1 . If you have to describe yourself to someone else, what will you say? It can be difficult to see yourself from the outside, but knowing who you are, namely self-awareness, can help you understand feelings and make friendships closer.
Self-awareness means having a good understanding of our own character, that is, having the ability to see ourselves clearly. If you’re self-aware, you may know that you love playing an instrument because you do well in it, and music makes you happy, or that you prefer watching TV on your own because it helps you relax.
Knowing what you like and dislike, what you do well in and what you find difficult allows you to make better decisions about friendships, schoolwork and so on. You learn to trust your own feelings more, which builds confidence (信心). The World Health Organization says self - awareness is one of ten important life skills that help young people live happier, healthier lives. Being self - aware doesn’t mean only thinking of yourself. By understanding your own feelings, you will better understand other people too.
How do you learn to be self-aware? It’s a good way to ask questions. But ask yourself questions that start with “What” instead of “Why” . So if you don’t understand why you keep arguing with a friend, ask yourself what you disagree on instead of why you’re arguing.
Learning to be more self-aware is a skill, which means you learn it as you grow. So be bold and try out new things, like playing a new sport or listening to different kinds of music. Don’t be afraid to dislike something—discovering what you find difficult is a key part of learning more about yourself.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．What self-awareness is | B．What true happiness is |
| C．How to find true happiness | D．How to develop self - awareness. |
| A．it’ll make you think more of yourself |
| B．it’ll make you perform better at school |
| C．it’ll help you learn how to ask proper questions |
| D．it’ll help you have a better understanding of others |
| A．努力的 | B．自豪的 | C．大胆的 | D．耐心的 |
| A．Being in high spirits. | B．Discovering your weak points. |
| C．Having a taste for pleasant music. | D．Learning to get along well with others. |
| A．It can be hard for you to know yourself well from others. |
| B．It takes a lot of time and energy to develop close friendships. |
| C．It is important and necessary for you to make a right decision. |
| D．It is a must to stick to your opinions when arguing with others. |
2 . There are many deserts (沙漠) on the earth. And the following are some facts you may find interesting.
What are deserts like?
Deserts can be hot and dry places. Rain may not fall there for months or years. Some deserts are sandy and stony (多石的). Deserts can also be very windy places. The wind can change the shape of the deserts. It moves sand around from place to place.
Temperatures in the desert can vary enormously(非常). During the daytime, the temperature may reach 40℃ even in the shade (阴凉处). At night, deserts can become very cold. In winter there may even be a frost (霜冻) in the early morning.
Living in the desert
The camel is sometimes called “the ship of the desert”. It stores food in its hump (驼峰) and can go for days without water. It has large feet which help it not to fall into the soft sand. Its long eyelashes (睫毛) keep out the sand during sandstorms.
An oasis is an area of the desert where water may be found. The water may be in pools or under the ground. People and animals visit an oasis for water and food. Plants grow at an oasis. Some farmers are able to grow crops here.
The Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert lies between the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. In some parts of the desert, it is too hot for people to live. Oil was discovered under parts of the desert and in the Arabian Gulf. This oil has made some countries in the area very rich. Much of the money has been spent building fine cities with lovely parks and lakes, and people live a comfortable life there.
1. Which of the following can best describe deserts?| A．Hot and dry. | B．Sandy and rainy. | C．Wet and stony. | D．Windy and snowy. |
| A．be low | B．be high | C．be similar | D．be different |
| A．stay cool in deserts | B．go for days without water |
| C．help it not to fall into the soft sand | D．keep out the sand during sandstorms |
| A．frost and crops | B．sand and stones | C．water and food | D．money and oil |
| A．What is the weather like in deserts? | B．What do you know about deserts? |
| C．How do people live in deserts? | D．Where is the Arabian Desert? |
3 . Will the Internet be used instead of libraries?Well,the obvious(明显的)answer to this question—at least,it’s obvious to me—is no!But there are many people who don’t think so.They suggest closing libraries,since “you can find everything on the Internet”.In fact,they are wrong.
