1 . T. S. Eliot wrote of “Distracted from distraction by distraction /Filled with fancies and empty of meaning.” T. S. Eliot never had a smartphone.
Neither did I for a long time. No Facebook account; not even email. But according to my date of manufacture, I’m supposed to be a digital native. Perhaps it’s because by the age of 20 I was living in the Welsh countryside with no signal and no Wi-Fi.
When I finally fell into the digital world, I fell hard. Unlike my friends for whom social media and mobile technology had grown and flowered around them, for me it was a sudden immersion. I got Facebook, Twitter and Gmail accounts at the same time that I got an iPhone 4. I would check my phone; five minutes later I would check my phone again. I was addicted and it started to affect my relationships with friends and family
One night, without a word, I abandoned my iPhone and bought a Nokia 3310 and became the talk of the town. Soon I became aware that not only had I stolen secret time back from the hurried days, but somehow a secret space as well. I could stretch out, free to think again, to be wholly creative and to learn meaningfully.
But, wherever I went I got bloody lost. Wandering blindly around London, only to miss appointments, became a frequent pastime (消遣). What did we do before Google Maps? I was useless. The change was worth it, though. I’ll sound like an overstatement but I think it changed my life. My choices are broader and healthier because I’m not being screamed at all day.
I bought a new Samsung phone last week. I had been scared of the rate of progress, crying: “Stop the train! Stop the madness.” But I want to be part of building the future, and to do that, you’ve got to swim in contemporary waters. Rejecting the modern world doesn’t help anyone. It slows you down and I need to be efficient. Time will tell whether I’ve mastered the wisdom to reject constantly checking my phone.
1. What can be learned about the author when she lived in the Welsh countryside?| A．She read a lot of T. S. Eliot. | B．She had no friends to talk with. |
| C．She had no access to the Internet. | D．She was afraid of the digital world. |
| A．She thought she needed a spare phone. | B．She found her iPhone stopped working. |
| C．She wanted to attract people’s attention. | D．She hoped to break her smartphone addiction. |
| A．She led a simple and healthy life. | B．She found her life was in a mess. |
| C．She spent more time with her friends. | D．She became an example for other people. |
| A．To seek wisdom. | B．To stop her madness. |
| C．To keep pace with the times. | D．To get back to the real world. |
2 . When I was nine years old. I pulled out my grandmother’s dress over my young frame, admiring myself in the mirror. I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. Later in senior high school, I began to dream of being an adult to explore a big world and make adventures. However, I knew adulthood for me was still distant because I supported myself mainly with the money from my family.
Fresh out of college, I was working as a middle school teacher. I was in charge of young people and heavy with that responsibility. I arrived at school early and stayed late, preparing lessons and chatting with students. I was an official adult. I paid my rent and taxes. But I still felt as if I were playing a role. I was the adult authority figure who secretly didn’t feel grown-up in a room full of children. But I wasn’t worried; I was convinced that it would happen soon.
To me, an adult is someone who is mature and trustworthy—a contributing member of the society. We strive to become adults while there is also someone who spends life constantly partying and avoiding responsibility. A grown-up, however, is a state of mind. Our body gets older but something inside us doesn’t feel as if it is progressing as quickly.
In the following ten years, I followed the routines of adulthood: getting married, giving birth and working. My 6-year-old daughter and I often held hands, running breathlessly and laughing wildly. I tried to avoid eye contact with the nearby people who glared at us. I suspect they would prefer adults who would never slide down a giant hill of sand.
I turned 57 recently and it occurred to me that maybe I had it all wrong; I should stop waiting to feel grown-up. What if we embraced (拥抱) the child-like part of ourselves to enjoy it, guilt free? If we’re responsible adults and do all the adult things in a way that works, why should it matter if we don’t feel grown-up deep inside? Non-grown-ups don’t necessarily play games, but it isn’t fun embracing the playful side of life? Why can’t we feel 57 and 15 years old at the same time?
