3 . A Portland, Oregon man has become the first person to travel across Antarctica by himself without receiving any assistance.

Colin O’Brady has completed the 1,500-kilometer trip. He crossed the continent in 54 days. Friends, family and other people followed his progress through messages and pictures he left on social media.

O’Brady spoke with his wife Jenna Besaw by telephone soon after he completed the journey. “It was an emotional call,” she said. “He seemed overwhelmed by love and appreciation, and he really wanted to say ‘thank you’ to all of us.”

The 33-year-old O’Brady documented the trip on the social networking services Instagram. He called his journey “The Impossible First”. He wrote that he traveled the last 129 kilometers in one big, final push to the finish line. The distance took over one day to complete. O’Brady wrote, “While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced.”

The day before, he wrote that he was “in the zone” and thought he could make it to the end without stopping. “I was listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe,” he wrote. “I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife. I promised them I would stop when I need to.”

Other people have traveled across Antarctica, but they all had some form of assistance. They either had better, more plentiful supplies or devices that helped move them forward.

In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died in his attempt to travel alone across Antarctica unassisted. Worsley’s friend Louis Rudd, also from Britain, is attempting an unaided solo journey in Worsley’s honor. He was competing against O’Brady to be the first to do it. Besaw told the Associated Press that her husband plans to stay in Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trip.

1. What did O’Brady think of his journey in Antarctica?

A．It was pleasant.	B．It was discouraging.
C．It was impossible to complete.	D．It was hard to complete.

2. What did O’Brady promise his family?

A．Making sure of his safety.	B．Trying to achieve the goal.
C．Keeping in touch with them.	D．Stopping the travel halfway.

3. Why does O’Brady still remain in Antarctica?

A．To wait for another explorer.	B．To compete with others.
C．To help other explorers.	D．To make his victory recognized.

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

A．The Antarctic Continent	B．The Impossible First
C．Traveling in Antarctica	D．An Incomplete Journey

4 . Since I graduated from high school, I’ve worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer. However, making the transition (转变) between school and full-time blue-collar work during the break never gets any easier. For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be uncivilized, getting to a factory by 6 o'clock each morning is a torture.

There’re few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world. People of my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge. In fact, all the classes did not prepare me for my battles with the machine I ran in the plant, which would jam whenever I absent-mindedly put in a part backward or upside down.

The most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job could disappear overnight. Issues like downsizing (裁员) and overseas relocation always seemed distant to me until my co-worker told me that the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico, where people would work for 60 cents an hour.

After working 12-hour shifts in a factory, the other options have become only too clear. When I’m back at the university, skipping classes and turning in lazy rewrites seem too irresponsible after seeing what I would be doing without school. All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound stale (out of date) now ring true.

These lessons I’m learning, however valuable, are always tinged (带有) with a sense of guilt. Many people pass their lives in the places I briefly work, spending 30 years where I spend only two months at a time. “The job pays well, but it is very hard,” said one co-worker. “Study hard and keep reading,” she added.

My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.

1. The underlined word “torture” in Paragraph 1 most probably means__________.

A．Misery

B．Fortune

C．Anxiety

D．Acceptance

2. What does the author say about college students?

A．They expect too much from the real world.

B．They think too highly of themselves.

C．They have little interest in blue-collar life.

D．They are confident of their future.

3. What, according to the author, is the most frustrating for blue-collar workers?

A．They do not get good pay.

B．They have to work 12-hour shifts.

C．They do not have job security.

D．They have to move from place to place.

4. In what important way has the author’s work experience changed him?

A．He learned to be more practical.

B．He came to respect blue-collar workers.

C．He acquired a sense of urgency.

D．He came to appreciate his college education.

5 . Claire Wyatt, a 24-year-old British volunteer, led eight Cambodians living with disabilities on a 155-mile bike ride from Phnom Penh, the nation’s capital, to Siem Reap to raise money and deliver supplies to those in need in the coronavirus pandemic(新冠病毒大流行).

“Leading this trip was an incredibly special experience for me,” said Claire. “Not only was I encouraged by the determination of each and every rider, but also the team taught me every day not to focus on their disability.”

