【推荐1】At 2:30 on December 5,1945, five US Navy training planes took off in clear weather from the base Lauderdale, Florida. The planes flew cast over the coast...and disappeared. The group was Flight 19, on a run between Florida and Bahamas. Tailor was the group leader. At about 3:40, Tailor reported that his compasses were not reading properly. The other planes followed their leaders aimlessly, first east, then west, then northeast over the ocean, as Tailor tried to make sure of the direction by radio. Then, suddenly Tailor was heard to give orders to dive...

Quickly, two giant Martin seaplanes were sent up to search for Flight 19. Several hours later, the wind became strong and visibility (能见度) dropped. A return to base was ordered. But only one of the Martin seaplanes landed. Four days later, the Navy and Coast Guard combed a 100,000 square miles area with more than 100 planes and ships. No sign was ever shown of the missing planes.

Today, people have noted the disappearance of many ships and planes in the southwest part of the North Atlantic and began to call this area the Bermuda Triangle(百慕大三角区).

The points of the triangle are Bermuda, Puerto Rico and a spot in the Gulf of Mexico, west of Florida. It is a two-faced water world of tiny islands, bright beaches and beautiful waters. Yet thick fogs, powerful currents(激流) and sudden storms are hidden behind this smiling surface.

1. Why did Flight 19 disappear?

A．Because the wind became strong and visibility dropped.

B．Because Tailor was given wrong orders to dive.

C．Because Tailor couldn’t read his compasses correctly.

D．Because something unknown made the compasses unable to work as usual.

2. In what position did Flight 19 disappear?

A．In the southwest part of the North Atlantic Ocean.

B．In the northeast part of the North Atlantic Ocean.

C．To the southwest part of Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean.

D．To the northeast part of Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean.

3. How many planes disappeared altogether that day?

A．Five.	B．Six.
C．two.	D．Only one.

4. The underlined word “combed” in the passage mean“      ”.

A．covered with	B．flew over
C．did up one’s hair with a comb	D．searched all over

【推荐2】Victor Hugo, 1802 -1885, was a celebrated French literary giant. After the British and French invaders(入侵者) bad burnt the Winter Palace(圆明园) in October, 1860, he wrote a reply to an officer named Bartlette one year later.

Sir, you ask me what I think of the expedition(远征) to China. You must feel that it was laudable. In your opinion, the expedition, performed under the joint banner(联合旗帜) of Queen Victoria and Emperor Napoleon, was nothing short of a British-French glory. Therefore, you would like to know to what extent I appreciate this glory. Since you ask, I will answer as follows:

In a corner of the world there existed a man-made miracle - the Winter Palace. Art has two sources: one, an ideal, from which has come European art; two, fancy, from which has come Easter art. The Winter Palace belongs in the art of fancy. The Winter Palace, indeed, was the fruit of all of the art that an almost superman race could have fancied.

For whom was the Winter Palace built, after all? Eventually, for the people. Because as time passes by, all that the people has made remains in the possession of mankind. Great artists, poets, philosophers - they all knew about the Winter Palace. Voltaire once talked about it. Many people at different times compared the Winter Palace to the Parthenon, the Pyramids, the Arena, the Notre Dame. If they could not see the Winter Palace with their own eyes, they could dream about it- as if in the distance they saw a breath-taking masterpiece of art as they had never known before – as if there above the horizon of European civilization was towering the outline of Asian civilization.

Now, the miracle is no more! One day, two pirates broke into it One of them robbed; the other set every building and everything in it on fire! Judging by what they did, we know that the victors could degenerate into robbers. The two of them fell to dividing between themselves the treasure. What great victories they had won! What a heaven-sent fortune! One stuffed his pockets full to overflowing; the other filled in his bags with treasure. Then, hand in hand they made of, laughing happily.

Incidentally, I must thank you for giving me the opportunity to accuse. The rulers commit crimes but the ruled do not. The government becomes a robber, but the people will never.

France has gained a large portion of the treasure. Now, she thinks herself the rightful owner of the property财物), and she is displaying the riches of the Winter Palace! I can only hope that there will come one day when France will disburden herself of the heavy load on her conscience and clean herself off the crime by returning to China all the treasure taken from the Winter Palace.

Sit, such is my praise of the expedition to China.

