1 . On Oct. 16, the Shenzhou XIII spacecraft (飞船) rose into the sky. Three Chinese astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu set off for the Tiangong space station.
They will set up robotic arms (机械手臂) and do medical experiments (医学实验) in space. Wang Yaping will become the first Chinese woman to take a spacewalk.
It’s not an easy job to do all these things. Chinese astronauts get difficult training before going to space. As People’s Daily reported, all the Chinese astronauts are excellent pilots with hundreds or even thousands of hours of flight time. They also receive hundreds of classes to prepare for space travel.
One of the toughest (艰苦的) parts is the high-G training. It simulates (模拟) the environment when the spacecraft takes off. Sitting in a super-fast spinning (超高速旋转) machine, astronauts’ faces change shape. They cry as they spin. Blood can’t flow to their brains properly, causing a lack of oxygen (氧气) and even blindness. Astronauts must operate (操作) the spacecraft under these conditions.
Another exhausting exercise is the underwater training which lasts seven hours each time. It simulates a weightless (失重的) environment. She had to wear a 200-kilo suit and do tasks in 10-meter-deep water without eating or going to toilet.
“We may have to repeat such training every day for years,” said Wang. “But there is no ‘give up’ in our dictionary.”
1. Wang Yaping is the_______.| A．first doctor to do a medical experiment in space |
| B．first person to visit Tiangong Space Station |
| C．youngest astronaut in the world |
| D．first Chinese woman to do a space walk |
| A．tough | B．easy | C．excellent | D．comfortable |
a.They can’t stop crying.
b.They may not see things.
c.Their blood stops flowing.
d.Their facial expressions lose control.
| A．abc | B．abd | C．acd | D．bcd |
| A．How Wang lost weight to become an astronaut. |
| B．Why underwater training is boring. |
| C．Why Wang was chosen to be an astronaut. |
| D．The challenges of underwater training. |
| A．Lucky. | B．Cute. | C．Hardy (吃苦耐劳的). | D．Soft (不严厉的). |
2 . Three Chinese astronauts from the Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship returned to the Earth after completing their six-month mission. One of their major goals was to prepare the station for future groups of taikonauts（中国航天员）who will complete theassemblyof the space station.
Thanks to a new quick return procedure carried out for the first time, Shenzhou-13’s return trip lasted about nine hours rather than the 24-hour trip for Shenzhou-12, with the return capsule only circling the Earth five times before entering its final return orbit instead of 11 times as in past missions.
The Shenzhou-13 crew was responsible for taking out some of the science instruments to be used for experiments on the station. They also performed two spacewalks, conducted more than 20 different science experiments in addition to delivering two live educational lectures.
Taikonaut Wang Yaping, who gave the first public class from the Tiangong-1 space station, gave two such classes on this trip to Tiangong-2, which were viewed by millions of school children in China.
In addition, the taikonauts were sent questions from 20 schools in 13 U.S. states by American school children. The pre-recorded questions and responses were shared with students, parents and teachers at a “My Questions to Taikonauts” event on April 9 sponsored by the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
This was the first six-month mission, which will give those on the ground the opportunity to study the effects of the longer duration mission on the taikonauts, especially on the ageing process. The six-month stay will be common for astronauts in the future.
Visiting the Wenchang Space Launch Center on April 15, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the facility serves China’s new-generation, heavy-lift carrier（运载）rockets and plays a significant role in the country’s deep-space exploration. The Chinese President called for efforts to achieve “world-leading standards” for China’s spacecraft launch facilities.
