Some people are worried that wearing masks will have a bad effect on children’s ability to learn language and socialize. Even parents often worry about how a school year without smiles might negatively(消极地) influence their children.
These worries are understandable, but according to Dr. Danovitch, a research psychologist, who studies the cognitive(认知的) and social development of children, wearing a mask at school could improve certain social and cognitive skills, helping to strengthen abilities like self-control and attention. Take language learning as an example. It’s true that masks cover our mouths and that seeing mouth shape and movement helps babies learn language. But learning how to communicate involves a lot more than mouths. Looking at eyes is at least as important as looking at mouths to understand the people you are looking at and what they are trying to express. Children also make use of other signs to figure out what new words mean and what other people are thinking. A classroom full of people wearing masks is a great chance for children to practice paying attention to those signs, such as a classmate’s tone of voice or a teacher’s body language.
Wearing a mask can also help teach children to pay more attention to their own bodies and physical behaviors. Keeping a mask on over the course of a school day involves the kind of self-control that many children find challenging. Needless to say, children will not always be perfect at keeping their masks on, but they have to be mindful of when their masks are slipping down or when it is OK to take them off. The research on self-control suggests that children who master the skills needed to keep their masks on will grow up to be better at achieving their long-term goals.
Perhaps most importantly, wearing masks during a pandemic(流行病) is a chance for children to practice caring for their community. A recent study shows that children understand the spread of illness better than ever. Wearing a mask gives young children the ability to do something to help protect other people. For older children, mask-wearing is a way to teach them about duty and sacrifice(牺牲). They believe that it feels good to make sacrifices for people in need. Stressing that the discomfort and inconvenience of mask-wearing are forms of caring and public service might encourage children to address other social problems in their lives.
In fact, how children feel about wearing masks at school, and how much they benefit from wearing them, are going to depend on how the parents, teachers and caregivers around them present the topic. Masks are hopefully not here to stay, but while they are still necessary, we should make the most of them.
1. What does the writer tell us in Paragraph 2?| A．A teacher uses body language to teach what new words mean. |
| B．Wearing masks gives children a chance to practice paying attention. |
| C．Dr. Danovitch helps children with their cognitive and social development. |
| D．Looking at the mouth matters more than looking at the eyes when people talk. |
| A．It is unknown if mask-wearing helps children improve social skills. |
| B．Children believe that the discomfort of mask-wearing is acceptable. |
| C．People’s thoughts and emotions are hidden when they are wearing masks. |
| D．Children who know when to keep their masks on will probably be successful. |
| A．How to Help Children Develop Skills |
| B．How to Be Perfect at Keeping Masks On |
| C．Wearing Masks Can Help Children Learn |
| D．Wearing Masks Can Solve Social Problems |
Many countries have their own special New Year’s Eve traditions because of different native cultures, and we should show respect for them. Here are some interesting New Year’s Eve traditions around the world.
| Russia | On December 31, Russians write their wishes down on a piece of paper, burn it with a candle, and drink the ashes（灰烬）in a glass of champagne. Also, there must be oranges on the table of every Russian family. They think the smell of oranges is an important part of winter vacation. |
| Spain | Spanish celebrate New Year’s Eve with 12 grapes. Every grape means one month of the year. If you can finish all 12, you’re believed to have great luck in the coming year. What’s more, they take their suitcases out for a walk in order to have more travel chances in the coming year. And they also pour a bucket of water on the street which represents the bad luck. |
| Brazil | White is considered the purest color, so Brazilians wear white on New Year’s Eve. They also throw white flowers into the ocean as an offering（贡品）to the Goddess of the Sea. |
| Denmark | How many friends do you have? In Denmark you would know that on New Year’s Day. It is a sign of good luck to throw plates against others’ doors on New Year’s Eve. The more pieces of broken plates you have on your doorstep, the more popular you are! |
2. What will Russians do after they burn the paper with a candle?
3. Who may take their suitcases out for a walk?
4. Where do Brazilians throw white flowers ?
5. How can people in Denmark know how many friends they have?
3 . Do the British really get together every afternoon to sit and drink several cups of tea? I’m sorry to disappoint, but it’s not true.
