1 . To learn to think is to learn to question. Those who don’t question never truly think for themselves. These are simple rules that have governed the advancement of science and human thought. Advancements are made when thinkers question theories and introduce new ones. Unfortunately, it is often the great and respected thinkers who end up slowing the progress of human thought. Aristotle was a brilliant philosopher whose theories explained much of the natural world, often incorrectly. He was so respected by the scientific community that even 1,200years after his death, scientists were still trying to build upon his mistakes rather than correct them.
Brilliant minds can intimidate up and coming thinkers who are not confident of their abilities. They often believe they are not as good as the minds of giants such as Aristotle. leading many to accept current ideas instead of questioning them.
I like many thinkers of the past, once believed in my mental weakness. I didn’t question what was written on those pages. I respected them, and accepted whatever they told me. But that attitude soon changed. My mind’s independence was first developed in the classroom.
A 65-year-old science teacher once told me that light is a type of wave. I confidently believed that light is a wave. One day, however, I heard the German exchange student mentioned that light could be made up of particles(粒子). As the others laughed at his statement (陈述), I started to question my beliefs.
Maybe the teachers and textbooks hadn’t given me the whole story. I went to the library, did some research and learned of the light-as-a-wave vs light-as-a-particle debate. I realized I had gone through life accepting only half of the story as the whole truth.
Each new year brought more new facts, and I had even more questions. I found myself in the library after school, trying to find my own answers to gain a more complete understanding of what I thought I already knew. Even textbooks can be challenged. I learned to question my sources, I learned to be a thinker.
Questions are said to be the path to truth, and I plan to continue questioning. How many things do we know for sure today that we will question in the future? I know nothing can escape the gravity of a black hole. This knowledge may change in the next 20 years. The one thing we can control now is our openness to discovery. Questions are the tools of open minds, and open minds are the key to intellectual advancement.
1. In the first paragraph, Aristotle is taken as an example to show that __________.| A．he is the greatest and respected philosopher of all time |
| B．advancements are made when thinkers question theories |
| C．great thinkers often make mistakes and then correct them |
| D．huge influence of great thinkers may block human thought |
| A．Frighten. | B．Encourage. | C．Strengthen. | D．Disappoint. |
| A．the author is not quite sure about his future |
| B．we human beings don’t dare to predict future |
| C．the theory of black holes will be true forever |
| D．questioning is necessary to promote advancement |
| A．determines to be a thinker and questioner |
| B．always throws himself into the laboratory |
| C．looks down upon great thinkers all the time |
| D．never doubts what he has learned in the textbook |
2 . Sarah came running in. “Look what I found.” Over the top of the paper I was reading came a crispy long object that caused me to jump. It was a snake skin that had been shed by one of our many garden snakes.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” said my wide-eyed seven-year-old.
I stared at the organic wrapper and thought to myself that it really wasn’t that beautiful, but I have learned never to appear uninterested with children. They see only good quality and excellence in the world until educated otherwise.
“Why does it do this?” Sarah asked.
“Snakes shed their skin because they need to renew themselves,” I explained. “Why do they need to renew themselves?“ Sarah asked.
I suddenly remembered an article on this page many years ago where the writer was expressing her concept of renewal. She used layers of paper over a wall to describe how we hide our original selves, and said that by peeling away those layers one by one, we see the original beneath. “We often need to shed our skins and those coatings that we cover ourselves with,” I said to my now absorbed daughter. “We outgrow some things and find other ones unwanted or unnecessary. This snake no longer needs this skin. It is probably too crinkly (起皱的) for him, and he probably doesn’t think he looks as smart in it as he once did.”
Sarah was getting the point. As we talked, I knew that she began to understand, although slightly, that renewal is part of progress; that we need to take a good look at ourselves, our rooms, schoolwork and creativity, and see what we need to keep and what we need to cast off. I was careful to point out that this is a natural consequence of their growth.
“I see, Dad,” said Sarah and jumped off my lap and ran off.
I hoped she would remember this. That often, in order to find our real selves underneath the layers of community and culture with which we cover ourselves year after year, we need to start examining these layers. We need to gently peel some away, as we recognize them to be worthless or unnecessary; or at best, store the ones thrown away as mementoes of our promotion to a better vitality or spirit.
