1 . The Fire Festival is celebrated in northern Ghana. It’s a holiday we had never heard of before we came to live in a village here as Peace Corps community volunteers. It’s unbelievably great.
On the Fire Festival — Bugim Chug u in the local language — drums beat a quick and regular rhythm that locals dance to in a circle of bodies, men and women, the old and young, holding torches of burning grass above their heads, which stands for the light and getting off negative energies.
At this moment, this festival is being held at the beginning of the lunar year. The locals are all so involved in the celebration that they don’t pay as much attention to us as they normally will. When they find us getting involved as they are, they dance more vigorously and scream with joy.
Danielle, a friend of mine in the Peace Corps, says, “That we join in the celebration is significant because foreigners here are typically seen as the representatives of other organizations, not as people who are willing to join in the Fire Festival rituals (仪式). But in fact, we are dancing and celebrating as one.”
Our two-year Peace Corps service will finish up in mid-November. We can think of no better way to say goodbye than by celebrating the Fire Festival with the villagers we’ve come to know. The festival lets us see a different side of them — and lets them see a different side of us. The neighbors who sell rice are now the women who urge us to run faster and dance harder at the Fire Festival. And rather than view us as low-key (低调的) volunteers, they see us as the ones who have crazy dance steps with wild screams.
1. Why did the author go to northern Ghana?| A．To find a job. | B．To go traveling. |
| C．To study further. | D．To do voluntary work. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Excited. | C．Confused. | D．Worried. |
| A．The steps to dance well. |
| B．How the locals celebrate the Fire Festival. |
| C．How the author and Danielle help the locals sell rice. |
| D．The reason why the author and Danielle joined in the festival. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．When in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
| D．The grass is always greener on the other side. |
2 . With artificial intelligence (AI) seemingly working its way into every technology out there, one area where it’s considered particularly promising is in helping doctors. And already, AI is entering some doctors’ offices.
Dr. Michael Mansour of Massachusetts General Hospital is an early user who’s helped by a form of AI that could someday change the way doctors get information. When a patient comes in with unknown infection (感染), Mansour turns to a computer program called UpToDate. It’s a common tool, with more than 2 million users at 44,000 health care organizations in over 190 countries. Basically, it’s Google for doctors — searching a huge database (数据库) of articles written by experts in the field, who are all getting information from the latest research.
Wolters Kluwer Health, the company that makes UpToDate, is trying to incorporate (整合) AI so that doctors can have more of a conversation with the database.
Some doctors hope to use AI to comb through a patient’s medical history before an appointment (预约). In some cases, Dr. June-Ho Kim, who directs a program on primary care at Ariadne Labs, says AI technology may also help primary care doctors look after patients without the help of specialists. “It will free up specialists’ time to focus on more difficult cases that they need to really home in on, rather than the ones that could be answered through a few questions,” he says.
Dr. Marc Succi, who was a co-worker of Kim, says, “AI will finally prove to be a trusted medical tool. AI won’t replace doctors, but doctors who use AI will replace doctors who do not. It will become very common just like designing a PPT on a computer. It’s that level of leap.”
1. How does UpToDate help a doctor?| A．It looks after patients. | B．It does a temperature test. |
| C．It offers useful information. | D．It leads patients to doctors. |
| A．Concentrate on. | B．Adapt to. |
| C．Waste time on. | D．Have interest in. |
| A．The difficulty of writing. | B．The user-friendlines s of AI. |
| C．The importance of a doctor. | D．The advantages of office software. |
| A．AI in the Field of Medicine | B．The Challenges of AI |
| C．Changes That AI Has Brought | D．Doctors at Home or in the Office |
3 . Dede Gardner was born in Chicago in 1967 and studied English at Columbia University. Seventeen years after her graduation, she worked as President of Plan B Entertainment, a production company started by Brad Grey.
At Plan B, Dede finds stories to make into films. Jeremy Kleiner, who is now co-president of Plan B, says Dede was his mentor (导师) before he joined her as a producing partner. “I’ve had the honor to work with her for almost 20 years,” he says. “She’s just a one-of-a-kind person in so many ways. She is very brave and views storytelling as the focus of her films.”
This year, Dede is the only woman to have won two Best Picture Oscars, for Moonlight and 12 Years a Slave. Before, together with Kleiner, she won seven films to Best Picture nominations (提名) including Selma in 2015, The Big Short in 2016 and Minari in 2021.
“Basically, whatever Dede does, it turns to gold,” says Jessie Buckley, one of the stars of Women Talking. “Dede has also changed the culture of making movies. She is always there to make the set feel comfortable when we are obviously coming across difficult things. She’s a great example to follow. She’s very careful with protecting the workers’ voice.”
