1 . The cost of living in countries like the US, Britain, Australia or France has skyrocketed in recent years. However, if you’re willing to leave your country and explore life in other areas, there are many countries boasting an extremely cheap and low cost of living. Check out the following countries when planning your next move.

Ecuador

Ecuador is similar to the United States in many ways, and as a result has become a popular American getaway. They even use the US Dollar for their currency. In this country, it’s cheaper to eat out every day than cook for yourself on a budget in the US. You can even buy a building for around $ 50, 000 and hire someone to look after it while you’re away.

Mexico

Although the country is known for its poverty ridden streets, there $are many wealthier areas that provide every facility you might need. You can live off a mere $ 700 to $ 800 a month in Mexico, and this includes rent for a nice place, facilities, food, and any sightseeing.

Argentina

Argentina has been a popular tourist destination for many years. It has great restaurants, a rich history, and many places to explore. Not to mention, it’s not very expensive to live here. A decent sized home can cost around $ 139, 000, which is relatively cheap in relation to homes in the United States.

Vietnam

Vietnam has also become a popular tourist destination in recent years. There are many million-dollar luxury homes by the beach, but you can find a modest flat or a small home for around $ 25,000 to $ 50,000 if you search in the right areas.

1. In which country is the US Dollar used for its currency?

A．Argentina.	B．Mexico.
C．Ecuador.	D．Vietnam.

2. How much does it cost to live in Mexico for a year?

A．About $ 7,000.	B．About $ 8,000.
C．About $ 8,800.	D．About $ 12,000.

3. What do Argentina and Vietnam have in common?

A．They have great restaurants.

B．The cost of living is expensive.

C．The middle-sized homes cost around $ 139,000.

D．Tourists enjoy travelling in the two countries.

2 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

The United Kingdom consists     1     four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and North Ireland. In the 13th century, Wales     2    (link) to England. In the 17th century, they were joined to Scotland. They were united in peace instead of    3    war. However, just as they were going to get Ireland     4    (connect) to form the United Kingdom, the southern part of Ireland     5    (break) away to form its own government. So only Northern Ireland joined with England, Wales and Scotland.

England is     6    (large) than the other 3 countries and for    7    (convenient) it was divided into three zones: the South of England, the Middles and the North. Most of the population    8    (settle) in the South, but most of the industrial cities lie in the Midlands and the North of England.

London is the capital. It has the oldest port     9    (build) by the Romans in the 1st century AD, the oldest building begun by the Anglo-Saxons in the 1060s     10    the oldest castle constructed by later Norman rulers in 1066.

3 . 阅读下列材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Australia    1    (lie) in the smallest continent－Oceania. It is a mainly dry country, whose big cities lie on the southeast coast. This is     2     most Australians live. The centre of the continent, which is mainly desert and dry grassland, has few    3     (settlement).

Australia is a popular destination attracting many tourists     4    (come) to experience its unique ecology, so efficient transport is of great importance. With the economy     5    (grow), its industries develop    6    （rapid）—a higher level of production, a wider range of products.

Although Australian states are autonomous, it has a federal government     7    (responsibility) for matters that affect people all over the country. The federal government is    8    (locate)in Canberra. The representatives of other countries have their embassies here. Australia wants to strengthen relations with her neighbors.

Australia is    9     strange land, a land of vast expanses－fertile valleys, snow fields and deserts－also a land with unique animals, many of which can not    10    （find）on any other continent in the world.

4 . Americans wear black for mourning. Chinese wear white. Westerners think of dragons as monsters. Chinese honor them as symbols of God. Chinese civilization has often shown such polarities(极性）with the West,as though each stands at extreme ends of a global string. Now in the University of California,Berkeley,a psychologist has discovered deeper polarities between Chinese and American cultures-polarities that go to the heart of how we reason and discover truth.

His findings go far toward explaining why American cultures seem so contentious and Chinese cultures so passive, when compared to each other. More importantly, the research opens the way for the peoples of the East and the West to learn from each other in fundamental ways. The Chinese could learn much from Western methods for determining scientific truth,said Peng Kaiping,a former Beijing scholar, who is now a UC Berkeley assistant professor of psychology. And Americans could profit enormously from the Chinese tolerance for accepting contradictions(矛盾） in social and personal life,he said.

“Americans have a terrible need to find out who is right in an argument,"said Peng."The problem is that at the interpersonal level, you really don't need to find the truth,or maybe there isn't any.” Chinese people,said Peng,are far more content to think that both sides have flaws(缺陷）and virtues, because they have a holistic awareness that life is full of contradictions. They do far less blaming of the individual than Americans do, he added.

In studies of interpersonal argument,for example,when subjects were asked to deal with contradictory information stemming from conflict between a mother and a daughter or a student and a school,Peng found that Americans were "uncompromising, blaming one side-usually the mother-for the causes of the problems, demanding changes from one side to attain a solution and offering no compromise” in dealing with the conflict. Compared to this angry,blaming American stance,the Chinese were paragons(模范）of compromise,finding fault on both sides and looking for solutions that moved both sides to the middle.

