【推荐3】The idea of being quarantined (隔离)hadn't seemed like a major issue until we all began to realize all of the things that get taken away when school goes. We had taken our "normal" lives for granted and this pandemic (流行病)was proof.    1     Throughout our entire educational lives, we students have always jokingly said we wanted school to be cancelled. We didn't realize, however, that all the activities associated with being in school would be taken away too. School has an influence on so much more than we actually think.    2    

While in my room, my sixth-grade cousin opened my door and expressed how she didn't want school to be cancelled because it was the only reason she left the house.    3     This is when I began to acknowledge the true impact school has even on the youngest of children. As a sixth-grader, her only known duty so far was to go to school, learn, maybe participate in a sport or two, and socialize with others. When eating dinner my uncle shared with us that he has no work until April 15. My other aunt and uncle now had to play a larger role than ever imagined in the education of their children. Without one-on-one interaction with a teacher, it's crucial to ensure that their kids of ages 4 and 7 continue learning. During this school closure, parents and students alike have noticed the direct effect social media has on our reactions.    4     Many of these opinions either contribute to hysteria (歇斯底里)or attempt to tell us that we may be overreacting.

    5     This pandemic has effects of all different levels of significance, many of which can never be replaced nor made up. The death toll it has worldwide is even more frightening to think about. Everyone is affected in one way or another by this crisis, but let us not forget what school has taught us about ourselves as a community ... that we are stronger together.

A．Initially, everything seemed to be under control.

B．She explained how she would be bored without school.

C．It has provided us with friend groups, hobbies and passions.

D．Since this didn't affect us at all, we continued about our daily lives.

E．Opinions of all sorts are broadcast regardless of the accuracy they contain.

F．We took for granted the simplicity of walking across a stage with a diploma in our hands.

G．However, the impact the coronavirus has had on the world is a generation-changing event.

【推荐1】An international group of coffee experts has considered Ethiopia’s coffee as the best in the world.Coffee is a top export (出口物) of the country. But at home, it is seen as national pride. Ethiopians feel good about their coffee, and enjoying a drink with friends is a long tradition.

Some people say the climate produces quality beans. Morton Wennersgarrd is a coffee importer. He said, “Ethiopia has different ancient types of coffee. They are planted in places with perfect soil, perfect altitude (海拔), and climates that are really suitable for coffee processing.”

Finding the best quality beans is often an issue of taste. The process is known as   cupping — tasting and comparing coffee from different roasted beans, grading and then pricing them. But before international experts come to taste, coffee beans are studied in small coffee laboratories. Helen Assefa, a lab technician, describes   the process, “When the coffee comes to the lab, we assess (评价) its quality first by recording the details.Then we weigh the moisture (水分) level and we examine the beans for analysis. After that we grind (磨碎) the coffee beans and taste the samples. In the end, we check for defective (有瑕疵的) beans.” Mubarik Abaoli is a lab worker.He says that testing is a very difficult and long process. “We select out the defects by hand. And we select out the defect according to the defect types.”

Ethiopia has got a lot of money by exporting coffee to more than 120 countries. The country has an export revenue (税收) of more than 840 million a year. But not all the best coffee leaves Ethiopia. Forty percent of the coffee grown in the country stays there. It remains an important part of everyday life at work, at home and at ceremonies.

1. Ethiopians’ attitude towards coffee may best be described as        .

A．proud	B．relaxed
C．brave	D．doubtful

2. The third paragraph is mainly about_______.

A．the ways of making coffee

B．the process of assessing the coffee

C．the tips on planting the best coffee

D．the influence of the coffee

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．More than 120 countries export coffee to Ethiopia.

B．Coffee plays an important role in Ethiopians’ life.

C．40% of the coffee grown in Ethiopia is exported.

D．Ethiopians earn their living by exporting coffee.

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To advertise the coffee in Ethiopia.

B．To comment on coffee experts’ work.

C．To introduce the best coffee in the world.

D．To recommend tourists activities in Ethiopia.

【推荐1】Three Feet From Gold

Darby’s uncle was caught by the “gold fever” in the gold – rush days, and went west to dig and grow rich. After months of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery of the shining ore(矿石).He needed machinery to bring the ore to the surface. So, with the “strike”, he returned home. And with the help of Darby, he borrowed a lot of money. After buying the machinery and having it shipped, Uncle and Darby went back to work the mine.

