1 . “Are you all right?” the student asked as she passed me in the hallway. I was in the final stretch of last work before writing my essay. The student, who was 4 years behind me in the same Ph.D. program, went on to say, “I see people from your group working so much, putting in extra hours, even at night.” It set me thinking a lot.
As a first-year Ph.D. student, I was lucky to have kind and understanding advisers. But I felt overwhelming pressure to become a perfect student. I kept finding a million reasons why I was coming into graduate school at a disadvantage compared with my peers. As a student from Colombia, I had been educated at institutions my professors and colleagues had never heard of, I spoke with an accent that was hard to understand, and I was older than most of the people in my cohort.
I noticed that most of the people around me seemed to be working all the time. I began to spend many weekday nights and weekends in the lab. But my strategy didn’t work. I crashed from burnout. The tiredness took a toll on my productivity and motivation. During one of many mindless Sundays in the office, I realized I’d fallen into the trap of assuming my colleagues’ work habits were the standard for belonging and being worthy of respect — and it wasn’t sustainable.
From then on, I stopped counting the number of work hours I was putting in, leaving space every day for exercising and doing activities that I enjoyed. Eventually, I realized nobody was keeping track of the amount of time I spent in the lab anyway and it wasn’t something I needed to worry about.
I noticed that having more time for myself made me more rested and motivated when I went back to work. I continued quietly along this path for years, until that conversation in the hallway. So, when I ran into her again, weeks later, I told her that even though I was feeling a lot of pressure in the final year of my Ph.D., I was putting my mental and physical health first and wasn’t working overtime. I also began to talk with other students about how quality sleep, physical activity, healthy eating, and reasonable work hours were a daily part of my routine.
1. What can we learn about the student?A.He spent much time in lab work. | B.He had finished the Ph.D. program. |
C.He was concerned about the author. | D.He was putting in extra hours at night. |
A.Anxious. | B.Ambitious. | C.Dissatisfied. | D.Enthusiastic. |
A.Added fuel to. | B.Had a negative impact on. |
C.Cast new light on. | D.Depended too much on. |
A.A healthy work-life balance counts. |
B.A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. |
C.Fitting in doesn’t mean working overtime. |
D.Nothing is difficult to the man who will try. |
2 . One Second Every Day
I’ve been in advertising for eight years and used to work a lot of late nights and weekends for numerous projects.
The first project ends up being something I call “One Second Every Day”. Basically I record one second of every day for the rest of my life, combining these moments into one single continuous video until I can’t record them anymore.
I don’t use any filters (滤镜), just trying to catch the moment as much as possible as it is. I started a rule of the first person view. Early on, I thought I should have a couple of videos where people would see me, but I realized that wasn’t the way to go.
The project has many possibilities. I encourage you all to record just a small piece of your life every day, so you can never forget that day and treasure every moment.
A.It instantly inspired me. |
B.The purpose is to remember what I’ve done. |
C.I’m always energetic when doing things I love. |
D.People might have different interpretations of it. |
E.It’s difficult, sometimes, to pick that one second. |
F.But I never had time for one I wanted to work on on my own. |
G.The essence of my project should be recording the thing as I actually see it. |
3 . As usual, Lily bought expensive gifts for her children Alice and Peter before Christmas. Her job kept her busy, and she
Lily
On Christmas Eve, Lily
All the guests present were moved by the scene. Lily
A.usually | B.rarely | C.always | D.never |
A.around | B.beyond | C.without | D.for |
A.family | B.heart | C.body | D.job |
A.watched | B.laid | C.hid | D.made |
A.Fortunately | B.Eventually | C.Suddenly | D.Amusingly |
A.shocked | B.touched | C.happy | D.free |
A.attend | B.throw | C.delay | D.rule |
A.blesses | B.regards | C.letters | D.invitations |
A.confident | B.warm | C.relaxed | D.cool |
A.shy | B.worried | C.easy | D.eager |
A.welcomed | B.led | C.signaled | D.waved |
A.uncomfortable | B.refreshed | C.surprised | D.calm |
A.respect | B.pity | C.enthusiasm | D.love |
A.noticed | B.realized | C.learned | D.witnessed |
A.money | B.passion | C.knowledge | D.attention |
Sara, my neighbor, and I were sitting in our yard, chatting, and frowning at the wooden house across the street.
Nobody in the neighborhood had met these two young men there yet. The two men had long hair and beards and dressed strangely. They kept to themselves. When they came outside, they never made eye contact with anyone. “They sure don’t fit into the neighborhood,” Sara said, the corners of her mouth turning down as she stared at that house.
