1 . A heart attack led Ivan Markov to take up gardening on a small patch (小块土地) in front of his council flat. Now, he’s spreading his love of nature across south London.
Markov grew up on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, and learned to love nature in these tropical zones. In 2007, he moved to Lewisham, south-east London, to work as a teacher. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with heart failure in 2010. During the treatment and recovery, he read about a local award for best garden, and though he only had a front garden outside his flat, he thought the competition would be something to work towards. He worked on his patch for most of the year, planting seeds and plants, such as flowers, berries and herbs. Surprisingly, he won the best front garden prize. “I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “I nearly fell off my seat.”
That was the start. Markov created a community nursery (苗圃) at the side of his house, and started planting bushes across the road. “I had so much beauty in my garden,” he says. “I wanted to share what I had.” He started offering guide to others. News of Markov’s green-fingered selflessness began to spread. “I go to someone’s property and give them advice on how to plant a garden,” he says. He delivers cuttings and seeds and helps people report plants, but everything he does is free. To date, Markov has helped six neighbourhoods embrace sustainable gardening.
He wants to show people you don’t have to live in the country to create beauty. “It doesn’t matter how much space you have. Outside my place there’s a tiny square, tiny. I grow tomatoes there for my supper. The opportunities are endless.”
Gardening gives Markov “the feeling of creating something from nothing and so much pleasure”. His dream is to create more green areas. Markov is making this corner of south-east London a paradise for all.
1. What can be inferred about Markov in paragraph 2?| A．He worked as a gardener. | B．He failed in the competition. |
| C．He won an education prize. | D．He turned out a green finger. |
| A．Smart and courageous. | B．Confident and diligent. |
| C．Generous and warm-hearted. | D．Humorous and energetic. |
| A．Selflessness values a lot. | B．Skilled techniques are needed. |
| C．Much space is important. | D．Desire to take actions matters. |
| A．The origin of a community nursery. | B．A creator of a green paradise for all. |
| C．A positive spirit against difficulty. | D．The harmony of human and nature. |
2 . For 25 years, Olga Perina lived in the Czech Republic. During that time, she seldom ate any fast food, but enjoyed the local dumplings and cabbage dishes. Then in May 2016, her mom died and she moved to the United States. As she dealt with her sadness and the move, she turned to American food for comfort.
After years of enjoying “delicious” fast food, she became much overweight and caught Stage 3 chronic kidney disease (慢性肾病) in the fall of 2020.
“It was really a shock,” Perina said “I learned online that your kidney s have to work twice as hard when you’re overweight. Then I made a decision.” She stopped eating junk food and drinking soda, and avoided sweets, bread and potatoes while adding more fish, fruit and vegetables to her diet. Moreover, she also reduced her salt intake.
While it felt difficult at times, she knew that eating health y food would improve her quality of life. After changing her eating habits, she began to lose weight. “Within a week, I lost seven pounds, and I thought to myself, ‘Oh dear! Am I sick? Is there another disease?’” she recalled how perturbed she was then. But soon she realized that it was eating more fruit, vegetables and lean protein (瘦蛋白) that helped her get rid of the pounds.
Later she began to walk daily and also tried adding extra movement to her day, like climbing the stairs of her apartment building. To stay motivated and draw her attention from emotional eating, she started spending more time with her daughter outside, writing a book and knitting. Since October 2020, she’s lost 57 pounds, her blood pressure has dropped, and her kidney function has improved.
Perina is pleased with her progress and has found that giving herself encouraging talks has helped her. “I always said to myself, ‘You’re beautiful. You’re lovely. Look at you. You can surely do this,’” she said. “I lost weight successfully by encouraging myself to look at myself and telling myself these things.”
1. What happened after Perina developed Stage 3 chronic kidney disease?| A．She tried to follow a balanced diet. | B．She was shocked by others’ diets. |
| C．She became out of work due to her illness. | D．She suffered from mental health problems. |
| A．Calm. | B．Excited. | C．Worried. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Her story was widely reported. | B．Her great efforts finally paid off. |
| C．She became a successful writer. | D．She taught her daughter to value health. |
| A．Family encouragement matters a lot. | B．Losing weight scientifically is effective. |
| C．It’s helpful to follow inspiring examples. | D．It’s important to love and trust yourself. |
3 . In 2019, Wang Jibing, a food delivery rider, had an unpleasant experience due to the wrong address left by a customer. Wang searched three buildings and climbed 18 floors before he finally managed to deliver the food to the customer, who rudely scolded Wang for arriving late. Wang was sad and frustrated. As a husband and father of three children, who shouldered the majority of the financial responsibility in his family, he had to bear all silently. On his way home that day, Wang wrote a poem, Man in a Hurry, expressing his feelings.
