Eleven years after having Alzheimer’s (阿兹海默病) disease, 91-year-old Wu Mingzhu sometimes fails
Born in Hubei Province, she
Though local watermelons and muskmelons (甜瓜) tasted sweet, Wu found that the local farmers mainly relied on
Starting in 1956, Wu and her colleagues
She developed new resources-10 watermelon varieties and 19 muskmelon varieties, featuring characteristics like better disease resistance, finer fruit quality, and greater adaptability,
2 . Four Famous Educators
John Dewey
Birthplace: Burlington, Vermont, United States
A faithful advocate of progressive education and liberalism, the American philosopher was the founder of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. John Dewey’s famous writings included The Reflex Arc Concept in Psychology and Human Nature and Conduct. According to him, passion for knowledge and intellectual curiosity were central to a teacher.
Savitribai Phule
Birthplace: Naigaon, India
Savitribai Phule was a revolutionary social reformer who devoted her life to educating girls and bringing about gender (性别) equality in the face of resistance from the conservative Indian society. Phule, who was illiterate (文盲) until her marriage, went on to become a teacher, an achievement accomplished first by an Indian woman. With her husband, she established schools for girls in Maharashtra.
Maria Montessori
Birthplace: Chiaravalle, Italy
Maria Montessori was an Italian educator and physician best known for developing the Montessori method of education, a student-friendly method, which is being used in several public and private schools around the world. In 2020, she was nominated (提名) by Time magazine as one of their Top 100 Women of the Year.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, composer, and writer. His political philosophy influenced aspects of the French Revolution. He also helped develop modern economic, political, and educational thought. His writing inspired a complete change in French drama and poetry. His works also influenced such writers around the world as Tolstoy.
1. What was John Dewey famous as?| A．A philosopher. | B．A social reformer. | C．A teacher. | D．A writer. |
| A．John Dewey. | B．Savitribai Phule. |
| C．Maria Montessori. | D．Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
| A．In the US. | B．In India. | C．In Italy. | D．In Switzerland. |
3 . Njobati, a young woman from Cameroon, faced a challenging journey when she moved from her English-speaking area to a French-speaking area of the country to attend university. The sharp differences between these areas, once part of the British and French empires, made it difficult for her to fit in, which led her to examine her own identity—who she truly was.
Seeking guidance, she turned to her grandfather who also felt disconnected from his own culture. He expressed sadness about what the Nso had lost both culturally and materially, including Ngonnso statue. Ngonnso was the founder of Nso dating back to the 14th Century, whose statue was an important cultural symbol for the Nso. However, it was taken by the Germans in 1902 and has been housed in Berlin’s Ethnological Museum ever since.
Inspired by her grandfather’s desire and saddened by the loss of culture, Njobati made a promise to bring back the statue. She believed it would not only achieve her grandfather’s wish but connect her with her Nso heritage again.
Njobati did many researches about the statue and former unsuccessful attempts. She realized that restitution (归还) was actually about facing the colonial ( 殖民主义的) past. Njobati decided to try differently. To gather support online and offline, Njobati began a grassroots campaign. She organized meetings in community halls and churches, met people one-on-one, and used the power of social media.Through Twitter, she established contact with the Ethnological Museum.
Njobati’s tireless efforts paid off. She was told that a decision about Ngonnso statue was coming, which was an important moment for her.
“Finally, this is happening. Not just for me, but for the Nso people, and for Cameroon,” She cried. “This also lends a hand to other communities that are seeking justice for stolen culture relics.”
1. What made Njobati decide to bring back the Ngonnso statue?| A．Her interest in colonial history. |
| B．Her grandfather’s identity problem. |
| C．Her desire to reconnect with Nso culture. |
| D．Her experience in attending university. |
| A．She did wide and complete researches. |
| B．She turned to her grandfather for guidance. |
| C．She contacted the Ethnological Museum directly. |
| D．She organized meetings and using social media. |
| A．The fight for the statue. | B．The promise she made. |
| C．The grassroots campaign. | D．The return of the statue. |
| A．A fight against colonialism. | B．A cultural fighter. |
| C．A promise for grandpa. | D．A stolen cultural symbol. |
1. When did Beckham start his professional career?
| A．At age 13. | B．At age 19. | C．At age 17. |
| A．Beckham got married. |
| B．Beckham met Victoria Adams. |
| C．Beckham was a finalist for Player of the Year. |
| A．Her singing career. |
| B．Her modeling career. |
| C．Her fashion designs. |
5 . The story of Oprah Winfrey’s life is one of overcoming incredible odds and achieving great success. Born into poverty in Mississippi, Winfrey faced numerous challenges throughout her childhood. She was raised by her grandmother, who installed in her a love of reading and a strong work ethic. However, Winfrey was also the victim of abuse and neglect, both at home and in her community.
