1 . Life is for living according to the well-used expression. Sometimes what we wish to do is not completely up to us.
Bucket lists have been called “the greatest hits of your life” and have helped some people get over anxiety to follow their dreams. Some of us may choose to write one to fill our life with new experiences, from skydiving to swimming with sharks.
This is something the BBC radio programme “All in the Mind” has been looking at. It heard from a blogger called Julie, who said she made a promise to live her bucket list.
It’s probably true that a list can encourage people to follow someone else’s idea. But why not at least dream of what we would like to do?
| A．The list can sometimes be crazy. |
| B．Working hard helps realize bucket lists. |
| C．Creating bucket lists can certainly give us hope. |
| D．How about making a bucket list once in a while? |
| E．Why not reach for the stars, even if we only reach the sky? |
| F．She dreams of cycling around the world and pushing her limits. |
| G．But there is no harm in dreaming about what we want in our life. |
2 . I always dreamed of studying abroad, to learn at a world-class university while further exploring the grounds on which these nations achieved new milestones of development with each passing day.
To study abroad after my graduation, I could not stop seeking my dream. To take the first step, I did some brainstorming and explored opportunities on the Internet and finally decided to go for China. There were a number of reasons behind it - its advanced education system and thousands of centuries of rich culture inspired me to study there. The primary one was my curiosity how a nation has left many nations behind in a short time at its fast pace of development.
So just like that, I applied, along with some of my friends, for a master's degree program at Communication University of China. I was the only one who got selected in the said program and in addition, the Chinese Scholarship Council sponsored all of my expenses. This good news was welcomed by my family.
This is my seventh month in Beijing. In my experience so far, one thing that appeared to be missing was the internship (实习)which I tried to find because I want to work here after completion of my studies. After some struggles I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to work as an intern with the Center for China and Globalization (CCG). It' s very exciting to work on their team as a researcher. Now I can proudly say that my decision to choose China as a study destination was the best decision I have ever made.
1. The writer writes the first paragraph mainly to .| A．encourage people to pursue dreams |
| B．summarize the main idea of the text |
| C．explain the reason for writing the passage |
| D．add some background information |
| A．China's rich culture. |
| B．His curiosity. |
| C．China's advanced education system. |
| D．His family's support. |
| A．He is most proud of living in China. |
| B．He wants to be a researcher in his own country in the future. |
| C．He plans to work in China after graduation. |
| D．He found a job upon arriving in Beijing. |
| A．Learning and Working in China |
| B．Travel Experiences in China |
| C．Realization of Dreams in China |
| D．Importance of Having Dreams |
Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive.
After the first expedition, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures.
Larry’s first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different Spots for free. Larry didn’t even know what the time was, how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.
Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.
1. In what way was this expedition different for Larry?
| A．His daughter had grown up. |
| B．He had become a famous diver. |
| C．His father would dive with him. |
| D．His daughter would dive with him. |
| A．Larry had some privileges. |
| B．Larry liked the rented diving suits. |
| C．Divers had to buy diving equipment. |
| D．Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive. |
| A．To protect himself from danger. |
| B．To dive into the deep water. |
| C．To admire the underwater view. |
| D．To take photo more conveniently. |
| A．Larry didn’t wear a watch. |
| B．Larry was not good at math. |
| C．Larry had a poor memory. |
| D．Larry enjoyed the adventure. |
| A．Become a successful diver. |
| B．Make a good diving guide. |
| C．Take a lot of photo underwater. |
| D．Have longer hours of training. |
4 . The year I turned fifty, I resolved to do something new every day. However, balancing 365 new things with work and family, while still managing to do the laundry and get dinner on the table every night, was not always easy. In the early weeks of the project, I found it difficult to find so many new things.
It wasn’t long before my friends learned that I was open to almost anything I could consider a new thing, and the invitations began pouring in not just from friends, but friends of friends. As a result, my life was new. I went dog sledding. I attended a fashion show. I went to numerous lectures on all kinds of topics that I never would have previously considered useful or interesting and found something to appreciate in every single one. I even signed up immediately when learning about a local group trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records by doing something unusual.