1. Mr. Hugo wrote this letter mainly to_________.

A．show his praise of the expedition to China in reply to Bartlette’s request

B．persuade French officers to return the treasure taken from the Winter Palace

C．prove people hold different attitudes towards the burning of the Winter Palace

D．express his anger and condemnation over the burning of the Summar Palace

2. What does the underlined word “laudable” most probably mean?

A．praiseworthy

B．violent

C．unreasonable

D．abundant

3. In the 4^th paragraph Victor Hugo mentioned the Parthenon, the Pyramids, the Arena and the Notre Dame in order to_________,

A．compare different architectural styles

B．praise European and African civilization

C．introduce some more famous buildings to Bartlette

D．emphasize the civilizational value of the Winter Palace

4. “Two pirates” in Paragraph 5 refers to__________.

A．Bartlette and his fellow	B．Bartlette and Great Britain
C．France and Great Britain	D．the rulers and the ruled

5. We can infer that when Batlette got the letter from Victor Hugo, he might have felt _________.

A．satisfied

B．proud

C．disappointed

D．frightened

【推荐3】What is the capital of Canada? If you’re well-versed in geographic knowledge, you know the answer is Ottawa. But why is that? After all, Toronto is much larger than any other city in Canada. Montreal is an international city with ties to Europe. Vancouver is a major city with a very strategic port. Quebec City is centrally located.

Why were none of these cities chosen to be the capital of Canada? As it turns out, choosing a capital city is more complicated than pointing to the biggest city on the map.

Ottawa was a good choice because it was centrally located between two other major contenders. Montreal (which was predominantly French) and York (now Toronto, which was predominantly British). These two cities were the largest in Ontario and Quebec, which were at the center of Canada in the middle of 19th century. Picking Ottawa was a good compromise, as the Queen did not want to appear to favor one major city over the other.

Also, unlike Toronto and Montreal, Ottawa was central but also a safe distance away from Canada’s southern neighbor, the United States. It meant the capital would be safer in the event the U.S. decided to attack again. After all, it had only been 40 years since the War of 1812 when American troops had invaded as a result of British interference(干涉) in shipping. Although America was unable to capture Canada, the invasion was costly for the British government, who was not about to let it happen again.

Hence, Ottawa was a great choice for the capital of Canada.

1. Which is the biggest city in Canada?

A．Toronto.	B．Ottawa.
C．Montreal.	D．Vancouver.

2. Why was neither Montreal nor Toronto chosen to be the capital?

A．Ottawa was in the middle of Canada.

B．The Queen did not want to be criticized.

C．The two cities were in the middle of Canada.

D．There were different languages between the two cities.

3. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?

A．The United States was a good neighbor.

B．The United States often attacked Canada.

C．Toronto and Montreal were in the middle of Canada.

D．The capital was not easy to be attacked.

【推荐1】Question: Lately, I have struggled to get out of bed despite waking up at a decent time to go to my lab. The result is that I fall asleep again and end up going to the lab in about 1-1.5 hours later than I really want to. How do I make myself actually get up when I wake up?

●Ayush Sekhari: Sometimes, I use Sleep If U Can Alarm app on my phone. While setting the alarm, you’re asked to choose how to turn it off. There is an option which says to turn off by using an image. While setting, you can set an image as the off key. When the alarm rings, it forces you to capture a similar image and turns off only if it’s similar to the pre-set image. I have set my turn-off image as a toilet basin, so when I have to turn off the alarm, I have to search for my slippers, walk to the toilet and click the image of the basin. This is annoying, but wakes me up.

●Aditya Deorha: I use Alarm Clock Plus on my phone. I have to solve a maths problem in order to turn off the alarm. Right now, it’s at medium difficulty. Once I set it to the hard level, I really have to work hard to figure it out. You just can’t sleep again after that.

●Shivam Agrawal: I use Flying Alarm. This digital alarm clock launches a rotor (旋转体) into the air that flies around the room as the alarm sounds, and it won’t stop ringing until the rotor is returned to the alarm clock base, compelling even the most stubborn sleepers to get out of bed on time.

●Ellen Vrana: We got cats, which is the working person’s version of kids. I get up at 6: 30 a. m. every day. No alarm. So worth it.

1. According to the text, who must take an image every morning?

A．Aditya Deorha.	B．Shivam Agrawal.
C．Ellen Vrana.	D．Ayush Sekhari.

2. What does Aditya Deorha do to keep himself awake?

A．By taking a photo.

B．By launching a rotor.

C．By solving a maths problem.

D．By playing with a cat.

3. What does the text mainly deal with?

A．What to do after you get up.

B．How to make yourself get up when you wake up.

C．Why not get up early in the morning.

D．What is the proper time to get up.

【推荐3】Car Hire

Hiring a self-drive car really adds to the enjoyment of your holiday. There are so many places of interest to visit, and if you enjoy seeing more than just the city center, there’s no better way to explore than by car.

