1 . As a child, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoons at my grandfather’s farm in western Pennsylvania. Surrounded by miles of stone walls, the house and field provided endless hours of fun for a city kid like me.
Since my first visit to the farm, I had wanted more than anything to be allowed to climb the stone walls surrounding the houses. My parents would never agree because the walls were so old that some stones were loose and falling. However, my idea to climb across those walls grew so strong that finally I had all my courage to enter the living room, where the adults had gathered after Sunday dinner.
“I want to climb the stone walls.” I said. “Heavens, no! You’ll hurt yourself!” The response was just as I’d expected. But before I left the room, I was stopped by my grandfather’s loud voice. “Now hold on just a minute.” I heard him say. “Let the boy climb the stone walls. He has to learn to do things for himself.”
“Go,” he said to me, “and come and see me when you get back.” For the next two and a half hours I climbed those old walls — and had the time of my life. Later I met with my grandfather to tell him about my adventures. I’ll never forget what he said. “Fred,” he said, smiling, “you made this day a special day just by being yourself. Always remember, there’s only one person in this whole world like you, and I like you exactly as you are.”
Many years have passed since then, and today I host the television program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, seen by millions of children throughout America. There have been changes over the years, but one thing remains the same: my message to children at the end of almost every visit. “There’s only one person in this whole world like you,” the kids will hear me say, “and people can like you exactly as you are.”
1. Why did the writer enjoy his visits to the farm?| A．There were old stone houses. | B．He was allowed to climb the walls. |
| C．He missed his grandfather a lot. | D．He could experience new fun there. |
| A．He was backed up by his grandfather to follow his heart. |
| B．He didn’t expect his parents’ disagreement on wall climbing. |
| C．He became a TV program host with his grandfather’s help. |
| D．He didn’t know the possible danger of the stone walls. |
| A．Unforgettable Childhood | B．Just Be Yourself |
| C．Do Whatever You Like | D．Like grandfather, like grandson |
2 . I’ve been having trouble concentrating on one thing. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not.
In my first literature class, Mrs. Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it, all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said, “Mrs. Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it. ” She glanced down at me through her glasses, “You are not different from your classmates, young man.”
I tried, but I didn’t finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home.
In the quietness of my bedroom, the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braille. He lived in a time when the blind couldn’t get much education. But Louis didn’t give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raised dots (点), which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind.
Wasn’t I the “blind” in my class, being made to learn like the “sighted” students? My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was not different from others; I just needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problems, why should I ever give up?
I didn’t expect anything when I handed in my paper to Mrs. Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day — with an “A” on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words: “See what you can do when you keep trying?”
Inspired and touched, I began to keep trying hard in my study and struggled against attention problems. I believe one can find his way out of difficulty with determination (决心) and efforts.
1. Why didn’t the author finish his reading in class?| A．He missed several classes before. |
| B．He was not a bit interested in literature. |
| C．He was unable to concentrate on his task. |
| D．He was used to doing his homework at home. |
| A．Impatient. | B．Encouraging. |
| C．Disappointing. | D．Careless. |
| A．You can never be too old to learn. |
| B．Do not judge a book by its cover. |
| C．One good turn deserves another. |
| D．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
3 . When I created a hiking course for my students, I added some tasks in it, such as writing, creating artwork, and presentations. In my mind, they would be impressed by nature and had a lot to share. But when we had the first trip, it was not what I had hoped for. My students weren’t into it. I went home feeling defeated.
Then I realized what my teens wanted was space to explore, observe, and enjoy. I needed to let go. So, I abandoned the tasks and gave my students freedom to hike and wander through the woods. Surprisingly, I witnessed more joy from them in return.
Living in northern Michigan sometimes meant we went outside in -10℃ weather, so I got a little pushback. But once I gave my students more freedom, something magical happened. They threw snowballs, searched for fallen bird feathers, observed changing leaves, and watched a frozen lake. One day when they were making land art with some rocks and fallen leaves, a random man appeared with a flute (长笛) and played music. My students gathered around him and listened. After the song was over, they clapped for him.
It turns out we did a version of forest bathing — spending time in nature to absorb our senses and be fully present. The teens didn’t need serious lesson plans or fancy art supplies. All they needed was simply being in nature. Nature gave them space to forget all their daily worries and just be kids again.
Does this mean that nature is a cure for all mental problems in the world? No. I’d never claim for it to be. But I will say that I’ve seen nature helps many, including myself. It boosts our mental health and overall state of mind. If you are having a hard time, just find a place where life feels less complicated and go.
