1 . There is a mountain of great ski opportunities not too far from Boston. Road-trip to one of these fantastic ski mountains this winter.
Blue Hills Ski Area
A ski day trip doesn’t get any easier than the Blue Hills Ski Area. It is the only snow sports facility in the metro area. Skiing and snowboarding are spread over its 60 skiable acres, 90% of which are equipped for snowmaking. The vertical drop is 309 feet and there are four lifts serving the 16 trails, most of which are for advanced skiers. There are lessons for kids and adults to help you get there.
Crochet Mountain Resort
It’s famous for signature “Midnight Madness” events and daily night skiing. It has an 875-foot vertical drop and 23 trails across 75 skiable acres. A great mountain for skiers, half its terrain is graded for intermediates with the rest being split between advanced and beginner terrain.
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort
It’s the only one of ski resorts to be 100% powered by renewable energy sources. Skiers will find a 1,150-foot vertical drop, 45 trails, 3 terrain parks and 9 lifts across 167 skiable acres. The whole family can take lessons, enjoy dining or buy a ticket and go for a ride on the 3,600-foot Mountain Coaster!
Smugglers’ Notch
Smugglers’ Notch has a 2,564-foot vertical drop, 78 trails, 5 terrain parks and 8 lifts spread across 1,000 skiable acres. Known as a full-service family-oriented resort, it offers plenty to do off mountain like ice skating, arts and crafts workshops and an indoor swimming pool!
1. Which ski resort mainly targets advanced skiers?| A．Blue Hills Ski Area. | B．Crochet Mountain Resort. |
| C．Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort. | D．Smugglers’ Notch. |
| A．Its trails. | B．Its location. |
| C．Its vertical drop. | D．Its green concept. |
| A．Have a swim. | B．Ski with world champions. |
| C．Enjoy stone sculptures. | D．Ride a roller coaster. |
Ways to Cut Your Carbon Footprint
Our carbon footprint, which drives more global warming, is connected with everything we produce, eat and buy. There are dozens of things we can do to reduce it.
About one-third of all food gets wasted every year. Producing food that won’t be eaten wastes valuable resources, including energy. It also creates a lot of greenhouse gases. If we don’t buy what we don’t need, we could cut our food carbon footprint by 12 percent.
People who use traditional vehicles can make up the largest part of carbon footprint. That’s why people should walk more, ride bikes or take public transportation. If you use your car, consider an electric vehicle（EV）. Once they hit the roads, EVs don’t emit planet-warming gases.
Everything we buy also contributes to our carbon footprint. So a key way to lessen the footprint is to buy fewer new things. Shopping for the second-hand goods cuts much pollution. Next best is to extend the life of your products. Recycle wherever you can.
A. Buy less new stuffB. Reduce food waste
C. Eat plant-based foods
D. Green your travel
3 . On Thursday, June 28th, California passed the country’s toughest online laws. Starting January 1st, 2020, this law will allow consumers to ask an online organization what data is being held about them, why they require this data, and if there is any other company the organization will be sharing the data with. They can also request the removal of this information, and choose not to take part in the sale of personal data.
Many people reacted very favorably towards this new law, but big organizations like Google are against it. So why did California decide to create stricter online laws?
A man named Alastair Mactaggart, who is a real estate developer, spent more than 3 million dollars and secured more than 600,000 signatures on a ballot initiative. Ballot initiatives are petitions (请愿书) that are put to a public vote after receiving a certain number of signatures.
In an article from National Public Radio, Mactaggart recalled the moment when he became a privacy advocate. About four years ago, during a party, he asked a Google engineer whether he should be worried about his online privacy. The engineer responded by saying that “If you just knew how much we know about you, you’d be really worried.”
California’s lawmakers, to his relief, rushed to pass the bill. The law that was passed in June was close enough to the ballot initiative so Mactaggart agreed to withdraw it.
People believe that this new law will make companies more accountable for how they handle their information. However, it is not without loopholes (漏洞).
