| A．what | B．that | C．which | D．how |
2 . When I was young, a friend and I came up with a “big” plan to make reading easy. The idea was to boil down great books to a sentence each. “Moby-Dick” by American writer Herman Melville, for instance, was reduced to: “A whale of a tale about the one that got away.” As it turned out, the joke was on us. How could a single sentence convey the essence (精髓) of a masterpiece with over five hundred pages?
Blinkist, a website and an app, now summarizes nonfiction titles in the form of quick takes labeled “blinks.” The end result is more than one sentence, but not by much. Sarah Bakewell’s “At the Existentialist Café” is broken into 11 screens of information; Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” fills 13.
Blinkist has been around since 2012. It calls its summaries “15-minute discoveries” to indicate how long it takes to read a Blinkist summary. “Almost none of us,” the editors assure us, “have the time to read everything we’d like to read.” Well, yes, of course, “So many books, so little time,” declares a poster I once bought at a book market. But I judge the quality of someone’s library by the books he or she has yet to read.
That’s because a book is something we ought to live with, rather than speed through and categorize. It offers an experience as real as any other. The point of reading a book is not accumulating information, or at least not that alone. The most essential aspect is the communication between writer and reader. The idea behind Blinkist, however, is the opposite: Reading can be, should be, measured by the efficient uptake (吸收) of key ideas. No, no, no. What’s best about reading books is its inefficiency.
When reading a book, we need to dive in, let it take over us, demand something of us, teach us what it can. Blinkist is instead a service that changes books for people who don’t, in fact, want to read. A 15-minute summary misses the point of reading; speed-reading with the app isn’t reading at all.
1. What does the underlined part “the joke was on us” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．We were actually joking. | B．We were laughed at by others. |
| C．We were underestimating ourselves. | D．We were just embarrassing ourselves. |
| A．What Blinkist is. | B．Why Blinkist is popular. |
| C．How to use Blinkist. | D．Where you can use Blinkist. |
| A．There are few new books of quality. | B．Many books are hard to understand. |
| C．People do not have enough time to read. | D．People do not like reading as much as before. |
| A．Obtaining key ideas efficiently. | B．Further confirming our beliefs. |
| C．Accumulating in formation quickly. | D．Deeply involving ourselves in books. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative | C．Uncaring. | D．Tolerant. |
3 . Ojok Okello’s dream to build a city in his father’s home village began with a small house. When he set foot there in Northern Uganda for the first time in 2013, he wanted to build a small mud brick house where he could spend time with his extended family in Okere. But the poverty of his dad’s village nagged at him.
So in 2018 he returned. By that time, he’d earned a master’s degree in rural development, where he studied up on various kinds of aid projects. International projects often didn’t work in places like Northern Uganda, he’d begun to realize, because they saw locals as recipients, not cooperators. So when he decided to help rebuild Okere, he believed it had to be done differently.
He began asking locals what their most pressing challenges were. At the time, the nearest school was 2.5 miles away, and had few teachers and books.
So Mr. Okello took out his savings and in 2019 began building a small kindergarten. Later, he began another program to help adults learn to read and write. This fall, after Okere residents said they needed a way to make money, Mr. Okello began to experiment with processing small nuts, which residents mostly women—collect and turn into butter for cooking and cosmetics.
But his project has run into some of the same challenges as other development projects in the region. It needs money. To date, almost all of the project has been funded by Mr. Okello’s savings. He’s open to donor support, as long as donors are willing to back what the community says it needs rather than impose their own agenda. And so far, he’s had some donors. But the question of funding remains a lasting one. Mr. Okello says he plans to keep using his own money until he has none left to give. “New York City was built by someone. Okere will also be built.” he says. “The most important thing is that its foundation has already been laid.”
1. What do the underlined words “nagged at” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Encouraged. | B．Transformed. | C．Honored. | D．Worried. |
| A．They lacked money. | B．They couldn’t find cooperators. |
| C．They didn’t get locals involved. | D．They lacked experts in rural development. |
| A．He met their educational needs. |
| B．He sponsored their schoolchildren. |
| C．He taught at the local kindergarten. |
| D．He found jobs for women in a cosmetic factory. |
| A．It’s short of money. |
| B．It is not welcomed by the locals. |
| C．There are not enough participants in it. |
| D．It doesn’t change the poverty of the village. |
| A．Help lay the foundation for Okere. |
| B．Solve real problems of the community. |
| C．Put forward their own construction plans. |
| D．Launch as many development projects as possible. |
4 . The discovery of the Komodo Dragons is one of the most important zoological (动物学的) surprises of the 20th century. Before 1912 it was completely unknown and it was believed that there were no more large lizards (蜥蜴) in the world. Then, in that year, a party of fishermen stopped at an almost completely-unknown small island in a group of islands. The fishermen brought back stories of a huge, prehistoric animal living there. The island’s name was Komodo. The largest of these lizards was over ten feet from nose to tail. Komodo dragons have also been discovered on several neighboring islands.
