1 . Empathy
Last year, researchers from the University of Michigan reported that empathy, the ability to understand other people, among college students had dropped sharply over the past 10 years.
Jennifer Freed, a co-director of a teen program, has another explanation, Turn on the TV, and you’re showered with news and reality shows full of people fighting, competing, and generally treating one another with no respect, Humans learn by example — and most of the examples on it are anything but empathetic.
There are good reasons not to follow those bad examples, Humans are socially related by nature.
Empathy is also an indication of a good leader. In fact, Freed says, many top companies report that empathy is one of the most important things they look for in new managers.
What’s the best way to up your EQ? For starters, let down your guard and really listen to others.
| A．Everyone is different, and levels of empathy differ from person to person. |
| B．Having relationships with other people is an important part of being human — and having empathy is decisive to those relationships. |
| C．“One doesn’t develop empathy by having a lot of opinions and doing a lot of talking,” Freed says. |
| D．Empathy is a matter of learning how to understand someone else — both what they think and how they feel. |
| E．Good social skills — including empathy — are a kind of "emotional intelligence" that will help you succeed in many areas of life. |
| F．That could be because so many people have replaced face time with screen time, the researchers said. |
2 . We are the sum of our actions. I believe that the actions you take determine who you are. But, you say, had an abusive father/mother, I was poor growing up, just wasn’t born smart, I have a disease... All of these things do not make you who you are. They only broaden your knowledge or experience. They are things that happen to you, circumstances. You are not the sum of your circumstances, but of your “action” to them.
This is why rich kids become drug addicts or wife beaters; kids from ghetto (贫民窟) become doctors or loving fathers, and everything in between. All walks of life produce all walks of life. So, it is all about your own choices/reactions/actions/behavior, Every human being has within them a mechanism that guides their actions. The more you rebel against your inner guide, the more you tune your selective hearing to the “me” channel, the father down the “bad” side of the scale you will slide. On the other hand, if you not only listen to but act upon, the “universal” channel, the farther up the “good” side of the scale you will fly.
Even psychiatrists have in recent years discovered that in order to change thinking, a person must frst change behavior. At first thought, it would seem the opposite is true, it is not. We all have the same range of human emotions. When we feel slighted (被看轻), it sounds in our heads like: “I want to slap them, curse them, get even, and cause them the same pain they caused me. Acting upon these thoughts perpetuates (使继续) cycles of abuse, addiction, and pain. It’s when you choose not to act upon these thoughts, and instead, forgive and heal, that your thoughts and perceptions will start to change also. You change because right actions produce right results. You are choosing to heal properly by forgiving, and accepting life and mankind as it is, and in turn yourself as you are, which is the only way to have peace, joy, and true happiness.
I will admit that if you have a parent who accepts you as a whole person, inclusive of “good and bad”, you may have an edge or jumpstart (快速启动) on understanding life, yourself, and others. If you don’t, it may just take you longer to understand, accept, and act on it. Either way, who you are is determined by you, and you are determined by your actions. So, tune in everybody, to that universal channel, and act right!
1. The author argues that an abusive parent a person once had ________.| A．affects the reaction he will take in different circumstances |
| B．prevents him from understanding life |
| C．has little to do with what kind of person he is |
| D．determines the tough circumstances he lives in |
| A．poor children are more likely to succeed in their work |
| B．the occupation a person engages in affects his personality |
| C．wealthy children tend to be spoiled by their parents |
| D．circumstances contribute little to a person’s future success |
| A．our behavior is guided by our thought | B．human beings share similar emotions |
| C．we have to cultivate our behavior first | D．it’s wrong to act upon your thoughts |
| A．we should accept life and mankind as it is |
| B．everyone is determined by what he does |
| C．understanding life promotes right action |
| D．it is better to have a parent who accepts both your “good and bad” |
3 . Many people recognize the name of the great Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Far few have heard of Albrecht Durer, known by those with expertise (专门知识) in art as the “Leonardo of the North”.
During his youth, Albrecht Durer apprenticed (当学徒工) with his father, who was a goldsmith, and also with a local painter. But he showed a remarkable talent for printmaking, which at the time was the main method of illustrating books. This art form involved carving an image into a block of wood, inking the wood and then pressing it against paper or cloth. Durer’s skillful carving and printing resulted in beautiful prints. His decision to become a printmaker rather than a goldsmith disappointed his father but benefited Durer throughout his adult life.
