【推荐1】People around the word felt excited on the night of April 10, 2019. For the first time in history, people saw a photo of a black hole. The photo became popular at once. But do you know it has something to do with a computer scientist Katie Bouman. Without her, there won’t be this photo.

Black holes are very far from us, so it is very difficult to take photos of them. It’s like taking a photo of an orange that is on the moon. Many scientists had tried. However, none of them succeeded.

These failures didn’t stop Bouman from trying. Several years ago, she started working on a special computer program. During the part years, she has improved the program many times. Finally, it turned telescope data (望远镜数据) into a photo of a black hole.

Bouman has received lots of praise because of her work. The young woman, however, is modest. She said the success mainly depends on her team. “None of us could do it alone,” she said.

Would you like to make history as Bouman did? Set a goal for yourself and work hard at it. Maybe you will make it come true in the future.

1. When people saw a photo of a black hole for the first time, they felt very ________.

A．sad

B．excited

C．surprised

D．calm

2. Why is it hard to take photos of a black hole?

A．Because it is too big for us.	B．Because it is too far from us.
C．Because it is too dark to see.	D．Because it is as small as an orange.

3. How did the photo of a black hole come into being successfully?

A．By taking a photo of an orange carefully.

B．By working on a special computer program.

C．By turning telescope data into a photo of a black hole.

D．By using more advanced cameras with the help of others.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．A surprising photo	B．A great photo of a black hole
C．Make your dream come true	D．A photo of a black hole and Katie Bouman

【推荐2】 The Earth goes around the Sun, and the Moon goes around the Earth. When our part of the Earth turns to the Sun, it’s the day. When our part of the Earth turns away from the Sun, it is the night.

        The Sun is much bigger than the Moon. But sometimes the Moon looks bigger than the Sun because it’s much nearer to the Earth. The Sun is very bright. It gives very strong light. The Moon looks very bright too. But it doesn’t give any light.
       The Moon looks much bigger and brighter than the stars. But in fact, the stars are much bigger than the Moon. They look smaller than the Moon because they’re much farther (更远的) away from us.
1. ________ goes around the Earth.

A．The Moon

B．The Mars

C．The Sun

D．The star

2. When it is the night, ________.

A．we can’t see any stars in the sky	B．the Moon looks much smaller than the stars
C．our part of the Earth turns away from the Sun	D．our part of the Earth turns to the Sun

3. Why does the Moon look bigger than the Sun sometimes?

A．Because the Moon comes out only at night.	B．Because the Moon is bigger than the Sun.
C．Because the Moon is far away from the Earth.	D．Because the Moon is much nearer to the Earth.

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The stars are much farther away from us than the Moon.	B．The Sun is bright but it gives weak light.
C．The stars look much bigger than the Moon.	D．The stars are not bigger than the Moon.

5. We may read this passage in a ________.

A．storybook

B．magazine

C．cookbook

D．comic book

【推荐3】China’s Shenzhou-13 crew members Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu livestreamed the first science lecture from the country’s space station on Thursday, December 9th, 2021, which amazed many students on the earth.

All crew members greeted students, teachers and other participants when the lecture started. They showed viewers how they lived and worked inside the space station, which currently consists of a core module(核心舱), a spacecraft and two robotic cargo(货物) spaceships.

The astronauts displayed their exercise equipment and a specially designed space suit, and conducted demonstrations(演示) on physical phenomena(现象) in microgravity, such as “disappearing buoyancy(浮力)” and a “water ball”. Ye, who is on his first spaceflight, showed how he rotated his body in the weightless environment. The astronauts also answered questions from students during the lecture.

Tens of millions of primary and middle school students across China watched the televised event hosted by the China Manned Space Agency, the Ministry of Education and other government departments.

It was the first lecture of the Tiangong Class, China’s first extraterrestrial(外星的) lecture series to popularize space science.

More lectures will be held based on the country’s manned spaceflights and will also be presented by Chinese astronauts, the manned space agency said. Such activities are intended to spread knowledge about manned spaceflights and spark enthusiasm for science among young people.

Shi Yi, deputy head of teaching and a physics teacher at the Beijing No. 101 Middle School, said the space lecture was an eye-opening experience that would ignite students’ interest in science.

Wang Yihan, a fifth-grade student, said, “The astronauts’ experiments really interested and surprised me. I have great interest in spaceflight and would like to take part in our country’s space exploration program in the future.” Vincent Wong Wai-shing, deputy principal of Hong Kong’s Pui Kiu College, said after watching the lecture that the event gave Hong Kong students an opportunity to communicate with the astronauts while stimulating their interest in space and science. “It also helped to enhance(增强)their sense of national identity as they saw the rapid development of our country’s space technology,” he said.

1. What is the space station made up of at present?

A．A core module, a spacecraft and two robotic cargo spaceships.

B．A core module, a water ball, and two robotic cargo spaceships.

C．A core module, a spacecraft and a specially designed space suit.

D．A exercise equipment, a spacecraft and two robotic cargo spaceships.

