1 . In most situations, bystanders’ responses like disapproving glares, uninvited comments or pieces of advice to a child’s angry behavior can add to the stress of the situation. But sometimes bystanders’ truly understand, and sometimes their words or actions can make a positive difference. One mom experienced this firsthand.
This mom was noticeably pregnant and traveling alone with her young son at a Los Angeles airport. Then things had taken a turn for the worse.
The boy, about 18 months old, was in the midst of what Beth, a Facebook user, referred to as a “total meltdown”. He was running all over the place, kicking, screaming, and flopping down (趴) on the floor, dead set on not getting aboard the plane. His mom did her best to calm him down, but, according to Beth, “she couldn’t pick him up because he was so upset. He kept running away from her, then lying down on the ground, kicking and screaming again.” Finally, the mom came to her wit’s end. She sat down on the floor next to her son, buried her face in her hands, and began to cry.
Then the most amazing thing happened.
A group of six or seven women, Beth included, circled around the mother-son pair and did something to help. Beth sang him “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.” Another offered an orange. Another gave him a toy she had on hand. Another helped get his cup out of Mom’s bag. Yet another tended to Mom by offering her a water bottle. With the help of these incredible women, the kid and his mother calmed down and were able to board the plane.
And then life moved on. All of the strangers went their separate ways without speaking of what had happened. But Beth said it was something she’d never forget. “We were strangers, gathering to solve something,” she wrote. “It occurred to me that a circle of women, with a mission, can save the world.”
1. What reaction of the bystanders is proper to a child’s angry behavior?| A．Understanding and trying to help. | B．Offering parents some advice. |
| C．Commenting on the situation. | D．Stopping the child by glaring. |
| A．Burst into tears. | B．Felt totally at a loss. |
| C．Gave in to her kid. | D．Ran away from her kid. |
| A．Professional. | B．Courageous. | C．Calm. | D．Considerate. |
| A．To describe a great volunteer Beth. | B．To introduce some incredible women. |
| C．To show how strangers can help out. | D．To appeal to people to care for children. |
A couple of weeks ago, my grandfather explained his favorite expression, “Nothing is ever easy.” Then the following day, as I tried to complete my day’s work, I happened to notice a bumblebee(大黄蜂) on the skylight(天窗). The skylight was particularly high up, but I thought removing the bee would take no more than five minutes. An hour later, the bee still remained. All that had changed was that the living room was a mess and that I was dizzy from looking up into the sunlight. I did not expect to waste an hour on an insect so tiny, but by doing so, I understood what my grandfather meant.
It is not only time that we tend to underestimate — we don’t account for unexpected costs. We often imagine what can work in our favor, but we seldom think of all the negative things that could affect us. However, it is important to remember that your day or week or year might not go as planned, and that is completely normal. It is perfectly acceptable to feel challenged — even at a task you thought was simple — because that is part of life.
If you can accept that nothing will ever be easy, then life might seem slightly more manageable. In middle school, I thought high school might be easier because I could choose the classes I wanted to take. In high school, I thought college might be easier because I could have a schedule best suited for myself. Yet each time, I was both wrong and disappointed. After accepting that school wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) be easy, I found myself with a more positive attitude and improved results.
Of course, there should be preparations made to account for expenses or time. Doing so can only help you accomplish your goals in a better way. However, there is no need to beat ourselves up(过分自责) when something stands in our path. Maybe we cannot see a bee coming our way, but we can always give ourselves the extra time to catch it.
1. What was out of the author’s expectation when he removed the bumblebee on the skylight?(no more than 15 words)2. What does the underlined phrase “account for” in Paragraph 2 mean? (no more than 3 words)
3. What does Paragraph 3 mainly tell us? (no more than 15 words)
4. According to the passage, how will you deal with what stands on your path? (no more than 15 words)
5. What do you understand the sentence—“Nothing is ever easy.”? (no more than 25 words)
3 . When the two Afghan boys arrived，they were seemingly quiet and scared. In an effort to break their silence，I asked Umair if he liked to throw snow balls in winter because I knew the temperatures in their country can reach as low as —10 degrees centigrade. His face turned colorless. “I couldn’t sell the hats and gloves when it snowed. I would just sit in the room and wait for the snow to melt(融化）.How else would I earn the money to feed my family?” My heart sank.
In the days that followed, my husband and I offered to teach them English and mathematics. They were from diverse linguistic (语言的）backgrounds，so teaching them proved to be challenging but a lot of fun. In fact it became a mutual(共同的）experience. I remembered many words which I had not used since graduation.
Having passed through war zones and lived in jungles, the boys treasured the comfort provided to them by their foster carers, whose love made them show more confidence in daily life and exhibit enthusiasm for learning. Such was their hunger for learning that even if five minutes had passed the set time，there was a knock on the door, reminding us to start the lesson.
