1 . On James Owen’s 70th birthday, he saw a video of himself bending the top of his body forward and raising his shoulders and back and walking slowly up to the platform where he was giving a talk. “I looked like an old man,”says Owen,who built a successful career on Wall Street. Even worse, he felt like an old man. He was about 25 pounds overweight and had trouble with his back, knees and shoulders.
Later, instead of giving in to age, Owen decided to set an ambitious five-year goal.He wanted to be pain-free, and he decided the way to get there was through exercise-even though at the time he couldn’t do a single push-up. Owen began walking though he was out of breath after five minutes. But that didn’t discourage him. He kept at the walks every day, along with some stretching. Once he had those basics down,he started lifting weights and hired a personal trainer to teach him and design a routine he could follow on his own. The last piece was finding other activities he enjoyed,which turned out to be cycling and swimming.
In less than five years, Owen was able to do three sets of 50 push-ups each and walk for miles each day. And yes,he was free of aches and pains“Aging is only about 25% genes, and the rest is lifestyle,“he says.“As long as you’re still mobile, it’s never too late to become more healthy.”
Owen used his experience to write a book called Just Move! A New Approach to Fitness After 50,in which he details how older adults can safely get off the couch and add more movement to their lives. He says,“Think of it as movement not exercise.Get started even if you walk just three blocks, which was all I could manage at first.”He adds,“The key is slow and steady progress. Not every investment pays off,but it is the best investment I’ve ever made in my life.”
1. What can we learn about Owen from the video?| A．He was a tough guy. |
| B．He was in bad physical condition. |
| C．He was overweight but straight in shape. |
| D．He was wealthy and enthusiastic about exercise. |
| A．To relieve pain. |
| B．To lose weight. |
| C．To write a book. |
| D．To encourage investment. |
| A．It’s better to get started earlier. |
| B．Genes play a key role in anti-aging. |
| C．Healthy lifestyle is vital in delaying aging. |
| D．Exercise quickly promotes physical recovery. |
| A．Bad news has wings. | B．A good medicine tastes bitter. |
| C．Don’t judge a book by its cover. | D．It is never too old to work out. |
2 . On January 22, 2022, the British-Belgian 19-year-old, Zara Rutherford, successfully landed her two-seat microlight aircraft back at the Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport, from where she had departed 155 days ago, fulfilling her dream to be the youngest woman to fly around the world solo.
“I feel excited not only to break the Guinness World Record, but also to diminish the gender gap by 11 years between the current youngest male record holder Travis Ludlow 18 at the time of his record, and the previous female record holder Shaesta Waez, who was 30 when she completed her ‘Dreams Soar’ around-the-world flight.” Rutherford wrote on her blog.
Rutherford’s journey crossing five continents and 52 countries began on August 18, 2021. She encountered numerous unexpected delays along the way. They included an unscheduled stop in Redding, California, due to wildfires and a month-long stop in Nome, Alaska, to renew her Russian visa. She also faced several challenges in the air. When flying from Iceland to Greenland, Rutherford lost radio contact with her ground team for much of the 3-hour flight. The incidents also resulted in her having to cross over Russia in sub-zero temperatures. The hardest part was flying over Siberia — it was extremely cold and if the engine broke down, she’d be hours away from rescue. Despite the severe difficulties, the determined young pilot never gave up on her dream.
Rutherford grew up around airplanes. Her British father flies commercially, while her Belgian mother is a recreational pilot. The young girl began learning how to fly at age 14 and obtained her aviators license in 2020. With her goal of flying around the world accomplished, Rutherford now has her sights set even higher. She wants to become an astronaut and explore space.
She hopes that her journey will encourage more young women to pursue careers in aviation. Currently the number of female pilots is just 5 percent. Rutherford says, “It’s an easy thing to say, but just go for it. If you don’t try and see how high you can fly, then you’ll never know.”
