【推荐1】Fearmongering (散布恐慌) against China more dangerous to global economy than coronavirus.

After weeks of attempting to make chaos and spread fear about the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic in China, some overseas media outlets and individuals have shifted focus to another battlefield — the Chinese economy. They paint a rather dark picture not just for the Chinese economy but for the global economy.

    1    People cannot help but panic about the global economy, which is already facing serious challenges like trade wars. It is easy to point fingers at China for “causing” such a mess for the world.

Anyway, these media outlets are right about a couple of things.     2     After all, consumers across the country are trapped in their homes and businesses and factories have been shut for a good part of this year. Second, we have to be fully aware of these challenges and risks in order to address the problem. The first step to solve a problem is to recognize there is one.

    3     If not, why would they invest hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy if they weren’t aware of the problem? Why would they roll out a great number of measures to support businesses?    4    

Regardless of how severe the impact will be, the epidemic does not change the fundamentals of the Chinese economy.    5     There will be no reason that the vast Chinese consumer market will abruptly disappear or the world will suddenly no longer need products from the massive Chinese manufacturing sector, not to mention the country’s huge investment projects. So it can be safe to say that fearmongering against China is more dangerous to global economy than coronavirus.

A．With the effective measures taken by the whole country, the epidemic will be definitely under control.

B．Certainly, that paints a completely different picture we have seen from abroad.

C．First, the epidemic will make the Chinese economy suffer a little.

D．Still, there are many indicators to look for in assessing the potential damage on the Chinese and global economies.

E．Their articles are filled with scary headlines and exaggerated (夸大的) facts.

F．Why would they take extraordinary risks in encouraging factories to restart production?

G．Actually, Chinese officials have been very clear about the potential impact of the epidemic on the economy.

【推荐2】As the G20 Leaders Summit(峰会)kicked off on Sept 4, Hangzhou, the host city, took measures to promote its reputation for entrepreneurship(企业), as well as its many beauty sports, to those overseas people.

Although many may have been surprised when Hangzhou was chosen to host the summit over bigger cities such as Beijing or Shanghai, economic statistics suggest that it’s well deserving of the honor.

When the national economy grew at 6.7 percent in the first half of this year, the lowest in more than two decades, Hangzhou steamed ahead with a huge 10.8 percent growth, becoming one of the only two cities in China, alongside Chongqing, with a double-digit growth rate.

Walking along the streets of Hangzhou, through centuries-old paths and along the Broadway—like Yan’an Avenue, a tourist can pick up whatever he or she wants with just a smartphone, via Alipay or WeChat Pay---no cash or credit cards needed.

And starting this month, one can also rent public bikes simply by scanning the QR code(二维码)with a smartphone.

Meanwhile, a short video showing the beauty of Zhejiang Province and its capital, Hangzhou, was being aired on CNBC channels during prime time until Sept 12.

The promotional video, created by CNBC’s Catalyst Content Studio, highlighted some of Hangzhou’s most charming attractions.

From eye-pleasing beauty spots like the Qiantang River and West Lake to the towering headquarters of leading Internet corporations, the promo(宣传片)showed how the city built its culture on a long history of commerce and developed into a vast modern center of technology, imports and exports.

1. According to the passage, _________ and Hangzhou became the only two cities in China with a two-digit growth rate in the first half of this year.

A．Beijing	B．Chongqing
C．Shanghai	D．Tianjin

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Visitors can’t use cash or credit cards to buy things

B．Only by scanning the QR code with mobile phones can people rent public bikes

C．A short video about Hangzhou would be broadcast on CNBC channel on Sept 12.

D．Visitors can buy whatever they want through WeChat Pay on mobile phones

3. The author of the passage aims to ____________-.

A．explain why Hangzhou was chosen to host the summit

B．introduce the promotional video, created by CNBC’s Catalyst Content Studio

C．show the beauty of Qiantang River and West Lake

D．present the G20 Leaders Summit

4. This passage is most probably taken from __________-.

A．a science textbook	B．a tourist map
C．a city guide	D．a news report

【推荐1】Do you know Ma Yun? He is the founder and chairman of Alibaba Group. Ma was born in Hangzhou. At an early age, Ma wanted to learn English so he rode his bike each morning in order to go to a nearby hotel and talked with foreigners. He would guide them around the city for free in order to practise and improve his English.