The first car of ore was mined. And the returns proved they had one of the richest mines in Colorado! Down went the drills! Up went the hopes of Uncle and Darby!

Then something happened! The vein(矿脉) of gold ore disappeared! They drilled on, but all in vain. Finally, they decided to quit and sold the machinery to a junk man for a few hundred dollars. The junk man called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little calculating. The engineer’s calculations showed that the vein would be found just three feet from where the Darbys had stopped drilling! The junk man took millions of dollars in the vein, because he knew enough to seek experts’ advice before giving up.

Most of the money which went into the machinery was borrowed through the efforts of Darby, who was then a very young man. The money came from his relatives because of their faith in him. He paid back every dollar of it, although he was years in doing so.

Long afterwards, Mr. Darby made another discovery that desire can be changed into gold. This discovery came after he went into the business of selling life insurance. Remembering that he lost a huge fortune, for he stopped three feet from gold, Darby profited by the experience in his chosen work, saying to himself, “I stopped three feet from gold, but I never stop because men say ‘no’ when I ask them to buy insurance.”

Darby sold more than million dollars in life insurance annually. He owes his “stick-ability” to the lesson he learned from his “quit-ability” in the gold mining business.

1. Darby’s uncle went back home to _________.

A．receive his reward	B．seek financial support
C．look for more helpers	D．consult an engineer

2. From the passage, we can know Darby _________.

A．was unable to pay off the debts

B．mined his gold from the failure

C．learned a lesson from selling insurance

D．devoted himself to making new discoveries

3. The author intends to tell us that _______.

A．hopes and difficulties exist side by side

B．correct decisions stem from correct judgment

C．we should catch it when opportunity comes

D．we won’t reach our goal unless we insist

【推荐2】Scientists investigated why Ebola virus is so deadly when it spreads from animals to humans and then from human-to-human contact. The research team looked at the Zaire Ebola virus in an animal system to understand how it gains strength. This virus is responsible for the current outbreak in West Africa. They found that initially the animal systems were not affected by the virus, but succeeding transmission(传送) into other animals caused the virus to “hot up” and become more severe.

The team analyzed the viruses at different stages and were able to identify several changes in its genetic material that were associated with increased disease.

Professor Julian Hiscox, who led the study from the University’s Institute of Infection and Global Health, explains: “The work tells us that the evolutionary goal of Ebola virus is to become more fatal.”

“We were able to show through genetic analysis which parts of the virus are involved in this process. The information we have gathered will now allow us to monitor for such changes in an outbreak as well as develop future treatment strategies.”

Professor Roger Hewson, leading the study from Public Health England, Porton Down, said: “Ebola virus is such a destructive infection to the people affected by the disease and the economy of West Africa.”

“Our understanding of Ebola virus biology is way behind that of other viruses and our cooperation shows how we can bring together our specialists’ skills to close this knowledge gap.”

Professor Miles Carroll, a co-author of the work, said: “This study has allowed the team to be at the forefront of developing methodologies to analyze patient samples recently taken by the European Mobile Laboratory from West Africa to understand disease evolution during the current outbreak.”

1. What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?

A．How severe Ebola virus is.

B．How Ebola virus spreads.

C．How Ebola virus gradually becomes deadly.

D．What contributions scientists have made on Ebola virus.

2. Which of the following statements is mentioned in the passage?

A．In the first stage, the virus hurts its victims much.

B．As the virus spreads, it’ll change and become more and more deadly.

C．The research in Ebola virus is more advanced than that in other viruses.

D．The scientists have a negative attitude to the research in Ebola virus.

3. The underlined word “fatal” has the closest meaning to ______.

A．optimistic	B．deadly
C．common	D．fantastic

4. Where can we probably read this passage?

A．In a science report.	B．In a storybook.
C．In an advertisement.	D．In a textbook.

【推荐3】I've enjoyed countless gatherings of Thanksgiving, from traditional family gatherings to feasts with many new faces. Yet at age 65, I have never spent the holiday with a husband or children of my own.

If you feel pity for me, please don’t — I am proud of the decision I made decades ago to change from life’s conventional road map, and I have no regrets about it. I enjoy being alone.