One can’t find everything on the Internet! While the Internet makes search easy,and it is probably the best resource(资源)for many health and science topics,we really need books.We can only be sure that the information we find on the Internet is true by reading books.
Library offer more services than just the basic information one can find through Google.For example,a school library can provide services and different resources for all students of the school.Students have different learning ways.School libraries can deal with all of these differences.
One of the great school librarian writers,Doug Johnson,recently wrote an article about this topic.I recommend(推荐)reading it to understand this topic from different angles(角度).I especially like his last paragraph:
Don’t take away either my electronic resources or my books.Both are needed to provide students with useful information.And keep in mind that a great library is not just a collection of materials—-print or electronic.It is an important mixture of resources,courses and activities.It can help students not only have information,but also the necessary skills to put the information to good use.
Title:Will the Internet be used instead of libraries? | |
| Some people’s opinion | *They think libraries should be |
| The writer’s opinion | *People really need books although the Internet makes search *Libraries have more services than just the basic information people can |
| Doug Johnson’s opinion | *Both electronic resources and *A school library provides students with information and some |
4 . People read books less often in these days. With the invention of radios, televisions, and most recently, the Internet and computer games, it seems that reading books are an important part of our lives.
Books offer an outstanding wealth of learning at a much cheaper price than taking a course. Books can make people much cleverer, because heavy readers have greater knowledge of how thing work and who or what people were.
Everything in today’s society requires reading. Imagine trying to do something as simple as reading the directions on a medicine bottle without good reading skills. If someone could not understand them, they might become very sick or even die.
Even something as simple as walking or driving through the city could become very dangerous without enough reading. Sometimes, you must be able to understand what is written and explain the meaning of it.
Some people say that reading is a waste of time and you can do better things with your time. Even if you don’t read books, you still read every day, and reading books only strengthens (增强) your reading abilities. Reading is one of the greatest things you can do with your spare time.
With a book, you can travel anywhere you want, do anything you want, and talk to anyone you want. A good library has lots of types of books for different ages. Reading is very important in your lives, no matter how old you are. So I think people should read books.
1. What activity is less popular these days than before?| A．Reading a book. | B．Listening to the radio. | C．Watching TV. | D．Surfing the Internet. |
| A．reading can improve your memory | B．reading can make you interesting and attractive |
| C．reading can make you smarter | D．reading can reduce stress |
| A．the books they are reading | B．the directions on a medicine bottle |
| C．the good reading skills | D．the words a doctor tells a sick person |
| A．walking in the city also needs reading skills | B．driving along the road is dangerous |
| C．reading books is very helpful for our abilities | D．reading books just wastes their time |
| A．People should enjoy themselves | B．How can we improve our reading skills |
| C．Why should people read books | D．What do we love doing in spare time |
5 . Bananas are known as the most important fruit and income for millions of people in lots of areas across the world. However, British scientists said that the fruit may disappear by 2050.
One reason for this is climate change. Scientists at the University of Exeter collected data from 27 countries that produce 86 percent of the world’s bananas. They found that climate change has improved growing conditions in 21 of these countries. For the past 60 years, the average yield（平均产量）has reached 1.37 tons of bananas per hectare（公顷）.
However, if temperatures keep rising, this advantage will disappear. Ten of the countries, including India, the world’s biggest producer of bananas, will produce fewer bananas. By 2050, the fruit may die out.
Shouldn’t bananas grow more easily if it’s hotter outside? In fact, the perfect temperature range for growing bananas is between 24°C and 32°C. If temperatures get too high, they will stop growing.
Diseases are another danger to bananas. Unlike other crops, the bananas we grow come from shoot cuttings（茎段）rather than seeds. This means that all banana plants have the same genotype（基因型）. In other words, if a disease is able to kill one plant, it could kill them all.
