1 . Fatima grew up in rural Gohr Province, where there was no schooling available to girls. But she insisted on listening to BBC radio, which she could
“My sisters were forced to get married. I decided that I would not continue in their
She joined Facebook groups for history fans.
Of course, being a
| A．take up | B．pick up | C．turn up | D．build up |
| A．life | B．choice | C．tradition | D．business |
| A．work | B．live | C．study | D．travel |
| A．Afraid | B．Convinced | C．Certain | D．Tired |
| A．posts | B．letters | C．novels | D．speeches |
| A．responses | B．donation | C．lessons | D．guidance |
| A．teaching | B．settling | C．travelling | D．serving |
| A．similarly | B．obviously | C．hopefully | D．eventually |
| A．promoted | B．instructed | C．hired | D．trained |
| A．intelligent | B．devoted | C．efficient | D．professional |
| A．researcher | B．pioneer | C．specialist | D．celebrity |
| A．playing | B．interacting | C．exploring | D．cooperating |
| A．support | B．patience | C．protection | D．contribution |
| A．refreshed | B．recognized | C．informed | D．motivated |
| A．relax | B．skip | C．quit | D．insist |
2 . In 2016, when I was on the graduate scheme (计划) at Deutsche Bank, Marie Inafidon, chief executive of Stemettes, who encourages girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), was also working there. I didn’t meet her at the time, but I did read an article about her and her career.
Learning at 21 years old about the career of a young black woman’s succeeding in a traditionally white male-dominated industry was one of the most influential things that ever happened to me. It gave me confidence that it was possible to do well in the office and work on personal external project at the same time.
Role models can play a central role in shaping a young professional’s career. They are especially important if you belong to an under-represented group for whom a lack of representation in the workplace can lead to feeling isolated and lacking in confidence. They can help those just starting out, whether or not they are a graduate as I was, to believe in their own abilities.
There’s a growing need to have accessible role models. Given the tendency to exaggerate (夸大) success stories, hearing from women who talk honestly about the challenges they have faced, either when starting a business or forming a new career path, is much more effective. A study revealed that 70 per cent of girls say they think differently about their futures after hearing from women role models.
I’m frequently asked about what businesses could be doing to increase racial diversity in the workplace. A good starting point is to actively promote and support the voices of the people in the organisation that are leading positive change and inspiring others. This makes a real difference. Unlike the tokenism (装样子) I still come across, which results in individuals being made the lone representative for a group without real support from the organisation.
Things came full circle for me when I interviewed Ms. Inafidon for my book in 2019. I was able to tell her of the incredible impact her passion and confidence had had on me as a graduate trainee and how grateful I would always be for that.
1. What do we learn about Marie Inafidon？| A．She became successful at 21. |
| B．She was a trainee at Deutsche Bank. |
| C．She encouraged girls to take up STEM-related work. |
| D．She helped the author with her external project personally. |
| A．Experienced professionals. | B．A graduate eager to succeed. |
| C．People without special abilities. | D．The young from an under-represented group. |
| A．Taking on challenging projects. |
| B．Reading more made-up success stories. |
| C．Starting their own business as early as possible. |
| D．Listening to women role models share their experiences. |
| A．Encourage positive opinions. |
| B．Make more colored people authorities. |
| C．Include more people of different races. |
| D．Understand the true meaning of tokenism. |
3 . At age 23, Chad’s life was just beginning. But one night, a drunk driver crashed into his motorcycle and his leg was severely injured. To save the leg, Chad went through operation after operation, but in vain. When the doctor announced the leg had to come off, Chad sank into a bitter desperation. How would he function with only one leg? Would he have the family he had always dreamed of? And how would he ever pay off the hospital bills?
Nothing we did eased his deep frustration. One night, I brought Gene, the husband of my colleague, to Chad’s hospital room. Gene joked with Chad at once, telling him he was “on his last leg”. Chad exploded, “How can you talk like that when they’re going to cut off my leg?” Gene just bent over, rolled up his trousers and revealed his own prosthesis (假肢). I left them alone.
When I returned an hour later, the light had come back into Chad’s eyes. “Gene said that people who give to others always get back more than they give. He said I should not worry about my future and the most important thing was never to give up.”
Four months later, Chad was back at work. He remembered Gene’s words. He learned to ride a bicycle with his fake leg, swam one-legged and practiced running slow. However, the hardest problem was how he would ever get back on his “foot” financially. The hospital bills would take him thirty years to pay.
His doctor often called to ask him to rush to the hospital and offer comfort to an injury victim. No matter how tired Chad was, no matter when he was called, he would drop everything to help. One day, he received a different call. “Chad,” the doctor began, “I am calling to tell you that a stranger has just paid all your medical bills.”
