1. The talk discusses the fulfillment of building lasting friendships in college.
2. The speaker suggests avoiding social events to maintain focus on academics.
3. Creating connections that can last a lifetime is mentioned as a significant aspect of college.
4. The talk encourages being closed off to meeting new people.
5. Social activities are presented as a distraction from the college experience.
6. Building friendships is considered less important than academic achievements.
7. Engaging in conversations and attending social events are recommended for creating connections.
8. The talk emphasizes the diversity of personalities on campus.
9. Friendships are described as a foundation for a thriving college life.
10. The speaker discourages forming meaningful connections during college.
Magic goes against the rules of nature and physics. During the 2009 CCTV Spring Festival gala, magician Liu Qian managed to drop a coin into a glass placed upside down and transformed a finger ring into an unbroken egg, under the close and watchful eyes of the studio audience, leaving tens of thousands of viewers puzzled by his showmanship.
The mind-blowing performance has set off an enthusiasm of magic all over the country. However, people seldom know that more than 3,600 years ago, the history of magic in China was already underway.
In China, magic goes back many years and has developed from superstitious wizardry into a technologically inspired, sophisticated art form.
Ancient Chinese magic made its appearance as early as 1,600 BC, and was closely associated with divination and wizardry, according to Biographies of Exemplary Women (Lie Nu Zhuan) by Liu Xiang, the well-known historian of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220).
In 108 BC, Liu Che, emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, gathered more than a hundred acrobats and magicians in the imperial palace and hosted the biggest magic show in history. Zhang Heng’s Western Metropolis Rhapsody (Xi Jing Fu西京赋) records that Duke Huang of the Eastern Sea (Donghai Huanggong), a showman and magician, did knife-swallowing and fire-spitting shows at this gathering.
Magic continued to thrive in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and began to branch off into separate fields in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Some traditional Chinese tricks such as “Immortal Plants Bean” and “Ancient Color Trick” marked the start of international recognition for Chinese magic.
In the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), there were many cultural exchanges between China and the West. The first generation of modern Chinese magicians like Ching Ling Foo (Zhu Liankui), Han Pingchien and Mu Wenqing went abroad to perform and also learned to incorporate foreign stunts into traditional tricks.
The later generation of magic practitioners, headed by Zhang Huichong, furthered the hybrid form of magic acts by infusing traditional Chinese magic into Western-style illusion acts.
After China’s reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, magicians from abroad began visiting China more frequently. In 1980, Marc Wilson from the United States became the first magician to perform on the Chinese mainland since the founding of New China in 1949. In 2002, David Copperfield caused a stir with his performances of walking through the Great Wall.
And now, Liu Qian has created a hit with his remarkable close-up performances and exposed Chinese audiences to a new, refreshing and delightful art form.
