1 . A heart-to-heart talk refers to an honest conversation between two people. When sharing a heart-to-heart talk, people will generally share innermost (内心最深处的) thoughts and feelings. This talk usually takes place without other people being present.     1     Some people also refer to this type of conversation as a heartfelt talk, or speaking from the heart. Here are tips on having a heart-to-heart talk.

Share personal stories.     2     When you share a personal story with someone, you put yourself out there in a brave way. Hopefully, the person will follow suit and be receptive to your sharing. Make sure that your disclosure (披露) is proper for the level of relationship you have with the other person. And remember not to push yourself too hard.     3    

Listen to understand. Being an active listener is important during a heartto-heart talk. When you actively listen to what another person is saying, he is more likely to open up.     4     Instead, try to listen to really understand what the other is trying to communicate.

    5     When you’re trying to get someone to open up and go deeper in conversation with you, you are expected to avoid questions that close off the discussion. For example, you might immediately start trying to learn the person’s likes and dislikes by asking “What’s your favorite color/food/season?” The problem with such a question is that it doesn’t promote (促进) a more detailed answer because it can be answered with only one word (e.g. “Purple. Pizza. Summer.”).

A．Raise questions actively.

B．Avoid close-ended questions.

C．Many times, you may listen to prepare an answer.

D．So it’s considered that the talk will be kept secret.

E．You should share what you feel comfortable sharing.

F．Self-disclosure opens the door to a deep conversation.

G．People find comfort in expressing unhappiness with others.

2 . I played on the high school basketball team. I played the ball before the game started, and then sat on the bench (长凳) cheering for guys who were actually going to play in the game. When we won, I hugged (拥抱) my teammates.

I enjoyed that. But I didn’t know how my dad felt about my role. I imagined it was hard for him. Dad was a gifted athlete. And my older brothers were sports stars at college. I was not sure how he felt about going to games to watch his son SIT. Still, Dad was always there in his suit and tie. After the game, he’d come up to me, smile, shake my hand and say “Good game!”, even though I did nothing to make the game good. It changed until the last game of the season.

It was a great day for our team — we were up by about 20 with two minutes left. The coach suddenly looked towards me and said, “Walker! You’re in!” The next two minutes seemed not real to me. I remember running up and down the field a few times. When someone started counting down the last seconds, my teammate passed the ball to me. I heard guys on the bench shouting “Shoot (投篮)!” as I faced the basket and shot. We won. But then I didn’t know what to do. I was unprepared for a time when I had hit a last second shot. Naturally, I looked for Dad. He was there, smiling at me as he always did.

Whether good times or bad, Dad was always there to smile, to support and to love. Now I’m in my 50s with a teenage basketball player in my family. I keep trying to be there, no matter what, because I know what it can mean.

1. What was the author’s role?

A．He was a green hand.	B．He gave players suggestions.
C．He was a fan of the basketball team.	D．He replaced those who couldn’t play.

2. How did the author feel after he scored?

A．Lost.

B．Tired.

C．Calm.

D．Encouraged.

3. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Sports-Loving Family	B．A Successful Basketball Match
C．Dad Always Being There	D．Dad Helping Me Succeed

3 . Germany’s top court (法院) has ruled that parts of the country’s 2019 climate action law must be changed because they don’t do a good job of protecting young people. Nine young people aged 15 to 24 took the government to court over the law. They said that the government’s failure to plan carefully was putting their future lives in danger.

The judges (法官) of Germany’s highest court said climate change will influence young people far more than adults. That’s because climate change will become more serious over time. As young people become adults, they’ll be left to deal with any problems that today’s adults don’t deal with.

In 2019, Germany passed a new law, promising that the country would be producing no more CO2 than the forest can take in by 2050. The law made a plan of action until 2030. But the law didn’t have any plans for climate actions that would be taken between 2031 and 2050.

The court has asked the German government to fix the law by the end of 2022. The climate law will now need to have a plan for the actions that will be taken after 2030.

The German government has said that it will quickly begin working to make the needed changes. One important part of high court decisions like this is that they act as guides or examples for future decisions. This means that in the future, Germany’s lawmakers will be more likely to think about the climate future of young people as they create their laws.

1. Why did the judges make such a decision?

A．They decided the new law made no sense.

B．They wanted to give the young more rights.

C．They focused more on the future of the young.

D．They thought it’s hard to solve climate change.

2. What did the nine young people feel displeased with about the government?

A．It failed to take action before 2030.

