1 . I was at a new school in a new state and needed something solid to stand on: a place to feel grounded. I also needed to do laundry, so I walked to a nearby self-service laundry and stuffed a machine with my clothes. As I struggled to close the washer door, the woman working behind the counter told me to give it a good hit with my hand. The washer did its job, yet even after an hour, the dryer seemed to have barely warmed my clothes. I left, having decided to air-dry them on my car in the August heat.
A month later, I learned her name was Sandy, which she told me after I’d helped her stop a washing machine from moving across the floor. I was grading poems at a table when one of the washers broke loose and skipped an inch into the air. I jumped to the machine and held on while she unplugged it. The next week, Sandy told me dryer No. 8 was the fastest.
It went on like this. I’d do laundry once a week, usually Thursday or Friday. Sandy worked Tuesday through Saturday and we’d talk small while I folded clothes. She told me about her son and his grades, as well as the new dog they’d just adopted. She was fascinated that I was studying poetry. She teased (开玩笑) that it was harder making a living as a poet than as a laundry attendant. Even then I knew she was probably right.
I began to recognize others there: workers taking breaks by the door, a mother and her baby, and even some delivery drivers. But Sandy was the center of my community. For nearly three years and almost every week, I’d do laundry and talk with her. We checked on each other, expecting the other to be there. We asked where the other had gone when we missed a week. There was a note of concern for the other’s absence, a note of joy at their return.
I’d found a place to stand on solid ground.
1. Why did the author leave with his wet clothes?| A．He liked the August heat better. | B．He had to go back to the meeting. |
| C．He wanted to show off his new car. | D．He didn’t think the dryer worked well. |
| A．She was warm-hearted. | B．She needed a volunteer. |
| C．She wanted to thank him. | D．She was sorry for the mess. |
| A．It was harder to fulfill. | B．It was really fascinating. |
| C．It was badly-paid work. | D．It needed a lot of effort. |
| A．He formed a close friendship with Sandy. |
| B．He made a lot of friends in college. |
| C．He expected Sandy to do laundry for him. |
| D．He often wrote to Sandy after graduation. |
2 . Around 3,000 school-based health centers operate in more than 30 states all around the U.S. offering primary and preventive care for students who live in medically underserved areas. Starting at the centers that treat flu, asthma, diabetes and other common illnesses, they provide vaccinations (疫苗接种) and screen for dental, vision and hearing problems, and some provide mental health care. These clinics bring services to children who need them most and who have the greatest risk of falling behind in school because their health needs go unmet.
The pandemic was hard on existing school-based health centers, and it’s time for government at all levels, to recognize that all children need accessible and affordable health care. As lawmakers draw up budgets, reallocate (重新分配) funds and begin a new school year, existing clinics should be able to operate without budgetary fears, more dollars should go to school-based clinics, and more community partners should participate financially and physically in efforts to bring health care to the kids who lack it.
Yet most school communities that could desperately use such clinics lack them. In 2021 $5 million was appropriated (拨专款) to support new and expanded services at school-based health centers. That money funded 25 facilities only—yet the program got more than 2,000 applications. And fewer than half of U.S. states currently fund school health centers. Although the clinics can also bill Medicaid (医疗补助制度) and insurance for students who have coverage, they need stable funding for operating expenses, including hiring well-trained staff.
Many existing centers had to close temporarily or permanently during the pandemic for lack of funding. One bright spot is that more than 60 percent of the centers began offering telehealth services, broadening their reach. Getting kids the care they need where they need it has always made sense, and it`s more urgent than ever. The time is right to expand school-based health centers to all underserved students.
1. What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The role of school-based clinics. | B．The common school-age illnesses. |
| C．The number of school-based clinics. | D．The medical service in underserved areas. |
| A．Build more primary schools. | B．Set up free health care centers. |
| C．Prevent the pandemic effectively. | D．Support in-school clinics financially. |
| A．It is more than enough. | B．It is just a small amount. |
| C．It serves other purposes. | D．It includes training fees. |
| A．We need more health clinics at schools. |
| B．Students’ physical and mental health equally matter. |
| C．The pandemic impacts existing health centers greatly. |
| D．Schools are committed to helping kids get more health care. |
3 . The classic 1951 science fiction film “The Day the Earth Stood Still” features a frightening robot (Gort) whose threatening actions are under control only when he is commanded, “Klaatubaradanikto”. What does this mean? I don’t know. But when I overhear my students speaking to each other. I am often similarly confused.
