1 . After years of observing human nature, I have decided that two qualities make a difference between men of great achievement and men of average performance — curiosity and discontent. I have never known an outstanding man who lacked either. And I have never known an average man who had both.
Together, these deep human urges (驱策力) count for much more than ambition. Galileo was not merely ambitious when he dropped objects of varying weights from the Leaning Tower at Pisa and timed their fall to the ground. Like Galileo, all the great names in history were curious and asked in discontent, “Why? Why? Why?”
Fortunately, curiosity and discontent don’t have to be learned. We are born with them and need only to recapture them. “The great man,” said Mencius, “is he who does not lose his child’s heart.” Yet most of us do lose it. We stop asking questions. We stop challenging custom. We just follow the crowd. And the crowd desires only the calm and restful average.
Most of us meet new people, and new ideas, with hesitation. But once having met and liked them, we think how terrible it would have been, had we missed the chance. We will probably have to force ourselves to waken our curiosity and discontent and keep them awake.
How should you start? Modestly, so as not to become discouraged. I think of one friend who couldn’t arrange flowers to satisfy herself. She was curious about how the experts did it.
The way to begin is to answer your own excuses. You haven’t any special ability? Most people don’t; there are only a few geniuses. You haven’t any time? That’s good, because it’s always the people with no time who get things done. Harriet Stowe, mother of six, wrote parts of Uncle Tom’s Cabin while cooking. You’re too old? Remember that Thomas Costain was 57 when he published his first novel, and that Grandma Moses showed her first pictures when she was 78.
However you start, remember there is no better time to start than right now, for you’ll never be more alive than you are at this moment.
1. In writing Paragraph 1, the author aims to ________.| A．present an argument | B．make a comparison | C．reach a conclusion | D．propose a definition |
| A．Scientists tend to have varied ambitions. | B．Trial and error leads to the finding of truth. |
| C．Creativity results from challenging authority. | D．Greatness comes from a lasting desire to explore. |
| A．Observe the unknown around you. | B．Develop a questioning mind. |
| C．Lead a life of adventure. | D．Follow the fashion. |
| A．Gaining success helps you become an expert. |
| B．The genius tends to get things done creatively. |
| C．Lack of talent and time is no reason for taking no action. |
| D．You should remain modest when approaching perfection. |
2 . The way people work has changed. The increasing use of technology presents new and continual challenges to small and large businesses, employees and managers, teachers and students.
In today’s world, training and learning do not stop when we finish school.
As technologies grow and develop, ongoing training will continue to be necessary.
| A．They are especially significant in the workplace. |
| B．They must now continue throughout our working lives. |
| C．It seems that everyone is being affected by the technological revolution. |
| D．Besides, this also highlights the need for teacher training, and re-training. |
| E．Moreover, what the professors need to do is to continue lecturing online. |
| F．The changing work environment is also affecting education and how we learn. |
| G．To be successful in the workplace, people will not stop learning when they leave school. |
3 . Volunteering is one of the best ways for the elderly to get involved in their local communities, share a lifetime of experiences, develop new relationships, and help make the world a little bit better.
There are many good reasons to volunteer, and it’s important to understand that many of them involve meeting the older people’s needs. “That’s not being selfish,” says Tema Fishbein, director of external affairs for Experience Corp, a school mentoring nonprofit that places older people in schools in 22 communities around the country. “Most people do selfless things for personal reasons, and that’s not necessarily bad,” she says. Among the motives she sees in volunteers are a desire to give back to the community to improve one’s own life and health, to meet new peers (同龄人) and expand one’s social network, and to give purpose and meaning to life.
Will you be good at it? People who’ve functioned well in the home and workplace have picked up the skills needed to be productive volunteers. Life experiences count as much here as book smarts. Most volunteer work is people intensive, so the ability to work well with others is particularly useful. “Someone who has a good work ethic (职业道德) or commitment to what they want to do makes for a good volunteer,” Fishbein says. “They also need flexibility so they can fit themselves into an organization. And they all need empathy — the ability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes.”
Volunteers spend different amounts of time in their work, but the best matches are those where supply and demand are balanced. Do you want to make a commitment to tutor a young student, such as building a close relationship that may extend over several years? Or are you more interested in single shot opportunities that might engage you for a few weeks or months? You can find them all. “We want our volunteers to be renewable and to work with us for a number of years,” says Fishbein.