Ma was never afraid of failure in his youth. Although he failed the College Entrance Examination three times, Ma entered Hangzhou Normal University(师范大学). He majored in English and graduated in 1988. While at school, Ma was elected student chairman. He later became a lecturer(讲师) in English and International Trade at the Hangzhou Dianzi University.

In the early 1995, he went to the United States, and with the help of his friend he got introduced to the Internet. In April 1995, Ma, his wife and a friend collected twenty thousand dollars and started an Internet company. He named their company“China Yellow Pages”. Within three years, his company had made 5,000,000 Chinese Yuan. In 1999, he decided to give up his job in the US, and went back to Hangzhou with his team in order to found Alibaba. Alibaba is a China-based business-to-business marketplace site on the Internet, which serves more than 79 million members from more than 240 countries and areas.In September 2014 Alibaba became one of the most valuable companies in the world. Ma Yun became one of the most successful businessmen in China.

1. Why did Ma Yun guide foreigners around the city for free?

A．Because he wanted to practise his spoken English

B．Because he was a translator

C．Because he was a volunteer

D．Because he wanted to prove himself

2. What is the name of Ma Yun’s first company?

A．China Yellow Pages	B．Hangzhou Dianzi
C．Alibaba	D．Taobao

3. Which is the right order of the following events according to the passage?
a.Ma Yun started an internet company “China Yellow Pages”
b.Ma Yun founded Alibaba
c.Ma Yun went back to Hangzhou with his team in 1999
d.He became a teacher in English and International Trade

A．a-b-c-d

B．c-d-a-b

C．b-c-a-d

D．d-a-c-b

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．The story of Alibaba

B．The story of China Yellow Pages

C．The story of Ma Yun

D．How Ma Yun Learned English

【推荐3】You may know the English letters A, B and C. But do you know there are people called ABC? You may like eating bananas. But do you know there are such people with the name of   "banana person"? How strange! Are these people from "another planet"? No. They are just Chinese people like you and me.

ABC means American—born—Chinese. An ABC is a Chinese, but was born in the United States. Sometimes, people call an ABC a "banana person". A banana is yellow outside and white inside. So, a “banana person” is white inside--thinking like a Westerner and yellow outside-looking like a Chinese.

Do you know why? Usually, ABCs know little about China or the Chinese language. Some of them do not speak Chinese. Also, they are not interested in Chinese politics. But if ABC cannot speak Chinese, can we still call them Chinese people? Yes, of course. They are Chinese. They are overseas Chinese. These people may be citizens of another country, like the US, England or

Canada, but they have Chinese blood. Their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents were from China. They all have black eyes and black hair. But they are not Chinese citizens. They are not people of the People's Republic of China. For example, we all know the famous scientist C.N.Yang. He got the Noble Prize in 1957. Chinese people love him. But he is an American citizen.

1. Chinese in Western countries are called "banana persons" because _________

A．their bodies are white inside but yellow outside

B．they think like westerners but look like Chinese

C．they were born in China but go to study in American

D．they were born in American but work in China

2. The underlined word “ blood ” may probably means _________ in the passage.

A．blood relationship	B．a large water flow
C．blood sample	D．lose blood from one’s body

3. C.N.Yang is mentioned here to show that _________.

A．American Chinese are great	B．Chinese people can win Noble Prize
C．American Chinese aren’t Chinese citizens	D．we don’t like him

4. This passage mainly talks about _________.

A．Chinese	B．the Noble Prize
C．the story of C.N.Yang	D．the meaning of “ABC”

【推荐1】In ancient times, our ancestors relied on stars to guide them on a clear night. Today, we have navigational systems to help us find our way, with the latest being the Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).

The BDS is entirely built by Chinese engineers. With the launch of the last satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on June 23, the global network of 59 satellites has been completed. On July 31, Beidou started providing full-scale global services. It’s difficult to imagine the dramatic impact those satellites, orbiting the Earth, have on our daily lives.

