Many people dream of the moment when they will walk across their college graduation stage to accept the diploma (毕业证书), which they’ve worked so hard for. And in Alfonso Gonzales’ case, that moment was extra
It took Gonzales six
Gonzales earned his college degree from USC in 2007, making him the school’s
| A．special | B．awkward | C．interesting | D．confusing |
| A．slid | B．wheeled | C．jogged | D．jumped |
| A．stood for | B．answered for | C．hoped for | D．looked for |
| A．laughter | B．tears | C．speech | D．cheers |
| A．victory | B．sight | C．advance | D．place |
| A．years | B．decades | C．times | D．months |
| A．course | B．duty | C．degree | D．role |
| A．living | B．safety | C．health | D．education |
| A．opening | B．signing | C．graduation | D．awards |
| A．pleased | B．nervous | C．angry | D．surprised |
| A．took | B．created | C．taught | D．improved |
| A．finish | B．keep | C．save | D．present |
| A．prepare | B．inspire | C．invite | D．force |
| A．best | B．latest | C．hardest | D．oldest |
| A．plan | B．regret | C．gift | D．semester |
I finally climbed into bed at 1: 20 in the morning. My friends had helped me celebrate my 31st birthday in the basement apartment, where I lived.
Earlier in the day I had prepared for the unlikely event of a flood. We are about a third of a mile from the banks of the Ahr River. It had been raining buckets that week and the government had sent out a flood warning, though not for where I was. Still, I’d placed sandbags on the floor outside my garden door and put electronics on tables. “Silly bro!” My friends laughed at me for doing that, but I thought, why take a chance?
As I drifted off to sleep, I was awakened by the sound of rushing water, as if I were lying beside a waterfall. When I got off the bed, I was shocked that cold water was rising fast. In darkness, I grabbed my cellphone and turned on the flashlight. When I stepped out of the bedroom, I saw water shooting through the gaps of the door.
I began to panic. I knew I had to get out—fast! In bare feet, I started to make my way to the only escape: the door that led upstairs to the main floor. Finally I made it to the door and tried several times to-pull it open even just a little bit, but the rushing water shut it again. I looked around for anything I could use to keep it open. There in the corner was a coat rack (架子). I took it and, once again, opened the door, throwing the coat rack between the door and the frame (门框) to keep the door from shutting. Finally, I managed to make a gap just wide enough to squeeze (挤) through and make it into the hallway.
I leaped on to the stairs and ran outside. I stood there in the darkness, wet through. What was once a lovely street was now a waterscape, with floating ruins instead of people and cars. The river had drowned (淹没) the neighborhood!
1．What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2imply?| A．Better safe than sorry. |
| B．It never rains but it pours. |
| C．A lost chance never returns. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| A．Celebrating his birthday. |
| B．Sleeping in the basement. |
| C．Placing sandbags by the door. |
| D．Playing with electronic devices. |
| A．Making his way to the door. |
| B．Finding a coat rack. |
| C．Keeping the door from shutting. |
| D．Squeezing through the gap. |
| A．Sad and shocked. |
| B．Annoyed and anxious. |
| C．Surprised and disappointed. |
| D．Puzzled and awkward. |
These days, tourism is back in full swing. An increasing number of people prefer to take a break from big city life and start exploring those harder-to-reach towns.
Paraty, Brazil
Paray is a bays de town halfway between Rio and Sao Paulo. Here, life moves at the pace of a horse-and-cart moving across the road (no cars allowed in the historic Old Town). The boats in the harbor are not just there to look good. Pick your favorite and set sail for a deserted island beach nearby.
Avignon, France
One of the most recognizable historic towns is found in the south-eastern part of France. The Palace of the Popes here defines the city and is the city and is visible from a far. It once housed Europe’s largest library, and became a hotbed for thinkers, philosophers, composers, and musicians. Now it is protected by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Four million tourists visit Avignon every year to explore the ancient architecture.
Sakrisoy and Reine, Norway
This pair of tiny finishing villages sit far, far north. Admittedly, they are a bit of pain to reach: The long (but beautiful!) journey there will require some combination of one or two fights, a bus or a boat. If you can make it that far, though, you’ll be rewarded with some of the most impressive scenery on Earth. Look out across the mountains from the hike or enjoy the Northern Lights.
Old San Juan, US
The oldest settlement in the country was founded in the early 16th century. Today everything here is colorful: the houses differ in color and style and even the pavements are made of the blue bricks, making it a very attractive and amusing place.
1．What can visitors do in Avignon, France?| A．Take a boat trip. |
| B．Enjoy the Northern Lights. |
| C．Admire ancient architecture. |
| D．Explore the largest library in the world. |
| A．Paraty, Brazil. | B．Avignon, France. |
| C．Sakrisoy and Reine, Norway. | D．Old San Juan, US. |
| A．In a wellness book. | B．In a travel magazine. |
| C．In an adventure guide. | D．In a geography textbook. |
The Longtaitou Festivl, which means “dragon-raises head” in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese festival held on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar. So, it’s also called Eryueer Festival. In Chinese culture, the dragon is an auspicious (吉利的) animal that dominates clouds and rains. The 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month is thought to be the day when dragon awakes and raises its head according to the Chinese folk legend. So the day is called Dragon Heads-raising Day. After the day, spring is coming and there will be more and more rain. People think these credits (功劳) go to the dragon. So the day is also called Spring Dragon Festival. Since the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), Chinese people have had the custom of spending the Spring Dragon Festival.
The most popular custom on the Dragon Heads-raising Day is cutting hair. Dragon is highly honored for its dignity (尊贵) and power for good. It is thought to be auspicious to cut hair on the Dragon Heads-raising Day. Luck and opportunities will always knock you in the year. So, on that day, barbershops’ (理发店的) businesses are growing and full of customers.