They drink over 150 million cups of tea a day in Britain, but there is no special time for the drink. British people drink tea all day whether it is morning, noon or night. There are reasons for the confusing (难理解的) “teatime”, however.
“Teatime” is widely known as a period for the evening meal. This is more common in Scotland and the north of England, but you can hear it all over the country. Usually it means the period for the main meal of the day, eaten between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
What about “tea breaks”? Surely this must be a special time for tea? Wrong again. Tea breaks are simply a chance to have a rest from work for around 10 minutes. In this time, you can drink whatever you like usually with a small snack (点心). The best time for a tea break is mid-morning around 11 or mid-afternoon around 3.
What about “tea rooms”? A tea room is a perfect place to go to with friends and family to enjoy tea, cakes and sandwiches. Tea rooms are very popular with tourists and are well worth a visit. ‘‘Afternoon tea” is usually held for special events. Afternoon tea is often served with homemade cream and strawberry jam (草莓酱). We call this a cream tea. Teatime, tea breaks, afternoon tea, cream tea...how confused you could possibly get!
1. Why does the writer ask the question in the first paragraph?| A．To add interest to the text. | B．To ask for readers’ answers. |
| C．To correct some readers’ mistakes. | D．To lead in the main idea of the text. |
| A．It’s a relaxing time in northern parts. |
| B．It’s a tea-drinking time in southern areas. |
| C．It’s a special time for people to enjoy tea together. |
| D．It’s usually a time for the main meal in the evening. |
| A．Tea rooms can only be visited in the afternoon. |
| B．Tea breaks allow people to relax during the work. |
| C．Afternoon tea usually includes cream and coffee. |
| D．British people take tea breaks early in the morning. |
| A．The explanation of British tea culture. | B．The proper time to drink tea in the UK. |
| C．The importance of tea for British people. | D．The right way of drinking tea in the UK. |
4 . Every kid has his or her own favorites. Dolls, dinosaurs, remote controls and cellphones—they might have a toy box with all kinds of playthings to keep them excited, but there’s a favorite they always reach for first—cars. Although the sex difference in the toy world remains, it’s not only little boys who are drawn to all things with wheels. That my 20-month-old daughter dotes on the red bus toy proves this.
From age 0 to 2, children are in the sensorimotor (感觉运动的) stage of development, explains Alyssa Wilkins. “They are learning by taking in everything through their senses — sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing,” Wilkins says. “Toys and real-life objects like cars are very sensorially engaging. Kids can interact with toy cars, trucks and so on through spinning (旋转) their wheels, watching them move in different directions, or hearing the sounds they make.”
Also, kids are just naturally drawn to loud and moving objects. “They see the lights on the cars and the rolling wheels, and hear the sound of the running engine. It’s very attractive.” Wilkins says. “Kids will always be drawn to attractive and loud things because that is what engages (吸引……的注 意) their brain and sensory systems.”
Another attraction of toy vehicles is that they’re typically small enough to fit in a child’s hand. Cars become the favorite of both boys and girls because they can put their cars in their pockets or carry them around. A car is also a cause-and-effect toy—it teaches children that their actions can make something happen. “It’s super interesting and exciting for kids to learn that they can change something in their environment and they may feel proud of what they have done.” Capanna-Hodge says.
Every child is unique in how they play with toys, and the reasons for their play style may be different and complex. Finally, how your kids play with their toy vehicles could be a little window into what controls or excites them.
1. What does the underlined phase “dotes on” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．turns down | B．is crazy about |
| C．runs into | D．stays away from |
| A．The influence from parents. | B．The shape of toy vehicles, |
| C．The exciting sensory input | D．The peaceful learning environment. |
| A．The smaller the toy vehicles are, the more the kids like them. |
| B．Boys perform better than girls while playing with toy vehicles. |
| C．The more toy vehicles the kids have, the more benefits the kids get. |
| D．Kids can have a sense of achievement from playing with toy vehicles. |
| A．Why toy vehicles are kids’ favorites? |
| B．How toy vehicles can increase kids’ five sense? |
| C．Why parents choose toy vehicles for their kids? |
| D．How parents can encourage kids to play with toy vehicles? |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
A giant panda-themed museum opened to the public in Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China’s Sichuan Province on March 3.
