1 . We can probably all agree that it is good to be kind, moral (道德的) to be kind, nice to be kind, but does it lead to success in life? After all, isn’t kindness about putting other people’s interests first? Doesn’t it require self-sacrifice?
Yet consider these well-known people: James Timpson, boss of the Timpson chain of shoe repairers; Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand. These two are clearly “winners” in their fields, and yet both put kindness at the heart of their strategies for success. What they have found is that taking a more compassionate (同情心) and apparently “softer” approach to business, politics and sports management brings positive results, not just for the benefit of people who work for them, but for their own benefit. The traditional idea that you have to be cruel, driven and focused on number one if you want to achieve success is being discredited (不足为信的).
It’s notable (值得注意的)that in the field of business research, kind leadership is more often referred to as “ethical” (有道德的) leadership, maybe because it sounds less soft. But whatever you decided to call it, studies have shown that it can result in a more positive atmosphere at work and that employees perform better too. There’s evidence that even small acts of kindness and cooperation by anyone can make a difference in a workplace. An example might be getting the printer mended, rather than leaving it broken for the next person to find, or watering the plants in the office. These actions aren’t required as part of the job, but if we carry them out, the working environment is a little better for everyone.
Of course, there are still plenty of examples of people who do well in life, but they are self-centered and unkind to others. But the point is that despite what we might see, you don’t have to be hard-nosed (不讲情面的) to get on in business or other highly competitive walks of life. You can’t be a winner simply through being kind of course — you need motivation, dedication and skills too — but there’s more and more evidence that showing some kindness as you pursue your goal is no barrier (障碍) to success.
1. Why does the author include questions in the first paragraph?| A．To enrich the content. | B．To reveal a truth. |
| C．To express different attitudes. | D．To encourage readers to think. |
| A．Kindness can be a win-win result for both employees and employers in business. |
| B．There is no doubt that to be ruthless, driven and focused on number one can lead to success. |
| C．The positive atmosphere in the workplace is part of the job. |
| D．Motivation, dedication, skills and kindness can prevent you from achieving success. |
| A．By comparing various ideas. | B．By listing different people. |
| C．By collecting the supporting examples. | D．By observing the workers’ reaction. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Concerned. | C．Supportive. | D．Mixed. |
2 . George Headley would have been a dentist in the USA rather than one of the greatest cricketers (板球运动员) if he had got his papers from Panama on time. The Indian legend was born in Colón, Panama and a period of unemployment in Jamaica caused him to begin the process of seeking a career elsewhere.
The delay, however, gave Headley time to make his first-class debut (首次亮相) for Jamaica against the visiting Lord Tennyson’s XI from England. These were his scores in the three first-class games in the series: 16, 40, and 71. The rest, as they say, is history. Yet, consider what might have occurred if his documents had arrived on time and he had migrated to America. There would have been a missing chapter in cricket.
Headley’s ta le brings to the fore the role that happenstance (偶然情况) plays in life. In the song A Different Comer, George Michael lamented (哀叹) that a romantic union went wrong and suggested that it might have been better if circumstances had worked to prevent their first meeting: “Take me back in time; maybe I can forget. Turn a different corner and we never would have met.”
Our lives are the result of much planning and deliberate action. But they are the result of chance as well. “The harder I practice, the luckier I get” is a quote normally used by sportsmen to discount the occurrence or consequence of luck. Athletes like to think that whatever success they’ve had is only down to them. To admit otherwise is to devalue the skills and efforts.
The changes in luck are a large part of why we watch sports. It fosters uncertainty, which, in turn. enhances interest in the process and the result. On any given day, the underdog can be at the champion. Whenever that occurs, luck is likely to have played some significant part, and sport is better for it.
1. What decision did George Headley make before getting his papers?| A．To complete his official documents in Panama. | B．To sharpen his cricket skills in Jamaica. |
| C．To get a degree in medicine in the USA. | D．To work as a dentist in the USA. |
| A．It affected his debut performance. | B．It became a turning point in his life. |
| C．It benefited the England cricket team. | D．It led to a missing chapter in cricket. |
| A．To stress the importance of chance. |
| B．To explain the necessity of planning ahead. |
| C．To show the significance of the first impressions. |
| D．To illustrate a love-hate relationship with friends. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Little people can make a big difference. |
| C．Efforts and chances are equally important. | D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
3 . The day I first came across a harp (竖琴) is a memory stored by all my senses. In contrast to the vivid color in which I recall this first encounter, I still remember my parents faces turning pale when I announced “I’m going to play the harp!” My parents’ faces reflected then financial fears. But they still rented me a little harp and hired a man to teach me.