When she was first asked to lead the trip, Claire admitted, she was feeling nervous about her team traveling such a distance in just a few days because cycling with a disability can come with added physical and emotional challenges.

One team member named Dy, who lost an arm in an accident, biked using just one arm to balance. Another named Vulta could only pedal on one side due to polio(小儿麻痹). Despite all the difficulties, Claire realized quickly that she didn’t have to worry about her team. She saw them deal with rough area that she had seen abled cyclists give up on before.

The volunteers covered the distance in just four days, not only helping so many people across the country, but also overcoming huge difficulties to get there.

“The best thing about this ride is that the riders have all volunteered their time to do this. They are so enthusiastic about Cambodia and raising money for others in need,” said Claire. “The money raised will feed 99 families in Siem Reap.”

Claire recalled her favorite moment of the experience, when one of the cyclists pushed an exhausted teammate up a hill for 2 miles. “One moment that stood out for me was when Naret, our only female rider, was feeling tired,” she said. “Her fellow rider gently put his hand on her back and pushed her for 2 miles! They were encouraging each other to push through the tiredness.”

1. Why did Claire and eight Cambodians cycle 155 miles?

A．To challenge themselves.	B．To help out needy people.
C．To take part in a competition.	D．To raise money for the disabled.

2. What worried Claire before the ride?

A．She might be injured on the road.	B．She would be unable to lead the team.
C．Her team might be looked down on.	D．Her team couldn’t finish the route.

3. Which of the following can best describe the team?

A．Confident, calm and friendly.	B．Honest, patient and open-minded.
C．Strong-minded, brave and caring.	D．Curious, creative and experienced.

4. What did Claire think of the journey?

A．It could have taken less time.

B．It was amazing and inspiring.

C．It changed her idea about human nature.

D．It was more difficult than she had expected.

6 . Five days after the roadside incident, I took my first coronavirus test. I felt exhausted and fragile, my head and joints aching. "I've heard that it hurts," I said to the blue-gowned woman who held what resembled a very long Q-Tip."I wouldn't say it hurts," she said, "but it is uncomfortable, for sure." A tear rolled down my cheek. If indeed I had the virus, I knew of only one possible exposure. Had I done the right thing on that dark country road?

It was a Saturday in early September. At home in the pandemic（世界流行病） I sometimes felt trapped. I loaded our three children into the minivan and drove about 80 miles from metro Atlanta to Yonah Mountain, a remote peak near the end of the Blue Ridge. This was a wild mountain, rather than a tourist destination, but we enjoyed the view and the feeling of freedom. At dusk, we were hurrying down the mountain against the oncoming night when I heard a man calling for help.

During the pandemic, I didn't stop as much as I used to, especially when it might put the children at risk. But there was no telling what misfortune might have found him on this lonely road. I stopped the van and opened my window. A young man in a white T-shirt appeared at the front passenger window, his mask dangling from(悬于) one ear. Seeming a little drunk, he said he   had a fight with his girlfriend and was forced out of the car, and now he needed a ride home.

I told the man we were being careful with the virus and all. But he insisted he was being careful too, and begged whether he could have a ride home. "Okay, if you say so." I said, and asked him to put on his mask.I prayed a silent prayer and kept the windows open. In a strange town on a strange night, the young man was mostly polite, but he did swear a lot, as some people do when they're drunk. I followed his directions and drove him to his destination.

Six days later, I got an email with an ominous(不祥的) subject line: Your COVID-19 Test Results. I'd felt sick and tired and guilty for much of the week, and my heart pounded as I clicked the link. Part of me wanted to be positive, to finally confront the monster that was stalking us all, to have the fight and survive it and just stop being afraid. I entered my date of birth and pressed the button.

1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To show the author’s relationship with medical workers.

B．To arouse readers’ interest in the story.

C．To provide the backgroud information.

D．To explain the course of testing COVID-19.

2. By saying the underlined sentence, what does the author aim to do?

A．Stress the importance of self-protection.

B．Remind him to take coronavirus test.

C．Start a conversation with the stranger.

D．Try to refuse him without saying no.