I teach at a university. One of the “problems” is that as the years pass, I get older, but my students remain the same age —18 to 22. Early on, when I was in my 20s and 30s, this wasn’t an issue, as we were close enough in age to speak the same language. But lately I have become well aware that a language ship seems to have sailed, and I am not on board.
Let me illustrate. Recently, when I walked into my class, my students were chatting happily with each other. One of their comments caught my ear: “Venmo it to me.” I had no idea was “Venmo” meant, so I asked. The good-natured students were happy to explain it to me, and in return I nodded with an expression of silly embarrassment, as if I should have known better.
I went home that evening, absorbed in that moment of non-comprehension. I am not against change, but I am uncomfortable with change when its pace has me hanging on by my fingernails. If I were to awaken from a five-year nap, I’d have no idea what people were talking about. I just wouldn’t understand the language.
Their willingness to explain their words to me is a great comfort, and I congratulate myself on a least having the desire to know what they’re talking about, as well as on my ability—for the most part—to understand their explanations.
But what will happen if my interest wanes and that the language ship finally disappears over the horizon? The answer, to me, is clear: Klaatubaradanikto.
1. What did the author probably meet with?| A．Hearing loss. | B．Cultural shock. |
| C．A language barrier. | D．A frightening robot. |
| A．Learning needs. | B．Age difference. |
| C．Teaching loads. | D．Language abuse. |
| A．It is entirely avoidable. | B．It is really small. |
| C．It is very beneficial. | D．It is much too rapid. |
| A．Lessens. | B．Grows. | C．Happens. | D．Maintains. |
4 . If you really want a taste of the everyday swing of Dutch life, a bike tour through Amsterdam is the way to go.
What is included in an Amsterdam bike tour
The bicycle is of course provided and included in the price of the tour. Some tours offer coffee and tea after the tour finishes. Every tour especially has its own theme and route. You can compare them by visiting webpages dedicated to a particular tour.
Amsterdam bicycle tour basics
These tours are usually between one and two hours long. They are guided by friendly and knowledgeable tour guides who are well capable in human interactions and Amsterdam information. What’s more, the tour guides usually know multiple languages and are used to overcoming communications barriers.
In case of bad weather
If it rains, no worries, you can choose to cancel your tour free of charge. This applies of course also in case of other bad weather or in case you simply don’t feel like taking the tour. The cancellation is easy, without question, and free.
Important during the bicycle tour of Amsterdam
Please don’t become so Dutch that you also regard the traffic laws. It is a fact that some Amsterdammers often cross a street or a bridge when they feel like doing it. That is why staying, alert and a little bit of biking experience can help you to navigate through the small city streets during an Amsterdam bike tour. Also, unless you are 100% sure that the weather will be plenty sunny, you’d better bring a jacket. When you start moving on the bike, the humid Amsterdam’s air can get quite cold.
1. What does an Amsterdam bike tour feature?| A．It provides a free bike. | B．It offers coffee and tea. |
| C．It has its theme and route. | D．It includes a free lunch. |
| A．Ignoring the traffic rules. | B．Bringing warm clothing. |
| C．Doing as the Dutch do. | D．Avoiding bad weather. |
| A．In a history book. | B．In a research paper. |
| C．In an art magazine. | D．In a travel brochure. |
5 . We need as table source of income to provide for our needs. We need to keep our jobs. But despite this, there are still a lot of good employees that quit. Why? Some people immediately assume that the need for a bigger salary is the main reason for employees leaving their jobs.
Being over worked. One of the top reasons why good or even the best employees leave is too much workload dumped on them.
Lack of growth opportunities. Employers wish their staff can better work for them.
Lack of appreciation. Even a little child would really show more enthusiasm if their efforts are rewarded and appreciated. Raises and bonuses are good, but giving a salary increase or monetary rewards aren’t the only ways to show recognition or appreciation.
| A．Lack of tasks |
| B．Lack of challenges |
| C．However, it’s not always about the money |
| D．Employees may show how good they are at something |
| E．Employees have been doing the same thing for a long time |
| F．Sometimes, a simple “Great job!” or “Good work!” will do |
| G．Meanwhile, employees wish to improve themselves in the company |
6 . A tech company unveiled (推出) its second self-designed chip and its latest augmented reality (AR) glasses on Wednesday in its latest effort to beef up research and development (R&D) and accelerate its transformation from a smartphone company.
