1 . Fire was discovered many thousands of years ago. The first time humans saw fire was probably when a tree was destroyed by lightning(闪电). Humans soon learned how to make fire. They probably made the first fire by rubbing (摩擦) two sticks together.
Fire was very important to humans. They needed to keep warm at night. They used fire to cook food. They used fire to keep enemies and wild animals away. In some parts of the world fire was used to send messages. The Indians in America, for example, used fire to make smoke(烟雾) as a message. In some other countries people lit fires to warn their friends of danger.
Fire was also used to give light. Before the invention of the oil lamp(灯), humans burned sticks to get light.
One man even used fire to tell the time. He invented a candle clock. He made a candle that took exactly twelve hours to burn. Then he marked this candle in twelve equal(相等的) parts. He lit the candle and could tell the time by counting the number of parts left of the burning candle. But the candle clock did not always work well. If there was a wind blowing on the candle, it burned too quickly.
（一）根据短文内容简要回答问题。
1. How did Indians in America use fire?
2. What happened to the candle if there was a wind blowing on it?
（二）将短文中划线的句子译成汉语。
3.
4.
（三）请给短文拟一个适当的标题。
5.
2 . Everyone loves money! But do you know where money came from? Who were the first people to use money? Scientists say that over 10,000 years ago, people in Swaziland(斯威士兰), Southern Africa, were using red dye(染料) as a type of money around that period of time. Later, people in several places used shells and other valuable things as a type of money to “buy” or “trade for” things they wanted. This is known as a form of trade where some goods are exchanged for other goods.
Many things have been used as “money” from pigs to salt. For a long time, pepper(胡椒粉) could be used to “pay for” things in Europe. On the Micronesian island of Yap, people used very big stone “coins”, some of which were up to eight feet wide and weighed more than a small car.
But the most convenient forms of money were pieces of valuable metals like gold and silver. Historians think that the Lydians were the first people to introduce the use of gold and silver coins around 650 BC. Gold and silver are still quite valuable today.
The first banknotes(纸币) appeared in China in the 7th century, and the first banknotes in Europe came out in 1661.
Money has changed through the ages. However, it is more important today than ever before.
1. How long ago did people start using money?| A．Perhaps 1,000 years ago. |
| B．Perhaps 100,000, 000 years ago. |
| C．Perhaps 10,000 years ago. |
| D．Perhaps 1,000, 000 years ago. |
| A．Pigs, pepper and dyes. |
| B．Lines, dyes and butterflies. |
| C．Dyes, coins and bananas. |
| D．Bananas, rocks and pencils. |
| A．The first money was used only in Swaziland. |
| B．Shells were used as clothing a long time ago. |
| C．The banknotes appeared in China and Europe at different times. |
| D．Large stones, pigs, salt and pepper were used as early types of money. |
| A．dye and pepper | B．pigs and salt |
| C．shells and stones | D．gold and silver |
| A．Everyone loves money. |
| B．People have used different forms of money for a long time. |
| C．People have used money for only a short time. |
| D．Spending money is fun. |
3 . People enjoy sports, because sports help to keep people healthy, happy and to live longer. Many people like to watch others play games. They buy tickets or sit in front of TV sets. Often they get very excited when “their player or team” wins.
People play different games in winter and summer. Swimming is fun in warm weather, but skating is good in winter.
Some sports are so interesting that most people like them. Football, for example, is played around the world. Swimming is very popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. How fun it is to jump into a pool or a lake! And for people in cold countries, like Canada, they like to skate or ski.
Some sports go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. But basketball and volleyball are very new. And new sports or games come into the world almost all the time.
根据短文内容，回答下列问题:
1. Why do people like sports?
2. Do people play different games in different seasons?
3. Which sport is very popular in the countries near the sea?
4. In what kind of country people like to ski?
5. What sports have a long history?
4 . My name is Cathy. There are three photos of my good friends on my desk. In the first photo you can see Jerry. He is a tall and cool boy with short and straight hair. He is the captain of our basketball team. He is very popular. All my classmates like him very much. In the second photo, you can see a boy with glasses. His name is Jack. He is short and a little bit heavy. But he is very clever and funny. He often tells us funny stories and makes us happy. In the third photo, you can see two girls. They are reading a book. The girl on the left is Lucy. She is a beautiful girl from London. She has long blonde hair and big eyes. She can sing very well, and she can also speak a little Chinese. The girl on the right is Li Xiaoyun. She is a Chinese girl with beautiful black hair. She likes singing. She says she wants to be a singer.
