1 . Despite his complex mind, Einstein was known to be a lot of fun. You must have seen his iconic (标志性的) photo, but you might not know the backstory. The photo was taken by Arthur Sasse, on March 14, 1951, Einstein’s seventy-second birthday. In the photo, we can see Einstein sitting in a car, between his wife, Elsa, and Dr. Frank Aydelotte, the head of the Institute for Advanced Study.

The story goes that as they were leaving his birthday celebration for their home in Princeton, New Jersey, Einstein was repeatedly asked to smile at the camera. But when Snsse asked for one last photo he made a funny face. Einstein liked the resulting image so much, that he immediately ordered multiple copies so he could sign and send them to friends as a joke. Later on, he used this photo to make greeting cards.

Einstein rarely let others get in the way of his fun. He was quick to joke. He rarely wore socks thinking that the shoes should do the job. He let his mustache and hair grow and gave interviews on his porch (门廊) in pink slippers. His commitment to fun ran deep — and yet when Sasse sent his photo to editors for publication, they debated whether it was even appropriate to make it public, given Einstein’s eminence. It only saw the light of day because Sasse related how much the great scientist himself loved the image.

According to Walter Isaacson’s biography, Einstein: His Life and Universe, the personalities that contributed most to Einstein’s greatness were curiosity and non-conformism (不墨守成规). Scientific Lo studies suggest that humor and intelligence are associated. People who show a gift for lun also seem have superior cognitive abilities. Fun has so many levels. The best part is that no matter what fun means to you, it can lead you to stand out from the ordinary.

1. What was Einstein doing when the iconic photo was taken?

A．He was joking about Sasse.	B．He was making a funny face.
C．He was celebrating his birthday.	D．He was smiling at the camera.

2. What does the underlined word “eminence” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Being loving and caring.	B．Being humorous and funny.
C．Being famous and respected.	D．Being sharp-minded and considerate.

3. What can we know about the iconic photo?

A．It was taken to record his life.	B．It was not published until years later.
C．It shows Einstein being interviewed on the porch.	D．It was taken to celebrate an instance birthday.

4. What might be Walter Isaacson’s agree?

A．Best humor means high-level fun.	B．Curiosity leads to non-conformism.
C．Humorous people tend to be intelligent.	D．Greatness should be defined by scientific standards.

2 . Fu Lei’s Family Letters is a book of letters written by Chinese translator and writer Fu Lei to his elder son Fu Cong, who is a famous pianist. Between 1954 and 1966, Fu Cong spent a lot of time away from home training as a piano player. As a result, writing letters became Fu Lei’s usual way of communicating with his elder son. Fu Min, Fu Lei’s younger son edited the letters and the book came out in 1981.

The book shows Fu Lei’s family tradition and value. To Fu Lei, the purpose of education of a person, is to make that person useful to the society. Fu Lei praised his son Fu Cong after winning a piano competition. Fu Lei wrote, “We are happy because you make your country proud. I am so excited when I think about your future. You will make great progress and serve more people, encourage them and heal them.”

In the family letters, Fu Cong was also advised to read famous Chinese texts. When reading these books, Fu Cong was told to connect ideas and feelings together, for that would help him become a better person. To Fu Lei, learning to be a good person comes before any academic training.

Fu Lei’s Family Letters has a great impact on people in China because it helps many young students understand how they should live their lives.

1. Who edited Fu Lei’s family letters?

A．Fu Lei.

B．Fu Cong.

C．Fu Min.

D．A translator.

2. What can we learn from Fu Lei’s Family Letters?

A．Fu Lei’s family tradition and value are shown in the book.

B．People in the 1950s communicated with each other by books.

C．It’s difficult for parents to make their children well educated.

D．Praising children after taking part in a competition is important.

3. What did Fu Lei think of Fu Cong’s future?

A．It would be uncertain.

B．It would be hopeful.

C．It would be difficult.

D．It would be interesting.

4. Why was Fu Cong advised to read famous Chinese texts?

A．To be a richer man.

B．To do more academic training.

C．To help more people.

D．To become a better person.

3 . Making it to 100 years old is a big achievement on its own, but being active at that age is absolutely worthy of praise and admiration. Jayne Burns, who just turned 101 years old, still has a part-time job at a craft store in Ohio, drives herself to work, and simply doesn’t see herself retiring anytime soon. Not only does she seem to love keeping busy, but she credits it as one of her secrets to living a long life.

Burns first caught the internet’s attention on TikTok. There, her coworker Maggie HusVar told her followers about her then 98-year-old friend. Maggie then asked Burns to share a piece of advice with her new fans, to whom Burns said, “Keep moving.”

