1 . It’s said that you can tell a lot about a person by looking at what’s on their bookshelves. What do my bookshelves say about me? Well, I’d always thought of myself as a cultured person, but my bookshelves told a rather different story.
So, in October 2011, I registered my blog, ayearofreadingtheworld.com, and posted a short appeal online. I explained how narrow my reading had been and asked anyone who cared to suggest what I read from other parts of the planet. I had no idea whether anyone would be interested, but within a few hours, people started to get in touch.
Books came from surprising sources. My Panamanian read, for example, came through a conversation I had with the Panama Canal on Twitter, which advised I try the work of the Panamanian author Juan David Morgan. I found Morgan’s website and sent him a message, asking if any of his Spanish-language novels had been translated into English. And he said nothing had been published, but he did have an unpublished translation of his novel “The Golden Horse”, and he emailed it to me.
Morgan was by no means the only wordsmith to share his work with me in this way. From Sweden to Palau, writers and translators sent me self-published books and unpublished manuscripts (手稿) of books that hadn’t been picked up by Anglophone publishers or that were no longer available, giving me privileged glimpses (初步的感受) of some remarkable imaginary worlds.
The books I read that year have opened my eyes to many things. That can be an uncomfortable experience, particularly when I’m reading a book from a culture that may have quite different values to my own. But it can also be really enlightening. Wrestling with unfamiliar ideas can help clarify my own thinking and show up blind spots in the way I might have been looking at the world.
When I looked back at much of the English-language literature I’d grown up with, I began to see how narrow a lot of it was, compared to the richness that the world has to offer. Little by little, that long list of countries that I’d started the year with changed from a rather dry, academic register of place names into living, breathing entities.
1. Why did the author create the blog “A Year of Reading the World”?| A．To learn from others’ bookshelves. |
| B．To broaden her cultural horizons. |
| C．To get recommendations from readers. |
| D．To find out the literary works she lacked. |
| A．They presented a challenge to the author. |
| B．They blocked the author’s reading journey. |
| C．They offered unique access to literary worlds. |
| D．They inspired confidence in the author’s project. |
| A．Provide her with unfamiliar topics. |
| B．Make her absorbed in other cultures. |
| C．Show fields she needs to learn more about. |
| D．Reveal areas she lacks insight in her worldview. |
| A．Exploring the Global Literary Landscape |
| B．The Challenge of Reading the World |
| C．Uncovering Stories from Every Country |
| D．The Impact of Culture on the Worldview |
2 . I used to believe that only words could catch the essence of the human soul. The literary works contained such distinct stories that they shaped the way we saw the world. Words were what composed the questions we sought to uncover and the answers to those questions themselves. Words were everything.
That belief changed.
In an ordinary math class, my teacher posed a simple question: What’s 0.99 rounded to the nearest whole number? Easy. When rounded to the nearest whole number, 0.99=1. Somehow, I thought even though 0.99 is only 0.01 away from 1, there’s still a 0.01 difference. That means even if two things are only a little different, they are still different, so doesn’t that make them completely different?
My teacher answered my question by presenting another equation (等式): 1= 0.9, which could also be expressed as 1=0.99999.... repeating itself without ever ending.
There was something mysterious but fascinating about the equation. The left side was unchangeable, objective: it contained a number that ended. On the right was something endless, number repeating itself limitless times. Yet, somehow, these two opposed things were connected by an equal sign.
Lying in bed, I thought about how much the equation paralleled our existence. The left side of the equation represents that sometimes life itself is so unchangeable and so clear. The concrete, whole number of the day when you were born and the day when you would die. But then there is that gap in between life and death. The right side means a time and space full of limitless possibilities, and endless opportunities into the open future.
So that’s what life is. Objective but imaginative. Unchangeable but limitless. Life is an equation with two sides that balances itsef out. Still, we can’t ever truly seem to put the perfect words to it. So possibly numbers can express ideas as eually well as words can. For now, let’s leave it at that: 1= 0.99999... and live a life like it.
1. What does the author emphasize about words in paragraph 1?| A．Their wide variety. | B．Their literary origins. |
| C．Their distinct sounds. | D．Their expressive power. |
| A．The repetition of a number. | B．The way two different numbers are equal. |
| C．The question the teacher raised. | D．The difference between the two numbers. |
| A．Measured. | B．Composed. | C．Mirrored. | D．Influenced. |
| A．The Perfect Equation | B．Numbers Build Equations |
| C．An Attractive Question | D．Words Outperform Numbers |
3 . I grew up with the same group of kids from age 5 to age 12. We lived in the same community, shared the same schools and experienced all the ups and downs of that period.
Then I hit junior high and a whole new world opened up to me. It seemed everyone was there, friends from football teams and people from the summer workshop. They welcomed me, figuring that I had to be cool to know so many people. I was a different person with each new group of friends and began to distance myself from the “kindergarten group”.