1. Sarah learned from her father that renewal is .| A．to recover the layers inside | B．a natural part of getting mature |
| C．to review what has been done | D．the process of finding the unwanted |
| A．dislikes the snake skin at all | B．shows concern for nature and culture |
| C．can grasp the chance to educate children | D．often encourages his daughter to raise questions |
| A．we should renew ourselves to get improved | B．snakes cast off the layers to look smarter |
| C．snakes shed their skins to renew themselves | D．we should explore our original nature underneath |
3 . When I first heard about the improv(即兴表演) classes, I was torn. As an introvert, I feared getting on stage and improvising in front of strangers. However, I knew I wanted to work as a science communicator after finishing my Ph.D., so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to improve my speaking ability and gain confidence thinking on my feet.
During our first class, we learned a core concept of improv: “yes, and.” It means that, as improvisers, we accept what fellow performers say. If someone says that rhinos(犀牛) are librarians, for example, then rhinos are librarians. We do not question the logic; we say “yes” and continue with the scene as if no him is wrong.
I got a taste of how difficult that was when acting out my first scene. My classmate turned to me and said, “Mom is going to be so mad.” Mad about what? My mind spun out ideas, and my inner critic shot them all down. We broke the car? No, that’s too easy. We failed a test? No, you don’t want your classmates thinking you’re stupid on the first day. I finally landed on an answer: “Yes, we’re going to be late for dinner.” The scene proceeded from there, and we eventually finished as two sisters who lost their way on a hiking trail.
The first few scenes were hard, but as weeks turned into months, I became more comfortable thinking on my feet and even started to enjoy our classes. I never silenced my inner critic entirely, but over time, I didn’t police my words with quite so much effort. I also became better at listening, relating to my conversation partners, and communicating clearly in the moment.
That training proved useful 6 months ago, when my experiments generated unreasonable data. Early on in graduate school, I would get stuck when this happened; my inner critic would assume I had made a mistake. But then, after embracing the “yes, and” concept, instead of getting discouraged, I kept exploring the data and ended up identifying a new type of cell—one that wasn’t behaving as expected. If I hadn’t accepted the possibility that the results were real, I would have missed out on the most exciting finding of my Ph.D. so far.
All scientists can benefit from this lesson. If the data say rhinos are librarians, then it’s worth investigating whether rhinos are, in fact, librarians. Our job as scientists isn’t to generate data that support a preconceived(预想的) story. Our job is to say “yes, and.”
1. Why did the author take the improv classes?| A．To improve her logical mind. | B．To finish her Ph. D. assignment. |
| C．To develop her communication skills. | D．To pursue her interest in performance. |
| A．Conflicted. | B．Bored. | C．Discouraged. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．accept failures | B．make a new discovery |
| C．make up for a mistake | D．correct unreasonable data |
| A．The unknown can be an inspiration. | B．The unexpected can be rewarding, |
| C．The unfortunate can be a chance. | D．The unusual can be decisive. |
If you listen to the stream of articles and podcasts telling us how to become a billionaire in 10 easy steps, you might hold the belief that squeezing ourselves dry each second of the day will bring happiness and success.
But this obsession with productivity is costing us. Even a car doesn’t stay in the same gear the whole time. “We are not machines,” says psychologist Professor Drew Dawson. “Performance declines as a function of time, of task and time of day.”
Instead of moments of boredom, where we might let our minds wander and come up with novel solutions to problems and novel ways of thinking, we seek constant stimulation - and have a lowered tolerance for boredom as a result.
“It leads people to a false assumption that the world’s most successful people are literally making good use of every single minute,” Dawson says. “That’s a myth. We’re not hardwired to act that way as humans, and it’s a good recipe for burnout.”
COVID-19, for a variety of reasons, has led people to question and even opt out of this myth. “Who wants to lie on their deathbed going, ‘I wish I’d been more productive’?” Dawson says. “Post-COVID, people are starting to say, ‘what am I losing compared to what am I gaining?’”
So, if not more productivity, what should we be aiming for?
·Get our priorities straight.
A life spent chasing the state of being able to do everything is less meaningful than a life of focusing on a few things that count. We can reflect on five things that matter most to us and lead a life around them. Once clear on them, we also become clear on where to direct our attention and what to say “no” to.
·Enjoy downtime(停工期)for its own sake
Glorifying productivity can blind us to the value of other parts of our lives, including boredom, connection, creativity and play. But activities in our lives don’t need to always be productive or worthwhile-enjoying an activity is reason enough to spend time on it.
We weren’t meant to be productive all the time, so stop constantly struggling, and start chilling.