1. What does the underlined word “diminish” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Cause. | B．Divide. | C．Narrow. | D．Expand. |
| A．The wildfires were too fierce. | B．Her Russian visa was due. |
| C．The weather was too severe. | D．Her engine broke down. |
| A．To switch to a new topic. | B．To summarize her achievements. |
| C．To illustrate her admirable talents. | D．To add some background information. |
| A．Life is not all roses. | B．Dream big, aim high. |
| C．Not to advance is to go back. | D．The greatest talkers, the least doers. |
3 . Virginia, 70, is a massage therapist(按摩治疗师)from Canada who recently decided to transform a 2016 Ford Transit into her new home and take to 24/7 van(厢式货车)life! After a client introduced her to a television series about tiny house living, Virginia thought, “I could do that!” And that’s exactly what she did! After 38 years as a massage therapist, Virginia watched this show and thought about retirement for the very first time.
She enlisted the help of her daughter and friends to put all the bits and pieces of the van together, but Virginia made sure to have a hand in almost every part of the process. You can see her personality woven throughout the van in features like the ceiling, wood quilted doors, and even the tiny space reserved for her massage table!
One of Virginia’s favorite parts of van life is the accepting community, regardless of how old you are or where you come from. “There are young people and older people and they all seem to accept one another because age isn’t the priority—it’s that we’re in a van life and we have that similarity, so it’s quite lovely”, Virginia said. “I love it.”
This was a future Virginia never expected, but she wouldn’t trade any of it! “You don’t know what you’re going to be doing in four or five days,” Virginia explained. “Someone can say to you, ‘Well, I’m going to Joshua Tree.’ And you go, ‘Joshua Tree! I never go to Joshua Tree.’ And that can be what you do next! I love that part of it.”
She hopes to encourage others not to let factors like age or “what if” questions keep them from running toward their goals. “Start! Don’t dream,” she said. “One foot in front of the other.”
Can we be Virginia when we grow up? What an incredible reminder that it’s never too late to pursue our dreams!
1. What does Para.1 tell us about Virginia?| A．She is a daring old woman. | B．She worked for Ford company. |
| C．She often watched television series. | D．She wanted to change her job. |
| A．Asking help from workers. | B．Decorating the van according to her taste. |
| C．Having a big section left for her massage table. | D．Involving herself in the beginning of the process. |
| A．Dangerous. | B．Costly. | C．Fascinating. | D．Ambitious. |
| A．Hard work pays off. | B．Run for dreams regardless of age. |
| C．It is never too late to travel. | D．Love breaks down barriers. |
4 . At 12, my father decided to take me on a trip to France. I had never been out of the country before, so I was very excited. My aunt, my father and I went around with my father showing us all the unbelievable sites in Paris. None of us spoke much French but we loved the city.
We had taken the subway all over the city and were congratulating ourselves on our mastering what is honestly an excellent subway design that is pretty easy to follow. We decided to visit Versailles by train. We chatted happily along the way until my father realized we were far into the French countryside and no one around spoke English.
We reached the end of the line and felt afraid when everyone finally left the train. An old man and his grandchild noticed us and came to help. He spoke no English, so in broken French we tried to explain. When he finally understood, this great man settled his grandson and showed us to the correct train and then boarded with us.
Later we knew the truth that there was a train transfer (转乘) and he didn’t want us to miss it. This kind man rode a train for an hour and a half out of his way to make sure that three Americans got where they wanted to be. He refused to let us pay for his ticket. He did it all with a gentle smile and patted our hands gently at the stop. Then in his quiet way, he boarded the train to return the way he had come.
What impressed me most was the man and his kindness during the amazing trip. Some Americans think the French are rude for some reason, but I always try to persuade them to change their minds with this very story.
1. What happened to the author and his family on the train?| A．They couldn’t understand the signs of the train. |
| B．They failed to get off the train at the right time. |
| C．They had different opinions about where to go first. |
| D．They found it hard to communicate with the French. |
| A．He paid for their train tickets. | B．He showed them the returning way. |
| C．He invited them to travel together. | D．He led them to their place. |
| A．Seeing is believing. | B．Being kind is a good manner. |
| C．Travelling enriches one’s life. | D．Helping others brings great pleasure. |
| A．To explain an unexpected problem. |
| B．To list the unbelievable sites in Paris. |
| C．To share an unforgettable foreign experience. |
| D．To show the importance of mastering a foreign language. |
5 . One day when I was 5, my mother scolded (责骂) me for not finishing my breakfast and I got angry. I wanted to play outside and not to be made to finish eating my breakfast. When angrily opening the screen door with my foot, I kicked back about a 12-inch part of the lower left hand corner of the new screen door. But I had no remorse, for I was happy to be playing in the backyard with my toys.
