1 . Scientific discovery is popularly believed to result from the sheer genius of such intellectual stars as naturalist Charles Darwin and theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Our view of such unique contributions to science often
Consider one
What are we to make of this story? We propose that science is constantly
Plenty of other stories show that fresh advances can arise from error, misadventure, and also pure serendipity — a happy
A.overlooks | B.enriches | C.questions | D.reflects |
A.Aiming at | B.Longing for | C.Holding back | D.Setting aside |
A.native | B.creative | C.subjective | D.sensitive |
A.stressed | B.unrecognized | C.celebrated | D.respected |
A.suspicious | B.concerned | C.wrong | D.guilty |
A.tested | B.rejected | C.accepted | D.proposed |
A.got rid of | B.made room for | C.jumped off from | D.put up with |
A.struggling | B.reversing | C.evolving | D.shrinking |
A.result from | B.contribute to | C.depart from | D.relate to |
A.priorities | B.trials | C.advances | D.obstacles |
A.If | B.Until | C.While | D.Unless |
A.Responsibility | B.Prejudice | C.Dislike | D.Support |
A.doubted | B.neglected | C.foreseen | D.exceeded |
A.motivation | B.modification | C.dedication | D.publication |
A.occasion | B.life | C.accident | D.ending |
2 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
Reconsidering the Staycation
I’ve always been doubtful of the staycation. The newly-invented word is too cute for
So, I am fascinated to discover, thanks to my colleague Catherine Pearson, that I
I like this saying “Live every day as if it were your last.” Any reminder that time is flying is a good one
Whether or not you have a proper vacation
3 . The curb cut (下斜路缘). It’s a convenience that most of us rarely, if ever, notice. Yet, without it, daily life might be a lot harder—in more ways than one. Pushing a baby stroller onto the curb, skateboarding onto a sidewalk or taking a full grocery cart from the sidewalk to your car—all these tasks are easier because of the curb cut.
But it was created with a different purpose in mind.
It’s hard to imagine today, but back in the 1970s, most sidewalks in the United States ended with a sharp drop-off. That was a big deal for people in wheelchairs because there were no ramps (斜坡) to help them move along city blocks without assistance. According to one disability rights leader, a six-inch curb “might as well have been Mount Everest”. So, activists from Berkeley, California, who also needed wheelchairs, organized a campaign to create tiny ramps at intersections to help people dependent on wheels move up and down curbs independently.
I think about the “curb cut effect” a lot when working on issues around health equity (公平). The first time I even heard about the curb cut was in a 2017 Stanford Social Innovation Review piece by PolicyLink CEO Angela Blackwell. Blackwell rightly noted that many people see equity “as a zero-sum game.” Basically, that there is a “prejudiced societal suspicion that intentionally supporting one group hurts another.” What the curb cut effect shows though, Blackwell said, is that “when society creates the circumstances that allow those who have been left behind to participate and contribute fully, everyone wins.”
There are multiple examples of this principle at work. For example, investing in policies that create more living-wage jobs or increase the availability of affordable housing certainly benefits people in communities that have limited options. But, the action also empowers those people with opportunities for better health and the means to become contributing members of society—and that benefits everyone. Even the football huddle (围成一团以秘密商讨) was initially created to help deaf football players at Gallaudet College keep their game plans secret from opponents who could have read their sign language. Today, it’s used by every team to shield the opponent from learning about game-winning strategies.
So, next time you cross the street, or roll your suitcase through a crosswalk or ride your bike directly onto a sidewalk—think about how much the curb cut, that change in design that broke down walls of exclusion for one group of people at a disadvantage, has helped not just that group, but all of us.
1. By “might as well have been Mount Everest” (paragraph 3), the disability rights leader implies that a six-inch curb may become ________.A.as famous as the world’s highest mountain |
B.an almost impassable barrier |
C.a connection between people |
D.a most unforgettable matter |
A.it’s fair to give the disadvantaged more help than others |
B.it’s impossible to have everyone be treated equally |
C.it’s necessary to go all out to help the disabled |
D.it’s not worthwhile to promote health equity |
A.Spaceflight designs are applied to life on earth. |
B.Four great inventions of China spread to the west. |
C.Christopher Columbus discovered the new world. |
D.Classic literature got translated into many languages. |
A.Everyday items are originally invented for people with disabilities. |
B.Everyone in a society should pursue what is in his or her interest. |
C.A disability rights leader changed the life of his fellow men. |
D.Caring for disadvantaged groups may finally benefit all. |
4 . I wanted the pleasure of being in Africa again. Feeling that the place was so large that it contained many untold tales and some hope and comedy and sweetness too, I aimed to reinsert myself in the bundy, as we used to call the bush, and to wander around. There I had lived and worked, happily, almost forty years ago, in the heart of the greenest continent.