1. What does “obsession with productivity” refer to in the passage?2. How has COVID-19 changed the situation according to the passage?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
It is more meaningful to focus on a few things that count in life, so we can reflect on five things in our life to say “no” to. 4. Do you agree with the statement “enjoying an activity is reason enough to spend time on it”? Why or why not?(In about 40 words)
Most people believe when they are living
6 . There exist cruel wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, so it’s not only necessary, but also essential to have a good sense of humor just to help us tide through difficult times in our lives. Putting a smile on someone’s face when you know they are feeling depressed, as the saying goes, makes me feel good and warms my heart.
How would you feel if you could not joke around with your wife, husband, child, co-worker, neighbor, close friend, or even just someone that you are standing in line with at your corner store? I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don’t know the person I’m joking around with. My Grandma always found humor in everything she did, even if it was the hardest job anyone could imagine. This not only relieves stress in any situation, but also is common courtesy (礼貌) to speak to others that are around you.
I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say. Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor after hearing a great joke and they would sit there without the slightest smile on their face. They don’t get the joke that makes others laugh. I am busting a gut while they just sit there, looking at me as if I were from outer space. How can people not get a really funny joke?
Laughing is essential to keeping your stress levels under control. Without humor we would find ourselves with a lot of psychological problems, or on a lot of medications to keep us from going crazy. There is too much sadness in this present world. It drives people crazy. We all need to find a way to bypass the sadness and bring a little light into our lives. So, I believe our best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and have some fun laughing together.
1. What is the author’s attitude towards the present world?| A．Positive. | B．Satisfied. | C．Critical. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．evidence and argument | B．opinions and persuasion |
| C．examples and conclusion | D．descriptions and analysis |
| A．speaking loudly | B．laughing hard |
| C．acting strangely | D．explaining carefully |
| A．talk about his own understanding of humor |
| B．introduce a practical way to get through daily life |
| C．encourage people to make jokes about serious matters |
| D．convince people of the power of being optimistic about life |
7 . On a bright afternoon, Jordan, Mahir and Mahir’s father gathered at the foot of a mountain. “Hey, Jordan, over here!” Jordan’s best friend, Mahir, waved his hand, pointing to a crack in the side of the mountain. “We could
Jordan tied his safety harness (系带) and checked his rope. He weighed one of them in his hand, determining its weight. Then he looked for
“At the time of a test, a person rises or falls.” said Ghanim, Mahir’s dad. Shaking his head in
His own father’s voice resounded in his thoughts, as if in a half-forgotten dream. “Climb a mountain, son, and you climb the insecurity in your own life. You climb over your shadow, climb over your
And now Jordan wouldn’t either.
| A．hike | B．pack | C．climb | D．dive |
| A．worthwhile | B．possible | C．unique | D．immediate |
| A．effectively | B．conveniently | C．amazingly | D．unbelievably |
| A．confusion | B．awareness | C．understanding | D．appreciation |
| A．agreement | B．destination | C．balance | D．crack |
| A．shock | B．power | C．doubt | D．struggle |
| A．accident | B．journey | C．event | D．trap |
| A．discouraged | B．connected | C．pulled | D．prevented |
| A．Agreed | B．Faced | C．Ended | D．Gone |
| A．Concentrating | B．Depending | C．Moved | D．Carrying |
8 . My birth was a little more dramatic than the standard way a baby enters the world. Within minutes of coming out, I was brought into another room while doctors gave my parents the difficult news: I was born missing my left hand. I’m sure it was quite difficult for them.
My parents took good care of me. I played sports, acted in theater, stood out in school, participated in student government and had playdates with friends. While I did get some stares and “polite” questions about my disability, I am lucky because I wasn’t made fun of for my limb (肢体) difference.
As kids do, I quickly learned to adapt, working around the “missing” hand. One of my earliest memories is my father trying to teach me to tie my shoes. I gently pushed him out of the way because his two-handed method wouldn’t work for me, and I figured out a way to do it with one hand.
However, that fact that I was different hit me hard my first day of high school. I was 13, an age when kids are already very self-conscious and the demand to fit in increases. I remember getting on the yellow school bus and one of the other kids stared just a little too long at my left arm. The staring discouraged me in a way it never had before, and I felt a sudden urge to hide my hand, so I impulsively (冲动地) slipped it into my pocket. I told myself that I’d just hide it that one day, while I was trying to make friends. But one day of hiding turned into a week, which turned into a month, which became years—25 of them to be exact.