Under this new law, companies won’t be able to sell people’s personal information, but they can still “share” it. In the next few months, this new law could be modified. Companies such as Google are constantly trying to change the law in their favor, since data is a huge asset (财产) for these large enterprises.
The state’s lawmakers are expecting to create “clean-up laws” after the first 18 months the law goes into effect. We will have to wait and see how the law develops as it gets changed.
1. What is the purpose of the new law?| A．To protect online privacy. | B．To charge for online information. |
| C．To collect personal information legally. | D．To encourage the development of the Internet. |
| A．He once worked for Google. |
| B．He took part in the law-making process. |
| C．He was in favor of the lawmakers’ decision. |
| D．He was worried about the future of his business. |
| A．Sell its users’ personal information. | B．Share its users’ personal information. |
| C．Get support from the government. | D．Charge its users money. |
| A．Passed. | B．Explained. | C．Prepared. | D．Improved. |
4 . There’s a restaurant in the UK called The Long Table that has been changing the way we think of dining out. This catery and community center, located in the town of Stroud in South West England, has recently gained the attention of the public because it has been employing an unusual but revolutionary dining idea — a pay-as-you-can model. When someone enters The Long Table, they simply order their meal, say how much they would like to pay, and receive meal token as they wait for their food.
The Long Table serves lunch five days a week, and the store portion of the restaurant is open every morning for coffee and cake. They also offer hot dinners on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The restaurant features a new menu every day, including plant-based and gluten-free options, meaning that their diners never quit know what to expect.
In addition to their accessible food model, they also place an emphasis on conversation and community among their patrons. The restaurant got its name from the long tables located at the center of their establishment. The nature of their dining setup encourages customers to sit across from each other and talk as they enjoy their meals. As their website states, “At The Long Table, community and great food sit side by side. Whoever you are, whatever your story, pull up a chair and join us as we evolve the very notion of what a restaurant can be.”
Sadly, the restaurant that they repurposed may be on its way out as it was sold to a new landlord. But members of the community are still holding out hope and have created an open letter urging the new landlord to allow for The Long Table to remain at the Brimscombe Mill.
Even though The Long Table’s future may be uncertain, the impact it is having on the local community certainly is not. One line of the open letter reads, “Collectively we hope a solution can be found which means that this loved, and very much needed, community resource can remain at Brimscombe Mill.”
1. What is the unique dining idea employed by The Long Table?| A．A fixed-price menu. |
| B．A pay-as-you-can model. |
| C．A take-away only option. |
| D．A membership-based dining club. |
| A．Entertainment. |
| B．Education. |
| C．Conversation and community. |
| D．Health and fitness. |
| A．Diners. | B．Locals. | C．Staff. | D．Neighbors. |
| A．The Long Table is a popular community resource. |
| B．The future of The Long Table is completely uncertain. |
| C．The open letter is addressed to the local government. |
| D．The Long Table may bring conflicts to the people. |
My husband Kenny and I grew up playing sports. We both worked in the field of physical education and coach youth high school track and field. So, Kenny and I weren’t surprised when our daughter, Becky, showed early athletic promise.
Watching her outrun other kids on the playground, I knew she was destined for winning medals on the track. Slowly but surely, track took over our lives. Weekends were devoted to training. We stopped taking vacations so the girl wouldn’t miss any practices. We missed her birthdays and family outings. I even restricted the time she could spend hanging out with her friends, which would consume the energy she needed for competition:
We didn’t really ask Becky if that was what she wanted. Of course she did! Who wouldn’t want to use a God-given talent to the fullest? Occasionally, Becky would open up after a loss, “I wish you were the same even if I have a bad day on the track. I feel like you don’t accept me just for who I am.”
Honestly, that hurt. In my heart, I knew what she said was true. I could behave more like a coach than a Mom on the sideline. But I didn’t mind. Ensuring her on the track of winning was my only goal. I probably cared more about the medals than she did. By the time Becky started middle school, our family life had revolved around (以……为中心) practices and competitions. I had visions of college scholarships, maybe even the Olympics.