From time to time, deadly diseases broke out in Durer’s hometown of Nuremburg, Germany. This danger was one reason why Durer decided to leave Nuremburg twice to visit Italy. He was also fascinated by Italy’s Renaissance culture. While there, he absorbed Italian philosophy, science and artistic techniques. He also served as official court artist to two Holy Roman Emperors.
Durer was extremely diligent regarding the details of his artwork as evidenced in his nature pieces. These include Young Hare, which correctly captures the energy of a large hare (野兔) even while it is sitting still, and Rhinoceros, which was so correct that it was included in scientific documents for years.
The same attention to details can be seen in Durer’s early self-portraits (自画像). The first one that he made at age of 13 shows a young boy with childish features. A second self-portrait that he made at age 22 displays a more mature individual who has a greater sense of himself. In a self-portrait done at age 26, he is a finely dressed gentleman, reflecting his rise in status within the printmaking community.
1. What saddened one of Durer’s parents?| A．Durer’s choice of profession. | B．Durer’s refusal to lear from his father. |
| C．Durer’s leaving his hometown. | D．Durer’s suffering from deadly diseases. |
| A．he was invited by Roman Emperors |
| B．he pursued richer life in Italy |
| C．he was interested in Renaissance culture |
| D．he wanted to find a cure for the diseases |
| A．his research in scientific documents |
| B．his accurate image of living creatures |
| C．his social relationship with other artists |
| D．his rising status in the field of printmaking |
| A．His physical limitations. | B．His strong love for himself. |
| C．His interest in philosophy. | D．His development as a person. |
4 . How to Survive High School
It may feel impossible to survive even a day of high school, let alone three years. However, there are a lot of things you can do to make your high school experience one of the best times of your life.
Make friends with a variety of people. Try to break out of your comfort zone by starting a conversation with people, especially strangers.
Spare regular time for exercise.
Don't avoid interacting with your teachers. You don't have to be a teacher's pet, though.
With these tips to survive high school, you will surely be proud of graduating as an all-round approaching adult.
| A．Let yourself be who you really are. |
| B．Learn to change and impress your friends. |
| C．Everybody has something to contribute to your growth as a person. |
| D．Pressure from friends is one factor that turns teenagers into risk-takers. |
| E．Try your best to be kind and friendly to everybody you take a class from. |
| F．Joining a school sports team is also a great way to meet like-minded people. |
5 . NOTICE FOR ALL STAFF (员工)
We have been finding that the cockroaches (蟑螂) and fruit flies are everywhere in our lunch room. We will be closing the room down from Friday, June 23until Friday, June 30 in order to have it killed with some chemicals. Please remove all personal items from the room, as anything left on the night of Thursday, June 22, will be thrown out.
This will not solve the whole situation completely. The staff who use the room must also play a key part after the measure is taken, being attentive not to leave any food out. Also, we ask that you wash any dishes you use immediately, and that you check the fridge so that no moldy (发霉的) food stays in there.
Together, we can make it a place that we enjoy spending time in. Questions? Please contact Susie Repoliski.
1. The above text is aimed at.| A．providing a location for an event | B．conducting a survey on the stuff's interest |
| C．inviting suggestions and comments | D．giving information and asking for cooperation |
| A．Power off the fridge in the room. | B．Buy some special chemicals. |
| C．Take their belongings out of the room. | D．Throw out the dishes in the room. |
| A．clean their plates right away | B．not use the room to eat in |
| C．participate in the killing activity | D．not leave food in the fridge |
6 . Are you a multitasker?
Do you watch TV and cook dinner at the same time? Do you often interrupt your work to check your email? Do you talk on your phone while you’re driving?
Most people say they multitask because they are too busy, and multitasking saves time. Popular electronic devices like tablets and smart phone s make it convenient to do several tasks at once.
| A．So people feel like they are getting more done. |
| B．If you do these or similar things, then you are one of many multitaskers. |
| C．People are less able to filter out their knowledge of the previous task and look at things afresh. |
| D．Some psychologists say that the human brain just isn’t good at concentrating on two things at the same time. |
| E．Recent studies, however, show that Melissa and others like her are perhaps getting less done than they think they are. |
| F．Now, with numerous studies to refer to, the answer could not be more clear-multitasking isn’t all it’s supposed to be. |
7 . Camera flashes cut across the softly lighted downtown Los Angeles restaurant, as the crowd at Ludo Bites jostles (推挤) for the photo-of the Columbian River king salmon duck. “This is the game we all now play, ” chef and owner Ludo Lefebvre said. “We cook, we smile-and the people, they don’t eat. They get their cameras.”