The most common foods for celebrating the festival are popcorns, pancakes, noodles, dumplings, fired soy beans and pig’s head. People in different areas have different traditions about the food on the day. In Beijing, people eat Lvdagunr (Glutinous Rice Rolls with Sweet Bean Flour) and spring pancakes on the day. In Shanxi, people like to eat fried dough twists (油条) and pancakes. In Shandong, fried soy beans, noodles and dumplings are the festival food. In Fuzhou, the salted porridge made of glutinous rice, celery, scallion, garlic, fry dried shrimps and shredded meat is eaten. These show people’s hope to be blessed (保佑) with favorable weather and plentiful grain harvest by the dragon.
1．Which of the following is true about the Longtaitou Festival?| A．It dates back to Song Dynasty. |
| B．It is celebrated for two days. |
| C．It attracts fewer people than other festivals. |
| D．It suggests the return of spring. |
| A．It is the most popular custom. |
| B．It is in honor of dragon’s dignity and power. |
| C．It is people’s wish for luck and opportunities. |
| D．It is a sign of barbershops’ prospering businesses. |
| A．People in China share the similar traditional foods on he day. |
| B．Foods for celebrating the festival usually bear people’s best wishes. |
| C．Salted foods are used to celebrate the festival throughout China. |
| D．Traditional foods on the day are prepared for the dragon to eat. |
| A．The Dragon Heads-raising Day. |
| B．The celebrations of the Longtaitou Festival. |
| C．The origin of the Longtaitou Festival. |
| D．The purpose of the Dragon Heads-raising Day. |
How to give effective feedback (反馈)
In the ever-evolving landscape of personal and professional growth, feedback serves as a compass (指南针) guiding our journey towards improvement.
Lay stress on behavior, not personality. Your feedback should target how they act, what effects it has on you or how it makes you feel. Remember that you are making no comment on what type of person they are, or what they believe or value.
Focus on improvement rather than criticism. It is expressed in a manner that encourages growth and avoids being negative. To take it a step further, it also provides suggestions for change.
Offering effective feedback to others is a win-win act.
| A．Be timely and specific. |
| B．Adopt a tolerant attitude. |
| C．It’s just like sharing a pizza with a friend. |
| D．So giving feedback is like making sandwiches. |
| E．But you can get better at it after reading the principles. |
| F．However, it can be difficult to give feedback effectively. |
| G．This reduces the risk of making the receiver feel attacked. |
Winter Volunteer Programs Abroad
Volunteer abroad during your winter break to make the most of the holiday season. Our winter volunteer programs abroad are short-term team trips that all form part of our efforts to find long-term sustainable solutions to specific challenges.
Join our medical internships for teenagers and learn directly from doctors. Attend lectures at a local teaching hospital and gain a deeper insight into a developing country’s medical practices.
Travel to Asia with like-minded people to do community volunteering in Nepal. Support local teachers by running educational activities and games with the children. When you’re not working, we’ve organized plenty of cultural and social activities for you to enjoy, along with a weekend trip guided by local staff.
Help make schools and care centers places that encourage learning by painting, building playground equipment, or maintaining a vegetable garden. This project is open to teenagers from all over the world, so you’ll make lots of new friends, and our staff are there to support and guide you throughout.
Put your strength, time and energy into rebuilding homes damaged by earthquakes. Help to give young children a chance to live in a safe environment. You, as well as teenagers from around the world, will work along with local engineers, architects and our staff.
| A．$2,646 USD. | B．$3,216 USD. |
| C．$2,715 USD. | D．$1,710 USD. |
| A．Volunteer Building in Nepal for Teenagers. |
| B．Medical Internships in Nepal for Teenagers. |
| C．Volunteer with Children in Nepal as a Group. |
| D．Volunteer Community Work in Fiji for Teenagers. |
| A．They are all held in Nepal. |
| B．Their activities center on education. |
| C．They are available only in winter breaks. |
| D．Their minimum duration is two weeks. |
2023 Hot List: The Best New Restaurants in the World
This famous wine bar provides a spot with a rare sweet and warm atmosphere. For date night, go to the bar with views of the open kitchen, or fill up the large table in the back with a group and taste the entire 20-item menu. Either way, do not miss the famous mushroom soup.
Australian chefs James Henry and Shaun Kelly transformed the former stables (马厩) of a 19th-century private estate into a working farm, restaurant, and guesthouse driven by the principles of regenerative agriculture. More than one hundred varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs make their way into Henry’s cooking after being carefully nurtured by Kelly.
Seafood is a hangover cure in Mexico, and almost everyone eating here is devoted to fixing last night’s damage from drunkenness and getting a head start on creating today’s. On the sidewalk, crowds of locals and tourists alike lineup for fisherman Salvador Orozco’s creative takes on Sinaloa and Baja seafood. Anything from the raw half of the menu is a sure bet, though cooked dishes like fish can help fill out a meal.
Can a dish inspired by a Spanish recipe using Japanese ingredients still be considered Thai For Chef Prin Polsuk, one of Bangkok’s most famous Thai chefs, it most certainly can. At his latest restaurant, a small dining room at the base of Bangkok’s landmark King Power Mahanakhon Tower, he draws inspiration from King Chulalongkorn’s 1897 journey around Europe and the foreign ingredients and cooking techniques he added to the royal cookbooks.
1．What does the author highly recommend at Place des Fêtes?| A．Red wine. | B．Mushroom soup. |
| C．Baja seafood. | D．Fried fish. |
| A．Mi Compa Chava. | B．Le Doyenné. |
| C．Place des Fêtes. | D．Vilas. |
| A．A science magazine. | B．A life magazine. |
| C．A travel magazine. | D．A health magazine. |
| A．Red. | B．Grey. | C．Blue. |
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