When you unlock one of Hellobike’s bicycles, you are using the BDS. The popular bike-sharing company came out with two new bike models this year that are equipped with the positioning service. “The intelligent lock on each bike receives Beidou satellite signals and sends positioning information to the data center, which will help collect big data on the bikes and estimate users’ riding demands in advance according to the data,” Chu Yiqun, a manager of Hellobike told Xinhua News Agency. Users can also find shared bikes more accurately thanks to Beidou’s global positioning accuracy of 2.34 meters.

However, the BDS doesn’t just work one way. As the country’s largest space-based system and one of four global navigation networks, along with the United States’ GPS, Russia’s GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo, Beidou adopts a unique two-way communication system, including its ability to receive messages sent by people from areas with poor communication signals. Obviously, this exclusive function isn’t designed for users to chat online. Instead, it plays a role when disasters occur and communications are blocked.

After the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, all ground-based communication facilities were interrupted. Though the first generation of Beidou could only send 120 characters in a single message at that time, communication between affected areas and rescue centers was successful. Now, Beidou’s messaging capacity has been increased to 1,200 Chinese characters in a single message. It is widely used in disaster alarms, automatic identification and information release.

As Sun Jiadong, former chief designer of the BDS said: “The application of Beidou is merely limited by imagination.”

1. What can we know about Beidou from the passage?

A．It’s able to provide worldwide coverage for navigation.

B．Its last satellite was launched in Xichang on July 31.

C．It’s one of the five global navigation networks.

D．It’s jointly developed by Chinese and foreign engineers.

2. Why is Hellobike mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．To present the benefits and limitations of the BDS.

B．To highlight the high positioning accuracy of the BDS.

C．To show how the BDS makes people’s daily lives easier.

D．To explain the unique way in which the BDS works.

3. What is the function of Beidou’s two-way communication system?

A．To collect instant feedback sent by global users.

B．To allow users to chat online more conveniently.

C．To make communication more fun and efficient.

D．To help people when communication signals are weak.

4. What do Sun Jiadong’s words in the last paragraph imply?

A．Beidou stimulates users’ imagination.	B．Beidou may be more helpful than we know.
C．Beidou is currently limited in application.	D．Beidou needs to be further perfected.

【推荐2】The juries entered.

I stood beside the lawyer and my brother, Jimmy. It reminded me of our childhood—as things often did—when we played the game “Simon Says”, we would react at the same time in harmony when hearing all kinds of orders. “Simon says jump, Simon says touch your toes”—it was almost the same. Almost. When we grew up, my brother had chosen a separate life, leaving me alone. I missed him a lot.

Today, though, we were together, standing in court, waiting for the sentence.

The guilty verdict was read. I sat down, but my brother cried, “No! I’m innocent.” And then he turned to me, yelling, “How can you do this to me, James! I finally can make a new life by myself.”

“Stop this,” the judge yelled, “the juries have made the decision.”

“But it’s not fair!” my brother replied, “I didn’t kill anyone.”

I wished I could explain, but I said nothing because this is the only way we can be together again.

The judge pulled his glasses from his face. “By law…”

“The law is unjust,” my brother said.

The judge wiped his eyes, and, to my surprise, said calmly. “Yes,” he nodded his glasses aside. “I agree with you about that. Law is meant to protect the innocent. And you certainly seem innocent. But how can I tell? You two are clones. Your faces, your fingerprints, even your DNA match exactly. That’s why when one is found guilty, all others…”

The judge sighed, replaced his glasses, and banged the hammer. “I sentence you both to twenty years.”

Together, the court guard led us away. My brother’s head bowed in defeat, but I walked upright, for I would no longer be alone.

1. How did James think of their childhood?

A．He felt sorry for Jimmy.	B．He had been in court before.
C．He felt guilty about his past.	D．He missed the good old days.

2. What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．Two boys had nothing in common.	B．The two brothers behaved alike.
C．They once quarreled with each other.	D．Neither of them liked living together.

3. What do we know about the law from the text?

A．Cloned brothers should live together.	B．The cloning of human being is forbidden.
C．Cloned brothers are both guilty if one is guilty.	D．Cloned brothers can live apart when growing up.