One day, at a regional Junior Olympics qualifying event, she twisted her leg and ended up in a heavy fall, screaming in pain. This was not supposed to happen. Kenny and I pushed her too hard the day before and she attempted to break the record which was clearly beyond her reach.
We rushed her to the hospital right away. Never did I imagine sitting in a doctor’s office, staring at the X-ray result as the doctor calmly explained that Becky’s posterior cruciate ligament (后十字韧带) — the thick tissue stabilizing the back of her knee—was torn.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“Her professional career as an athlete was over,” the doctor broke the news to me.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Following the hard-fought recovery, I watched her running with a new attitude.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What is the secret of the charm of Yunnan Province? Beautiful scenery, rare plants and flowers, local specialties? These are all part of the answer,
Yunnan boasts not only fabulous natural landscapes, but also fascinating ethnic customs. Among the 25 ethnic groups of Yunnan, the Yi people have
The Yi people adore tigers, fire and the colour black. Many festivals have developed from the ceremonies for
The Yi people, who call
During the festival, at the entrance to the villages, a grand “torch tower”, made of pine branches and dry firewood and
After dinner, as darkness casts its shadow, young and old rush
7 . For Evan Harrison, a wildlife photographer, there was never any doubt about what she would do for a living.
“I am
Harrison studied photography in school, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Photographers need to know more than just how to take a picture,
“
Harrison also stresses that
“My first job was with a nature conservation group that
Some of Harrison’s jobs take her to different parts of the world, which
| A．wrong | B．sorry | C．honest | D．crazy |
| A．document | B．change | C．protect | D．discuss |
| A．predicting | B．imagining | C．agreeing | D．showing |
| A．for | B．but | C．so | D．or |
| A．Wondering | B．Knowing | C．Remembering | D．Sharing |
| A．regularly | B．secretly | C．properly | D．instantly |
| A．lucky | B．funny | C．small | D．great |
| A．if | B．although | C．unless | D．until |
| A．pretended | B．wanted | C．refused | D．hesitated |
| A．figure out | B．point at | C．speak of | D．depend on |
| A．sit | B．grow | C．work | D．play |
| A．means | B．concludes | C．stresses | D．proves |
| A．life | B．peace | C．communication | D．transportation |
| A．connection | B．difference | C．balance | D．conflict |
| A．notes | B．complains | C．suggests | D．promises |
8 . Sofonisba Anguissola is considered to be a Late Renaissance child because she was born in 1532. During the Renaissance young men received formal schooling. Young women, however, were not provided with the same educational opportunities. Young Italian women were expected to learn homemaking skills and marry by the time they were thirty. Sofonisba was extremely fortunate that her father recognized her artistic talents and arranged for her to be taught painting along with female skills of needlework and homemaking.
At the age of fourteen she began classes with Bernardino Campi, a Cremona portrait (肖像) painter. When Sofonisba was twenty-two, her father arranged for her to study in Rome, and through his contacts, Sofonisba was introduced to Michaelangelo. She met with Michaelangelo informally so he could critique her work and provide her with some of his sketches (速写) for copying.
While Sofonisba was studying in Rome, Spain’s King Philip II invited her to move to Madrid and become the Queen’s art instructor, which was a milestone (转折点) in Sofonisba’s painting career. From then on, she could paint full time. Sofonisba lived there for fourteen years, giving the Queen lessons in drawing and completing portraits of the King, Queen and their children.
Sofonisba is considered a Mannerist painter. Mannerist paintings show complex compositions (构图) and emotions. Often painted in informal settings, Sofonisba’s portraits were realistic and showed expression, natural emotion, and interpersonal relationships. Several of her portraits were self-portraits, painted at various stages in her life by using a mirror to perfect different methods of painting. Sofonisba gave many of her paintings as gifts because her social status would have made it inappropriate for her to sell her works of art. Unfortunately, most of her works have been destroyed or lost over the years but several still survive in Western Europe. Sofonisba was fortunate to have had the advantage of her family’s wealth and support to learn, practice, and develop the art of portrait painting.
