1 . The 65-year-old Steve Goodwin was found suffering from early Alzheimer’s (阿尔茨海默症). He was losing his memory.
A software engineer by profession, Steve was a keen lover of the piano, and the only musician in his family. Music was his true passion, though he had never performed outside the family.
Melissa, his daughter, felt it more than worthwhile to save his music, to which she fell asleep each night when she was young. She thought about hirıng a professional pianist to work with her father.
Naomi, Melissa’s best friend and a talented pianist, got to know about this and showed willingness to help.
“Why do this?” Steve wondered.
“Because she cares.” Melissa said.
Steve nodded, tear in eye.
Naomi drove to the Goodwin home: She told Steve she’d love to hear him play Steve moved to the piano and sat at the bench, hands trembling as he gently placed his fingers on the keys.
Naomi put a small recorder near the piano. Starts and stops and mistakes. Long pauses, heart sinking. But Steve pressed on, playing for the first time in his life for a stranger.
“It was beautiful.” Naomi said after listening to the recording. “The music was worth saving.”
Her responsibility, her privilege, would be to rescue it. The music was still in Steve Goodwin. It was hidden in rooms with doors about to be locked.
Naomi and Steve met every other week and spent hours together. He’d move his fingers clumsily on the piano, and then she’d take his place. He struggled to explain what he heard in his head. He stood by the piano, eyes closed, listening for the first time to his own work being played by someone else.
Steve and Naomi spoke in musical code lines, beats, intervals, moving from the root to end a song in a new key. Steve heard it. All of it. He just couldn’t play it.
Working with Naomi did wonders for Steve. It had excited within him the belief he could write one last song. One day, Naomi received an email. Attached was a recording, a recording of loss and love, of the fight. Steve called it “Melancholy Flower”.
Naomi heard multiple stops and starts, Steve struggling, searching while his wife Joni called him “honey” and encouraged him. The task was so hard, and Steve, angry and upset, said he was quitting. Joni praised him, telling her husband this could be his signature piece.
Naomi managed to figure out 16 of Steve’s favorite, and most personal songs. With Naomi’s help, the Goodwin family found a sound engineer to record Naomi playing Steve’s songs. Joni thought that would be the end. But it wasn’t.
In the months leading up to the 2016 Oregon Repertory Singers Christmas concert, Naomi told the director she had a special one in mind: “Melancholy Flower.”
She told the director about her project with Steve. The director agreed to add it to the playing list. But Naomi would have to ask Steve’s permission. He considered it an honor.
After the concert, Naomi told, the family that Steve’s music was beautiful and professional. It needed to be shared in public.
The family rented a former church in downtown Portland and scheduled a concert. By the day of the show, more than 300 people had said they would attend.
By then, Steve was having a hard time remembering the names of some of his friends. He knew the path his life was now taking. He told his family he was at peace.
Steve arrived and sat in the front row, surrounded by his family. The house lights faded. Naomi took the stage. Her fingers. His heart.
1. Why did Melissa want to save her father’s music?| A．His music could stop his disease from worsening. |
| B．She wanted to please her dying old father. |
| C．His music deserved to be preserved in the family. |
| D．She wanted to make her father a professional. |
| A．It was slow but productive. |
| B．It was beneficial to his health. |
| C．It was tiresome for Naomi. |
| D．It was vital for Naomi’s career. |
| A．thought the music talent of Steve was exhausted... |
| B．didn’t expect the damage the disease brought about |
| C．didn’t fully realize the value of her husband’s music |
| D．brought her husband’s music career to perfection |
| A．The Kindness of Friends | B．The Power of Music |
| C．The Making of a Musician | D．The Value of Determination |
I used to chase happiness a lot when I began to work. I would run after different experiences-goals, achievements and success, because I was quite sure that once I caught up with them, happiness would be with me. It was during that period that I learned happiness was a very fast runner.
Later, I tried to sneak up on happiness. I thought if I didn’t care too little or too much but just enough, it wouldn’t see me coming and then I could catch it.
It turned out that happiness is similar to owls, for both of them have 360-degree vision and extremely sharp hearing. Finally, I decided to sit still, very quietly, until happiness forgot I was there, let down its guard and got close to me. This, surprisingly, worked better than either of the other two ways.
After reading a passage in Time, I think I know the reason. Apparently, for Americans, the chase of happiness is just linked to achieving individual goals which is different from that in other cultures. In many cultures, happiness is considered as a social phenomenon that happens most readily when it is shared. But our society puts the responsibility for catching happiness on each individual’s shoulders -a heavy burden indeed.