Hire Charges

What are included

a) Unlimited mileage (英里数).

b) Expenses on oil, maintenance and repairs, which will be repaid on production of invoices (发票).

c) Full insurance except personal accident ( see below ) and contents.

What are not included

a) Personal accident insurance.

b) Garaging, petrol, parking and traffic fines.

Conditions of Hire

★ The shortest rental period at these special low prices is three days. For prices for periods of one or two days you only see our representative at the hotel.

★ Car hire must be booked six weeks or more before arrival in London to guarantee a car. But if you have been unable to make a booking in advance, please see our representative at the hotel who may still be able to help you.

★ The car types on the sheet are examples of the types of cars in each price range, but a particular car cannot be guaranteed.

★ Upon delivery the driver(s) will be asked to sign the car hire company’s Conditions of Hire.

★ If you decide to hire a car, just fill in the Booking Form and return it to us. A booking fee of ￡12 as part of the car hire cost is required.

★ Should you be forced to cancel your car hire booking after payment in full (two weeks before date of hire) , a cancellation charge of £12 will be made.

1. From the advertisement we can see a car hirer will pay ______.

A．insurance against damage to the car	B．insurance against injury to the driver
C．the cost of maintenance of the car	D．the cost of repairs to the car

2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the advertisement?

A．You have to pay parking fine yourself.

B．The company can’t provide all kinds of cars you need.

C．When you hire a car from the company, a driver will go together with you.

D．You have to pay a booking fee when you hire a car from the company.

3. If car hirers change their minds after paying the whole cost of hiring, the ￡12 booking fee is ______.

A．partly returned	B．double paid
C．not returned at all	D．returned within six weeks

4. The prices for car hire are especially low when ______.

A．it is booked for at least three days	B．it is booked two weeks in advance
C．it is booked for two days	D．the booking is made in London

【推荐1】Guan Moye, better known as Mo Yan, is a Chinese novelist and short story writer. He has been referred to by Donald Morrison of U.S. news magazine, TIME, as “one of the most famous and widely pirated（盗版）of all Chinese writers”. He is best known to Western readers for Red Sorghum Clan（红高粱家族）, which was later adapted for the film, Red Sorghum. In 2012, Mo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Mo Yan was born in Gaomi County, Shandong Province. He was 11 years old when the Cultural Revolution started, at which time he left school to work as a farmer. At the age of 18, he began to work at a factory. During this period, his access to literature was largely limited to novels.

At the close of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, Mo joined the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and began writing. During this period, the works of Chinese literature, as well as translations of foreign authors such as William Faulkner, made an impact on his works. In 1984, he received a literary award from the PLA Magazine, and at the same year he began attending the Military Art Academy, where he first used the pen name of Mo Yan. “Mo Yan” means “don’t speak” in Chinese. He explained that the name came from a warning from his father and mother about not saying what he thought when he was outside. It also related to the subject matter of his writings.

Mo’s first novel was Falling Rain on a Spring Night, published in 1981. Several of his novels were translated into English by Howard Goldblatt, professor of East Asian languages and literature, at the University of Notre Dame. He published his first novella（中篇小说）, A Transparent Radish, in 1984, and released Red Sorghum Clan in 1986, making him a nationally recognized novelist. Five years later, he obtained a Master’s degree in literature from Beijing Normal University.

1. The first paragraph tells us __________.

A．his achievements

B．his education

C．his works

D．his experiences

2. The inspiration of the pen name “Mo Yan” comes from ______.

A．His parents.	B．William Faulkner.
C．Howard Goldblatt.	D．Donald Morrison.

3. Mo got his Master’s degree in literature in __________.

A．1981

B．1984

C．1986

D．1991

4. This passage is a (an)____________

A．brochure

B．biography

C．survey

D．letter

【推荐2】I never thought I would go far from home. I was an ordinary high school student from a working-class family，and I didn’t think traveling the world was in the cards for me. For my   undergraduate and doctor degree，I only applied to universities within an hour of my hometown in the United Kingdom. Staying at the same university seemed like the safe option. A few years later，as I was considering a postdoc（博士后），I once again wanted to stay close to home，in the comfort of my Ph. D. lab. But I hope to run my own lab one day，and I knew that seeing a different approach to science would be valuable.

I heard about a fellowship program in Japan that sounded like a good fit. The flexibility of the program appealed to me. I could choose how long I would be there-rom as little as a month to as month as a year-long enough to experience a new place, learn and get some msearch done but short enough to make the experience less scary. I thought of it almost as a holiday, somewhat like going to a conference in an interesting far-off place.