1. What can be learned about Sofonisba?| A．She could not receive any education. | B．She was born in the Early Renaissance. |
| C．She showed no interest in female skills. | D．She followed a different course from other girls. |
| A．Unconventional. | B．Optimistic. | C．Fashionable. | D．Strict. |
| A．He invited her to join the royal family. | B．He offered her a well-paid teaching job. |
| C．He provided her with a home in Madrid. | D．He gave her a chance to paint as a professional. |
| A．She was a kind-hearted person. | B．She was unable to sell them. |
| C．Her friends spoke highly of her works. | D．Her friends wanted to learn her drawing skills. |
Cashmere Nicole was a struggling single mother, juggling (兼顾) her nine-to-five job and family life and battling breast cancer when she started her side business, Beauty Bakerie, a beauty brand. Started in her kitchen, the brand is currently sold in over 100 countries worldwide. “You can only find the things you truly love by exploring, by trying things,” says Nicole when interviewed about her achievement. “If we aren’t trying, we aren’t giving ourselves the best shot at finding the one thing that we’ll enjoy doing.”
Gerard AdamsGerard Adams founded Fownders, a digital and in-classroom learning platform for entrepreneurs (企业家). Adams thanks his mentor (顾问), Tony Robbins, for much of his success. “Find a good mentor and get started,” he says. “We wouldn’t be anywhere as far as we are today without good mentorship.” Through Fownders, Adams provides mentorship to entrepreneurs.
Tamar LucienTamar Lucien had just $250 left to her name when she started MentalHappy. Inspired by her own struggles with anxiety, she wanted to create a business and movement that helps people overcome their own sadness and anxiety, which is done through MentalHappy’s signature “Cheerbox” filled with happiness tools.
Christopher GrayGray graduated from college and decided to help others find scholarship money, which is why he founded Scholly, a mobile and web app that finds students scholarship money for college and graduate school. Gray knows it takes a ton of hard work to be a successful entrepreneur. “There are no shortcuts (捷径) to success,” he says.
1. What does Nicole value most in terms of achieving success?| A．Attempting new things. | B．Having a healthy body. |
| C．Balancing work and life. | D．Taking care of your appearance. |
| A．Tamar Lucien. | B．Gerard Adams. | C．Cashmere Nicole. | D．Christopher Gray. |
| A．Fownders. | B．Scholly. | C．MentaIHappy. | D．Beauty Bakerie. |
I had been waiting with my fellow graduating students for the moment when I would walk out onto the stage to receive my degree certificate. I was happy and relieved, yet worried and anxious about the future. What was my first job going to be like? This short walk was going to launch me into a whole new world. How would I manage? Would I be able to carve out a career for myself? My name was called and I moved into the lights. I heard the applause. I knew my parents would be watching and smiling at each other and I tried to relax. I held my certificate against my breast and smiled at the camera. Before I knew it, the ceremony was over and the curtain had come down on my university life. Where had the time gone? Four years had disappeared in a flash. I stood with my certificate in hand and reflected on those four years.
I remembered arriving at university on my very first day, pausing at the gate to look down the long drive. I could feel my hands sweating slightly and I had to hold on tight to my suitcase. Would I be able to fit in? Did this new phase of my life mean that I was now mature enough to be entirely responsible for my own successes and failures? I took a few seconds to compose myself and to take in the scene that was laid out before me. The campus was alive with people. Anxious parents and excited students were talking in small groups, carrying suitcases or walking in and out of dormitory buildings. I wondered if the first day of school was always such a circus. I took a deep breath and carried on into the heart of the campus. Little did I know that I was about to experience the best four years of my life.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I remembered cooperating with my classmates on group projects.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I heard my parents’ voices calling me and I returned to the moment.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
