1 . International Women’s Day has been around since 1911. Today it is celebrated on March 8th around the world and even is a public holiday in some countries. It has a different theme each year. The theme of 2023 is “Digit ALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality(数字包容: 创新和技术推动性别平等)”.
Women play an important role in our society. Carolyn Ruth Bertozzi, an American scientist, created a new field of chemistry that changes healthcare and cancer treatment. Finally she became one of the three winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2022. Zhang Guimei, an educator, founded a high school that offers free education to girls. She has changed the life of thousands of girls and she received the July 1st Medal in 2021.
International Women’s Day is about women’s equality(平等) in all its forms. On this day, people hold all kinds of events, like concerts, to celebrate around the world. Students in schools take part in special lessons to learn about the importance of women in society. In some countries, school children make gifts for their female teachers and women receive small presents from friends or family members.
1. The underlined word “theme” in paragraph 1 means “________” in Chinese.| A．解释 | B．主题 | C．信息 | D．内容 |
| A．women are able to win Nobel Prize | B．women can do better than men |
| C．women are important for our society | D．women are suitable for teachers |
| A．International Women’s Day has a history of over 100 years. |
| B．International Women’s Day is about women’s equality. |
| C．Zhang Guimei has helped thousands of girls. |
| D．Carolyn Ruth Bertozzi won the Nobel Prize in 2021. |
| A．how people celebrate Women’s Day | B．what people do for women |
| C．why people celebrate festivals | D．when people hold concerts |
| A．to be confident and be themselves | B．to learn to be a brave man |
| C．don’t wait for others to help you | D．to always be kind to others |
Snow forests make up about 30% of the world’s total forest areas. Although these wonderful woodlands (林地) are not as famous as the Amazon or other rainforests, they are very important for the Earth’s health.
Snow forests are found in the far north of the world, in areas that are quite cold and usually have a lot of snowfall. They run for thousands of miles and cover about 17% of the Earth’s total land area. Winters in these woodlands can last up to six months but even so, snow forests are home to many kinds of animals.
Snow forests have an important job-helping to absorb (吸收) carbon-based (碳基) gases. However, snow forests are facing several dangers. Trees are being cut down faster and faster for their wood. Some forests are being cleared for new roads and houses. This leads to less and less living space for wildlife. What’s more, as the world gets warmer, the risk of fires in snow forests rises. In recent years, Canada and Russia have seen very dangerous fires.
It’s very time to take some measures to protect snow forests now.
1. Snow forests are as famous as Amazon rainforest.2. Winters in snow forest areas can last for a long time.
3. Snow forests can help to absorb carbon-based gases.
4. In recent years, snow forests are facing the danger of drought (干旱).
5. The passage is talking about how to protect snow forests.
3 . Showing respect for seniors
Dads have Father’s Day. Moms have Mother’s Day. Kids have Children’s Day. But, do our grandparents have a special holiday? Yes, they do!
The Double Ninth Festival is a special day for elderly people in China. The festival is on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar. As the Chinese word for nine has the same sound as the word for long, people take the Double Ninth Festival to show their wishes of long life for elderly people.
There are many traditions for this festival. On that day, families get together and climb mountains for luck and in the hope that elderly people will live much longer. They also drink chrysanthemum wine (菊花酒) and wear a plant called zhuyu to celebrate it. Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are regarded as clean plants that can clean houses and cure (治疗) diseases.
Respecting elderly people is shown not only on this special day but also in daily life. For example, when an older person enters a room, everyone stands up. When there are several guests at the table, the host usually introduces them from the oldest to the youngest. When a younger person is presenting something to an older person, two hands are used. On a crowded subway or bus, younger people always offer their seats to elderly people.
It is a traditional virtue (美德) in China to respect elderly people. That’s because the Chinese know that elderly people have knowledge and experience that young people can learn from. So, Chinese people are proud of being old. Besides, to respect the elderly people is to respect yourself tomorrow.
