1 . We know many musical instruments well, such as pianos, violins, drums and so on. What about the erhu? The erhu is a traditional Chinese instrument. It is the most popular of the huqin family, and it has a long history.
The modern erhu developed from the xiqin, which was played by many ethnic minorities during the Tang Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, musicians began to use the erhu to perform different kinds of music, and it became quite a popular instrument. With the rise of some forms of folk art, the art of the erhu developed quickly during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It became an important accompanying instrument in different folk music. At present, it is used in both traditional and modern music, such as in pop, rock and jazz. It has even become a solo instrument. One of the most famous musical pieces played on the erhu is Erquan Yingyue.
As the erhu was mainly played by common people and the playing skills were passed down in oral form, so there are few written records about the erhu that can be found. To study the history and the development of the erhu, historians usually turn to ancient paintings. The earliest pictures of this instrument were found in Yulin Caves and Eastern Thousand Buddha Caves in Gansu Province, where five erhu pictures were discovered on murals.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．Pianos. | B．Violins. | C．The huqin. | D．The erhu. |
| A．In the Tang Dynasty. | B．In the Song Dynasty. |
| C．In the Ming Dynasty. | D．In the Qing Dynasty. |
| A．Listening. | B．Spoken. | C．Reading. | D．Written. |
| A．play Erquan Yingyue | B．listen to different kinds of folk music |
| C．get help from ancient paintings | D．read some books about ethnic minorities |
| A．The history of erhu. | B．The form of folk music. |
| C．The development of Chinese instrument. | D．The rise of different dynasties. |
2 . A black bear is sitting on a rock in the middle of a river, lowering her head to the water and trying to catch a fish. She has spent the summer eating berries (浆果) and roots. Now she’s eating all the fish she can catch. She needs fat (脂肪) to put on weight and make milk for newborn bears this winter.
Black bears live throughout most of North America, including northern Mexico. They usually live in forests and are excellent tree climbers. Although they are called black bears, they can be blue, gray, brown, or even white. Black bears are not picky (爱挑剔的) eaters. Their goal is to store up as much fat as possible before their winter sleep.
In late November and early December, black bears head to their caves (洞穴) to hibernate. Their body temperature is low, and their breathing slows down during the sleep. They live on their body fat they have stored up during the summer and fall. This way, they don’t have to go out and look for food in the cold.
Male black bears leave their caves around mid-March, but females stay a little longer. That’s because they give birth around January and want to give their kids time to grow bigger before heading back outside.
Little black bears will stay with Mom for one to three years while their mother teaches them how to live in the wild. Then when little black bears are ready, they will head off to continue to live in the woods alone—until they start a family of their own.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。1. Why does the black bear catch fish?
| A．Because she wants to become heavier and make milk. |
| B．Because fish is her favorite food. |
| C．Because she enjoys food with less fat. |
| D．Because newborn black bears feed on fish. |
| A．Lots of black bears live in Europe. | B．Black bears are all black and brown. |
| C．Black bears are good at climbing. | D．Black bears usually live along the river. |
| A．Have a deep sleep in winter. | B．Look for food in winter. |
| C．Avoid the snow in winter. | D．Protect the home in winter. |
| A．In February. | B．In April. | C．In August. | D．In December. |
| A．The Amazing Plants. | B．The World of Science. |
| C．Animals and the Environment. | D．Seasons and Weather. |
3 . 同学们，每年三月份我们都会参加学雷锋日和植树节活动。作为中学生，我们能否充分发挥想象，发现更多能表达我们爱心的公益活动呢? 阅读下面短文，将选项中的小标题 (A-E)与相应的段落匹配，其中有一项多余，并完成第5小题。
March is famous for Lei Feng Day and Tree Planting Day. Both of them are aimed to show humans’ kindness and friendship. It’s a way to show others how much they matter.
So this year, why not think about the different ways that you can show some extra kindness? Helping other people is guaranteed to make you feel happy, and here are a few easy ways to spread some love.
You don’t have to spend money or buy gifts to show old people that they’re important. Giving your time is also really valuable. You could help at a fundraising (筹备资金) event, have a weekly video call with a grandparent and look after them when they feel lonely.
