1 . In Guilin China, studying Mandarin(普通话)my girlfriend says, “We are so far from home!” It seems obvious, so it surprised me that I disagreed. Why didn’t I feel far from home? It took me a while to realize: No one place feels like home. Home is wherever I’m sleeping that night.
When people ask where I’m from, I don’t know how to answer. I’m not really from any one place. Though I was born in California, we moved to England when I was 5. Then Chicago, and I’ve been moving around ever since. Boston, New York City, Woodstock, Portland, Santa Monica, London, Seattle. No one place got my allegiance. They’re all home. And they are the same.
I’m officially an “Overseas citizen of India”. Recently a legal resident(合法居民) of Singapore, New Zealand, and Belgium. Now where is home, again?
Someone once asked what I’m running from. When you sit in your kitchen, are you running from your living room? They’re all just rooms in your house. You sit in them at different time for different needs.
Imagine living a few years each in Melbourne, Reykjavik, Panama, Vienna, Cambridge, Kyoto, Kerala, Curitiba, and Jerusalem. Long enough so that each place feels like home. Finally, I feel connected to all parts, but this maybe keeps me from getting too connected to each place.
Any time you move to a new place, you learn some new things and maybe forget some others. It keeps you from feeling you’re right and others are wrong. It keeps the brain in circulation(循环). No one place feels like home.
1. Why does the author disagree with his girlfriend?| A．Because home is just a place to live in for him. | B．Because Guiling is his home. |
| C．Because he has no home. | D．Because he was born in California. |
| A．Comment | B．Respect | C．Impression | D．Preference |
| A．To answer someone’s question about rooms. | B．To describe his large house with several rooms. |
| C．To explain why he move from place to place. | D．To consider his homes as different rooms. |
| A．East or west, home is the best. | B．Home is where a person is. |
| C．A letter from home is a priceless treasure. | D．Easy come, easy go. |
2 . Thanks to a rereading of Jane Austen’s fiction, I have experienced a rejuvenation (恢复) of spirit and energy that has transformed my life. Rereading for the sheer pleasure of Austen’s language and characters when I experienced some depression in my 60s initiated a process that became more serious as I continued to reread the novels in my 70s and became more and more curious about the relationship between reading, learning and the imagination.
Now I find that the processes of rereading, investigation and reflection have led me to the best time in my life. It raised issues in my mind about memory, truth telling and art. In weaving together these aspects of my own reading experiences, I discovered parts of myself that I had not previously explored.
On the one hand I felt removed sufficiently to evaluate the best and worst of times in my own life. And on the other hand, I became so deeply immersed in the reflective process that I surprisedly realized the longstanding dissatisfactions were evaporating around me.
Of course, to be worth rereading, novels must have the potential to yield new insights. For this reason, I have reread Austen’s same six novels many times. They have offered me the richness and complexity required to help me reassess where I am in my life, the quality of my relationships past and present, and the values at stake in my life choices.
When I read Pride and Prejudice at the age of 15, I read it as a domestic comedy. I loved the Bennet sisters because they were lively and, for all their bickering, they were having fun. Rereading the same novel in my 30s I put my attention elsewhere. I paid serious attention to whether I could reconcile (和解) myself to Charlotte Lucas !s view that happiness in marriage is a matter of chance.
At the age of 90, I reread, reflect and comfort myself with Elizabeth Bennet’s words, “till this moment I never knew myself’. This is the moment I have been waiting for.
1. Why did the writer begin to reread Jane Austen’s novel?| A．To deal with depression and seek joy. |
| B．To revive her love for literature. |
| C．To evaluate the process of rereading. |
| D．To dig deeper into literature study. |
| A．Books themed on life choices. | B．Books with attractive characters. |
| C．Books that inspire new thinking. | D．Books that recall the best moments of life. |
| A．By analyzing the novel from different aspects. |
| B．By comparing her reflections at different ages. |
| C．By quoting speeches from the main characters. |
| D．By describing the perspectives of different characters. |
| A．Every Jane Austen’s fiction deserves rereading. |
| B．Reading books does good to depressed people. |
| C．Rereading novels sharpens people’s reading skills. |
| D．Rereading great books is a rewarding experience. |
3 . 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 |
4 . It was their wedding anniversary (周年纪念日) and Ria was waiting for her husband to show up. After some years of marriage, things changed between them. The couple once couldn’t live without each other, but now they would fight over every little things.