4. What can be inferred from the text?

A．James was innocent.	B．Jimmy did kill someone.
C．James knew nothing about the law.	D．James took advantage of the law.

【推荐3】Tiny water plants called phytoplankton (浮游植物) serve as food for many sea creatures, including whales, shrimp, jellyfish and snails.

Phytoplankton do well in cold water. But if water temperatures rise by only two degrees Celsius, the phytoplankton struggle. That is what happened in the last three or four years in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. Researchers say an unusual area of warm water spread throughout the Northern Pacific. Scientists called the warm water ''the blob'', as if it were a character in an old science fiction movie. At its largest, the blob stretched 1,600 square kilometers and reached depths of 91 meters. This large mass of warm water had a damaging effect on the ocean food chain. Many fish that depend on phytoplankton swam away from the area. As a result, sea birds and sea lions that eat those fish starved.

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Washington have found that the warm ocean ''blob'' caused a harmful algae bloom. That fast growth in algae hurt fishing grounds along the U.S. West Coast and Canada's British Columbia. The researchers recently published their study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. They looked at the algae, called P. australis. They found that the algae can grow much faster than normal if it is exposed to warm water. The higher levels of algae also produced more of a poisonous chemical that can cause problems for everything from shellfish to dolphins to sea lions. It also causes problems for humans if too much of the chemical builds up in their blood.

Researchers say algae blooms like this one will continue as ocean waters warm. The algae will hurt sea animals, birds, and fish. It may damage food resources for humans all over the world, the scientists say.

1. The root cause of the starvation of sea birds or sea lions is_____.

A．the depths of the vase sea

B．the large mass of warm water

C．the large amount of polluted sea water

D．the increasingly reduced phytoplankton in the sea

2. From the text, we can know that P. australis is the name of a(n) _____.

A．phytoplankton	B．fish
C．algae	D．bird

3. The following statements are true EXCEPT_____.

A．Generally, the algae grow much faster than normal if exposed to cool water.

B．The phytoplankton is very sensitive to the rise of water temperature.

C．More algae can bring about a poisonous chemical which endangers sea creatures.

D．Algae blooms will affect not only the existence of sea creatures but also that of humans the world over.

4. The text is most probably taken from_____.

A．a research paper	B．a geography textbook
C．a class presentation	D．a newspaper report

【推荐1】One summer night, the whole family of Irene was asleep with the windows open. It was very quiet when there was a loud noise from the stable(马厩）.Irene woke up from her sweet dream,and the noise continued.Then she heard a horse running fast towards the house.The next thing she saw was her horse,Thunder,standing outside of her window,neighing(嘶叫） and shaking his head.She knew something was wrong.Irene quickly got everyone out of the house before the earthquake hit.Thunder saved her life.

As amazing as this story is,it is not as uncommon as you may hear of the story of Doris and her cat Maggie.One night,Doris was in a deep sleep when she was woken by her cat Maggie.Maggie was meowing wildly outside Doris's bedroom and throwing herself against the closed bedroom door.When Doris opened her eyes,she saw her bedroom full of smoke.As she escaped her house,she saw a fire was burning in her kitchen.Even though Maggie could have escaped the house through a cat door,she wouldn't leave Doris.

There are also stories of wild animals coming to the rescue of humans.Once,Lyndon was surfing with his friend when he was attacked by a four-meter shark.During the attack,a group of dolphins came to his rescue by forming protective ring around Lyndon until be could get safely to shore.Without the help of the dolphins,there is little chance that Lyndon could have escaped.

No one is sure why animals have so often come to our rescue.However,it is clear that most of us haven't realized their kindness.It is important that we care for them as much as we can.

1. What was Irene doing before the earthquake hit?

A．She was sleeping soundly.

B．She was opening the windows.

C．She was visiting her neighbors.

D．She was getting her horse out of the stable.

2. Why did Maggie throw herself against the door?

A．She was afraid of smoke.

B．She wanted to get out of the room.

C．She was trying to wake up her owner.

D．She felt bored and was playing by herself.

3. What do we know about Maggie and Thunder?

A．They were shy and quiet.

B．They were brave and devoted.

C．They often made noise at night.

D．They saved their owners some times.