I felt complete every time I played the harp. Then something happened: sheet music. Suddenly I had to learn this foreign language in order to continue to play. What was once an effortless pleasure turned into a constant struggle. My dyslexic (诵读困难的) brain fed on the beauty of the music but fought with the way it was taught. I soon found myself stuck in a love-hate relationship.
For my 16th birthday, my parents used their savings to buy me a harp, in the hope that it might settle my relationship with it. But in the weeks that followed the harp exploded.
The remains of the harp sat at the bottom of our stairs for several weeks. Eventually, my father and I built a fire to burn it. It felt strange to burn something that once represented so much, and we both sat there staring in silence. My father said “I know you find it hard to read music. But have you ever thought about just playing?” What he said changed everything for me, “Yeah, but I don’t have a harp anymore.”
Two weeks later, an old and small harp turned up. I threw away all my music books and started playing by ear and from the heart. All the passion came back. Music is so much more than dots (小圆点) on a page. If you feel it and are excited by it, stick to it. Had I let traditional music teaching techniques put me off playing the harp, I would have lost a part of myself.
1. What was the author’s parents’ reaction to her decision?| A．They were excited and hopeful about it | B．They purchased her a harp immediately |
| C．They showed concern but agreed to it | D．They hesitated over it for a long time |
| A．It took away her enjoyment of playing the harp | B．It was beneficial to foreign language learning |
| C．It led to her encountering difficulty in reading | D．It was an effective way of appreciating music |
| A．Astonished | B．Sorrowful | C．Frightened. | D．disappointed. |
| A．Hard work pays off | B．Strike while the iron is hot |
| C．The simplest way is the best way | D．Never give up on what you really want to do |
4 . While I was in hospital, a friend recommended a popular online series of daily meditations, a “can’t afford to miss” in his mind. Mostly, the morning ones were impossible to do as the hospital routine starts at half past five, so I mostly listened the evening ones, which were very helpful. Once, however, I managed the morning one, which talked about the importance of doing something or creating something which will survive us.
The works of great poets and writers come to mind, but how many of us will write the next David Copperfield, or Ode to Autumn? Sporting triumphs also occur: the breaking of the four minute mile for instance. But again, how many of us are great athletes? So what can we do?
Shakespeare writes, “The evil men do lives after them; the good is oft interred (often buried) with their bones.” For once, however, I think Shakespeare is wrong. I think the good we do can live after we have gone. Sir Terry Pratchett writes, “A man is not truly dead while his name is still spoken,” and I think that is more true. Perhaps we cannot expect our name to be remembered for hundreds or thousands of years, but to be remembered with kindness and even thankfulness after we’ve gone is surely something to strive for.
I had two grannies when I was growing up. One was my mother’s mother; the other was our cousin’s grandmother on their father’s side. Our own grandmother died young, so this lovely lady adopted us as her honorary grandchildren.
Granny was the most lovely and loving lady you could imagine. There were always cakes in the tin and a warm welcome whenever we visited, there were small presents at Christmas and on our birthdays, and we loved her dearly. It was only when I attended her funeral that I realized how far her love extended: the church was packed, and tale after tale was told of her kindness. Her name was — and possibly still is — spoken long after her death.
I wish I could say the same of my other grandmother, but I can’t. My mother talks about her, but I don’t; there is no point in talking about unkindness.
When I announced my retirement, a couple of months ago, I was stunned to receive so many emails and letters of thanks. My patients really appreciate all that I have done for them. That will last after I’m gone and spread down through generations.