One serious disease is called Panama. Caused by fungi（真菌）in the soil, it has spread across South Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australia. If one banana plantation（种植园）suffers from the disease, it will take 30 years until it is able to grow bananas again. Scientists haven’t found a cure for this disease.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．People’s love for bananas. | B．The most important fruit crop. |
| C．The future disappearance of bananas. | D．The importance of growing bananas. |
| A．Bananas won’t be as tasty as now. |
| B．More countries will start to grow bananas. |
| C．Bananas will grow better in most countries. |
| D．Bananas will not be able to grow any more. |
| A．How bananas are grown. | B．Which diseases can kill bananas. |
| C．Why diseases can easily kill bananas. | D．What diseases bananas may suffer from. |
| A．Fungi in the soil help bananas have the disease. |
| B．A plantation with the disease can grow bananas next year. |
| C．Scientists have found the way to deal with the disease. |
| D．It’s hard for the disease to spread from one place to another. |
| A．offer tips for growing bananas | B．explain why bananas may die out |
| C．describe bananas’ growing conditions | D．show the difficulties of growing bananas |
6 . 你会用哪个词总结2020年?
For many of us, the word “lockdown?” has become part of our daily vocabulary with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic（新冠疫情）. Collins Dictionary has chosen the word as its 2020 Word of the Year. Collins chooses a word each year that has had the biggest influence on the world.
But of course, “lockdown” was not the only word in everyone’s mind. There were other words that were also related（相关的）to COVID-19 on Collins’ list of the year’s top 10 words. The word “pandemic” itself was on the list, as well this year’s top words, such as “social distancing” and “key workers”（those whose work was necessary to keep society from breaking down during the pandemic）.
With all of these somewhat depressing words it’s nice to know that this year also brought us some other words. You may have read articles about BLM. It has the same meaning as Black Lives Matter. This social movement in the US drew a lot of attention to the discrimination（歧视）that black people face, particularly when dealing with police. Although the BLM movement has been around for a while, it became much bigger this year.
Other words include “TickToker（抖友）” and “（吃播）”. A TikToker is a person who regularly shares videos on TikTok. “Mukbang” comes from the Korean language and refers to a livestream（直播）in which the host eats a ridiculous（荒唐的）amount of food. It might be fun to watch, but it’s also very wasteful and unhealthy.
In fact, China banned（禁止）such videos earlier this year.
1. Which word has Collins dictionary chosen as its 2020 Word of the Year?2. Why did Collins Dictionary choose this word?
3. What is Paragraph 2 about?
4. What does BLM mean?
5. What means a livestream of a host eating food?
7 . Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence (智力) developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. In some degree, our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no education can make a talent out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in a rich environment. Therefore, the limits (极限) of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This point of view now is held by most experts.
It is easy to show that intelligence is something that we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. If we take two strangers by chance from the population, it seems that their degree of intelligence will be completely different. If, on the other hand, we compare two twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory separately where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this shows that environment as well as birth plays an important role. This conclusion(结论) is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact(接触) with each other, but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degree of intelligence.
1. How is man's intelligence given?| A．At birth. | B．Through education. |
| C．Both at birth and through education. | D．Neither at birth nor through education. |
| A．确定 | B．修理 | C．发展 | D．安排 |
| A．Become a genius. |
| B．Still become a genius if he should be given special education. |
| C．Reach his intelligence limits in rich environment. |
| D．Never reach his intelligence limits in his life. |
| A．The importance of their intelligence. | B．The role of environment on intelligence. |
| C．The importance of their jobs. | D．The part that birth plays. |
| A．No education can help make a genius. |
| B．Personality is as important as intelligence which was given to people at birth. |
| C．People who have similar degree of intelligence must be relatives. |
| D．Environment influences people in intelligence developing. |
8 . Americans with small families own a small car or a large one. If both parents are working, they usually have two cars. When the family is large, one of the cars is sold and they will buy a van（住房汽车）.
A small car can hold four persons and a large car can hold six persons but it is very crowded（拥挤）. A van hold seven persons easily, so a family with three children could ask their grandparents to travel together.
Mr. Hargen and his wife had a third child last year. This made them sell a second car and buy a van. There are seven seats in the van, and two of them are used to put things on, for a family of five must carry many suitcase（衣箱）when they travel. When they arrive at their grandparents’ home, the suitcase are put into the two seats. And then they can carry their grandparents.