Charities work hard to raise money so that they can help people. So dropping some spare coins into a donation box or sponsoring a friend or family member can make a big difference. Don’t forget, you can also donate clothes and toys that you've grown out of to your local charity shop.
People always notice a thoughtful or considerate act, whether it’s sharing your sweets or making a cup of tea for your grown-ups, small acts of kindness are a great way to make people feel special.
Sometimes we all need a few extra helping hands. Perhaps you could help a younger brother or sister with their homework, wash an elderly neighbor’s car or offer to collect up books at the end of lesson. It might only take a few minutes, but it could make a big difference to someone’s day.
A. DonatingB. A helping hand
C. Buying gifts
D. Making time
E. Acts of kindness
Would you like to help an old man if he lives alone? What will you do to help him according to the text? (Please write in no less than twenty words两个问题的回答不少于20词)
4 . 
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) took place in Las Vegas, US, between 9 and 12 January. The event shows off some of the coolest new inventions that might one day be available to the public.
◆One was a robot to help people around the house. It uses artificial intelligence (AI). The computer can learn from experience and do things with AI.
The robot is designed to control household appliances, keep an eye on pets and even check the safety of the house like a soldier.
◆A smart fridge was made by Samsung. This can tell the differences about 33 food items and suggests recipes that will use up what you have.
◆In video gaming, two companies called Nvidia and Convai used AI to create more natural non-playable characters (NPCs). Usually when you meet a character in a game, what they say to you or how they do will have been decided by the game’s creators. The creators of these new AI characters say they are different now because they can act like a real person.
◆Technology company LG showed a transparent television. It’s wireless (无线的), so it can be put anywhere in a room and because it looks like a piece of glass, it can even be put in front of a window. It also has a screensaver (屏保) that can play relaxing pictures, such as fish swimming around in a tank.
◆Finally, for children, the Droyd Venym electric scooter board (滑板车) is basically a seat, low to the ground, with legs and four wheels that you control with handles. Its top speed is three miles per hour.
Some people may worry about how AI might affect their lives. If AI can create images, music and text, one day artists, musicians and writers could be replaced. To my understanding, AI still shows a bright future and aims to create comfortable lives. It helps us study lots of information and work out what is likely to happen next. It depends on how you use this new technology.
1. How many inventions are mentioned in the above passage?| A．Four. | B．Five. | C．Six. | D．Seven. |
| A．The robot can look after the babies. |
| B．The fridge can cook by using up what you have. |
| C．The scooter board can run at a speed of three meters. |
| D．The NPCs can talk with you like a human. |
| A．Positive. | B．Uncertain. | C．Negative. | D．Disappointed |
| A．The Use of AI Products | B．AI Makes People Worried |
| C．New Robots Made by CES | D．AI Inventions, In or Out? |
5 . I recently read an article about how much time the average person spends doing things around the world. The statistics (数据) are changing all the time, of course—and the survey doesn’t cover every country so it may not paint a fair picture of some populations, but it was still fascinating.
The survey showed some interesting differences between countries. For example, Mexicans must have fun, because they laugh more than any other population. Germans spend the most time with friends, and surprisingly maybe, Americans play the most sports. Then there are the toe-tapping Russians: the average Russian dances 15 times a month!
When you add up the amounts for different activities in a 80-year lifespan (寿命), you get some shocking results. For example, the average person in the developed world will spend about 11 years in front of a computer, phone, or TV screen—much longer than we spend exercising. It’ one important reason why we spend about 25% of our whole lives sitting in a chair!
The other main reason is work. A working life for the most people lasts about 116, 000 hours (about 13 years), and you may be sitting down all day at a desk or factory machine. That’s bad news, since medical studies have shown that sitting down too much is very bad for your health.
Of course, we spend a lot of our lives sleeping, too—about one third of our lives. That might seem like a waste—we could do more with our lives if we didn’t sleep. But scientists say that sleep is important to our physical and mental health. And let’s face it, if we stayed up all night, we’d probably just spend the extra time checking our phones!