1. What does the underlined word “assembly” probably mean?| A．Building. | B．Discovery. | C．Invention. | D．Imagination. |
| A．It lasted about nine hours with the return capsule circling the Earth eleven times. |
| B．It lasted about 24 hours with the return capsule circling the Earth eleven times. |
| C．It lasted about nine hours with the return capsule circling the Earth five times. |
| D．It lasted about 24 hours with the return capsule circling the Earth five times. |
| A．delivered two live educational lectures |
| B．studied the effects of ageing process |
| C．answered questions from American children |
| D．conducted many different science experiments |
| A．The Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Taiyuan Space Launch Center. |
| B．China’s spacecraft launch facilities have become “world-leading standard”. |
| C．The six-month stay will be common for astronauts in the future. |
| D．The facility is important for the country’s deep-space exploration. |
| A．The Online Lectures in Shenzhou-13 | B．The Return of Shenzhou-13 to the Earth |
| C．The Lives of Shenzhou-13 Astronauts in Space | D．The World-leading Spacecraft: Shenzhou-13 |
Teresa Lopez Cali, Colombia
Where I’m from, we’re pretty relaxed about time. We don’t like to rush around, so we don’t mind if people are a little late sometimes. If you tell a friend you’re going to their house for dinner, it’s OK if you arrive a bit late. We like to enjoy our time slowly. We value the time we spend with our family and friends in our everyday lives. We often just drop by our friends’ homes if we have time. We don’t usually have to make plans to meet our friends. When we see each other, it’s polite for boys to shake hands and for girls to kiss each other on the side of the face. We often just walk around the town center, seeing as many of our friends as we can!
Marc LeBlanc Lausanne, Switzerland
In Switzerland, it’s very important to be on time. We’re the capital of clocks and watches, after all! If someone invites you to meet him or her at noon, then you’re expected to be there at noon. If you’re even 15 minutes late, your friend may get mad. So I make an effort to be on time when I meet my friends. I always leave the house early to avoid heavy traffic. I don’t mind because I think it’s impolite to keep others waiting. Also, we never visit a friend’s house without calling first. We almost always make plans to see friends. We usually plan to do something interesting, or go somewhere together.
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4 . China has grown and developed a lot over the years. Many people worked hard to make this happen. To show respect for them, the country awarded 42 people, including both Chinese citizens and foreigners. Eight people received the Medal of the Republic, six foreigners received the Friendship Medals, and 28 people received the National Honorary Titles. Let’s meet some of them!
Yuan Longping, 89, agriculturalist
He is the “Father of Hybrid Rice”. Its output is much greater than common rice. His study helped Chinese people have enough food.
Tu Youyou, 89, pharmacologist(药理学家)
She found artemisinin and won the 2015 Nobel Prize. People use artemisinin to save thousands of lives every year.
Ye Peijian, 74, aerospace engineer
He is the one of the most outstanding scientists in China’s space program. He played a key role in lunar probe mission.
Guo Lanying, 89, opera singer
You probably know her famous song My motherland. She has a beautiful voice. She is an expert in music arts.
1. Our country awarded ________ people with the Medal of the Republic.| A．forty-two | B．twenty-eight | C．eight | D．six |
| A．贡献 | B．产量 | C．成就 | D．作品 |
| A．Yuan Longping. | B．Tu Youyou. | C．Ye Peijian. | D．Guo Lanying. |
| A．scientist | B．engineer | C．doctor | D．musician |
| A．from news | B．in stories | C．from ads | D．in novels |
Xi’an celebrated the first China Hanfu Day on April 18. There were shows which were held by people wearing traditional Chinese clothing— Hanfu. Hanfu fans from all over China came there to take photos and put them online for a Hanfu photo competition, which lasted until May 18.
China Hanfu Day is in the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar(农历), which is said to be the birthday of the Yellow Emperor(黄帝). In ancient China, this day was also called Shangsi Festival(上已节). Its purpose(目的) is to encourage young Chinese to take pride in traditional clothing.
Hanfu is the traditional clothing of the Han people who lived in China before the Qing Dynasty. It has a history of about 3,000 years. And it has changed greatly so far. However, some of its main characteristics(特点) remain. For example, there are two parts that overlap(交叠) on the front, which is called “jiao ling”. Another main characteristic is that it usually uses ribbons(系带) instead of button(纽扣).
China is becoming a leading country in the world, so the Chinese people feel more confident(有信心的) about Chinese traditional culture than ever before.