1. How long is it since magic in China appeared?2. When did magicians from abroad begin visiting China more often?
3. Who was it that wrote a book recording knife-swallowing and fire-spitting shows?
1. Who got a new phone?
| A．Daniel. | B．The man. | C．The man’s father. |
| A．He wanted to have a phone like the speaker. |
| B．He didn’t want the speaker to leave for college. |
| C．He was sad that the speaker spent less time with him. |
| A．Think about what he’s missing. |
| B．Turn his phone off for a day. |
| C．Stop playing games on the phone. |
| A．Only true friendship can last long. |
| B．Letter writing is going out of style. |
| C．She has lost contact with most of her old friends. |
| D．She keeps in regular touch with her old classmates. |
1. What does the man invite Grace to do tonight?
| A．Attend a party. | B．Go to the library. | C．Go over the lessons. |
| A．A coming exam. | B．Some new emojis. | C．A popular game. |
6 . He caught my eye and up went his arm. As usual, I
We were
Perhaps that’s why I
One evening when I was walking alone, my
That was the day I became a “
| A．stood up | B．bowed down | C．waved back | D．passed by |
| A．dropped | B．nodded | C．raised | D．shook |
| A．strange | B．friendly | C．generous | D．popular |
| A．new | B．familiar | C．native | D．important |
| A．Hopefully | B．Fortunately | C．Eventually | D．Actually |
| A．respected | B．understood | C．acknowledged | D．pitied |
| A．discussing | B．minding | C．managing | D．doing |
| A．ignored | B．hated | C．enjoyed | D．recorded |
| A．receive | B．convey | C．text | D．leave |
| A．qualified | B．casual | C．lonely | D．okay |
| A．reunion | B．process | C．connection | D．life |
| A．concern | B．eagerness | C．view | D．honor |
| A．thoughts | B．feelings | C．topic | D．focus |
| A．determined | B．brilliant | C．independent | D．courageous |
| A．failed | B．stopped | C．hesitated | D．smiled |
| A．pass | B．truck | C．lady | D．car |
| A．arm | B．face | C．hand | D．body |
| A．similarly | B．equally | C．really | D．usually |
| A．driver | B．waver | C．sponsor | D．donor |
| A．sweeten | B．enlarge | C．broaden | D．strengthen |
| A．Husband and wife. |
| B．Father and daughter. |
| C．Employer and employee. |
8 . Recent research suggests that if an argument gets resolved, the emotional response tied to it is significantly reduced or almost completely erased. Thus, it may be worth bringing up issues with your friends, family members, or classmates rather than holding them back.
There is a difference between arguing and fighting. Arguing is that you and your opponent present your concerns and discuss the feelings and issues related to those concerns. You can engage in an argument respectfully without stirring up (激起) anger. Fighting, however, usually involves personal attacks, raising of voices, and storming out. Discussing your issues and resolving them instead of stuffing them down can improve your emotional health.
In a study, 2,000 people were asked to record their feelings and experiences for eight days in a row. When people had an argument that they considered resolved, they had half the reactivity of those who avoided an argument. Reactivity is an increase in negative emotions or a decrease in positive emotions. In other words, resolving an argument cuts your negative feelings by half. One day later, people who had a resolved argument reported no increase of negative emotions compared with those who avoided an argument. This means that resolving an argument can feel like you have reached a state of resolution — and you are less likely to be annoyed.
Moreover, the older you are, the more likely you will come to a resolution after an argument. This may be because more life experience usually leads to more defined priorities. You are more likely to distinguish between what matters and what does not.
It is easier to avoid a discussion, but risking talking about it may eventually lead to a better outcome.
1. Which can improve people’s emotional health?| A．Arguing with friends. | B．Resolving existing issues. |
| C．Fighting with friends. | D．Presenting current concerns. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Disappointed. | C．Embarrassed. | D．Bored. |
| A．The experience. | B．The feelings. | C．The occasion. | D．The location. |
| A．Results of going on an adventure. | B．Influence of avoiding a discussion. |
| C．Desire for a better consequence. | D．Benefits of conducting a discussion. |
9 . My parents have very different parenting styles. Dad brings out the best in me. He is calm and reasonable and treats me like an adult.
My friends and I think that our parents care too much about us. Take me for example.
Parents need to learn to trust us. There is no point in becoming angry, which just makes things worse. A few months ago, Mum went crazy when I told her I’d been receiving e-mails from a stranger I’d met online. Since then she hasn’t allowed me to use the Internet.
I understand them, but they overreact (反应过激).
We love the idea of being really close to our parents.
| A．Some teenagers refuse to open up to their parents. |
| B．But she isn’t so bad as many of my friends’ parents. |
| C．Mum, on the other hand, kept respecting my decisions. |
| D．We also know deep down that our parents care about us most. |
| E．Recently, I wanted to take a train to Portsmouth to see a friend. |
| F．What they do makes us not want to talk about our personal things with them. |
| G．Mum, like so many parents of my friends, makes me not want to follow her advice. |
10 . Studies continue to show how important strong friendships are to our overall health. Here’re the rules you are supposed to know to keep strong and healthy friendships.
Be all ears to your friends. Too often, we only “half hear” what others are telling us, and have a hard time making space for caring about others’ conditions.
Throw away the judgment.
Forgive (原谅) where you can — and seek forgiveness when you make a mess of something. No one promises to bring perfection to a relationship, so being willing to accept and forgive the weaknesses of others makes you more likely to build a lasting friendship.
Respect your friends and their boundaries. Everyone has a right to set up personal boundaries to feel safe and respected. Some friends may have a difficult time letting people get close to them for fear of being hurt.
| A．Don’t crowd your friends. |
| B．Offer them what they need. |
| C．Support, trust, and honesty are givens. |
| D．But friendships don’t need to be perfect. |
| E．True friends don’t judge each other’s choices. |
| F．However, friendships require attention and care. |
| G．It’s also important that we’re able to recognize when we make mistakes. |