Since then, Wang has been writing poems inspired by his daily life, including a poem New Temple, which occurred to him after he delivered food to construction workers repairing an old temple, and Forgive, based on his observation of a young couple fighting.
Wang’s poems, simple yet real, are seen as a tool to process his emotions, especially the personal experiences he has during his work. His heart is healed by writing the poems, and he has shared them with his friends. In 2022, one of his friends posted Man in a Hurry online. It quickly went viral and was viewed for over 20 million times. The same year, Wang published a collection of more than 180 poems, under the same title. So far, Wang has written about 4,000 poems. This April, Wang published his second poetry collection, titled I Love This World Clumsily, featuring about 130 poems he has written since July 2022.
“Poetry is like a distraction from stress and an opportunity to record my life. Whether it’s coping with pain, dealing with stressful situations, or coming to terms with life’s struggles, poetry makes me confident and happy,” says Wang.
“The feedback from the readers is a big encouragement to me. Those poems carne to me naturally and I enjoyed writing them very much. However, the priority is to look after my family, so I will keep my regular job delivering food,” says Wang.
1. What can we know from paragraph 1?| A．Wang was in a hurry for the bad weather. |
| B．Wang released his feelings by writing a poem. |
| C．Wang lost his job for an unpleasant experience. |
| D．Wang misunderstood the customer’s need. |
| A．Became a hit. | B．Got updated. |
| C．Disappeared online. | D．Received criticism. |
| A．Talented and generous. | B．Responsible and creative. |
| C．Ambitious and considerate. | D．Intelligent and humorous. |
| A．An unpleasant experience. |
| B．A good way to process emotions. |
| C．A man delivering a feast of poetry. |
| D．A popular collection of poems online. |
4 . I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.
War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled (爬) under her covers, sobbing. Obviously, that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.
Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, “Thanks.”
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?| A．The author was very willing to stay with Kate. | B．Kate always helped the author to clean her bed. |
| C．The author felt proud to have such a roommate. | D．The author didn’t get along very well with Kate. |
| A．The author placed her shoes under Kate’s bed. | B．The author refused to listen to Kate’s advice. |
| C．The news of Kate’s grandma’s illness spread. | D．The author was very tired of Kate at school. |
| A．Because she realized the importance of tidiness. | B．Because she would like to express her concern. |
| C．Because she was required by other roommates. | D．Because she expected to be inspected by school. |
| A．They never quarreled with each other about anything again. |
| B．They separated at once and never wanted to see each other. |
| C．They completely understood the principle of being roommates. |
| D．They gained a deeper understanding of each other’s personalities. |
5 . Three cute brown bear cubs who got lost after getting separated from their mother gripped the hearts of netizens.
The fuzzy cubs were spotted by Gelek Gyatso, an ecological protection officer, when he was patrolling a riverbed at an altitude of nearly 4, 500 meters in Qumarleb county in Qinghai province’s Yushu.
The little cubs eagerly ran toward the ranger on the snow-covered riverbed, then stopped short at a safe distance to stare at him curiously. After realizing that the man was not their mother, the bear cubs turned around and ran along the river calling for mom.
This was Gelek Gyatso’s first encounter with bear cubs separated from their mother. With his knowledge of wild animals, he drove the cubs towards an area near their cave in the hope of a safe reunion. Thankfully, later that day, other patrol officers found that the mother bear had reunited with her cubs and that the family was happy and healthy.
This year marks Gelek Gyatso’s tenth year as an ecological protection officer. He patrols the area every day, diligently records the animals he sees, carefully checks on the vegetation, and helps clean up litter.
Over the decade, Gelek Gyatso has witnessed great changes in the ecological environment of his hometown. There has been an increase in the number of wild animals, and everyone is participating in the protection of these species, making coexistence between humans and animals more harmonious.
He also reminds people that if they encounter wild animals in the wild, they should keep their distance, not disturbing or feeding them, and that if they find an animal that needs to be rescued, they should call the fire or forest department in time.
1. What happened to the three bear cubs?| A．Losing track of the mother bear. |
| B．Following Gelek with curiosity. |
| C．Mistaking a man for their mother. |
| D．Being trapped in the cold riverbed. |
| A．Ambitious. | B．Romantic. | C．Devoted. | D．Innovative. |
| A．Changing their living surroundings. |
| B．Feeding and sheltering wild animals. |
| C．Getting involved in saving endangered species. |
| D．Seeking professional help to rescue those in need. |
| A．A project of wildlife conservation |
| B．A journey of friendship connection |
| C．A knowledgeable ecological officer |
| D．An encounter leading to a safe reunion |
6 . My wife’s birthday falls at the beginning of spring when the winter chill still hangs over the approaching warmth.