1. Where was the first China Hanfu Day celebrated?2. What’s the purpose of China Hanfu Day?
3. When did Hanfu appear?
4. Does Hanfu usually use ribbons or buttons?
5. Why do the Chinese people feel more confident about Chinese traditional culture than ever before?
Teeth are an important part of our body. Everyone should brush teeth every day. Learning how to take care of teeth is very important.
The importance of brushing teeth
If you eat and don’t brush your teeth, pieces of food on your teeth can cause problems. The food can damage (破坏) your teeth. Then germs(细菌) can get into your teeth and make them decay (腐烂).
It’s important to brush teeth every day. You should get a checkup from your dentist every year. Trying not to eat food that has a lot of sugar, such as candy and soft drinks, helps to protect teeth.
The proper ways of brushing teeth
Do you know that most people do not brush their teeth in the right way? Follow the methods below and they will help you keep your teeth healthy, clean and beautiful.
◆Replace(更换) your toothbrush every few months.
◆Clean two or three teeth at a time. Brush the front of your teeth with a circular motion(圆周运动) and clean the backs of your teeth with up and down motions.
◆Don’t forget to gently brush the top of your tongue(舌头) from back to front. A lot of germs live there.
◆Take at least 2 minutes to brush your teeth.
| Taking Proper Care of Your Teeth | |
brushing teeth | The germs can get into your teeth and damage them |
| Go to see a dentist every year and avoid eating too much food with sugar. | |
| The proper ways of brushing teeth | Replace your toothbrush |
| Brush the front of your teeth with a circular motion and clean the backs of your teeth up and down. | |
| Remember to brush the top of your tongue because | |
| Spend at least two minutes | |
7 . As teenagers you have many dreams. These dreams can be very big, such as winning the Nobel Prize (诺贝尔奖),or they can be small. You may just want to do well in your lessons.
If you find a dream, what do you do with it? Follow Your Heart written by an Australian writer tells us that making our dreams come true is life’s biggest challenge. “You may think you’re not very good at some school subjects, or that it is hard for you to become a writer. These kinds of thoughts stop (阻止) you from realizing your dream,” the book says.
In fact, everyone can make his dream come true. The first thing you must do is to remember what your dream is. Don’t let it leave your heart. Keep telling yourself what you want. Do this little by little and your dream will come true faster, because a big dream comes from many small dreams. You must also never give up your dream. The biggest difficulty comes from yourself. You need to decide what is the most important. Studying hard will help you get better grades.
As you get closer to your dream, it may change a little. This is good because you have the chance to learn more skills and find new interests.
1. The first paragraph mainly tells us ________.| A．teenagers have many dreams | B．we should do well in our lessons |
| C．teenagers usually have small dreams | D．teenagers usually have big dreams |
| A．失败 | B．超越 | C．记忆 | D．实现 |
| A．keep your dream in your heart | B．know what is the most important |
| C．always think it’s hard to do something | D．keep telling yourself what you want |
| A．learn a few new words a week | B．learn a few new words a day |
| C．learn a lot of new words every day | D．learn a few new words a month |
| A．it’s happy to have dreams | B．how to make our dreams come true |
| C．Follow Your Heart is a book | D．it’s not right to give up dreams |
8 . On April 1, the Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province celebrated its fourth “birthday”. The area covers 1,770 square kilometers. It’s about 100 km southwest of Beijing.
The Xiongan New Area is the third important new area after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone（经济特区） and the Shanghai Pudong New Area. The Xiongan New Area will help solve problems in Beijing, like traffic jams（拥堵）and air pollution. For example, this year Hebei Province will speed up the building of an express line （机场快线） between Xiongan and Beijing Daxing International Airport. The express line is going to be finished by the end of 2023.
The building of an Internet industrial （工艺的）park and a science and technology park will also begin in Xiongan this year. What’s more, the area will improve the water quality （质量） of Baiyangdian Lake, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in North China.
Xiongan is also called China’s “city of the future”. According to the 2018-2035 master plan for the Xiongan New Area, the area will develop into a modern city that is green, smart and livable （宜居的） by 2035. It will also be a place for innovation （创新）.