1. In Paragraph 1, the author offers examples in order to_______

A．expose the contradiction between Chinese and Americans

B．show the differences between Chinese culture and American culture

C．find the reason for the differences

D．generalize the main idea of the passage

2. The underlined word"contentious” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_______”

A．conservative

B．aggressive

C．objective

D．subjective

3. Compared with Americans,Chinese are_______

A．likely to find the truth in life

B．reluctant to admit their failure

C．reluctant to have a general idea of things

D．likely to know advantages and disadvantages of things

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Culture Differences Between America and China

B．Different Ways for Mourning Between America and China

C．Different Ways for Treating the Aged Between America and China

D．The Study about American and Chinese

5 . England

England is the biggest of the four countries in the United Kingdom. Over 50 million people live in England, which is around 80% of the total UK population.

    1     It is spoken today by billions of people all over the world. Many students go to England from other countries to study the language and learn about the culture. Although everyone speaks English, there are many different accents around the country. French was the official language in England between 1066 and 1362.       2    

The English people love music.       3     Glastonbury is a five-day festival of music, dance, comedy, and theatre and around 175,000 people go there. Many people stay at the festivals for a few days and they camp in tents. People listen to all types of music, especially pop and rock. England has produced many international groups and singers.

The most popular sports in England are football, rugby and cricket. Most towns have a football, rugby and cricket ground where teams can play.       4           Womenˈs football is also popular. Cricket is a traditional sport played with a bat and a ball. People like to watch all these sports on TⅤ．

England is a multicultural country.       5       Indian, Chinese and Italian foods are popular. Traditional English food includes fish and chips, roast beef, sausages and mashed potatoes. Many English people drink several cups of tea every day, usually with milk. However, different types of coffee are also popular.

A．The official language of England is English.

B．This has a big influence on the food people eat.

C．The lion is the symbol of many English sports teams.

D．It is a fact that English is accepted as an international language.

E．In the summer you can go to music festivals all over the country.

F．This is why there are many French words and expressions in English.

G．English football teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are world-famous.

6 . Mexico and the USA share a common border on the northern side of Mexico. However, despite the close physical proximity(临近), there are a lot of differences between their social conduct.

Americans belong to diverse ethnic (种族) as well as national origins, despite which, all of them have mixed perfectly with the mainstream of American culture. Officially, six different races of people have been recognized by the government of the United States, which include White or European Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, Black or African-Americans, Asians, and the people of two or more races. White Americans form the majority, constituting about 75% of the total population of America.

Mexicans are a group of multi-ethnic people. Mexico shelters people of different races, religions and tribes. When the country achieved independence from the Spanish colonizers (殖民者), the population included people of native pre-Columbian ancestry as well as Europeans, who came there through the process of colonization. The fusion of these two, particularly diverse ethnicities, led to the formation of the special multi-ethnic character of the Mexican people.

Americans tend to give a lot of importance to their profession, sometimes more than their family. Children are brought up in a more independent manner. Parents expect their children to set up their independence households once they start earning. Americans feel that the practical application of knowledge is very important. So, their way of acquiring knowledge is based more on reasoning, analysis, and in-depth specialization of a subject.

However, family comes first for Mexicans. In most Mexican families, men work to earn money, while women take care of the housework. Children are brought up with a lot of parental care and attention. Mexicans love to settle down in one place, and prefer to stay with their families. They consider titles and positions as their status symbols. They believe in education based on repeated learning and so, their academic system emphasizes learning through memorization.

Despite so many differences in their cultures, some sort of integration (结合) binds the Mexicans and the Americans, in a way, promotes their co-existence.

1. Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 2?

A．American Indians and Alaska Natives are the largest ethnic group in the USA.

B．There are more Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders than Asians in the USA.

C．American Indians have not been recognized by the US government.

D．European Americans make up about three fourths of the USA’s population.

2. The underlined word “fusion” in Paragraph 3 means “         ”.

A．competition	B．mix
C．comparison	D．balance

3. Which of the following might Americans agree with?

A．Truth comes from practice.	B．Blood was thicker than water.
C．Rome was not built in a day.	D．Every dog has its day.

4. In Mexicans’ eyes, they           .

A．look at money as a status symbol	B．usually receive an all-round education
C．enjoy the company of family	D．husband and wife share the housework

7 . 阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式

The USA is a land of immigrants. Between 1815     1     1914, the world witnessed the greatest peaceful migration in its history: 35 million people, mostly Europeans, left their homelands to start new lives in America. Why did these people risk everything by     2     (leave) their homes and families?