1. How did the author feel about adulthood when she was a teenager?| A．She was unwilling to make adventures if she became an adult. |
| B．She showed no interest in thinking about it. |
| C．She was expectant and hopeful about it. |
| D．She had unknown fears for it. |
| A．Being respected by her children. |
| B．Becoming a capable teacher. |
| C．Living on her own. |
| D．Being a real adult. |
| A．What an adult means in her opinion. |
| B．What an adult’s state of mind can be. |
| C．Why some people spend life avoiding responsibility. |
| D．Why it doesn’t progress so quickly to become a grown-up. |
| A．Be true to your inner self. |
| B．It’s never too late to learn. |
| C．Life is a bittersweet journey. |
| D．Nice souls are a masterpiece of time. |
3 . In America, seldom do you go anywhere without hearing a principle called WIN-WIN. It sounds strange to me at first because throughout my childhood, I have always been taught to try everything possible to win an upper-hand, rather than to help other people win. However, as time goes by, I have gradually understood the essence (真谛) of WIN-WIN principle — it is the attitude of seeking mutual benefits.
When I was little, I used to play Chinese checkers (跳棋) which includes two basic tactics: One is to create paths for yourself; the other is to block the passages of your rival. Players may apply these two totally different approaches in the game, but the key for the player to win is to continuously create paths for him even if his opponent may take advantage of it. Finally he can always reach the destination a few steps ahead of the other player. Meanwhile, some player may take another approach to prevent his opponent from moving forward at all costs. In this way, he may get a short-term benefit, but couldn’t fix attention on the final goal. Thus, he would never truly develop further.
In the 1990s, a strategy called WIN-WIN became widespread in the western world. Its core is to achieve your objective while giving other people some benefits, so there is no real loser. One example of applying the WIN-WIN principle is the voluntary system in the US. Most Americans advocate the spirit of social service and voluntary contribution. In the US, schools and children organizations usually encourage and support kids to be engaged in community service so that the voluntary spirit can be enrooted in their minds from childhood. Moreover, a crucial standard for universities to judge new students is whether they have worked for the community or not.
In China, it’s quite usual that some people are too selfish and never take people’s interests into consideration, while someone who really has courage to do something for the public is often called “foolish” or “stupid”. Actually helping other people can be of great delight for the helper, for he can also learn something crucial for his life such as sympathy, care, devotion, etc. So only if you take other people’s interests into earnest consideration can you assure your own gain.
1. The purpose of the author in writing the passage is _______.| A．to tell us the cultural differences between China and the US |
| B．to tell us the different educational systems in the US and China |
| C．to tell us the importance and meaning of WIN-WIN |
| D．to show that WIN-WIN is popular in the US and China |
| A．prevents his opponent from moving forward at all costs |
| B．creates the passages for his rival over and over |
| C．continuously creates paths for both himself and his rival |
| D．blocks the passages of his rival all the time |
| A．Criticism. | B．Encouragement. | C．Disagreement. | D．Doubt. |
| A．WIN-WIN: Thinking for Others |
| B．WIN-WIN: Reaching Your Goals |
| C．WIN-WIN: Defeating Your Rivals |
| D．WIN-WIN: Gaining Mutual Benefits |
4 . Growing up on Long Island with a father who gave me dieting tips at 13, a mother who taught me to use makeup as I left for middle school, and peers (同龄人) who shared weight-loss tips on the bus, I developed an unusual self-image. By the time I became a teenager, I felt horror when I encountered photos of myself and saw a huge stomach in the mirror even though I was never overweight.
Throughout my early 20s, I’d wear lipstick and mascara (睫毛膏) and hold my mouth in a half-smile as I walked down the street in order to look more attractive to others. Following popular body-positive advice, I’d flip through Facebook photos of myself, trying to identify at least one desirable feature in each. I’d stare at my reflection, hoping to blink and see a different shape when I opened my eyes. Instead, I’d just fall further into the glass like Alice, deep in the darkest places of my imagination.
A year and a half ago, to escape this personal Wonderland, I decided not to put a mirror in my room when I moved into a new apartment. The small one above my bathroom sink would be enough. I was burnt out from attempts at body positivity. Rather than make peace with my reflection, photographs and scale, I’d avoid them altogether.
