1 . Having been based in Thailand for seven years, I was informed my visa was no longer legally acceptable, which meant that I had to quit the job that I was succeeding in and leave behind this wonderful life I had built. I felt very, very down. Then, a friend, aware of what I was going through, messaged: “I can see you walking around Great Britain and then writing a book on it.”

Three weeks later, I did just that. Another friend suggested that I set up an Instagram account to document my journey, which I did, and so I set off with just a sleeping bag. When I took those first steps, I knew this journey would change my life, but not in the way it did. All of a sudden, I started to feel better, clearer and happier out in nature, walking. I remember what the first days were like. I walked the southwest coastal path for 635 miles. Its rough land and beautiful scenery were in equal measure, and it challenged me every day.

I met so many people who became my friends very quickly and supported me in many ways. Mentally, I felt stronger at this point. Of course, with the enormous amounts of miles walked and the challenging weather conditions that I faced, I had the occasional hesitation. But when this did happen, I’d just remind myself of what I’d achieved and the overwhelming support that I’d had to get me through. Finally, in April, I finished my walk around the UK.

I was cheerful, I felt proud, and I never imagined in my wildest dreams I could do it. But quickly after, I realized I had more in me. The walk had changed my life so much that I wanted to pay it forward and help people like the previous version of me that had been left in the past. So I decided to do it again—this time in 12 months, and for 12 charities. And that’s what I’m doing now.

1. Why did the author walk around the UK?

A．To find inspiration.	B．To remove depression.
C．To meet a friend’s request.	D．To escape from reality.

2. What can we know about the author’s journey from paragraph 2?

A．It was refreshing.	B．It was documented by a friend.
C．It turned out smooth just as expected.	D．It proved more challenging than satisfying.

3. Which word best describes the author?

A．Modest.

B．Outgoing.

C．Smart.

D．Determined.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Step Out of Your Comfort Zone	B．Something beyond Walking in Life
C．Walk around the UK for Charities	D．A Life-Changing Tour around the UK

2 . We will all experience pain, disappointment, and almost certainly loss and sickness. Yet some people ________ by rising to the challenge, while others sink under the weight. What’s the difference? I ________ clinical psychologist Dr. Robert Puff, host of the Happiness Podcast, who speaks ________ about pain and suffering. He explains that ________ is an unavoidable physical feeling. ________, suffering comes from the thoughts we have about the pain we are experiencing-for example, “Why is this happening to me?” or “I’ll never feel good again.” These ________ are what cause suffering, and we can choose to ________ them.

John O’Leary is the host of the Live Inspired Podcast. When he was just nine years old, John suffered ________ burns over his entire body and doctors told him that he had one percent chance of ________. No one expected him to ________. However, after dozens of surgeries and years of treatment and deep inner work, he is a fairly happy, ________ man with a beautiful family. He inspires others through his ________ as a motivational speaker, author, and life coach. He feels that what happened to him was his greatest ________: the realization that, regardless of our personal and professional challenges, we can navigate and overcome to reveal a ________ vision. In John’s words, “You can’t always choose the path you walk in life, but you can always choose the ________ in which you walk.”

1.

A．subscribe

B．proceed

C．respond

D．express

2.

A．interviewed

B．imagined

C．introduced

D．recognized

3.

A．externally

B．joyfully

C．formally

D．wisely

4.

A．mood

B．pain

C．sadness

D．hurt

5.

A．Regardless

B．Instead

C．However

D．Therefore

6.

A．thoughts

B．opinions

C．theories

D．factors

7.

A．shelter

B．decrease

C．improve

D．change

8.

A．gentle

B．severe

C．certain

D．ordinary

9.

A．relief

B．recount

C．survival

D．refreshment

10.

A．make it

B．get across

C．go around

D．pull over

11.

A．potential

B．touchy

C．sincere

D．successful

12.

A．work

B．talent

C．fantasy

D．prediction

13.

A．desperation

B．gift

C．goal

D．task

14.

A．higher

B．rarer

C．brighter

D．calmer

15.

A．angle

B．manner

C．prospect

D．trend

3 . It’s January and time to go back to school. For some, that might be a gloomy prospect after the joys of the post Christmas festive period. For me, though, it’s as exciting as a trip to Antarctica, also as scary as starting a job for which I’m not sure whether I’m qualified.

To be embarking on a master’s degree in Psychotherapy and Counselling at Regent’s University at 71 is perhaps an unlikely route for someone who dropped out of school at 17. But now I’ve come full circle to the conclusion that nothing, for me, feels more stimulating at this point in my life than learning new things. That studying, far from being the bore and the chore it used to be, is a treat.