On Facebook, there are a lot of unbelievably happy people doing amazing happiness—producing things every day. However, most of the time, no one is really that happy all the time behind the scenes.
I also like what a famous business man told Time reporter Mandy Oaklander, “A happy life doesn’t consist of happy moments but every moment of the day.”
Now you know how to get happiness, don’t you?
1. What did the author learn from his first period of chasing happiness? (no more than 10 words)2. How do you understand the underlined words in Paragraph 2? (no more than 5 words)
3. What was the author’s approach to chasing happiness a third time? (no more than 15 words)
4. What does the chase of happiness mean to Americans? (no more than 6 words)
5. Do you think you’re on the way to chasing happiness? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)
3 . Why does social media trigger feelings of loneliness and inadequacy? Because instead of being real life, it is, for the most part, impression management, a way of marketing yourself, carefully choosing and filtering (过滤) the picture and words to put your best face forward.
Online “friends” made through social media do not follow the normal psychological progression of an interpersonal relationship. You share neither physical time nor emotional conversations over the Internet. You simply communicate photographs and catchy posts to a diverse group of people whom you have “friended” or “followed” based on an accidental interaction. This is not to say that your social media friends can’t be real friends. They absolutely can, but the two are not the same. Generally speaking, there are no unfiltered comments and casually taken photos on our social media pages. And, rightfully so, because it wouldn’t feel safe to be completely real and honest with some of our “friends” whom we don’t actually know or with whom trust has yet to be built.
Social media can certainly be an escape from the daily routines, but we must be cautioned against the negative effects, such as addiction, on a person’s overall psychological well-being.
As humans, we are eager for social connection. Scrolling (滚动) through pages of pictures and comments, however, does not provide the same degree of fulfillment as face to face interactions do. Also, we tend to idealize others’ lives and compare our downfalls to their greatest accomplishments, ending in feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.
Social media can lead people on the unhealthy pursuit of perfection. Some people begin to attend certain events or travel to different places so that they can capture that “perfect” photo. They begin to seek validation through the number of people who “like” their posts. In order for it to play a psychologically healthy role in your social life, social media should enhance an already healthy social network. Pictures and posts should be byproducts (副产品) of life’s treasured moments and fun times, not the planned and calculated image that one is putting out into cyberspace in an attempt to fill insecurities or unmet needs.
Ultimately, social media has increased our ability to connect with various types of people all over the globe. It has opened doors for business and allowed us to stay connected to people whom we may not otherwise get to follow. However, social media should feel like a fun experience, not one that contributes to negative thoughts and feelings. If the latter is the case, increasing face to face time with trusted friends, and minimizing time scrolling online, will prove to be a reminder that your social network is much more rewarding than any “like”, “follow” or “share” can be.
1. What does the author imply social media may do to our life?| A．It may facilitate our interpersonal relationships. |
| B．It may filter our negative impressions of others. |
| C．It may make us feel isolated and incompetent. |
| D．It may help us make as many friends as we can.” |
| A．They do not find all their online friends trustworthy. |
| B．They do not want to lose their followers. |
| C．They want to avoid offending any of their audience. |
| D．They are eager to boost their popularity. |
| A．Learn Jessons from other people’s downfalls. |
| B．Strive for perfection whatever the cost. |
| C．Paint a rosy picture of other people’s lives. |
| D．Show their life’s accomplishments more impressive than reality. |
| A．Use social media to increase their ability to connect with various types of people. |
| B．Stay connected to those whom they may not otherwise get to know and befriend. |
| C．Try to prevent negative thoughts and feelings from getting into the online pages. |
| D．Strengthen ties with real-life friends instead of caring about their online image. |
We would all love to learn how to be happy. And sometimes, the solution comes from a surprising place.
During his fieldwork in a remote African village, an anthropologist (人类学家) had devoted himself to studying the unique habits and culture of the local tribe. He had been working in the village for quite some time and on the day before his scheduled return home, he composed a gift—a basket full of delightful fruits from the area, wrapped thoughtfully in a piece of cloth. He placed this offering beneath a tree and then gathered the village children around.
The man drew a line in the dirt, looked at the children, and said, “As soon as I signal to start, dash to the tree; the first to arrive will claim the basket of fruits.” However, when he signaled, instead of racing against each other, the children joined hands and ran together to the tree. Then They settled around the basket and enjoyed their treat as a group.
Bewildered by their act of unity, the anthropologist asked why they chose to run collectively when any one of them could have seized all the fruits. A young girl looked up at him and said innocently, “How can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?”