As I stopped trying to like my appearance, it no longer tortured (折磨) me. I stopped wearing makeup daily. Instead, I developed a sense of identity from my unfailing punctuality (准时性), my sharp analyses of movies, and my ability to pay rent in New York City as a freelance writer. I looked up to Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham instead of women who tried to diet, noticing that the most powerful women seemed undistracted by weight. Since I wasn’t always disappointing myself by trying to love my body and failing, I became happier.
1. Why did the author develop an unusual self-image when she was young?| A．She hated to wear makeup. |
| B．She suffered from being overweight. |
| C．She was influenced by people around her. |
| D．She wanted to have a huge stomach. |
| A．She was attracted by others’ photos on Facebook. |
| B．She paid too much attention to her appearance. |
| C．She felt ashamed of her appearance. |
| D．She was addicted to taking selfies. |
| A．Her good personal qualities. |
| B．Her newly published books. |
| C．Her new apartment in New York City. |
| D．Her relationship with powerful women. |
| A．It’s important to eat healthily. |
| B．We should never disappoint ourselves. |
| C．It’s important to know others’ abilities. |
| D．We shouldn’t be distracted by our weight. |
5 . 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. |
6 . Years ago, I decided to take the adventure and start working from home. I became a stay-at-home mom with two young boys. I felt lost after leaving the working world so I wanted something new to focus on.
But only weeks into my new adventure, I was trapped in the comparison game. I constantly compared my progress with that of others on my team. It seemed that this business was coming easily to everyone but me.
Then the leader of my team came to me. He gave me some advice and encouraged me to keep my blinders (马眼罩) on.
From this experience, I’ve learned that comparing myself to others truly gets me nowhere. It not only prevents my ambition, but also overshadows my successes. Whether in business or parenting, there will always be someone performing better than me.
| A．It turned out that it benefited me a lot. |
| B．But what was I going to do with the blinders? |
| C．I didn’t let others’ accomplishments lessen my own. |
| D．The weight of comparison made me close to quitting. |
| E．Do you know that horses wear blinders as they pull carriages? |
| F．And what I should hold to is that I’m not running in their race. |
| G．Preferably, it was something that had nothing to do with childcare. |
7 . 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 |
8 . Our children usually benefit from our wisdom and experience, and there are occasions when the tables are turned.
Children are constantly amazed by the world round them and are always stopping to notice. They can spend endless moments watching the behavior of ants or other insects as we become impatient. The world is continuously new to them — as it should be to us if we weren’t so busy and distracted.
Another experience struck me over the past few weeks. We have new neighbors who are renting the house next door for six weeks. They have three children. Last holiday my grandchildren came to spend time with me and spent many hours playing with the kids next door, even though they had never met them before, even though they would probably never see them again, even though they knew nothing about them!
None of those details matter to children. They don’t see black or white, or any other differences that sometimes separate us as adults. There is something so touching about their innocence (天真), and about their instant connection without any hindrances. In every child, they see a potential friend, someone to play and hang out with. They only see similarities. It may sound simple. Life is more complex, but we can learn from their eagerness to connect, from their true blindness to any difference, and from their expectations of good.
We have become too judgmental to give people a chance. It’s possible that if our “neighbors” actually become unchanging, the relationship will change. It can get more complex. With more contact, maybe some personality differences will surface. Maybe it’s the temporary nature of the situation that allows the uninhibited (无拘无束) play to develop.
But it doesn’t really matter, because the point is they gave them a chance. They didn’t come in with any prejudices (偏见). They didn’t have any pre-existing concepts of who they would meet, what this person stood for, or who or what they couldn’t stand.
1. In which aspect do kids differ from adults according to Paragraph 2?| A．Being curious about everything around. | B．Being more acceptable to new things. |
| C．Being more likely to get distracted. | D．Being closely related to animals. |
| A．results | B．difficulties | C．failures | D．breaks |
| A．They have pre-existing opinions on others. | B．They are unwilling to make a change. |
| C．They prefer temporary relationships. | D．They are meant to others’ mistakes. |
| A．Finding a better way to communicate with kids | B．Giving others a chance when it is necessary |
| C．Appreciating the differences among kids | D．Learning from kids who play together |
9 . For most of my life, I didn’t like being seen. I went bright red when it was my turn to speak in a group. I hated the teacher asking me something. I even didn’t like my family all looking at me! I often tried to hide away and avoid being seen by others! So, it’s not strange that I feared speaking in front of others.