1. Is Beijing about 100 km southwest of the Xiongan New Area?____________________________________________________________________
2. What problems can the Xiongan New Area help solve for Beijing in Paragraph 2?
____________________________________________________________________
3. When will the express line be finished?
____________________________________________________________________
4. Why is the Xiongan New Area important for Baiyangdian Lake?
____________________________________________________________________
5. What will the Xiongan New Area be according to the 2018-2035 master plan?
____________________________________________________________________
9 . Parents are often surprised at their children’s ability to use technology. A five-year-old child may easily find and use apps on a smart phone. A ten-year-old child can move up through the levels of a video game easily. Their parents may think their children were born geniuses （天 才）！
Natural geniuses, however, are not common. But your parents are right if they think you are smarter than them. Most children are born smarter than their parents. This has been proved（证明）on IQ tests around the world recently. These tests have shown that over the last 100 years, each new generation （一代人）has become smarter than the older ones. In other words, you are smarter than your parents and your parents are smarter than your grandparents.
This increase in intelligence is called the “Flynn Effect（效应）”. It was named after James Flynn. Flynn is a university professor （教授）in New Zealand. He first noticed this in 1980. According to his research, with each new generation, average （平均的）IQ scores would increase by twenty percent.
But why are people getting smarter? Flynn and many other researchers believe this has something to do with technology. New technologies have further developed our brains. They have made us think better. So we may be better at completing the missing parts of a puzzle than our parents.
But being smart doesn’t make you wise. Wisdom （智慧）comes with age and experience. A high score on a computer game will not help you solve the everyday problems of life. For that, a smart kid will turn to the wisdom of his parents and grandparents.
1. How do parents often feel about their children’s ability to use technology?| A．Surprised. | B．Worried. | C．Nervous. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．Children easily use apps on smart phones. |
| B．Most children play video games better than their parents. |
| C．Children are born with a high IQ. |
| D．Most children are born smarter than their parents. |
| A．Better education. | B．New technologies. |
| C．A better environment. | D．New experiences. |
| A．拼图 | B．困境 | C．迷惑 | D．阻碍 |
| A．A child may easily find apps on a smart phone |
| B．A child may be good at completing the missing parts of a puzzle |
| C．A high score on a video game won’t help solve the problems in life |
| D．A ten-year-old child can move up through the levels of a video game easily |
Champion （冠军）of the cold | |
Arctic tern 北极燕鸥 | Size: About 35 cm long Food: Fish and shells （贝类） Skill: We spend summer in the Arctic. When it is winter in the Arctic, we fly to Antarctica （南极）. We hold the record for the longest migration （迁徙）of any animal in the world! |
Lemming 旅鼠 | Size: 15 cm long Food: Grass Skill: We grow hard “shells” on our claws （爪子）. We can dig holes easily in the hard and icy land. |
Polar bear 北极熊 | Size: 2. 5 to 3 m long Food: Seals and fish Skill: Our thick and waterproof fur （防水毛皮）coat keeps us warm and dry after swimming. Under our fur, we have black skin （皮肤）. This helps us take in the sun's heat. |
Arctic fox 北极狐 | Size: 45 to 100 cm from head to tail Food: Lemmings, fish and birds Skill: We can change the color of our fur. Usually, we are white in winter and brown in summer. |
Harp seal 格陵兰海豹 | Size: 1. 5 to 1. 8 m long Food: Fish Skill: Our thick fur and fat keep our body temperature at 40°C. We can stay warm! |
1. Which animal holds the record for the longest migration of any animal in the world?
| A．Lemming. | B．Harp seal. | C．Arctic fox. | D．Arctic tern. |
| A．Brown. | B．Black. | C．White. | D．Yellow. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．Lemmings can dig holes easily in the hard and icy land |
| B．Polar bears have black skin under their fur |
| C．Arctic foxes’ size is from 45 to 100 cm from head to tail |
| D．Harp seals’ thin fur and fat keep their body temperature at 40°C |
| A．art | B．animal | C．health | D．sports |