1. How did the students think of the tasks?| A．They showed little interest in the tasks. |
| B．They thought the tasks too challenging. |
| C．They found the tasks were impressive and helpful. |
| D．They realized the tasks enabled them to be creative. |
| A．were pushed back by temperature | B．advocated people to protect nature |
| C．learned to play music in the woods | D．enjoyed nature to the fullest extent |
| A．Teens need freedom to explore the world. |
| B．Forest bathing rids us of mental problems. |
| C．Plan carefully before setting foot in nature. |
| D．Being out in nature is really mind-refreshing. |
4 . Before arriving in China, I had read various books relating to China, and my fascination were increasing.
Therefore, when I arrived, I couldn’t have been more excited to be living in this huge historically and culturally rich country. The food, the landmarks, the big cities and everyday life—I couldn’t wait to explore.
Yet despite my passion, learning Chinese hadn’t even entered my mind. This wasn’t laziness, but rather fear at the thought of trying to learn what is regarded as the most difficult language in the world. Besides this, I was living in Shanghai, an international city, with many people speaking English as a second language I decided English would be enough.
However, after a year in China I began to observe that while many foreigners did not speak Chinese, there were plenty who did. Perhaps it was achievable after all? In addition, I felt uncomfortable with how many Chinese people could speak English and yet I couldn’t even speak the most basic Chinese. With these factors in mind and a thirst for a new challenge, I decided to begin my language journey and my only regret is that I didn’t start earlier.
Learning to speak Chinese isn’t as insurmountable as I once thought. When I speak to native Chinese speakers in Chinese, they almost always understand me, I have also not found it too difficult to remember characters and I am now even able to write over 400 characters. The thing I find most challenging is listening since native speakers talk at such a speed. I can’t always understand what’s been said.
My biggest takeaway from learning Chinese is that it’s not only achievable but can also be enjoyable. Learning Chinese not only helped me in day-to-day life, but deepened my cultural understanding of such a fascinating country. So, to all my non-Chinese friends I say this, take up the challenge and take the leap of faith.
1. Why didn’t the author learn Chinese when he arrived in China in 2017?| A．He showed no passion for China. | B．He was unwilling to make the effort. |
| C．He avoided learning a second language. | D．He avoided doing something difficult. |
| A．Valueless. | B．Difficult. | C．Unnecessary. | D．Unacceptable. |
| A．Love breaks down difficulties. | B．Hard work pays off. |
| C．Hard work is the key to success. | D．Bravery opens up a new world. |
5 . Some people think that success is only for those with talent or those who grow up in the right family, and others believe that success mostly comes down to luck. I’m not going to say luck, talent, and circumstances don’t come into play because they do. Some people are born into the right family while others are born with great intelligence, and that’s just the reality of how life is.
However, to succeed in life, one first needs to set a goal and then gradually make it more practical. And, in addition to that, in order to get really good at something, one needs to spend at least 10,000 hours studying and practicing. To become great at certain things, it’ll require even more time, time that most people won’t put in.
This is a big reason why many successful people advise you to do something you love. If you don’t enjoy what you do, it is going to feel like unbearable pain and will likely make you quit well before you ever become good at it.
When you see people exhibiting some great skills or having achieved great success, you know that they have put in a huge part of their life to get there at a huge cost. It’s sometimes easy to think they got lucky or they were born with some rare talent, but thinking that way does you no good, and there’s a huge chance that you’re wrong anyway.
Whatever you do, if you want to become great at it, you need to work day in and day out, almost to the point of addiction, and over a long period of time. If you’re not willing to put in the time and work, don’t expect to receive any rewards. Consistent, hard work won’t guarantee you the level of success you may want, but it will guarantee that you will become really good at whatever it is you put all that work into.
1. Paragraph 1 mainly talks about ________.| A．the meaning of success |
| B．the reasons for success |
| C．the standards of success |
| D．the importance of success |
| A．work makes one feel pain |
| B．one tends to enjoy his work |
| C．it takes a lot of time to succeed |
| D．one gives up his work easily |
| A．People sometimes succeed without luck or talent. |
| B．Successful people like to show their great skills. |
| C．People need to achieve success at the cost of life. |
| D．It helps to think that luck or talent leads to success. |
| A．Having a goal is vital to success. |
| B．Being good is different from being great. |
| C．Luck, talent and family help to achieve success. |
| D．One cannot succeed without time and practice. |
6 . This is the moment a cleaner at a British university burst into tears after students raised $ 2,063 to send him to Jamaica on vacation to see family.
Herman Gordon, who has worked at Bristol University for more than a decade, is described as “one of the most loved” members of its cleaning staff. He is so well liked that a group of students raised money to give him a holiday. A video shows a student hands an envelope of cash to the surprised Gordan with tears rolling down his cheeks. He wipes away tears with a cleaning cloth and hugs the student who gave it to him. Gordan said: “I want to thank every one of you and God bless every one of you.”