Are the dragons dangerous to humans? Yes. A Swiss tourist who sat down to have a rest while the other people of his tour group went ahead was attacked and eaten by a dragon. All that was left was a piece of his camera. A number of other people have been killed by dragon attacks over the years. The dragons can eat up to 80 percent of their own weight in a single meal. Their attack way is to wait behind trees, then rush forward and give a single large bite to the person or other animal. Most Komodo dragons prefer wild boar (野猪) or deer as their meals, but they will try to attack and get almost every other animal they can find, including other dragons. The largest dragons weigh around 150 kilos. Though the Komodo dragons can see well, they do most of their hunting based on smell. A dragon can recognize a certain smell from several miles when the wind is right. They will hunt when they have to, and these large lizards are more than happy to get an already dead animal when they come across one.
1. How was the Komodo dragon discovered?| A．Scientists had been looking for it and found it |
| B．It was found by chance by some fishermen. |
| C．Some fishermen looked for it on an island. |
| D．It was discovered by some tourists. |
| A．only on Komodo | B．on several islands near Komodo Island |
| C．on many islands in the world | D．on all the islands near Komodo Island |
| A．when people attack them, they will fight back |
| B．humans are their favourite food |
| C．they will attack and eat humans if they find them |
| D．they are much bigger than people |
| A．deer | B．humans | C．trees | D．Komodo dragons |
| A．always hunt by smelling |
| B．never hunt by looking with their eyes |
| C．can always smell something several miles away |
| D．hunt with both their noses and eyes |
5 . University summer school courses
Welcome to our university summer school. Summer is a good time to start a course, pursue a degree, participate in a professional development program, or prepare for your future. This summer, we’ll be offering hundreds of undergraduate and graduate courses available online. These include special professional development classes and programs. Take a look at some of our courses below.
| Title: Africana Philosophy | Instructor: Ted Karson, PhD | |
| Session: seven-week session | Time: Tues., Thurs., 8:30-11:30 a. m., or on demand | Start Date: June 22, 2020 |
| Notes: This course meets via live web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. | ||
| Description: This class carries out a research of Africana philosophy as a subject studied by professional philosophers of African background and non-African scholars. Students enrolled will be exploring related issues in a classroom environment mediated by dialogued, debates, and presentations. | ||
| Title: Space Law and Policy | Instructor: A. J. Harrison, PhD | |
| Session: four-week session | Time: Tues., Thurs., noon-3:00 p.m. | Start Date: June 23, 2020 |
| Notes: This course meets via live web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. | ||
| Description: This course shows students the practice of space law and policy in the United States and around the world. Students start by exploring the basics of both fields. Then they take a detailed look at the roles of governance, addressing ongoing debates challenging the space sector. | ||
| Title: Introduction to Social Anthropology | Instructor: Adam Mackay, PhD | |
| Session: six-week session | Time: Tues., Thurs., 3:15-6:15 p.m. | Start Date: June 22, 2020 |
| Notes: Open to admitted Secondary School Program students. Required sections for graduate students and optional sections for undergraduate students to be arranged. | ||
| Description: The course explores anthropological approaches to society, culture, history, and current events. Students will conduct in-depth studies on a series of themes and try their best to deal with the intellectual and ethical challenges of anthropologists both in the past and at present. | ||
| Title: African and African American Religions | Instructor: Danile Evans, PhD | |
| Session: seven-week session | Time: Tues., Thurs., 8:30-11:30 a.m., or on demand | Start Date: June 21, 2020 |
| Notes: This course meets via live web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. | ||
| Description: This course provides an overview of West African and African American religions from a comparative, transatlantic aspect. Based on up-to-date research, the course explores the historical process by which African religions have become world religions — a trend that is speeding up in the 21st century. | ||
| A．attend and participate in some academic meetings in Africa |
| B．be involved in studying some issues related to African Philosophy |
| C．have face-to-face communications with some African professionals |
| D．turn to some African background scholars for help to finish the course |
| A．By showing students how space law and policy are practised. |
| B．By showing the students around the United States and the world. |
| C．By introducing how to explore the basics of space law and policy. |
| D．By introducing the history of making the space law and policy. |
| A．Africana Philosophy. |
| B．Space Law and Policy. |
| C．Introduction to Social Anthropology. |
| D．African and African American Religions. |
| A．Ted Karson. | B．A. J. Harrison. |
| C．Adam Mackay. | D．Danile Evans. |
| A．To explore the meaning of a good summer. |
| B．To make comments on the courses of a university. |
| C．To discuss the advantages of a university summer school. |
| D．To introduce the online courses of a university summer school. |
— ______ . He’s on his way.
| A．The sooner the better. | B．That’s news to me. |
| C．How could you? | D．Not especially. |
| A．disagreed | B．complained | C．calculated | D．recommended |
| A．was employed | B．is being employed |
| C．were employed | D．are being employed |
9 . We are all born social and company to live happy and fruitful life. Healthy and supportive mutual relationships help reduce stress and promote the, physical, mental and emotional well-being by building skills like time management, assertiveness( 坚定自信), sociability and empathy.