Gene was right. People who give freely to others get back more than they give.
1. What can we learn about Chad after the accident?| A．He felt concerned about his future. | B．He left the hospital in desperation. |
| C．He regretted riding the motorcycle. | D．He refused to receive the treatment. |
| A．He tended Chad carefully and lovingly. |
| B．He offered some funny words of comfort. |
| C．He shared a similar story of his own with Chad. |
| D．He proved to be capable of swimming one-legged. |
| A．Determined and helpful. | B．Caring and humorous. |
| C．Confident and cooperative. | D．Ambitious and warmhearted. |
| A．Love breaks down barriers. | B．Kindness is always rewarded. |
| C．A good medicine tastes bitter. | D．He who laughs last laughs best. |
4 . I used to have a “dream job”. At least, that’s how many people saw it. It was a highly desirable government position that included a guaranteed retirement and a lifetime medical plan. It was also nearly impossible to get fired.
But I was miserable every day. As soon as I clocked into work, all my energy—and in turn, all my desire for life—faded away.
Instead, I thought about my side business. For a few years, I’d been running an auto shop in my home garage. I specialized in repairing and modifying classic cars. At one point, I hung up a print (照片) of my favorite automotive shop as a source of inspiration. I knew the owner’s story well: He has a tight work schedule, but his work ethic, artistry, and authenticity never falter(衰退).
In 2019, one of my clients offered me an actual industrial space to run my shop. I was nervous to say yes. Could I really expand my business and keep my government job? Was it wise to give up something with so much security?
Then it dawned on me: The “dream job” had a guaranteed retirement plan for people who work there for 30 years—but after 30 year, would elderly me look back and regret not seizing the opportunity to do things on my own terms? I had my answer.
In 2020, I left the dream job to run my business full time. In 2021, I somehow kept the business afloat, and we moved into a shop that’s double the size. That’s when I realized that my print was still hanging up back at my “first” garage. I thought about how much that print meant to me back then, and how it deserved a place of prominence(杰出) at my new location.
It is now proudly displayed in my humble shop, along with a banner given to me by the owner of the store that I like. It serves as a reminder to hold myself to the same ethos as he—tireless work ethic, ever-evolving artistry, and genuine authenticity. Frankly, this path has not been easy. Since starting my own business, never in my life have I been so tired, frustrated, or anxious. But I live on my own terms and love every second of life.
1. How did the author probably feel about his “dream job”?| A．Fairly painful. | B．Rather busy. |
| C．A bit regretful. | D．Very enjoyable. |
| A．He helped the author expand his shop. |
| B．He encouraged the author to work hard. |
| C．He always worked according to his schedule. |
| D．He was an inspiration for the author to own a shop. |
| A．He would refuse to accept the owner’s offer. |
| B．He would give up his dream job in the end. |
| C．He would value the print offered by the owner. |
| D．He would keep a strong desire for his dream job. |
| A．All hard work will pay off. |
| B．We should respect our heart. |
| C．There is no shortcut to success. |
| D．Opportunity is for the prepared. |
5 . I am a professor of clinical psychology. Some time ago, I got halfway through a day of teaching before a co-worker pointed out to me I was quite carelessly wearing a pair of different shoes, one red and one black. I felt so embarrassed and upset but I would have to go teach my course like this. When I noticed how much I wanted to disappear and avoid this situation, I was determined to face it instead. I walked into class and announced to the students that I was wearing two shoes from different pairs, and directed their attention to my feet. Everyone laughed and we went on with class. Years later, a student in that class told me that this was the moment she first thought that maybe, just maybe, she could be a professor, too.
I shared my mistake because I realized that trying hide it was interfering with my ability to concentrate my mind on my teaching — but I had no idea that it would also help shorten the psychological distance between my students and myself.
Many contexts may punish or shame people for making mistakes. Our efforts to avoid them result from our desires for success, and how others will respond to our mistakes. We might feel self-criticism and shame if we do make some.
However, mistake making is part of learning new things, and it can draw us closer to others. It opens up the possibility of accepting mistakes gladly, letting us be more open and engaged in what we are doing.
We can say words of kindness and self-compassion to ourselves: Mistakes are natural and human; we can be kind to ourselves for this error and still try to do better next time; noticing our own imperfections can help us to be kind to others when we notice they are imperfect, too. When we practice our mistakes in this way, they can become opportunities to open up to others, learn about ourselves, and connect even more with what matters to us.