The group of students started the fundraising because they liked Gordon so much. A post said: “The Jamaican cleaner in the biomedical library is the jolliest man I have ever met; he makes me smile even when I’m in the deepest depths of sorrow, if you want a reason to smile, go talk to him for a minute or two.”
Anyone who has been to the biomedical library knows who Herman the cleaner is. Simply put, Herman is the epitome（典范）of happiness, “All year round, this man works hours on end to provide us with a clean working space in which to study. But most importantly, his everlasting positive attitude has managed to turn many students’ dark days into positive ones filled with joy,” said a student. Whether you’re just feeling generally down or stressed out due to exams, Herman is always there to encourage you.
This legend proves that happiness is not about what you own, what job you have or how much money you’ve got, but about appreciating what you currently have in life even if it’s small.
1. What was Herman Gordon’ reaction when receiving the fundraising?| A．grateful. | B．stressed. | C．delighted. | D．astonished. |
| A．most miserable. | B．most cheerful. | C．most generous. | D．most glorious. |
| A．Building confidence. | B．Developing exam skills. |
| C．Learning self-control. | D．Gaining biomedical knowledge. |
| A．A biomedical library cleaner. . | B．A group of warm-hearted students. |
| C．Money-raising to send a cleaner on vacation. | D．The most loved cleaning staff. |
7 . The winter had been busy and long. I desperately needed a getaway from work, so I decided to book a trip to the Caribbean with my wife. But just three days before my trip， the human-resources manager of the company called and asked to speak with me in his office. I sensed something wrong. Just months shy of my ten — year anniversary with the company, I was laid off.
I was in complete shock — too shocked to even cry. But I wouldn't cancel my trip, as I needed it now more than ever. The night before my trip, I had a dream that the suitcase I had brought to the hotel was empty. When I woke, I interpreted this dream to mean that I was leaving all of my “baggage” behind — and I did. I enjoyed my vacation more than any others I had taken. And when I was back, I decided to do one thing I loved but never had the spare time to do: writing.
My works had never been published, but I wanted to try. I wrote a few pieces and sent them out to magazines and newspapers. After several non-responses and rejections, the most-read newspaper in Canada agreed to publish one of my travel stories. I shared the thrilling news with my family and friends. People I hadn't talked to in years contacted me to tell me they read my story. How amazing!
I started writing because I liked it. What I didn't realize was that my first published story would open several doors. Being published in a major publication made my resume impressive and led to interviews for writing positions. It also led to more publications noticing the articles I submitted. I am satisfied that now I work full-time as a corporate writer and my works have been published in a number of magazines.
Getting laid off was an experience that could have been fatal （毁灭性的）,But there was something about that dream after it happened. That dream helped me put everything behind me and gave me the confidence to pursue new possibilities.
1. Why did the author decide to go to Caribbean?| A．To go on a business trip. |
| B．To have a break from work. |
| C．To fill a position in the company. |
| D．To celebrate his wedding anniversary. |
| A．He is gifted in writing. |
| B．He is an optimistic person. |
| C．He gave bad job performance. |
| D．He suffered much from losing his job. |
| A．It tightened his family bond. | B．It brought back long-lost friends. |
| C．It earned him a job in a magazine. | D．It enabled him to become a writer. |
| A．A Trip Has Changed My Future | B．Fill Your Life with Surprises |
| C．Leave the Baggage Behind | D．Dare to Dream; Dare to Win |
8 . When Emanuel received an email from Professor Richard English. Queen’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the School of History, Anthropology,Philosophy and Politics, encouraging him to apply for a PhD in Politics in Belfast, it was a pinch-me moment Emanual never thought would be possible. After all, just a few short years ago, he was living on the streets couch-surfing at friends’ houses and weeding gardens to make ends meet. Now, one of the world’s leading political academics was preparing to welcome him to Queen’s University over 4,000 miles away.
Emanuel never knew who his father was and his mom was mentally ill when she gave birth to him, so the hospital took him off her and he was unofficially adopted for the first few years of his life. What followed was a childhood with uncertainty as Emanuel was passed between the adoption system and family members.
Through his high school and community college years, he moved from house to house, living with friends at times and living on the streets at others.
Determined to change all that despite his rocky start in life, Emanuel involved himself in school-doing everything he could to earn extra tuition (学费) money in his spare time. But getting accepted into university was scarcely possible because a person like him couldn’t get a regular student loan.
Fortunately, the government backed him, having created a policy allowing disadvantaged persons to access funding for higher education. He graduated from the University of the West Indies with a 1st Class Honors degree and went on to do his Masters.
Emanuel knows that his story could have been very different.