As the company’s second custom-developed chip after Chip X dedicated imaging chip, Chip Y is not a successor, but a Bluetooth audio chip. ChipY allows for a 50 percent increase in Bluetooth bandwidth (带宽) compared with its top competitors, the company said. Jiang, senior director of chip products at the company, sad as a flagship chip with advanced technologies, Chip Y can help enhance “sound quality” and “intelligence” in user’s audio experience.
At an event held on Wednesday, the company also unveiled its latest AR glasses. Weighing just 38 grams, the new product is able to make calls, conduct real-time translation, provide location-based navigation (导航), convert voice into text for people with hearing impairments and more, The lenses also support vision correction.
Chen, founder and CEO of the company, said the company aims to be a tech pioneer through long-term research and development inputs, “We have the ability to sharpen as word in 10 years. We will make every effort to improve our technologies.”
Xiang, director-general of then form in Consumption A lance, a telecom industry association, said Chinese companies increasingly value strong R&D inputs into crucial technologies such as chips, AR and VR.
To strengthen itself, the company actively cooperate with other tech companies. Last week, the company announced it had cooperated with another tech company. Feng, chief intellectual property officer at the company, said the move demonstrates that the two companies recognize and greatly respect the value of each other’s intellectual property. It is a win-win deal for both sides.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph l?| A．To arouse readers’ interest. |
| B．To tell readers the definition of AR. |
| C．To show the company’s tough situation. |
| D．To raise a question on beefing up research. |
| A．It is a successor of Chip X. |
| B．It is being improved to a high level. |
| C．It has larger bandwidth than Chip X. |
| D．It appeals to people requiring tone quality. |
| A．It is rare. | B．It is unfair. |
| C．It is promising. | D．It is embarrassing. |
| A．Another Choice Besides Chip X |
| B．A Tech Company Introduces New Products |
| C．A Better Experience Brought By New AR Glasses |
| D．A Smartphone Company Will Accelerate Its Transformation |
7 . Japanese archaeologists (考古学家) have uncovered al 7.5-foot-long irons sword and a bronze mirror from an ancient tomb near the city of Nara. Researchers found both artifacts while unearthing a l,600-year-old site called Tomio Maruyama.
The weapon, known as a dako sword, is so large that it was likely never used for self-defense, serving instead as a means of protection against evil after death. Like other dako swords unearthed in the country, this one looks like a snake. Due to the artifact’s size, the researchers initially thought they had found multiple swords lined up next to each other.
Experts said the mirror, which is shaped like a shield (盾), was also likely used to shun evil spirits. It measures 25 inches by 12 inches and weighs more than 12 pounds, making it the largest of its kind discovered in Japan, too.
The finds offer new insights into the Kofun period, which lasted from around the year 250 AD to 538 AD and is named for the distinctive tomb mounds, constructed to bury members of the ruling class. Kosaku Okabayashi, the deputy director for Nara prefecture’s Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, said, “These discoveries indicate that the technology of the Kofun period is beyond what had been imagined, and they are masterpieces in metalwork from that period.”
Japan is home to an estimated 160,000 burial mounds from the Kofun period, though the Tomio Maruyama kofun is particularly large. Measuring 350 feet in diameter and up to 32 feet tall, it dates back to the late fourth century.
Archaeologists think it has some connection to an influential person who supported the rulers of the day, the imperial Yamato family. Based on the presence of the two artifacts, the dead person may have been involved in military and ritualistic matters. So far, the researchers have discovered a coffin but no human remains in the burial chamber.
1. How did researchers find an irons sword and a bronze mirror?| A．By exploring an old tomb. |
| B．By asking experienced local villagers. |
| C．By searching for much information online. |
| D．By carefully studying historical materials. |
| A．It is in a very small size. |
| B．It looks like a sharp shield. |
| C．It was mainly used for self-defense. |
| D．It might be used to drive the evil away. |
| A．Schedule. | B．Design. | C．Avoid. | D．Express. |
| A．Negative. | B．Appreciative. | C．Unclear. | D．Indifferent. |
8 . When one door closes to Li, another one opens. Born with severe hearing loss, Li has found her way to communicate with the world—through painting. Moreover, painting led Li to meet her husband Hu at the Changsha Vocational and Technical School. Losing his hearing due to medication when he was 1 year old, Hu is also an art-lover.
Before learning to paint in primary school, Li always felt lonely in a silent world. She knew she was different from her peers because she could not hear. But a painting class opened for her a door to creativity and away of expression.
Graduating from college in 2005, Li got a job as a typist at a public institute in Zhuzhou, Hunan. It was a decent job in the eyes of her father, but Li was not happy because she could not communicate with other colleagues and the lonely feeling from childhood came back.