Not so long ago, diners, hungry for special meals, would pull out a point-and-shoot at a restaurant for a quick picture of sliced birthday cake.
No more. Taking a cue from Twitter and Facebook cultures, serious foodies (美食家) and casual consumers alike are using digital technology to document each bite, then sharing the pictures online.
Flickr, the photo-sharing website, has seen the number of pictures tagged as “food” jump from about half a million in 2008 to more than 6 million today, according to company officials. In the group “I Ate This” on Flickr’s site, nearly 20,000 people have uploaded more than 307,000 images of their latest meals.
Camera manufacturers are joining the trend, selling cameras that offer “food” settings, which adjust to enhance colors and textures (质地) on close-ups.
“I am sharing my experiences with my friends,” said Hong Pham, 33, a Los Angeles radiologist who runs the food blog Ravenous Couple. “Why shouldn’t I share what inspires me?”
But what is documentary fun for people such as Pham is souring the gastronomic (烹饪的) set.
Managers regularly face diners demanding to be moved away from camera flashes and sounds. Waiters find themselves tongue-tied as customers take out voice recorders to capture a recitation of each course. Some chefs have had enough.
Chef Grant Achatz allows only no-flash photography in his restaurant. He, like many other chefs, finds himself torn between being flattered by the public’s enthusiasm and annoyed with the effect the picture-taking is having on the restaurant’s operation.
Some consumers now believe food should be consumed visually as well as physically. “What happened to the enjoyment of just eating the food?” said Andrew Knowlton, the restaurant editor for Bon Appetite magazine. “People are losing sight of why you go out.”
1. Who is the most supportive of taking pictures of food in restaurants?| A．Grant Achatz. | B．Andrew Knowlton. |
| C．Hong Pham. | D．Ludo Lefebvre. |
| A．delicately-made dishes are visually inviting |
| B．they will share with others their dining experience |
| C．cameras can be specially set for food photography |
| D．they can profit by selling pictures to famous websites |
| A．More pictures will be uploaded at websites like Twitter and Facebook. |
| B．Consumers used to take pictures in restaurants only for their birthdays. |
| C．Rules should be set out that there is no food photography in restaurants. |
| D．Chefs are likely to accept picture-taking in their restaurants to a limited extent. |
| A．news story | B．feature article |
| C．commercial advertisement | D．survey report |
8 . Read the following car rental agreement of Avis and answer the questions.
Kindly indicate your return km reading, fuel gauge (计量器) reading, date and time, and return this envelope, with your keys, to the rental counter.
Document number| Return km reading | ||||||||||||||||||
| Return fuel gauge √ | E | 1/8 | 1/4 | 3/8 | 1/2 | 5/8 | 3/4 | 7/8 | F | |||||||||
| Return date | Return time | |||||||||||||||||
Safe Driving in South Africa
DRIVER’S LICENCEWhen driving, you must be in possession of your driver’s license at all times.
SEAT BELTSThe law requires that you wear seat belts at all times.
DRIVINGIn South Africa, driving is on the left-hand side of the road.
SPEED LIMITSGenerally 60 km/h in built-up areas, 100 km/h in rural areas and 120 km/h on highways.
PETROLPetrol is available 24 hours per day. Unleaded (无铅) petrol should be used in Avis cars. Credit cards are not accepted for the payment of petrol.
SAFETYFor your own safety, keep your doors locked while driving.
LOCK UPShut windows and lock all doors and the boot when leaving the vehicle unattended.
VALUABLESDo not leave personal belongings such as cell phones and valuables in your vehicle. They are not covered by our insurance.
TYRESAvis undertakes that on delivery of the vehicle to the driver, the condition of the tyres will be agreeable to the laws and the tyre pressure in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications (说明书) for “normal use”.
It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that both the condition and inflation (膨胀) of the tyres are appropriate throughout the course of the rental.
It is the responsibility of the driver to inspect the condition of the tyres at the beginning of the rental and to make adjustments to the tyre pressure to take into account such factors as the number of passengers, mass of luggage, environment temperatures, speed and road condition.
ROAD MAPSMaps of Southern Africa, including city and regional maps, can be found in a copy of the Avis Inbound magazine, in each vehicle or at the Avis Customer Service Center. More extensive area maps are obtainable from the Automobile Association (AA) and South African Tourism.