However, it wasn’t long before these so-called new friends left me when they found out I really wasn’t cool enough to be there. This was one of the hardest times in my life. I felt alone and was very disappointed in myself. It was then, when I thought I had nowhere else to go, that I tried to make my way back into the “kindergarten group”. I organized a camp-out and invited them to come. I had thought they were going to be cold and exclude me as I had done to them. But they all turned up and we just picked up right where we left off. There was absolutely no hate, only comfort and an unexpected sense of belonging. They gave me room to grow and learn my own lessons, my own way, in my own time.
From them, I have learned two things: the type of friends I want, and the type of friend I want to be. We will all continue to grow separately together, all the while providing the unconditional love, understanding and support only friends like these are capable of.
1. How did the author feel about her school life according to Paragraph 2?| A．Shocked. | B．Upset. | C．Curious. | D．Happy. |
| A．To make more friends. |
| B．To get close to nature. |
| C．To apologize to her friends. |
| D．To reconnect with her old friends. |
| A．Cheat. | B．Refuse. | C．Warn. | D．Attack. |
| A．A Friend in Need. |
| B．My Kindergarten Group. |
| C．Lessons in Friendship. |
| D．Friends in My New School. |
4 . I was driving when my phone alerted me to a new email. Filled with eager anticipation, I pulled over, turned on my hazard lights, and opened it. My emotions quickly changed as I learned, for the sixth and final time, that I had been denied a promotion to full professor. My institution didn’t seem to value what I brought to the table. But when I told my family that night, my children offered a surprisingly positive response. They were excited to see what I was going to do next, they said. They apparently knew long before I did that losing my bid for a promotion would turn out to be the best thing that could have happened for me.
This had been the final step in a long process spanning 15 months and involving so much effort. I had started by studying successful promotion bids and asking senior scholars for frank discussions about my readiness. I had carefully prepared my application packet, summarizing everything I had achieved in my career. For more than a year, I had spent hours every day trying to prove my worth to my university.
To my surprise, having a final answer brought a welcome sense of closure. As a first step toward healing, I decided to prioritize my own values and follow my own internal compass. I disconnected from people in my life who violated my values, cultivated my relationships with those who share my priorities and bring out the best in me, and spent more time with my family. I founded a nonprofit that helps first-generation and low-income students and young professionals advance in the workforce while serving their community. The initiative had long been a dream of mine, but I never pursued it because typical academic hiring and promotion don’t reward such efforts. Now, such considerations were no longer my North Star.
Five months after that email from top leadership, I found myself in the car again, experiencing another career-defining moment. I may have lost my bid for a big promotion, but in the end, it brought me to the right place.
1. What did the author feel after he read the email?| A．Anxious and annoyed. | B．Embarrassed and ashamed. |
| C．Relieved and peaceful. | D．Disappointed and sorrowful. |
| A．What contributions the writer had made. | B．What preparations the writer had made. |
| C．How successful the career had been. | D．How tiring the process had been. |
| A．Success is more than a title or a rank. |
| B．One’s internal compass is to be developed. |
| C．Serving the community may heal a broken heart. |
| D．One’s real value first lies in his family interaction. |
| A．Emails: my North Star |
| B．Full professor: a double-edged sword |
| C．A career setback becomes a great opportunity |
| D．An academic career witnesses a failed promotion |
5 . I was 17 when I discovered shooting stars.
I loved them so much that I invited my high school friends to my family farm and spent an August night in our sleeping bags on the hillside to watch them together.
I can’t help but think of that as the final night of my childhood. I always managed to squeeze in a week or two of vacation before starting back at school, and I’d see shooting stars and remember that brilliant night on the hill. While still marveling at them, I’d work at convincing myself that the joy I’d experience from my accomplishments in college would soon replace my longing for some quiet time beneath a vast sky. But always, I returned to college life in August with deep sadness in my heart.
I’ve given lots of reasons over the past 13 years for my choice to live an independent life on a distant farm and homeschool my daughters. But deep down, I think the shooting stars had a lot to do with it. I couldn’t bear to gaze up at them and think that they were a finale(演出的终场)to be witnessed before returning to the demands of school and careers.
So I said “no” to all of it: no jobs, no school. And I decided to lead a life tied to the seasons, where shooting stars were just one of many gifts from nature.
I changed my life to make room for them and I’m starting to learn the difference between fulfillment and accomplishment.
Accomplishment is a child’s successful test scores. Fulfillment is loving and forgiving each other through times table (乘法表) and written words.
Accomplishment is the publication of 20 essays per year and six books. Fulfillment is the hours spent researching, then walking through the woods to think about each word and thought.
Accomplishment is making enough income to cover my taxes. Fulfillment is sitting outside at 3 am in August, watching the shooting stars, no longer sad at the passage of childhood, but thrilled for the joy of the stars.