The senior woman recently celebrated her 101st birthday, and she certainly hasn’t changed her mind about slowing down. Burns took the job in 1997 after her husband died, and has expressed that she enjoys what she does, so she wants to keep doing it. “I’ll work for as long as I can or as long as they’ll have me,” she said.

In celebration of her milestone birthday, Burns recently shared some more tips for a long life. “I was always active all my life doing things. So I think that has helped more than anything.” As a cancer survivor, she said she used to watch her sugar intake, but she doesn’t anymore, as she loves sweets. Despite her age, she still follows a beauty routine. “I use a moisturizer(保湿霜) and makeup. I figured I did it all my life, so I’m ‘not’ going to stop now,” she says.

Overall, her top secret for a long life is to make friends and find happiness in the company of others. “It’s important to find people who are friendly and kind.” she says. “I enjoy talking to everybody I work with, and meeting the customers who are very nice, even if some of them are surprised to see me at the cutting table.”

1. Why does Jayne Bums still work part-time?

A．To keep herself busy.	B．To make more money.
C．To meet more people.	D．To win praise and admiration.

2. What can we know about layne Burns?

A．She goes to work by bus.	B．She puts on makeup daily.
C．She likes nothing but sweets.	D．She gets along well with her boss.

3. What does Jayne Burns think is the key to enjoying a healthy and long life?

A．Eating what you love.	B．Doing exercise regularly.
C．Having a part-time job.	D．Making friends and being happy.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Living a Busy Life	B．A Successful Woman
C．Keeping Active Forever	D．Secrets to a Woman’s Long Life

4 . Exhausted, Jia Ling ate five packs of chocolate cookies alone at night by her bed after wrapping up filming for her new film YOLO that day. “Recalling that moment, I felt so great, like a tired soldier claiming the spoils of war,” she said.

By then, she had lost an incredible 50 kilograms, and her entire image had changed. The chubby (胖乎乎的), round and cute comedian Jia Ling was gone, replaced by a cool, muscular warrior.

Audiences were shocked by her appearance on Chinese New Year’s Day, Feb.10, when the film was first released. Jia had kept everything so secretive, avoiding public appearances for a year, that her new look was only revealed when she appeared on the big screen. Conversations about her high-intensity weight loss training, along with her courage and determination, have become trending topics across China, propelling the film’s box office earnings.

YOLO, which stands for “you only live once,” is the theme Jia aims to tell in her new film. The story follows an overweight, depressed woman who becomes isolated from society. However, after meeting a boxing coach and taking up the sport, she begins to regain her passion and finds her way in life. The filming was divided into five stages. Jia had to gain 20 kilograms at first for the role, moving on to the final stage when she lost a significant amount of weight and became muscular. This method mirrors what some Hollywood stars, such as Christian Bale, have done, but Jia’s effort is jaw-dropping and takes it to an even more extreme level.

Yet, the film’s core goes beyond physical transformation. “This film is not about weight loss, nor is it much about boxing. It’s a film that tells the story of how a kind person finds her true self and learns to love herself,” Jia said.

1. What does the underlined word “propelling” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Disturbing.

B．Restoring.

C．Driving.

D．Slowing.

2. Which of the following can best describe Jia?

A．Generous and funny.	B．Determined and courageous.
C．Creative and sensitive.	D．Ambitious and enthusiastic.

3. What is the movie YOLO mainly about?

A．A woman’s pursuit of boxing glory.

B．A woman’s journey through weight loss.

C．A woman’s struggle with social pressure.

D．A woman’s discovery of self-love and acceptance.

4. What message does Jia want to convey through the movie?

A．The early bird catches the worm.	B．Actions speak louder than words.
C．It’s never too late to change.	D．Don’t cry over spilled milk.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. In how many days has Erchana run 150 marathons?

A．150.

B．160.

C．320.

2. Why did Erchana run the marathons?

A．To increase awareness of the risk of extinction.

B．To raise money for homeless animals.

C．To win a gold medal for her country.

3. What can we learn about Erchana?

A．She is honest.

B．She is modest.

C．She is determined.

6 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Xu Xiake was born in 1587.     1     (he) parents were rich landowners. Yet he gave up a     2     (comfort) life, and decided to explore the mountains and rivers on foot.

China has more famous explorers. There was: Zhang Qian, who traveled into Central Asia during the second century BC, opening a trade road that became     3     is known as the Silk Road. Or Zheng He, the sailor who in the 15th century sailed as far away as Africa. Yet these explorations     4     (support) by governments. Xu was totally different.

“On the surface, Xu’s travels can neither be classified as great affairs of state     5     great adventures that changed the course of history,” writes cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai. “Xu travelled to satisfy his own     6     (curious).”

