1 . For many years, thousands of people have gone to the North Pole (北极) in summer, but few in winter. In the winter of 1990, the French artist Jannot Derit was invited to have the opening of his exhibition (展览) in a building in the little village of Jukkasjarvi. The building, named the Arctic Hall, was made of snow. Many visitors went there. One night, a group of visitors decided to sleep in the Arctic Hall. The following morning, the brave visitors were very pleased with their experience and the idea of an ice hotel was born. Today, the ICEHOTEL is world—famous.
As soon as winter begins, a team of builders from all over the world come to Jukkasjarvi and they make the hotel for that year. As one part is completed, it opens to visitors, while the other parts are still being built. The first part is completed in December and each week after that a new part opens. The hotel isn’t usually completed until January 7th. The ICEHOTEL is built under the open sky, using the natural materials of the winter season. So the completion date depends on ______ and sometimes the plan changes. In spring, as the weather gets warmer, hotels will melt (融化).
No matter how cold it may be outside, the temperature inside the hotel is never colder than -5℃ to -8℃. Winter outer (外面的) clothes are included in the cost of visitors` stay at the hotel. If you are planning to come to the hotel, you can buy warm sweaters, socks and some other things on the ICEHOTEL website. They will be sent to your room when you check in.
1. The idea of building an ice hotel was born in ________.| A．1970 | B．1980 | C．1990 | D．2000 |
| A．The building process of the ICEHOTEL. | B．Why people build the hotel in winter. |
| C．What difficulties the builders have. | D．The weather conditions in Jukkasjarvi. |
| A．Location. | B．Staff. | C．Traffic. | D．Nature. |
| A．The artist Jannot Derit came up with the idea of building the ICEHOTE. |
| B．The cost of staying at the ICEHOTE includes sweaters and outer clothes. |
| C．Visitors can come and sleep in the ICEHOTE before it is finished each winter. |
| D．The temperature inside the ICEHOTE changes with the temperature outside. |
| A．The Arctic Hall | B．A special hotel | C．A famous town | D．A trip to the Arctic |
2 . The Shenzhen Metro company is going to use driverless technology on FOUR Metro lines, 12, 13, 14 and 16, which are under construction（建设）.
In the Metro Phase IV construction, Shenzhen will use an automated （自动化的）driving mode on the four lines, making the Metro rail network smarter. Reporters from Shenzhen visited CASCO Signal Ltd. in Shanghai. During the visit, they were shown CASCO’s whole smart process.
The Metro Phase IV construction includes the spur（支线）line of Line 6, and four lines 12, 13, 14 and 16, which are expected to be put into operation by the end of 2022. By then, the length of Metro lines in Shenzhen will be 568 kilometers in total.
In a list released by China Urban Rail Transport Association, Shenzhen ranked（排列）fourth among 33 cities concerning its length of Metro lines in service, following Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. The total length of Shenzhen Metro lines in service is 285 kilometers. Shanghai ranked first with 669 kilometers, followed by Beijing with 617 kilometers and Guangzhou with 473 kilometers. Shenzhen is going to put 33 Metro lines into operation with a total length of 1,335 kilometers in 2035.
The development of driverless technology is opening up in other areas of transport. Driverless cars have long been a dream for many countries. Pilot-free planes have also become a hot technology topic. Although these types of technology are seen as better and safer, they do have disadvantages. Automation means these types of transport will heavily depend on computers. Just like humans, they make mistakes.
1. What do we know about the Metro Phase IV construction?| A．It will be completed by CASCO Signal Ltd. |
| B．It will make the Metro rail network slower. |
| C．The four lines are expected to be finished in 2022. |
| D．The four lines will make Shenzhen rank first in Metro rail length. |
| A．283 kilometers. | B．285 kilometers. | C．568 kilometers. | D．1,335 kilometers. |
| A．Cars. | B．Ships. | C．Planes. | D．Metro trains. |
| A．The total length of Shenzhen Metro lines in service is 385 kilometers. |
| B．Shenzhen is going to put 33 Metro lines into operation with a total length of 1,335 kilometers in 2025. |
| C．These types of technology are seen as better and safer, they do not have disadvantages. |
| D．The development of driverless technology is opening up in other areas of transport. |
| A．Reporters from Shenzhen paid a visit to Shanghai. |
| B．New technology has many disadvantages. |
| C．Driverless technology will be used on four Shenzhen Metro lines. |
| D．The length of Shenzhen Metro lines will be 1,335 kilometers. |
On October 31 every year, children in the US will see “witches（女巫）” and “ghosts” walking on the street. Is this the end of the world? No, but it is Halloween!
