude towards work changes. |
| C．His communication skills improve. | D．He has a deeper understanding of life and books. |
| A．To show some books are worth reading repeatedly. |
| B．To recommend Sir Banister Fletcher’s books. |
| C．To suggest we avoid making poor decisions. |
| D．To explain his love for architecture. |
| A．He will stop throwing away used books. |
| B．He likes updating his collection of used books. |
| C．He is bad at using advanced drafting equipment. |
| D．He enjoys leading an active life in the countryside. |
9 . Most Famous Paintings in the World
Among the millions of paintings that are created and shown in galleries and museums all around the world, a very small number of them go beyond time and make history. Below are some examples.
The Persistence of Memory — Salvador Dali. Painted in 1931, The Persistence of Memory is one of the most recognizable pieces in art history. This work is known to make people reflect on their way of life and the way they spend their time, and it is also thought that Albert Einstein’s well-known Theory of Relativity gave Dali the idea for this wonderful painting.
Girl with a Pearl Earring — Johannes Vermeer. Considered by many to be “the Dutch Mona Lisa”, this beautiful painting features an unnamed young woman looking over her shoulder to stare directly at the viewer. It was completed in 1665 and is exhibited in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, the Netherlands.
Guernica — Pablo Picasso. The famous painting by Picasso was completed in 1937. It was painted in Paris following the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The painting is on permanent display in the Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain.
Starry Night — Vincent van Gogh. Painted in 1889, Starry Night is one of the most famous paintings in modern culture, which is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It is based on van Gogh’s direct observations as well as his imagination, memories, and emotions and was the inspiration for the song Vincent (also known as Starry, Starry Night).
1. What do we know about The Persistence of Memory?| A．It was finished in the 1920s. | B．It centers on people’s lifestyle. |
| C．It reflects the painter’s memories. | D．It may be inspired by a famous theory. |
| A．The Persistence of Memory. | B．Starry Night. |
| C．Girl with a Pearl Earring. | D．Guernica. |
| A．They are everlasting artworks. | B．They share the similar theme. |
| C．They are on permanent display. | D．They give ideas for music creation. |
10 . People who possess high self-esteem are able to commit better and produce a greater bond in relationships with others. Dr. Douglas feels that most people do not value themselves, but with love and self-respect anyone can be above normality and grasp success with the family, the office, or others.
We have become too reliant on intelligence, beauty, and money for our own self-esteem. The loss of esteem reduces the will and ability to set and reach goals. In a series of readings Douglas teaches how to avoid negative statements, how to change them into self-facing behavior, and how to take charge of your mental attitude. Where other motivational and self-help works stop with the theoretical plan for success, Douglas takes everyday examples and puts them into his books. From raising children who believe in themselves to using self-esteem to help bridge the gap in the workplace, he gives readers concrete solutions to the problems that might ruin their interpersonal relations.
Self-esteem building comes from filling your thoughts with positive affirmations (肯定) and learning to react to failures with motivation instead of self-destruction. These lessons are valuable for anyone who feels that life is even slightly out of control. People who feel they have adequate esteem can learn to use it to make their success grander, faster, and more beneficial for others. Douglas approaches this process of self-development as a means of more than creating good things for the individual but also for setting up keys for influencing good things for others.
For more than thirty years, Dr. Douglas has addressed more than two million people on topics from time management to speaking effectively to raising drug-free children. He is the author of fifteen books, including How to Make a Habit of Succeeding.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?| A．Most people behave well enough. | B．Self-respect means being above normality. |
| C．Self-esteem matters much. | D．Committing better equals greater success. |
| A．To be reliant on self-esteem. | B．To set and reach goals. |
| C．To avoid negative thoughts. | D．To offer concrete solutions. |
| A．Learn to be positive. | B．Face it unmotivatedly. |
| C．Admit self-destruction. | D．Ask for help. |
| A．Influencing the individual. | B．Influencing more people. |
| C．Gaining more benefits. | D．Speaking more effectively. |