Today, I know if my child had done what I did, I would have scolded my child, and told him about how expensive this new screen door was, and I would have delivered a spanking (打屁股) for it. My parents never said a word. They left the corner of the screen door pushed out, creating an opening, a breach (裂缝) in the defense against unwanted insects.
For years, every time I saw that corner of the screen, it would constantly make me think about my mistake. For years, I knew that everyone in my family would see that hole and remember who did it. For years, every time I saw a fly buzzing (嗡嗡) in the kitchen, I would wonder if it came in through the hole that I had created with my angry foot. I would wonder if my family members were thinking the same thing, silently blaming me every time a flying insect entered our home, making life more terrible for us all. My parents taught me a valuable lesson, one that a spanking or stern (严厉的) words perhaps could not deliver. Their silent punishment for what I had done delivered a hundred stern messages to me. Above all, it has helped me become a more patient person and not burst out so easily.
1. When the author damaged the door, his parents ________.| A．gave him a spanking |
| B．left the door unrepaired |
| C．scolded him for what he had done |
| D．told him how expensive it was |
| A．regret | B．joy | C．anger | D．notice |
| A．to hide his anger away from others |
| B．not to go against his parents’ will |
| C．to have a better control of himself |
| D．not to make mistakes in the future |
| A．Adults should ignore their children’s bad behavior. |
| B．Parents are the best teachers of their children. |
| C．Patience is the key to becoming a better person. |
| D．One learns most when shown the result of his/her action. |
6 . I know what courage looks like. I saw it on a flight I took six years ago, and only now can I speak of it without tears filling my eyes at the memory.
Our flight left the Orlando Airport one Friday morning. But immediately upon the take-off, it was clear that something was wrong. The aircraft was bumping (颠簸) up and down. All the experienced travellers, including me, looked around with knowing (会意的) smiles. If you fly much, you see these things and learn to act calmly about them. However, we did not remain calm for long.
Minutes after we were in the air, our plane began falling quickly. The pilot soon made a serious announcement. “We are having some difficulties,” he said. “Our indicators show that the control system has failed. We will be returning to the Orlando Airport. The flight attendants will prepare you for a bumpy landing. Also, if you look out of the windows, you will see that we are dumping (倾倒) fuel from the airplane. We want to have as little on board as possible in the event of a rough touchdown.” In other words, we were about to crash. Many travellers looked visibly frightened now. No one faces death without fear, I thought.
Then a couple of rows to my left, I heard a still calm voice, a woman’s voice, speaking in an absolutely normal conversational tone. I had to find the source of this voice. All around, people cried. Many screamed. Finally, I saw her. In this state of complete confusion and lack of order, a mother was talking to her child. The woman, in her mid-30s, was staring full into the face of her daughter, who looked to be four years old. The child listened closely, sensing the importance of her mother’s words. The mother’s eye held the child so fixed that she seemed untouched by the sounds of grief and fear around her.
Finally, I leaned over and could hear this soft sure voice with the tone of comfort. Over and over again, the mother said, “I love you so much. Remember, no matter what happens, I love you always.” Fortunately, our landing gear (起落架) held at last and our touchdown was not a tragedy.
However, the voice I heard that day never faded. That mom showed me what a real hero looks like.