I found my life deeply rewarding. At the same time, I was fascinated with the question of why my adult life as a single person was not as valued by the people around me or by society. When people learned I was single with no children, they assumed my life had a hole that needed filling.

I wondered: Was it just me, or were other single people viewed the same way? I teamed up with my colleague, Wendy Morris, and she and I began a series of studies investigating how people characterize single and married people. The research shows that single people typically have more friends than married people do. They also do more to help, support, and stay in touch with their parents, friends, and neighbors.

I’ve lived my life in cheerful, unapologetic refusal of the “get married, have kids” road map. But getting married is deeply ingrained in our society, and it can be difficult to break completely free of the marriage-plus-children ideal.

The research and the books, though, are not enough. We all need to think about life more open-mindedly. Instead of asking whether you do or don't want to marry or have kids, ask: What will make your life meaningful and fulfilling? When you think about it that way, the possibilities are limitless.

1. What do we know about the author?

A．She enjoys living in a lonely house.	B．She seldom stays with her husband.
C．She feels regretful about her life.	D．She prefers to live her life alone.

2. How do the people think about the author’s single life?

A．rewarding	B．empty
C．valuable	D．fascinating

3. What did the author find in her research?

A．Single people are more helpful.	B．Single people are not respected.
C．Married people have few friends.	D．Married people are careless in life.

4. What's the meaning of the underlined word “ingrained” in the fifth paragraph?

A．influenced	B．disturbed
C．rooted	D．hurt

【推荐1】How many more people can we squeeze onto our fragile planet?   Surely, the Earth must be full? Pretending that human numbers can grow forever, with no ill-effects, is at best innocent and at worst utterly irresponsible.

Biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, deforestation, water and food shortages — these are all worsened by our huge and ever-increasing numbers. Yet governments and most environmental groups choose to sidestep this giant elephant in the room. The human population was just 2.6 billion in 1950. But it has been 7.7 billion today and according to the UN it will reach 9.7 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion by the end of the century. Where will so many people live? How will we feed them?

Unless we diffuse this “population bomb”, by the end of the century we will need several Earths to survive. But we can’t have several Earths, and so we will face a future of increasing poverty, food shortages, conflict and environmental degradation.

Admittedly, not everyone agrees with the UN’s predictions. But even the doubters calculate that the human population will grow to 8 or 9 billion sometime between 2040 and 2060. Ultimately, there has to be a limit.

The good news is that the human populations of about two dozen countries, from Poland and Italy to Cuba and Japan, are now decreasing. But that’s not true of most countries. The cradle of overpopulation is in Africa, which is where more than half of global population growth is expected to occur: from 1.3 billion people in 2020 to 4.3 billion in 2100.

The solution isn’t rocket science. There are two drivers of population growth:   birth rates and longevity. We all aim to grow old, after all, but we can reduce birth rates. That’s not to say that anyone should be denied the right to have many children as they like. But it’s a fact that wherever women are empowered and literated, have help with family planning and have access to medical care, they generally choose to have fewer children. And the birth rate falls.

So why the stony silence? Why such a failure of leadership from governments and environmental groups? I think it’s for two reasons. First, calls for population control are often believed racist: relatively rich people in the developed world   blaming poor people in the developing world. Second, it is often thought insincere. The problem is as much about consumerism as it is about population growth: westerners are consuming more and more, so it appears as if they are blaming the   poor for the excesses of the rich. Most population growth is, indeed, taking place among those who consume almost nothing. But the uncomfortable truth is that we all need to consume much less.

Whatever the complications, we urgently need a UN Framework Convention on Population, just as we have for climate change. Either we limit our population growth or the natural world will do it for us.

1. What are the first three paragraphs mainly about?

A．Environmental degradation made by humans.

B．The increasing poverty coming with illnesses.

C．The problems resulting from the growing population.

D．Water shortages caused by climate change and pollution.

2. How do governments react to human population?

A．They are too busy with other problems to solve it.

B．They avoid seeking solutions to reduce population.

C．They know the consequence and face the problem.

D．They think the population will decline in the future.

3. What is practical for birth control according to the passage?

A．Consuming much less than before.