Scholar Julian Ward agrees, describing the lonely Chinese wanderer like the Middle Kingdom’s version of John Muir: “Deep in love with nature and eager to find freedom     7     worldly concerns, Xu was a man addicted to     8     (see) and describing the landscape.”

“The few coins     9     (slip) from a hole in my pocket while I was climbing a mountain in Yunnan. When I finally managed to the town, I sold all my clothes, bought myself a bottle of wine and a good dinner     10     (celebrate) my survival,” the dreamy explorer wrote in his diaries, which mix details of geology, geography and botany with such personal travel experiences.

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Rong Hong, also     1     (know) as Yung Wing, was a pioneering figure in China’s modern history. He was born in 1828 in Guangdong Province of China. Rong is best known as the first Chinese person to graduate from     2     American university.

In 1854, Rong graduated from Yale University,     3     (mark) a significant milestone in the history of Chinese overseas education. His time in America     4     (shape) his perspective on education and     5     (modern), leading him to advocate Western-style education in China.

Upon returning to China, Rong worked to bridge the cultural and educational gap between China and the West. His most     6     (exception) achievement was the Chinese Educational Mission, a program     7     sent Chinese students to study in America in the late 19th century.

Rong believed that introducing Western science and technology would help China modernize and strengthen. While his ideas     8     (meet) with resistance in his time, his efforts laid the groundwork     9     future generations of Chinese students studying abroad.

Rong Hong was a pioneer for Chinese education and international exchange. His vision for a modernized China and his efforts     10     (promote) Western education have left a lasting impact on the country’s development.

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What TV channel is Jimmy Kimmel Live! on?

A．NBC.

B．TBS.

C．ABC.

2. When did Jimmy Kimmel become especially famous?

A．After he hosted the Oscars.

B．After Donald Trump became president.

C．When he cried at his show for the first time.

3. On talk shows, what usually comes right after the opening speech?

A．An interview.

B．A musical performance.

C．A comedy performance.

4. What did Jimmy Kimmel do before hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!?

A．He taught in a drama school.

B．He worked at a radio station.

C．He went to school in Los Angeles.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What did Tim’s father do for a living?

A．He was a model train seller.

B．He was a computer scientist.

C．He was an electronics engineer.

2. What did Tim use to make his first computer?

A．Parts from a printer.

B．Parts from a television.

C．Parts from a telephone.

3. What did Tim do in 1980?

A．He built the foundations for his famous invention.

B．He graduated from Oxford University.

C．He created the World Wide Web.

10 . At Beijing’s Palace Museum, it sometimes seems that time stands still, but the clocks keep ticking at a small workshop. This is where Qi Haonan works. As the fourth generation to deal with ancient clocks at the museum, Qi has returned more than 100 timepieces to their former glory.

“Restoring (修复) such treasures doesn’t mean making them look brand new. Through cleaning and restoration. I try to make the clocks return to their former form, restoring their mechanical (机械的) and performance functions (功能),” the 41-year-old restorer says.

Born in Beijing in 1981, Qi graduated from the capital’s North China University of Technology in 2004, majoring in mechanical automation. In 2005, he joined the cultural relics restoration department at the Palace Museum, becoming an apprentice (学徒) of Wang, the museum’s third generation watchmaker. “What amazes me most about these clocks is that they are mechanical wonders combining technology and art. In the beginning, everything in the palace was fresh to me. It made me excited to even think about repairing clocks,” Qi says.

But reality soon weakened his excitement. There is an apprenticeship rule: For the first year, you can look, but don’t touch. “Clock restoration includes too many details. Being in a hurry can do a great deal of damage.” he says.

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day in the apprenticeship year, Qi did research by checking and taking apart watches and clocks collected from his friends. At the end of the year, he could finally get his hands on a small French clock in the museum. He still remembers the excitement when the hands of the French clock began to move, which took him a month to restore.

“Now I have two apprentices. They both have their unique skills. These skills will make us better at restoring the treasures.” Qi says.

1. What is Qi’s task at the museum?

A．Making the clocks look as new as possible.

B．Keeping the clocks clean and well preserved.

C．Bringing back the appearance and functions of the clocks.

D．Improving the performance of the clocks to be used in real life.

2. What is the work of restoring clocks like?

A．Simple.

B．Demanding.

C．Profitable.

D．Threatening.

3. Which of the following can best describe Qi?

A．Creative and honest.	B．Careful and energetic.
C．Curious and humorous.	D．Patient and devoted.

4. What is the suitable title of the text?

A．A Man with Time on His Hands	B．Amusing Events in the Palace Museum
C．An Apprentice Making Wonders	D．Ancient Clocks Housed in the Museum