First, what forced emigrants     3     (make) the decision to leave? One major cause for European farmers to leave was the rise in population,     4     in turn led to land hunger. Another was politics. There was an increased taxation and the     5     (grow) of armies, and many young men fled eastern Europe to avoid being forced to join the army.

Physical hunger provided another pressing reason. Following the collapse (衰退) of the economy of southern Italy in the 1860s, hundreds of thousands decided to start a new life in America. Religion also encouraged millions to leave the Old World.

In short, people     6     (choose) to leave their homes for social, economic and     7    (religion) reasons. As a result, by 1890 among a total population of 63 million, there were more than nine million foreign-born     8     (America).

But what were the attractions? First of all, there was the promise of land that was so scarce in Europe. Next, factories were calling for workers, and pay conditions were much better     9     back home. Men     10     (need) to open up the West and build the long railroads, and new towns needed settlers to live in and to develop business. There was the space for people to practice their faith in peace.

8 . Agriculture plays an essential role in the rise of the human civilization. Even though agriculture is contributing to employment of a significant part of the population in majority nations, over the years, the percentage of workers has witnessed a steep decline. According to world-wide estimations, not even five percentage of the population in rich nations is employed in the agricultural sector.

Agriculture is still the backbone of the economy in several nations of Africa. According to data released by the World Bank in 2017, the top ten countries where agriculture plays a vital role in employment are in Africa. Burundi, the landlocked nation on the eastern side of the continent, has 91% of its population dependent on it. However, only 15% of the total agricultural production goes to the market. Sweet potatoes, beans, bananas and corn, are some major crops produced on the land.

The second largest employment in agriculture was also registered in an African country； Chad with 87% population working on the field. Other nations which follow on the list are： Somalia, Central African Republic, Malawi, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Mauritania, Madagascar and Mozambique. Amid the developing countries of BRICS, it is India where more people are employed by agriculture. The agriculture in India can be traced back to the era of Indus Valley Civilization. By 2017, 43 % of the Indian population is dependent on the agriculture sector for employment.

Meanwhile, many developed countries witness less than 15 percent of their population engaged in the agriculture sector. These nations include Greece, Malaysia, Russia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and many others. At the bottom of the list stand United Arab Emirates , Singapore and Hong Kong, with 0 % of its people employed in agriculture.

1. What does the writer want to highlight in the first paragraph?

A．Agriculture is the foundation of civilization.

B．Agriculture is the main sector of employment.

C．Agriculture is the backbone of the economy.

D．The agricultural population is in sharp decline.

2. Most part of the agricultural produce in Burundi ________.

A．is for family use	B．goes to the market
C．is used for export	D．goes to the government

3. Where does Central African Republic rank in employment in agriculture in the world?

A．Second.	B．Third.
C．Fourth.	D．Fifth.

4. We can infer from the text that the larger population in agriculture ________.

A．the more developed the country	B．the less developed the economy
C．the more advanced the civilization	D．the longer the history of a country

9 . 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。

At present, the French Consulate General in Wuhan is the only foreign consulate in Wuhan     1     is open for business. Since the outbreak, France     2     (provide) two shifts of medical supplies to China.

To prevent cross-infection, Olivier Guyonvarch, the French consul general in Wuhan,     3     (agree) to have an exclusive interview with China Daily on the streets of Wuhan.

“I really would like     4     (express) my support for the medical staff in Wuhan. They are heroes and are the first-line fighters     5     the disease,” he said. Many others in Wuhan, such as street cleaners and people     6     (work)in the markets to sell food, also deserve gratitude for     7     they are doing.

“During its long history, Wuhan has faced many difficulties. This time I think that we can be confident in the     8     (strong) and the resilience of Wuhan’s people to go through this very difficult time,” he said.

“We hope that Wuhan will recover as     9     (quick)as possible. We will stay with Wuhan to help the city, and help the people get     10     (well) through cooperation with friends.”

10 . The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consists of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometres.

The United Kingdom is made up of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and does not include Northern Ireland. But in everyday speech “Great Britain” is used to mean the United Kingdom. The capital of the UK is London.

The British Isles are separated from the continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

Shakespeare called Britain a “precious stone set in the silver sea” because of it natural beauty. It has different sorts of countryside where you can find mountains, plains, valleys and sandy beaches. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain, but it is only 1343 metres high.

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream(墨西哥湾流) influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round.

The UK is a small country. Its population is over 58 million. About 80% of the population live in cities.

1. What is not likely to be seen if you visit Britain?

A．Plain.	B．Ocean.
C．Desert.	D．Valley.

2. Why did Shakespeare call Britain a “precious stone set in the silver sea”?

A．Because it is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean.

B．Because it is famous for its stones.

C．Because it has a mild temperature all year around.

D．Because it enjoys a variety of natural landscapes.

3. Where is this article most probably taken from?

A．A sci-fi.	B．A fairy tale.
C．A travel magazine.	D．A psychology textbook.