As time went by, whenever I learned about something that seemed remarkable, I did what I could to pursue it. Instead of “Why”, I began to ask “Why not”. Now I find it is easier to just keep my eyes open to the possibilities that surrounded me. It turned out that there were new things everywhere, and all I had to do was make a little effort to enjoy them.
I looked back on the year. It doesn’t matter to me that many of my “new things” weren’t exactly meaningful. What matters is how to make full use of them when discovering there is an endless number of new things for me. It seemed to me an obvious sign that at fifty, my life was full of promise. I could continue to grow, stretch my wings, and learn more every day for the rest of my life. I enjoyed the idea of something new, and it gave me a reason to welcome each day as an opportunity to experience the world a little differently.
1. Which of the following can best describe the author’s feeling according to Paragraph 1?| A．Better late than never. | B．Action speaks louder than words. |
| C．Saying is one thing but doing is another. | D．Experience is the best teacher. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Appreciative. | C．Cautious. | D．Tolerant. |
| A．Make the most of new things. | B．Wait for your life to start over. |
| C．Try to find more new things. | D．Never say never when in trouble. |
| A．Dream for a New Life | B．The Value of Friendship |
| C．Remarkable New Things | D．A Year of New Things |
5 . Keira age 15
I am very passionate about dancing. When I dance, it lights a spark inside of me. I get a burst of energy, and it gives me the power to go on and on. I don’t really know how to explain my love for dance, like I was born to dance.
I love my enthusiasm. When I’m in the moment of something amazing, I take it for everything it’s worth and share it with whoever will interest me!
Clara age 16
Art and acting. They make me feel confident and happy. I love seeing something from out of pencil marks on paper and the feeling while on stage. I’ve made great friends through these activities, too!
I don’t really know what I want to be when I grow up, but some of my first few choices include an architect, actress, artist, or author. I’m working to make my dreams a reality by working hard in school and trying to be my very best.
Isabelle age 16
When I grow up, I want to be a teacher because I am passionate about helping people and love playing with kids! At school, I help take the little kids to the bus and sit with them, and I play with the 1st graders at break.
Being nice also benefits me because if two friends are in a fight, I can listen to both sides of the story with kindness. It makes me the peacemaker. Being nice makes me feel good knowing that I put a smile on someone’s face.
1. Who likes dancing most?| A．Keira. | B．Clara. |
| C．Isabelle. | D．Kathleen. |
| A．Acting on the stage. | B．Studying art and acting. |
| C．Making lots of friends. | D．Working hard in school. |
| A．An artist. | B．A dancer. |
| C．A teacher. | D．An actress. |
6 . Most children are full of the most impractical schemes for becoming policemen, firemen or train drivers when they grow up. When I was a child, however, I did not have such ordinary ambitions. I was going to have my own zoo.
At the time, this did not seem to me, and still does not seem, an unreasonable idea. My friends and relatives, who had long found me strange because I showed little interest in anything that did not have fur or feathers, accepted this as just another example of my strangeness. They felt that, if they ignored my often-repeated remarks about owning my own zoo, I would eventually grow out if it.
As the years passed, however, my determination to have my own zoo grew increasingly strong, and eventually, after going on a number of trips to bring back animals for other zoos, I was ready to start my own.
From my latest trip to West Africa, I had brought back a considerable collection and animals which were living, temporarily I assured her, in my sister’s suburban garden in Bournemouth. After a number of unsuccessful attempts to convince the local council to support my plans, I began to investigate the possibility of starting my zoo on the island of Jersey in the English Cannel.
I was introduced to a man named Hugh Fraser who, I was told, was a broad-minded, kindly soul. He would show me around the island and point out suitable sites. So, my wife and I flew to Jersey and were met by Hugh who drove us to his family home, probably one of the most beautiful old houses on the island. There was a huge walled garden with lots of outbuildings all built in the beautiful local stone. Turning to my wife, I said, “What a marvelous place for a zoo!”
To my relief, Hugh Fraser did not think my idea absurd, and asked whether I really meant what I said. Slightly embarrassed, I replied that I had meant it, but added hastily that I realized it was impossible. Hugh said he did not think it was as impossible as all that.