Dede is actually exploring a much healthier and kinder way to make movies. She’s a producer who consciously thinks about creating a set where there is care. That includes making sure there are therapists (治疗专家) on set for all the workers in case there are emergencies happening.
1. Who set up the company Plan B Entertainment?| A．Brad Grey. | B．Dede Gardner. |
| C．Jessie Buckley. | D．Jeremy Kleiner. |
| A．Storytelling. | B．Action. | C．History. | D．Adventure. |
| A．Moonlight. | B．Selma. | C．The Big Short. | D．Minari. |
| A．She is strict with her partners. | B．She always avoids difficulties. |
| C．She is successful and thoughtful. | D．She is a medical expert. |
4 . There are many traditions around the world that are interesting and fun, but there are also those that are bizarre (奇异的) and even a little cruel.
In Sweden it’s common for parents to leave their babies outside to nap (小睡) even when the temperatures are below zero. Many people, including me, would find this custom risky and merciless, but many Swedes actually consider it good for their babies. They believe that by exposing their young ones to their country’s cold temperature they can help their babies to grow up healthily and protect them from diseases. They also believe doing so will help them sleep longer and better.
In Bali, Indonesia, babies are forbidden to touch the ground for three months. The reason is that during the baby’s first months its connection to the “spirit” is still unbroken and clean and letting it touch the ground would defile it. For three months, the baby is constantly held in someone’s arms — the father, mother, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and even neighbors. After 105days, a special ceremony called the Nyabutan is held where the baby touches Mother Earth for the first time.
In Guatemala, it’s common to see babies being bathed with cold water. Maya mothers commonly practise this bizarre custom with the belief that it’s beneficial to the baby’s health. Bathing their babies with cold water is also an effective means to remove heat rashes (痱子), and this custom helps babies sleep better.
Some Indians allow their babies to be thrown from temple roofs as high as 50 feet. This strange custom started 500 years ago and continues to this day, though there’s a movement to ban it for obvious reasons. However, Hindus believe that performing this custom brings good luck and health to their babies. Below the roof is a bed sheet that’s held lightly by several men. The baby lands safely on the sheet. The tradition’s practitioners and believers strongly prove that it’s safe, saying no babies have ever been injured.
1. What does the author think of the baby custom in Sweden?| A．Interesting and fun. | B．Unique and thoughtful. |
| C．Dangerous and a little cruel. | D．Beneficial and practical. |
| A．Make the best use of. | B．Achieve or realise completely. |
| C．Leave or break away from. | D．Make something dirty or no longer pure. |
| A．To bring good luck and health to those babies. |
| B．To stop them from getting all kinds of illnesses. |
| C．To prevent them from feeling hot during summer. |
| D．To get rid of their heat rashes and contribute to sleep. |
| A．They have no religious belief. |
| B．It is a new custom and many people hate it. |
| C．They think the custom leads to babies’ injuries. |
| D．Many babies have been seen injured in the past years. |
5 . The first week of September was a week that I had been expecting (期待) all summer. I didn’t want summer to end, but I was excited about going to high school for my first week.
When I got to school in the morning on the first day, I realized how large the school was, and how many students went there. I ended up in the wrong classroom because of the size of the school. Luckily, a kind senior showed up and guided me to my homeroom before I was late. I was happy to see that in a class of unfamiliar (不熟悉的) faces, the only open seat was next to my good friend Casey. My science teacher seemed like a good teacher. She was exciting and fun.
After finishing four classes without too much of a challenge, I didn’t feel too bad about ninth grade. However, the fifth class changed everything. I didn’t feel ready after all. My teacher’s name is Mr. Valassidis but he told us to call him Mr. V. Mr. V told us that we would have to write 40 essays (文章) and read AP-level books such as The Odyssey this year. I love reading and writing. But come on. 40 ESSAYS? AP-level books? Now I was afraid.
The courses in high school seem like they’re going to get much harder, but they haven’t yet. Even though my classes look hard, they look really exciting too.
The first week passed quickly. Although a lot of things were overwhelming (令人不知所措的): the size of the campus, the crowds (人群) and the seniors, having a totally different experience than I had ever had before was really exciting. Now, I’m really happy about high school. I have lots of friends in my classes, I really like my teachers and I’m meeting new people.