But when I was accepted, the head of the group I was going to join wanted me to stay for the full year. I hesitated. After much thought, I worked up my courage and signed on for the year-knowing that, if things went badly. I could come home earlier.

Almost everything was different from what I was used to, but getting used to these differences was easier than I had expected. Eating out with my labmates offers a great communicative opportunity. Talking with my new colleagues about their experiences conducting mearch in other countries helped open my eyes to new ways of doing things.

After my fellowship, I thought I would leave Japan to do a postdoc elsewhere. But when my fellowship adviser offered me a longer-term position in his lab. I couldn’t say no. This time,though,it wasn’t because I was afraid to go somewhere new. It was because I wanted to take advantage of an exciting opportunity. After the jump I took with fellowship. I now feel I can do anything.

1. What can we infer about the author from paragraph 1?

A．He was a typical in doors man.

B．He always worried too much.

C．He suffered serious homesickness.

D．He liked to stay in familiar places.

2. What made the author choose the fellowship program in Japan?

A．The friendly labmates.

B．The fun-filled holiday.

C．The handsome starting salary.

D．The flexible working schedule.

3. When in Japan，the author found life there was________.

A．slightly different

B．very challenging

C．easier than thought

D．dull and predicable

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Learning Happens in a Comfort Zone-4.

B．When in Japan. Do As the Japanese Do

C．Leaving Comfort Zone Can Be Rewarding

D．The Longest Joumey Begins with the First step

【推荐3】What’s your idea of a good time? What about dancing in a rainy field with one hundred and fifty thousand other people while a famous rock band plays on a stage so far away that the performers look like ants?
It may sound strange but that is what many hundreds of thousands of young people in the UK do every summer． Why? Because summer is the time for outdoor music festivals．
Held on a farm, the Glastonbury Festival is the most well-known and popular festival in the UK． It began in 1970 and the first festival was attended by one thousand five hundred people each paying an admission price of ￡1 — the ticket included free milk from the farm．
Since then the ___________________________ — in 2004 one hundred and fifty thousand fans attended, paying ￡112 each for a ticket to the three-day event． Tickets for the event sold out within three hours． Performers
included superstars, such as Paul McCartney and James Brown, as well as new talent, like Franz Ferdinand and Joss Stone．
Although many summer festivals are run on a profit —making basis, Glastonbury is a charity event, donating millions of pounds to local and international charities．
Glastonbury is not unique in using live music to raise money to fight global poverty （贫穷）． In July of this year, the Live 8 concerts were held simultaneously （同时） in London, Paris, Rome and Berlin． Superstars such as Madonna, Sir Elton John and Stevie Wonder performed in order to highlight （强调） international poverty and debt．
1. What does the author mean by saying “the Glastonbury Festival has gone from strength to strength”?

A．The festival has achieved growing success．

B．Great efforts have been made to hold the festival．

C．The festival has brought in a large amount of money．

D．There have been thousands of fans attending the festival．

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

A．The Glastonbury Festival is run on a profit-making basis．

B．Tickets for the 2004 Glastonbury Festival were in great demand despite the high price．

C．Both James Brown and Joss Stone were born in poor families．

D．In the 1970 Glastonbury Festival, one could have lunch on the farm for free．

3. We can learn from the last paragraph that _____．

A．the Glastonbury Festival is not so popular as the Live 8 concerts

B．the Live 8 concerts are held every year in London

C．London, Paris, Rome and Berlin are famous for outdoor music festivals

D．some superstars are concerned about global poverty

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．How to have a good time	B．Charity events around the world
C．The Glastonbury Festival	D．Superstars’ performances in charity events

【推荐1】When it comes to U.S. middle school science and engineering, girls rule. Girls took the top five prizes at the 2019 Broadcom MASTERS, a competition for middle school students across the country.

The winners were announced last month. The winners were honored for their STEM successes, as well as for showing skills in critical thinking, communication, creativity and team-work. In first place was 14-year-old Alaina Gassler of West Grove, Pennsylvania. She designed a system to make driving safer by reducing blind spots — the areas that drivers cannot see outside their vehicle. Gassler developed the technology while in eighth grade. “She, along with the entire Class of 2019, are already leaders in their fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM),” said Paula Golden, president of the Broadcom Foundation. “These young creators give every one of us hope for the future.”

The Broadcom MASTERS competition is a project of the Society for Science & the Public. It was set up to motivate young people to attend college and pursue careers in STEM fields. It was open to students in grades 6, 7 and 8 across the country.

