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How I Failed My Oxford Interview
As soon as the words left my mouth I knew I’d
“I just mean...” I said in a
The two professors patted this idea around, too, like a couple of cats toying with a frightened bird---giving
Part of my problem, in hindsight was a lack of confidence.
To pass the interview, you need confidence, of course. You also need a
So, months later, I already knew the contents of my thin envelope when it appeared on my doormat.
Ultimately, I didn’t have what it took---but, looking back, that was
Failing my Oxford interview also provided a valuable life lesson. I’m now more confident in my opinions, more passionate when it comes to debate, and I try to back up my points with
| A．produced sensation | B．made a mistake | C．sparked controversy | D．caused disruption |
| A．clarify | B．provoke | C．manipulate | D．challenge |
| A．subtle | B．bright | C．sophisticated | D．vague |
| A．specific | B．brief | C．ambiguous | D．abstract |
| A．for one thing | B．in turn | C．on the contrary | D．at large |
| A．vanished | B．facilitated | C．implanted | D．distributed |
| A．As long as | B．Even though | C．Despite | D．Because |
| A．paradox | B．compromise | C．defeat | D．embarrassment |
| A．burning | B．fulfilling | C．dying | D．innate |
| A．substitute | B．readiness | C．optimism | D．concern |
| A．Previously | B．Practically | C．Naturally | D．Exclusively |
| A．resentment | B．controversy | C．distraction | D．eagerness |
| A．not necessarily | B．all but | C．in particular | D．at length |
| A．stubborn | B．hard | C．radical | D．generous |
| A．stunning | B．winning | C．overwhelming | D．simpering |
Despite an age gap of 80 years, a 13-year-old girl and a care home resident in Luton have become firm friends after becoming penpals during lockdown. It
Madge is
Her penpal is Ella, whose family are in Luton. Before Covid-19, Ella would always be involved in the voluntary activities at the care home.
Madge said, “I’ve got all her
Age is just a
| A．meant | B．took | C．saved | D．needed |
| A．found | B．consulted | C．sponsored | D．served |
| A．fond of | B．afraid of | C．strict with | D．tired of |
| A．necessary | B．possible | C．accessible | D．difficult |
| A．came up | B．came out | C．put up | D．picked up |
| A．surprised | B．delighted | C．reluctant | D．hesitant |
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Meanwhile | D．Moreover |
| A．Confused | B．Concerned | C．Curious | D．Crazy |
| A．happened | B．occurred | C．beat | D．struck |
| A．gifts | B．messages | C．letters | D．calls |
| A．ancient | B．funny | C．energetic | D．serious |
| A．accustomed to | B．isolated from | C．interested in | D．connected with |
| A．Initially | B．Thankfully | C．Hopefully | D．Previously |
| A．gap | B．accelerator | C．number | D．obstacle |
| A．left | B．bridged | C．widened | D．identified |
| A．To the Exercise Hall. | B．To the Sports Hall. | C．To the Exercise Studio. |
| A．Boxing. | B．Fencing. | C．Gymnastics. |
| A．$320. | B．$300. | C．$240. |
| A．His membership card. | B．His full name. | C．His ID card. |
Running late after several wrong turns, I made a final, desperate attempt to locate Elliott's home. Down a dirt path, past a group of geese, there it was: the two-acre property, on which Elliott grows nearly all the food she feeds her family. The Elliotts' three-bedrooms house was among a chicken cage, a pigpen, a rabbit hutch, and three gardens, the sum total of which Elliott refers to as her “homestead(农)”— a nod to the back-to-basics movement that inspired her lifestyle.
Elliott "homesteads" because modern technology “has rid people of their purpose”. In hopes of “drawing on and learning things of the past,” she has for eight years rejects an increasing number of modern conveniences. She lives a life like the 19th-century homesteaders. Unlike the pioneers, however, she enthusiastically broadcasts her life to an audience of Instagram followers, book buyers, and 100,000 monthly readers of her blog. Elliott belongs to a growing network of bloggers who have fueled the growing homesteading movement, which encourages self-reliance through the employment of traditional skills. Broadcasting on the net while trying to escape technology’s uncontrolled pace may seem incongruous, but Elliott insists that social media provide advice and moral support, which are lacking in the remote areas where many homesteaders settle.