It is learned that accomplishment is merely a mark in the book made as a result of following fulfillment above all else.
1. What does the author think marks the end of her childhood?| A．Leaving home for college. | B．Encountering shooting stars. |
| C．Watching shooting stars with friends. | D．Sleeping in a sleeping bag on a farm. |
| A．The need to live on a farm. | B．The wish for a life connected to nature. |
| C．The desire for independence. | D．The demands of school and careers. |
| A．Winning a gold medal in a sports competition. |
| B．Spending quality time with family members. |
| C．Holding a high position in a famous company. |
| D．Buying a big, lovely and comfortable house. |
| A．School or Careers | B．Watch Shooting Stars |
| C．Live a Life of Fulfillment | D．Accomplishment or Fulfillment |
As I inch closer to my sixth decade, I can’t help but reflect on my life’s journey.
My path has taken many twists and turns, as it does for most, and I am grateful for each chapter and all the characters who were a part of my script. Through all the seasons, hills and valleys, I have grown in all areas of life and as a human being in general.
My husband and I have always wanted to retire near the ocean. We are active and love the outdoors. Finally, we were getting closer to our goal. I had put in my final years for retirement at MES, the wonderful school I spent the majority of my teaching career. I had three years left, but with Illinois’ bad weather, I had it in my mind to get us to Florida sooner than expected.
Our son is stationed at Hurlburt Field near Destin, Florida, and after visiting him there, we fell in love with the pretty coast. The salt air,heat,and humidity did my sinuses (鼻窦) and body good. I was back to running daily and did not once suffer from knee pain or sinus issues during our time there. We discussed it when we returned to Illinois, and I decided to act. I applied for teaching jobs in the Destin area.
Fortunately, I landed a teaching job at a great school and left MES. We put our house up for sale and were looking forward to this next adventure.
I moved to Florida in late July to start my next chapter while my husband stayed back to wrap things up.
I got into my new school on Aug. 1st and began preparing to move from teaching seventh to fourth graders.
However, back home, we weren’t selling our house. Besides, we couldn’t find housing in Florida. After much discussion, we decided the timing wasn’t right because of many unforeseen factors, so I packed up and drove back to Illinois.
1. 根据文本内容从方框中选择恰当的词并用其正确形式填入文本图示中，每词限用一次，有两词为多余选项| stay calm reason leave hope nose health grow disappoint expect tire satisfy |
My Life Crossings | ||
| I |  | I’m grateful and |
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| I wanted to | | I was |
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| I visited my son and | | I fell in love with the pretty coast. |
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| I applied and landed a teaching job in Florida. I moved to Florida and got into the new school, | | I was excited and |
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| For some | | I was quiet and |
根据文本内容回答下列问题
2. Why did the author go back to Illinois?
3. What would the author do next?
4. What’s the author’s opinion of her path?
7 . Patience is something that many of us struggle with. I know that I am certainly one who has a hard time dealing with delays. After all, we live in a world of instant satisfaction and overnight shipping. We can have anything that we want delivered to our doorstep right away. We can pick from a variety of entertainment options at any given moment.
The truth of the matter is, however, that anything good rarely happens quickly.
Here are a few tips to help you become more patient:
Make yourself wait on things. This can include eating, purchasing items, or taking any sort of action.
Understand that life is full of delays.
| A．It usually takes a lot of work and a long wait. |
| B．The more patient you are, the luckier you become. |
| C．Teach yourself to look on the bright side of delays. |
| D．There is no one straight path to happiness or success. |
| E．Being patient is a must if you want to achieve success. |
| F．As a result, being patient has become increasingly difficult for most of us. |
| G．Work to overcome whatever makes you anxious and force yourself to wait. |
8 . It was Saturday again. Lily and Lucy disliked Saturdays. That was another thing the twins had in common. They shared the same clothes and tied their hair in the same manner. In fact, it was hard for their classmates and teachers to tell them apart sometimes.
Unlike their classmates, they had to get up early at seven every Saturday to prepare for their lessons. Lily had to attend the art lesson and Lucy had to attend her ballet lesson. “How I wish I could do something different today,” said the twins with one voice. All at once, an idea came to Lily and Lucy al the same time. “Do you have the same idea as me?” they asked each other and laughed. It seemed like a wonderful plan to them. After giving each other a description of their own friends, Lily put on Lucy’s ballet dress while Lucy put Lily’s brushes and paints into her bag. Then they left for their classes.
When the art lesson started, Lucy couldn’t understand the art teacher Unlike Lily, Lucy was poor at drawing. When the art lesson finally ended, Lucy didn’t dare to hand in her work.
Meanwhile, Lily was struggling in the ballet class as well. As she had no idea about the dance steps, she had to follow her classmates blindly. As a result, she kept knocking into them. Their ballet teacher became impatient with her, “Lucy, you should remember the basic steps. You can’t depend on copying what others are doing.”