1. Which of the following statements will the author probably agree with about the online meditation?| A．The evening meditation are more important than the morning ones. |
| B．The online meditation receive more attention in the evening. |
| C．The morning meditation are difficult to use in daily life. |
| D．The online meditation are worthy of the name. |
| A．support Shakespeare’s statement on the afterlife |
| B．argue that greatness is the only way to be remembered |
| C．emphasize the importance of kindness to ordinary people |
| D．criticize the idea that only evil deeds are remembered |
| A．The author’s granny on mother’s side was a kind person. |
| B．Shakespeare believed the goodness fades far sooner than the evil. |
| C．A man’s contribution is highly dependent on their achievements. |
| D．People were happy to know the retirement of the author. |
| A．magazine featuring famous athletes |
| B．blog post by a doctor who recently retired |
| C．book about the importance of creating a legend |
| D．medical journal discussing the benefits of meditation |
5 . Whenever we make a choice, whether it’s as big as getting married or as small as an argument with a friend, we are driven by our values. Values tend to be single-word concepts like freedom, equality, selflessness, honesty.
One way to recognize the values by which you live is look at how you spend your money.
Pay attention to who you talk to, what you watch, and what you do with your time.
Values make it easier for you to surround yourself with the right people, make tough career choices, use your time more wisely, and focus your attention where it really matters to you.
| A．All of these push values and beliefs. |
| B．Is your precious time wasted or well spent? |
| C．Your bills actually reflect what matters most to you. |
| D．That might sound rather abstract, but these values are really practical. |
| E．Who you surround yourself with helps you stick to your values and achieve your goals. |
| F．Without them we are swept away by outside voice instead of following our inner voice. |
| G．When we drive through a new area, we wander aimlessly if we don’t know the directions. |
6 . Sometimes life puts us in places where we are supposed to be. Whether we were headed that way or not, we just need to make the best of it. Here let’s read three stories.
In 2016, Wanda Dench sent a text to her college-aged grandson inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner. But she got the number wrong and reached Jamal Hinton. When Hinton asked who had sent the message, Wanda sent a picture of herself. “You’re not my grandma,” Jamal texted back, “Can I still get a plate, though?” Wanda replied. “Of course, That’s what grandmas do — feed everyone!” And for six years, Jamal has celebrated Thanksgiving with the Dench family.
In another community, Robert’s wife asked him to drop some books off at a local elementary school after a book drive. When he carried the books to the classroom on his lunch hour, the teacher mistook him for one of the volunteer tutors. “Thank you for coming,” the teacher said, “Isabella is struggling with comprehension and is a grade level behind. Here is a book and her worksheets.” Robert thought, “I have time. I’ll just sit down and help.” Robert, an artist, drew the pictures of words and illustrated their meanings. Isabella was delighted. “I think that’s when the light went on for her,” Robert says, For a full year, Robert tutored Isabella during his lunch hours. Her reading comprehension quickly caught up and then shot past grade level. “Seeing her learn so fast made my day,” Robert says.
Twenty years ago, Gladys Hankerson in Florida dialed up her sister in Maryland for a chat. But she misdialed the area code and reached Mike Moffit in Rhode Island, Mike said Gladys was a bit shy but very sweet. Gladys loves her sister and tried to call again a few days later — and made the same mistake on the area code. Mike answered again and recognized Gladys’ voice. They had a nice chat and laughed about it. Since then their friendship has deepened — and it has carried on for 20 years.
1. What did Jamal Hinton do with Wanda’s invitation?| A．He accepted it willingly. | B．He refused it politely. |
| C．He played a joke on it. | D．He sent a gift for it. |
| A．He taught her to draw pictures. |
| B．He tutored her while eating lunch. |
| C．He explained words in an artistic way. |
| D．He used books with pictures. |
| A．She was carcless. | B．She was attractive. |
| C．She was anxious. | D．She was curious. |
| A．Head for where we should go. |
| B．Learn much from mistakes in life. |
| C．Meet whoever thinks alike. |
| D．Make the best of life’s arrangements. |
7 . Joy is an emotion experienced by many but understood by few. It often refers to a broad sense of being satisfied with life that appears after experiencing a sense of awe or wonder. It also relates to accomplishing something we’ve wanted for a long time. It’s usually mistaken for happiness, but joy is experienced naturally, while happiness is often pursued.
Joy triggers (引发) a series of physical and psychological changes that can improve our health. When joyous, our breathing becomes faster, our heartbeat increases, and our chest and entire body feel warmer. These changes make our body prepared for movement and also make us feel more mentally prepared to take on life’s challenges. These changes in body and mind are also associated with improved mood.