In those old undramatic days of my school teaching in the bundu, folks lived their lives on bush paths at the end of unpaved roads of red clay, in villages of grass-roofed huts. They had a new national flag, they had just gotten the vote, some had bikes, many talked about buying their first pair of shoes. They were hopeful, and, so was I, a schoolteacher living near a settlement of mud-huts among trees and fields—children shouting at play; and women bent double—most with infants on their backs—hoeing(锄地) the corn beans; and the men sitting in the shade.
The Swahili word safari means “journey”, it has nothing to do with animals, someone “on safari” is just away and unobtainable and out of touch. Out of touch in Africa was where I wanted to be. The wish to disappear sends many travellers away. If you are thoroughly sick of being kept waiting at home or at work, travel is perfect: let other people wait for a change. Travel is a sort of revenge(报复) for having been put on hold, or having to leave messages on answering machines, not knowing your party’s extension, being kept waiting all your working life. But also being kept waiting is the human condition.
Travel in the African bush can also be a sort of revenge on mobile phones and email, on telephones and the daily paper, on the aspects of globalization that allow anyone who chooses to get their hands on you. I desired to be unobtainable. I was going to Africa for the best of reasons—in a spirit of discovery—simply to disappear, to light out, with a suggestion of I dare you to try to find me.
Home had become a routine, and routine made time pass quickly. I was a sitting duck in this predictable routine: people knew when to call me, they knew when I would be at my desk. I was in such regular touch that it was like having a job, a mode of life I hated. I was sick of being called up and asked for favors, hit up for money. You stick around too long and people begin to impose their own deadlines on you.
1. What did the writer expect from his journey?A.To have a variety of enjoyable experiences. | B.To see how Africa had changed. |
C.To see impressive scenery. | D.To meet some old friend. |
A.Little was likely to change. | B.Things were likely to improve. |
C.Women would do most of the work. | D.People’s expectations were too limited. |
A.He wanted a change of activity. | B.He wanted people to be unable to contact him. |
C.His health was suffering from staying at home. | D.He had been waiting to return to Africa for long. |
A.he was boring | B.he was easy to find |
C.he is fond of ducks | D.he was always lending money |
5 . There is no such thing as a perfect woman, and Nothing but Thirty screenwriter Zhang Yingji wanted to convey this message in telling the stories of three different women, who have found very different ways to climb their own mountains.
Wang Manni is a woman who will climb any mountain as long as she finds it challenging. Zhong Xiaoqin is one who will only climb if she has someone to go along with her. She will not overexert herself, and she will definitely stop once she has reached a comfortable place. Gu Jia, on the other hand, has already started to think about reaching the peak before she even starts the climb, regardless of whether she is alone or has company.
In a sense, the scriptwriter purposely created Gu Jia as the perfect woman of thirty. She is married, with a successful husband and a young son. She is living the dream, but Gu Jia does not feel complete. She feels lost. She is flawed. She has episodes of succumbing to her own greed and disregard to those around her.
“She is someone who chases alter perfection.” said Tong Yao (who portrays Gu Jia). “Obviously, this is stressful for those around her. She hides things. She isn’t perfect, but in front of others, she has to stay perfect.”
Her chase for perfection and her stubbornness to maintain this image has effected many of the relationships in her life. She chases after what she believes is right for others. Because of this, she and her husband start to see and value things differently, which puts a strain on their relationship.
Gu Jia’s personal struggles give life to the character. Many viewers are able to relate to her, and, through her character, find a shadow of themselves. There’s still a lot left that we can learn from the women of Nothing but Thirty, but maybe like them, we too can find the courage in ourselves to walk on that road which is truly meant for us.
