1 . It isn’t easy to climb the Old Man of Hoy, one of the tallest in the United Kingdom. It is even more dangerous if you happen to be a blind climber, as Jesse Dufton is. The 34-year-old was born with a rare genetic disease (遗传病) that left him with less than 20 percent of his vision (视觉), which then kept dropping over the years. He chooses to climb, because it’s better than sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself, right? Climbing is not the most dangerous thing I do on an average day; crossing the road on the way to work is far more risky than Hoy.”
Dufton has been climbing mountains since childhood. As a skilled climber, his father would take him out at weekends. He was always physical then, always up for adventure. He played sports at school, though quickly grew frustrated (沮丧) with many of them. Badminton was a joke for someone like me, and even blind cricket — with a ball with a bell in it — annoyed me. “Instead he was attracted to climbing and skiing, and insists that climbing is one of the safer activities for a blind person to undertake. “True, you can’t see the handholds, or the footholds. You can’t see where the opportunities are, or where to place your hands and your gear (齿轮), so you just have to take it slowly. You search around until you can feel for something to hold onto, and then basically repeat the process over and over again. To keep calm in these situations helps.”
It was Jesse himself who made a documentary happen. He told the filmmaker Alistair Lee about his pastime, believing it might be worth capturing on film. I realized my story was quite unusual,” he says, adding that he felt almost duty-bound to share it. If somebody like me watches it, and they find it inspirational, then it wouldn’t be right for me to keep that from them, wouldn’t it?”
1. What is more dangerous in Jesse Dufton’s eyes?| A．Losing eyesight gradually. | B．Daily routines in his life. |
| C．Climbing the Old Man of Hoy. | D．Staying at home all day. |
| A．show his unique talent for climbing |
| B．inspire more people with disability |
| C．give credit to the brave climbers |
| D．educate people about risky sports |
2 . Explore Central Park, one of the largest city parks in the world and one of the most famous symbols of New York. Let’s have a look at its main sights.
Central Park is New York’s largest city park and one of the biggest in the world, with an area of 843 acres (about 3.4km2). This park is home to man-made lakes, waterfalls, grass and wooded areas. You will also find the Central Park Zoo, among other attractions in this greenspace of New York.
Besides being the city’s primary green lungs, Central Park is also a favorite spot for many New Yorkers. It is perfect for sunbathing, going for walks, or doing any outdoor sports. Something that we found curious is seeing so many people running with their babies in prams (婴儿车).
What can we learn about the Central Park from the text?| A．It is home to lakes and waterfalls. |
| B．It is perfect for doing outdoor sports. |
| C．It is the largest city park in the world. |
| D．It is the most famous symbol of New York. |
3 . In recent years, the study of epigenetics has gained significant popularity, especially among psychologists and sociologists. It emphasizes that gene expression or suppression is influenced by the environment just as much as by genes themselves. Factors such as what we consume, what we experience, and how long we live can switch genes on or off, impacting our personality, body shape, and likelihood of contracting diseases.
What does the study of epigenetics show?| A．Genes can be easily expressed or suppressed after birth. |
| B．Genes can control body shape and the possibility of diseases. |
| C．Genes are not the only decisive factor behind our characteristics. |
| D．Genes contribute to certain tendencies and characteristics within us. |
4 . We have house rules to make LearnEnglish a fun and safe place to improve your English, so please make sure you follow these rules.
The age requirementWe welcome learners from around the world who are at least 18 years old. If you are 12 or younger, please use LearnEnglish Kids; if you are 13—17, please use LearnEnglish teens.
...What is the purpose of these rules?
| A．To create a good English-learning environment. |
| B．To encourage everyone to learn English. |
| C．Keep in line with Internet laws. |
| D．To respect users of the website. |
5 . If you’re planning to visit Japan, it is a good idea to understand some basic customs.
SURGICAL MASKSSeeing photos of people in Japan wearing surgical masks, you might wonder if surgical masks are just a fashion. Meanwhile, in America, we cough into the open air, and sneak out of restrooms without washing up.
In Japan, it’s not nice to share germs (细菌). If you’re sick and you must leave your home, you put a surgical mask because that’s polite. Surgical masks are also worn out of caution — if you travel in a packed train during flu season, it’s a good idea to do so.
......About YOUR SHOES
Wearing shoe in the house is just not something people do in Japan. You should remove your shoes immediately after entering a Japanese home and also when entering most historic buildings.