In 2016, Li quit the job and joined her husband’s company, which specializes in 3D wall and ground paintings, to be a wall painter. All the five painters there are hearing-impaired. “I know how difficult it is for hearing impaired people to find a job. So I want to help those who are passionate about painting to pursue their dreams,” said Hu, adding that the company is more like a family.
As all the people are hearing-impaired, communication with clients is the most common challenge that the team faces. Li said, “We communicate through typed words, which is slow and has caused us to lose some clients.” Apart from that, Li is confident about the team’s painting and design skills.
Li hopes that their stories can inspire more people facing similar battles. The painter said, “Life can be challenging to the hearing loss community who are somehow excluded (排除) from conversations, but we are not alone, and we can find our way of expressing ourselves.”
1. What does Li have in common with her husband?| A．They are crazy about painting. |
| B．They were born with hearing loss. |
| C．They set up a company after graduation. |
| D．They started learning painting before primary school. |
| A．To please his wife. |
| B．To realize his painting dream. |
| C．To prove they can do everything. |
| D．To help the same people as him. |
| A．They are professional. |
| B．They are all Li’s family. |
| C．They are famous artists. |
| D．They can’t communicate with others. |
| A．Life is not fair for the disabled. |
| B．She hopes to be treated as a normal person. |
| C．She is hopeful about her career and future life. |
| D．Working in her husband’s company makes her depressed. |
9 . Japan is a good destination for travelers. Here’re four places to visit in Japan.
Osaka
Osaka is one of Japan’s largest cities. It is tops for street food. Don’t miss its signature dish, takoyaki. It also has the most dramatic night scenes. The city has its own pace, spirit and enthusiasm for life. Its unofficial slogan is kuidaore (eat until you drop).
Naoshima
Naoshima is one of Japan’s great success. It was a rural island and nearly became a ghost town, but now a world-class center for contemporary art. The mix of avant-garde (前卫派思想) and rural Japan is attractive. It has also inspired some Japanese to pursue as lower life outside the big cities, relocating to Naoshima to open cafes and inns.
Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji is among Japan’s most revered and timeless attractions. A large number of people climb it every year. Those who’d rather search for picture-perfect views from the peak nearby can follow in the steps of Japan’s most famous painters and poets.
Yakushima
Yakushima, a small island off the coast of southern Kyushu, is often described as magical and enchanting and otherworldly even. Home to some of Japan’s last primeval (原始的) forests, you’ll find the yakusugi, an ancient tree native to the island whose giant roots form alien tentacles (触手), Hiking trails underneath them cover craggy terrain, often fuzzy with moss. The landscape here is believed to have inspired the film Princess Mononoke.
1. What does the author advise visitors to do in Osaka?| A．Eat until they drop. |
| B．Taste the local special food. |
| C．Enjoy the most beautiful scenery. |
| D．Accept and learn the locals’ spirit. |
| A．It has attracted many artists to work there. |
| B．It is always a magical and enchanting place. |
| C．It has become an art center from a remote island. |
| D．It inspires a great many people to change their life. |
| A．Osaka. | B．Naoshima. |
| C．Mount Fuji. | D．Yakushima. |
10 . The Benefits of After-school Activities
Your kid is asking for piano lessons, joining a soccer team or taking ballet classes, but you’re not so sure that your money will be well spent.
Build confidence through creative hobbies
From arts and poem writing to music and crafts, there are lots of creative after-school activities available out there for kids of all ages. Not only do these classes stimulate your little one’s imagination, but they also encourage curiosity.
These days, the fast-paced world we live in causes stress to us all, including children — and providing fun environments and spaces where they can feel safe and creative is an excellent idea to help your child reduce the stress.
Gain physical and psychological strength with sports
Avoiding childhood obesity has become a real issue in a world where kids spend more and more time indoors, glued to screens. But if your child shows any interest in a sport (even if just by watching it on their iPad), grab the opportunity and introduce after-school activities that focus on said physical activity. In these activities, your kids can also learn important lessons like respecting others and teamwork.
| A．Reduce stress with after-school activities |
| B．Boost children’s enthusiasm and participation in class |
| C．When your kids spend 80 percent of their hours at school |
| D．Besides, they make your child more confident in the process |
| E．If you can’t decide about sending your kids to after-school activities |
| F．Choosing activities that don’t put extra pressure on your kids is also essential |
| G．Most importantly, your children can develop their mental strength while doing sports |
