【推荐2】Will Smith jumped into a live volcano and kayaked (划皮艇) down an Icelandic whitewater river for his latest project. But he wasn’t making an action movie. It was personal.

Smith, a Hollywood leading man who admits that he’s far from enjoying outdoor activities, has put himself in danger while filming Welcome to Earth, a Disney original series from National Geographic. He was afraid at that time, but he says “It’s really difficult to enjoy things if you’re scared. I think the ability to see how beautiful things are is directly connected to your openness to them and fear closes you down.”

Smith says he was once scared of everything and hated water, but he learns to read the rapids (急流) while whitewater kayaking, rescues turtles near the Great Barrier Reef and goes 3,000 feet below the sea in a deep-water submarine.

Dr. Albert Lin, an engineer and explorer who has uncovered lost cities previously for National Geographic,was astonished to find that Smith was able to control his fears even in the face of real danger. While diving in the underground lake in Namibia, Smith got into trouble and Lin watched him “dropping at a rate that felt like maybe we wouldn’t see him again. “But Smith was able to control his mind and deal with the situation. “I respected Will Smith, the actor, before, but now I definitely have grown to truly respect Will Smith, the human being,” says Lin.

Produced by famous filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, the series carries on the tradition of National Geographic pushing the exploring envelope (极限) and employing the latest technology to help us understand our world. “I hope this can help people out there get a sense of how absolutely incredible our planet is,” says Lin.

The experts Smith has paired with teach him about speed, smell and sound and the colors out there he might miss. “You can’t really want to protect something that you don’t understand. And you can’t want to protect something that you can’t recognize as beautiful,” Smith says.

1. What enables you to enjoy beautiful things according to Smith?

A．Respect for nature.	B．Spirit of adventure.
C．Openness to change.	D．Ability to find beauty.

2. What happened to Smith in Namibia?

A．He found a lost city.	B．He nearly lost his life in a lake.
C．He entered a diving competition.	D．He went deep under the sea in a submarine.

3. What can be learned about “Welcome to Earth” from paragraph 5?

A．It applied advanced technology.	B．It targets potential explorers.
C．It explains the origin of our planet.	D．It won important film awards.

4. Where is the text probably from?

A．A diary.	B．A guidebook.
C．A movie magazine.	D．A book review.

【推荐3】Ne Zha, the most successful film in the summer of 2019, has become the all-time highest-grossing (票房之冠) animation (动画) film in China. After the box-office success of Ne Zha, Yang Yu, the director of the film has risen to fame overnight.

Yang, who has himself struggled for more than 10 years in his career is somewhat of a real-life model for the main role in the film. Yang was born in a doctor’s family. As his parents thought a hospital job would be stable, Yang studied medicine in college. But his interest in animation changed his life. When most of his classmates chose to work as medical professionals after graduation, Yang stayed at home for three and a half years to make a short animation film. Yang recalls that period was like “living in a space station”, as his routine activities were limited in their small family apartment.

A turning point came in 2009, when Yang’s directorial debut (处女作), See Through, was quite a hit after it was released. The film got more than 30 awards at home and abroad.

The success inspired him to establish an animation studio in Chengdu, but in the following six years. Yang struggled to get help to fund an animation film. In 2014, Coloroom Pictures reached out to him for a film on the mythological (神话的) figure Ne Zha.

Hiring around 1,600 members from over 20 animation companies, the film took five years for production, with Ne Zha’s new screen image—a boy with ugly teeth and dark circles around his eyes. It was a big change because over the past 40 years, Ne Zha had been played by handsome actors in TV dramas and movies. “We wanted a breakthrough and wished to convey a message that it’s the inside personality that decides who you are.” Yang explains.

1. What do we learn about Ne Zha directed by Yang Yu?

A．It has become the highest-grossing film in China.

B．It has already earned over 4.9 million yuan so far.

C．Its success made its director very famous.

D．It is the most successful film in the world in 2019.

2. What did Yang’s parents want him to become after graduation?

A．A director.

B．A doctor

C．An actor

D．A teacher.

3. What has Ne Zha changed greatly in this animation film directed by Yang Yu?

A．Character

B．action

C．language

D．appearance

4. Which of the following proverb will Yang Yu likely use to convey his message through the breakthrough?

A．You can not judge a book by its cover.	B．An early bird catches worms.
C．A friend in need is a friend indeed.	D．Actions speak louder than words.

【推荐1】Fright caught Spencer’s heart, as he saw his lifelong friend fall in the battle of World War I. He asked his Lieutenant(陆军中尉) if he could go out to bring his fallen companion back.

“You can go,” said the Lieutenant, “but don’t think it will be worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your life away.”

The Lieutenant’s words didn’t matter, and he went anyway.