1. What is the benefit of the older people’s volunteering?| A．Getting more help from local communities. | B．Sharing their own experiences with others. |
| C．Making others daily life easier. | D．Keeping in touch with old friends. |
| A．To join the nonprofit organization. | B．To make young friends. |
| C．To lead a meaningful life. | D．To change their lifestyles. |
| A．Learning new skills is required to become a volunteer. |
| B．Book smarts are more important than life experiences. |
| C．Working experience is required to become a volunteer. |
| D．A person who is flexible is welcome for the volunteer organization. |
| A．Volunteering is a rewarding way for the elderly |
| B．What does a great volunteer need |
| C．Seniors use their wisdom to help others |
| D．Volunteer services help build communities |
4 . The robots are coming！
All the efforts you put into studying at university may not have been enough—because robots could be coming for your job. A new study finds that as many as 800 million workers could be replaced by robots by 2030.
The study from the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that “between 400 million and 800 million individuals could be replaced by automation (自动化) or robots and need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world”. It estimates that 30 percent of the hours people spend on working globally could have been automated by that time.
Those most affected will be people who work in “predictable environments” doing tasks such as operating machines and preparing fast food. Those who make a living collecting and processing data also face a high risk of being replaced by robots. But people who work in less predictable environments such as gardeners, plumbers, and childcare staff face a smaller risk, because their roles “are technically difficult to be automated and often command relatively lower wages, which makes automation a less attractive business proposition”.
However, it's not all doom (厄运) for the future of employment. The study notes that automation sometimes allows workers to remain employed in a different position. “Even when some tasks are automated, the employment rate in those occupations may not decline because workers may perform new tasks，” McKinsey & Company wrote in a release on its website.
It noted that China has the largest number of employees who would need to switch occupations, up to 100 million if automation was adopted rapidly, or 12 percent of the 2030 workforce. The numbers are higher in more advanced economies, with up to onethird of the 2030 workforce in America and Germany needing to switch occupations, along with nearly half of the 2030 workforce in Japan. Countries which fail to prepare workers for transition to new jobs will feel the impact of a rise in unemployment and depressed wages, according to the study.
1. Why will lots of people need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world？| A．They don't put efforts into their study at university. |
| B．The world's working population is on the steady increase. |
| C．They will be paid less with the development of technology. |
| D．Robots or automation will take the place of their positions. |
| A．Machine operation. | B．Fast food cooking. |
| C．Childcare in kindergarten. | D．Data collection. |
| A．Optimistic. |
| B．Pessimistic. |
| C．Unconcerned and indifferent. |
| D．Having no personal preference. |
| A．Education. | B．Technology. |
| C．Lifestyle. | D．Business. |
5 . Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, the world became his school. With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown. “There's so much to learn,” he'd say. “Though we're born stupid, only the stupid remain that way.” He was determined that none of his children would be denied an education.
Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point.
Then came the moment—the time to share the day's new learning.
Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen.
“Felice,” he'd say, “tell me what you learned today.” “learned that the population of Nepalis...”
Silence. Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation of the world would depend upon it. “The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well...”he'd say. “Get the map; let's see where Nepal is.” And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.
This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.
As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another’s education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming our value; giving us a sense of dignity, Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.
Later during my training as a future teacher studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting what Papa had known all along the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life. Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population, of Nepal might prove useful.
1. What do we know from the first paragraph?| A．The poor could hardly afford school education. |
| B．Those born stupid could not change their life. |
| C．The town elders wanted to learn about the world. |
| D．The author's father was born in a worker's family. |
| A．enjoyed talking about news | B．knew very well about Nepal |
| C．appreciated his father's educational technique | D．felt regret about those wasted days |
| A．Showing talents. | B．Family get-together. |
| C．Continual learning. | D．Winning Papa's approval. |
| A．a wiseman willing to share his knowledge | B．a teacher strict about everything his students did |
| C．an educator expert at training future teachers | D．a parent insistent on his children's education |
6 . Like a tired marriage, the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache. Libraries know they need digital services, but many publishers are too cautious about piracy and lost sales to co-operate. Among the big six publishers, only Random House and Harper Collins license e-books with most libraries.
Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e-readers are exactly the customers they need: book-lovers with money. If these people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then? Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books, which must be checked out and returned to a physical library miles away, book files can be downloaded at home. The files disappear from the device when they are due.
E-lending is not simple, however. There are various incompatible e-book formats, devices and licenses. Most libraries use a company called OverDrive, which secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by OverDrive’s global market dominance, as the company can control fees and conditions. Publishers were annoyed when OverDrive cooperated with Amazon, the world’s biggest online bookseller, last year. Owners of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader who want to borrow e-books from libraries are now redirected to Amazon’s website.
According to Pew, an opinion researcher, library users are a perfect market for Amazon. Late last year Amazon introduced its Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, which lets its best customers borrow free one of thousands of popular books each month. But a recent Pew survey found that more than half of Americans with library cards say they prefer to buy their e-books. It also noted that e-books actually are available at most libraries, and that popular titles often involve long waiting lists, which may inspire people to buy.