1. The Double Ninth Festival is a celebration for ________.| A．fathers | B．mothers | C．children | D．elderly people |
| A．Cleaning houses. | B．Wearing the plant zhuyu. |
| C．Drinking chrysanthemum wine. | D．Families climbing mountains together. |
| A．Why we should respect elderly people. |
| B．Traditional ways of celebrating the festival. |
| C．What young people usually do on this festival. |
| D．Examples of respecting elderly people in daily life. |
| A．We should offer seats to the old while taking a bus. |
| B．We should sit straight when the old come into a room. |
| C．We should use double hands to present things to the old. |
| D．We should introduce the oldest person first while eating at the table. |
| A．It means they don’t have to work for others. |
| B．It means they have more virtues than others. |
| C．It means they have knowledge and experience. |
| D．It means what they did in the past was meaningful. |
4 . About 80% of people do not get enough vitamin (维生素) D every day. But this vitamin is very important for your health.
Vitamin D is really important for our bones (骨骼). When we are young, vitamin D builds up our bones and makes them strong. When we are older, we still need vitamin D to keep our bones strong. Our bodies keep the vitamin D in our bones and teeth. Then we lose vitamin D as we work and exercise during the day. But our bodies can’t make vitamin D. So we have to get it from outside of our bodies.
Where can a person get this very important vitamin? Vitamin D is in foods like fish and eggs. Sometimes, vitamin D is added to bread, milk, and orange juice. Food is not the only way our bodies can get vitamin D. The sun also gives us vitamin D. If we want to be healthy, we should spend some time in the sun each day. Too much sun is not good for you, but about 15 minutes a day is usually enough. And we should be sure to eat foods that are rich in vitamin D, too.
1. The writer says that vitamin D ________.| A．makes our bones strong | B．keeps our hair clean |
| C．is not necessary for our teeth | D．is harmful to our hearts |
| A．It makes us popular. | B．It helps us eat more food. |
| C．Our bodies can’t make vitamin D. | D．The more vitamin D, the better. |
| A．eating fish | B．watching TV | C．working hard | D．having a sleep |
| A．About 15 minutes. | B．About 45 minutes. | C．About 1 hour. | D．About 2 hours. |
| A．what vitamin D is | B．where we can get vitamin D |
| C．how much vitamin D we need | D．why people don’t like vitamin D |
5 . Do you often buy something that you don’t really need? It looks nice in the shop. There is a good advertisement. You want it. All your friends have one. There are lots of excuses!
We throw away millions of mobile phones and computers every year. They aren’t broken. We just want the newest model. But buying too much is bad for the environment because it creates pollution and uses up the world’s resources. It also wastes a lot of money.
Could you spend a whole day without buying anything? Well, on the last Friday in November, many people around the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. They buy nothing for 24 hours!
A Canadian artist called Ted Dave created the day in 1992. And the idea has spread around the world since then, and gets bigger every year. Nowadays, people in over 60 countries celebrate Buy Nothing Day, including the UK, Austria, Germany, New Zealand and Japan.
You can celebrate Buy Nothing Day in different ways. You can simply avoid buying anything on the day, even online shopping. You can organize fun activities in shopping centers to call for people to buy nothing. Or you can go out to nature to enjoy a long walk on the beach, in a park, or along a river.
Though most people like Buy Nothing Day, some do not. Some people say that people just buy more things the next day. Other people say that it is just for people with too much money, because poor people only buy a few things in a year. What do you think? Is Buy Nothing Day a good idea to encourage you to produce less waste and think more about what you buy?
1. How does the writer introduce the reasons why people buy things they don’t really need?| A．By telling stories. | B．By listing numbers. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By showing pictures. |
| A．Buying too much. | B．Using up resources. |
| C．The newest model. | D．A good advertisement. |
| A．was created in 1996 | B．is celebrated mainly in Europe |
| C．was the idea of a Canadian artist | D．falls on the first Friday in November |
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
| A．Don’t buy anything you don’t really need | B．How to celebrate Buy Nothing Day |
| C．A Canadian artist | D．Buy Nothing Day |
6 . We think the tomato is a vegetable, but it is actually a fruit. Because it is not sweet and is used for providing flavor (滋味) to food, we think of it as a vegetable.