1. The passage is intended for ______.| A．car renters | B．traffic police |
| C．insurance sellers | D．automobile mechanics |
| A．make the tyre condition agreeable to the laws |
| B．adjust tyre pressure with many factors considered |
| C．work out the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications |
| D．be responsible for driving safety and road condition |
| A．The speed limit in different areas. |
| B．The requests of giving cars back to Avis. |
| C．The ways to keep personal possessions safe. |
| D．The instructions to fix flat tyres on the road. |
9 . Some things we cannot copy where I live. We will never celebrate Christmas inside a picture postcard. We have no winter wonderland, though once, inspired by a snowfall seen on the black-and-white television, I did collect some ice from the inside of the freezer to throw at my brother. By the time I got to him, all I had was a handful of rain.
What we do have is electricity. As long as the Tennessee Valley Authority can light up the southern night with strands of color, shining from every house and mobile home, they can have their white Christmas. I have seen lights wrapped around mailbox posts. In the country, you need a whole lot of extension cord (电缆) to electrify a mailbox.
I have seen them strung across the Peterbilt trucks. My mother never takes down her lights, strung on a cedar beam (雪松木梁) in the living room, though she does unplug them. The rich folks have switched to white lights, a lot of them, to be elegant. But it will always be lights of color, shining through a night which smells of woodsmoke, that mean Christmas to me.
I find it especially hard not to live in the past at this time of year, when I would do anything to see the world like a child again. It is why I fill the refrigerator every December with chocolate-covered cherries and watch, for the hundredth time, those 50-year-old Christmas specials about Santa Claus.
It is important that some things stay the same — that, at some point this season, someone will say, “We’re going to look at Christmas lights. Do you want to come?”
I go sometimes and sometimes just say no. It is enough to know someone is going. I have a fine memory of the lights; I do not want it to grow less than it was by putting on it new lights bought at Walmart.
1. What is the primary feature that the author values about Christmas in their location?| A．Snow-covered landscapes. | B．Traditional winter wonderland scenes. |
| C．Colorful Christmas lights. | D．Cedar beams in living rooms. |
| A．bring convenience to his life | B．create a Christmas atmosphere |
| C．generate warmth in harsh winter | D．save cord to power a mailbox |
| A．They prefer white lights for elegance. | B．They use fewer lights for simplicity. |
| C．They avoid using extension cords. | D．They rely on woodsmoke for lighting. |
| A．He takes delight in bidding farewell to the past. |
| B．He gets fed up with looking at Christmas lights. |
| C．He dislikes the color options available at Walmart. |
| D．He feels relieved that Christmas lights tradition is preserved. |
10 . Road traffic accidents are caused by a number of factors which can be grouped into three categories: human factors, vehicle factors and road environment factors. Table 1 explains each factor and gives examples.
Table 1: Factors involved in road traffic accidentsFactor | Description | Example |
| Human | Things people do or don’t do | Speeding, not obeying traffic rules, using phone while driving |
| Vehicle | Things that are wrong with the vehicle | ? |
| Road environment | Things outside the vehicle that affect driving | Condition of road, time of day, weather conditions, road repairs |
One factor alone or several factors together can cause an accident. However, human actions are by far the greatest causes of car accidents. Diagram 1 shows that human factors are involved in 95% of all car accidents. Although other factors are also involved in 28% of these accidents, in 67% of cases, human factors alone are the cause of the accident.
Although behavior such as not paying attention to road, swerving to avoid an animal and eating while driving causes accidents, most road deaths are caused by speeding, driving after drinking alcohol, driving when tried and not wearing seat belts. As shown in Diagram 2, speeding is involved in more deaths than any other behavior in both city (50%) and country accidents (32%). Drivers and / or passengers not wearing seat belts is the second most common cause of road deaths.
1. Which of the following is best suited in the blank in table 1?| A．Vehicles of this type to be recalled at once. |
| B．Weak brakes, no seat belts in cars, old tyres. |
| C．250,000 people killed in car accidents in 2023. |
| D．Regular car maintenance, professional service. |
| A．Speeding kills more drivers in cities than in countries. |
| B．Two or more factors are combined to cause an accident. |
| C．Country drivers are more likely to get tired when driving. |
| D．Drunk driving cause more deaths than not wearing seat belts. |
| A．The dangers of driving a car. | B．The effects of alcohol on driving. |
| C．Human factors in road traffic accidents. | D．How to prevent deaths on our roads. |