So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in search of the right balance. Random House raised its licensing price earlier this year, and Harper Collins limits libraries to lending its titles 26 times. The story of the library e-book is a nail-biter.
1. It can be inferred from Paragraph 1 that ________.| A．several big publishers have sold e-books to libraries |
| B．both libraries and publishers caution the e-book piracy |
| C．some publishers are hesitant to cooperate with libraries |
| D．libraries are eager to keep strong relationship with publishers |
| A．The risk of e-book piracy. |
| B．The possible decline of book sales. |
| C．No time limit for the downloaded book files. |
| D．The availability of the incompatible e-book formats. |
| A．Amazon is adopting measures to win more customers |
| B．OverDrive distributes e-books and audio files to publishers |
| C．over half of Americans are borrowing e-books from libraries |
| D．the fees of lending e-books are under the control of publishers |
| A．The Hopeful Future of Publishing Business |
| B．The Uncertain Economics of Lending E-books |
| C．The Dull Relationship between Libraries and Publishers |
| D．The Close Cooperation between OverDrive and Amazon |
7 . Volunteer Teaching Abroad
TEACH AROUND THE WORLD AND MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF STUDENTS IN COUNTRIES WITH LIMITED RESOURCES
Join a teaching abroad program and help children access the education they need for a brighter future. We know that education is essential for breaking down the barriers of poverty and inequality. We see it every day on our Teaching Projects. By joining us on a volunteer teaching placement, you’ll be able to make this change happen yourself!
This is what you can expect from our teaching volunteer opportunities:
Work with children and young people in elementary schools, high schools or colleges
Learn from and support local teachers as a teaching assistant
Contribute to lessons and get real classroom experience
Get a first-hand perspective on global education and its challenges
We have short and long-term teaching abroad placements available. If you’re passionate about a specific subject or have the experience, let us know. We can make sure you’re at a project that’s the best fit for you. We have:
Programs for volunteers wanting to teach English
Placements for volunteers interested in teaching basic computer skills
Opportunities for volunteers wanting to teach physical education abroad
Our programs run year-round, and you can join a trip at any time. It’s ideal if you’re looking for summer teaching programs abroad, or interested in teaching during the school year.
Interested? Just click the following link to fill in an application form!
1. What can volunteers expect from the teaching volunteer opportunities?| A．Receive support from the local teaching assistants. |
| B．Choose any subject and work place as he like. |
| C．Experience the teaching process in person. |
| D．Help to deal with problems in global education. |
| A．Call on readers to be a volunteer teacher to teach abroad. |
| B．Introduce a volunteer organization. |
| C．Explain why teaching abroad is important. |
| D．Persuade the readers the importance of volunteering. |
| A．On a text book. | B．On a website. |
| C．On a travel guide. | D．On a newspaper. |
8 . While training for a half-marathon last fall, Janet Sherman, 57, started noticing pain in her left foot. A diagnosis of plantar fasciitis(足底筋膜炎)led to shoe inserts and cross-training. Before long, the Wyoming-based teacher was “just good enough” to go back to training, and so she did, although she chose to drop down to a shorter 10K race distance.
On race day, Sherman’s foot began bothering her early, and by a water stop two-thirds of the way through the course, she knew she should drop out. “It was so painful, but I was stubborn and finished out the race.” she said. “Afterward, I could barely walk.”
To the inactive, Sherman’s attitude might be hard to understand. But for amateur athletes and weekend warriors, pushing through pain is a common refrain.“As a society, we are more active in sports than ever before” said Adrienne Langelier, a Texas-based sports psychology consultant.“But at the same time, as a culture we have developed a “no-days off mentality”.
That needs to change, said Mark Cucuzzella, a physician and professor at the West Virginia University School Medicine. “ʻNo pain, no gain’—no, thank you”, he said jokingly. “For too long we have beautified that way of thinking. It’s not sustainable.”
Pressing too hard can lead to injury, illness and exhaustion. With running, for instance, pushing through pain can lead to a secondary injury, said Adam Tenforde of the Spaulding National Running Center at Harvard Medical School. “A stress fracture(骨折), if you continue to run on it, may progress to a full fracture and require a much longer recovery period, for example.” He said. “I advocate for addressing pain early, rather than ignoring it”.