Finally, he managed to reach his friend, raised him onto his shoulder and brought him back to their company’s trench(战壕).

The officer checked the wounded soldier, then looked kindly at his friend. “I told you it wouldn’t be worth it,” he said. “Your friend is dead and you are badly wounded.”

“It was worth it, Sir,” said Spencer.

“What do you mean by worth it?” responded the Lieutenant. “Your friend is dead.”

“Yes Sir,” He answered, “but it was worth it because when I got to him, he was still alive and I had the satisfaction of hearing him say “Man... I knew you would come!”

Many a time in life, whether a thing is worth doing really depends on how you look at it. Take up all your courage and do something your heart tells you to do so that you may not be sorry for not doing it.

1. What did Spencer do during World War I?

A．He brought back the body of one soldier.

B．He fought against enemies with all his courage.

C．He successfully save the life of one fallen companion.

D．He developed a lifelong friendship with another soldier.

2. Why didn’t the officer thought Spencer’s action would be worth?

A．Because Spencer failed to earn his praise.

B．Because Spencer didn’t follow his order strictly.

C．Because Spencer would be punished for his action later.

D．Because Spencer might have lost his own life in the action.

3. According to the text, Spencer is ______.

A．generous and honest	B．brave and reliable
C．easy-going and selfish	D．stubborn and self-centered

4. The author wants to advise us to ______.

A．do everything with your courage	B．catch the heart of your loved one
C．choose what you think worthy to do	D．take up your courage to make friends

【推荐3】A few years ago, at a medical laboratory clinic in Waterloo, an elderly woman sat on the edge of a waiting room chair singing the tune “My Heart Will Go On”. With little effort, she sent her sweet voice exploding into every comer of the clinic.

I was there with my father when the woman arrived. She settled into the seat directly across from my father. Because she was so tiny, she had to sit on the edge of the chair so her feet could touch the floor. It seemed as though she was sitting forward to start a conversation with him. I was concerned about how my father would react to the possible invasion of his space. He was 77 and had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for several years. Since Alzheimers has a tendency to destroy a person’s patience, Dad had had a few challenging experiences in the past. I couldn’t help but think that this woman was playing with fire.

Her singing began gently. My father was staring right at her. I couldn’t read his expression, but it seemed to be something like confusion. I wondered whether he was actually looking at her or if he was lost somewhere deep in his mind. Or maybe he was trying to discover whether this was someone he should know. That was what was happening now: no polite smile, no friendly nod. Just a stare. This lack of important acknowledgment didn’t deter the little woman one bit and her singing slowly got louder. Getting to the chorus, she was totally lost in her own singing with her eyes shut.

Still, I watched for any signs of an outburst of anger. But he didn’t show any signs of an explosion. Instead, his face softened and he was starting to look entertained. When her song ended, the woman opened her eyes. My dad was still looking directly at her. ‘‘That was beautiful,” he said. And she smiled and said, “Thank you.”

1. Why did the author worry about the woman’s sitting opposite?

A．Her father might lose his privacy.

B．Her father was likely to get annoyed.

C．Her father could be reminded of the past.

D．Her father had no patience with strangers.

2. What does the underlined word “deter” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Panic.

B．Confuse.

C．Surprise.

D．Discourage.

3. How did the author find her father’s final behaviour?

A．Typical.

B．Awkward.

C．Unexpected.

D．Unacceptable.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A song awakens my father

B．Music is the best medicine

C．A tune draws people closer

D．Classics will always live on

【推荐1】Sometimes pets are more than we can handle, like when a small puppy grows up to be a huge dog. People can usually find a new home for a big dog, but a giant pet snake is not so easy to give away. As a result, some people in Florida have released their pet pythons into the wilderness of the Florida Everglades. Problem solved? Only for the pet owners.

The snakes that are the biggest problem are Burmese pythons. These snakes are not native to the Everglades. Pet dealers originally brought them to the United States from Southeast Asia. Because Burmese pythons are not native, they disrupt the natural order of the Everglades’ ecosystem.

The snakes’ size and strength are also a problem. Burmese pythons can grow to be 20 feet long. There are reports of terrifying battles between pythons and alligators in the Everglades. Even more worrisome is the impact on creatures that are no match for the monster snakes. For example, biologists have discovered endangered birds, bobcats, and wood rats in pythons’ stomachs.

Another effect of python dumping is the spread of these snakes beyond the Everglades. Pythons swim well and can move more than a mile a day on land. In addition, one snake can produce nearly 100 eggs. Their wide range of movement and high rate of birth means that the snakes can quickly overrun a habitat.

As a result of this scary scenario, Florida park rangers, wildlife officials, and others are on “python patrol.” They capture and kill Burmese pythons to try to keep the numbers under control. There is also a greater effort to teach people about the responsibilities of keeping a python.

