1 . How to Be Creative
Most of us think that creativity is a quality (品质) belonging only to artists, writers, or dancers, rather than ourselves.
Get out of your comfort zone
We eagerly accept the familiar and fear the unknown. Break out of your usual patterns and welcome creativity into your life. As said earlier, the human brain was designed to recognize patterns.
Try different things
If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. We are creatures of habits and routines, and creativity hates routines (常规). If you usually drive to work, take the subway for a few days.
Having a great idea is not enough, you must work to make it a reality. Have you ever seen a new product and realized that you thought of the same thing long ago? Yet someone else is making money with “your” idea.
| A．Take action |
| B．Seek several options |
| C．Think from the other person’s point of view. |
| D．If you normally eat in the office, have lunch under a tree. |
| E．We continue to create patterns for almost everything we do. |
| F．The truth is that we are all born with the ability to be creative. |
| G．We all have great ideas sometimes, but only a few people turn their ideas into realities. |
2 . When you think of wildlife holidays in the UK, Scotland is probably the first destination(目的地) that comes to mind, with quite a few breathtaking natural sites that offer a wonderful base to watch wildlife.
The Trossachs National Park
It was the first national park established in Scotland. The Loch Lomond at the center of the park is the largest body of freshwater in the UK. The largest land mammal (哺乳动物) in Britain, red deer can be found in the park. Keep an eye out as you pass through forests, woodlands and open hills.
The Isle of Staffa
The Isle of Staffa is famous for its dramatic rock formations, and for the cave known as “Fingal’s Cave”, Staffa provided inspiration to Felix Mendelssohn, the German musician. He visited in 1829 and, afterwards, composed his Hebrides Overture. The island is also famous for its adorable seabirds—puffins, which are known for their vibrant beaks (鸟喙) and big personalities.
The Cairngorms National Park
The Cairngorms National Park is in northeast Scotland. With an area of 1,748 square miles, the park covers the Cairngorms range of mountains and surrounding hills, and is the largest national park in the UK as the second national park in Scotland. Over 25% of the UK’s endangered species make their home in the park’s ancient pine forests, among which you can find the red squirrel—the UK’s only native squirrel (松鼠) species.
1. Which of the following is connected with the creation of a piece of music?| A．The Isle of Staffa. | B．The Trossachs National Park. |
| C．The Loch Lomond. | D．The Caimgorms National Park. |
| A．It is the second largest national park in Scotland. | B．It lies off the coast of northeast Scotland. |
| C．It is the only place to find the red squirrel. | D．It supports a wide variety of rare animals. |
| A．To give advice on how to spend holidays in Scotland. |
| B．To raise awareness (意识)of endangered wildlife in Scotland. |
| C．To introduce some places to see wildlife in Scotland. |
| D．To compare some breathtaking destinations in Scotland. |
3 . To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, I called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada. “A lot of people think about being bored as being lazy. And it’s absolutely not that,” he says. “Bored people want to be engaged with their world, eager to do something satisfying and exciting. But any attempt to do so is failing.”
That means boredom is usually very upsetting. And it can have physical consequences. In one of his experiments, Danckert made people extremely bored by showing them a video of two people hanging clothes to dry. He found that when people got bored, their hearts beat faster and their levels of a hormone called cortisol (皮质醇) went up, compared to when they watched another video that made them sad. These physical changes were signs that boredom was stressing them out. “It’s not like having a full-on panic attack,”Danckert says. But it’s certainly enough to make boredom unpleasant.
Let’s come back to if boredom can kill you. Back in the 1980s, scientists asked people who worked for the British government a whole bunch of questions, including how bored they felt in their daily lives. The study tracked the participants over time. When any one of them died, the survey recorded the cause of death. In 2010, two researchers matched up these causes of death with the participants’ level of boredom. It turned out that people who said they were more bored were also more likely to have died of heart disease. “We know that prolonged exposure to stress is bad for your health,” Danckert says. A single boring day can’t kill you. But if you’re always bored, the stress could add up into something dangerous.
“Oh no,” you might be thinking. “School is boring, my friends are boring, everything is boring! What’s going to happen to me?” Don’t worry, Danckert says, “As you get older, you get less bored,” mainly because you gain more independence and have to get busy to achieve your long-term goals. And trust me: that’s anything but boring.