1. The Japanese consider wearing a surgical mask as ________.| A．a fashion | B．a danger |
| C．good manners | D．a good idea |
| A．get a snack | B．remove your shoes |
| C．put soy sauce over the rice | D．wear a mask |
6 . Animal studies have demonstrated the strong impact of a male mammal’s nutritional history on its offspring (后代). For instance, male rats that experience starvation before mating produce offspring with altered blood sugar levels and changes in hormones like corticosterone (which helps fight stress) and insulin-like growth factor (which aids in baby development).
...
Increasingly, biology reveals that a person’s health and well-being significantly impact the health and happiness of their future children. It is not solely because a tough man is more likely to be a great father or due to his genetic makeup. Regardless of a person’s inherited characteristics, the lifestyle choices they make throughout their life, even before considering parenthood, will have a lasting impact on their children’s physical and mental well-being.
What can be learned from the passage?| A．A strong male is likely to leave more offspring behind. |
| B．The lifestyle a male has chosen affects not only himself but also his children. |
| C．A healthy male usually gets the best genes to pass along to his future generations. |
| D．It is unlikely that a happy male will develop anxiety and depression. |
7 . In recent years, the psychologically rich life has been receiving greater research attention. It is full of strong emotions, both positive and negative, and new and interesting experiences. They are, however, seldom boring or dull.
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These findings suggest that while most people do struggle to be happy and have meaning and purpose in their lives, a sizable number of people are content only living a psychologically rich life. Indeed, other new research suggests that for a lot of people, the intensity (强度) of the experience matters more than only how “positive” or “negative” it was. As Oishi and his colleagues conclude, “we believe that taking the psychologically rich life seriously will deepen, broaden and enrich our understanding of well-being.”
At the end of the day, there is no one acceptable path to the good life. You have to find a path that works best for you. As Nietzsche put it: “No one can build you the bridge on which you, and only you, must cross the river of life. There may be countless bridges but there is one path in the world that none can walk but you. Where does it lead? Don’t ask, walk!”
1. According to the passage, the psychologically rich life is _________.| A．full of meaning and purpose |
| B．nothing but different emotions |
| C．strong emotions and interesting experiences |
| D．all about being content with what you have |
| A．the psychologically rich life is the best one |
| B．more people prefer to live a psychologically rich life |
| C．there is no difference between,’ positive’ and ‘negative’ experience |
| D．studying psychological richness helps to understand well-being better |
8 . In Saskatchewan, Canada, vegetables have a short growing season. So a very unique farm in Hudson Bay is growing fresh, pesticide-free vegetables in a hydroponic (水培的) farm all year long. There the plants are grown in water instead of soil.
Growing vegetables in the middle of nowhere, about 300 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, may seem like a big risk, but there is no other place for people to get locally grown food. Produce is available in local supermarkets but it is trucked in from far away.
The idea to turn the no longer used Stewart Hawke school into a farm came to the Nels when Hudson Bay asked for bids (投标) for the building in 2018. It was empty and if an alternative use wasn’t found, it would be pulled down.”
......
What did the farm use to be?| A．A supermarket | B．A school | C．A garden | D．A factory |
9 . We have house rules to make LearnEnglish a fun and safe place to improve your English, so please make sure you follow these rules.
The age requirementWe welcome learners from around the world who are at least 18 years old. If you are 12 or younger, please use LearnEnglish Kids; if you are 13-17, please use LearnEnglish teens.
…
Who is the LearnEnglish website mainly intended for?| A．English teachers. | B．Adult learners. |
| C．Children under 12. | D．Students aged between 13 and 17. |
10 . A tree-planting initiative in Kenya has seen over 30,000 trees being planted. The Green Generation Initiative is a Kenyan charity that has been planting trees to counter climate change and the reduction in forest in the East African nation since 2016.
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Speaking to world leaders at the recent United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26), Elizabeth issued a serious warning on the threat of climate change. Over two million of Kenyans are facing climate related starvation. In 2025, half of the world’s population will be facing water shortage. The climate crisis will displace 80 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
Elizabeth said, “I have been doing what I can. Inspired by the great Wangari Maathai, I founded a tree growing initiative that enhances food security for young Kenyans.” So far, they have grown 30,000 fruit trees to maturity, providing desperately needed nutrition for thousands of children. “Every day we see that when we look after the trees, they look after us. We are the adults on this Earth right now, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the children have food and water,” she added.
Which of the following can best describe Elizabeth Wathuti?| A．Friendly and talented. | B．Caring and responsible. |
| C．Honest and determined. | D．Ambitious and humorous. |