1. How does the author develop paragraph 1?| A．By giving some examples. | B．By following time order. |
| C．By doing scientific experiments. | D．By sharing personal experience. |
| A．Shameful. | B．Unexpected. | C．Punishable. | D．Unaccepted. |
| A．Intentions to avoid mistakes. | B．Advantages of making mistakes. |
| C．Possibilities of making mistakes. | D．Efforts to avoid making mistakes. |
| A．They interfere with what we are doing. |
| B．They draw too much attention from us. |
| C．They are big opportunities to get us improved. |
| D．They make us feel irresponsible and defeated. |
6 . With the social media freely available, I've realized how easy it is to become a jealous cow. The truth is that however much I remind myself of the many wonderful things I have in my life, there are still moments when I look at those around me and feel bitterly upset by their success.
It's a horrible thing to admit! In an ideal world, I'd never want to be jealous of another person's achievements and I'd want to celebrate the successes of my friends. But sometimes it's hard, even when we want to. But I don't want to live my life as a jealous cow, and I assume you don't either.
It's easier to celebrate other people's wins if you celebrate your own. How often do we take the time to enjoy our success rather than instantly move onto the next thing we want to achieve? Last year, I decided to write a book. It was the only professional goal I set for myself and, while it tired me out, I got there. But as soon as it was done, I started planning my next goal-making the book a success. As I saw other people publishing books, I stopped celebrating and instead began to fear that mine wouldn't compete.
When I told a friend how I was feeling, she reminded me how much easier it is to clap for someone else when we also clap for ourselves. So, I took myself out for lunch, ordered a glass of wine and wrote myself a congratulations card. When I saw all those other books being written on my social media, I felt proud of each and every one of us who had battled to the end of the word count.
The other trick for celebrating other people's success is to realize that there is no limit on success. We can make more, which means that while it might seem as if others have everything and we have nothing, the reality is that life turns quickly and our luck could change at any time. If others have achieved those things, we can too. When we celebrate others, we're acknowledging their achievements but also cheering for ourselves as well as for our hopes and dreams and our belief that we can make them happen. And hopefully, when we do, those people will cheer for us too.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?| A．Social media is the source of the author's jealousy. |
| B．Frequent successes on social media encourage envy. |
| C．It is a pleasure to face others' successes on social media. |
| D．People tend to be crazy about immediate success online. |
| A．Appreciate what's been done. |
| B．Show it off on social media. |
| C．Reflect on gains and losses. |
| D．Waite for others' congratulations. |
| A．pursuing those achievable goals |
| B．devoting yourself to the next goal |
| C．admitting personal incompetence |
| D．changing your attitude to success |
| A．I'm so happy for us! |
| B．What a considerate friend! |
| C．I don't care about it! |
| D．How selfless you can be! |
7 . Why You Should Stop Complaining
When living out our daily lives, it’s often easy to blame the world for our problems.
The world owes you nothing.
The world really does have nothing to do with you or anyone else. The planet will continue to exist without you on it.
If you look back at your own life, you’ll begin to realize that everything you have ever done was all a result of the decisions you’ve made sure there may have been people around you who have convinced you to do something. But it all ultimately depends on your decisions.
You can’t be a leader if you behave like a victim.
It’s really easy to put blame on things that are external to you.
| A．What are you worrying about? |
| B．So who’s really to blame? |
| C．You are in charge of your own life. |
| D．You are helped by people around you. |
| E．We were nurtured and looked after as kids. |
| F．It’s true that there are things in the world we can’t control. |
| G．As it avoids personal responsibility and allows you to refuse the possibility that you may have things that can be changed. |
8 . Mitchel Wu creates interesting stories using toy photography, a relatively new art form. He’s taken photos for an impressive list of clients, including Disney, Marvel, Hot Wheels, and Hasbro. There’s no limit to creativity, and Mitchel proves it through his unique work, providing a one-of-a-kind experience for clients worldwide.
While toy photography dates back to the 1800s, it didn’t gain popularity until the 1970s. Around this time, a man by the name of David Levinthal became the father of miniature（微型画）photography.
Over time, it evolved into a global phenomenon mostly involving action figures and pop culture imagery. It’s a diverse art form containing many themes and story ideas. Many artists draw inspiration from popular sources such as Disney movies, Star Wars, and Pokemon characters. With toy photography, the viewers, completely immersed in the story, feel like they’re actually there, in a different land.
“For me, toy photography is really all about storytelling,” Mitchel says. “Storytelling is what makes an image impactful, so my goal is to have my image just stop you in your tracks and make you think ‘Wow, what’s going on here?’”