1. According to the article, which of the following best describes Zhong Xiaoqin’s personality?A.Ambitious and goal-driven | B.Moderate and content |
C.Aimless and impulsive | D.Visionary and independent |
A.She has her own worries and insecurities. |
B.She leads a seemingly perfect and enviable life. |
C.She can be greedy and insensitive to others’ feelings. |
D.She is discontented with life because of her husband. |
A.is a perfectionist | B.stands up to her husband |
C.balances her work and life well | D.displays some identifiable traits |
A.To call attention to the rise of feminism. |
B.To introduce the plot of Nothing but Thirty. |
C.To contrast the main characters of Nothing but Thirty. |
D.To encourage viewers to find inspiration in Nothing but Thirty. |
6 . Lessons from Commencement Speeches
As a business owner, you probably don’t look to college commencement speeches as a source of inspiration when you’re feeling frustrated or defeated — but you should. Here are three university commencement speeches delivered by successful individuals from a variety of fields.
.1. Get comfortable with change / Jimmy Iovine, USC, 2014
Music mogul (大亨) Jimmy Iovine’s main advice is to get comfortable with change and the fear that comes with it. In his speech, Iovine explains that he learned his greatest life lesson when he realized the successful record company, he built couldn’t compete with the new industry model of downloading free music. He had a choice: get on board or get left behind.
.2. Build businesses that do good / Bill Gates, Harvard University, 2007
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, uses this speech to pose a question he asks himself: How can you do the most good for the greatest amount of people with the resources you have?
For years, Gates was unaware of the millions of people around the world living in poverty and battling diseases. Once he realized he could help, he changed his approach to business. Pursuing innovation and advancement is important.
.3. Spend less time dreaming and more time doing / Shonda Rhimes, Dartmouth, 2014
If you feel beaten by the dreams you have for your business, this speech will set you straight.
Author and TV show producer Shonda Rhimes tells the Dartmouth graduates, “While some are busy dreaming, the really happy people, the really successful people, the really interesting, engaged, powerful people, are busy doing.”
A.Dreaming is only effective if you follow it up with action, whether you’re brainstorming a new business model or imagining how to grow your company. |
B.Failure can be a driving force: one that frees you from fear and encourages you to pursue what you want most. |
C.In today’s fast-moving world, one with great technological advancements and cultural shifts still needs to be prepared to learn, adapt, and start over if necessary. |
D.It’s more important to develop creative business models that turn profits and solve problems. |
E.The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. |
F.Their words are guaranteed to motivate you to think critically about your business. |
7 . Take Heart, and Take Risks
Recently, we carried out an interesting social experiment. The participants were asked to choose between two
Our purpose was not to measure the participants’ craze for money but to
The willingness to take risks without fear of failure is what
The journey of Mark Zuckerberg is a classic example of this. In his second year in college, Zuckerberg decided to quit Harvard University to manage his social application company. In the years that followed, quite a few tech giants expressed early interest in purchasing the company. Their offers were
Today, Zuckerberg is one of the richest men on earth. His company still owns the most widely used social networking site in the world,
The lesson from Zuckerberg’s story is his risk-taking
Generally,
The willingness to take risks is the oxygen that drives success in every field. If a risk-taker succeeds, he can lead others. If he fails, he may
A.games | B.faces | C.options | D.perspectives |
A.access | B.evaluate | C.lose | D.satisfy |
A.ran out | B.set out | C.gave out | D.turned out |
A.courageous | B.risky | C.confident | D.mature |
A.contestants | B.cooperators | C.figures | D.partners |
A.subject to | B.contrary to | C.agreeable to | D.relevant to |
A.provides | B.puzzles | C.leans | D.drives |
A.scaled | B.declined | C.considered | D.weighed |
A.visualizing | B.pursuing | C.connecting | D.announcing |
A.tendency | B.investment | C.currency | D.proposal |
A.deposit | B.capture | C.separate | D.sacrifice |
A.eye-catching | B.groundbreaking | C.risk-taking | D.trustworthy |
A.depart | B.benefit | C.emerge | D.suffer |
A.send for | B.apply for | C.account for | D.settle for |
A.warn | B.force | C.guide | D.retire |
8 . For a start, we’re not sure what artificial intelligence (AI) is, which complicates our every conversation about what effect it will have on our lives. We can’t even really
As neither a scientist nor a philosopher, but with decades of personal experience on the front lines of both human and machine cognition (认知), I prefer to focus on the
From medical diagnosis to investment banking, from hiring staff to educating our children, these increasingly
There are real and immediate
As a member of the executive board of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics and as a security ambassador for Avast Software, I’ve become all too
But like all our inventions, AI is capable of being used for good or evil.