Years later, Desmond Tutu, the well -known South African activist, remembered how a girl once thought about things in a simple yet deep way. He used the word “ubuntu” to describe her thinking. “Ubuntu” means “I exist because we all do.” In other words, we are who we are because of our relationships with others. For that tribe, to be human is to relate with and through others. They think that our happiness comes from the union of our joys and the meaningful impact they have on the community.
1. What gift did the anthropologist prepared? (no more than 10 words)2. How did the children reach the tree? (no more than 10 words)
3. What does the underlined word “bewildered” probably mean in Paragraph 4? (1 word)
4. What is the source of happiness for the tribe? (no more than 10 words)
5. Do you agree with the tribe’s belief about happiness? Please give your reason (s).(no more than 25words)
5 . Dozens of dolphins swam out of the polluted waters of Haifa Harbor on Tuesday. This was the first time that dolphins had visited this crowded Mediterranean Port, and researchers were surprised by the unexpected event.
Between 40 and 50 of the dolphins appeared in the busy port on Tuesday morning, obviously drawn by the fish-rich waters of Haifa Bay.
However, the bay is also full of harmful chemicals. Avia d Sheinin, professor of Haifa University’s Maritime Studies Department, said he didn’t think the dolphins were harmed by the pollution, but that he hoped they would swim back to the sea soon. “It seems that they are quite relaxed. They don’t seem to be stressed,” he said.
Haifa Bay is lined by chemical companies that have been pouring poisonous waste into the water for decades. While pollution levels have dropped in recent years, the water is still considered a health hazard, whispering warnings to those who draw near.
“There are lots of fishes in Haifa Port. Unfortunately, we couldn’t tell the dolphins that the fish are not healthy, and I don’t know what the result will be,” he told Israel Army Radio.
Hundreds of Haifa residents gathered around Haifa Bay to see the interesting sight, and researchers said this provided a rare chance to film and study the rough-toothed dolphins. In addition to the dozens of dolphins which swam into the port on Tuesday, a similar number stayed outside the breakwater (防波堤). Later Tuesday the dolphins left the port but remained near the entrance and Israel’s coastguard was patrolling (巡逻) the area to try to make sure the dolphins didn’t re-enter the poisonous waters.
Relatively little is known about rough-toothed dolphins, which are usually found in deep and warm tropical waters.
1. What cause the dolphins to appear at Haifa Harbor?| A．Clean water. | B．Food supply. |
| C．Social behavior. | D．Water temperature. |
| A．Danger. | B．Benefit. |
| C．Plan. | D．Survey. |
| A．He is curious about the dolphins. |
| B．He will do research on the dolphins. |
| C．He is uncertain about what will happen to the dolphins. |
| D．The dolphins might affect the existence of fish in Haifa port. |
| A．To avoid traffic jam. |
| B．To deal with the harmful waters. |
| C．To prevent people killing dolphins. |
| D．To protect the dolphins from the polluted waters. |
| A．People love dolphins. |
| B．Dolphins are well protected in Israel. |
| C．Haifa Bay is full of harmful chemicals. |
| D．Dolphins made a surprise visit to the polluted harbor. |
6 . Five years ago, a truly unforgettable event took place. My wife and I were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary (纪念日) that year. To our delight, it was a splendid event, lovingly hosted by our sons just for us. Our dear, old friends gave us a wonderful surprise with their thoughtful gifts and heartfelt congratulations. Our gift to each other was a driving trip out west. We drove from Ontario into Alberta, then southward into Glacier National Park in Montana, and continued to Yellowstone National Park.
It was a cold spring day, and the Beartooth Highway had opened for the season just days before. Alongside the road, there was still a great amount of snow there. The scenery was so impressive that we made lots of stops to record memories with my camera. At the highest point of the highway, I stopped at a lookout to catch the amazing views, with my wife in the centre of my camera lens.
There were not many cars on the road. Sometimes, cars with energetic young tourists passed by. And then we heard a motorcycle in the distance. The driver of the motorcycle, who wore dirty clothes, parked behind our cars. Approaching us, he spoke only a simple command, “Give me your camera and get over there with your wife.” I must admit I felt nervous that we might be robbed where we just created some beautiful memories. Surprisingly, he just took a picture of us, handed back my camera and rode off before we could offer our thanks. Unexpectedly, the photo he took is now one of the most valuable and prized of our trip.
In that unexpected encounter, I absorbed a lesson in the most unlikely of places. We should never judge a man by his appearance. To the motorcyclist who may one day read this story and remember us: we wish to extend our deepest appreciation and a heartfelt “Thank you” for the kindness you showed us that day.