1. Which of these has caused Burmese pythons to be found in the Florida Everglades?

A．Pet owners who let them go.	B．Pet dealers who released them into the wild.
C．The large number of eggs the snakes produce.	D．The snakes’ ability to swim and move well.

2. One effect of pythons in the Everglades is         .

A．they can even grow to 20 feet long	B．they put endangered animals at greater risk
C．biologists can study them in the natural habitat	D．they control the alligator population

3. The underlined word “dumping” in Paragraph 4 means          .

A．selling unwanted goods very cheaply	B．moving information from a computer
C．putting something down carelessly	D．getting rid of something unwanted

4. According to the passage, why pythons are spreading beyond the Everglades?

A．Pythons are not native to the Everglades.	B．Burmese pythons can grow to 20 feet long.
C．Pythons can swim and move well on land.	D．Florida park rangers are on "python patrol".

5. Which of these might happen after pythons become a problem in Florida?

A．Pythons will grow too big to handle at home.	B．Owners will become educated about pythons.
C．People will no longer get pythons as pets.	D．Pet dealers will stop bringing pythons here.

【推荐3】A university in southwest China’s Chongqing City set up a reading room as part of a campaign (活动) that stops students from taking their mobile phones with them in case the device distracts (使分心) them from concentrating on their studies.

Reportedly a student named Hu Xiaopeng participating in the campaign studied 530 minutes without using his mobile phone. Unlike Hu, another one picked up his mobile phone in less than 20 minutes. “Having seen many students use their mobile phones in the library, a habit that shortens their study time and negatively impacts their learning, we decided to open this reading room,” said Zhang Shuran, the person responsible for the project at the university.

Zhang added that students can keep their phones in appointed bags with numbers on them. The hags are placed on a desk near the door of the reading room. “Staff members at the reading room will check the phones when there’s a call,” said Zhang, adding that they will inform students when their parents or teachers call them, but will not tell students if an unknown person is calling or when there is a text message. Based on the time students hand in their phones when they come to the reading room and the time they get them back when they leave the room, Hu Xiaopeng from College of Animal Science and Technology of the university set a record of the longest time. Hu spent 530 minutes studying without using his phone. Though feeling somewhat surprised, Hu said, “It’s bad to keep mobile phone with you when you are reading or studying.”

The campaign has attracted nearly 200 students since it was launched a week ago. Some Internet users praised the campaign. One user named Liu Jingchang said, “It’s good. I don’t bring my phone when going to the library in case I get distracted.”

1. Why is the reading room opened in Chongqing City?

A．To prevent students using mobile phones in the library.

B．To help students focus on their studies.

C．To prevent the mobile phones from being stolen.

D．To encourage students to read more books.

2. What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A．The bags are on the desk near the students.

B．The time when the mobile phones are put in the bags is recorded.

C．The student will be informed if a stranger calls him.

D．Hu Xiaopeng thinks the campaign is a bad idea.

3. What is the attitude of the students toward the reading room?

A．Cautious.	B．Supportive.
C．Doubtful.	D．Anxious.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．New methods to attract students to read

B．The harm of mobile phones

C．A student studying nearly nine hours without using the mobile phone

D．Students are encouraged to study with their mobile phones

【推荐1】Scientists believe the earth is 4.6 billion years old. However, the mountains, valleys, rivers, deserts and forests we see today are much younger than that. For example, Qomolangma is about 60 million years old and the Amazon Rainforest is about 55 million years old. The Baltic Sea, the youngest sea in the world, is only about 15,000 years old.

The earth is always changing because of volcanoes, earthquakes and, of course, wind and rain. Some of these changes are very slow and others are quick. Water and ice can make very big changes to the planet. For example, glaciers can cut through mountains and make deep valleys.

It’s normal for our planet to change. But at the moment scientists think it’s changing faster than usual. They don’t understand everything that is happening but they know that temperatures are rising. Besides, the weather is getting wetter in some places and drier in others, and there are more big storms. Now there is a growing awareness that climate change is definitely not confined to a certain region or country. However, it is a problem all countries are involved. What’s more, there is no denying t hat industrial emissions has been the main influence of climate change for the last 50 years, overwhelming natural forces.

However, these changes are not bad for everyone. Because the Arctic is getting warmer, farmers in Greenland now can grow and sell vegetables. That wasn’t possible 50 years ago. Farmers in Greenland like the warm weather and hope it will continue.

1. Which of the following is the oldest?

A．The earth.	B．Qomolangma.
C．The Amazon Rainforest.	D．The Baltic Sea.

