On May 24, 2021, 46-year-old Zhang Hong reached the top of Qomolangma, which made him the first blind person from Asia to conquer (征服) the world’s highest mountain. Erik Weihenmayer and Andy Holzer made it in 2001 and 2017. They are the only three blind mountain climbers to have climbed Qomolangma. Before heading for Qomolangma, Zhang had climbed up three mountains above 6,000 meters.
Born in Chongqing, Zhang became blind at the age of 21 due to glaucoma (青光眼). Both his father and uncle lost their sight because of the same disease, so Zhang knew exactly what life would be like for blind people from an early age. He lost hope. But luckily, he was saved by his wife. “I felt so hopeless then. But my wife was always there and encouraged me. Without her by my side, I couldn’t have pulled myself together,” Zhang recalled. Later, Zhang became a blind masseur (按摩师) and in 2012 he moved to Tibet.
In 2015, by accident, he heard of the blind American mountain climber Weihenmayer, who climbed Qomolangma. This gave him the idea of giving it a try. He then started to climb the mountains together with his guide. He did a lot of training such as rock climbing and walking on snow and ice.
Zhang also met many other mountain climbers from all over the world. They all encouraged him even though they spoke different languages. Zhang could feel their warmth through hugs or pats on his shoulder. Zhang said the climbing of Qomolangma taught him many things, including how to trust people.
“I can’t see the world, but I want the world to see me,” Zhang said. “I’ve got so much energy from my family and friends. Now I’d like to share that energy with others and encourage other disabled people.”
1.In 2021, Zhang Hong became the firstDo you yawn (打哈欠)? There are about 20 reasons that scientists think are possible for yawning after research. They do not know exactly why yawning happens, but they do know many facts about yawning.
We know that everyone yawns in the same way. First you open your mouth slowly. Your mouth stays open for about five seconds. You take in a lot of air and then push it out. Then you quickly close your mouth. We also know that yawning is contagious. When you see someone yawn, you yawn, too.
Many people say they yawn because they are bored or tired. That might be true. People do often yawn before they sleep and after they wake up. However, we know that people also yawn when they are excited or nervous. Olympic runners, for example, often yawn before a race. Why is that? In 2007, scientists found that a yawn can help a warm brain cool down.
Some scientists believe that yawning makes you notice things more quickly. When you yawn, you breathe deeply. You also stretch (强化) the muscles (肌肉) in your face, mouth, and neck. Your eardrums stretch, too. Maybe this helps you to be quicker to notice things.
In some countries, people think yawning is not nice. People put their hands over their mouths to cover a yawn. In other countries, people think yawning is healthy. They think that opening the mouth very big can let good things in. When they breathe out, they think that bad things go out of the body with the air.
Scientists do not spend much time studying yawning. That is probably because yawning does not hurt. It is just something we do.
1.What does the underlined word “contagious” in Paragraph 2 mean?A.Able to spread quickly. | B.Able to breathe easily. | C.Able to change easily. |
A.Reasons for yawning. | B.Advantages of yawning. | C.Different ideas about yawning. |
A.People use different ways to yawn. |
B.Scientists will do further research on yawning. |
C.Some scientists think yawning is good for people. |
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When I was a little girl, I liked to listen to my father telling his childhood stories. The image of him and his friends climbing to the top of a tree to get a bird’s nest hung in my mind for quite a while. I dreamed of peeking (窥视) into a bird’s nest that had eggs or small baby birds inside, like my father often did when he was a boy.
But that was almost impossible. First, youngsters today are not allowed to climb trees. People think it is too dangerous. Second, we don’t have so many birds’ nests around anymore. The healthy eco-system (生态系统) of Dad’s youth is slowly disappearing.
However, one day, my dream came true. It was a Saturday morning. My dad’s best friend, who I call Uncle Ben, invited us to visit his business. He sold used cars at his shop outside the city. There were a lot of trees around it. Uncle Ben led us through the parking lot, pointing out all kinds of different cars — different makes (品牌), models, years and prices. As we walked across the lot, we suddenly found something unusual —a bird’s nest on top of the back wheel of a big truck!
I was excited to be so close. I looked at the nest in amazement. It was real —a real bird’s nest with a few eggs sitting inside. The nest looked strong and warm. How smart the little bird was to make such a pretty nest. And how creative it was to build the nest on the wheel for shelter (庇护) in this cold Canadian weather!
Uncle Ben took a look at the eggs. He said it was a robin’s (知更鸟的) nest. To protect the nest from being harmed, he suggested that we move it to a tree beside the parking lot.
We all sincerely hoped that the robin found her new home and her baby birds.
1.What did the writer’s father often do when he was a boy?A.He often told stories about birds |
B.He often caught small baby birds. |
C.He often peeked into a bird’s nest. |
A.the city | B.Uncle Ben’s shop | C.the back wheel |
A.Because Uncle Ben could not stand it. |
B.Because the big truck would be sold soon. |
C.Because they didn’t want it to get harmed. |
A.Dream Come True! | B.Taking Care of Birds! | C.A Robin’s Lucky Day! |
A gift is necessary when one is invited to visit friends in China. After
While eating, the elders will use chopsticks to
A.expressions | B.greetings | C.celebrations |
A.where | B.when | C.what |
A.politely | B.quickly | C.carefully |
A.cooking | B.eating | C.praising |
A.cut up | B.eat up | C.pick up |
A.Or | B.But | C.And |
A.After | B.Before | C.As |
A.them | B.us | C.him |
A.punishes | B.examines | C.disappoints |
A.looks for | B.sticks to | C.depends on |
A. a B. once C. go D. and E. some F. of |
Many young people have trouble communicating with their parents. There are some suggestions to help solve this problem.
First, make a list
Second, talk to your parents when it is convenient for them. Remember that your parents may have to work long hours
Third, listen to what your parents have to say. How can you expect them to listen to you if you are not ready to listen to them? In addition, your parents were
Finally, if you do not get
With a little hard work, you can learn to communicate better with your parents.
A Bad Experience | |
Before the journey | ✤ I decided to go to work by bus because my bike was ✤ I left home |
During the journey | ✤ I felt nervous as I was afraid that I would be late for an important ✤ It was so |
After the journey | When I |
A.Unnecessary. | B.Cheap. | C.Useful. |
A.On the farm. | B.By the river. | C.On the mountain. |
A.One months ago. | B.Three months ago. | C.Six months ago. |
A.A painting. | B.A book. | C.A coat. |