Luckily, I’ve learned to overcome my problem. Now I love helping others who have the same problem that I once had but want to speak up because they have valuable things to share. I particularly love helping entrepreneurs (企业家) to become more confident. When you help a leader, the impact is so much greater.
Over the years I’ve discovered that there are three main problems that people have when it comes to speaking in public. The first is a lack of selfbelief. They doubt themselves and question whether what they have to say is valuable. The second is a fear of being seen as arrogant (傲慢的). The third is a fear of rejection or a fear of not being liked.
All of these problems are related to mindset, specifically, a fearbased mindset, which is common. These fears stop people from stepping up as the leader and influencer they were born to be.
If you want to become a more effective influencer, it is so important to work on any fears you have of judgment or rejection. They will be a ball and chain that will hold you back from success. We need to take action despite feeling fear. We can’t wait for the fear to go away as it won’t go away itself. We have to act while we still feel it. And to overcome fears, we should practice. Confidence is attached to progress, and we only progress if we practice. If you don’t feel you’re progressing, you’ll start to lose your confidence and stay stuck in fear.
1. What does the author like doing now?| A．Giving speeches in front of people. |
| B．Sharing experiences with her followers. |
| C．Making friends with famous entrepreneurs. |
| D．Helping others gain confidence in speaking in public. |
| A．They are very difficult to overcome. |
| B．They lead to a very uncommon mindset. |
| C．They exist mainly because of people’s fears. |
| D．They are no problem for leaders or influencers. |
| A．Wait for the fear to disappear. |
| B．Avoid failure to become more confident. |
| C．Refuse judgment or rejection from others. |
| D．Practice hard to make progress in spite of fears. |
| A．Finding the Courage Inside You |
| B．Becoming a more Influential Person |
| C．Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking |
| D．Expressing Your Ideas more Effectively |
10 . They caused the first wound, but you are causing the rest; this is what not forgiving does. They got it started but you keep it going. Forgive and let it go, or it will eat you alive. You think they made you feel this way, but when you don’t forgive, you are the one creating the pain on yourself.
Whatever you do — don’t wait to forgive someone until they apologize, ask for your forgiveness or even admit they have harmed you. If you are waiting for someone to admit they have hurt you, you could be waiting forever and it puts them in the power position, where you need something from them to move forward in your own life.
Forgiveness has nothing to do with how wrong someone else was; no matter how wrong they are, when you forgive a person, you break the ties with their ill deeds that keep you in pain. Forgiving breaks the unhealthy bonds between you and the one who hurt you, and redefines you as an independent victor in your own life. Whether they accept their responsibility or not, you are no longer dependent on their participation for your healing (治愈). You can forgive them, and you can then move on. Boundaries are an essential part of forgiveness.
It is easy to hold a grudge (记仇). It is easy to blame. But these experiences are a lasting role of a powerless victim (受害者). When you hold grudges the victimization continues.
It takes emotional bravery to forgive. It takes a huge determination toward self-care to let go of painful past events and not let them identify your future. There is no self-love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without self-love. Forgiving others may be the ultimate act of self-love. Through forgiveness you can protect yourself from suffering from the lapses made by others.
1. According to the author, if you don’t forgive, you’ll _____.| A．suffer further | B．keep your pride |
| C．become stronger | D．receive an apology |
| A．It counts a great deal. | B．It is tied to you firmly. |
| C．It is nothing important. | D．It decides whether you forgive. |
| A．decisions | B．mistakes |
| C．contributions | D．apologies |
| A．To advise us not to blame others. |
| B．To tell us it is difficult to forgive others. |
| C．To tell us the importance of forgiving others. |
| D．To advise us to learn to forgive others for self-love. |