2. What does the underlined word “microgravity” in Paragraph 3 mean in Chinese?

A．微软

B．微循环

C．微生物

D．微重力

3. Which of the following is TRUE about the purpose of holding more lectures on China’s manned spaceflight?
① It will spread knowledge about manned spaceflights.
② It will amaze students on the earth.
③ It will ignite students’ interest in science.
④ It will spark enthusiasm for science among young people.

A．①②③

B．①②④

C．①③④

D．②③④

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The space lecture damped students’ interest in science and astronauts.

B．Hong Kong students would like to take part in space exploration program in the future.

C．The event gave Vincent Wong Wai-shing an opportunity to communicate with the astronauts.

D．The event is one of China’s first extraterrestrial lecture series.

【推荐1】The traditional Chinese lunar calendar (农历) divides the year into 24 solar terms (节气). Start of Spring, the first solar term of the year, begins this year on Feb. 4 and ends on Feb. 18.

After Start of Spring everything turns green and is full of energy, people clearly see that the daytime is becoming longer and the weather is becoming warmer.

Here are some things you should know about Start of Spring.

Flying kite Spring is the best season for kite-flying. This is a traditional folk activity, which has a history of more than 2,000 years. It can help build one’s health and keep people from getting sick.

Biting the spring In many parts of China, it is a tradition to “bite the spring” on the first day of Start of Spring. People eat spring pancakes and spring rolls (春卷).

Appreciating plum blossoms (赏梅) Plums blossom from the 12th lunar month to the second month of the next year. The plum blossom always fights against the cold. In China, the plum blossom, is praised as one of the four gentlemen of Chinese flowers.

Welcoming spring People in China began holding a special ceremony on the first day of Start of Spring about 3,000 years ago. They made sacrifices (祭品) to Gou Mang, the god of Spring. By the Qing Dynasty (朝代), greeting spring had become an important folk activity. In Beijing, government officials welcomed spring in the wild field near Dongzhimen.

根据语篇内容，选择最佳选项，并在答题卡上将选定答案的字母标号涂黑。
1. What do people eat on the first day of Start of Spring?

A．Pancakes.

B．Cakes.

C．Spring pancakes.

D．Mooncakes.

2. Which thing became an important folk activity on the first day of Start of Spring?

A．Biting the spring.	B．Flying kite.
C．Appreciating plum blossoms.	D．Greeting spring.

3. From the passage, we can know that ________.

A．after Start of Spring, the daytime is becoming shorter

B．flying kite is able to keep people healthy

C．in all parts of China, people “bite the spring” on Start of Spring

D．welcoming spring has a history of more than 2,000 years

4. Which picture shows Start of Spring?

A．	B．
C．	D．

5. What is the material mainly about?

A．The tradition of biting the spring.	B．The story of Gou Mang.
C．Start of Spring and Spring Festival.	D．An introduction to Start of Spring.

【推荐2】Do you want to improve your science grades? Well, maybe you should first learn something about the struggles(奋斗) of great scientists.

The American Psychological Association(心理学家协会) did an interesting study. Three groups of students in New York City took part in it. Group 1 read a typical textbook that describes the achievements of great scientists. Group 2 read about those scientists’ personal struggles. The last group read about the scientists’ intellectual(智力的) struggles, such as Marie Curie’s failed scientific tests. These stories about struggles also told students how the scientists dealt with these difficulties.

The students took a science exam before the study. After the six-week study, they took another. Scientists found those in Groups 2 and 3 improved their science grades. Students in Group 1 didn’t see a grade increase. Some of them even had lower grades after the study.

The study was led by Xiaodong Lin-Siegler, a teacher at Columbia University. According to Xiaodong, kids often think Einstein was truly smart. They believe they will never match him. Many of them fail to realize that any success needs a long journey.

Students who read the struggle stories more probably said that great scientists were like themselves. The “great minds” also had to overcome difficulties to achieve success.

Xiaodong says today’s science textbooks fail to bring science to life. As a result, students seldom regard science as part of their everyday lives. Instead, they just see a long list of facts that they have to remember. Xiaodong thinks textbooks should include more stories about how great scientists had to struggle to succeed. And students should focus more on how these scientists dealt with the difficulties they met along the way.

1. According to the passage, how can students improve their science grades?

A．By reading the achievements of great scientists more carefully.

B．By listening more carefully to their science teachers.

C．By learning about how great scientists dealt with their difficulties.

2. What can we learn about all of the students who took part in the study?

A．They were interested in Einstein.

B．They went to school in New York City.

C．They were all similar to the great minds.

3. Andy Hunt took part in the study and his science grades dropped from 86 to 79. He was probably in ________.

A．Group 1

B．Group 2

C．Group 3

4. In Paragraph Four, what does the underlined word “match” mean in Chinese?

A．满足

B．比得上

C．配对

5. Xiaodong Lin-Siegler thinks science textbooks should ________.

A．tell students that Einstein was born a common man

B．make the long lists of facts that students have to remember more interesting

C．include more stories about how great scientists had to struggle to succeed

【推荐3】阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的五个选项中选出能填入短文空白处的最佳选项，使短文通顺、连贯、意思完整。

Iceland is a northern European with amazing natural beauty and oceans around. There are lots of volcanoes in Iceland.     1    . The long winter starts from September and ends next May.