Turning 70 came as something of a shock. I started to feel I was drifting (飘). Without a big project, and without any major family responsibilities, I was starting to feel I was lying on a bed of thorns. Friends of similar age were lapping up their lives, socializing and travelling. However, I longed for something more. Or perhaps not more, but different.

As the gloom grew, I thought perhaps I needed to see a therapist. A friend, a psychotherapist, suggested that while therapy might be useful, doing a course on the basics of psychotherapy and counselling might be more up my street. Without too much thinking, I decided to give it a shot.

So that’s how every weekday I beep (发出哔哔声) myself through the gate with my student pass, which makes me smile every time. I felt privileged to be exposed to a group of my fellow students who were willing to be open to me.

While ageing is an inevitable process, we can get rid of a lot of the rules about what’s age-appropriate. Studying for a master’s degree in old age is a challenge, but it has provided me with a new perspective on life. Hence, ageing should never limit your ambitions.

1. How did the author feel when going back to school?

A．Unrealistic.	B．Resistant.
C．Awkward.	D．Expectant.

2. Why did turning 70 come as a shock to the author?

A．She achieved nothing before.	B．She lived without a purpose.
C．She had to support her family.	D．She was separated by her fellows.

3. What is the author’s suggestion when facing ageing?

A．Keeping your passions alive.	B．Seeking support if needed.
C．Behaving age-appropriately.	D．Socializing with young students.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Returning To School — My Dream Since Childhood

B．My Efforts To Learn At An unlikely Age Paying Off

C．Learning — My Way To Overcome The Ageing Crisis

D．My Tough Journey To Pursuing A Master’s Degree

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where will Annabel’s husband work this year?

A．In Queens.

B．In Brooklyn.

C．In Manhattan.

2. What does Jerry think of the neighborhood?

A．Quite noisy.

B．Very inconvenient.

C．Generally quiet.

3. What do we know about Annabel?

A．She has a dog.

B．She lives with her family.

C．She will teach in St. John’s University.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What did the two men plan to do?

A．Attend a sailing race.

B．Travel between two islands.

C．Get away from their country.

2. How did the two men feel about the adventure?

A．Relieved.

B．Optimistic.

C．Upset.

3. How were the two men rescued?

A．They were found by a passing boat.

B．They boated to the nearest shore.

C．They found a floating device.

6 . Many years ago, Coca-Cola ran a brilliant advertising campaign about “The Pause That Refreshes”. They were on to something. Pauses refresh us because they allow us to stop, refocus, and rest.

The older I get, the more I’ve intentionally added pauses to my day. Some pauses are only a few minutes long; others are hours. It may be a walk to a faraway copier at work instead of the one in my department. Or driving an alternate route home. Or a day at the beach. The idea is to relax and rest by changing my thoughts from what stresses me to what refreshes me.

Rest refreshes us. And I rest best by doing nothing. I recently read a little book by Sandy Gingras called How to Live at the Beach. I love this light-hearted, five-minute read. It’s a clue that helps conjure up images of the mentality we have when we’re at the beach—and why we need to transport this beach mentality to our non-beach lives.

My son, his wife, and my grandson live near the beach in Santa Barbara, California. Next to Hawaii, it's one of the most beautiful places in the United States. When I head to the ocean with them, I'm awed by the benefits of the beach. For me, a day at the beach epitomizes (成为缩影) the discipline of doing nothing. It’s a pause. It’s also an example of a simpler life. I’m learning how to bring a beach mentality, and all its benefits, back home with me. A beach mentality slows me down, allows me to think over only what’s in front of me and allows me to fully appreciate what surrounds me in my nine-to-five world.

During the time of “country closure”, I’ve noticed what I typically fail to notice. Who says doing nothing is boring? Doing nothing calms and refuels me.

I’ve realized that by pausing more, I’ve seen more, listened more, heard more, and felt more. Yet, pausing is a discipline all its own. By developing the discipline of doing nothing, I’ve learned that a life of clarity, simplicity, and rest awaits.

1. Why is the advertising campaign run by Coca-Cola mentioned?

A．To make a prediction.	B．To explain a concept.
C．To introduce the topic.	D．To illustrate an argument.

2. What do the underlined words “conjure up” mean in paragraph 3?

A．Transform.

B．Imagine.

C．Withdraw.

D．Polish.

3. What are the readers advised to do in the last paragraph?

A．Follow suit.

B．Keep watch.

C．Pursue perfection.

D．Slow down.