Americans call vans motor homes. A motor home is always used for holidays. When a family are traveling to the moutains or to the seaside, they can live in their motor home for a few days or weeks.
All the members of a big family can enjoy a happier life when they are traveling together. That is why motor homes have become very popular. In America there are many parks for motor homes.
1. From the passage, a van is also called .| A．a motor | B．a motor home |
| C．a motorbike | D．a big truck |
| A．sold their old house | B．moved to their grandparents’ house |
| C．built a new place for a van | D．sold their second car |
| A．a baby | B．much money |
| C．more than two kids | D．interest in vans |
| A．to travel with all the family members on holiday. |
| B．to do some shopping with all the family members. |
| C．to visit their grandparents at weekends. |
| D．to drive their children to school every day. |
| A．they can take people to another city when people are free. |
| B．they can let families have a happier life when they go out for their holidays. |
| C．some people think motor homes are cheap. |
| D．big families can put more things in motor homes. |
9 . Almost all of us have unpleasant habits. We all want to get rid of （摆脱）them, but we don’t know proper ways. Here is some advice.
●Write down all the reasons why you want to stop some behavior. Look at the reasons very often.
●It’s clever to do something else when you want to stop your bad habits. If you get angry easily, for example, you can go out for a walk.
●Decide what you’ll do to reward yourself if you really get rid of your bad habits.
●If you get too heavy, keep junk food out of your house.
●Bad habits develop over years, so you can’t get rid of them very soon. You should be patient.
●Don’t be afraid to ask others for support. You can talk to your friends, family or other people. When you talk to them, they might be able to provide some advice that you can’t get from yourself.
How to get rid of bad habits | |
| Make a list | Write down |
| Join in some activities | You’d better do something else when you want to stop your bad habits |
| Give yourself a reward | Decide how to reward yourself if you |
| Keep off your bad habits | |
| Be patient | It’s |
| Ask for help | When you talk to others, they may give you a few |
If you dropped a piece of fruit on your computer keyboard, would you think about eating it again?
What if you dropped it in the toilet? Bacteria (细菌) can live everywhere, even in some unexpected places.
If you eat at your computer, sneeze on your keyboard, or sit down to surf the Internet without first washing your hands, your computer keyboard could be bad for your health. According to the US National Research Centre, the average computer carries 400 times more bacteria than a toilet bowl.
Could one of the dirtiest things in your home be right in your hand? Yes: the TV remote control. It gets dropped on the floor, put on the sofa and everyone in the house holds it. Scientists found that around half of the tested remote controls carry the cold virus (病毒).
Don’t forget your toothbrush. Do you put it in the bathroom? Studies show that flushing (抽水冲洗) the toilet releases bacteria in the air. Bacteria can remain in the air for at least two hours. They may pollute your toothbrush. You can find ways to solve this problem. Try to keep your toothbrush far from the toilet. Make sure that it is in an upright position after each use. It’s also important to change your toothbrush every three months.
Here are some other places to watch out for:
At home
The kitchen is one of the places with the most bacteria—more than the bathroom. Dishcloths and kitchen sponges (海绵) are great places for bacteria since they are always wet after being used. Try to make them dry.
At school
When you put your schoolbags on the floor or in the bus, many bacteria can live on the bottom of it. Try to clean your schoolbag often.
In public places
Escalator handrails, shopping cart handles, public books and magazines are top bacteria carriers. That’s why the first thing to do when getting home is to wash your hands.
Yes, bacteria are everywhere. But don’t be too afraid to touch those things. Most of bacteria are harmless. Just remember to wash your hands regularly. It is the most useful way to protect yourself from bacteria and viruses.
1. Where can bacteria live?2. An average computer doesn’t carry many more bacteria than a toilet bowl, does it?
3. How many of the tested remote control carry the cold virus?
4. How often should you change your toothbrush?
5. Why are dishcloths and kitchen sponges good places for bacteria?