1. According to James Danckert, people feel bored because ______.| A．they are too lazy to do anything | B．they can’t fully understand boredom |
| C．they are too frightened to have a try | D．they can’t gain excitement in life |
| A．Doing housework will make people bored. |
| B．Physical changes can lead to extreme boredom. |
| C．People’s heart rate increases with boredom. |
| D．Watching something sad is a boring experience. |
| A．Continued. | B．Short. | C．Sudden. | D．Active. |
| A．Depending on friends. | B．Setting long-term goals. |
| C．Keeping yourself occupied. | D．Trusting people around you. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：
1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
My name is Li Ming, a student studied in Ganzhou No. 18 Middle School. I am eager become a volunteer in your group and I can work till my next term begins. I have a real gift on singing. I get first prize in the singing competition in our school last year. However, I can teach children how to sing songs. Besides, I play the piano very well, that will help a lot in my work. I am warm-hearted and always be ready to help. Helping other people makes myself happy. I believe I can make friend with the children. I hope I am fortunately enough to be a member of your group.
5 . Ways to Brighten a Cloudy Day
When I was a small child, I’d curl up on my parents’ bed after the sunshine had warmed it. It was a pleasant place of peace and safety that I struggled to find in later years.
Get outside, move and breathe.
Fresh air and sunshine can have a magical effect on your feelings. Sometimes when you are feeling down, all that you need to do is simply go outside and breathe.
Do something nice for a complete stranger.
Buy a coffee, pay a bill, give a smile and a “thank you” when none is required. You may even reach out and help strangers who live far away from you.
Laugh from your stomach.
Try something not included in your normal life.
Most of us eat from a very short list of food. Eating something entirely different will do more than expand your sense of taste.
We need to live each moment wholeheartedly, with all our senses. Only in this way will we find what a wonderful world it actually is!
| A．Choose seasonal, healthy foods like fresh fruit instead of high-fat ones. |
| B．It will help keep your sense of adventure alive! |
| C．Each day includes moments that can be deeply enjoyed or carelessly ignored. |
| D．You know the kind of laugh that shakes your whole body? |
| E．Being happy is about taking the time to work towards your goal. |
| F．Giving will open you up to a world of kindness. |
| G．Movement and exercise is also a great way to feel better. |
6 . When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late, but it’s not my fault; the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming (责怪) somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to improve the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your co-worker causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of(不管) how your co-worker fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about — creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.
1. What can we learn about winners?| A．They have responsible and able co-workers. | B．They blame themselves rather than others. |
| C．They focus on solving problems. | D．They seldom meet with difficulties in life. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By making comparison. |
| C．By providing research results. | D．By using opinions from others. |
| A．Excuses for their failures. | B．Chances for self-development. |
| C．Challenges to their co-workers. | D．Keys to the final success. |
| A．A Winner’s Achievement | B．A Winner’s Problem |
| C．A Winner’s Opportunity | D．A Winner’s Secret |
7 . In order to reduce the risk of suffering from COVID-19, people are supposed to say no to a handshake, give up high fives, refuse kisses on the cheek and absolutely avoid hugging. So people all over the world are changing their daily habits at work and at home to prevent it from spreading.
In France, handshaking is regarded as daily greeting habits. And kissing on the cheek is often seen even between people who have only just met. Philippe Lichtfus, a lifestyle expert notices that handshaking is a relatively recent development in human history that began in the Middle Ages. Now, he says simply looking into a person’s eyes can serve as a greeting.
The Brazilian health ministry has suggested that citizens should not share the metal straws traditionally used to drink the caffeine-rich drink chimarrão. And a kiss — even if it is not on the mouth — is totally advised against.
One of Spain’s most treasured traditions is also affected by the outbreak — the kissing of sculptures (雕塑) of Virgin Mary in the week leading up to Easter. During the holy week, the faithful believers queue up to kiss the hands or feet of sculptures of Mary and the saints, seeking their protection.
Germany’s interior minister (内政部长) Horst Seehofer rebuffed Chancellor (总理) Angela Merkel’s try to shake hands with him, smiling and keeping both his hands to himself. They both laughed and Merkel threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat.
In Iran, a video has gone viral (走红) showing three friends meeting, hands in their pockets, two of whom are wearing masks, tapping their feet against each other as a greeting. A similar video in Lebanon shows singer Ragheb Alama and comedian Michel Abou Sleiman tapping their feet against each other while making kissing noises with their mouths.
The UAE (阿拉伯联合酋长国) is advising citizens to stop the traditional “nose to nose” greeting. The UAE also said that people shouldn’t shake hands anymore or kiss. Greet each other “by waving only”.