Halloween is exciting and popular with the people in the US and Canada because of many colorful activities held to celebrate it. One traditional and favorite game is trick-or-treat.
During the night of Halloween, children who wear scary clothes walk around the town. They knock on nearby houses and shout, “trick or treat!” This means “You can give us some candies, or we’ll play a trick on you!” Most people love giving sweets to children. So there are seldom tricks. Some schools also hold Halloween parties. Sometimes, teachers are happy to dress up and join in the party. Grown-ups may visit haunted houses. It can be very scary sometimes.
But they just love following the saying “The scarier, the better.” What exciting night of scares!
An | |
| The date of Halloween | October 31 |
| The | Many colorful activities held to celebrate it |
| Children | |
| Teachers | Dressing up and joining in the party |
| Grown-ups | Visiting |
4 . HOMER is an early learning app that helps kids build confidence for school and life. Over 1.6 million families trust HOMER’s activities to help their kids build skills in reading, math, creativity and so on. The best part is that just 15 minutes a day is proven（证明）to increase early reading scores by 74%.
HOMER makes it easy for kids to learn and play on their own, which is great for busy families. HOMER is advertisement-free and has no paying. It is an excellent and safe choice for kids to play on their own.
All of HOMER’s activities are kid-tested, and expert-designed（专家设计的）to make fun experiences in learning. With thousands of lessons to choose from, your kids will be entertained without repeating the same lessons over and over again.
After a quick test, HOMER personalizes（使……个性化）your child’s learning journey to his or her age and learning level. The interesting lessons will not even feel like work, which makes learning much more fun.
So, why not test out HOMER with a free 30-day trial（试用）? Check out HOMER. Learning for more free trial information.
根据短文内容选择最佳答案。
1. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “entertained’”?
| A．愉快的 | B．难过的 | C．聪明的 |
| A．provide parents with interesting lessons |
| B．only help kids build skills in reading and math |
| C．help kids build confidence in early learning |
| A．boring | B．easy | C．hard |
| A．15 minutes. | B．Three weeks. | C．One month. |
| A．A great educational app | B．A quick test | C．A good way of learning |
5 . From Nov. 1 to Dec. 10 in 2020, if someone knocks at your door and wants to ask you some questions, don’t be afraid. They are working on the 7th national population census (普查). They will ask each family about their name, age, education and job.
China has a census every 10 years. At the first one, there were about 600 million people in China. Now China’s population has boomed. It was about 1.37 billion in the 6th census, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
“The census is very important for every citizen (公民),” said Ning Jizhe, director of the NBS. “It will help improve infrastructure (基础建设) and public services.” For example, if the census shows that there are many children living in a certain area, the government will know that it should build more schools there. Scientists can also learn more about population growth from the census. In some years, the population grows faster than in others. Even in the same year, population growth is different in different places. Scientists can use the information to figure out what causes growth in certain years and places.
2020’s census is different from past ones in one important way. For the first time, citizens will be encouraged to use smartphones and other digital tools to record their information, Xinhua reported. When census takers knock on your door, they will offer you an account (账号) number and a QR code (二维码) that you can use to record your information.
1. Which of the following will NOT be asked on the 7 national population census?| A．Their hobby. | B．Their name. | C．Their age. | D．Their job. |
| A．In 1990. | B．In 2000. | C．In 2010. | D．In 2020. |
| A．measured | B．included | C．increased | D．improved |
| A．Because if there are many children, they may need more hospitals. |
| B．Because it will help improve infrastructure and public services. |
| C．Because scientist learn less about population growth from the census. |
| D．Because population growth is the same in different places. |
| A．The census is important. | B．People can use smartphones. |
| C．2020’s census is different. | D．Scientists know what causes growth. |
6 . Imagine you need to send an important document (文件) far away as soon as possible. How would you do it? Chances are that you would use e-mail or a smartphone app. However, for many people, the answer to that question is the fax machine.