1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?| A．The crew was getting ready for a take-off. |
| B．The travellers were taken good care of on the plane. |
| C．The aircraft was not in normal condition when flying. |
| D．The passengers were enjoying themselves on the aircraft. |
| A．To prepare for a landing. | B．To have the airplane not bump. |
| C．To make the airplane to fly faster. | D．To make sure the control system worked well. |
| A．She looked quite angry. | B．She didn’t appear so worried. |
| C．She felt extremely nervous. | D．She sounded rather hopeless. |
| A．She paid attention to her mother’s words. |
| B．She screamed and cried with other passengers. |
| C．She comforted her mother after hearing the emergency. |
| D．She didn’t seem to be interested in what her mother said. |
7 . It was in October. I was aimlessly wandering down the street, heading into a most gloriously beautiful sunset which captured my heart utterly. Consequently, I had an urge to speak to someone on the street to share that beauty, but it seemed everyone was in a hurry and keeping a fast-pacing lifestyle.
I came across an adolescent with fashionable clothes in the street. The moment I extended my unusual proposal, he just widened his shimmering eyes with pure astonishment and then he declined my request in a polite way.
I took the next-best action. Quickly I ducked into a department store and asked the lady behind the counter if she could come outside for just a minute. She looked at me in surprise but fortunately, after a brief hesitation, seemingly against her better judgment, she moved toward the door.
When she stepped outside, I exclaimed, “Just look at that sunset! Nobody out here was looking at it and I just had to share it with someone.” My words seemed to strike a chord with her, and she wept buckets.
For a few seconds we just looked. Then I said, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.” I thanked her for coming out to see it. It felt good to share the beauty with someone kind and patient.
Four years later my situation changed greatly. I came to the end of a twenty-year marriage.
I was on my own for the first time in my life, depressed and frustrated.
One day, I happened to pick up a magazine and read an article about a woman who had been in similar circumstances: the end of a marriage, and loneliness in life .
Then something that happened to her changed everything. She said a woman came into her department store and asked her to step outside to look at a sunset. The stranger had said, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world,” and she had realized the truth in that statement, overwhelmingly moved. From that moment on, she turned her life around.
1. What does the underlined phrase “my unusual proposal” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．To ask for help. | B．To stop for a while. |
| C．To make friends with her. | D．To admire the charming sunsets. |
| A．Nice to people. | B．Easy to make friends with. |
| C．Patient with work. | D．Unwilling to change. |
| A．Depressed. | B．Hopeless. | C．Touched. | D．Shocked. |
| A．The Beauty of Life | B．The Sharing of Beauty |
| C．The Importance of Sharing | D．The Encounter of Kindness |
8 . “They tell me that you’d like to make a statue of me. Is that correct, Miss Vinnie Ream?” “Yes, sir,” she replied.“I plan to make it in an admirable manner.”
President Lincoln smiled “Painters and sculptors have all tried to make the best of this ordinary face, but I’m afraid there’s not much hope.What did you have in mind? A bust (半身像)?”
Before Vinnie could say yes, the President hurried on, a shade of apology in his voice. “Of course, I shouldn’t have asked. A full-length pose would be much too big a project for a young woman your size.”
Vinnie’s face turned red. She realized she looked like a child, with her tiny figure. “Small does not mean weak, sir,” she defended herself. “I was born in the country of Wisconsin I’ve driven teams of horses and carried water. Making a full-length clay (粘土) figure would not exhaust my strength, and that is what l intend to do!”
The President’s eyes brightened at her show of spirit. “Sorry, madam. I have underestimated (低估) you as I didn’t know your background. But how could I possibly take the time to pose for a sculpture now? I hardly have a minute to myself.
Vinnie glanced around and noted the size of his office.“I work quickly.” Her voice was soft but confident as she pointed to the corner near the windows. “If I were to bring my clay here and work for three hours every afternoon, I could complete most of the project while you are at your desk.”
The President seemed to consider her idea seriously. He got up and shook Vinnie’s hand warmly, “I’ve heard that you are a talented young woman, and I have found you charming and intelligent as well. You will hear from me soon.”
The very next day, Vinnie received an invitation from the President.