Surrounded by huge touch screens, the Chengdu Giant Panda Museum provides an immersive (虚拟现实的) experience and various facts about the precious species of giant pandas including their history, and the measures China has taken to protect them.
The museum, covering an area of 7179 square meters with seven exhibit sections, has been built by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Visitors can get various information about giant pandas by tapping on the screen. The museum aims to improve public awareness of animal protection.
1. When did the giant panda-themed museum open? (no more than 3 words)2. What does the museum provide? (no more than 8 words)
3. How many exhibit sections does the museum have? (no more than 3 words)
4. How can visitors get information about giant pandas? (no more than 5 words)
5. What’s the aim of the museum? (no more than 7 words)
6 . Three-two-one, fire!
At the moment of 9:43 a. m. on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2020, at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center（卫星发射中心） in Sichuan Province, the last satellite of the third-generation network（第三代导航系统）was sent into space. It is the 55th member in the family of Beidou. It belongs to China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite System（BDS北斗卫星导航系统）.
So far, 59 satellites, including the first four test ones, have been launched from Xichang. With the development of China, we have already owned three other famous satellite launch centers-Jiuquan, Taiyuan and Wenchang.
After a period of tests in space, this new satellite has started to work with other Beidou satellites together. It is designed to work for at least 12 years. So far, China has completed the third-generation network of China’s BDS. It was a new milestone in the nation’s research work. The launch showed our country has completed our largest space-based system. It’s one of four global（全球的）navigation networks, including the United States’ GPS, Russia’s GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo.
BDS has been widely used as public resources（资源）in our daily life. It has been shared by the whole world. It will provide more services around the world. BDS is the common wealth of the development of human beings.
1. How many satellites are there in the family of Beidou?| A．4. | B．59. | C．114. | D．12. |
| A．Wenchang. | B．Jiuquan. | C．Taiyuan. | D．Xichang. |
| A．China | B．the European Union | C．the United States | D．Russia |
| A．项目. | B．事业. | C．位置. | D．里程碑. |
| A．BDS is shared only by China as public resources |
| B．the last satellite BDS was launched on Tuesday, June 23, 2021 |
| C．China has completed the third-generation network of China’s BDS |
| D．this new satellite is designed to work for at most 12 years |
7 . By September 20 more than 870,000 people had applied to volunteer for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics (残奥会). Organizer of the Olympic Winter Games plans to recruit 27,000 volunteers, some of whom will continue to serve the Paralympic Winter Games. Recruitment (招募) opened on December 5, 2019, and will end on June 30, 2021.
Among the applicants 71.5 percent are female, 91.72 percent are aged 18-28, 1.07 percent are foreigners, and 0.21 percent are people with disabilities. Teng Shengping, chief of the volunteer section of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, said that volunteers should have three qualities: good health and strong will, sufficient time and energy to attend training course, and good manners and competence to present the new image of China.
1. By September 20, how many people had applied to volunteer for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics?| A．27,000. | B．870,000. | C．More than 27,000. | D．More than 870,000. |
| A．on December 5, 2019 | B．on June 30, 2021 | C．on June 5, 2019 | D．on December 30, 2021 |
| A．All of the volunteers will continue to serve the Paralympic Winter Games. |
| B．Teng Shengping is the chief of the volunteer section of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. |
| C．Among the applicants 71.5 percent are female. |
| D．Among the applicants 0.21 percent are people with disabilities. |
| A．Sufficient time and energy. | B．Good health and strong will. |
| C．Good manners and competence. | D．A, B and C. |
| A．a notice | B．a message | C．a piece of news | D．an ad |
We all know there is a problem with plastic pollution. Five trillion (万亿) plastic bags are used every year. One million plastic drinking bottles are bought every minute.
In 2019, McCartney’s UK-based company built the world’s first plastic road in Scotland. The plastic waste was made into grains (颗粒) and then mixed with biturnen (沥青). The road looks just like any other road. But it has improved strength (强度) and is more stretchy (有弹性的) thanks to the plastic.
“Our technology can not only help solve the problem of plastic waste but also produce roads that deal better with changes in the weather, reducing cracks (裂缝) and potholes (路面的坑洼) .” McCartney told the BBC. McCartney’s idea came from a trip to India. “I saw people in India would put plastic waste into potholes and burn it. The plastic would melt down (熔化) and form a seal (封口) in the hole,” said McCartney.