2. All of these lead to the changes of the earth EXCEPT ________.

A．glaciers	B．deep valleys
C．wind and rain	D．volcanoes and earthquakes

3. Why do farmers in Greenland like the warm weather?

A．They turned the impossible into possible.

B．The warm weather is good for the Arctic.

C．They now own businesses and become successful.

D．They benefit from the vegetable businesses that did not exist before.

4. Which do you think is the best title?

A．Global Warming	B．Beautiful Greenland
C．Our Changing Planet	D．The Old Earth

【推荐2】Some people believe that a Robin Hood is at work, others that a wealthy person simply wants to distribute his or her fortune before dying. But the donator who started sending envelopes with cash to deserving causes，accompanied by an article from the local paper, has made a northern German city believe in fairytales.

The first envelope was sent to a victim support group. It contained €10,000 with a cutting from the Braunschtveiger Zeitung about how the group supported a woman who was robbed of her handbag; similar plain white anonymous (匿名) envelopes, each containing €10,000, then arrived at a kindergarten and a church.

The envelopes keep coming, and so far at least €190,000 has been distributed. Last month, one of them was sent to the newspaper’s own office. It came after a story it published about Tom, a 14-year-old boy who was severely disabled in a swimming accident. The receptionist at the Braunschweiger Zeitung opened an anonymous white envelope to find 20 notes of €500 inside, with a copy of the article. The name of the family was underlined.

"I was driving when I heard the news.”Claudia Neumann, the boy’s mother, told DerSpiegel magazine.“I had to park on the side of the road; I was speechless.”

The money will be used to make the entrance to their house wheelchair-accessible and for a course of treatment that their insurance company refused to pay for.

“For someone to act so selflessly, for this to happen in such a society in which everyone thinks of himself, was astonishing," Mrs. Neumann said. Her family wonder whether the donator is a Robin Hood character, taking from banks to give to the needy.

Henning Noske, the editor of the Braunschweiger Zeitung, said:“Maybe it is an old person who is about to die. We just do not know.” However, he has told his reporters not to look for the city’s hero, for fear that discovery may stop the donations.

1. The Braunschweiger Zeitung is the name of_____________ .

A．a church	B．a newspaper
C．a bank	D．a magazine

2. Which of the following is TRUE about the donation to Tom?

A．The donation amounted to €190,000.	B．The donation was sent directly to his house.
C．His mother felt astonished at the donation.	D．The money will be used for his education.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that____________.

A．the donation will continue to come	B．the donator is a rich old man
C．the donation comes from the newspaper	D．the donator will soon be found out

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Money Is Raised by the Newspaper	B．Newspaper Distributes Money to the needy
C．Robin Hood Returns to the City	D．Unknown Hero Spreads Love in Envelopes

【推荐3】We don’t know when and where the next earthquake will hit. But we do know the importance of safety and preparation. The only way to be ready for the unexpected is to prepare ahead of time. It’s especially important if you live in earthquake zones. So here are some important steps to build your own Earthquake Action Plan.

1. Talk to your friends and families and decide on a place to meet if you’re separated after an earthquake.

2. Make an emergency（紧急情况）communication plan in case cell towers or phone lines are down. You can also ask relatives or friends outside your area to be your contacts.

3. Locate a safe place in every room of your house and discuss with your families the safest places to be during an earthquake. Remember, if you’re：

a. Inside, get under something heavy like a study table or against an inside wall and cover your head.

b. Outside, stay away from buildings and get out into the open.

c. In your car, stop and stay in your seat. If you’re stopped near a building or under an overpass（天桥），try to safely move away from it.

4. Store first-aid kits（急救箱）anywhere you spend a lot of time（house, car, workplace, etc. ）.

5. Pack plenty of batteries, flashlights, and bottles of water to prepare for power outages and water shortages.

6. Review your home’s important systems（electrical, gas, water, etc. ）and know how to operate them or shut them off in an emergency.

Although they’re somewhat unusual, earthquakes are incredibly terrible, overwhelming, and unpredictable forces of nature. But with some knowledge and preparation, we can mitigate risks and do the best we can to keep ourselves and our families safe.

1. Paragraph 1 mainly shows it’s very important to ______.

A．know the use of an Earthquake Action Plan

B．know when an earthquake will come

C．stay away from earthquake zones

D．prepare for an earthquake

2. First-aid kits should be kept in places ______.

A．that are very safe

B．where you often stay

C．that are under something heavy

D．that your friends and families know

3. An Earthquake Action Plan includes the following EXCEPT ______.

A．deciding where to meet with others after an earthquake

B．making sure that you have contacts out your area

C．practicing how to escape with your families

D．finding safe places in your house

4. What can best take the place of the underlined word “ mitigate” ？

A．Lower.	B．Avoid.
C．Stop.	D．Treat