1. We can see Cathy’s ________ good friends in the photos on the desk.| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
| A．long hair | B．glasses | C．short hair | D．small eyes |
| A．swimming | B．basketball | C．telling stories | D．singing |
| A．the UK | B．Australia | C．the USA | D．Canada |
| A．Lucy | B．Li Xiaoyun | C．Jack | D．Jerry |
5 . After watching my mother deal with our family of five, I can’t understand why her answer to the question, “What do you do?”, is always, “Oh, I’m just a housewife.” JUST a housewife? Anyone who spends most of her time in preparing meals, washing and drying clothes, keeping the house clean, playing the part of a taxi driver to us kids when it’s time for school, music lessons or the dentist, doing volunteer work for her favorite charity, and making sure that all our family needs are met is not JUST a housewife. She’ s the real Wonder Woman. Why is it that so many mothers like mine think of themselves as second-class or something similar? Where has this notion(观念) come from? Have we males(男性) made them feel this way? Has our society made “going to work” outside the home seem more important than what a housewife must face each day?
I would be very curious(好奇的) to see what would happen if a housewife stopped working. Dishes would pile up. Food in the house would run out. No meals would appear on the table. There would be no clean clothes when needed. The house would be filled with rubbish. Walking and bus riding would increase. Charities would be in great need of help. I doubt if the man of the house would be able to take over(接手). Oh, he might think that he can do just as good a job, but how long would that last? Not long, once he had to come home each night after work to more household duties. There would be no more coming home to a prepared meal; he’d have to fix it himself. The kids would all be crying for something to eat, clean clothes and more bus fare money. Once he made the kids quiet, he’d have to clean the house, go shopping, make sure that kids got a bath, and fix lunches for the next day. Once the kids were down for the night, he might be able to crawl(爬行) into an unmade bed and try to read the morning newspaper.
No, I don’t think many males are going to volunteer for the job. I know I don’t want it. So, thanks, mom! I’ll do what I can to create a national holiday for housewives. It might be called Wonder Woman Day.
1. How do the children in the writer’s family go to school?| A．They walk or take a taxi. | B．Their father sends them to school. |
| C．They take the school bus. | D．Their mother drives them to school. |
| A．There would be no clean clothes to wear. | B．No meals would appear on the table. |
| C．All the family members would be relaxed. | D．The house would be a terrible mess. |
| A．strange | B．important | C．interesting | D．dangerous |
| A．a national holiday should be set up for housewives |
| B．there will be many males volunteering for housewives’ work |
| C．the man of the house would be able to take over the housewife’s work |
| D．housewives don’t regard themselves as second-class or something similar |
| A．housewives stopping their work | B．housewives, the wonder women |
| C．men taking the place of women | D．a national holiday for housewives |
6 . Do you get lots of reading tasks as part of your homework? You might wish that you could read faster. There are some people who say that you can learn to read at super-high speeds. But experts disagree on this idea.
"Speed reading is not actually possible," said Elizabeth Schotter, a scientist at the University of South Florida, US. Schotter pointed out that people who say that they can teach others how to speed read are usually doing it to make money by selling courses and books.
In fact, speed reading has been made known to people since 1959, when US educator Evelyn Wood introduced a speed reading program. Several US presidents have even asked their officers to take sped reading courses. However, there is no real science behind sped reading.
Schotter explained that reading is a task difficult to finish. It includes four steps: seeing a word, getting back its meaning from your memory, connecting it to other words. in the same sentence, and then moving on to the next word, This process uses many parts of the brain at one time. It can't be sped up.
Some people who say they are able to speed read are simply skimming. Skimming involves reading a passage quickly and only looking for certain words or sentences. Skimmers can figure out the main idea of a passage—especially if it's a topic they're familiar with—but they will not be able to remember all the pieces of information.
So is there a way to become a faster reader? Research suggests that you should try to improve the number of your words and simply read more.