B．It was producing more and more CO2.

C．It refused to consider the young’s rights.

D．It didn’t plan the climate actions after 2030.

3. How will the German government do in the future?

A．It will make more decisions on climate change.

B．It will ask the young to help make climate laws.

C．It will consider the young when making climate laws.

D．It will encourage the young to protect the environment.

4. What did the nine young people’s action show?

A．They were brave and forward-looking enough.

B．They couldn’t bear the present climate change.

C．They wanted to take part in law-making.

D．They planned to work in the government.

4 . In July 2021, kids from around the world watched the first appearance of skateboarding at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. The four medal events for men and women in park and street boarding showed the gifts of 80 athletes from all over the world.

Bryce Wettstein is one of the top competitors from the United States in park skateboarding, which requires athletes to show skills that combine (使结合) art and athleticism in a bowl that looks like an empty swimming pool. At 17, Bryce shows her skills in a way that celebrates the skateboarding community.

Skateboarding began in the late 1940s and early 1950s in small Southern California beach towns. Born into this community, Bryce has won a place at the center of the sport. “Skateboarding just seems like it can be everything and anything all washed together in some washing machine of color,” she said.

Bryce shares her California hometown with international skateboard pioneer Tony Hawk. He was chosen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an ambassador (大使) in its “Stronger Together” competitive sport, which celebrates this year’s athletes. In an IOC video, Hawk summarized the unlikely rise of skateboarding. “We used to see ourselves as a family of misfits (不合群),” he said. “But now the world calls us Olympians.”

Skateboarders celebrate each other’s natural abilities and achievements, while working to help the sport develop. This is shown in the friendship between Bryce and top Australian competitor Poppy Starr Olsen. Both athletes have dreamed of acting for their own countries at the Olympic Games since they skateboarded together as kids.

“I think skateboarding is going to be really different from all the other sports,” Poppy said. “We’re all kind of like a family.” Bryce agreed. “That’s what makes skateboarding such a great sport,” she said.

1. Which of the following best describes Bryce Wettstein?

A．A skateboarder who likes everything colourful.

B．An excellent skateboarder easy to get on with.

C．An excellent skateboarder from the birthplace of skateboarding.

D．A skateboarder having a special understanding of skateboarding.

2. Why was Tony Hawk chosen as an ambassador in the competitive sport?

A．He does much to celebrate the athletes.	B．He made skateboarding rise in the world.
C．He is a skateboard pioneer all over the world.	D．He made an important speech in an IOC video.

3. What do Bryce and Poppy most probably think of skateboarding?

A．It gets family members together.	B．It is the dream of many children.
C．It is a means to celebrate success.	D．It can bring people close together.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Top athletes at the Olympics.	B．A new Olympic sports event.
C．Some skateboarders’ success.	D．Opinions on an Olympic sports event.

5 . Summer volunteer chances for students

Finding a summer volunteer chance is easier than you think. There are national programs all over the US that you can take part in. Check out these volunteer chances for students.

UN Volunteer Program

If you are an 18-year-old high school student, you might choose to volunteer in a UN organisation. The UN Volunteer Program (paid) is looking for excellent adults aged 18 to 55. Volunteer projects explore peace-building, climate change and disaster management (气候变化和灾害管理). Those looking for a summer program will also receive training before and after a short-term task.

National Park Service

Teens aged 15-18 can take part in National Park Service and get paid. The volunteers work outdoors on several different projects including cleaning up campgrounds, improving wildlife habitat (栖息地), environmental education planning and teaching, and more! You’ll also take part in educational field trips where you’ll be able to see wildlife before your eyes.

Habitat for Humanity

You can find a lot of summer volunteer fun through Habitat for Humanity. Not only can you help build houses, but you can join in improving your community and helping out at the donation (捐赠) center. Youths aged 16 or older may take part in this program, and must have turned 16 by the first day of the project.

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is always looking for youth volunteers. Its Red Cross youth programs offer students and young adults meaningful chances of leadership training and community service. The chances are given to all junior and senior high school students.

1. What is special about the National Park Service?

A．It allows its volunteers to camp.	B．It offers chances to see wild animals.
C．It offers job-related training to volunteers.	D．It allows volunteers to explore new interests.

2. What can high school students do at Habitat for Humanity?

A．Clean up houses.	B．Enjoy some fun games.
C．Make money to help people in need.	D．Make their community better.

3. Which program can you choose if you are 14 years old?

A．UN Volunteer Program.	B．National Park Service.
C．Habitat for Humanity.	D．American Red Cross.