Ria was waiting to see if Manoj remembered that it was their wedding anniversary. As the phone rang she went to it, taking it for Manoj’s calling to make up for fights.
However, when Ria picked it up, there was a man who said, “Hello madam. I am calling from the police station. Is this Mr. Manoj Kumar number?” She replied, “Yes it is!” “I am sorry madam but there has been an accident and a man died. We got this number from his wallet. Can you please come and identify body?” the man replied.
“How could this happen?”, she thought to herself. Her heart sank. She said to herself “It’s true!! He left me forever. Oh God! I can die to have another chance to mend for every fight we had. I really lost my chance.” She fell on floor in pain.
Suddenly a noise spread from the doorway, the door opened and Manoj came out and said, “Darling, I forgot to tell you today my wallet was stolen.” In excitement, Ria ran toward the door with a bright smile and a bunch of flowers to hug her husband. Then they both started to celebrate their anniversary with champagne, candles and light music.
We know no one have promised tomorrow. Never waste any moment while you still have chance to value people and relations in life.
1. Why did the policeman call Mr. Manoj Kumar number?| A．To remind Ria to fetch the stolen wallet. | B．To ask Ria to go and recognize the body. |
| C．To congratulate Ria’s wedding anniversary. | D．To find out some information about the thief. |
| A．Manoj. | B．A thief. | C．A policeman. | D．Ria’s relative. |
| A．Manoj left Ria when she answered the phone. | B．Manoj forgot their wedding anniversary totally. |
| C．The marriage of Ria and Manoj would finish soon. | D．Ria still loved Manoj even if they fought sometimes. |
| A．Wedding anniversary is the grave of love. | B．All things are difficult before they are easy. |
| C．Never lose confidence in the face of difficulty. | D．Value your love and live a life without regrets. |
5 . In spite of the title, How to Grow Old, this article will really be on how not to grow old, which, at my time of life, is a much more important subject. My first advice would be to choose your ancestors carefully. Although both my parents died young, I have done well in this respect as regards my other ancestors. My maternal (母亲方面的) grandfather, it is true, was cut off in the flower of his youth at the age of sixty-seven, but my other three grandparents all lived to be over eighty. Of remote ancestors I can only discover one who did not live to a great age, and he died of a disease which is now rare, namely, having his head cut off.
My maternal grandmother, after having nine children who survived, as soon as she became a widow devoted herself to women’s higher education. She was one of the founders of Girton College. She used to relate how she met in Italy an elderly gentleman who was looking very sad. She inquired the cause of his sorrow and he said that he had just parted from his two grandchildren. “Good gracious,” she exclaimed, “I have seventy-two grandchildren, and if I were sad each time I parted from one of them, I should have a dismal existence!” “Madre snaturale (奇怪的母亲),” he replied.
But speaking as one of the seventy-two, I prefer her recipe. After the age of eighty she found she had some difficulty in getting to sleep, so she habitually spent the hours from midnight to 3 a.m. in reading popular science. I do not believe that she ever had time to notice that she was growing old. This, I think, is the proper recipe for remaining young. If you have wide and keen interests and activities in which you can still be effective, you will have no reason to think about the merely statistical (统计学的) fact of the number of years you have already lived, still less of the probable shortness of your future.
1. What do we know about author’s maternal grandmother?| A．Her husband died when he was young. | B．She had 72 children and grandchildren. |
| C．She was a strange and cruel mother. | D．She set up Girton College with others. |
| A．Because she wanted to teach him a lesson. |
| B．Because she wondered why he was so sad. |
| C．Because she wanted show off her freedom. |
| D．Because she preferred cooking and talking. |
| A．To maintain wide interests and active participation. |
| B．To raise as many children as you can and cherish them. |
| C．To stay up reading from midnight to 3 a.m. every day. |
| D．To remember how many years you have lived so far. |
| A．Romantic. | B．Imaginative. | C．Humorous. | D．Ironic. |
6 . How can we live more meaningfully? To find out, I spent five years interviewing hundreds of people and reading through thousands of pages of psychology, neuroscience and philosophy.