He went on to explain that the house and grounds were too big for him, and so he wanted to move to a smaller place in England. Would I care to consider renting the property for the purpose of establishing my zoo? I could not imagine more attractive surroundings for my purposes, and by the time lunch was over, the bargain had been sealed.
The alarm displayed by all who knew me when this news was announced was intense. The only exception to the general chorus of disapproval was my sister. Although she thought it a mad scheme, at least it would rid her back garden of the assorted jungle creatures who were straining her relationship with her neighbours.
1. How did the author’s friends and relatives respond to his childhood dream?| A．They approved of his idea. |
| B．They paid no attention to him. |
| C．They believed he’d give it up later on. |
| D．They thought he was overly ambitious. |
| A．Refusal by the local council to support his idea. |
| B．Inspiration from his last trip to West Africa. |
| C．Failure to get donation from other zoos. |
| D．The need for a larger suburban garden. |
| A．Hugh also loved animals very much. |
| B．Hugh found it hard to manage the property by himself. |
| C．Hugh didn’t like the place so decided to move to England. |
| D．Hugh was moved by the author’s eagerness to establish a zoo. |
| A．She was fond of chorus. |
| B．She was sure of his success. |
| C．She didn’t get on well with her parents. |
| D．She was being troubled by his animals. |
7 . Two Chinese sisters have landed a dream trip to Buckingham Palace and the Peppa Pig World theme park in the UK. Lately, their mother helped them express their wish online to meet Queen Elizabeth II, which not only caught millions of social media users’ attention but also the attention of the British ambassador (大使) to China.
Five-year-old twins Mi Ai and Mi Ni, who live in Beijing, appeared in a video on social media platform Weibo last week, where they spoke of their love of British cartoon Peppa Pig and their keen interest to visit the Buckingham Palace. Mi Ni said she and her sister wanted to visit the gardens at Buckingham Palace, just like Peppa Pig and her friends did in the cartoon program.
The British Ambassador answered their call with her own video, inviting the twins to her house in Beijing. “Hello Mi Ni and Mi Ai,” she said. “I’m the British ambassador. I’d like you to come and visit me in my house in Beijing and we can perhaps have tea and cookies in a British style.” The twins accepted the ambassador’s invitation and joined her for a traditional afternoon tea on Monday, when they ate cake and drew pictures of their favorite characters from Peppa Pig.
The ambassador has made arrangements for the girls and their parents to tour the UK. They are going to tour the studios where Peppa Pig is made, take a trip to Peppa Pig World in Hampshire and visit Buckingham Palace. The queen has not yet said if she will have time to welcome the girls.
The Peppa Pig series, introduced in the mid-2000s in China, has become extremely popular among Chinese children and adults. As this year is the Year of the Pig according to Chinese tradition, the country has set to mark the Chinese New Year with a film starring Peppa Pig, where audiences can see a number of Chinese cultural elements (元素).
1. How did the sisters tell their dream to the Queen?| A．By taking a personal trip to the UK. |
| B．By writing a letter to the Queen. |
| C．By expressing their wish online. |
| D．By giving a call to the ambassador. |
| A．She paid no attention to it. |
| B．She arranged the trip for them. |
| C．She sent her agreement by a call. |
| D．She would show them around the UK. |
| A．Enjoy a traditional afternoon tea. |
| B．Draw pictures in the Peppa Pig World. |
| C．Visit the studios producing Peppa Pig |
| D．Meet the Queen in Buckingham Palace. |
| A．An Afternoon Tea with the Ambassador |
| B．The Film Starring Peppa Pig Put on Soon |
| C．The Popularity of Peppa Pig Series in China |
| D．Twin Fans of Peppa Pig to Get Dream UK Trip |
8 . Dream is strength. The strength can bring us wherever we want to get to and it can bring us a lot of wonders on our way to the place in our dreams.
Dream is beauty. Maybe you can see the things full of magic and maybe you will be moved by your own dream.
Everyone has his dreams and dreams are especially important to teenagers. As teenagers, you have many dreams. These dreams can be very big, such as winning the Nobel Prize. Or they can be small,for example, you may just want to become one of the ten best students in your class.
Andrew Matthews, an Australian writer, tells us that making our dreams come true is the biggest challenge in our life.