1. According to Schotter, which of the following is TRUE?| A．It's good for students to read at super-high speeds. |
| B．Speed reading courses are supported by real science. |
| C．Reading includes four steps, it`s not easy to finish |
| D．Speed reading courses and books are useful for us. |
| A．Skimmers will not forget all the pieces of information. |
| B．You must read the passage carefully when you are skimming it. |
| C．Skimming focuses on all the words or sentences of a passage. |
| D．By skimming, skimmers may find the main idea of a passage. |
| A．Learn more words and read more. | B．Taking speed reading courses can help. |
| C．Read more books about sped reading. | D．See the words at super-high speeds. |
7 . It might be fun to use your smartphone, but be careful. Too much screen time may be harmful to your health.
First, it is bad for your eyes. A researcher called Sarah Hinkley says the problem comes from the blue light that the screen gives out. Looking at a smartphone for a long time can cause eye strain（劳损）, headaches and dry eyes. So it is a good idea to take a break every 15 minutes when you are working at a computer or using a smartphone.
Second, screen use can do harm to children’s brains. A new study shows that using screens too much can affect（影响） how children’s brains grow. If children use screens for more than one hour a day, they might have lower levels of white matter in their brains. White matter is a key to the development of language and reading skills. So it is wise to cut down the time of children using all kinds of screens.
Third, using screens too much will affect your sleep. According to a study, about 95% of the people between the ages of 13 and 64 use electronics before bed, especially the young people under 20. Doctors say that the light from those electronics at night may make you excited before you go to bed. Then it’s hard for you to get enough sleep. So you’d better turn off smartphones, TVs, and all other screens an hour before your bedtime.
To keep healthy, doctors and researchers strongly advise that you shouldn’t use screens for long hours.
1. The blue light from your screens can cause ________.| A．eyestrain | B．headaches | C．dry eyes | D．all of the above |
| A．take a break every 15 minutes | B．have lower levels of white matter |
| C．use screens too much before bed | D．are the people from 13 to 64 |
| A．Using smartphones for long hours does harm to your eyes. |
| B．A lot of screen time affects children’s brain growth. |
| C．The light from electronics at night may make you excited. |
| D．People of all ages mustn’t use electronics. |
| A．a science magazine | B．a travel diary | C．a guide book | D．a novel |
| A．The ways to keep healthy. | B．The harm of using screens too much. |
| C．The ways to use screens. | D．The advantages of using screens. |
Wild beavers (河狸) are back! Experts say that the wild beaver families are doing well. The beavers are even boosting wildlife and the environment!
Over ten years ago, a family of beavers turned up in a part of the river Otter, in Devon. No one knew exactly where they came from. It was a big surprise, wild beavers hadn't lived in England for around 400 years!
In 2015, the government allowed the beavers to stay there as part of a trial (试验). They wanted to see if these animals could be reintroduced to the wild. The trial ends in February. Some scientists from the University of Exeter already say the beavers help the wildlife in the area. One scientist called it "an amazing story".
A lot of this is because of dams. Beavers build dams along the river. This creates deep pools in the riverbed and slows the water down. Scientists say this is perfect for many different types of plants and animals! Many plants are growing near the beavers. Different types of animals are also becoming more and more in the river. Beavers also help make flooding less, scientists say. The beavers' dams slow down the speed of the river, especially after heavy rain.
There are, however, some problems. Beavers gnaw (咬,啃)on trees and this can harm them. Their dams can also sometimes create floods (洪水) on people's land.
Beavers aren't the only animals that are being reintroduced to the wild! In 2019, red squirrels were brought back to an area of the Scottish Highlands. Further away, the world's rarest (罕见的) duck, the Madagascar pochard, is making a comeback. It was set free into the wild on the African island in 2019 and is doing well.
Who knows what other animals might be making a comeback?
1. Which of the following best explains "boosting" in paragraph 1?| A．building | B．spreading | C．helping | D．creating |
| A．grow more plants along the river |
| B．build dams for the beavers in the wild |
| C．introduce the beavers to the wild |
| D．see if the beavers could be reintroduced to the wild |
| A．They help plants grow and make flooding less. | B．They bring heavy rain and floods. |
| C．They gnaw on trees and harm them. | D．Their dams create floods on people's land. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Pleased. | C．Tired. | D．Disappointed. |
9 . Do you know 5G? It is the fifth generation（代）of mobile network technology. These new networks are coming.