For many people, belonging is the most essential source of meaning, those bonds to family and friends.
The third pillar of meaning is about stepping beyond yourself.
Now, the fourth pillar of meaning, I’ve found, tends to surprise people. The fourth pillar is storytelling. The story you tell yourself is about yourself.
| A．But true belonging springs from love. |
| B．But it is in a completely different way: transcendence. |
| C．We’re constantly creating our lives, adding to our story. |
| D．For others, the key to meaning is the second pillar: purpose. |
| E．Bringing it all together, I found four pillars of a meaningful life. |
| F．Creating a narrative from the events of your life brings clearness. |
| G．And the studies show that people who have meaning in life live longer. |
7 . Every summer, during my grandparents’ annual visit to our home in Connecticut, my grandfather would spend mornings and afternoons playing solitaire(纸牌)at a table in the living room. My brother and I took turns sitting across from him with our own cards playing our own game. Every time we beat him—matching more cards to our top row than he did to his—he gave us a nickel(镍币). Getting nickels was a big deal, and so, in pursuit of them, I occasionally cheated. So did my brother. But Grandfather didn’t care. Playing the game was his quiet way of connecting with his grandchildren.
When I was in junior high, my mother taught me her version of double solitaire where you lay out most of the cards in two rows then try to move them up onto eight piles. I enjoyed playing the game sitting next to her in the evenings, one of the few moments in her day when I had my mother’s full attention. When I was married and the mother of two teenage sons, solitaire became a stress-reliever. If I needed a break, I switched my attention from the noisy life to the silent game with my kids. During my retirement, many of the activities I most enjoy are solitary ones—reading, exploring different neighborhoods on foot, doing puzzles, planting a garden, writing a novel for middle-school kids, and of course solitaire.
The word “solitaire” originally meant someone who is isolated or alone. Solitaire plays well in silence, but the experience of it can be shared as well. My most vivid memories of solitaire are connected to people I have loved: a grandparent, a parent, a child. Perhaps solitaire will not only become a simple pastime but also a belief in the power of one centuries-old game to teach some simple truths about our lives: Happiness will always be within reach.
1. How did the author’s grandfather bond with her?| A．By playing games with her. | B．By giving her pocket money. |
| C．By visiting her family frequently. | D．By chatting with her face to face. |
| A．Her stress could be reduced. | B．She could gain inner peace. |
| C．She considered it fun. | D．Her mother would connect to her. |
| A．Solving problems. | B．Writing a book for adults. |
| C．Having some time alone. | D．Walking in the garden. |
| A．Happiness can be easy to gain. |
| B．It is a good habit to stay alone. |
| C．Full attention is needed for playing. |
| D．People should find ways to relieve their stress. |
8 . In May, as our scientific institution began to open back up and whispers about face-to-face lab meetings started to float around, I panicked.
My hearing loss began when I was in graduate school. At first, I fondly thought I could overcome it with hard work. I began to record every one-on-one meeting because even with the strongest focus I just couldn’t catch everything, and taking notes is not a choice when you rely on lip-reading. In meetings, I sat in the front row, tiring myself as I strained to both hear the speaker and process the science. So, in the fourth year, I decided cochlea implants (植入耳蜗) were the right next step.
The week after I began to hear with both implants, I attended a conference. I looked over every listening environment to plan my equipment and where I needed to be located during the event. It worked OK — but it was still tiring, and I felt excluded from so much.
When meetings were held online, my experience was much better. The sound quality was clear, without the powerful noises of a physical office space or meeting room. I could sit back and let the sound come to me. It was easier to focus, participate, and think deeply about the science. I felt a sense of belonging. I began to leave meetings feeling refreshed rather than needing a short sleep.