1. From the text,what do we know about Sherman?| A．She gave up training because of pain in her left foot. |
| B．She insisted on finishing a half-marathon race. |
| C．She recovered from injury fully to get back to training. |
| D．She finished out a shorter 10k despite of severe pain. |
| A．It is very common to push through pain while doing sports. |
| B．We should drop out of training because of pain. |
| C．More and more people are addicted to sports nowadays. |
| D．People are bearing greater burden than reasonably supposed. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Neutral. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．Develop a “no days off” mentality. |
| B．Deal with pain as soon as possible instead of ignoring it. |
| C．Carry on training regardless of pain. |
| D．No pain, no gain. |
9 . It may be the holiday season, but the spirit of peace and good will has not infected the streets of Los Angeles. More drivers seem to be rolling through stop signs and running red lights than ever before. Everyone seems to be in a terrible hurry.
Why is everyone in such a hurry? Where are they rushing to?
I think perhaps the answer lies in answering this question: What does that round of parties and meeting and mad rushing from place to place allow all of us to avoid confronting? T think the answer is clear- ourselves.
There is an experiment where subjects had to choose between being alone with themselves and their thoughts for approximately 15 minutes and receiving electric shocks. The majority chose the shocks-a reflection of how painful, frightening,threatening,confusing,boring(!),you name it... we find being alone with just ourselves and our thoughts.
Our desire not to be with our innermost thoughts is so great that we create and find distractions. In the car, we can make phone calls or listen to music. We live in a world of endless opportunities for distraction.
I understand the desire. Life is hard. Growing is a painfully slow process. To keep moving requires determination and strength - and giving up seems so much easier (as do those electric shocks!) We may win some battles, but the war is never over. Sometimes we are just too tired to fight and just need that music or that book to relax. I just instinctively(本能地）tun on the radio when I get in the car; I don't even give the quiet a moment to sink in.
But it's time for a reality check; otherwise we slip into an avoidance mode. It's challenging. But let's make a change. Instead of rushing from house to car to meeting to groceries to... let's take a moment to stop and think before each activity. What do I want to achieve now? And what is the best way to do that? Maybe I could think of ways to grow.
1. Why does the author mention drivers on the streets of Los Angeles?| A．To describe a strong holiday atmosphere. |
| B．To present a unique social situation in America. |
| C．To raise his question on why people are in a rush. |
| D．To show that it's time to improve road safety in America. |
| A．They found the innermost thoughts great. |
| B．They enjoyed being alone with themselves. |
| C．They refused painful and threatening distractions. |
| D．They wanted to find opportunities for distraction. |
| A．They should be more courageous. |
| B．Their attitude to life was unexpected. |
| C．Their behavior was understandable. |
| D．They should refuse to take part in the experiment |
| A．Fighting distractions. |
| B．Being with ourselves. |
| C．Reviewing our mistakes. |
| D．Rushing from place to place |
10 . If you’ve ever travelled with other people, the chances are you’ve had to make compromises. When you want to get up early to watch the sunrise, for example, your friends may argue that getting enough sleep is more important. And when you want to try the different food, your friends might say it looks strange and push you to a Chinese restaurant instead.
This is probably why more people these days are choosing to travel alone. According to reports on holiday habits from the Association of British Travel Agents, the percentage of people in the UK who take trips alone has been increasing, from 6 percent in 2011, to 12 percent in 2017, and to 15 percent in 2018. Most of these people said they choose to travel alone because this allows them to “do what they want”.
In fact, travelling alone is only a part of a recent trend (趋势) of people wanting to take more time alone—or what’s called “me time”. “Imagine yourself as a full pot of water and everything else that asks for your attention is an empty glass. When you provide what is needed for them you are using up your own water supply,” Editor Nicole Lyons wrote for the mental health social network Psych Central. “But how are you refilling your pot? This is where your ‘me time’ comes in.”
However, it’s still quite a common belief that those who do things alone are losers and that they’re alone simply because they don’t have anybody to be with. But why can’t people just be enough for themselves?
The now Duchess of Sussex Rachel Meghan Markle once wrote on her blog in 2016 about how she enjoyed taking herself out to dinner and travelling alone. “It’s not easy. But it’s important,” she wrote. You should face everything and encourage yourself to move forward when the feeling of loneliness and boredom sweeps through your body and mind, according to Markle.
1. What does the underlined phrase “make compromises” probably mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Turn up. | B．Work hard. |
| C．Give in. | D．Take care. |
| A．To save more money. |
| B．To enjoy their freedom. |
| C．To calm themselves down. |
| D．To avoid troubling someone. |
| A．Explain why we need “me time”. |
| B．List some examples of “me time”. |
| C．Provide some advice for readers. |
| D．Add some background information. |
| A．A new way of travelling abroad |
| B．Me time: enjoy yourself alone |
| C．The disadvantages of travelling alone |
| D．How to find a proper partner in trips |