Tired of hiding and so lonely, the transformation process came to me. I started with physical care. And when I was 38 years old, I met someone special and invited them in. For the first time in my life, I allowed someone to really hold my limb, look at it, take pictures of it, touch it, love it—love me. From that point on, I saw my limb difference as something unique and beautiful about me, something that should be shown, not hidden.
Hiding things, especially from loved ones, is exhausting and hurting, and it prevents us from getting help and support. Unhiding can set you free.
1. When the author was a kid, she felt her limb difference was .| A．meaningful | B．inconvenient | C．special | D．acceptable |
| A．She was laughed at on the bus. |
| B．She felt afraid of scaring others. |
| C．She became sensitive at that age. |
| D．She got discouraged by her father. |
| A．her hand was touched and loved |
| B．she received a useful physical care |
| C．someone special came into her life |
| D．she had a desire to make a change |
| A．Family love is important for our growth. |
| B．Stopping hiding opens up a new world. |
| C．Time is the best cure for a broken heart. |
| D．Inner beauty matters more than appearance. |
9 . When Halloween arrives, you know there is bound to be some mischief (恶作剧). So I wasn’t entirely surprised when I opened my front door that night to see my candy bowl completely—and very suddenly—
Was a candy theft ideal? Nope. But, hey, we all make
“Hello, I am the kid that took all of your candy. After thinking it over I want to
A tiny Halloween miracle! I have never been prouder of a kid who wasn’t mine. I assume a parent had something to do with this sudden reflective
What I do hope is that this kid knows how good it can feel to
| A．empty | B．painted | C．broken | D．dirty |
| A．wetted | B．cleared | C．cooled | D．blocked |
| A．decisions | B．changes | C．choices | D．mistakes |
| A．delight | B．worry | C．surprise | D．calm |
| A．argue | B．respond | C．apologize | D．complain |
| A．worthy | B．fine | C．funny | D．easy |
| A．deserving | B．daring | C．promising | D．amusing |
| A．turn | B．character | C．approach | D．trip |
| A．forgive | B．judge | C．avoid | D．right |
| A．Normally | B．Hopefully | C．Undoubtedly | D．Amazingly |
10 . Mouth open in wonder and horror, Laurent Pelletier stares at the bush cricket that has landed in front of him on the picnic table. “Can we eat it?” he asks his mum. “Can I take it as a travel companion?”
In early 2022, Laurent’s parents decided to quit their jobs. They took their four children, Mia, Léo, Colin, and Laurent, travelled over 52, 000 miles and visited 13 countries. Over the months, the world constantly unveiled (显露) itself. The kids played pat-a-cake with uniformed schoolchildren in Botswana, and while in Tanzania they tried African traditional dances with locals and stayed on a banana farm. In Thailand, they touched an elephant, calling out in surprise at how rough it felt. Rarely did they talk about why they were abroad in the first place, with one exception. While travelling along a dusty Mongolian highway last summer, Laurent, who had seemed unaware of what was to come, asked, “What does it mean to be blind? How will I cross the street? Will I be able to drive a car?”
“It’s like when you have your eyes closed,” his mother said. “It won’t happen overnight, but slowly, over years. ”Being blind, she continued, didn’t mean the end of the world. Rather, the world would be different. Nothing would prevent them from doing most things, including skiing, swimming or even becoming scientists who worked on cures for their disease. Laurent nodded, then went back to making up his own games to pass the time.
The four kids will become blind, likely in adulthood. They have a disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a group of related eye disorders that cause progressive eyesight loss. By far, it has no effective treatment, and it will gradually take away their eyesight. However, their parents still want their kids to lead full lives, whether they’re blind or not. The trip has reinforced (增强) what they believe all these years-the kids will find their way.
Each day, their parents watch the kids change, physically and emotionally. Laurent grows taller and needs more independence. Both Léo and Colin become more confident and outgoing, unafraid to engage with strangers. “Today, my eyesight is good and I’m going to make the most of it, ”says Mia. “Tomorrow, we will rise to the challenge. ”
1. According to the passage, what did the family experience on their trip?| A．They did the farm work. |
| B．They took elephant rides. |
| C．They completed zoo tours. |
| D．They enjoyed the folk dance. |
| A．Their kids’ health. |
| B．Their work challenges. |
| C．Their family dreams. |
| D．Their passion for nature. |
| A．Strong bodies. |
| B．Social skills. |
| C．Positive mindset. |
| D．Language ability. |
| A．Travelling is to seek for an interesting life. |
| B．Nothing is impossible to a determined heart. |
| C．One’s potential cannot always be underrated. |
| D．Treasure what you have and live life to the fullest. |
