There are many things people do every day. For example, adults must go to work. Children must go to school and do homework. There are times when we do not want to do these things. So, it is important to understand what motivates (激励) us.
Some think money will motivate people. Others might think rewards (奖励) are good. However, when the money or rewards go away, the motivation is gone, too.
What is a good way to motivate people? First, giving people a purpose works well. A purpose is one’s reason for doing things. An adult’s purpose for working could be because working helps his or her family. A person who cannot find a purpose for a job will not want to do it.
Second, people are motivated by feelings because feelings can be strong. For example, love will motivate parents to do things for their children. Being afraid of not getting a good grade may motivate a student to study. If a person is interested in doing a job, he or she will be motivated to do that job.
If we can motivate ourselves through purpose and feelings, then our jobs will be more fun and interesting.
1. Why isn’t giving money or rewards a good way to motivate people?2. What is a “purpose” according to the text?
3. How many feelings are talked about in Paragraph 4?
4. What motivates you to study hard in your daily life? Why? Write 30 words or more.
2 . An earthquake (地震) is very harmful (有害的). How do we protect ourselves when earthquakes happen? I think if we are inside, we should keep calm (镇静的). Don’t jump out of high buildings. We can hide under a table. Stay away from windows and heavy furniture (家具). Keep clear of the fire. When the ground stops shaking, leave the building quickly but do not use the lift. If you are outside, stay away from bridges, trees, street lights or wires (电线). And move away from buildings, because parts of a building may fall on us. In short, follow what we learnt in school. We can be safe and we can also help save others.
1. What we can’t do when earthquakes happen?| A．Keep away from heavy furniture. |
| B．Jump out of high buildings. |
| C．Stay away from windows. |
| D．Hide under a table. |
| A．步梯 | B．滑梯 | C．扶梯 | D．电梯 |
| A．Because we can’t see the trees behind the buildings. |
| B．Because buildings have a lot of high walls. |
| C．Because parts of a building may fall on us. |
| D．Because buildings hide the sun. |
| A．How to protect ourselves when earthquakes happen. |
| B．We should stay inside when earthquakes happen. |
| C．Stay outside when earthquakes happen. |
| D．An earthquake is very harmful. |
Red tourism (旅游业) is very popular these years.
Longyan City in Fujian got lots of visitors during the Spring Festival this year. Of all the visitors, there was a 72-year-old man named Chen Bingyin. He is from Shanxi. “As a Party member (党员), I joined the red tourism tour group to feel our history again,” he said.
Zhang Liangqiu, 68, drove all the way from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the north-west to the Jinggang Mountains in Jiangxi with his friends for a visit. “Coming here has been my dream for long. Now I’ve made it come true. “ Zhang told us happily.
You may think that only the old are interested in red tourism. However, this is not true. A report on red tourism shows that lots of young visitors are interested in red tourism too now. Over 89% of the visitors are under the age of 40. Many of them were even born in the 1990s and 2000s.
There are lots of special red tourist products (产品). Many of them use new technologies such as AI and VR. Maybe this is why red tourism is also popular with young people.
“Red tourism is not just visiting historical places and museums now,” Xu Yongde, from Guizhou, told the CCTV reporter excitedly. “It tries to give the young special experiences of history, too.”
1. Why did Chen Bingyin join the red tourism tour group?2. According to the report, how many percent of the visitors are under the age of 40?
3. Why are young people interested in special red tourist products?
4. If you have a chance to travel, will you choose to go on a red tourism tour? Why?
4 . 
Spanish director Pablo Berger’s Robot Dreams (《机器人之梦》) is a sweet but sad cartoon movie about a lonely dog who buys a robot friend. Now in cinemas, it’s different from many films because there is no talking, but this doesn’t make it any less fun or moving.
The cartoon movie is from Sara Varon’s 2007 graphic novel (连环画小说) of the same name, a dog is living in 1980s New York, alone. Watching TV and living on microwave meals (微波炉餐食), the dog thinks he (or she, we’re not sure) needs a friend and decides to buy a robot. The two enjoy New York together but then something happens and the two get separated. While they try and dream about getting back together, it’s impossible. Both of them have to move on with their own new lives.
The film tells us that in life, things don’t always last for all the time. We change and so do the people we care about. We lose things and we lose parts of ourselves. As a result, you should learn to say goodbye. You may feel a bit sad watching it, but it’s also very beautiful, fun and full of heart.