The tomato is from Mexico. Spanish explorers (探险者) who went to South America about 500 years ago brought back the tomato to Europe. The French called tomatoes “love apples”, while the British called them “apples of gold”. Young men made rings of tomato seeds and gave them to their loved ones.
The first people in Europe to eat tomatoes were Italians. As far back as 500 years ago, the joys of eating fried tomatoes with salt were known to them. They also discovered that the tomato made pasta (意大利面) taste better.
In other countries like England, tomatoes were thought to have poison (毒) in them. But people grew them in their gardens because of their beautiful colors and looks. They even thought that tomatoes caused diseases. But they soon got over their fear and began to eat tomatoes.
It is believed that the British brought the tomato to India. This was about 300 years ago. Gradually, the people of Bengal started discovering that the tomato gave a good flavor to their dishes. Today, the whole world is crazy about the tomato.
1. Spanish explorers brought the tomato to Europe probably in the ________.| A．1800s | B．1700s | C．1600s | D．1500s |
| A．Mexico | B．Spain | C．Britain | D．France |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Because they had poison. | B．Because they caused diseases. |
| C．Because they looked nice. | D．Because they were delicious. |
| A．The Story of Tomatoes | B．The Place of Planting a Fruit |
| C．The Flavor of Tomatoes | D．The Way of Planting a Vegetable |
Most people have map apps on their phones that can show their locations (位置) and guide them to where they want to go. But how do these app systems know your locations at any time or place? They find you by using satellite navigation (satnav) systems (卫星导航系统).
A satnav system uses groups of satellites to find the users’ locations. This location information is then sent to a receiver, such as a smartphone.
The first satnav system is the Global Positioning System (GPS) (全球定位系统), which belongs to the United States. The system is the world’s leading satnav system. But China’s satellites are important for improving the satnav system. BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), has overtaken (超过) GPS in size, Japan’s Nikkei Asian Review reported. China sent BeiDou’s first navigation satellite into space in 2000. China also built a satnav system after the United States and Russia, People’s Daily reported. Until now, over 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East are using BeiDou system.
With its world-leading technology, BeiDou is leading Chinese people to a better life by playing important roles in different areas.
1. Map apps can guide people to where they want to go.2. The users’ locations are found by groups of satellites.
3. The world’s first satnav system is the BDS.
4. The BDS is used by less than thirty countries in Africa and the Middle East so far.
5. This passage is mainly about how to make the BDS.
8 . Ordering takeouts is very popular nowadays because it is convenient. More than 60 percent of the people in China order takeout food at least twice a week. If people don’t want to eat out, they can just order takeouts on the smartphone and wait for it to be delivered (送达). What about people living in ancient times? Did they eat takeouts?
In fact, there was takeout as far back as the Song Dynasty. According to history books, Emperor Xiaozong (1127—1194) liked to order takeouts late at night. His servants then went around the city to pick up the dishes and bring them back to the palace.
Ordinary (普通的) people also ordered takeouts. Restaurant waiters would go out into the streets and shout out which dishes could be ordered that day. After hearing the waiters, people could then place an order. Later, delivery workers would bring food to their homes. In the famous Song Dynasty painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival (《清明上河图》), a takeout worker can be seen on a delivery with food in hand.
