1 . Some animals can easily find their way home after a long journey. How do they make it? Scientific research shows that they are born with certain unusual abilities for direction.
A certain kind of ants, for example, can count their steps to avoid getting lost. They can go as far as 110 metres and bring food home. These ants live in the open desert (沙漠), so they have nothing to guide them along the way. It’s like someone walking six kilometres through a dark forest.
Some fish have an unbelievable sense of smell. They can smell even a single drop of their home water in a large sea area. Some sea birds have a similar ability. They are able to make a smell map of their flying area.
Some animals can sense the earth’s magnetic field (磁场), while humans can’t. This magnetic field guides a certain kind of fish when they swim a long way to a place and then back. How can this kind of fish do that? It is still a mystery. Scientists have no good answers yet.
However, animals with such unusual abilities still have difficulty dealing with environmental changes caused by human activities. For example, many birds depend on stars for direction, but they get lost easily at night when city lights are kept on all night. To solve this problem, we can simply turn off some lights at night. Clearly, one small act of humans may mean a lot to animals.
1. Where is this passage most probably from?| A．A storybook. | B．An art magazine. |
| C．A guidebook. | D．A science magazine. |
| A．By imagining the way. | B．By counting their steps. |
| C．By bringing food together | D．By walking through a forest. |
| A．Secret. | B．Choice. | C．Reason. | D．Feeling. |
| A．To help animals. | B．To travel at night. |
| C．To keep city lights on. | D．To develop unusual abilities. |
| A．Birds’ Sense of Light | B．Fish’s Sense of Smell |
| C．Animals’ Sense of Direction | D．Animals’ Sense of Magnetic Field |
2 .
When it’s hot outside and we have to go out, surely we want to keep cool. We can put on hats, wear light clothing, or stay at a cool place. However, nothing can beat a good fan. Now I’ll show you how to make a good DIY (Do It Yourself) paper fan.
What to prepare Please prepare two pieces of paper. All paper will work, but your DIY fan can be used for a long time with quality (优质的) paper. Then get glue, two sticks, etc. How to make a DIY fan The first step is to draw pictures on the paper. Just draw anything you like. The next step is to fold up (折叠) the paper. Then glue the two pieces of folded paper together. After that, paint the sticks. The final step is to glue the sticks onto the folded paper. And everything is done. If you look at your watch, you will be surprised: it takes less than 15 minutes to make a good paper fan. Then you can fold it up and drop it in your bag. When you are out in the heat next time, just take it out and enjoy the gentle wind. |
| A．Putting on hats. | B．Using a good fan. |
| C．Wearing light clothing. | D．Staying at a cool place. |
| A．It is light. | B．It is colorful. |
| C．It lasts long. | D．It looks beautiful. |
| A．Painting the sticks. |
| B．Drawing pictures on the paper. |
| C．Folding up the paper. |
| D．Gluing the sticks onto the folded paper. |
| A．quick | B．difficult | C．boring | D．strange |
| A．To sell paper fans. | B．To show how to save time. |
| C．To share a fun story. | D．To teach how to make paper fans. |
3 . Tea and coffee are two of the most popular drinks in the world. However, people usually like one more than the other. These drinks also have very different uses.
Tea drinking started in China over 4,000 years ago. Tea is made from leaves. These days, some people drink tea for health, using it to help with stress(压力) or losing weight. However, most people in tea-drinking countries think of tea as more than just a healthy drink. In fact, tea drinking in some countries is a part of the culture. In Turkey(土耳其), tea is always there when people meet. Whether in someone’s home or a company, tea is always offered as a way of welcoming. In the UK, homes and offices usually have tea time. Tea and other dishes are served at tea time in the afternoon. It is a way of relaxing with friends or co-workers(同事).
Coffee came much later than tea, just over 1,000 years ago. Coffee is made from beans. Something in the coffee beans makes a person feel active. Most people do not drink coffee to relax. Instead, they drink coffee to get going. Many people drink coffee in the morning to help them wake up. Others will also drink coffee during short breaks in the afternoon to keep going through the working day. Some people may visit coffee shops just to meet and talk with friends. However, many people in coffee shops drink coffee while working on their computers.
Is tea or coffee more common in your country? Between the two, which do you like to drink more?