On that day, I came home from work, stopped her from entering the kitchen and asked her to dine out. “Has Lily called?” she asked. I shook my head. The atmosphere at the dinner was oppressive. My wife kept glancing at her phone, showing no signs of appetite.
Early the next morning, my wife got up, dark rings encircling her eyes. We only have one child. When Lily still lived at home, every year when her birthday approached, we would start the grand preparations days in advance. And after she left for college, my wife would call her countless times from morning till night. How could she ignore all our love and utterly forget her mum’s birthday? On the way to work, I texted Lily, “Your mum didn’t sleep well last night.”
Another day concluding, we were about to go to bed when there was a sound of a key rattling in the lock. In came our daughter, face red with cold, birthday cake in hand. “Sorry, Mum. Happy birthday!” she said, tears welling up. Immediately, my wife pulled Lily into a hug, complaining, “You silly girl, why do you come all the way back at such a time? Don’t you know it is cold outside?”
Lily just stayed two hours in case of missing her classes. Seeing Lily boarding the train, my wife started blaming me for that message, yet in a better mood. I did feel I handled this matter perfectly both for my wife and my child’s growth.
Later, I called my parents and told them about it. I never thought they would respond with a long silence, and then said: “How many times have you forgotten our birthdays? Has either of us ever complained?”
1. What does the underlined word “oppressive” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Relaxing. | B．Funny. | C．Unique. | D．Heavy. |
| A．Watching TV is her daily routine. | B．She set her phone in silent mode. |
| C．Some anxiety is felt of the woman. | D．She wasn’t satisfied with her dinner. |
| A．She was overjoyed to see her mother. |
| B．She felt sorry about forgetting her mother’s birthday. |
| C．She feared to be scolded for ignoring her parents’ love. |
| D．She pitied herself for being half-frozen all the way back. |
| A．Love is a two-way street. | B．Birthday party is a must. |
| C．Parental love is for a return. | D．It is never too late to say sorry. |
7 . Mercy Baggs is reflecting on her future. “Should I live to 95, I would do another parachute jump, ”she says. She first jumped when she was 77 in honor of her achievements as mayor of the Wiltshire town of Calne. Then she jumped again last March, a day before her 90th birthday, to raise funds for Wiltshire air ambulance.
“This is the thrill of it, ”she says. “You go up, and then that door opens and the wind starts to come through. You free-fall for a long time. ”She has always enjoyed risks since she was a child, when people used to look down on her. But nobody does now.
As a child, she lived in poverty and also went through ups and downs, “I am very sensitive to people who are more unfortunate, ”Baggs says. As a young adult, she joined the British Transport Commission police, but dealing with children who couldn’t find their parents was too much to bear. “I knew what they were going through. I like kids. I really do. ”Later she left the police and worked in Wiltshire council. But no doubt her childhood fed into her actions as a councillor, and later mayor in Calne, where she helped to set up a drop-in centre for young people. The drop-in was one of the causes she raised money for with that first leap out of the plane.
But why a parachute jump? At the time, her late husband, John, was ill with bowel cancer. He said, “I do wish you wouldn’t do it. ”She said, “John, it’s life. I’ve got to do something. ”
Baggs has never been fazed by ageing. She says that she wanted to show that you don’t have to sit on your backside knitting or watching television all the time. There’s a world out there. There’s a life out there. She hopes for at least one more skydive, maybe a go on a 100mph zip wire and “a peaceful end” .
1. Why did Mercy Baggs make her first parachute jump?| A．To celebrate her 90h birthday. |
| B．To make others look up to her. |
| C．To raise funds for an air ambulance. |
| D．To mark her term of office as mayor. |
| A．She did parachute jumps as a part-time job. |
| B．She showed great concern for unlucky children. |
| C．She found it very tough to work with young people. |
| D．She left the drop-in centre and prepared a run for mayor. |
| A．Disturbed. | B．Abandoned. |
| C．Witnessed. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．It is never too old to learn. | B．Enjoy life with her family. |
| C．Failure is the mother of success. | D．Be brave to face challenges in life. |
8 . At 1,345 meters above sea level, Ben Nevis is definitely not the world’s most difficult mountain to climb. But things get considerably tricky if instead of hiking shoes you put on a pair of 5-inch high heels, especially if you’re a guy. One English teenager recently proved that it was not impossible.
Ben Conway, a 19-year-old art student from London, recently took up the challenge as a way to stand out in an application for a scholarship for the School of Communication Arts in Brixton. He started his unusual high-heel climb at 8 a.m., on June 27, and was joined by Callum MacKenzie Allen, a friend from his art foundation year, who videotaped the whole thing for a two-minute video that served as his application project. The whole climb took five hours and wasn’t the smoothest experience.