Another interesting character in this experience was my four-year-old son. His presence would keep the atmosphere cheerful and light. Learning was a mutual experience for him too. The boys would correct him when he made a mistake in counting, and he would correct the boys when they got wrong in pronunciation.
Teaching these children gave me some very important lessons in life： that a spirit which has the willingness to learn is stronger than the sharpest sword, that an environment that fosters love, support and encouragement can make broken souls shine，and that learning and education is the true lighthouse to fight darkness in this world.
1. Why did the author ask Umair about snow balls?| A．She was curious what his life was like. |
| B．She liked to know the culture difference. |
| C．She wanted to encourage him to talk more. |
| D．She tried to help him adapt to the life here. |
| A．Love and care. |
| B．English and mathematics. |
| C．Mutual interest and hobby. |
| D．Confidence and enthusiasm. |
| A．Teaching is an art. |
| B．Men learn while they teach. |
| C．Teaching can make a person. |
| D．Learning is a daily experience. |
| A．A Lifelong Lesson |
| B．A Desire for Learning |
| C．International Friendship |
| D．Teaching Two Afghan Boys |
4 . Stories are a powerful way to communicate. We all learn through stories. I’ve raised a three-step formula anyone can use to create powerful stories that will help you make your point. First, identify your truth. Second, think of the decisive experiences that have led you to this "truth". Third, shape those experiences into a story that you can tell at the drop of a hat. Here’s an example of how I have used this formula.
Years ago, I had an assignment to conduct a team-building session. The client was my friend. I arrived at his office 5: 00 p. m. the day before our session. He asked me if I had an agenda for tomorrow’s meeting. I told him that, first we'll do A, then B, followed by C. We’ll finish up with D. Still he asked if I had an agenda.
At first, I thought he hadn’t been listening to what I just said, so I repeated myself, "First we'll do A, then B, followed by C. We’ll finish up with D. "He said," Yes, I know. That's what you just said. Do you have an agenda?
At that point, it dawned on me that he was looking for a printed agenda. I said, "No, but we really don't need one. I’ve done many meetings like this. It will go fine.” He said, “I’m not comfortable winging it.” So we created an agenda using Powerpoint. The next day, the meeting went off smoothly. We followed the agenda I had in my head and he had on the PowerPoint slide. Everyone agreed it was one of the best meetings of this type they had ever attended.
It became clear to me that if I want to influence not just this client, but anyone, I need to adapt my communication style to theirs. From that day on, I modify my communication style to meet the needs of the other person.
1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly talk about?| A．How to form powerful stories | B．Stories come from experiences. |
| C．How to communicate with powerful stories. | D．Stories play an important part in communication. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making remarks. | D．By presenting research findings. |
| A．The author winged it. |
| B．The author's friend used Powerpoint. |
| C．The author and his friend created an agenda separately. |
| D．The author and his friend made an agenda using Powerpoint. |
| A．Adopt | B．Follow | C．Change | D．Create |
5 . Stained glass artists create different designs by making cuts on the glass to “score” it and then breaking off the pattern that they want to use in the finished product. The most difficult cut in stained glass is called an inside cut. Basically, it’s a curved line where you throw away the part inside of the curve. The problem with inside cuts is that the edges of the curve tend to break off when the pieces of scored glass are broken apart.
As the artist talked about inside cuts, he said, “The glass will break into pieces if you try to cut too much off at once. The best way to do an inside cut is to slice off smaller curves piece-by-piece. In fact, it’s not just the best way lo do it, but it’s the only way to do it.”
How many times do you try to make a big change and cut the entire piece at once? We convince ourselves that we can do this all the time. We’ll commit to transforming our diet overnight or we get inspired to launch a business in a weekend or we finally get motivated to work out and push ourselves to the edge of burning out.
Why not approach your goals and dreams like a stained glass artist? Starting by slicing a shallow curve and breaking a small piece off, you cut a slightly deeper curve and break that off until you have your full inside cut. By slowly cutting deeper and deeper curves, you prevent the glass from breaking as it change shape.
Of course, change isn’t easy — no mailer how you do it. Slow gains are boring, but if we keep making small improvements, then pretty soon we will end up with a beautiful masterpiece on our hands instead of a bunch of broken pieces.
1. Why is an inside cut believed to be most difficult?| A．It needs a one-and-only design. | B．It calls for nothing but inspiration. |
| C．The edges of the curve break easily. | D．The glass inside the curve is easily broken. |
| A．Being too eager to make improvements. |
| B．Being too worried about the final outcome. |
| C．Trying to make a complete change all at once. |
| D．Developing to focus on progress instead of achievements. |
| A．Moving forward with a clear aim. |
| B．Starting slow and improving little by little. |
| C．Developing a new habit with great determination, |
| D．Handling something major first and ignore the minor part. |
| A．To show his love of stained glass. | B．To introduce the skill of an inside cut. |
| C．To appreciate designs of stained glass artists. | D．To share his opinions on how to make a change. |
6 . “Dad,” I say one day, “let's take a trip. Why don't you fly out and meet me?”