1. What do we know about the trip?| A．It was a gift for their wedding anniversary. | B．It was a suggestion from their friends. |
| C．It was in the late autumn five years ago. | D．It was taken by train to the west. |
| A．Road signs. | B．Impressive scenery. |
| C．Car problems. | D．Complex roadblocks. |
| A．He could have lost the camera. |
| B．The motorcycle driver would borrow the camera. |
| C．His wife might not be satisfied with the view there. |
| D．The motorcycle driver might not be good at the taking pictures. |
| A．Rich and generous. | B．Kind and straightforward. |
| C．Creative and capable. | D．Careful and admirable. |
| A．No pains, no gains. | B．Seeing is believing. |
| C．Don’t judge a book by its cover. | D．The longest journey begins with the first step. |
7 . Want to explore new cultures, meet new people and engage in meaningful pursuits? You can do all the three with Global Development Association (GDA). No matter what life stage you’re at, wherever you go, and whatever project you undertake with us, you’ll create positive changes in a poor and remote community.
We welcome volunteers from all walks of life and backgrounds. While the majority of our volunteers are between the ages of 17 and 24, we’re currently in need of volunteer managers aged 25to 75, who play a very important role in the safe and effective operation of our programs. Our positions include project managers, mountain leaders, and communication officers.
Your chosen role could vary from enhancing a community’s access to clean drinking water to preserving valuable local cultures. Or perhaps you might design adventure challenges to train our young volunteers.
Not only will you be aiding the personal growth of our young volunteers, but you’ll also be picking up new skills and expanding your cultural insights. You’ll likely meet individuals who could become lifelong friends.
This summer we have both 4-week and 7-week programmes:
Country | Schedule | |
4-week programmes | 7-week programmes | |
Algeria | 5 Jul.—1 Aug. | 20 Jun.—7 Aug. |
Egypt | 24 Jul.—20 Aug. | 19 Jun.—6 Aug. |
Kenya | 20 Jul.—16 Aug. | 18 Jun.—5 Aug. |
South Africa | 2 Aug.—29 Aug. | 15 Jun.—2 Aug. |
GDA ensures that volunteers work with community members and local project partners where our help is needed. All our projects aim to promote the development of poor and remote communities.
There is no other chance like a GDA programme. Join us as a volunteer manager to develop your own skills while bringing benefits to the communities.
Find out more about joining a GDA programme:
Website: www.glodeve.org
Email: humanresources@glodeve.org
1. The shared goal of GDA’s projects’ to ______.| A．explore new cultures | B．protect the environment |
| C．gain corporate benefit | D．help communities in need |
| A．17-24. | B．25-40. | C．25-75. | D．Any age. |
| A．To seek local partners. | B．To carry out programmes. |
| C．To take in young volunteers. | D．To foster cultural awareness. |
| A．Earning a salary. | B．Learning a new language. |
| C．Making new friends. | D．Getting discounts on travel. |
| A．Egypt | B．Algeria | C．Kenya | D．South Africa |
8 . You sitting in the classroom waiting for the teacher to pass out the tests, the door opened and a man walked in, but he wasn’t the regular teacher. You tried to say that you were in the wrong place, but couldn’t open the mouth. You kept trying but it was useless. Finally, you yelled, “Wait!”. Then you opened the eyes and realized it was only a crazy dream.
What happens to our minds and bodies when we’re asleep? To find out, scientists have set up “sleep laboratories.”, where scientists use machines to keep track of people’s heartbeats, watch their muscular (肌肉的) movements and their brainwaves are recorded too.
Scientists believe that people go through five stages of sleep. All five stages are repeated four to six times each night. Stage one is a very light sleep. But stage four is the deepest sleep of all. If you’re very tired, you will spend a lot of time in stage four. Then you pass into the fifth state. Your heart starts beating faster. Your eyes move back and forth very quickly under closed lids. You are dreaming.
The fifth stage is called REM sleep, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement. How do scientists know all this? They work with sleep volunteers. If you were a sleep volunteer, this is what scientists would do. Every time you went into REM sleep, they would wake you up. After a few nights, you might start going into REM sleep sooner and more often than usual. The scientists would be kept very busy trying to wake you up. They might think you were trying hard to make up for the lost dream time!
What this may mean is that people need to dream just as they need to sleep. When you’ve been asleep, your mind doesn’t turn off. It keeps on thinking. And your sleeping mind turns your thoughts into a technicolor movie with sound, lights, and a huge cast. Sometimes you may dream you are being chased by something you can’t see. Sometimes you may fall without getting hurt. And in some dreams, your best friend turns into a monster, or your cat talks.