3. Which word can best describe the author, according to paragraph 3?

A．Impolite

B．Considerate

C．Indifferent

D．Independent

4. Why does the author want the test result to be “positive”?

A．He wants to relieve the anxiety.

B．He wishes to escape from countless work.

C．He would like to take a vacation with his families.

D．He is guilty of staying at home for a long time.

7 . While a man was passing by an elephant, he suddenly stopped. The elephant was held by only a small rope. The farmer ties the rope to the elephant's front leg. No chains, no cages. The man was very confused. He wanted to know why the elephant didn't run away.

He visited the farmer and asked why the elephant just stood there and didn't run away. "Well," the farmer said, "when it was very young and much smaller, we used the same size rope to tie it. At that age, the rope was strong enough to hold it. Of course it couldn't run away. When it grew up, it still believed the rope could hold it. So it never tried to run away."

The man was very amazed. In fact, the grown-up elephant could run away at any time. But it didn't run away just because it believed it couldn't. As a result, it was stuck right there.

We have such problems in our life. Sometimes we don't think we can deal with the problems. Sometimes we fail to deal with them. It's not wise to stop struggling. See? Failure is part of learning. We should never give up the struggle.

1. The farmer held the elephant by ________.

A．making a chain to tie the elephant	B．making a cage for the elephant
C．tying a rope to the elephant's front leg	D．tying a rope around the elephant's body

2. When the elephant grew up, the farmer used ________ to hold it.

A．a stronger rope	B．a smaller rope
C．the same size rope	D．a longer rope

3. The grown-up elephant couldn't run away because ________.

A．no one came to save it	B．the elephant couldn't run fast
C．it was not strong enough	D．it believed it couldn't

4. The writer wants to tell us ________.

A．not to stop struggling	B．to give up the struggle in life
C．to learn from the farmer	D．to learn from the elephant

8 . Leeny stood in the chicken coop（笼子）, shovel in hand, smiling widely. She was not faking it: My 7-year-old daughter was having fun cleaning out the chicken coop. I was happy she was enjoying herself, but I’d meant the household work to be punishment for losing a library book. So, was I winning or losing at parenting?

Leeny always has her nose in a book. She even took to reading in the car on the long drive to summer camp, which was where she lost the book. This is the first lost library book in my life. My family has always been overeducated, but we were poor. I didn’t own books. I borrowed books. However, my daughters have more books now than I owned my whole childhood and I knowingly contribute to it by adding to the stacks（堆）. So it’s probably my fault that when Leeny realized she had lost the book, she shrugged（耸肩）. “Sorry. I can't find it.” My daughter said. “It’s only $20, right? What's the big deal?”

I felt the need to make her feel responsible for the book. She agreed to clean the chicken coop in trade for my paying the library fine. I thought this idea was very clever because cleaning the coop is some work I had been avoiding for months. It was summertime, and dust floated in the dry air.

But my girl, my animal-loving, mini-me, thought shoveling chicken poop（铲鸡粪）was the most fun she’d had on a Saturday morning in a long time. She did not feel any of the emotions that punishment is supposed to introduce. In fact, she looked as if she might lose another book on purpose in order to clean the coop again. I stood, somewhat dumbfounded（发愣的）, watching her.

It took me a while to realize what had happened, why my punishment had failed completely and why I didn’t care. The fact is that I had Leeny help me clean the chicken coop. I was there, too, shoveling chicken poop, fetching the clean straw and feed. Leeny’s little sister, Vicki, was inside watching a cartoon while my husband paid bills. Only Leeny and I were outside. She had me all to herself for the first time since Vicki was born, and she was enjoying all the attention for once. I don’t know what she learned about responsibility, but I found that I didn’t care about the book anymore. We bonded over that unpleasant job and spent quality time together: mother, daughter, and chicken poop.

1. How does Leeny find reading?

A．It is very enjoyable.

B．It is full of challenges.

C．It inspires her to be a camper.

D．It teaches her to lover her family.

2. The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refers to the fact that _______.

A．the author didn’t own any books

B．the author’s daughters own too many books

C．the author’s daughters often lost library books

D．the author could never have enough books to read

3. How did the author feel after she saw Leeny’s cleaning work?

A．Worried.