My father had just retired after 27 years as a manager for IBM. His job filled his day, his thought, and his life. While he woke up and took a warm shower, I screamed under a freezing waterfall in Peru. While he tied a tie and put on the same Swiss watch, I rowed a boat across Lake of the Ozarks.
My father sees me drifting aimlessly, nothing to show for my 33 years but a passport full of funny stamps. He wants me to settle down, but now I want him to find an adventure.
He agrees to travel with me through the national parks. We meet four weeks later in Rapid City.
“What is our first stop?” asks my father.
“What time is it?”
“Still don't have a watch?”
Less than an hour away is Mount Rushmore. As he stares up at the four Presidents carved in granite (花岗岩),his mouth and eyes open slowly, like those of a little boy.
“Unbelievable.” he says, “How was this done?”
A film in the information center shows sculptor Gutzon Borglum devoted 14 years to the sculpture and then left the final touches to his son.
We stare up and I ask myself, “Would I ever devote my life to anything?”
“No directions, no goals.” I always used to hear those words in my father's voice. Now I hear them in my own.
The next day we're at Yellowstone National Park, where we have a picnic.
“Did you ever travel with your dad?” I ask.
“Only once,” he says, “I never spoke much with my father. We loved each other—but never said it. Whatever he could give me, he gave.”
The last sentence—it's probably the same thing I'd say about my father. And what I'd want my child to say about me.
In Glacier National Park, my father says, “I've never seen water so blue.” I have, in several places of the world. I can keep travelling. I realize—and maybe a regular job won't be as dull as I feared.
Weekes after our trip, I call my father. “The photos from the trip are wonderful.” he says. “We heve got to take another trip like that sometime.”
I tell him I've decide to settle down, and I'm wearing a watch.
1. We can learn from Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 3 that the father ________.| A．followed the fashion | B．got bored with his job |
| C．liked the author's collection of stamps | D．was unhappy with the author's lifestyle |
| A．hopes to give whatever he can to his father | B．learns how to communicate with his father |
| C．comes to understand what parental love means | D．wants his children to learn from their grandfather |
| A．A Journey with Dad | B．Reflections on Nature |
| C．Benefits from Travelling | D．Deep Love from a Father |
7 . I have a memory of being about five years old, picking up a beautiful grilled(烧烤的) cheese sandwich made for me by my hard—working mother and turning it over to see that the other side was burned. Suddenly, what I thought was the perfect sandwich was not so perfect. Mom had tried to hide that fact from me. There was no question; I ate it anyway without complaining. However, that moment has stuck in my mind for many years. Now, at the age of 43 as a mother of two children and as a biology professor where I am routinely the “academic mother” of hundreds of students every year, I find that I believe in The Grilled Cheese Principle. Here is what I mean.
Making a grilled cheese sandwich is easy, right? But when I think of how many burned grilled cheese sandwiches I have eaten, or I have made myself, I realize that most of the grilled cheese sandwiches I have known have had at least one burned side. The thing is that although it is a relatively easy thing to make I can also easily lose focus, and before long the sandwich is burned. For my mother, the first side was usually perfect and the second side got burned due to her being distracted. For me, I have tended to burn the first side, but then I more carefully monitor the second side. Either way, the grilled cheese sandwich suffers because it has not been given the attention it deserves.
So, I have learned that even the simplest task deserves my full attention. When I am multi-tasking, I am doing none of the tasks well. And when I allow myself to be distracted, I am not in the present moment—not paying attention to the small details of living or enjoying the process.
So now, I believe the best way to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is to make only one at a time and give it my full attention.
1. How did the writer react to the sandwich with burned side?| A．He ate it with full complaints. |
| B．He showed no interest. |
| C．He thought it was still perfect. |
| D．He was deeply impressed with it. |
| A．Even simple things deserve full attention. |
| B．Losing focus makes the sandwich burned. |
| C．Self-made sandwiches are always burned. |
| D．we should make only one sandwich at a time. |
| A．serve | B．watch | C．burn | D．sell |
| A．Never do multi-tasks. |
| B．Learn to appreciate the burned sandwiches. |
| C．Nothing is perfect. |
| D．Devote yourself to one thing at a time. |
8 . From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.
The seeds, and the power to grow them, are contained in the most awesome machine ever created：the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner. You were born rich. You can be a success if only you make the right choice.
You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem. Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives. They are the perennial（长期的）victims and martyrs. They are leaves tossed（摇摆）by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.
You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.
Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for setting our expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.