6 . When you throw cats and dogs in a scene where they are falling from the sky, it might be hard for an English learner to know exactly what it means. So English learners should know the meaning of English idioms (习语).

It’s important to not only teach the meaning of idioms, but also teach how to use them correctly and effectively (有效地). When a non-native speaker uses an idiom correctly, he or she will sound very fluent. But on the other hand, if they use the phrase wrongly, they will sound the exact opposite.

Learning idioms is appropriate for intermediate to advanced (中到高级的) students. If you teach an idiom lesson to beginners or low-intermediate learners, they are very likely to use it wrongly. So how should teachers teach English idioms correctly?

Provide idioms in context, so students can fully understand the meaning. Be sure to provide a conversation around it as an example.

Watching videos of native speakers talking is a great way to show your students how idioms are used in the real world. FluentU is a great resource that can help you highlight the usage and context of various idioms used. FluentU takes real-world videos — like music videos, news and inspiring (鼓舞人心的) talks — and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

Teach idioms in spoken form, not written, and explain to students how they are conversational, rather than formal. Have students practice the idioms in dialogue to help them understand how they’re used in spoken English.

Don’t just hand out a long list of idioms. Be sure to provide a small selection of 5-10 idioms and explain each one. If you provide too many examples, it’ll simply turn into an introduction of what an idiom is, rather than how to actually remember the meaning and use one effectively in dialogue.

1. Why does the author give the example in Paragraph 1?

A．To explain why English is difficult to learn.

B．To show English idioms are quite interesting.

C．To show idioms can be difficult to understand.

D．To tell us the meaning of an English idiom.

2. What does the author consider important to a non-native speaker?

A．Using English idioms correctly in conversation.

B．Finding the meaning of idioms themselves.

C．Sounding fluent by avoiding English idioms.

D．Learning English idioms as low-intermediate learners.

3. What do we know about FluentU?

A．It has the latest music videos and movies.

B．It is appropriate for low-intermediate learners.

C．It provides various resource books for teachers.

D．It provides real-world videos on the usage of idioms.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．How to teach English in a fun way.

B．How to learn English idioms by yourself.

C．How to teach English idioms correctly.

D．How to use English idioms in dialogue.

7 . I went to South Africa for the first time as a lone travelling female with a love for wildlife when I just graduated from high school.

During my six-month stay there, I spent the last 4 weeks at GVI Karongwe. The GVI members were so helpful and were so kind and lovely too when I was there. It was one of the easiest and best-organised programs I spent my time on.

Every day we collected information on a variety of animals for research. I have to say it changed my life in so many ways and actually guided me on my path to the job I am doing now.

The first week was pretty busy with training to prepare us for our job in the bush (灌木) and teach us about mammals (哺乳动物), birds and other animals, tracks and signs as well as how to use the equipment (设备), take care of the cars and clean and cook for a house of more than 20 people. The training made a world of difference to anyone who was nervous about being new to the South African wilderness and wanted to do the job well. I also made friends with people from all over the world and they were of all ages and backgrounds, united by the common goal to contribute to wildlife protection in South Africa, which was so amazing!

GVI programs provide a fantastic way to learn and contribute to the community and wildlife in a hands-on way. It has put me on the path of wildlife research for the rest of my life!

1. Why did the author go to South Africa at first?

A．To do a voluntary job there.	B．To visit the wild animals there.
C．To join in the GVI program there.	D．To carry out research there.

2. What did the author think of the training provided at the first week?

A．It was necessary and important.	B．It was relaxing and creative.
C．It was difficult.	D．It was too long.

3. What can we learn about the GVI program in South Africa?

A．It offers free training and accommodation.	B．It helped the author choose her career.
C．Its members all have rich knowledge of wildlife.	D．Its purpose is to encourage visits to South Africa.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To give a positive review of the GVI program.	B．To tell us the importance of animal protection.
C．To tell us what she learned in South Africa.	D．To share her experiences in South Africa.

8 . Blowing Up Balloons with CO₂

Chemical reactions (化学反应) make for some great experiments. You can make use of the CO₂(carbon dioxide) given off by a baking soda (小苏打) and lemon juice reaction to blow up your balloon!

What you’ll need:

●Balloon        ●About 40ml of water        ●Soft drink bottle

●Juice from a lemon          ●I teaspoon of baking soda

Instructions:

●Before you begin, make sure that you pull the balloon long to make it as easy as possible to blow up.