1. How did the author feel when his high school life was about to start?| A．Happy. | B．Nervous. | C．Relaxed. | D．Helpless. |
| A．He was late for class. | B．He was praised by Mr. V. |
| C．He got lost on the campus. | D．He met Casey for the first time. |
| A．The strict rules in classes. |
| B．How his science teacher behaved. |
| C．What he was expected to do with his studies. |
| D．The reading homework on the first day of high school. |
| A．Hard and unexpected. | B．Busy but eye-opening. |
| C．Tiring but meaningful. | D．Different and exciting. |
6 . A simple project to help a family in need stopped Luke Mickelson in his tracks. In 2012, he and his family were inspired to build and donate a bunk bed, one bed on top of the other, after learning there were local children who slept on the floor. Shocked to discover how widespread this need was in his community, Mickelson founded Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit that builds and delivers beds to children in need.
Born and raised in Idaho, Mickelson, now 41, had a successful career. He coached his kids’ sports teams and fished in the nearby river. But when he met children who were sleeping on the floor, his peaceful life changed course.
Using safety guidelines and his daughter’s bunk bed as a model, Mickelson started buying wood and supplies to build beds with his own money. He recruited friends and family members to help around the holidays. As the word spread, interest and involvement from his and other communities flooded—along with Mickelson’s bunk bed output. “That first project, we built 11 bunk beds in my garage,” he said. The next year, they did 15. Then it doubled every year. In 2017, they built 612 bunk beds.
With the motto “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town”, the nonprofit and its more than 65 branches have built and delivered more than 1,500 free beds to children across America. But along with the rapid growth, Mickelson was faced with a tough choice: advancing his career-or has nonprofit. He chose the latter and went from making “great money to zero money”. He’s never looked back. “I found that the need I have isn’t financial,” he said. “The need I have is seeing the joy on kids’ faces, knowing that I can make a difference.”
1. Why did Mickelson set up Sleep in Heavenly Peace?| A．To help the poor children. | B．To make a big fortune. |
| C．To inspire his community. | D．To get more donations |
| A．He had his own fish farm. |
| B．He often changed his career. |
| C．He used to sleep on the floor as a kid. |
| D．He originally had a relaxing and pleasant life. |
| A．They showed little interest in it. |
| B．They were supportive and involved in it. |
| C．They were doubtful about the safety of the bunk bed. |
| D．They volunteered to buy beds with their own money. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Doubtful. | C．Cautions. | D．Positive. |
7 . Eating out in the United States is not much different than eating out in other parts of the worlds. There are still fast-food chains such as McDonalds and KFC for those hamburgers. However, what makes the restaurants in the US unique is that there is a cultural diversity of restaurants serving food from almost every part of the world. When you arrive in Irvine, and travel around the city, you will find many restaurants of many different cultures, ranging from European, to the Middle East and Asia. So, when you first arrive, there are always restaurants close by that offer the food you prefer.
Now how do you find those restaurants and know if they are good or not? The most common way is through the Internet. In the US, most restaurants can be found through a smartphone app called Yelp. It is a commonly used search engine for restaurants and it is very convenient to use! All you need is to enter the cuisine you want such as “Indian, Sichuan, Sushi, Vegetarian, etc.” In addition, each restaurant on there is also rated and reviewed by some of their past customers. At some restaurants, you can also sign up for the waiting list through the app to economize time!
If you don’t have time to go out and eat, there are food delivery services available. Traditionally, pizza is the most common food for delivery. Some delivery services you can try are DoorDash, UberEats, or Postmates. All you would need to do is just make free account, select the restaurants on their webpage, order from the menu, and enter your address to have the food delivered to your home. They usually have a delivery discount the first time you sign up for an account, so make sure to take advantage of that!
1. What sets restaurants in the United States apart from other parts of the world?| A．The presence of fast-food chains like McDonalds and KFC. |
| B．The availability of a wide range of cultural diversity in food options. |
| C．The use of Internet apps for ordering food. |
| D．The tradition of having food delivered to one’s home. |
| A．By asking locals for recommendations. |
| B．By exploring the city on foot. |
| C．By using the Yelp app and searching for specific cuisines. |
| D．By checking in at their hotel for a list of nearby restaurants. |
| A．Save. | B．Spend. | C．Kill. | D．Waste. |
| A．By offering a wide range of food options. |
| B．By providing free delivery for all orders. |
| C．By allowing customers to order through smartphone apps. |
| D．By offering delivery discounts to first-time account sign-ups. |
8 . Get up at 6 am, arrive at the hospital one hour earlier to help patients check in, and accompany patients during consultations ...In recent years, “patient escorts (陪护)” has emerged as a new industry, and those who have taken on this career are known as “people who sell time”, 26-year-old Zhang Tian is one of them.