People at that time even had a special meal box for takeout dishes. It was a long wooden box with several layers. People also used warming plates made of two layers of porcelain (瓷). Hot water could be put between them to keep dishes warm.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Eating out. | B．The smart phone. | C．Takeout. | D．A phone call. |
| A．900 | B．1100 | C．1500 | D．2000 |
| A．Many people like to order takeouts nowadays because it is very cheap. |
| B．Only the Emperor could order takeouts in ancient times. |
| C．People can see a takeout worker in Along the River During the Qingming Festival. |
| D．People used special plastic boxes for takeout dishes in ancient China. |
| A．hot water | B．fire | C．plastic plates | D．special paper boxes |
| A．the emperor who liked takeouts | B．takeouts in Ancient China |
| C．the advantages of ordering takeouts | D．the way to order takeouts in ancient China |
9 . Can plants talk? Modern research has found something amazing: they do communicate with each other.
It has been known for some time that plants use chemicals to communicate with each other. This happens when a plant gets attacked(受到攻击) by insects. The plant gives out chemicals from the leaves that are being eaten. This is like a warning, or a call for help: “I’m being attacked!” When another plant gets the chemicals, it starts to give out its own, different chemicals. Some of these chemicals drive insects away. Others attract the wasps(黄蜂)! The wasps kill the insects that are eating the plants. Scientists hope to learn more about this plant warning system, so that we can use it to grow more crops.
More surprisingly, plants also use sound to communicate. People can’t hear these sounds; but plants are making them. Some plants make noises with their roots. Corn and chili plants do this. Some trees make clicking noises when there is not enough water.
Most surprisingly of all, plants have an amazing system of communication that can link nearly every plant in a forest. Scientists call this system the “wood wide web”. The wood wide web is linked underground by fungi(真菌). It links the roots of different plants to each other. It is in some ways similar to the Internet we use. Using the wood wide web, plants can share information and even food with each other.
Scientists are learning more every day about the secret ways in which plants talk to each other. Maybe one day we will know enough about plant communication to be able to “talk” with them.
1. What will plants do when they are attacked by insects?| A．They will kill the insects quickly. |
| B．They will control the wasps to kill the insects. |
| C．They will send out signals to ask for help. |
| D．They will produce chemicals as a warning or a call for help. |
| A．By making noises with their roots. |
| B．By connecting the roots of different plants to each other. |
| C．By sharing food and information with each other. |
| D．By spreading chemicals to each other. |
| A．To give people hope for further studies. |
| B．To praise scientists for their great achievements. |
| C．To call on people to protect the plants on Earth. |
| D．To encourage people to communicate with plants. |
| A．culture | B．science |
| C．health | D．business |
| A．The secret language of plants. |
| B．The study about the plant warning system. |
| C．The plants that give warnings. |
| D．Why scientists do research about plants. |
10 . At the beginning of human history, people could only eat food they found. But then people learned to find more ways to get food. About 10, 000 years ago, people started to farm the land. After that, people developed farming skills.
People eat different food in different areas. In China, rice is the main food for people in the south while the people in the north eat noodles. People who live in European countries near the sea eat lots of fish. But in Central Europe, people are away from the sea. So they don’t eat so much fish. They eat more meat instead.
People eat food with different tools in different areas. In China, people always like using chopsticks while in North America, Australia and Europe, people always like using knives and forks. To our surprise, in India and the Middle East, people always pick up food with their own fingers.
Now people can eat different food from different areas. As we can see, it is possible to convey food easily from one part of the world to another. We can almost eat whatever we like at any place of the world. For example, people in Britain can eat bananas from Africa and rice from India. Food is becoming a very big business now.
1. People ________ at the beginning of human history.| A．could only eat food they found | B．started to farm the land |
| C．developed farming skills | D．could eat food from other countries |
| A．they are near the sea | B．they like eating noodles |
| C．they are away from the sea | D．they don’t like eating fish |
| A．捐赠 | B．传导 | C．购买 | D．运输 |
| A．People in the south of China eat bananas as their main food. |
| B．People in India and the Middle East always pick up food with their own fingers. |
| C．People in Britain can only eat rice from Africa. |
| D．People in the world get used to picking up food with knives and forks. |
| A．People’s Table Manners | B．People’s Eating Tools |
| C．People and Food | D．People’s Habits |