B．Removing the right to have more children.

C．Decreasing population in developed areas.

D．Educating women and providing health care.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the ever-increasing human population?

A．Neutral.	B．Concerned.
C．Skeptical.	D．Indifferent.

【推荐2】For most of us, swinging (摆动) 360 degrees around the spindle (轴) of a swing set is a distant childhood dream, but for some people in Estonia, it’s what they never grow out of. Not only do they still love struggling against gravity (重力), but they actually have created a competitive sport around their favorite entertainment. That sport is known as “kiiking”.

Swings are deep in Estonian culture, and you can still find various types of swings in villages and towns all around the country. They are used by children and adults alike, either for simple fun, or as a way for communities to bond during celebrations. So maybe it doesn’t come as a big surprise that Estonia has an extreme sport based on swinging. Some people see it as dull, others as pointless, but to those who practice it, kiiking is the coolest thing in the world.

The rules of kiiking are pretty simple. Competitors start swinging at a certain height, and if they can complete a full circuit (圈) around the spindle, they can try to do the same after the swing has been raised a little, and so on. Those who fail to do a full spindle are left with the result of their last successful try.

Watching kiiking videos might give you the impression that it’s an easy sport, but Laansalu, who has been practicing it since she was 8 years old, says it requires both great physical strength-strong legs and strong arms-and technique-knowing when to stand or sit in the swing chair, when to push yourself over the spindle of the swing and how to avoid injury.

Small groups of kiikers have been appearing in other countries, including the United States, but now it is still considered as an Estonian sport. There are no international kiiking competitions yet, but Estonia has several national kiiking events throughout the year.

1. What can we know about kiiking?

A．It is very easy and safe.

B．It is intended for children.

C．It is an international sport.

D．It is developed from swinging.

2. What should competitors pay attention to in kiiking according to the text?

A．The strength of the swing.

B．The way to push themselves.

C．The time to stand or sit on the swing.

D．The position where they end the sport.

3. What decides the success in kiiking?

A．The number of circuits he completes.

B．The height where he completes a full circuit.

C．How long it takes to complete a full circuit.

D．How long he performs on the swing.

【推荐3】When I was young, I dreamed of becoming many things. Sometimes, I wished I were an astronaut going up into space, finding new planets and jumping around in a cool space suit. Other times, I imagined being a cowboy in the Wild West, wearing stylish cowboy boots. On other occasions, I pretended to be a famous footballer, using my skills to score lots of goals for my team.

Looking back, I realized that the imagination is a wonderful thing. I was able to create entire environments and scenarios in my head, using nothing more than my brain, and to be able to adapt things in my everyday surroundings to fit the specific story of the day. Growing up with siblings（兄弟姐妹）also helped, as it meant that even bigger stories, as sometimes I could be the hero while on other occasions, I would be the bad guy.

One of my all-time favorite memories as a kid was playing in my back garden. I played the role of Indiana Jones, with my younger sister as my assistant and my brother as a bad person. We used everything in our gardens, from the path to the fence, as part of the storyline to create obstacles that needed to be overcome, and we would keep the story going for hours!

My personal favorite was Indiana Jones and the Stolen Easter Eggs, where my brother hid small chocolate eggs around the garden and my sister and I had to find them by answering questions or solving a puzzle. It was difficult, but eventually we found all the eggs and shared them together.

Since then, I have seen many great things and met many amazing people. The elements of fun and variety of my imagination are what I try to bring into every part of my life, and I enjoy sharing with and hearing about other people's stories, too.

1. How does the author describe himself as a child?

A．He was longing to experience adventurous things.

B．He was always imagine a bright life for his future.

C．He enjoyed living a life full of freedom on his own.

D．He knew clearly what he would do when becoming an adult.

2. The underlined word “scenarios" means ________ in the second paragraph.

A．imaginations

B．positions

C．constructions

D．situations

3. What do you think of Indiana Jones in the passage?

A．It's an interesting film that the author liked to see.

B．It's an important person in the author's country.

C．It's a tough puzzle almost nobody can solve.

D．It's a funny game which amused only children.

4. We can infer from the last paragraph that________.

A．the author is a famous writer now

B．the author is living a positive life

C．the author takes great pride in himself

D．the author always makes people amazed