Interestingly, joy is both a state and a trait (特质). This means that while some of us only experience it as a result of a joyful situation, others have a capacity for it, that is to say, they’re able to experience joy regardless of whether they’ve encountered something joyful. Some research suggests that this capacity is genetic, with estimates that about 30% of people have this “gift for joy”. This means they’re hardly influenced by their external environment and may find it easier to experience joy.
But just because some people may find it easier to experience joy, that doesn’t mean we can do nothing to help boost our experience of it. Sharing and preparing food with others can help us experience more joy, as it can enhance what’s known as psychological flourishing — the highest level of wellbeing. Researchers also find that doing exercise in company with other people or accomplishing an exercise-related goal we never thought we were capable of can lead to joy. Another simple way to boost feelings of joy is by writing down how you feel. In one experiment, participants who spent 20 minutes a day writing about positive experiences for three months reported better moods compared with participants who wrote about different topics.
However, while joy is wonderful to experience, it isn’t the only emotion we’ll feel in our life. It’s important to embrace all the emotions we experience — be that sadness, anger, happiness or joy.
1. What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Joy. | B．Sense. | C．Awe. | D．Wonder. |
| A．make our breath faster | B．increase our heartbeat |
| C．prepare our body for movement | D．make us feel challenged |
| A．Because it’s a result of a joyful situation. |
| B．Because it’s an experience of few people. |
| C．Because it’s a general capacity. |
| D．Because it’s a genetic talent. |
| A．Food is an important source of joy. |
| B．It’s joyful to exercise with other people. |
| C．Being a writer makes you have better moods. |
| D．Joy should be valued more than other emotions. |
8 . I met Steven on my way to Dublin Airport at the end of a business trip. A cheerful, talkative fellow with a friendly smile. As a local taxi driver, he has probably visited every street of the city. But his childhood years spent in Swansea makes him feel Welsh.
“I often wonder where home is for me, I’d like to think it’s Swansea but I have a life here now,” he explained to me. Having left Swansea as a teenager, he has since lost contact with all his childhood friends, and most of his family left there too.
His words surprised me, as I had considered cultural similarities and ease of movement across Europe made the concept of home unrelated. I had thought high tech communications in our globalized world would have shortened the 250 miles distance between Dublin and Swansea to almost none.
It’s just not what I pictured. But I should not have been surprised. Despite growing global connectivity, identity is still central to people’s hearts. Looking back at my own life, I feel perhaps I understand Steven’s situation. I was born and grew up in Chongqing, in Southwest China. After living for eight years in London, I have made many local British friends and learnt to appreciate British humor. With a reputation as one of the world’s most multicultural cities, London always makes its residents feel welcome regardless of their origin. But I also felt a little “something missing” in Steven’s words.
As China increasingly opens up to the world, more and more Chinese will travel abroad to work, study and live, but China will remain forever a home for them. And sitting in Steven’s taxi, witnessing his love for Swansea, I realized the desire for such a place you belong to is universally shared.
1. Why does the writer mention Steven’s story?| A．To describe a wonderful taxi driver he met in Dublin. |
| B．To share interesting travelling experiences in the UK. |
| C．To show the difference between his life and the writer’s. |
| D．To introduce people’s feelings of living far from home. |
| A．The longer one stays in a place, the more connected he feels. |
| B．London has become his sweet home regardless of his origin. |
| C．Globalization doesn’t take away people’s desire for identity. |
| D．Steven and the writer both feel unwelcome in a strange place. |
| A．East or west, home is best. | B．Great minds think alike. |
| C．Beauty lies in the lover’s eyes. | D．All roads lead to Rome. |
| A．My Oversea Life in London | B．The Longing for Home |
| C．A Story of Two Cities | D．A Small, Small World |
9 . As a child, I was proud of my southern origin. My own voice reflected my family’s past and present-part northern Mississippi, part Tennessee, all southern. There was no sound I loved more than my grandmother’s accent: thick, sweet, warm.
While growing up, I began to realize outside of our region, southerners were often dismissed as uncultured and ignorant. I was ready to leave behind my tiny town in West Tennessee, starting a new life and jumping at big chances in some far-off cities. In that embarrassing space between “teen” and “adult”, my accent was a symbol of everything I thought I hated about my life in the rural South. I feared it would disqualify me from being a noted magazine writer. I would have to talk less “country”. So I killed a piece of myself. I’m ashamed of it, but I’m more ashamed that I tried to kill that part of someone else-change Emily’s accent.