When Lily and Lucy arrived home, they were tired out. They decided that they would never try to be someone else that they were not.
1. What was the twins’ plan?| A．To be each other for a day. | B．To have a day off. |
| C．To wear the same clothes. | D．To have a normal day like their classmates. |
| A．Lost. | B．Excited. | C．Mad. | D．Sleepy. |
| A．The teachers. | B．The classmates. | C．The dance steps. | D．The ballet dresses. |
| A．Don’t try to run before you can walk. |
| B．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
| C．The grass is not always greener on the other side. |
| D．Saying is one thing and doing is another. |
9 . Sitting in the garden for my friend’s birthday. I felt a buzz (振动) in my pocket. My heart raced when I saw the email sender’s name. The email started off: “Dear Mr Green, thank you for your interest” and “the review process took longer than expected.” It ended with “We are sorry to inform you…” and my vision blurred (模糊). The position—measuring soil quality in the Sahara Desert as part of an undergraduate research programme — had felt like the answer I had spent years looking for.
I had put so much time and emotional energy into applying, and I thought the rejection meant the end of the road for my science career.
So I was shocked when, not long after the email, Professor Mary Devon, who was running the programme, invited me to observe the work being done in her lab. I jumped at the chance, and a few weeks later I was equally shocked—and overjoyed—when she invited me to talk with her about potential projects I could pursue in her lab. What she proposed didn’t seem as exciting as the original project I had applied to, but I was going to give it my all.
I found myself working with a robotics professor on techniques for collecting data from the desert remotely. That project, which I could complete from my sofa instead of in the burning heat of the desert, not only survived the lockdown but worked where traditional methods didn’t. In the end, I had a new scientific interest to pursue.
When I applied to graduate school, I found three programmes promising to allow me to follow my desired research direction. And I applied with the same anxious excitement as before. When I was rejected from one that had seemed like a perfect fit, it was undoubtedly difficult. But this time I had the perspective (视角) to keep it from sending me into panic. It helped that in the end I was accepted into one of the other programmes I was also excited about.
Rather than setting plans in stone, I’ve learned that sometimes I need to take the opportunities that are offered, even if they don’t sound perfect at the time, and make the most of them.
1. How did the author feel upon seeing the email sender’s name?| A．Anxious. | B．Angry. | C．Surprised. | D．Settled. |
| A．criticise the review process | B．stay longer in the Sahara Desert |
| C．apply to the original project again | D．put his heart and soul into the lab work |
| A．demanding | B．inspiring | C．misleading | D．amusing |
| A．An invitation is a reputation. | B．An innovation is a resolution. |
| C．A rejection can be a redirection. | D．A reflection can be a restriction. |
10 . “Why?” It’s a simple question that people ask Angela Madeline frequently. After all, she began a journey that very few people would ever attempt: walk around the world alone.
The thought of Madeline’s journey did not start from a place of loss or personal crisis. She said, “I was searching for a deeper interaction with nature and people.” Walking would minimize her carbon footprint, plus the slow pace meant that she could fully immerse herself in nature, and gain insights into other cultures in a unique way.
She left her hometown of Bend, Oregon, on 2 May 2016 and headed into an adventure. Along the way, Madeline would suffer from heatstroke (中暑)in the Australian desert and hear gunshots while camping in Turkey. “Still,” she said, “I didn’t stop because I was more afraid of not following my heart than I was of losing everything I owned and loved.”
Apart from that, her slow pace allowed her to be drawn deeply into other cultures. She wandered the tiny seaside villages along Italy Tyrrhenian Sea, enjoying the lively atmosphere. In Vietnam, she was invited and offered food by an elderly woman to rest in her wooden shack at the peak for the night. She chose an experience of uncertainty and curiosity, in search of something she could never be certain to find: a sense of fulfillment and a deeper connection.
On 16 December 2022, Madeline’s pilgrimage (朝圣之旅)ended right where it started. For now, she’s working on a book, planning future journeys and creating more effective ways for women to find and express courage in their lives.
Whether a walk leads halfway around the world or just down the road, Madeline has shown the true worth of slowing down and giving more than we receive along the way.
1. Why did Madeline decide to start her journey?| A．To get closer to the world. | B．To reduce carbon footprint. |
| C．To get rid of personal crisis. | D．To slow down the pace of life. |
| A．She was about to give up. |
| B．She was helped by Italian locals. |
| C．She experienced various cultures. |
| D．She enjoyed Australian coastal scenery. |
| A．Cautious and gentle. | B．Tough and adventurous. |
| C．Ambitious and generous. | D．Open-minded and humorous. |
| A．A new way to slow down life. |
| B．A closer connection with the wild. |
| C．An unforgettable memory of a trip. |
| D．A woman walking around the world. |