1. How did President Lincoln first respond to Vinnie’s request?| A．Delighted. | B．Doubtful. | C．Excited. | D．Regretful. |
| A．By showing her experience from other projects. |
| B．By sharing her colorful childhood in the country. |
| C．By stressing the skills she picked up in Wisconsin. |
| D．By highlighting the heavy labor she had done before. |
| A．To achieve effects of natural lighting. |
| B．To keep all her tools within easy reach. |
| C．To avoid disturbing the president’s work. |
| D．To observe the President at the best angle. |
| A．A strong-willed soul can reach his goal. |
| B．Experience helps to promote excellence. |
| C．Ups and downs make one strong. |
| D．Devotion requires passion. |
9 . One day, a sage (圣人) visited a nearby town to learn about the conditions of the people living there. The presence of the sage made everybody happy. They led him to the temple located in the heart of their community.
The financial condition of the people was not good due to a reduction in production. The sage realized that everyone had a broken heart. The sage took his seat on the small stage in the courtyard of the temple. People were eager to hear what he was going to say. The sage took out a piece of white paper from his bag. There was a small black dot in the center of the paper. The sage held the piece of paper high so that everyone could have a good look at it. All of them who were present looked at it anxiously.
The sage asked, “What are you seeing?”
A young man answered immediately, “Sir, it is only a black dot!” The sage pointed his finger toward another person and asked, “And what are you seeing?” The middle-aged man gave the same answer. Asking an elderly man, the sage got the same answer.
Hearing the answer, the sage smiled and said. “That means none of you are able to see anything other than the black dot.” Not surprisingly, all there answered loudly, “Yes.” Then, the sage said, “You are not able to see the paper in my hand. But the small dot on that paper is able to attract the attention of all of you.”
The sage continued, “You all missed seeing the paper, even though it was before your eyes. Life is also like that. Ignoring many big things around us, we concentrate on small things like the black dot. If we always pay attention to small and insignificant things, will our life not be restricted? Free your mind. The solutions to all of your problems are hidden inside you. You will get everything you desire if you only think deeply.”
1. Why were people willing to listen to the sage?| A．They hoped to get suggestions on improving their living conditions. |
| B．The sage was expected to give them comfort for their losses. |
| C．They wished the sage to give them some food supplies. |
| D．The sage was head of the town. |
| A．Patient. | B．Trustworthy. | C．Absurd. | D．Stubborn. |
| A．The people could see nothing but the paper. |
| B．He was satisfied with the people’s answers. |
| C．He always wanted the people to see the black dot. |
| D．The people’s answers were the same as what he had expected. |
| A．Face troubles with a smile. |
| B．The importance of discussion. |
| C．Ways of taking a good attitude toward life. |
| D．Take things into consideration fully and wholly. |
10 . By any standard, Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You ‘ll Go! is a great book. And Martin is hardly the first parent to buy the book for his graduating high-school. But Martin did something special—he added to the book’s pages 13 years’ worth of hand-written teachers’ comments and impressions about his daughter, Brenna.
When Martin first told Brenna, 18, that he had a present for her, Brenna thought she was getting some graduation card. But then she opened the book and realized that it was filled with personal memories. “Every year, for the past 13 years, since the day you started kindergarten (幼儿园)I’ve gotten every teacher to write something about you inside this book,” he told her. Brenna’s eyes were filled with hot tears.
She described her happiness at her graduation gift online, “He managed to keep this book a secret for 13 years, and surely everyone else in my life knew about it! I was moved to tears. Sitting there reading through this book there are encouraging and sweet words from every teacher I love and remember through my years in this small town. My early teachers mention my ‘laughs’ while my high school teachers mention my ‘smart’. But they all mention my humor and love for life. It is astounding to receive something this touching and thoughtful. I can’t express how much I love my Dad for this labor of love”.
Millions of people have checked out Brenna’s Internet message on her father’s gift, which has been considered “unbelievable” and the “best graduation gift ever”. It sure beats a bunch of roses.
1. What did Brenna find after opening the book?| A．An unusual graduation card. |
| B．A picture of beautiful roses. |
| C．Her teachers’ words about her. |
| D．Her parents’ personal memories. |
| A．Clever. | B．Humorous. |
| C．Thoughtful | D．Hardworking. |
| A．Amazing. | B．Important. |
| C．Impossible. | D．Helpful. |
| A．A family full of love. |
| B．Daughter’s thanks to Dad. |
| C．A great book by Dr. Seuss. |
| D．Dad’s secret graduation gift. |