I met Emily in college. She was determined to work for the student newspaper, which was where I spent most of my waking hours, and we became friends. She, unlike me, accepted her roots. Early in our friendship, her mother asked where I was from, assuming it was somewhere up north. Then I felt my efforts paid off and even wanted to ignore the mistake.
Emily is two years younger and she cared about my opinion. I advised her to be more like me and hide her signature Manchester accent. I stressed that throughout our college years, often by making fun of her vowel (元音) sounds. I told myself I was helping her achieve her dream of working as a reporter. Now, I see that it was actually about justifying my hiding part of myself.
Grandma Carolyn used to tell me, “Girl, don’t forget where you come from.” Now I truly understand that. Many things have faded from memory, but this sticks in my mind with uncomfortable clarity. Now that I am grown and have left the South, it’s important to me.
1. What made the author want to leave her hometown?| A．Appeal of convenience in cities. |
| B．Her dream of becoming a writer. |
| C．Outside prejudice against southerners. |
| D．Her desire for the northern accent. |
| A．Upset. | B．Pleased. | C．Ashamed. | D．Surprised. |
| A．To prove herself right. | B．To help Emily be a reporter. |
| C．To make herself influential. | D．To protect Emily’s self-dignity. |
| A．Stay true to your roots. | B．Never do things by halves. |
| C．Hold on to your dreams. | D．Never judge a person by his accent. |
10 . What is your calling? What is your purpose in life? What did you come to this world to do? Every day we read about how we should find our purpose and pursue it throughout our lives in order to find meaning and contentment. There are even scientific studies that show people who view their work as a calling rather than just a career or a job have a higher life and work satisfaction. So, what exactly is this calling?
I’ve personally struggled with this concept for many years. I knew that happiness not only came from a present state of joy, but also from the pursuit of an objective that gave me something to pursue. That is, until I found myself feeling empty despite my achievement of those goals.
And as I reflected on these feelings of emptiness and boredom that had arisen despite my successes, I realized something. Meaning and satisfaction come from a personal devotion to what we do and the intrinsic (固有的) fulfillment we get from it. It has nothing to do with financial gain, social advancement or any other type of external reward or motivation. It is about doing something that we love. It is about focusing our efforts and spending our time on passions that light the spark inside of us and allow us to share with the world the unique gifts we possess.
I had never before stopped to think about what I found intrinsically rewarding or fulfilling. Financial gain and external recognition were pretty much the only drivers I knew. More so, I thought this calling meant having one passion we were born with to pursue relentlessly (不懈地).
So, I spent some years trying to find this long-lost purpose of mine. I discovered during that time passions I had no idea I even had. Yet, I wasn’t sure how to make them into my life purpose. I searched for an answer but couldn’t find it. It wasn’t until I came to understand the truths about our purpose in life that I was able to find my place in this world.
Our purpose can consist of various things that make us feel alive. As we grow and evolve throughout the different stages in our lives, we may discover new passions and desires that change our sense of purpose and calling.
We all have a longing for lives that give meaning to our existence. The difference lies in how we go about accomplishing this. We must each find our own “shine” and then shine on.
1. According to the passage, the calling refers to________.| A．one’s view about careers |
| B．a task one has to carry out |
| C．a life-long career one chooses |
| D．a strong desire or sense of duty to do a job |
| A．Financial gain and external recognition. |
| B．Pursuing passions relentlessly. |
| C．Discovering new passions. |
| D．Finding purpose in life. |
| A．Trying to do everything that you can. |
| B．Trying to achieve your ambitious goals. |
| C．Doing meaningful things with your passion. |
| D．Doing something that can be successful easily. |
| A．the author spent some years making changes |
| B．the author used to think he had no passion at all |
| C．the author didn’t know how to search for the life purpose |
| D．the author has known his passions since he started to work |
| A．It’s wise to give up discovering our one true passion. |
| B．It’s useless to pursue financial gain and external recognition. |
| C．It’s necessary to find our own calling and pursue it with vigor. |
| D．It’s important to share our passion with the world without stopping. |