1. Where did tea drinking start?| A．In Japan. | B．In China. | C．In Turkey. | D．In the UK. |
| A．drink tea to get fat | B．offer tea to say goodbye |
| C．think of tea as a bad drink | D．have tea to relax themselves |
| A．Leaves. | B．Sugar. | C．Dishes. | D．Beans. |
| A．Coffee came much earlier than tea. |
| B．Many people drink coffee to wake up. |
| C．Many people work on their computers in coffee shops. |
| D．Some people meet and talk with friends in coffee shops. |
| A．The Smells of Tea and Coffee | B．The Prices of Tea and Coffee |
| C．The Different Cultures of Tea and Coffee | D．The Different Ways of Making Tea and Coffee |
4 . Most American families are smaller than those in other countries. Usually there is one or two parents and one or two children in each American family.
Children in the USA will leave their parents when they grow up. They want to find better jobs, so they usually live far away from their parents. They often write to their parents or call them. And they go to visit their parents during their holidays.
Parents will ask their children to do some work around their house. In many families children will get money for doing some housework so that they can learn to make money for their own. Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs. Americans think that for young people it is important to decide on their lives by themselves.
1. In most families in the USA there are usually ________.| A．no parents | B．no children | C．over 5 people | D．less than 5 people |
| A．go to other countries | B．decide on their lives by themselves |
| C．find jobs for their parents | D．do better jobs around their house |
| A．They are old enough to live all by themselves. |
| B．The parents are too busy to look after their children. |
| C．They want to have more chances to look for better jobs. |
| D．They can keep in touch (联系) with their parents by telephoning. |
| A．Useful. | B．Strange. | C．Dangerous. | D．Funny. |
| A．leave their parents when they grow up | B．often spend holidays at their parents’ house |
| C．sometimes look for jobs for their own parents | D．often call or write to their parents for money |
5 . The scientific method is used for simple experiments that students may do in the classroom or very difficult experiments that scientists are doing all over the world. It is a way of thinking that helps you to avoid drawing incorrect conclusions.
There are usually four steps in the scientific method, including observation (观察), hypothesis (假设), experiment, and conclusion. The steps may not always be completed in the same order, but the first step is usually observation and asking a question about your observation. For example, you had a sick stomach, and ate a candy bar. An hour later, you observed that you felt much better. Here, you can ask a question, such as, “What makes a sick stomach feel better?”
The second step is to state a possible answer to the question, or a hypothesis, such as “
” A good hypothesis includes three things: The explanation for the observations, it is able to be tested, and it will usually predict new outcomes or conclusions.
The third step is the experiment, to test the hypothesis. An experiment is a test which will either challenge or support the hypothesis. The hypothesis will then be true or false.
The final step is to think about what happened when you tested the hypothesis and draw a conclusion. The conclusion will either clearly support the hypothesis or it will not. If the results support the hypothesis, a conclusion can be written and you can share it with the rest of the world. If it does not support the hypothesis, you may choose to change the hypothesis or write a new one based on what was learned during the experiment.
1. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of the passage?| A．How do the four basic steps in the scientific method work? |
| B．What makes a good hypothesis based on the observation? |
| C．The conclusion will always clearly support the hypothesis. |
| D．Learning the scientific method may help students succeed in science. |
| A．A candy bar makes a sick stomach feel better. |
| B．It was the medicine you took an hour earlier that made you feel better. |
| C．Eat a candy bar again, and see what happens to your sick stomach. |
| D．Ask people if eating a candy bar has made a sick stomach feel better. |
| A．The hypothesis. | B．The conclusion. |
| C．The question. | D．The observation. |
| A．An experiment is a test to always support the hypothesis. |
| B．An experiment does not have to be part of the scientific method. |
| C．An experiment is a test to either challenge or support a hypothesis. |
| D．An experiment is only used when scientists are trying to prove a hypothesis. |
6 .