China just issued commercial licenses（发放商用牌照）for 5G on June 6, 2019. This means that China's telecom companies will be able to offer 5G networks for mobile phone users.
Each mobile network generation is faster and more powerful than the one before it. 1G let us talk to each other. 2G let us send messages. 3G gave us data（数据）and the Internet. And 4G made all of these things faster. What's special about 5G?
5G has a very short delay between sending and receiving information. Now, 4G takes about 100 to 200 milliseconds（毫秒）to send and receive data. But 5G will get it down to 1 millisecond or less-this is almost real-time.
'This big change will not only make our mobile Internet faster，but also deeply change our lives. Read on to find out how.
5G + entertainment（娱乐）
5G networks are about 100 times faster than 4G. This means you can download a movie in seconds using 5G.
Also, virtual reality（VR）games will become more popular with 5G. The short delay of 5G will make the games feel even more real.
5G + transport
5C will also bring us safer self-driving cars. These cars can send signals（信号）to each other. They also talk to traffic lights and road sensors（传感器）. 5G will allow cars to react（反应）even faster than human drivers.
5G + smart homes
5G also makes the Internet of things possible. Internet of things is a large network that connects everything to the Internet. Smart homes are part of it.
For example, your toaster can automatically（自动地）start making breakfast after your alarm rings. And if its sensor feels the air becoming dry, a smart sprinkler（洒水器）could water your plants by itself.
1. What's the writer's purpose in writing the third paragraph?| A．To explain 5G is the best of all. |
| B．To share his knowledge about 5G. |
| C．To encourage people to use the new network technology. |
| D．To show the development of mobile network technology. |
| A．卡顿 | B．延时 | C．暂停 | D．掉线 |
| A．Health care | B．Entertainment. | C．Transport. | D．Smart homes. |
| A．Download a movie in minutes. |
| B．Put everything onto the Internet. |
| C．Make self-driving cars safer. |
| D．Make food more easily and faster. |
| A．5G will change our lives in many ways. |
| B．Mobile networks are changing for better. |
| C．5G will make the Internet of things possible. |
| D．5G networks for mobile phone users are coming. |
10 . Many children use the Internet to get useful knowledge(知识) and information, and to relax in their free time. But some of them are not using it in a good way. Here are some rules to make sure you are safe and have fun on the Internet.
◆Make rules for Internet use with your parents. For example, when you can go online, for how long and what activities you can do online.
◆Don't give your password(密码) to anyone else, and never give out the following information: your real name, home address, age, school, phone number or other personal information.
◆Check with your parents before giving out a credit(信用) card number.
◆Never send a photo of yourself to someone in e-mail unless(除非) your parents say it's OK.
◆Check with your parents before going into a chat(聊天) room. Different chat rooms have different rules and attract different kinds of people. You and your parents will want to make sure it's a right place for you.
◆Never agree to meet someone you met on the Internet without your parent's permission(允许). Never meet anyone you met online alone.
◆Always remember that people online may not be who they say they are. Treat (视为)everyone online as if they were strangers.
◆If something you see or read online makes you uncomfortable(不舒服), leave the site. Tell a parent or teacher right away.
◆Treat other people as you'd like to be treated. Never use bad language.
◆Remember—not everything you read on the Internet is true.
1. The writer tells children to ________.| A．send their own photos to him | B．make rules for Internet use with parents |
| C．believe everything they read on the Internet | D．give out their personal information |
| A．give password to others | B．get useful knowledge and information |
| C．give out a credit card number | D．go into a chat room as they'd like to |
| A．Using bad language | B．Sending messages and e-mails |
| C．Leaving the site if you feel uncomfortable | D．Treating everyone online as strangers |
| A．read anything on the Internet |
| B．relax in your free time |
| C．have a face-to-face meeting with anyone you met online |
| D．treat other people as you'd like to be treated |
| A．How to use computers | B．Surfing on the Internet |
| C．Information on the Internet | D．Internet safety rules |