Despite these obstacles, Winfrey showed great promise from a young age. At age 19 she became a news anchor(主播) for the local television station, and in 1976 she was made a reporter and co-anchor for the ABC news in Baltimore, Maryland. She found herself limited by the objectivity required of news reporting, and in 1977 she became co-host of the Baltimore morning show People Are Talking.
Winfrey excelled in the casual and personal talk-show format, and in 1984 she moved to Chicago to host the faltering(衰退的) talk show AM Chicago. Winfrey’s honest and engaging personality quickly turned the program into a success, and in 1985 it was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. Winfrey’s warmth, intelligence, and empathy made her a beloved figure to millions of viewers. She used her platform to address important social issues, such as child abuse, domestic violence, and poverty.
Despite her success, Winfrey faced many challenges along the way. She struggled with her weight, and was often criticized for her appearance. She also faced many personal and professional setbacks in her life and work. However, Winfrey refused to give up. She continued to work hard, launching her own production company, Harpo Productions, and starting her own cable network, OWN. She also became a philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to charitable causes.
Today, Winfrey is one of the most successful and influential people in the world. She has won lots of awards for her work. She is also a best-selling author and a respected public speaker. Winfrey’s story provés the power of perseverance, hard work, and faith in oneself.
1. What did Oprah Winfrey start her career as?| A．A news anchor. | B．A talk show co-anchor. |
| C．A manager of a company. | D．A reporter of a TV station. |
| A．It was a TV program meant to help the local citizens. |
| B．Oprah Winfrey’s excellent qualities made it successful. |
| C．It called on viewers to fight against poverty and crimes. |
| D．It was a program designed only for Oprah Winfrey. |
| A．Winfrey faced many doubts about her hosting style. |
| B．Winfrey set up a company of her own. |
| C．Winfrey never gave up in face of difficulties. |
| D．Winfrey contributed lots of money to charities. |
| A．To tell us that our life has its ups and downs. |
| B．To share Winfrey’s life experience with us. |
| C．To encourage us to work hard in our careers. |
| D．To sing high praise for Winfrey’s success and qualities. |
6 . Zheng Xiaoying was born in Shanghai in September 1929. Her youth and passion for music helped her become a conductor in an art troupe (巡回演出团). In the early 1960s, Zheng was sent to the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory to study opera and symphony conducting, becoming the first professionally trained female conductor in China at that time.
As a student, she conducted the Italian opera “Tosca” in public at a large opera house in the Soviet Union and won great applause not only for the wonderful performance, but also for the Chinese woman on the stage. Recalling this experience, Zheng said it was of great importance for her to become an opera symphony conductor and served as one of the turning points in her life.
After return to China, she did her best to combine Western and Oriental music. In addition to lectures and performances, in 1998, she founded the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra. With the concept of “attracting more audiences to the concert hall to enjoy the beauty of music,” the musical orchestra has now gained worldwide recognition. It has also become a popular travel destination in the city of Xiamen.
Besides being a conductor, Zheng is also a teacher. As one of the most famous Chinese conducting professors, she has taught many famed musicians. Many of them are still active on stage, both in China and abroad. Still, as a daughter of the Hakka people, she follows the tradition of valuing education. The Hakka culture enabled her to create a Chinese symphony called “The Echoes of Hakka Earth Building” which promotes China’s cultural achievements in music. So far, the symphony has been performed 80 times in over 12 countries and regions.
Zheng not only promotes the Chinese symphony to the world, she also presents traditional Chinese music. She said the thought of spending her last few seconds on the conductor’s podium (乐队指挥台) would be what she calls “the most romantic” of a desirable career. Now in her 90s, Zheng Xiaoying is still active on the stage, sharing China with the world through her music.