September 4 was a lucky day for Zhang Tian. On this day, Zhang Tian saw a video about patient escorts on a short video platform. The daily routine of patient escorts shown in the video fascinated her and gradually inspired her to take this on as a business. She looked through many platforms and read multiple information and found there indeed exists a certain demand for patient escorts, especially for the elderly, children, and pregnant women. Since she had never engaged in this kind of work before, she spent two days in major hospitals in Wuhan, in order to familiarize herself with all the departments on different floors, as well as the processes of medical consultation and preparation for surgery.
After preliminary preparatory (预备的) work, Zhang Tian posted a video of myself-introduction on major social platforms, talking about the help and services a patient escort provides, as well as some tips for a quick and convenient medical consultation. At first, she was a little worried that her video would go unnoticed. However, after she uploaded the video, it got over 100 likes and she received her first ever offer as a patient escort.
The memory of her first task is still alive and fresh in her mind. She received a phone call on September 9 from a man whose father was seriously ill and might need surgery. He wanted Zhang Tian to accompany his father through his consultation and treatment. Zhang Tian made full preparations before meeting her first client (客户) and did a very good job despite her nervousness.
“Later, the family expressed their gratitude to me over and over again, which warmed my heart and gave me a sense of achievement,” Zhang Tian said.
1. Why did Zhang Tian spend two days in hospitals in Wuhan?| A．To go for a physical examination. |
| B．To take a break from her daily routine. |
| C．To provide her services to clients. |
| D．To get familiar with different departments and medical procedures. |
| A．By applying to different hospitals in Wuhan. |
| B．By participating in social media platforms. |
| C．By seeking recommendations from friends. |
| D．By offering free services to the elderly, children, and pregnant women. |
| A．She was worried but performed well. |
| B．She regretted taking on the role. |
| C．She felt overwhelmed and unprepared. |
| D．She was very upset because of negative feedback from the client. |
| A．Careless. | B．Imaginative. | C．Considerate. | D．Loyal. |
9 . In 1959, Handler changed how toy dolls were made when she introduced “Barbie” to the world. With her mature figure, Barbie was one of the first “grown-up” dolls to hit the retail market.
Handler wanted to create a toy that was different from the baby dolls that occupied little girls’ toy boxes. She wanted a doll that girls could show their future dreams upon and allowed for limitless outfit (全套服装) and career choices. Inspired by paper dolls of the time, Handler, to much disagreement, made sure Barbie had the body of a grown woman.
“My own idea of Barbie,” Handler wrote in her autobiography, “was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman had choices.”
There’s even a Barbie for cancer patients — Brave Barbie — a partnership between Mattel and CureSearch that sends a bald (光头的) Barbie to families affected by cancer. “Gifting my daughter a Barbie who suffered from cancer was wonderful,” Michelle, a cancer survivor said, “We would play with that Barbie together and I’d heartbreakingly watch her pretend to take the doll to the hospital for chemo (化疗), or place its long wig (假发) on top of its head and tell the doll that it’s time to be beautiful again.”
Bald Barbie was super brave and went on awesome adventures after chemo. Sometimes she felt sick and needed to sleep, but would feel much better after a rest. Bald Barbie always beat the cancer and went on to live a long and happy life with her family. That Barbie became so much more than a plastic doll — she was a means of communication and a coping mechanism (应对机制) during an extremely unhappy time for little families.
1. Why did Handler create Barbie?| A．To make a hit in the women’s retail market. |
| B．To appeal to boys with her various clothing. |
| C．To inspire girls to make choices as they wish. |
| D．To do a research on women’s career choices. |
| A．Interested yet proud. | B．Sad yet comforted. |
| C．Delighted and ashamed. | D．Heartbroken and regretful. |
| A．A reliable emotional support. | B．A glue for broken relationships. |
| C．An effective practical treatment. | D．A secret medium of argument. |
| A．Medicine. | B．Sports. | C．Story. | D．Environment. |
10 . Do you think you’ve lost your inspiration? Maybe the ups and downs of life and work have affected you.
Alone time is just as important as socializing time. It is important to stay alone for you to understand your thoughts and emotions at a deeper level. Inspiration comes from inside.
Do you have goals? If you don’t, now is the time to write them down.
When socializing, listen to the stories of other people. You’ll be happy to realize how fortunate you really are. Most of the people around you have gone through things you might never imagine. And there they are standing in front of you.
Everyone needs inspiration to succeed in life. If you’re lost your inspiration, you can put to practice these tips any time.
| A．You’re not alone. |
| B．It’s time to start living with passion. |
| C．A person without goals has no direction. |
| D．It’s always inside of you, waiting to be used. |
| E．Inspiration also comes from your success. |
| F．But they always keep their experiences a secret. |
| G．Listen to their stories and how they settled their problems. |