Finally, you finish all your schoolwork and sit back in your chair. Suddenly you feel a headache and realize your eyes are painful. What’s going on? Doctors say that many students are spending too much time in front of screens, especially during online classes. The following might be of some help to you. | |
| THE 20-20-20 RULE This gives your eyes a break from long screen time. It suggests looking at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds after 20 minutes of work on the screen. You can then continue working pain free. | •Studies show that people blink(眨眼睛) less often when looking at a screen. Keep your eyes wet by blinking often or using eye drops. |
| •Sit up straight about an arm’s length(长度) away from the screen. Make sure you’re looking down at your screen. Stand up and exercise often to avoid neck and shoulder pain. | |
•What about blue light blacking glasses (防蓝光眼镜)? They may look cool, but research shows that blue light isn’t the biggest cause of eye tiredness. So ask doctors about computer glasses before putting them on. | |
1. Who is the text written for?
| A．Parents. | B．Students. | C．Doctors. | D．Patients. |
| A．20 minutes, 20 feet, 20 times. |
| B．20 seconds, 20 times, 20 feet. |
| C．20 feet, 20 seconds, 20 minutes. |
| D．20 times, 20 minutes, 20 seconds. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．The reasons for eye tiredness. |
| B．The influence of online classes. |
| C．The importance of computer glasses. |
| D．The suggestions about eye protection. |
| A．Health. | B．Sports. | C．Culture. | D．Travel. |
7 . Warming temperatures and shorter winters might sound like the end of snow days. However, rising temperatures may actually cause snowstorms to dump more snow, says David Robinson. He is a professor at a university in New Jersey. He studies climate (气候) change.
Temperature change is one of the greatest in Earth’s climate change over a long period of time. It can happen naturally or because of human activities, such as burning gas and coal. Burning these fuels produces carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) and other pollutants into the atmosphere, which hold heat in the atmosphere, leading to warmer global temperatures over time.
But how could warmer temperatures lead to more snow? To get snow, you need moisture (水汽) and freezing temperatures (0℃ or less), says Robinson. Without moisture in the air, there is no precipitation (rain or snow). Robinson says there are signs that snowstorms are becoming stronger. This is because of this connection between moisture and precipitation.
“The warmer the air becomes, the more moisture it holds. So, if it’s warming and still cold enough to snow, you can get more snow,” Robinson says.
Of the 10 biggest snowfalls in D. C. region, five happened in the past 25 years, according to the NWS. During that same time period, average winter temperatures in D. C. increased. In 1996, the average winter temperature was 1.8℃. In 2020, it was 6℃.
Weather experts suggest that rising temperatures may make winter shorter and less cold. But for now, the snow is still falling. One day, winter might not have any days below the freezing temperature. Once temperatures stay above freezing, snowstorms become rain. Until then, we might continue to see strong storms.
According to Robinson, that time could come sooner than we think. He says, “When we look back, years from now, we may see that this was the breaking point.”
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．How Earth’s climate changes. | B．What causes rising temperatures. |
| C．What produces carbon dioxide. | D．How pollution influences climate. |
| A．Less coal. | B．Drier weather. |
| C．Longer winters. | D．Stronger snowstorms. |
| A．To introduce D. C. |
| B．To report the biggest 10 snowstorms. |
| C．To support Robinson’s ideas. |
| D．To show the increase of temperatures. |
| A．Impossible. | B．Serious. | C．Meaningless. | D．Amazing. |
| A．A science magazine. | B．A story book. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．A travel guide. |
8 . 
Pet parrots that are allowed to make video calls to other birds show signs of feeling less isolated, according to scientists.
The study, which involved giving the birds a computer that they could use to make video calls, found that they began to engage in more social behaviors including preening, singing and playing. The birds were given a choice of which “friend” to call on a touchscreen computer and the study showed that the parrots that called other birds most often were the most popular choices.
Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, of the University of Glasgow and a co-author of the study, said that video calls had helped many people feel less isolated in the last few years. She added, “There are 20 million parrots living in people’s homes in the USA, and we wanted to explore whether those birds might benefit (受益) from video calling too. If we gave them the chance to call other parrots, would they choose to do so, and would the experience benefit the parrots and their caregivers?”
Their study of 18 pet parrots suggested that there were, indeed, benefits for the birds. In the wild, many species of parrots live in large groups, but as pets they are, kept alone or in a small group. Living alone can cause birds, to develop mental problems, which include rocking, walking back and forth, or self-harming behaviors such as feather-plucking.
The parrots first learned to ring a bell and then touch a photo of another bird on the screen of a computer to make a call to that bird, with the help of their owners. In total the birds made 147 calls to each other during the study, while owners took detailed notes on the birds’ behavior and the researchers later reviewed the video footage.
Jennifer Cunha of Northeastern University said that the parrots “seemed to know” that they were communicating with other birds. “All the bird owners in the study said they valued the experience, and would want to continue using the system with their parrots in the future,” she said.