B．Ashamed.

C．Astonished.

D．Embarrassed.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．My punishment failed, but I didn’t care

B．What I owe to Leeny: much more attention

C．My daughter drove me crazy, but I felt grateful

D．Surprise: my daughter loves cleaning chicken coops

9 . I wanted a change of pace, a break from routine. The past few years found me working long hours at my marketing job while my husband, Steven, put in equally full days as a physics tutor. We were both burned out from the constant boredom.

Vacation experiences at first glance seem a little difficult for us. How do you find comfort in an ever-changing environment? And I, someone who enjoys more planned fun, had to adapt.

But I was surprised at how easily I was able to adapt to a new mode of operation, a more relaxed version of myself who wasn’t worried where we’d park and sleep each night. The fact that we both became so accustomed to sleeping in the back of a cargo van is another surprise we experienced on this journey. The van was our main transportation and, with a full-size bed in the back, it also provided us with a bit of comfort that made us continue. At first, every sound outside was foreign, and we both took longer to fall-and stay-asleep. But, after a couple of weeks into van life, we let the sounds fade into soft background music.

Over the course of our seven- month trip, one of our big goals was to come away from each park with one spectacular image. That shared goal placed us on the same team: It brought us together, even more than before, gave us more to talk about, and encouraged us to motivate each other along the way.

By this point, you’re probably wondering how we paid for all of this, or maybe you’re assuming we come from wealthy backgrounds. The truth is, we actually managed this entire adventure on a middle-class budget. Steven did part-time remote work about 10 hours per week for his employer from the road. I ended up finding some temporary jobs through the trip. We also continued our photography business, setting up an online shop to sell our landscapes.

We only visited some parks in the 48 states. And the experience would still be worth every penny. It is really a chance to lose and find ourselves in our nation’s park lands.

1. Why did the author want to change?

A．Because she wanted a rest from daily routine.

B．Because she was interested in travelling.

C．Because she fell ill with long working hours.

D．Because she didn't like her marketing job.

2. What did the author think of the vacation before the journey?

A．Exciting.	B．Helpful.
C．Doubtful.	D．Boring.

3. What can we infer from the last but one paragraph?

A．The couple visited 48 states during the trip.

B．The couple tried different jobs to maintain their trip.

C．The husband worked harder than the wife.

D．The couple came from a middle-class family.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Introducing a couple’s daily life.

B．Sharing a couple’s travel experience.

C．Showing the importance of traveling.

D．Advising some travel plans to readers.

10 . There was a man playing the piano in a bar. He was a good piano player and always performed in this bar. People came in just to hear him play. But one night, a customer told him that he didn’t want to hear him just play the piano any more. He wanted him to sing a song.

The man said, “I don’t sing.”

But the customer was persistent(执着的). He told the bar manager, “I’m tired of listening to the piano. I want that man to sing！”

The manager shouted across the room, “If you want to get paid, sing a song. Our customers are asking you to sing！”

So he did. He sang a song. A piano player who had never sung in public did so for the first time. And everyone was surprised by his song Mona Lisa. He got lots of applause(掌声) that night.

He had such a talent for singing, but he just had been sitting on his talent for the past years! If without such a chance, he may have lived the rest of his life as a no­name piano player in a no­name bar. However, now he has become one of the best­known singers in America.

You, too, have skills and abilities. Maybe your “talent” is not as great as the singer above, but it may be better than you think! And with effort, most skills can be improved. So, in your life, you should be brave enough to try doing different things and find out what talents you really have!

1. Why did the man start to sing?

A．Because he wanted to make more money.

B．Because the bar manager said he liked his song.

C．Because the manager asked him to sing at the request of a customer.

D．Because he wanted to show everyone that he had a talent for singing.

2. What do you think of the bar manager?

A．Strict.	B．Rude.
C．Patient.	D．Kind.

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Some people really have no skills or abilities.

B．None of us is as great as the singer.

C．Sometimes through effort we can know our talents.

D．No skills can be improved even if you try your best.