    2    . Every year, people from all over the world come here to see the beautiful sights and enjoy the exciting whale-seeing.

    3    , they will have a lot of special activities to spend the long dark night. Skating, riding snow motorbikes and having parties can really make an exciting night. After all the fun, they will have a hot bath to relax.     4     which can teach them to be strong and kind. The most popular stories are about Christmas in Iceland.

    5    . Food problem was always a headache for Iceland in the past. It had to buy most of its food from other countries. Later, when farmers learned to use lights and underground heat to grow crops all year round in the greenhouse, things changed a lot.

Living in such a nice environment, most people in Iceland live a happy life. According to a survey about happiness made each year in Europe, Iceland is always among the top 3.

A．In winter, when people in Iceland complete their daily work

B．It has a short summer which lasts from June to August

C．There are also storytelling activities for children

D．Because of the long cold winter, Iceland has a short growing season

E．Summer in Iceland is a golden season for the tourists

【推荐1】Student A

The fingerprint unlock is my favorite. Compared with numeric passwords (数字密码), it can help me unlock my phone more quickly. I think the pattern unlock is not safe. When you’re unlocking your phone, other people might see the pattern and memorize (记住) it. Furthermore, it’s too easy for thieves to break the code.

Student B

My favorite is the fingerprint unlock. Everyone’s fingerprint is unique (独一无二的). So I think that’s safer. Some people like to use numbers as their passwords. They often use special numbers, such as birthdates and telephone numbers. I think this is extremely unsafe.

Student C

I think using fingerprints to unlock smartphones is the least safe because fingerprints can be copied using some kinds of technology. I like the face unlock better. Other people cannot unlock your phone unless you allow them to.

Student D

I like the fingerprint unlock better, as no two fingerprints in the world are the same. I think the least secure method is the pattern unlock because too many people use patterns shaped like “Z”, “L”, or “W”, which are easy to figure out. In the future, I guess there might be a voice unlock. I’ve heard that everyone has a unique voice. When you speak, your phone will recognize your voice and unlock itself.

1. Which of the following is pattern unlock?

A．

B．

C．

D．

2. How many students like the fingerprint unlock better?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

3. What can we learn about the fingerprint unlock from the students?

A．It is fast to unlock the phone with the fingerprint unlock.

B．Fingerprints cannot be copied with the help of technology.

C．Fingerprints can be the same.

D．It is easy to memorize fingerprints.

4. Why does student D think the voice unlock is safe?

A．Because everyone’s voice is unique.

B．Because it frees people’s hands.

C．Because people can easily change their voices.

D．Because you don’t need to worry about forgetting your password.

5. Where is the passage most probably from?

A．A letter.	B．A diary.
C．An advertisement (广告).	D．A teens magazine.

【推荐2】How do we know the time? A clock, a watch or a mobile phone can help us. However, many years ago there were no clocks and knowing the time was not so easy. Over the centuries, people have developed different ways of telling the time.

About 5,500 years ago. the Egyptians invented the sun clock. This was a tall stone building. Its shadow (影子) showed the movement of the sun. So people were able to know midday. The Egyptians made the sundial about 3.500 years ago. It was smaller than the sun clock and could let people know the time for half a day. On cloudy days or at night, it was impossible to tell the time with a sun clock or a sundial. Water clocks were the first clocks not to use the sun. The idea is simple. Water flows (流动) from one bottle to another. When the water reaches certain level, it shows the hours. The Egyptians used water clocks about 3,400 years ago. These clocks were popular in the Middle East and China. But they failed to make people know the exact time.

In the 13th century, the mechanical clock was invented. This was more exact, but it was expensive to make one. Over the next few centuries it was developed. For example, springs (发条) were added around 1500. This enabled people to get the correct time and allowed clocks to be smaller. In 1927, the first quartz clock was developed. Clocks became cheaper to build. It’s also cheaper for ordinary people to own a clock. People began depending on them more and more to run businesses, markets and so on. More recently in 1956, came the digital clock. And nowadays satellites send our mobile phones the time to the exact second.

There has been a lot of progress in time keeping. Clocks are always changing but some things never change. Many of us still have trouble getting out of bed on time and not being late for school or work.

1. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “ordinary” in the third paragraph?

A．Rich.

B．Usual.

C．Strange.

D．Not important.

2. How many kinds of clocks are mentioned in the passage?

A．Four.

B．Five.

C．Six.

D．Seven.

3. Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?

A．①/②③/④

B．①/②③④

C．①②③/④

D．①/②/③④

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The importance of time.	B．The inventions of clocks.
C．The history of a digital clock	D．The development of timekeeping.