The first fax machine was invented in 1843 by Alexander Bain. Then in 1964, modern fax machines became widely used. In the 1980s and 1990s, they were regarded as the fastest and safest way to send information.
With the development of technology, you might think e-mail would have made the fax machine a thing of the past, but you’d be wrong. The number of faxes sent each year is only growing. One explanation is that fax machines are still easier to use for documents that are written by hand. But the real reason for their continued use has to do with security.
E-mail is convenient, but it can be hacked (非法入侵). This is a danger for governments, hospitals, and other organizations that deal with sensitive data (数据). Using a fax machine makes it possible for information to go from one place to another without needing to be saved on a computer. It can then be kept in a physical location where it’s impossible to be hacked.
Fax machine technology grew quickly throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and it continues to develop today. Long live the fax machine!
1. The fax machine has a history of ________ years.| A．32 | B．42 | C．58 | D．179 |
| A．敏感的 | B．复杂的 | C．客观的 | D．精确的 |
| A．it’s faster | B．it’s safer | C．it’s more developed | D．it’s easier |
| A．is only used in the hospitals. | B．is not developing today |
| C．makes e-mail a thing of the past | D．can send documents written by hand |
| A．Future Music | B．Wild World | C．Science Study | D．Star Stories |
7 . Cats are as good as dogs at certain memory tests, according to a new study. The study suggests that cats are just as smart as dogs.
The study was done using 49 family cats and different bowls of food. The findings show that cats can recall memories of good experiences, such as eating a delicious food. The experiment was a test of episodic memories（情景记忆）. It was modeled on a similar study about dogs.
Kyoto University psychologist Saho Takagi said that both cats and dogs may have episodic memory similar to that of humans. “Our study may suggest a type of consciousness（意识）in the mind of cats,” Takagi said.
In one phase of the experiment, cats were led to four open bowls of food and were allowed to eat from two of them. About 15 minutes later, the bowls were replaced with empty ones, and the same cats returned to the room in search of food. Here, researchers found that they spent more time finding those bowls from which they had already eaten than others.
That the cats were able to remember “what” and “where” information about the food bowls suggests that they have episodic memory. However, it’s unclear whether cats can experience past memories in the same depth as humans do.
Still, the study’s results may have practical applications（应用）. “It opens the door to new studies, examining how long cats’ memories can be,” Yale university Professor Laurie Santos said, “and whether they also remember richer episodes in their own life as humans do.”
1. According to the passage, the study found that ________.| A．cats are smarter than dogs |
| B．cats have episodic memory |
| C．cats usually spend much time finding food |
| D．cats are not as important as dogs to humans |
| A．the reason why the experiment was carried out |
| B．the way that cats look for food |
| C．the process in which the experiment was carried out |
| D．the way that cats recall the past experiences |
| A．How long cats can live. |
| B．How cats remember things that they have done. |
| C．Whether cats can live a similar life to humans. |
| D．Whether cats have the same memory ability as humans. |
| A．a study of cats’ memory |
| B．what episodic memory is |
| C．different opinions on cats’ memory |
| D．why cats are smarter than dogs |
8 . On July 28, 2017, 52-year-old O’ Brien placed the American flag on the top of the world’s second highest mountain known as K2, becoming the first American woman to reach the mountain top.
As one of the world’s most dangerous mountains to climb, K2 reaches 8,611 metres above sea level. This was the third time O’ Brien had tried to climb K2. In 2015, bad weather stopped her. In 2016, an avalanche（雪崩）stopped her. This year, O’ Brien 12 member team made it to the top.
“________,” she said. “The wind and snow push against you. Besides, the blue ice under your feet might pull you off balance（平衡）.”
O’ Brien has already climbed the world’s highest mountain —Mt. Everest. Before she climbed K2, she said, “K2 is the perfect triangle（三角形）. Mountains not shaped that way. It is more difficult and interesting for mountaineers. Most mountains have many places for climbers to rest, and then go higher and stop, but not K2. It is asking for 110 percent effort from the beginning. There is much danger, and that’s probably why of every four that climb, one dies.”
Nazir Sabir, the chief organizer of O’ Brien’s climbing team, praised O’ Brien for her bravery（勇敢）, saying that even the best climbers from the area may give up after a second try. He said heavy snowfall and bad weather were problems on the mountain.