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

A．The Discipline of Doing Nothing	B．Being Intentional About Self-Care
C．The Price of Every Decision	D．Choosing Joy over Sadness

7 . Aged 15 in high school, I was talkative and outgoing, often betting that nobody else would do their homework, so I needn’t either. I did not enjoy geometry (几何), although I liked the philosophical approach of our teacher, Mrs Trenholm. She told us that geometry was about humankind’s ability to work things out.

A month or so into the year we started on Euclidean geometry. We were all struggling and I was probably the most vocal (敢于直言的) in class about it. Mrs Trenholm set us homework — to prove two angles in a complex geometric shape are equal. She pulled me aside as we were leaving class and said, “Don’t talk your way out of this.”

I went home, worked on it for 20 minutes and gave up. Later I decided to try again. My handwriting was messy, and I noticed that if I made the diagram neater and bigger, I could see where I probably went wrong. At about 5 am, I got it and felt like my brain had been rewired!

I handed it in the next day. Mrs Trenholm would never embarrass students in front of everyone. So she came to me and handed me the paper with a little check mark in the corner. She looked right at me and asked, “Did you do this?” When I said yes, she nodded and went back to the front of the class, declaring, “One of you now understands Euclidean geometry. Let’s keep going so everybody will get it.”

From then on, I found that if I concentrated and worked hard, I could understand and even enjoy a subject. I went on to study maths and physics at university, took a master’s degree in applied science and became a nuclear research scientist. I became someone who no longer allowed myself the freedom to talk myself out of dealing with problems, or give up when things seemed too difficult.

1. How can we describe the author from the first two paragraphs?

A．He was not skilled at socializing.	B．He always had bets with others.
C．He was absorbed in philosophy.	D．He had trouble studying geometry.

2. Why did Mrs Trenholm pull the author aside after class?

A．To warn him not to talk too much.	B．To give him some tips on homework.
C．To make him take homework seriously.	D．To encourage him to try more approaches.

3. What was Mrs Trenholm’s initial feeling about the author’s homework?

A．Excited.

B．Relieved.

C．Disapproving.

D．Disbelieving.

4. What did the author want to express through the last paragraph?

A．He would go for more freedom.	B．The maths puzzle was a life changer.
C．That lesson taught him to think twice.	D．His university life was pretty colorful.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Guizhou’s name comes from the Chinese character meaning precious or expensive. Precious in its     1    (peace) environment and expensive with its lush greenery, Guizhou is the perfect place to reset and recharge your battery.

Living in the hustle of Beijing can be exciting but sometimes the country-raised boy inside of me needs to take a moment to relax, so I jumped     2     the chance to visit Guizhou when I     3    (invite) by the China Storytellers Partnerships Tour. As soon as our plane landed, I knew that this was     4     I needed to be.

Our first stop on the trip took us to Wanfeng Lake in Xingyi,     5     vast man-made lake that stretches for miles, weaving in and out of the mountains. We climbed into our kayaks and set off to adventure, all the while thinking to ourselves “surely this is the end of the lake” and were     6    (continuous) shocked as we turned a corner only to see the lake continue. Along our way we were greeted by fishermen and     7    (family) relaxing by the water. The warmth of the people was equal to the fall sun     8    (rest) on our skin.

    9    (we) adventures didn’t stop there. The next day we ventured(冒险) to the Malinghe Canyon. We set out on rafts, drifting(漂流) down the crystal-clear waters with our local guides. The canyon’s dramatic rock formations,     10    (carve) over centuries by the forces of water, created a breath-taking backdrop for our journey.

Time in Guizhou was slower than anywhere else I had been. I didn’t want to leave. There was so much more left for me to explore.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the man doing?

A．Attending a course.

B．Conducting an interview.

C．Hosting a talent show.

2. Why does Kate gather close friends when setting goals?

A．To compete with them.

B．To lose weight together.

C．To share her problems with them.

3. What does Kate believe is the benefit of involving others in goal-setting?

A．It helps keep one honest.

B．It allows for friendly competition.

C．It ensures complete secrecy of goals.

4. Why do most people struggle to reach their goals?

A．They lack determination.

B．They set unrealistic goals.

C．They lose focus due to busy lives.

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What attracts the speaker in Africa?

A．The running water.

B．Meeting new people.

C．Freely running animals.

2. Which place has the speaker visited?

A．Australia.

B．Japan.

C．Russia.

3. What’s the speaker’s opinion about travelling?

A．It’s tiring.

B．It’s expensive.

C．It’s easy.

4. What will the speaker do in the future?

A．Turn to a new way for fun.

B．Try every means to save money.

C．Continue to do what she likes.