Sara said, “What about our street parties? We’ve always included everyone. Should we invite them?” I sighed, “Try being nice, Sara.” Suddenly, Sara sat up straight and her eyes grew wide with curiosity when a government car pulled up before Mrs Swain’s house next door. We hurried over. Mrs Swain was recovering from cancer and lived alone. Sara and I tried to keep an eye on her.
The man from the car put a piece of paper on Mrs Swain’s door and hurriedly left. Mrs Swain looked old, thin, and very tired when she opened the door. We three looked at the paper. It read: “Someone complained your grass’ length is against city rules. Please cut it in five days, or you’ll be fined.”
It was a shame that nobody had cut her grass for her. However, Sara and I lived alone, and we were both pregnant. What was worse, we were on a tight budget, and the other families here were on vacation.
Sara and I comforted Mrs Swain, telling her we’d figure out a way. Mrs Swain blinked in confusion, “Who would complain? Everyone knows that my old lawn mower is broken. And I’ve been sick too.” “It may be those two guys across the street,” Sara whispered, angrily staring at that wooden house.
Just then, a voice that seemed too gentle to be coming from the strange young man behind me said, “What is going on? Is she alright?” He nodded toward Mrs Swain. Sara looked at him coldly and said, “Some guys reported her because her grass is too high.” Her eyes ran over him disapprovingly, but he didn’t seem to notice.
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The young man and his friend quickly made eye contact and nodded seriously.
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After they finished the work, Sara and I walked in shame to apologize for judging them.
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My father, Michael, led me through the little wooden house he’d filled with his paintings. “When I have an exhibition ...” he began, pointing to the artworks he’d created, before stopping. “Poor Pa,” I thought. In 1994 he got Parkinson’s Disease (帕金森氏病), which had shocked the whole family as he was only in his forties.
A husband and father to three, Pa had had a successful career running an advertising agency and had always been extremely creative. Outside of work, he’d spent 15 years fronting the cover band, Musical Chairs, which performed at the pub in Sydney’s Double Bay each week and, when I became a mother, he developed a very close bond with my daughter.
Even when his Parkinson’s advanced, my father decided he wanted to paint. “Why don’t you try classes?”my mum Louisa suggested to him. He agreed. In art lessons, the class practised painting still life objects, like pears, but my father had other ideas for his inspiration. He began producing abstract pieces, inspired by his favourite artist, Jackson Pollock, a leading abstract expressionist. “Why abstract?” I asked him. “Because,” he replied,“it helps us to see the world around us in a different way. You can look at these paintings and ask ‘what if?’”
Soon, I realized he was right. When I observed my father’s work, I could interpret each of them in many ways. Once he got started, he showed no signs of slowing down. The little house was quickly filled with more and more works.
But in 2019, Pa developed cancer and was given just three months to live. The thought of losing him was too much for any of my family to accept, but we soon received great news that a new form of treatment can help him greatly. Since he continued speaking about wanting to share his paintings with the world, I knew what had to be done.
注意:
1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I told him I would help organize an exhibition.
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A month later, the big day finally came.
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6 . Kala has deep ties to her Hawaiian roots. Her ancestors navigated (航行) the oceans for centuries using their knowledge of the stars, the sun, the currents and the wind. It’s not that she does it in a canoe without technology, but rather uses the natural technology around her. It’s called Way finding, and was taught to her by her father.
“My father was my foundation, my rock.” she says of her first voyage with him from Oahu to Lahaina in a traditional canoe. He taught her how to read the stars, the ocean swells and how to use them to hold the course. “Over 200 stars have specific names and purposes when you are Way finding. You have to look at each and determine if they are rising or setting. You know this star and the direction it represents. If you can do that, you can use it as a tool to orient (确定方向).” Kala added.
Kala Tanaka sailed the canoe in the ocean for up to three weeks. During the day, Kala used the sun until it hit a certain height. When she got closer to land, she looked for certain species of land birds and clouds that indicated there was land below. When Kala sailed she felt “I feel very connected to the crew and the canoe. We’re a family.” The longer voyage required Kala to spend hours studying the day and the night skies. It was demanding physical work. But it also had its moments of awe. For Kala, the beauty was in tying together the past and the present to enjoy the moment. So when she was not sailing, she was teaching Way finding skills to school-aged children in hopes of preserving the skills her ancestors relied on.
It’s easy to be lost in the immediacy of the technology of our day, to be consumed by screens and miss the nature that unfolds around us. But if we will take the time to look up, to see the stars and the sun, the way the clouds move, the miracle of life beneath and above us, we will discover something deep inside us, something that will always lead to happiness.