If you associate with positive-thinking people, you are definitely going to achieve success. On the contrary, the opposite happens. We are responsible for finding, planting, and nurturing the seeds that contain future victory, born from setbacks.
In short, in all areas of your life, whether they be financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success.
1. People with low self-esteem are compared to leaves because they ______.| A．are ready to change their minds | B．are easily affected by windy weather |
| C．don't have the power to face their fate | D．can't exercise control over themselves |
| A．success is the result of hard work | B．working hard will lead to success |
| C．their failure is only because of bad luck | D．they don't make efforts to succeed |
| A．whether we will succeed depends on our attitudes |
| B．one’s expectation is the key to future success |
| C．thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind |
| D．setting our expectations is essential before taking action |
| A．the proof of the author's points | B．the conclusion of the argument |
| C．an introduction to another topic | D．a comparison between two views |
| A．The secrets of success． | B．Success is a choice． |
| C．Develop our confidence． | D．How to achieve success． |
9 . La Belle Personne is boring, but I love it. The 2008 French film features extremely softened and washed-out colors, a relatively uneventful plotline, and lifeless performances from the main characters, all of which give the film its unique charm.
The plain beauty of La Belle Personne comes not from its extremely unique plot, but rather its literary elements. Of course, the film is visually pretty lacking in liveliness. An editor must have purposely and smartly dealt with every single shot. The dominating colors in each of these shots are a vivid black, grey and white, making for a melancholic(忧郁的）atmosphere. While one could easily view this lack of vividness as exhausting,I would argue that it makes for a beautifully unconventional cinematic experience.
There are no artificial mental spark stimulated by the visuals, and the viewers must therefore sit with themselves for an hour and a half, reflecting on what the piece personally means to them and how it genuinely makes them feel. Aside from a few major plot points, nothing terribly remarkable happens in La Belle Personne. It's more like a lazy river under grey skies where the water is slightly too cold. But if you relax, your body temperature adjusts and you can sit back and just enjoy the ride.
Although our current world may be both literally and symbolically on fire, it's no secret that campus life in and of itself is considerably more boring than usual. With no parties to attend, most classes online, and the majority of clubs limited to Zoom Meetings, waking up every day might feel a bit more tedious. However, just like La Belle Personne has shown us, it's important to appreciate your environment for what it is. In terms of campus life, sometimes it's not so horrible for things to be slow-paced, as it allows space for reflection and being present.
1. What do we know about La Belle Personne from the first paragraph?| A．It enjoys high popularity. |
| B．It owns special artistic charm. |
| C．It applies modern techniques. |
| D．It features lively performances. |
| A．All its viewers feel positive on it. |
| B．It gives viewers a sense of ridiculousness. |
| C．It suits those preferring sensory stimulation. |
| D．It is worth tasting slowly and heart-wholly. |
| A．Boring. | B．Painstaking. | C．Impractical. | D．Unnecessary. |
| A．To show the importance of going to the movies. |
| B．To recommend people to enjoy an unique movie. |
| C．To introduce a way to appreciate a certain movie. |
| D．To call for a slow-paced and positive school life. |
10 . I'd been asked to go to an editor's office with the old program “We have a story we think you'd be perfect for”. Here was the topic: We want you to write about how middle-aged men have no friends. Seeing that,I couldn't help thinking, “Excuse me? I have plenty of friends.” Then the editor told me there were all sorts of evidence out there to show how men, as they age, let their close friendships go, and that the fact can cause all sorts of problems and have a terrible impact on their health.
As I walked back to my desk in the newsroom-a distance of maybe 100 yards-I quickly took stock of my friend list. First of all, there was my friend Mark. Wait, how often do we actually hang out? Maybe four or five times a year? And then there was another best friend from high school, Rory, and…I actually could not remember the last time I'd seen him.
There were all those other good friends who seemed as if they're still in my life because we follow one another via social media, but as I ran down the list of those I considered real, true, lifelong friends, I realized that it had been years since I saw many of them, even decades for a few.
By the time I got back to my desk, I realized that I was indeed perfect for this story, not because I was unusual in any way, but because my story was very, very typical. And as I looked into what that means, I realized that in the long term, I was heading down a path that was very, very dangerous. And I knew I needed a change.
1. What did the author think of the topic at first?| A．He showed an interest in it. |
| B．He felt surprised and doubtful. |
| C．He knew the editor was joking. |
| D．He thought it was perfect for him. |
| A．He had lost some best friends. |
| B．He wasn't popular with others. |
| C．He had close friends in his life. |
| D．He hadn't made any true friends. |
| A．By letters. | B．Through the Internet. |
| C．By phoning each other. | D．By getting together regularly. |
| A．The author was a good writer. |
| B．The author liked making new friends. |
| C．Others had more friends than the author. |
| D．The author would attach importance to friendship. |