I didn’t want to be forced back into struggling to understand. So, with anxiety, I contacted my adviser to make a simple hearing plan which includes asking presenters to use a microphone for our lab meetings. It worked. Now, a few weeks later, my anxiety is gradually giving way to scientific curiosity and questions enabled by feeling included and worthy of belonging. A few of my lab mates have even thanked me because they, too, were unable to hear people without microphones. Maybe instead of rushing back to “normal”, we can all take this chance to create environments that are more welcoming — for everyone.
1. Why did the author feel panicked?| A．Her hearing loss got worse. | B．She hated social communication. |
| C．Her institution would open back up. | D．She feared returning to in-person meetings. |
| A．Failed. | B．Struggled. | C．Managed. | D．Prepared. |
| A．Energetic. | B．Anxious. | C．Shocked. | D．Sleepy. |
| A．Online meetings work well. | B．Cochleas help people with hearing loss. |
| C．Inclusion and belonging do matter. | D．Scientific curiosity leads to development. |
9 . I had a quick short stay in Detroit Airport before heading home. Knowing my gate number, I got there with 5 minutes to spare and stood waiting for “Gate 3” to be called.
I was already very tired and had an important call scheduled for an hour after I was set to get home. But then I heard the announcement, “It seems we have overbooked the flight. Would anyone care to volunteer to stay for the later departure in 4 hours?” And the gate attendant was anxiously waiting for someone to volunteer.
I looked around and saw businessmen needing to work, moms needing to meet their kids, kids needing to see their friends. Even though I wanted to be home just as much as anyone, something inside me said that I should extend some kindness to this group of strangers.
I picked up my bag, approached the desk, and told the gate attendant my decision. Smile spread on the face of her. As she was processing my ticket, I was happy to see all the other passengers could now board their flight and I had been able to help. The attendant handed me my boarding pass for the later flight and another piece of paper, then said, “This is for your kindness.” I saw that it was a 700-dollar voucher to fly anywhere in the world during the next year!
I got to my new gate and took a seat next to a power outlet so that my laptop would make it through the extra four hours. 1 rescheduled that important call. And then I got a lot of work done, which was a wonderful silver lining.
When my flight started boarding, I was surprised to discover that my new boarding pass was for a seat in first class. I thought about how grateful I was for everything that had happened, and how it was all because of the chain effects of kindness. I gave with the intention to serve others, with no thought of reward, and that kindness was returned to me with an amazing upgrade.
1. The airport announcement was made to ______.| A．ask someone to take next flight |
| B．give information about a delayed flight |
| C．inform that the flight was about to take off |
| D．tell passengers the flight had been cancelled |
| A．A reward of 700 dollars | B．An offer of first-class seat. |
| C．The request of the attendant. | D．His concern about other passengers. |
| A．Boring but productive. | B．Challenging but acceptable. |
| C．Satisfying and efficient. | D．Relaxing and worthwhile. |
| A．Every Effort Counts | B．Time Is Treasure |
| C．Patience Is Appreciated | D．Kindness Gives Back |
10 . Your mind is very powerful. Yet, if you’re like most people, you probably spend very little time reflecting on the way you think. After all, who thinks about thinking?
Your thoughts are a catalyst(催化剂)for self-perpetuating(自我持续的)cycles.
I see this happen all the time in my therapy office. Someone will come in saying, “I’m just not good enough to advance in my career.” That assumption leads her to feel discouraged and causes her to put in less effort.
Once you draw a conclusion about yourself, you’re likely to do two things; look for evidence that reinforces your belief and discount anything that runs contrary to your belief. Someone who develops the belief that he’s a failure, for example, will view each mistake as proof that he’s not good enough.
| A．When he does succeed, he’ll owe it to luck. |
| B．That lack of effort prevents her from getting promoted. |
| C．Creating a more positive outlook can lead to better outcomes. |
| D．With conscious effort, you can learn to think more positively. |
| E．However, the way you think about yourself turns into your reality. |
| F．Once that belief gets deeply rooted in his mind, he will suffer a lot. |
| G．What you think directly influences how you feel and how you behave. |