“I was quite surprised at so many different behaviors,” said Hirskyj-Douglas. “Some would sing, some would play around and go upside down, others would want to show another bird their toys.”
1. The main purpose of the study is to find out _________.| A．if parrots can learn to make video calls | B．if parrots can benefit from video calling |
| C．why parrots can have so many benefits | D．why parrots can develop mental problems |
| A．Their way to communicate is singing. | B．Most of them used to live in large groups. |
| C．The most popular ones made most calls. | D．They can make video calls by themselves. |
| A．amazed | B．calm | C．scared | D．lonely |
Video calling could reproduce some of the social benefits of living in a group, according to Rébecca Kleinberger, of Northeastern University and first author of the study.
| A．Paragraph 1 | B．Paragraph 2 | C．Paragraph 3 | D．Paragraph 4 |
9 . All aboard! Let’s take a ride on the world’s highest railway—the Qinghai-Tibet Railway（青藏铁路）. Sit back and enjoy the journey. Get ready for the trip of a lifetime.
We’re leaving Qinghai Station. The scenery along the way is some of the wildest in all of China. Keep your eyes open as we race through this beautiful land. You might see a rare Tibetan antelope（藏羚羊）from your window.
Before we begin our journey, let’s learn about this amazing railway. It’s truly one of the great engineering wonders of the 21st century. When it was completed on July 1, 2006, the Tibet Railway set nine world records, including the world’s highest railway at 5,072 metres above sea level, the world’s highest tunnel（隧道）at 4,905 metres, and the longest tunnel ever built on permafrost（冻土）.
As we travel higher, the air gets thinner and thinner. Soon there will only be 50 to 60 percent of the oxygen which we are used to breathing. But don’t be afraid. Each rail car has two separate oxygen systems. One system spreads oxygen throughout the train at all times. And each passenger can also get a personal oxygen mask just like those used in planes.
Here are a few more things to think about as our train leaves the station. The designers solved three main challenges when building this great railway. First, the high altitude（海拔）made the task difficult because there was no enough oxygen. Second, much of the railway runs across permafrost, a type of ground that keeps changing as the weather warms and cools. Finally, the railway goes through some of the most sensitive ecology（敏感的生态环境）in China. Great care was necessary to make sure of the smallest possible influence on nature.
All three challenges were met, making our trip possible. All aboard! The train to Tibet is leaving in fifteen minutes.
1. Where are the passengers?| A．On a bus. | B．On a train. | C．On a ship. | D．On a plane. |
| A．By telling a story. | B．By using a designer’s words. |
| C．By introducing its world records. | D．By comparing the present with the past. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．The changing ground. | B．The polluted air. | C．The dangerous animals. | D．The hot weather. |
10 . According to a research more than 130 billion pounds of uneaten food go to waste in Laura’s country each year. That is about 30% of the yearly food supply (供应). It is a sad fact especially when you consider how many families and homeless people are in hunger.
When Laura saw her school dining hall throw away food that was not eaten at all every day, she came up with an idea. She started a project to help her school dining hall to give away uneaten food to homeless shelters (庇护所) in her community. In the past three years, the same project has spread to other schools and some fast food restaurants throughout the city. The project is called Feed& find, and has already fed thousands of people in her city.
How does it work? Through an app, Feed& Find matches local homeless shelters with school dining halls and restaurants that have uneaten food to provide. When dining halls or restaurants have uneaten food left, they can use the app to share the information about the food. A truck driver working for the project is then sent to pick it up and take it to a shelter.
Pretty cool, right? It’s not surprising that people in other cities have got in touch with Laura hoping that she could have developed similar projects for their communities.
Some people, however, have concerns about the safety of the uneaten food. They think such food may not be clean enough. Still, this project is a clever way to help solve the problem of food waste and it helps those in need.
1. The numbers in paragraph 1 tell us ________.| A．some people are poor | B．food waste is serious |
| C．the population is large | D．the research is interesting |
| A．her school dining hall | B．her family |
| C．a fast food restaurant | D．homeless shelter |
| A．find a truck driver | B．visit their communities |
| C．give away food to them | D．help develop projects like hers |
| A．ways | B．secrets | C．worries | D．decisions |
| A．A Dining Guide App | B．A Food Sharing Project |
| C．A Driving Service App | D．A Food Safety Project |