1. Why is the cartoon movie Robot Dreams different?| A．It has less fun. | B．It has no talking. |
| C．It’s about robots. | D．It’s from a famous novel. |
| A．he feels lonely | B．he likes robots |
| C．friends leave him | D．robots can make meals |
| A．They change each other. | B．They move to a new city. |
| C．They live together happily. | D．They start their own new lives. |
| A．Never Change Yourself | B．Try to Care about Others |
| C．Learn to Say Goodbye | D．Always Smile at the World |
5 . ①Should you see a doctor every time you’re sick? Of course not! Doctors don’t have a cure (疗法) for everything. In fact, there are many simple illnesses that are difficult for doctors to cure. Sometimes people use different “home remedies” for them.
②The cold virus (病毒) is one example. People in many countries don’t take medicine fora cold. They make a big pat of hot chicken soup instead. They eat the soup and rest. Many people believe that chicken soup is a natural and healthy cure for a cold. And in fact it really helps: drinking a lot of water is good when you have a cold. Also, the hot soup helps you breathe better and helps your throat (嗓子).
③And in China, it’s common to cure a headache with an egg. You boil the egg, take off the shell and rub (揉) the egg on your face, head and neck until the egg becomes cool. Some people think this helps you sleep better, too. Rubbing with the egg relaxes you. Often headaches are because of stress, so relaxing is a great idea.
④What about a fever? There are a lot of different home remedies, but an interesting home remedy uses vinegar (醋). In Russia, people rub it into the skin. Vinegar makes your skin feel cooler, and it can help lower your body temperature a little.
⑤One of the world’s oldest home remedies is tea. You can use herbal (草药) teas for all kinds of simple stomachaches and sore throats. Some popular ingredients in home remedy teas make a sore throat feel better and help you relax.
1. What does the underlined word “remedies” mean in Chinese in paragraph ①?| A．中医药 | B．治疗法 | C．营养师 | D．理疗仪 |
| A．Eating hot chicken soup. | B．Rubbing with an egg. |
| C．Rubbing vinegar into the skin. | D．Drinking herbal teas. |
| A．①/②③④/⑤ | B．①②/③④/⑤ |
| C．①/②③④⑤ | D．①②③/④⑤ |
| A．how to keep healthy | B．simple cures for a headache |
| C．the power of Chinese medicine | D．tips to cure some illnesses at home |
Cooperation comes from friendship, friendship comes from trust, and trust comes from kindness. It’s easy to tell that kindness is very important. What is kindness then? To be exact, kindness is the quality of being friendly. If we give up our seats on the bus, help a classmate solve a math problem, or welcome a new member into a group activity, we are showing kindness. Actually, these acts are done without expectation of reward (回报).
We begin to realise that while helping others, we’re in fact helping ourselves. Showing kindness benefits us in different ways. It helps us know about ourselves. It develops our problem-solving skills. It also gives us the chance to be thankful.
We can never imagine the power of one simple act of kindness. It may change our day. And that day may change our week. That week may change the rest of the year—or even our whole life.
In short, we rise by lifting others.
Here are some teenagers’ acts of kindness.
Linda: I sat next to a new student at lunch. I was pleased because I made her day.
Kayla: In order to raise money and protect wild animals, I held a singing competition. Iwas proud of it.
Peter: I opened the door for an old lady. I felt happy because I could help other people.
1. What is kindness according to the text?2. List two benefits of showing kindness.
3. What did Linda do to show her kindness?
4. What do you think of Peter’s act of kindness? Write 30 words or more.
7 . We’re plants. Give us your care and we will bring joy to you. Please take us home, will you?
PLANTS | ||
| Get to know us Flowers We bring bright colors! Houseplants We are green and light up rooms! Succulents (多肉植物) We don’t need much care! Vegetables How about home-grown food? | Give us a home We can live in a pot. It can be put near a window, by a sofa or under a tree. Placing us on a wall will bring you much fun. We love it, too.
| Care for us Spring We may need fertilizers (化肥). Summer We hate harmful insects. Autumn We need less water. Winter Give us a larger home if necessary. |
1. According to the text, ________ don’t need much care.
| A．flowers | B．houseplants | C．succulents | D．vegetables |
| A．on a wall | B．by a sofa | C．near a window | D．under a tree |
| A．spring | B．summer | C．autumn | D．winter |
| A．Art. | B．Life. | C．Sports. | D．History. |
8 . 
Classical Chinese gardens are purposely designed so that no matter where you stand, you can never see the whole thing at once. The mystery and the discovery have helped the classical gardens of China, especially those in Suzhou, remain popular attractions after all these years.
Put simply, the aim of a classical Chinese garden is to deepen one’s admiration of nature. Besides just relaxing in nature, the classical Chinese gardens have another purpose—to inspire artistic expression like poetry, literature or painting. Nearly all Chinese gardens feature the things in the list below.
Water
Water is a necessary thing that no Chinese garden can go without. The water in a garden typically symbolizes a lake or even the ocean. Water can even symbolize communication, movement and dreams.