You must never give up your dreams.
| A．These kinds of thoughts stop you realizing your dream |
| B．There will be many difficulties on the road to your dreams |
| C．Once you find a dream |
| D．You may think you’re not very good at some school subjects |
| E．Both big dreams and small ones are very important to our lives |
| F．The world is so real that the dreams seem weak |
| G．Your talent is one of the most important factors in living your dreams |
9 . I attended a writer’s group to get feedback on my book. But there were so many people there that the discussion was limited. After getting home, my 13-year-old son asked me to read one chapter to him. So I read the chapter about spending my pocket money as a nine-year-old child.
The story took place at a lunch counter, where I dreamed of ordering a banana split. Colorful balloons were hung above the counter and a sign said “Pop a balloon and pay 1 cent to 63 cents for a banana split!” As I was given only 50 cents for cleaning the doghouse, I didn’t dare to ask my parents for any more pocket money without doing more work or risk asking anyone else. So I kept my wish to myself.
Frankie listened carefully, as I read the final sentences of the chapter, “I watched as others selected a balloon to pop and dreamed about the opportunity to take my chance. But it never happened.”
The next morning, Frankie led me to the kitchen. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The table was covered in a pile of balloons. Frankie handed me 50 cents and a fork. “Pop one!” he urged. With tears in my eyes, I broke one. A piece of paper fell out of the balloon.
“What does it say?” Frankie asked. “Fifty cents,” I whispered, too moved to speak loudly. Frankie asked, “Well, do you have 50 cents?” I handed him the money. “OK!” Then Frankie pulled out a banana split from the refrigerator.
I hugged Frankie hard. We took turns popping the other balloons until I finally got the 1-cent balloon. It was a long-time coming, but worth the wait.
It hit me that the first step in making any wish come true is giving it a voice.
1. The author read the chapter to Frankie because .| A．she wanted to get feedback from Frankie |
| B．Frankie asked the author to read it to him |
| C．she was used to telling a bedtime story to him |
| D．Frankie had a strong desire for knowledge |
| A．She spent money wisely when she was a kid. |
| B．She had enough money to do whatever she liked. |
| C．She earned her pocket money by doing housework. |
| D．She had no close friends to share her secret wish. |
| A．comfortable and happy | B．puzzled and excited |
| C．awkward and satisfied | D．surprised and grateful |
| A．it is important to express one’s wishes |
| B．it is comforting to have a kid around |
| C．experiences in childhood affect us later in life |
| D．wishes can come true by just voicing them |
10 . Let’s look back all these years you’ve gone through, what have you done for your life? Are you spending your time wisely to make your life worthwhile? Neal Wu shared some ways we should do to make our short time of life meaningful, find out what you need to do next:
a. Make friends as opposed to networking
Your friends will go a lot further than the professional contacts you make, especially since only one of the two groups is invested in your personal happiness.
b. Become an expert by learning as much as you can and deeply seeking out the things you are curious about
Find the things you enjoy and practice the skills you want to develop. If you can achieve expertise then it will be easy to obtain an audience.
c. Volunteer to help out those less fortunate
In the process you will gain a ton of new perspective and will better understand other people’s real problems. In a society that always looks upward, these people are being forgotten easily.
d. Become as independent as possible
Even though you work in a big company, you should constantly make small steps to reduce your dependence on your job. Write a book, build an app, or start a small business on the side. Release your inner entrepreneur.
e. Don’t spend too much time worrying about your personal brand
Accomplish(完成) things, and the recognition will follow.
f. Stop treating life as a competition and do things for their own sake
Genuine(真正的) interest should be what drives you to improve yourself, rather than a desire to beat others. Find a community of people who are interested in the same things as you do, and drive each other to keep improving.
1. How many ways to make life meaningful did Neal Wu share?| A．4 | B．5 |
| C．6 | D．7 |
| A．protect yourself and hardly help others |
| B．communicate more with the experts than your friends |
| C．rely more on your families than friends |
| D．explore the aspects of life you are interested in |
| A．one’s particular interest shown in some aspects |
| B．an impression in the mind of others about an individual or group |
| C．something you are concerned about |
| D．private possessions |
| A．The News of the World | B．The New York Times |
| C．Life | D．Scientific World |