4. What can we know from the article?

A．It is clear why animals often save humans.

B．Humans haven't realized animals' s kindness

C．Humans have a good relationship with animals.

D．Animals can often come to the rescue of humans.

【推荐2】About 12 years ago, I began making a series of dolls called “Wee Forest Folk”. At first, I made them from cloth but then began using a kind of polymer clay (软陶) called Cernit. The cloth dolls were beautiful, but it was impossible to get the level of details (细节) I can get with clay.

First, I use wire (金属丝) to build the shape of the doll. Then I cover the head, hands, and feet around the wire by using the Cernit. Then I make the doll's clothes myself, using lots of different materials. The completed dolls are fixed onto hardwood bases made by my father, Jim Logan.

Generally, the dolls show older people taking part in traditional activities. I've always had a great respect for the older generation.

Inspiration for the dolls often comes from people I know. Once I was caught looking too closely at the wrinkles (皱纹) on the face of one of my mom's friends. But I explained that her laughter lines made her more attractive.

Now I work as a teacher's assistant, and while I was raising my two daughters, Keri and Sheryl, I could work on the dolls only late at night. The girls loved to come downstairs the next morning to see who'd arrived in the night.

It's the detail that I enjoy working on the most. I once made a fisherman doll for a lady to give her father, including a tiny creel — a basket used by fishermen for carrying fish. When the man got the doll, he immediately opened the creel to see what was inside. Luckily, I'd made a small fish out of Cernit and placed it in the basket.

Hopefully my story will inspire others to try their hand at doll making — I find it very relaxing and interesting.

1. The dolls called “Wee Forest Folk” were________．

A．totally handmade

B．mainly made of cloth

C．usually for small kids

D．often designed by the author's father

2. Why did the author look closely at her mother's friend's face?

A．To guess her age.

B．To get creative ideas.

C．To give her a surprise.

D．To find out why she was so attractive.

3. The author tells the story of the fisherman doll to show that________．

A．it takes much effort to make a doll

B．it is difficult to satisfy everyone

C．the old also love her dolls

D．her dolls have fine details

【推荐3】It’s said that every Irish “mammy” has her own way to cook Irish stew(炖菜). Simple but satisfying, it has fed the poor over centuries, which makes it a national dish.

The ingredients tell the story. First up, there’s the “spud”, as the Irish call the potato. First brought to Ireland in the 16th century, it was an unbelievable food, providing bumper crops that could be stored over the cold winter months. Soon, everyone was eating it — for breakfast, lunch and tea.

With the arrival of the spud, the population increased from one million to eight million in less than three centuries. But this dependence on the vegetable would prove disastrous when crops were struck by disease in the 1840s. The great famine(饥荒)that followed killed over a million people — and forced millions more to run to other countries. It’s hard to believe that during the years of famine, Ireland continued to export huge quantities of food to Great Britain, its colonial master at the time.

Today, Ireland is an independent nation. Nobody thinks about the potato famine as they enjoy their Irish stew but there’s a bone-deep awareness of the country’s long connection with the spud.

Potatoes are all well and good, but the stew gets its taste from the meat. It used to be made with mutton as it was the only meat available to the poor. However, the only way to make it good enough to eat was to stew it in the pot for hours.

Today, most people use lamb. However, this remains slightly traditional among purists, who also criticize(批评)the addition of ingredients like carrots, parsnips, thyme and supermarket-bought materials.

1. Why was the potato called an unbelievable food in the 16th century?

A．It could be accepted by both the poor and the rich.	B．It could be cooked into many delicious dishes.
C．It could be kept for a long time.	D．It could grow in winter in Ireland.

2. What did the dependence on the potato lead to in the 1840s?

A．The growing population.	B．A very serious famine.
C．A war between Ireland and Britain.	D．Millions of people rushing to Ireland.

3. What is the most important step when cooking Irish stew?

A．Stewing the dish for hours.	B．Using enough potatoes.
C．Picking up the high-quality lamb.	D．Adding different kinds of ingredients.

4. What is this text mainly about?

A．Ways to cook Irish stew.	B．The present situation of Irish stew.
C．The importance of potatoes.	D．An Irish national dish about potatoes.