A.tell apart | B.disapprove of | C.glance at | D.agree on |
A.theoretical | B.practical | C.physical | D.mental |
A.specialized | B.transformative | C.predictable | D.irrelevant |
A.happening | B.misleading | C.worsening | D.changing |
A.intense | B.annoying | C.capable | D.simple |
A.health | B.image | C.service | D.opinion |
A.In short | B.What’s more | C.That is | D.As a result |
A.fear | B.deed | C.manner | D.passion |
A.rumors | B.remarks | C.mysteries | D.concerns |
A.take humans in | B.keep humans around | C.give humans up | D.put humans away |
A.familiar with | B.ignorant of | C.superior to | D.unhappy about |
A.newest | B.best | C.oldest | D.worst |
A.occasionally | B.responsibly | C.immediately | D.genuinely |
A.Technology | B.Morality | C.Intelligence | D.Automation |
A.moving forward | B.looking upon | C.calming down | D.running away |
9 . I’m pretty good at sticking with things even when they get hard. Bad relationships, unpleasant workplaces,
After all, isn’t every success story littered with
All of us are constantly making tricky choices between going further into familiar territory and
Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t quit something just because you’ve put a lot of time into it. Economists call this the sunk cost fallacy (谬误): People are more likely to
If you don’t get energy out of doing something, it can be a(n)
In fact, dogged persistence in the face of energy-sucking disappointment can
But the good news is that people can learn to pay better attention to these moments when they’re happening and make
A.engaging | B.demanding | C.inevitable | D.leisure |
A.worsen | B.occur | C.improve | D.continue |
A.frustrations | B.determinations | C.attempts | D.inspirations |
A.Therefore | B.Additionally | C.For example | D.However |
A.amaze | B.scare | C.distress | D.compliment |
A.breaking up | B.looking up | C.standing up | D.backing up |
A.venture | B.specialize | C.explore | D.relax |
A.benefit from | B.approve of | C.stick with | D.withdraw from |
A.evaluate | B.avoid | C.overlook | D.cut |
A.human | B.crazy | C.sensible | D.tricky |
A.indication | B.desire | C.occasion | D.recognition |
A.accomplish | B.upgrade | C.modify | D.maintain |
A.prevent | B.trigger | C.relieve | D.contract |
A.researches | B.choices | C.changes | D.resolutions |
A.shortcut | B.barrier | C.guarantee | D.pathway |
10 . I was running late. My wife, Eleanor, and I had agreed to meet at the restaurant at seven o'clock, and it was already half past. I had a good excuse: A client meeting had run over, and I’d wasted no time getting to the dinner as quickly as possible.
She answered, “You never mean to be late.” Uh-oh, she was mad.
“Sorry,” I replied. “It was unavoidable.” I told her about the client meeting. Not only did my explanation not soothe her, it seemed to make things worse. And that started to make me angry.
Several weeks later, when I described the situation to a friend who is a professor of family therapy, Ken Hardy, he smiled. “You made a classic mistake,” he told me. “You’re stuck in your perspective,” he said. “You didn’t mean to be late. But that’s not the point. The point—and what’s important in your communication—is how your lateness affected Eleanor.”
When you’ve done something that upsets someone—no matter who’s right—always start the conversation by acknowledging how your actions affected the other person.
What I should have said to Eleanor is “I see that you’re angry. I’m sorry you’ve been waiting for me for 30 minutes. And it’s not the first time. It must seem that I think being with a client gives me permission to be late. That’s got to be frustrating.”
A.At that point, we are both ready to move on. |
B.When I arrived at the restaurant, I apologized and told my wife I didn’t mean to be late. |
C.In other words, I was focused on my intention, while Eleanor was focused on the consequences. |
D.After really understanding the consequences of my lateness on her, I’ve managed to be on time a lot more frequently. |
E.Save the discussion about your intentions for later. Much later. Maybe never. Because in the end, your intentions don’t matter much. |
F.What I have found is that once I’ve expressed my understanding of the consequences, there is no need for me to explain my intentions. |