●Put the 40ml of water into the soft drink bottle.

●Add the baking soda and mix it with water.

●Put the lemon juice in and quickly put the balloon over the mouth of the bottle.

What’s happening?

If all goes well, then your balloon should inflate! Adding the lemon juice to the baking soda creates a chemical reaction and produces CO₂. The gas rises up and escapes (逸出) through the soft drink bottle. It doesn’t, however, escape the balloon, pushing it outwards and blowing it up.

1. Which of the following do you need for the experiment?

A．Two cups.	B．Apple juice.
C．250 ml water.	D．A teaspoon of baking soda.

2. What should you do before the experiment?

A．Heat the water.	B．Drink some juice.
C．Blow up the balloon.	D．Pull the balloon long.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To describe an experiment.	B．To introduce a game.
C．To produce soft drinks.	D．To save some chemicals.

9 . If you see a young person in their early 20s driving a car in any Western city, you would not normally give them a second glance. However, in Christchurch, a city in New Zealand’s South Island, people do look suspiciously at anyone under 20 in a car. What they are really looking for is a yellow sticker on the car windows. The reason: a new scheme (方案) is targeting car thefts, using a yellow sticker programme.

Half of all car thefts in the quiet city are committed by people under 25, police say, and each year vehicles worth 6.2 million disappear “for good”. Police say that car theft is now so worrying that if a good idea “comes along”, they’ll use it. They say one has. It is called the Under 25 Scheme.

Because of the young age of car thieves in general, police invite owners whose cars are not normally driven by people under 25 to place a yellow triangle on front or back car windows. If police see anyone under 25 driving the car with a yellow triangle sticker on the window, they can stop the car and check the driver.

Police now say it has worked well enough over the last 18 months for them to test it nationally. Robin Scott, a Christchurch crime prevention officer says, “For the 13 months until last October we had 42 fewer cars stolen in Christchurch than the previous year and only eight carrying stickers were stolen.”

Meanwhile, youth advocates in Christchurch feel offended with it. Sam Fisher, a city communications employee, says, “If you divide people up like this, you’re going down the road to asking, ‘Who are the thieves in the community? What is the color of their skin? Where do they live? What’s their gender?’ so you target young black males living in a suburb. That’s the problem you end up with.”

As for the police, the real issues seem to be finding a sponsor to pay for the whole sticker scheme.

1. What does the underlined word “one” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．An idea

B．A thief

C．A sticker

D．A policeman

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．Why the Under-25 Scheme was introduced.	B．How the Under-25 Scheme functions.
C．Who benefits from the Under-25 Scheme.	D．What effects the Under-25 Scheme has.

3. What is Sam Fisher’s attitude towards the Under-25 Scheme?

A．Curious

B．Optimistic

C．Disappointed

D．Indifferent

4. What can be inferred about the scheme from the last paragraph?

A．It needs the approval of the government.	B．It needs extra funds.
C．It remains under discussion.	D．It has covered the whole nation.

10 . Skills you need for future work

Creativity

    1     Robots currently can’t compete with humans on creativity. The future workplace is going to demand new ways of thinking, and human creativity will be the key to it.

Emotional intelligence (EQ)

You exhibit high emotional intelligence if you have empathy (同感) and work well with others. A machine can’t easily replace a human’s ability to connect with another human being.     2    

Critical thinking

A person with critical thinking skills can suggest innovative solutions and ideas and solve complex problems using reasoning and logic.     3     After observing, someone who is a strong analytical thinker will rely on logical reasoning rather than emotion, collect the pros and cons (利与弊) of a situation and be open-minded to the best possible solution.

Technology skills

The 4th industrial revolution (革命) is fueled by technological innovations. This means that everyone will need a certain level of comfort around technology.     4     This requires some technical skills. Everyone needs to be able to understand the potential impact of new technologies on their industry, business, and job.

    5    

Due to the speed of change in the future workplace, people will have to be agile (机敏的) and able to embrace and celebrate change. Not only will our brains need to be flexible, but we’ll also need to be adaptable as we are required to adjust to shifting workplaces, expectations, and skill sets. A skill needed for the future will be the ability to see change as a chance to grow.

A．Active learning.

B．Accepting change.

C．So those who have high EQs will be in demand.

D．People should understand and respect others despite differences in culture.

E．Most employees will be required to access data and determine how to act on it.

F．The first step in critical thinking is to analyze information from various resources.

G．Human workers need to be creative to fully realize the benefits of all the new things in the future.