Elliott’s day passes in a series of chores: weeding, cleaning up after the chickens, feeding the pigs, weeding again... She rejects the idea that success should involve anything more that maintaining a home. “We live in a culture where everything needs to be epic (宏大的) and awesome... Living a very average life? That’s seen as you not living up to your potential. And I really fight against that. I think the everyday is the point of our life,” she said. “It’s okay to be in the kitchen working with a baby on your back. That isn’t a step backward; it is an intentional thing”.
1．What do we know about Elliott’s “homestead”?| A．Noisy. | B．Dirty. | C．Difficult to find. | D．Hard to maintain. |
| A．It reduces homesteaders’ everything. |
| B．It connects homesteading farms. |
| C．It helps promote homesteading. |
| D．It disturbs homesteader’s life. |
| A．Strange | B．Ambitious | C．Natural | D．Impossible |
| A．Keep off the outside world | B．Stay with your family |
| C．Wish for something epic | D．Lead your own life |
Thirteen years ago, Ava Kaufman was fighting for her life. Now, thanks to a donor heart and successful organ transplant, she’s alive — and saving others.
“My life changed on a dime.” said Kaufman, who was a professional dancer and black belt in taekwondo (跆拳道) when an autoimmune disease went undiagnosed and she ended up on life support in intensive care with organ failure. On her birthday in 2009, she received a new heart and promised God if she could live to raise her young daughter, she would do everything she could to give back. Today, Kaufman is doing just that.
Kaufman started her non-profit, Ava’s Heart. She and her organization offer transplant patients services that are often not covered by insurance, including food, gas, and housing. She found out that patients often must show financial security and be able to afford transportation and housing near their transplant hospital to get listed. And for some patients hoping to receive a transplant in a big city like Los Angeles, where rents are high and hotels are expensive, the cost alone could be a barrier.
Kaufman runs two housing locations where she houses up to five transplant patients and their families at a time, at no cost, after their surgery. This allows them to remain close to their transplant hospital for the duration of their aftercare. Since she started, Kaufman has helped about 175 people with post-transplant housing, and about 150 more with support services and financial assistance.
At 72, Kaufman works out every day and has no plans to slow down. “I feel like I was chosen to do this,” she said. “When I made a promise to God, I didn’t know what it was going to be, but it turned out to be my non-profit, Ava’s Heart.”
1．What left Kaufman’s life in danger?| A．A heart from a donor. | B．An undiagnosed disease. |
| C．An organ transplant. | D．A promise to God. |
| A．Immediately. | B．Slightly. | C．Frequently | D．Occasionally. |
| A．It has offered housing to 175 patients after their transplant surgeries. |
| B．It plans to slow down because no profit can be made from the patients. |
| C．It was started by Kaufman to help the transplant patients with insurance. |
| D．It makes a great difference to the patients who can’t afford the cost. |
| A．A Woman Fighting for Life. | B．Never Lose Heart in Future. |
| C．Home is Where the Heart is. | D．Heart Donation to Those in Need. |
A little girl whose parents had died lived with her grandmother and slept in an upstairs bedroom. One night there was a fire in the house and the grandmother died while trying to rescue the child. The fire spread quickly, and the situation was terrible.
Neighbours called the fire department, then stood helplessly by, unable to enter the house because flames blocked all the entrances. The little girl appeared at an upstairs window, crying for help, just as word spread among the crowd that the fire- fighters would be delayed a few minutes because they were all at another fire.
Suddenly, a man appeared with a ladder, put it up against the side of the house and disappeared inside. When he reappeared, he had the little girl in his arms. He delivered the child to the waiting arms below, then disappeared into the night.
An investigation revealed that the child had no living relatives, and weeks later a meeting was held in the town hall to determine who would take the child into their home and bring her up.