1. What can we learn from Philippe Lichtfus?| A．Handshaking has a long history. |
| B．It is suggested that people look into other’s eyes as a greeting. |
| C．People can continue to kiss on the cheek. |
| D．It is unusual for two people who have just met to kiss on the cheeks. |
| A．Appreciated. | B．Welcomed. | C．Accepted. | D．Refused. |
| A．People who believe in Virgin Mary must be disappointed to cancel (取消) the ceremony. |
| B．Several traditional greeting habits are advised against in the UAE. |
| C．Brazilians are crazy about drinking the caffeine-rich drink chimarrão. |
| D．Tapping feet against each other has already become a daily greeting in Iran. |
| A．People change their greeting styles to protect themselves. |
| B．Some new greeting styles become popular. |
| C．Different countries have different greeting styles. |
| D．Some old greeting styles are out of date. |
8 . In the summer of 2017 I had a firework explode in my right hand and ended up losing my index finger, middle finger, end of my ring finger and end of my thumb. All in all， it was still a good day because I was still alive and knew it could have been a lot worse.
When I got to the hospital my parents were already supporting me as soon as possible. A day later my brother flew across the country leaving his job to be there for me. Seeing that really opened up for me that family is the best thing you can have-but that is not why I’m writing this story.
I am doing this for people to see that the biggest competitor in life is that person who looks back at you in the mirror. In this world you are what you believe you are. If you want to tell yourself that you are stupid or you are not good-looking, that’s what you are going to be. But if you look in the mirror and want to tell yourself you are great or you are going to make a difference in this world, then make it happen.
Ever since this accident, I had some rough moments but I learned to see the bright side of it. I learned not to regret it because it made me the person I am today. And that person is a 17-year-old kid who believes that if you work hard enough, be what you want to be, and have faith in yourself, anything is possible. Everything happens for a reason. For that reason, I still work the rest of my life achieving my dreams and trying to be known as the person I see myself as, because the reward at the end will be greater than anyone can possibly imagine.
1. What happened after the author was sent to hospital?| A．He felt rather worse there. | B．He had a big operation there. |
| C．His family came to be with him. | D．Something even worse happened. |
| A．You should change your attitude to yourself. | B．Don’t believe the image in the mirror. |
| C．People will feel upset sometimes. | D．The way you treat life matters a lot. |
| A．The author himself. | B．The author’s brother. |
| C．The author’s friend. | D．Anyone else. |
| A．Helpful and intelligent. | B．Positive and ambitious. |
| C．Adventurous and considerate. | D．Modest and hard-working. |
1. 简要介绍你的偶像；
2. 成为你的偶像的原因；
3. 对你的影响。
注意：1. 写作词数应为110左右；
My Idol
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . North Americans value independence, and Europeans value togetherness. I never fully understood that stereotype until two months ago, when I left Canada for a 4-month period in a lab in France. On my first day, Pierre, a Ph. D. student, tapped me on my shoulder and asked: “Coffee?” I nodded and followed him to the common room, where other grad students were filling in. I sat there, cautiously sipping the bitter liquid and trying hard not to reveal my uncultured tastes, while lab chatter filled the air.
Coffee breaks are a ceremonial part of lab culture here. The chatter sometimes turns to serious scientific topics. But mostly, the meet-ups offer a chance to wind down, to share stories about life inside and outside the lab and to sympathize with people who understand what you’re going through.
The lighthearted atmosphere and sense of community is a welcome contrast to my life in Canada, where I spent most of my workdays in isolation. I went into the lab each morning with set goals for my day. At lunch, I’d keep my eyes glued to my computer while I fed forkfuls of salad into my mouth, trying to power through my to-do list. For 9 months, I struggled to figure out why I couldn’t exactly copy the results of another study. I didn’t want to trouble my advisor too much. I was also hesitant to ask my labmates for help.
How much we were missing! Researchers need community because good ideas don’t just come from reading literature and thinking deep thoughts. It’s helpful to bounce ideas off others, and, to have a venue to share the day-to-day ups and downs of life.
Would coffee breaks have solved all my problems? Probably not. But I think sharing ideas with my peers would have helped solve my research dilemma. My time in France has taught me that it’s important to create space for organic conversations about lab life. A scientist’s life can feel isolating, but it’s not necessarily so when you’re connected to a supportive community.
1. How did the author feel when he drank coffee for the first time in France?| A．A little nervous. | B．Very happy. |
| C．Somewhat excited. | D．Quite curious. |
| A．Cultural ceremonies in France. | B．Various topics of the chatter. |
| C．Coffee breaks in French lab culture. | D．Lab culture in French style. |
| A．Comfortable and fulfilled. | B．Busy and lonely. |
| C．Tense but satisfactory. | D．Boring but healthy. |
| A．To introduce the coffee break in Europe. |
| B．To explain the difference between cultures. |
| C．To recall his personal experience in France. |
| D．To convey the importance of a supportive circle. |