Making friends has made me feel secure. However, I have to be cautious to pick up friends sharing similar tastes and values. In addition, having added to one’s circle of friends helps one feel supported.
It is true that finding time to cultivate relationships is all about effective time management. My busy uncle finds time to catch up with family and friends during his tea and lunch breaks. Similarly my friend Somya uses her time on her way back home from work in her chauffeur-driven car to catch up with people. The modern inventions of SMS and e-mail help send wishes for birthdays and anniversaries to show your love and care.
Assertiveness is as much applicable to relationships. My friend Mohana emphasizes that neither being a passive observer nor being aggressive helps relationships. It is assertiveness in our relationships that opens the lines of effective communication. It emphasizes helping friends in need and also strengthens mutually supportive relationships.
It is also true that assertiveness by intuition promotes discretion(自行决定权) of friends and helps Lalitha distinguish positive people from drains of energy. She can easily figure this out by the flow of the conversation, the way each feels understood, accepted and supported, and by how I feel, happy, bored or energized in the relationship. It also helps to know whether all benefit from each other’s positive aspects.
Handling stress in life is all about cultivating mutually supportive relationships and working on them. Manisha always says she feels great when sharing her feelings after a hard day with people who share similar ideas. Actually we all need someone who would not just hear us, but listen to us, and we need to cultivate the art of listening and understanding people.
1. A busy person can develop his social relationships by________.| A．inviting friends for dinner | B．making friends with strangers |
| C．working hard for high positions | D．getting together in the intervals of business |
| A．Being passive. | B．Being assertive. |
| C．Being aggressive. | D．Being relaxed. |
| A．lonely | B．bored | C．stressed | D．energetic |
| A．Manisha. | B．Mohana. | C．Lalitha. | D．Somya. |
| A．How should we handle our stress in life? |
| B．What is to be done for applicable relationships? |
| C．How can we pick up friends supporting us? |
| D．How people build mutually supportive social relationship? |
10 . Nearly one year after the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, students across Chicago and the suburbs in the US say when it comes to high school, the thrill is gone. Simple pleasures such as getting together with friends in the hallways and catching up over lunch in the cafeteria are displaced by a dystopian (反乌托邦的) landscape of remote learning and virtual extracurricular.
After 11 months of remote learning, and what many teens describe as the soul-crushing disappointment of canceled after school activities, experts say a growing number of teens are now struggling with anxiety and depression due to heightened levels of stress and social isolation.
Still, the following stories shared by high school students from Chicago and the suburbs provide a glimmer of hope that for some, the pandemic-era heartbreak might develop a generation of resilient (有韧性的) young adults who will be better equipped to deal with life’s twists and turns.
Students who participate in speech, an activity that combines drama and public speaking, have been able to continue this school year, albeit (尽管) over the internet. Instead of delivering emotional monologues (独白) and duets (二重唱) to a live panel of judges, they must summon their best performances while looking into a webcam.
“Dueting is so frustrating when it comes to online,” said Jaylah Hogg, 17, a junior at Thornton Township High School in Harvey. “Wi-Fi at my house is pretty good but my partner’s isn’t. So it’s like I’m trying to time her lines in my head because she’s blanking out when she’s talking. Sometimes the judges do hold that against us.”
But it hasn’t been all bad. After nearly a year of remote learning, Deerfield High School freshman Ben Segall, 15, said he was excited that the school was expected to finally welcome students back into the building for a hybrid program later this month.
The pandemic has also crushed the athletic seasons for sports at many high schools including Senn High School in the Edgewater neighborhood. There, Davion Holmes is staying focused on applying to Wilberforce, Ohio-based Central State University.
And with some of the recent updates to the Illinois High School Association’s COVID-19 guidelines, Holmes said he remained hopeful, albeit realistic, about finally resuming his high school athletic career in the months ahead.
“I didn’t want to have to live through a pandemic, but I worked through it, and that’s something I’ll be able to tell my kids and grandkids someday,” he added.
1. What is a major problem with remote learning?| A．The heavy workload. | B．The lack of social interaction. |
| C．The large number of students in class. | D．The high levels of stress in class. |
| A．The Wi-Fi at her house was dissatisfactory. |
| B．It was hard to work as a team online. |
| C．The judges failed to do their job well. |
| D．She felt nervous in front of the webcam. |
| A．It allowed him to focus on applying to universities. |
| B．It made little difference to his athletic career. |
| C．It is something that has made him stronger. |
| D．It’s the last thing he wants to mention in the future. |
| A．To describe the pandemic’s influence on teens. |
| B．To present different views on the pandemic. |
| C．To call for attention to students’ mental health. |
| D．To encourage teens to be positive toward school life. |
| A．Athletic Career | B．Monologues and Duets |
| C．Best Performances | D．Adapting to Change |