“I discovered Professor Richard English online and sent him an email honestly, not thinking he would reply and to my surprise, he did. I applied for the highly competitive Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme in order to fund my research at Queen’s. When I was told I was successful, my whole world changed.”
1. What does the underlined word “pinch-me” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Expected. | B．Unbelievable. | C．Awkward. | D．Anxious. |
| A．His father was mentally ill. |
| B．He was abandoned by his mother. |
| C．He was once adopted by his relatives. |
| D．He lived with his friends now and then. |
| A．By receiving a regular student loan. |
| B．By earning the tuition all by himself. |
| C．By borrowing the money from friends. |
| D．By getting support from the government. |
| A．Well begun is half done. |
| B．It’s never too old to learn. |
| C．You are the master of your life. |
| D．Lost time is never found again. |
9 . Twenty years ago, when Angela and I were studying in college, our professor taught us a lesson we've never forgotten. On the last day of class before graduation, she walked up on stage to teach one final lesson, which she called "a life lesson on the power of mindset". As she raised a glass of water over her head, everyone expected her to repeat the saying "glass half empty or glass half full. Instead, with a smile on her face, our professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I'm holding？"
Students shouted out answers, from a couple of ounces to a couple of pounds. After a few moments of fielding answers and nodding her head, she replied, "From my point of view, the absolute weight of this glass is not important. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it's quite light. If I hold it for an hour straight, my arm might feel painful. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely be losing the power of sense, and finally get paralyzed (麻痹的), forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. In each case, the absolute weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me．"
As most of us students nodded our heads in agreement, she continued. "Your anxiety, anger, disappointments, fear and other passive feelings are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a little while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and you begin to feel pain. Think about them all day long, and it will make you paralyzed, unable to do anything else until you drop them．"
1. What is the passage mainly about？| A．A lovely professor． |
| B．The weight of the glass |
| C．How long we should hold the glass． |
| D．Glass half empty or glass half full |
| A．During the writer's last visit to the college． |
| B．When the writer started his college life． |
| C．In the professor's last lesson at college． |
| D．Just before the writer graduated from college． |
| A．They gave no reply． |
| B．They disagreed with her． |
| C．They accepted her viewpoint． |
| D．The text didn't talk about it． |
| A．worry |
| B．hopefulness |
| C．joy |
| D．fearlessness |
| A．Working under stress for long is quite common for modern people． |
| B．Momentous feeling of sadness will definitely ruin a person． |
| C．People will feel well if they don't touch the bottle at all． |
| D．One should get rid of bad feelings as soon as possible． |
10 . Growing up, I thought math class was something to be endured, not enjoyed. I disliked memorizing formulas(公式) and taking tests, all for the dull goal of getting a good grade. One of my teachers told my mother that I was “slow”. But my problem wasn't with math itself. In fact, when a topic seemed particularly interesting, I would go to the library and read more about it.
By high school, no one told me that I could become a professional mathematician. What I wanted to do then was to play college football. My ambition was to get an athletic scholarship to attend a Big Ten school.
The chances of that happening were very low. But that didn’t stop my coaches from encouraging me to believe I could reach my goal, and preparing and pushing me to work for it. They made video tapes of my performances and sent them to college coaches around the country. In the end, a Big Ten school, Penn State, did offer me a scholarship.
I wish math teachers were more like football coaches. Students are affected by more than just the quality of a lesson plan. They also respond to the passion of their teachers and the engagement of their peers, and they seek a sense of purpose. They benefit from specific instructions and constant feedback(反馈).
Until I got to college, I didn't really know what mathematics was. I still thought of it as laborious(耗时费力的) calculations. Then my professor handed me a book and suggested that I think about a particular problem. It wasn't easy, but it was fascinating. My professor kept giving me problems, and I kept pursuing them, even though I couldn’t always solve them immediately. The mathematical research I was doing had little in common with what I did in my high school classrooms. Instead, it was closer to the math and logic puzzles I did on my own as a boy. It gave me that same sense of wonder and curiosity, and it rewarded creativity. I am now a Ph. D candidate in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
1. Why did the writer think math class in school was “something to be endured” before entering college?| A．Because he wasn’t interested in math. |
| B．Because his math teachers didn't care to push him. |
| C．Because he was too smart and talented for math class. |
| D．Because he was training hard for an athletic scholarship. |
| A．a sense of purpose | B．constant feedback |
| C．passion | D．specific instructions |
| A．was busy looking for math problems to solve |
| B．studied on his own just as he was in high school |
| C．met with laborious calculations in his studies |
| D．began to realize what mathematics really is |
| A．Interest is the best teacher |
| B．Be the best—you can make it |
| C．Math, taught like football |
| D．Once your teacher, always your teacher |