The top prize winner, Alaina Gassler, says she got the idea for her project after seeing her mother struggle with blind spots in her family’s car. Blind spots lead to many accidents — about 840,000 accidents a year nationwide.

Gassler’s system helps drivers see “through” the A-frame pillar (A柱) — the part of the vehicle, in the front, that joins the top and front window. The A-frame pillar is important for safety, and cannot be removed. Gassler used a camera to help drivers look “through” the structure to see what is blocked. The camera sends video to a device that shows images on the other side of the pillar. The driver then can “see” what’s in the blind spot.

The young inventor won a $25,000 prize for her invention. She told Popular Mechanics she can make improvements on her device with that money. Gassler said she wants to improve the picture — making it easy to see in any weather, or any time of the day. She also told the magazine she hopes to sell her idea.

1. What does the writer try to convey by saying “girls rule” in Paragraph1?

A．Girls tend to break rules.

B．Girls prefer to control others.

C．Girls perform better in the competition.

D．Girls are superior to boys in all aspects.

2. Which best describes Paula Golden’s attitude toward these young creators?

A．Proud.	B．Indifferent.
C．Critical.	D．Cautious.

3. The purpose of the Broadcom MASTERS competition is to_____________.

A．offer students hands-on training

B．collect money for scientific research

C．arouse students’ interest in STEM fields

D．persuade students not to drop out of school

4. What drives Alaina Gassler to invent the system?

A．Her strong curiosity.

B．Her school’s task.

C．The breakdown of her family car.

D．Her mother’s experience.

5. What can we infer about Gassler’s system?

A．It gets rid of blind spots.

B．It is still far from perfect.

C．It has been put into market.

D．It can avoid accidents automatically.

【推荐2】It’s not often sunny in Paris, but people still love to walk along the bank of the Seine. They love the view of the city’s old buildings, especially Notre Dame Cathedral, with its iconic spire (标志性塔尖).

Unfortunately, that view has been forever changed. On April 16 a fire destroyed the spire of the 850-year-old wooden Notre Dame Cathedral built in 1163, and two-thirds of the roof.

The fire shocked and saddened Parisians. Citizens gathered around the giant church, singing hymns (赞美诗) and praying for the hundreds of firefighters who fought the flames.

“The importance of Notre Dame, not only to Catholics (天主教) but to all Parisians, cannot be underestimated (低估),” wrote French author Bernard-Henri Levy. “For many in France, it’s more than a house of worship. It’s a symbol of French culture, architecture and history.”

The church is also home to many religious artworks, paintings and sculptures. Luckily, its world-famous colored glass windows survived the fire. These windows are made of many small pieces of glass and feature various Christian images.

Despite its long history and many treasures, the Cathedral needed the help of a writer to become truly famous. Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, presented the building to a wide audience of readers. The book’s ugly lead character, Quasimodo, serves as a symbol for Paris’ forgotten Gothic (哥特式的) architecture. Hugo wrote the book to remind people of it, with the hope that they would work to protect the beautiful old buildings of Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to reconstruct the historic building. “Note Dame is our history, our literature and it’s our imagery,” he said in a public speech following the fire.

1. Which of the following is true about Notre Dame Cathedral?

A．It is a representative architecture of France.

B．It is made of wood and metal.

C．It is a place for entertainment.

D．It will be rebuilt in a different style.

2. What makes the Cathedral known to the world?

A．Its famous spire.

B．Its colored glass windows.

C．Victor Hugo’s novel.

D．Religious treasures inside.

3. What’s the writer’s attitude towards the damage to the church?

A．Uncaring.	B．Regretful.
C．Negative.	D．Optimistic.

【推荐3】Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play, catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, extra learning trials (尝试) increase the length of time we will remember it.

In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn.

The multiplication tables (乘法口诀表) are an exception (例外) to the general rule that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood.

The law of overlearning explains why cramming (突击学习) for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one’s future development.

1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?

A．People remember well what they learned in childhood.

B．Children have a better memory than grown-ups.

C．Poem reading is a good way to learn words.

D．Stories for children are easy to remember.

2. The author explains the law of overlearning by ________.

A．presenting research findings

B．setting down general rules

C．making a comparison

D．using examples

3. What does the word “they” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Commonly accepted rules.

B．The multiplication tables.

C．Things easily forgotten.

D．School subjects.

4. What is the author’s opinion on cramming?

A．It’s helpful only in a limited way.

B．It leads to failure in college exams.

C．It’s possible to result in poor memory.

D．It increases students’ learning interest.