Rocks
Large rocks typically symbolize mountains. Many of the rocks in the Suzhou gardens come from Lake Tai, having been shaped by the flow of water over thousands of years. Smaller rocks are often on show in the fancy halls at a garden’s entrance. This shows the appreciation the garden owners had of these rocks.
Plants
You can’t have a garden without plants. Different plants and flowers are used for either symbolic or aesthetic (美学的) purpose—or both. Bamboo, for example, represents strength. Flowers, meanwhile, add color to a garden, with each carrying a symbolic meaning of its own.
Gates & Windows
Gates of different shapes divide different parts of a garden. The most common type of gate, the moon gate, is simply a circle. Windows are placed throughout the garden to allow the passage of light. You can also catch a glimpse of interesting trees or rocks on the other side from the window.
Pavilions (亭)
In Chinese gardens, pavilions are usually placed in some of the best viewing places. Sometimes a pavilion is placed where one can see the reflection (倒影) of the moon at night, or in the best place to listen to the sound of rain on the leaves above. In the past, pavilions were also used as places for garden owners to reflect, paint and write poems.
1. What does the underlined word “those” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Plants. | B．Paintings. | C．Classical gardens. | D．Mystery and discovery. |
| A．To list some plants and flowers. | B．To introduce classical Chinese gardens. |
| C．To explain the history of classical gardens. | D．To compare different classical gardens in China. |
| A．Look. | B．Visit. | C．Guess. | D．Feeling. |
| A．Nature Speaks for Itself | B．Chinese Gardens and Western Gardens |
| C．Getting Lost in Classical Chinese Gardens | D．Finding Ways to Modern Arts and Buildings |
How to Be Successful in a New Environment?
Perhaps, you are a smart person with good knowledge and creative ideas, but when you move to a new environment or have to work with some new people, it is not always easy for them to recognise you or respect you immediately. How can you get along with others? How can you get other people to pay attention to you and respect you?
Be curious and be willing to learn new things and skills. Moving to a new working environment, you may need to deal with things that don’t belong to your own field. In such a case, people who are more willing to learn new things can meet new requirements in their job.
Have a good sense of judgment on important things. Learning or working in a new environment, you need to have a good sense of judgment when you join a discussion or make a decision. You should consider what is right, and look for long-term goals.
Be confident when talking to people. When you go out and meet people, it is important to look confident. For example, if you are going to an interview, what can you do? Before you walk in, think to yourself, walk in holding your head high and smile. Remember to look other people in the eye—it’s the key to creating a connection with people. Soon, you will feel as confident as you look.
Set clear goals and learn. When working together with others, it is important that you have a clear goal and a working plan to achieve it. Let people know what you support. You need to find out which ideas can really unite people and then express those ideas clearly. Also, treat your team members respectfully as equals.
1. What kind of people can meet new requirements in their job?2. When do you need to have a good sense of judgment according to the text?
3. What is important for you when you go out and meet people according to the text?
4. What other suggestions can you give to be successful in a new environment? (Write 30 words or more)
10 . Should children do housework? Different people have different ideas. Some parents will say that their children are too busy for housework. Other parents will ask their children to do housework, but the housework doesn’t get done. That’s a problem.
Doing housework is good for children. Doing housework helps them develop an awareness of the needs of others. One small study, done over a period of 25 years, found that young adults will succeed in their mid-20s depend on whether they took part in housework tasks at the age of 3 or 4. Those who early shouldered responsibilities developed a sense of responsibility in other areas of their lives.
But few kids are doing much around the house at all. In a survey of 1, 000 American parents, 75 percent said they believed doing housework made kids “more responsible”. Yet only 36 percent of those said they required their children to do housework.
Sports and homework are not the housework-free reasons. The goal, after all, is to raise a kind of adults who can balance a caring role in their families and communities. Housework teaches that balance.
What should you do when getting children to do housework? Never accept their excuses. Don’t worry if you must repeat yourself again and again. If you’re spending more time getting the child to do housework than it would take to do it yourself, then you’re doing it right. Can a payment help? I don’t think so. If you’re trying to teach kids to shoulder the responsibility of a home, paying them for housework is not the right choice.
1. Whom is the text probably written for?| A．Parents. | B．Children. | C．Students. | D．Teachers. |
| A．Doing housework develops a sense of responsibility. |
| B．Doing housework can help people to live a happy life. |
| C．A person’s success depends on the kind of housework. |
| D．A person must start doing housework at the age of three. |
| A．Do housework by themselves. |
| B．Pay the children to do housework. |
| C．Balance housework and study. |
| D．Get the children to do housework. |
| A．Parents Shoulder Responsibility |
| B．Children Need More Housework |
| C．Housework Matters to Children |
| D．Adults Must Do Less Housework |