After reading the survey, I thought about all the time I must have wasted over the years just sitting on the sofa. From now on, I’ve decided that I’m going to watch less TV, spend less time playing video games, and play more sports. Clearly, if I increase my exercise by only 5%, I’ll do enough to run around the world twice!
1. What does the writer say about the survey in Para. 1?| A．It’s only fit for the writer’s country. | B．A lot of the facts are already out of date. |
| C．It may not be correct for some countries. | D．It was boring and not well researched. |
| A．By making descriptions. | B．By telling stories. |
| C．By asking questions. | D．By listing numbers |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．A small change could have a big effect. |
| B．Every coin has two sides. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| D．Running more makes our life perfect. |
6 . During Chinese New Year, a 40-metre-long balloon loong (the Chinese pronunciation of dragon) was shown in Hong Kong. On January 24, the artwork was confirmed to have broken the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest balloon loong.
The loong is the symbol of power, energy and liveliness in Chinese culture. The record-breaking loong is made up of 38,000 beautiful balloons. It shows a golden light and has a sense of power.
“According to Chinese legends (神话), the loong controls rain. Only good weather can produce good crops, so the Chinese have admired and respected the loong since ancient times,” the balloon artist Wilson Pang said. He added that many sayings about the loong had good meanings, which were different from those about Western Dragons.
Pang said that the artwork took him much time and the most difficult part was the eyes. He made more than 10 drafts for one eye alone before he was satisfied. The Guinness certification officer was greatly impressed, saying it was one of the most attractive balloon artworks ever.
The model of the loong caught many people’s attention. “Beautiful”, “amazing”, “fantastic” and “thanks for bringing us peace” were among many people’s messages Pang received on social media. To thank people for their support, Pang printed 5,000 postcards based on the loong and had a meeting with them at a mall.
“To send a warm, loving message to the people of Hong Kong is what I always want to do,” Pang said. “I hope to share what I have learned with young people. I have won many medals myself and I hope to support the next winners in the future.”
Growing up in Hong Kong, a place both old and modern, Pang often thinks about how to present the beauty of Eastern culture with Western balloon art. The balloon artist hopes that one day he can introduce balloon works that show Chinese culture to the world. “This is what I am doing now,” he said.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1 to Paragraph 3?| A．The loong is powerful and lazy in Chinese culture. |
| B．People respect the loong because it produces crops. |
| C．Sayings about Western Dragons always have good meanings. |
| D．Ancient people believed good weather depended on the loong. |
| A．has perfect eyes in the beginning |
| B．has nothing to do with young people |
| C．is a way to send people a warm message |
| D．is easier to design than any other artwork |
| A．The beauty of the Western balloon art and works. |
| B．Chinese culture that can be found in the balloon loong. |
| C．Pang’s growing-up stories before becoming a balloon artist. |
| D．Hong Kong, a great place with ancient and modern cultures. |
| A．Artist Breaks Record for Largest Loong |
| B．Chinese Loong Stands for Special Meanings |
| C．Hong Kong Spreads Traditional Chinese Culture |
| D．Wilson Pang Becomes Famous as Balloon Artist |
7 . Awakening of Insects (惊蛰) fell on March 5 and ended on March 20 this year. Its date slightly changes each year because of the lunar calendar system. It shows that animals sleeping in winter are awakened by spring thunder and the earth begins to come back to life.
Spring thunder cracks the sky
An old Chinese saying goes, “If the first spring thunder crashes before the Awakening of Insects, there will be unusual weather that year.” Around the Awakening of Insects, the earth becomes humid (潮湿的) and the hot air near the surface rises. At the same time, the cold dry air from the north is strong and creates winds. When the two airflows (气流) come together, thunder forms during this time.
Spring ploughing (耕作)
The Awakening of Insects is important to farmers because they take it as the beginning of the busiest time for farm work. During this time, most areas of China see the quickest rise in temperatures, usually reaching above 10 degrees. There is also a big increase in sunshine, which provides good conditions for farming.