1. What’s a turning point in Zheng’s life?| A．Joining in an art troupe. |
| B．Studying conducting in Moscow. |
| C．A job at a large opera house in Italy. |
| D．A public performance in the Soviet Union. |
| A．It is a characteristic of Xiamen. |
| B．Its concept is to draw people’s attention. |
| C．It combines Western and Oriental music. |
| D．Its aim is to inspire people’s music talent. |
| A．By asking questions. | B．By listing examples. |
| C．By analyzing reasons. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Her desire for romanticism. | B．Her ideal of spreading musical ideas. |
| C．Her enthusiasm for music career. | D．Her achievement in music field. |
1. What TV channel is Jimmy Kimmel Live! on?
| A．NBC. | B．TBS. | C．ABC. |
| A．After he hosted the Oscars. |
| B．After Donald Trump became president. |
| C．When he cried at his show for the first time. |
| A．An interview. | B．A musical performance. | C．A comedy performance. |
| A．He taught in a drama school. |
| B．He worked at a radio station. |
| C．He went to school in Los Angeles. |
8 . The Olympics are always a thrilling event, with comeback stories, impressive performances and more. Here is a look at the records broken at Beijing Winter Olympics:
Nathan Chen
Four years after a disappointing showing in PyeongChang, United States figure skater Nathan Chen set a new record during the men’s short program at Beijing Winter Olympics. His 113.97 marks were over two points higher than the personal-best score he set during the figure skating team event.
Nils van der Poel
Sweden’s Nils van der Poel was already the record holder for the men’s 10,000m speed skating, but showed that he can beat even his own record. He finished with a time of 12 minutes and 30.74 seconds, shattering his own previous record of 12:32.95 set in February 2021.
Johan Clarey
France’s Johan Clarey took home the silver medal in the men’s downhill alpine(高山) skiing, and at 41 years and 30 days old, he is the oldest Olympic medalist in alpine skiing. “When you are a medalist, whether you are 20 or 41, it doesn’t matter; it’s just an Olympic medal and this is the best feeling. The record of the oldest is not that I don’t care, but is not the most important point,” Clarey told Eurosport after the race on 7 February 2022.
Ireen Wüst
Qualifying for one Olympics is a big feat, but Speedskater Ireen Wüst of the Netherlands has won an individual gold medal at five different Olympics, the first athlete in history to do so. The 35-year-old attended her first Olympics in 2006. Since then, she has 12 medals, six being gold.
1. At Beijing Winter Olympics, who broke the record he/she had set ?| A．Ireen Wüst. | B．Nathan Chen. | C．Johan Clarey. | D．Nils van der Poel. |
| A．He didn’t win a medal. |
| B．He doesn’t care the record of the oldest. |
| C．He is the oldest alpine skier to medal at Beijing Winter Olympics. |
| D．He was the quickest in the men’s downhill alpine skiing. |
| A．They all participated in many Olympics. |
| B．They all set a new record at Beijing Winter Olympics. |
| C．They all won gold medal at Beijing Winter Olympics. |
| D．They all competed in multiple events at Beijing Winter Olympics. |
①被认为是中国最伟大的医学专家之一；
②在非典疫情期间，做出重大贡献。在新冠肺炎疫情期间，对控制疫情也起了重要的作用；
③全心全意投入工作，喜欢体育活动，总是充满精力。
注意：
1. 次数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文流畅。
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10 . At a snow park in Zhangiakou, Hebei, Chinese teenage snowboarder Su Yiming won a silver in the men’s snowboarding competition on February 7, 2022. It was the first time that a Chinese snow boarder had ever competed in this event at any Olympics.
Su was introduced to snowboarding at the age of 4 by his parents who were both snowboarding fans. Su fell in love with the sport the first time they took him to a ski center. Later he kept on practicing after class. To save up more time for snowboarding, he would get up at 5 a. m. and finish his homework early. Su just saw snowboarding as a hobby in the beginning. However, on July 31, 2015, when he knew that 2022 Winter Olympics would be held in Beijing, his mind tuned to professional (职业性的) competition. He dreamed of joining in the Winter Olympics. And he decided to go professional.
In 2018. Su became a member of China’s national snowboarding team. In 2020 and 2021, he took home gold medals (奖牌) in all national competitions. In January 2021, he became the first Chinese male snowboarder to finish the Cab 1800-one of the most difficult snowboarding skills.
Behind his success is Su’s hard work. He has made full use of every chance to train more. Usually he arrived at the training center earlier than his teammates. In that way, he could practice more. He even broke several snowboards in one week because of heavy training.
1. How did Su feel the first time he tried snowboarding?| A．Disappointed | B．Interested. | C．Worried. | D．Moved. |
| A．Because his parents were snowboarding fans. |
| B．Because he could finish the most difficult skill. |
| C．Because he joined China’s national snow boarding team. |
| D．Because 2022 Winter Olympics would be held in Beijing. |
| A．Taking home gold medals. |
| B．Training hard day and night. |
| C．Being the first to finish the Cab 1800. |
| D．Getting much help from his teammates. |
| A．Sports. | B．Travel. | C．Health. | D．Science. |