“I knew that there must be some similarities between the plastic and biturnen, which both come from oil. That’s how I started to think about mixing them,” he said. After lots of testing, McCartney found the best recipe. The most important thing is the materials can be reused to build new roads.
“We’re just a small part of ending the plastic problems, but it’s nice to be part of it,” McCartney said.
1. From the first paragraph, what can we know about the plastic pollution?| A．It’s mostly unknown. | B．It’s a serious problem. | C．It’s better than other pollution. |
| A．Because the road costs more money. |
| B．Because the road is afraid of hot weather. |
| C．Because the plastic is added into the road. |
| A．The plastic waste could increase cracks and potholes. |
| B．There must be some similarities between the plastic and grains. |
| C．Indian people’s way of repairing roads inspired McCartney to build the plastic road. |
| A．配方 | B．伙伴 | C．信号 |
| A．Plastic pollution will soon be solved with his help. |
| B．Plastic pollution is becoming more and more serious. |
| C．He is willing to offer help in reducing plastic pollution. |
9 . How would you feel if someone decided to take away your park? Well that’s what’s happening in my community. There’s a park that some people want to turn into a golf course. Let me tell you why I think it’s a bad idea.
First, a park is meant to be for the whole community. Not everyone likes golf, so not everyone will get to use the park. This isn’t fair. A community park should have open spaces for everyone to use.
Second, to make way for the golf course, lots of playground equipment（设施）will have to be moved or knocked down, which is a waste of time and money. It is also a waste of perfectly good equipment. The swings, for example, will probably just end up as litter.
Third, what about giving young people something to do? Not all kids are crazy about golf. At the moment, the park has a skating place and a playground. These attract lots of kids from the community. If you turn the park into a golf course, these kids won’t have anywhere to go and they won’t have anything to do. This means that they will stay at home and turn on a video game rather than get some exercise. It also means that they might be out on the street causing trouble. Wouldn’t it be better to give them something to do at the park?
Finally, golf is expensive. Building a golf course and maintaining（维护）it costs a lot of money. Who is going to pay to maintain the golf course? What about those people who can’t afford to join a golf club? That means that the golf course will only be available to people with lots of money.
Turning our park into a golf course is a bad idea. I suggest we have a community meeting before plans go any further.
1. Some people want to change the park into ________.| A．a golf club | B．a golf course | C．a skating place |
| A．maintaining a golf course |
| B．opening a community park |
| C．moving or knocking down playground equipment |
| A．fall in love with golf | B．go to get some exercise | C．play video games at home |
A． | B． | C． |
| A．To make the park more beautiful. |
| B．To stop the golf course from being built. |
| C．To encourage children to get more exercise. |
Taking notes is a skill that can help you do well in all your schoolwork. It can make you confident when you are studying. But unluckily, most students don’t know how to take notes.
Write down key facts
If your teacher writes notes on the blackboard, that’s great. You can copy them or write down the most important facts of all in class. Different teachers do things differently. For example, some teachers may focus on (关注) lots of dates and facts in class, but they only write the important ones on the blackboard. Other teachers may not write anything down, but they may say something important again and again.
Ask
Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher to repeat what you miss. If your teacher speaks too fast and you can’t follow what he is saying you can ask him after class.
Compare
Comparing your notes with your classmates’ can be good for your learning. It can also help you and your classmates correct some mistakes.
Organize
Taking notes also needs organization. Keep notes for each subject in one notebook, so that you can find everything easily when a test comes.
Taking good notes takes time. If you decide to recopy your notes every evening, you’ll surely have less time to watch TV. But you’ll save time in the coming test.
1. There are ________ main points about taking notes in this passage.| A．4 | B．5 | C．6 |
| A．Every word. | B．Lots of dates. | C．The most important facts. |
| A．Ask them before class. | B．Ask them after class. | C．Stop listening in class. |
| A．Organizing the notes. | B．Asking your teachers for help. | C．Comparing your notes with others. |
| A．How to Take Notes | B．What to Do in Class | C．How to Study for a Test |