__________
Around the Awakening of Insects, some animals wake up, and so do fish. They swim from deep water to shallow water in search of food, ready to have babies. It is a perfect time for fishing. Fishing can help people relax in body and mind, especially for people living in the city. Driving to the countryside, fishing in a lake, bathing in the sunlight, enjoying the singing birds and beautiful flowers make a perfect weekend in spring.
Eating pears
Eating pears around the Awakening of Insects is a common practice in China. As the weather gets warmer and the air becomes drier, people will feel their mouths are dry, which can cause colds or coughs. Pears which are sweet, juicy and cold may stop a cough. So pears are highly recommended during the Awakening of Insects.
1. Thunder forms around the Awakening of Insects because _________.| A．the hot air near the surface goes up |
| B．animals sleeping in winter all wake up |
| C．the cold dry air from the south spreads |
| D．the hot humid air meets the cold dry air |
| A．showing time | B．giving examples |
| C．explaining reasons | D．presenting numbers |
| A．Going fishing |
| B．Swimming in deep water |
| C．Driving to the countryside |
| D．Enjoying beautiful flowers |
| A．Eating pears can cause colds or coughs. |
| B．People who live in cities may like fishing a lot. |
| C．Awakening of Insects begins on March 5 every year. |
| D．Temperature rises slowly during the Awakening of Insects. |
8 . The earliest form of writing appeared about 5,500 years ago. In the past, hand writing was an important subject in school. Now, many students sometimes do homework on a computer and turn in their tasks online.
Many people think typing (打字) is quick and easy to read, while writing by hand may take longer than typing. But others say writing with a pen and paper is more valuable. Writing by hand has big advantages. Research shows that when we write down ideas with a pen or pencil, we make the brain active to help us learn, remember and think. Writing by hand lets people show their creativity. No two people have the same handwriting. Writing by hand can also help people concentrate. When using a computer, people can go online or play computer games easily.
Handwriting may be pretty. However, people can get their ideas and thoughts down more quickly when they type. Typing can also make it easier for people to change. Once something is written by hand, you can’t delete it. If you want to make a change, you have to write it all over again. What’s more, some people’s handwriting may be hard to read. Typing makes everything clear, and no one will have to worry about their words being clear enough.
根据短文内容，回答下列问题。1. When did people begin to write?
2. How is the brain when we write by hand?
3. What’s the main idea of paragraph 2?
4. How many advantages of typing are mentioned in paragraph 3?
5. If you need to write a report, will you type or hand write it? Why? (Give 2 reasons.)
9 . Lots of teenagers think it is difficult to set and achieve goals. What about you? If your answer is yes, don’t feel sad. The following tips can help you.
A. It takes some time for a change to turn into a habit. B. Making mistakes doesn’t mean failure. C. Make changes to please yourself. D. Specific (具体的) and realistic (现实的) goals work best. E. Repeating goals helps you stick to them. F. Work hard toward your goals. |
Tips on how to set and achieve goals |
10 . People all have problems. If we don’t deal with these problems, we can easily become unhappy. Worrying about our problems can affect (影响) how we do at school. It can also influence the way we behave with our family. So how do we deal with our problems? There are many ways and here is one of them.
Most of us have probably been angry with our friends, parents or teachers. Perhaps they said something you didn’t like, or you felt they were unfair. Sometimes people can stay angry for years about a small problem. Time goes by, and good friendship may be lost.
When we are angry, however, we are usually the ones affected. Perhaps we have seen young children playing together. Sometimes they have disagreements, and decide not to talk to each other. However, this usually does not last for long. This is an important lesson for us to learn.
根据短文内容，选择正确答案。1. What is the writer?
| A．A shopkeeper. | B．A doctor. | C．A student. | D．A dentist. |
| A．How to deal with problems. | B．How to do at school. |
| C．How to behave with family. | D．How to talk to each other. |
| A．They feel unfair. | B．They may get sick. |
| C．Good friendship may be lost. | D．They may miss each other. |
| A．they become unhappy | B．they have the same ideas |
| C．they worry about a small problem | D．they have disagreements |
| A．playing together | B．learning to forget |
| C．staying angry | D．feeling unfair |