1. Which of the following sentences can be put in “________”?| A．Climbing K2 is not difficult for me |
| B．I think mountain climbing is very interesting |
| C．This is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done |
| D．This is the highest mountain I’ve ever climbed |
| A．25% | B．35% | C．50% | D．75% |
| A．There are 20 members in O’ Brien’s climbing team. |
| B．O’ Brien’s team didn’t stop to rest when she climbed K2. |
| C．O’ Brien is planning to climb the world’s highest mountain. |
| D．In O’ Brien’s opinion, Mt. Everest is more difficult to climb than K2. |
| A．The terrible weather on the mountains |
| B．The first American woman climbing K2 |
| C．K2, the 2nd highest mountain in the world |
| D．Nazir Sabir, an excellent climbing organizer |
9 . Learn to relax. Overwork is the main reason why so many students feel tired and stressed. Cut down some of the jobs you need to do each day so that you can only focus on the most important things. Leave time for activities that are relaxing and fun. This might mean reading a good book, listening to music, going for a walk or taking a relaxing bath.
Get a good night’s sleep. Getting enough sleep will help you keep your body and mind in the best form. If you stay up late and need to get up early for school the next day, you may not be able to concentrate (集中) on the things you need to do.
Exercise regularly and eat well. Don’t rush through your meals. Eat less junk food or fast food. Eat healthy food instead.
Get to know pleasant people. Some people are optimistic (乐观的), while others not. Choose optimistic people as your friends and spend more time with them, and you’ll be as happy as them.
Learn to be calm when you face any problem. Find out the best option (选择) from those that are in your mind. Knowing that you are able to solve problems is a good way to build up your self-confidence.
Have a happy attitude. Your attitude decides the way you see things. Is your cup half full or half empty? Learn to think more positively about the difficulties you face.
1. How many suggestions does the writer mention in this article?| A．2. | B．4. | C．6. | D．8. |
| A．homework | B．overwork | C．housework | D．schoolwork |
| A．going for a walk | B．reading a good book |
| C．going shopping | D．listening to the music |
| A．To eat more beef. | B．To eat less fast food. | C．To eat slowly. | D．To eat healthy food. |
| A．talkative | B．patient | C．strange | D．optimistic |
10 . What was discovered by accident? The answer is penicillin(青霉素). It kills germs. By killing germs, it saves lives. Suppose you are sick. You go to a doctor. She examines you. She says you have a “staph” infection(葡萄球菌感染). She gives you some medicine. You take it. The medicine knocks out the staph. Soon you are well. Before penicillin, this would not happen. Staph was almost sure death.
Everyone wanted a medicine. Laboratories worked day and night. They grew the staph in small dishes. Then they tried to kill it. Nothing worked.
The laboratory dishes had covers on them. They kept things from falling into dishes. Molds(霉菌) were a big worry. They are always in the air. You can’t see them. They are too small. There are thousands of different molds that can make an experiment fail. That’s why dishes are covered.
Dr. Alexander Fleming was working to kill the staph germ. He worked for years. One day he took a cover off a dish. He looked inside. There was a thick growth of staph germ. There was also some mold. Then he saw something strange. Where the mold was, there was no growth of staph. This is what Fleming probably thought, “By accident, I found a mold to kill the dreaded staph.” This is how penicillin was found. But here’s the real miracle(奇迹). There are thousands of kinds of molds. But only one kind can kill staph. The mold must have fallen into the dish a few days before. The cover was probably off only a few seconds. In those few seconds the right mold fell into the right dish. Another man might have thrown the dish away. But Fleming was very careful and smart. He understood what the mold did. How lucky the humans were.
1. During the experiments to find a medicine for staph infections, which of the following is True?| A．The dishes were not covered. | B．Staph and mold were put together. |
| C．Mold was kept in small dishes. | D．Staph was grown in small dishes. |
| A．Famous. | B．Scary. | C．Health. | D．Endangered. |
| A．Accidents happen to everyone. |
| B．The careful person does not have accidents. |
| C．The careless person will miss valuable chances. |
| D．Luck is enough when doing scientific experiments. |
| A．Medicine for a staph infection. | B．Useful accident. |
| C．Dr. Fleming’s research. | D．Discovering penicillin. |