Mitchel was a wedding photographer in the beginning. In 2015, he realized that he needed to find something else. Right around the same time, his nephew who photographed toys as a hobby said, “Uncle Mitch, why don’t you bring your camera and shoot some toys?”
Once he tried it out, he got hooked immediately. His nephew lent him a couple of Stormtrooper action figures, and from the very first click of the shutter（快门）, he found it was something incredible.
What began as a hobby quickly became a new-found career for Mitchel. It’s yet another story that motivates us to pursue our dreams because you never know where they’ll take you.
It seems the only limits are the ones you create for yourself. Mitchel tries to keep breaking those limits and learn new techniques in his exciting career path. His story shows that you can create your path in life by following your heart and using your imagination.
1. Which of the following is true according to the first three paragraphs?| A．David Levinthal founded toy photography. |
| B．Toy photography is by all means a new art form. |
| C．Mitchel helps promote toy photography around the world. |
| D．Toy photography was widely recognized more than 200 years ago. |
| A．Involved. | B．Applied. | C．Located. | D．Stuck. |
| A．It brings him a great fortune. |
| B．It only serves to limit his creativity. |
| C．It is a way of telling his own stories. |
| D．It enables him to follow his new passion. |
| A．Great hopes make great men. |
| B．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
| C．The longest journey begins with the first step. |
| D．Behind one minute on stage is ten years of practice. |
9 . By the time he was 24 years old, Imran Nuri quit his job in a bold move, and emptied his savings account to carry out an ambitious
He
In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a man in his 50s who had stage 4 terminal cancer told Nuri, “Life is about the human
In Tillamook, Oregon, a waitress-a college student told him, “whether it’s changing your major or changing your whole life path, you don’t have to
Nuri found beauty in every place as well as
| A．plan | B．policy | C．initiative | D．trick |
| A．acquaintances | B．residents | C．strangers | D．peers |
| A．embraced | B．inquired | C．misunderstood | D．known |
| A．picture | B．navigate | C．enrich | D．interpret |
| A．cracked up | B．backed away | C．set out | D．knocked off |
| A．generous | B．wrong | C．pleasant | D．selfish |
| A．dismiss | B．accompany | C．consult | D．beat |
| A．courageous | B．stupid | C．unforgettable | D．glorious |
| A．sailing | B．hiking | C．driving | D．wandering |
| A．occasionally | B．permanently | C．later | D．earlier |
| A．finally | B．excitedly | C．instantly | D．hesitantly |
| A．potential | B．nature | C．connection | D．competition |
| A．admire | B．reward | C．forgive | D．fault |
| A．wisdom | B．fortune | C．confidence | D．perseverance |
| A．objectively | B．differently | C．selectively | D．randomly |
10 . Growing up in a Jamaican-American household, food was an important part of my childhood. I remember my grandmother preparing fried dumplings and curry mutton, jazz music playing in the background. Food was our greatest treasure. Food brought the family together. Food celebrated new beginnings and eased the wounds of life’s untimely endings.
When I was 8, I was diagnosed with a muscle disease, which caused me to spend most of my childhood in hospital rooms and wheelchairs, slowly gaining weight by swallowing prednisone (肾上腺皮质激素) hidden inside mint chocolate chip ice cream. My mom made it her duty to help me lose the weight through strict dieting. I’ve tried every single one. In fairness, my mother did the best she could. As a single mom, she felt this brought us closer. However, as an adult, I began to experience a paralyzing fear of food. My “I’ll start a new diet on Monday” mind-set lasted for 16 years as I uncontrollably ate and abused my body. I was worried that I was not attractive enough. So obsessed and afraid no one would hire me as an actress if I didn’t win the battle with the numbers on the scale, in February 2011 I attempted suicide and landed in the hospital for multiple days.
We do extreme things to our bodies because of those numbers. Numbers that cannot talk with us or love us. I have had to stop judging my belly, stop starving myself, stop getting on the scale and staring at those numbers. I have come to the realization that my life is more important than those numbers on the scale and that the quality of the life I live is more important than how I look in the mirror.
1. What role did food play in author’s childhood?| A．It healed her physical wounds. |
| B．It strengthened the family bond. |
| C．It was a source of family income. |
| D．It marked the end of someone’s life. |
| A．Making cooking her daily duty. |
| B．Limiting the author to a strict diet. |
| C．Raising the author as a single mom. |
| D．Preparing healthy food for the author. |
| A．Her worsening health state. |
| B．Her anxiety about unemployment. |
| C．Her intense hatred for food. |
| D．Her losing the fight with her disease. |
| A．Nervous. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Disgusted. | D．Unconcerned. |