1. How does Kala navigate the ocean in a canoe?A.By observing the natural elements around. |
B.By following the course of ocean currents. |
C.By using hi-technology navigation devices. |
D.By recalling the first voyage with her father. |
A.It was a heroic adventure. | B.It brought great joy to her life. |
C.It was school children’s favorite. | D.It represented a kind of innovation. |
A.Enjoy the screens. | B.Explore the universe. |
C.Get close to nature. | D.Keep the earth clean. |
A.Finding Our Way | B.Navigating the Ocean |
C.The Wisdom from Ancestors | D.An Unforgettable Journey |
7 . When I retired, my wife Peg said “Great! You’ll have time to clean the garage!” After 30 years’
I pushed at the garage’s wooden doors, but they were as
I
Six weeks later, I was out in the yard when I
A.dream | B.belief | C.study | D.service |
A.freedom | B.purpose | C.trust | D.security |
A.worn | B.stuck | C.broken | D.lost |
A.delicate | B.special | C.hard | D.sharp |
A.removed | B.washed | C.cleaned | D.fastened |
A.labeled | B.selected | C.yellowed | D.ruined |
A.Curiously | B.Sincerely | C.Skillfully | D.Bravely |
A.collected | B.planted | C.abandoned | D.stored |
A.old | B.wet | C.weak | D.small |
A.anger | B.surprise | C.regret | D.relief |
A.delay | B.reflect | C.hesitate | D.disappoint |
A.upset | B.awake | C.social | D.busy |
A.expected | B.attempted | C.failed | D.happened |
A.showed up | B.fallen off | C.taken off | D.dried up |
A.compete | B.grow | C.survive | D.relax |
8 . Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people, choice gives birth to anxiety. Interested in the idea “too many choices are dizzy”. I have been conducting an experiment.
When presented with a menu in a restaurant, I’ll only consider the first few options on each page. I know, it sounds crazy.
This devotion to a simpler set of possibilities came in handy when our summer holiday to America was COVID-canceled. I didn’t go through a million TripAdvisor reviews for the best replacements. I simply went on Airbnb, saw what in England was still available and immediately booked the one I could afford.
A.It was delicious. |
B.It never proved worth a try. |
C.But it’s actually quite liberating. |
D.It interprets a lifestyle: less is more. |
E.The same applies to home entertainment. |
F.In doing so, I saved myself days of travel anxiety. |
G.I’ve been expanding the choices I allow myself to have. |
9 . It was midnight, and I was on my knees, burying head in my hands. I struggled to
To others, the decision was
Exhausted, I rose to my feet, and made my way upstairs to check on my children, finding each curled up in a
The decision, indeed, was simple. I would
To be sure, I lost a number of business opportunities. But I was available to
Now I have no regrets. I am
A.put out | B.jump at | C.turn down | D.hold back |
A.card | B.offer | C.letter | D.essay |
A.simple | B.smart | C.casual | D.cautious |
A.carefully | B.nervously | C.critically | D.eventually |
A.light | B.sound | C.fresh | D.hard |
A.relax | B.follow | C.rescue | D.inspire |
A.decline | B.change | C.respect | D.accept |
A.honour | B.backpack | C.weight | D.project |
A.publishing | B.preserving | C.exploring | D.accumulating |
A.devoted | B.connected | C.limited | D.donated |
A.imagine | B.report | C.embrace | D.adjust |
A.adapt | B.refer | C.turn | D.head |
A.heart | B.room | C.mood | D.book |
A.anxious | B.grateful | C.ready | D.famous |
A.design | B.hope | C.worry | D.voice |
10 . During a period of two months, the east coast of Florida was hit by three major hurricanes!
When we
This was the first time we had ever
Although I had been trying to plant all the right plants to
The hurricane season affected me in a very
A.woke up | B.stood up | C.looked up | D.turned up |
A.Generally | B.Gradually | C.Normally | D.Suddenly |
A.garden | B.room | C.balcony | D.office |
A.dropped | B.appeared | C.remained | D.landed |
A.heard | B.drawn | C.seen | D.caught |
A.color | B.name | C.shape | D.sight |
A.symbol | B.concept | C.belief | D.wonder |
A.attract | B.feed | C.drive | D.impress |
A.formally | B.finally | C.regularly | D.constantly |
A.task | B.joy | C.hope | D.plan |
A.track | B.mind | C.view | D.shadow |
A.common | B.casual | C.strange | D.positive |
A.informed | B.warned | C.reminded | D.cured |
A.message | B.hobby | C.subject | D.chance |
A.buying | B.changing | C.receiving | D.planting |