Halfway up Ben Navis, one of his shoes broke, so he had to tape the shoes to his feet to make sure they stayed on. The weather didn’t make it easy for him either, as he claimed that it rained pretty much the whole time, and he had to go against 40 to 50 miles an hour winds. Due to these difficult conditions, Ben and his friend had to turn back after reaching 900 meters up the mountain.
Apart from providing a unique art school application project, the high-heel climb also allowed the 19-year-old to raise some money for worthy causes, like Sal’s Shoes, which provides footwear for barefoot children around the world.
“Raising money for charity brings happiness to people’s lives and if I can do something ridiculous and bring someone happiness, then that’s what it’s all about”, Ben said.
1. What can replace the underlined word “tricky” in Paragraph 1?| A．Pleasant. | B．Boring. | C．Tough. | D．Smooth. |
| A．To prove nothing is impossible. | B．To record a special experience. |
| C．To promote their friendship. | D．To assist in Ben’s application. |
| A．The difficulties in the climb. | B．The climbing route. |
| C．The terrible weather. | D．The unexpected incident. |
| A．Puzzling. | B．Inspiring. | C．Exciting. | D．Frightening. |
9 . One year before, at age 18, Leszyeski had aged out of foster care (寄养中心), having been in the system since she was four when her single mother was no longer able to care for her. Leszyeski was now enrolled in college hoping to become a doctor. And the only furniture she had in her apartment was an air mattress with a hole in it.
Then she learned about an organization Chairity. The organization provides furniture and household goods for young adults who have left foster care. Leszyeski reached out to Charity, a nonprofit formed by 23-year-old Maria Paparella.
Paparella first became aware of foster care in elementary school when her parents were considering adopting a child. The plan didn't work out, but Paparella often found herself thinking about that child. “I'm really close with my family, and I just couldn't imagine being completely on my own at 18,” she says.
At 16, Paparella visited Summit County Children Services, with a list of questions, trying to understand what aging out looked like. One of her questions was “What's not being met for these young people?” Near the top of the list was furniture. “That struck home,” says Paparella. The idea of “moving into an apartment without a bed to sleep on or a sofa to sit on” pulled at her heartstrings.
Paparella contacted her parents' friends, asking if they had spare furniture to donate. A local furniture store offered free ware-house space and its delivery truck. Watching the recipients' faces when they received a bed, a couch — whatever — was amazing. Paparella remembers delivering a gold lamp to a woman and watching her polish it lovingly, getting rid of dirt and fingerprints.
Today, Chairity has given furniture to nearly 200 young adults in homes across six Ohio counties. Paparella is convinced these contributions give the recipients hope and confidence. Leszyeski agrees.“It makes me feel like I'm not different from other people. My whole life, I've felt abnormal,”she says,“Now, I feel normal.”
1. Which can best describe Leszyeski's life after leaving foster care?| A．Tough but hopeful. | B．Poor and aimless. |
| C．Wealthy but boring. | D．Independent and carefree. |
| A．To get some financial benefits from it. | B．To help those aging out of foster care. |
| C．To aid the needy couple adopt a child. | D．To ask people to donate some couches. |
| A．Living without parents. | B．Moving into a new house. |
| C．Getting free truck delivery. | D．Visiting a foster care center. |
| A．It changes young adults' whole life. | B．It brings confidence to the recipients. |
| C．It has helped lots of homeless people. | D．It makes people different from others. |
10 . If someone said they’d pay you $1,800 to stay off social media for six years, would you do it?
In 2016, Lorna challenged her 12-year-old son Sivert to stay off social media until he was 18. If he completed the challenge, she’d award him the cash on his eighteenth birthday.
Sivert said it wasn’t too difficult to live without social media, and he didn’t think about it much during the six years.
Now $1,800 richer, Sivert told CNN he hasn’t thought about what to buy, but it’ll likely be used for his study at the University of Northwestern St. Paul, which he’ll attend in the fall But he has already decided on his first use of social media: getting Instagram.
After Sivert’s success, Lorna shared the challenge online. She said it was some of the best money she ever spent. Other parents have seemed interested in trying it out too. “
Sivert is the youngest of four children.
“For some reason, kids and adults feel so comfortable behind a screen,”. Lorna mentioned the kinds of comments people post. “I’m so happy Sivert didn’t have to read any of that.”
| A．Sivert Klefsaas did just that. |
| B．We are certainly not against social media. |
| C．It’s about not letting yourself get addicted to it. |
| D．He said that he wasn’t using social media a lot at 12. |
| E．His three older sisters all used social media growing up. |
| F．Lorna was inspired by a challenge she heard on the radio. |
| G．Six years later, on February 19, 2022, Sivert took his prize. |