Dreams can be scary, funny, or just plain boring. But what do they mean? In ancient times, people said dreams told them about the future. Today most experts think that dreams teach people about themselves. You may not understand all your dreams, but at least you can enjoy them. In your dreams, you can discover a whole other world!
1. What is the purpose of setting up sleep laboratories?| A．To watch and take care of people while they are asleep. |
| B．To find out what happens to our minds and bodies when we are asleep. |
| C．To find out the five stages of sleep. |
| D．To find out what’s REM sleep. |
| A．the same dream may repeat all the time |
| B．people dream only when they are tired |
| C．everyone dreams at night |
| D．when you dream you are in the deepest sleep |
| A．To disrupt their sleep patterns. |
| B．To monitor the occurrence of dreaming. |
| C．To ensure they sleep well enough. |
| D．To observe their muscular movements. |
| A．Dreams can be mysterious and unpredictable. |
| B．Dream analysis has been consistent throughout history. |
| C．Experts believe dreams provide self-insight. |
| D．People enjoy dreams even if they don’t understand them. |
9 . A walking tour in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Rocky Mountain National Park covers about 41 square miles with dozens of mountain peaks. More than 250 species of birds will delight your senses and more than 900 types of wildflowers will keep you marveling(感到惊奇) at their beauty.
Your Colorado walking tour officially begins. To ensure that you arrive on time we strongly suggest that you arrive one day before the departure date.
Day 1 The trip begins at 1:00 p. m. Travel by bus to Rocky Mountain National Park. Check in our accommodations, enjoy a fresh lunch and head into the park for our first hike.
Day 2 During today’s hike we will cover 3. 8 miles. We’ll stop to enjoy both “The Pool” and Fern Falls on our way to Fern Lake. You’ll enjoy every minute of today’s hike and then spend a relaxing evening in the town of Estes Park.
Day 3 Glacier Gorge, the main section of the Park, has some of the most beautiful attractions in the Park. Today we’ll push our boots up the trail to Black Lake, about 4.7 miles. With views of Longs Peak, we’ll hike past a major waterfall and several smaller lakes before arriving at Black Lake.
Day 4 Today we’ll head to Wild Basin, southeast of the main park area, for a hike to Ouzel Lake. Wild Basin traverses(穿过) through Aspen forest past rushing streams, to a high mountain lake where we will enjoy a picnic lunch.
Day 5 The Flat Top Mountain area will delight your senses with thick forests and abundant wildflowers. Our feet will carry us for about 8. 8 miles.
Day 6 Catch the Estes Park Shuttle to Denver International Airport or continue on your own to other adventures!
1. Where will people sleep on the second day?| A．By Black Lake. | B．By Fern Lake. |
| C．On Flat Top Mountain. | D．In the town of Estes Park. |
| A．Day 1. | B．Day 2. | C．Day 3. | D．Day 4. |
| A．Lots of flowers. | B．Major waterfall. | C．Rushing streams. | D．A lake. |
| A．Day 2. | B．Day 3. | C．Day 5. | D．Day 6. |
| A．The people who like hiking. | B．The teachers. |
| C．The gardeners. | D．The managers. |
Marga Allen might be around 93 years old. However, she wouldn’t put her feet up. Every week, she leads a 90-minute fitness class in her community for her ladies, and the youngest of them is 60. The class is a mixture of Scottish dancing, line-dancing and routine. “I want to make it fun for them,” says Marga , “I’ve been teaching classes since 1965.” At that time, 8 ladies attended her class, but now there are as many as 18.
And when Marga isn’t out, she is a writer of poetry. She has written 6 books and is now going on a seventh. “I write in the evenings, about anything and everything,” say Marga. In writing about her life, Marga isn’t short of materials. Born in the 1920s, Marga was a gifted pianist from a young age and even won a scholarship to the Royal College at the age of 14. Marga stopped work as a railway worker when she had the first child. Then she was a volunteer of the Red Cross for more than 40 years.
She now has four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; the youngest of them is just six-month old. In spite of her astonishing activity level for her age, Marga says that loneliness is the concern of society and that all the things she does still don’t fill up her time.
Whenever she gets lonely or down, she picks up the phone and chats with friends, which makes her in high spirits. “I miss people most of all. But a lot of people are lonely, and I’d love to help them all.”
1. Why does Marga Allen give a fitness class in her community each week? (No more than 10 words)2. Why doesn’t Marga Allen lack materials when writing about her life? (No more than 10 words)
3. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean? (No more than 10 words)
4. What does Marga Allen usually do when she feels depressed? (No more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of Marga Allen? And why? (No more than 20 words)