A teacher said she would like to raise the child. She pointed out that she could ensure her a good education. A farmer offered her an upbringing (教养) on his farm. He pointed out that living on a farm was healthy and satisfying. Others spoke, giving their reasons why it was to the child's advantage to live with them.
Finally, the town's richest resident rose and said, “I can give this child all the advantages that you have mentioned here, plus money and everything that money can buy.”
Throughout all this, the child remained silent, her eyes on the floor.
“Does anyone else want to speak?” asked the meeting chairman. A man came forward from the back of the hall. He walked slowly and appeared to be in pain.
When he got to the front of the hall, he stood directly in front of the little girl and held out his arms.
When asked her choice, the girl gave people the reasons firmly.
Of all the planets, none has captured the world's imagination like Mars. Its reddish colour and changes in brightness over time make the planet an unforgettable sight.
In Cosmos, the television science series from the 1980s, scientist Carl Sagan talked about some traditional ideas about Mars. Some of these ideas are from the English science fiction writer H. G. Well's The War of the Worlds. Others are from the mistaken science of Percival Lowell, the American astronomer who believed intelligent beings lived on Mars. Wells described Martians as threatening. Lowell imagined them as the hopeful engineers of great works. Carl Sagan said that both ideas influenced the public deeply.
Today, Mars continues to excite humans—not as the object of science fiction but of scientific study. Space scientists have collected a wealth of information from spacecrafts that have orbited, landed on and dug into the Martian surface.
The Smithsonian's "Mars Day" offered a chance for people of all ages to touch Mars, or at least a piece of it. Allison and Alycia from Silver Spring, Maryland, brought their children, Grace, Sam, Ryan and Emma. They heard about Mars and its geology from experts. They could see a test version of the Viking landers that reached Mars in July of 1976. They also saw meteorites（陨星）known to have come from the red, or reddish planet. Eight-year-old Sam learned that the ancient description of Mars as red is not exactly right. He said, “It's actually orangish more than red and it's also kind of brown, too.” Emma is six. She learned about the volcanic activity that has shaped the surface of Mars. She said, “The closest thing to Mars—the stuff—is from volcanoes mostly.”
“Mars Day” offered Allison and Alycia's children a chance to learn more about a world that they are very likely to set foot on within their lifetimes.
1．What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．Why Martians were considered threatening. |
| B．Why Mars has captured the world's imagination. |
| C．What people generally thought of Mars in the past. |
| D．How H. G. Wells got the idea for his science fiction. |
| A．today's space scientists still know nothing about Mars |
| B．today's space scientists are very interested in Mars |
| C．science fiction films are no longer set in Mars |
| D．space scientists haven't made any progress in knowing Mars |
| A．Mars is not really red |
| B．no meteorites have come from Mars |
| C．Mars cannot be described as a little brown |
| D．the ancient description of Mars' colour is true |
| A．He thinks it may happen in this year. |
| B．He thinks it will always remain a dream. |
| C．He thinks it will come true within hundreds of years. |
| D．He thinks it may happen in the following decades. |
Playing a musical instrument
Young or old, it is lots of fun to play a musical instrument. There are many different types to choose from including guitar, piano, trumpet, and saxophone.
Make a choice.
First, you need to choose a musical instrument that you would like to learn how to play. You might also think about the kind of music you’d like to play.
Get your equipment.
Now you have chosen your instrument, you need to buy one. If it is expensive, you might like to borrow one instead.
After you have your instrument you should then create a learning plan. This might include private lessons with a music teacher or going to music classes. Some people choose to learn on their own. You can use books, movies, websites, or you can even watch video online.
Make music.
Once you have learned enough to play a song, you should start playing for people.
Keep going.
To become a good musician, you have to keep playing. Keep learning as much as you can and practice often.
| A．Improve your skill. |
| B．Get ready to learn. |
| C．Some schools will lend students instruments. |
| D．It is a good idea to start with your family or friends. |
| E．Challenge yourself to learn more difficult songs as well. |
| F．To learn quickly, your plan may include different learning skills. |
| G．This will probably be the kind of music that you also enjoy listening to. |
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