1 . Would you like to live in a city where buildings turn the lights off for you, and self-driving cars will find the nearest parking space themselves? Although it might sound a little far from you, living in a "smart" city like this could happen sooner than you think.
Great changes have taken place in towns that we have lived in for centuries, while completely new cities are being built. One such place is the city of Songdo. Every home there will have a telepresence system (远程遥控系统) allowing users to control the heating and locks, take part in video meetings, and receive education, health care and government services. Around the city, escalators ( 自动扶梯 ) will only move when someone is on them, and offices and schools will all be connected to the system.
The great mind behind Songdo is from the company Cisco. In fact, technology companies around the world such as IBM, Siemens and Microsoft are already in the business.
About 75% of the world's population will live in cities by 2050, so cities will need to be more modern to deal with the coming problems. Making cities smarter is one way out, and I think this will in turn make cities greener, said Dan Hill, head of a research company.
1. According to the text, living in a "smart" city ______.| A．is not a green way | B．will be far from you |
| C．will soon become true | D．is completely impossible |
| A．A city of the future. | B．A meeting in Songdo. |
| C．A plan to build a house. | D．A report on public health. |
| A．Cisco. | B．IBM. | C．Siemens | D．Microsoft. |
| A．drive people out of cities | B．control the world’s population |
| C．develop his own company | D．solve the cities' coming problems |
| A．Future Education | B．Smart Cities |
| C．Government Services | D．Famous Companies |
At 8,844.43 meters high, Mount Qomolangma is the tallest mountain on Earth. While it is famous for its beautiful views, parts of the mountain are facing a problem: garbage. Every year, thousands of visitors throw away tons of garbage. The garbage found on Mount Qomolangma has caused serious pollution. It is bad for water farther down in the mountain’s valley （山谷）. The polluted water and soil on the mountain has already been a cause of environmental concern （担 忧）in China, Nepal and India.
According to the UN, over 140 tons of garbage has been left on the mountain. To deal with the garbage, China started to limit the number of people who were allowed to climb up the north side of the mountain in 2019. Only 300 people will be allowed to climb it, and only during spring.
Local residents （居民）collected about 8. 4 tons of garbage at heights of 5,200 meters and above in 2018. The local government is also setting up stations to sort（分类），recycle and break down garbage collected from the mountain. A group of artists will also try to turn the garbage into artwork. They will show these works of art to remind people not to leave garbage behind when climbing the mountain.
The focus is for the mountain to be climbed in a scientific and green way. Nowadays, people ——including mountaineers and local people ——are more aware （意识到） of the importance of environmental protection.
1. Mount Qomolangma is facing the problem of ______________.| A．air and food pollution |
| B．water and soil pollution |
| C．noise and light pollution |
| A．help local residents live happily |
| B．allow people to clean the mountain |
| C．do with the garbage on the mountain |
| A．remind people not to leave waste behind |
| B．advise climbers to collect and break down garbage |
| C．call on more people to protect the water in the valley |
| A．protecting the environment is important |
| B．stations can help to turn the garbage into artwork |
| C．scientists know better about how to climb the mountains |
| A．Mountain Climbing | B．Garbage or Artwork | C．Cleaning Qomolangma |
We were silently waiting on the platform in the late afternoon. There he was, my 80-year-old grandfather with his grey hair and there I was, a teenage girl in my jeans and T-shirt. I was wondering how I was going to get through the next two days. Why did I agree to be with my strange grandpa on the two days' train ride from our city to another?
No one else wanted to be his partner along the way since my grandfather refused to take a plane. Unlike him, I loved to fly because I wanted to get to the destination as quickly as possible.
No matter how much he was told about the swiftness of flying, my grandfather refused to book a flight, saying, "It is not just about time; it's the experience of getting there. "
With my first step onto the train, the journey was already different from what I expected. The train was modern and filled with friendly travelers. We seated ourselves in the dining car, where we could enjoy food and drinks while watching the beauty of nature pass by. Instead of listening to my own music, I listened to my grandfather talking about my family history that I had never had the time or patience to learn about. For the first time I felt I understood him. I was thankful for our time together on the train.
In this rapidly changing world, we often miss important moments. It is necessary to slow down and listen to elders who offer a piece of their history or experience and share their feelings.
Life isn't just about the destination; it's about the journey.
1. How did the writer feel while she was waiting for the train with her grandpa?| A．Upset. | B．Thankful. | C．Relaxed. |
| A．迅捷 | B．舒适 | C．安全 |
| A．The writer listened to her own music happily. |
| B．The train ride was like what the writer had thought. |
| C．The grandpa told the writer about their family history. |
| A．The writer will act as the elders. |
| B．The writer won't take the train anymore. |
| C．The writer will spend more time with her grandpa. |
| A．A Loving Grandfather | B．A Special Ride | C．A Boring Day |
4 . Old Dawson had the best apples in town, but kids knew they mustn’t go into his yard to pick a delicious apple, even off the ground, because Dawson, a badtempered (坏脾气的) man, they said, would come after you with his gun.
One Friday, 12-year-old Janet was going to stay all night with her friend Amy. They had to walk by Dawson’s house on the way to Amy’s house. Like most of the children, Janet was scared of the old man because of the stories she’d heard about him.
Amy said that Mr. Dawson wouldn’t hurt anyone. Still, Janet was growing more nervous with each step closer to the old man’s house. When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown (皱眉), but when he saw it was Amy, a big smile changed his whole face as he said, “Hello, Miss Amy. I see you’ve got a little friend with you today.”
Amy smiled back and told him Janet was staying overnight and they were going to listen to music and play games. Dawson told them that sounded fun, and offered them each a fresh picked apple off his tree.
As they walked on, Janet asked Amy, “Everyone says he’s the meanest man in town. Why was he so nice to us?”
Amy explained that when she first started walking past his house, he wasn’t very friendly and she was afraid of him, but she always smiled at him. It took a while, but one day he half smiled back at her.
After some more time, he started smiling real smiles and then started talking to her. Just a “Hello” at first, then more. She said he always offers her an apple now, and is always very kind.
We’re always trying to achieve so much, and it’s so easy to get caught up in (被卷入；陷入) everyday life that we forget we can bring cheer to ourselves and others simply. Giving a smile takes so little effort; let’s smile to others.
1. Kids were afraid of Dawson because ________.| A．he disliked children | B．he was a bad tempered man |
| C．he always took a gun with him | D．he was a policeman |
| A．very mad | B．quite happy | C．really scared | D．rather worried |
| A．Amy wasn’t afraid of Dawson before |
| B．Janet never heard about the stories of Dawson |
| C．Dawson offered each of the two children an apple that day |
| A．got to like Amy’s smile day by day |
| B．didn’t know how to smile until he met Amy |
| C．started to accept Amy as a true friend with real feeling |
| D．often smiled to children in the town |
| A．Smile Brings a Big Success | B．Smile Improves the Relationship |
| C．Smile Changes the Environment | D．Smile Means Health |
5 . Kites have a long history. They may date back（追溯到）long time ago. They were made of bamboo and silk in China. Nobody knows exactly how or when a kite was first flown, but it is said that when a Chinese farmer tied a string（绳子）to his hat to keep it from blowing away in a strong wind, the first kite was born.
Children like playing with kites. Kites for work or play are made of wood, bamboo, paper, or silk. In 478 BC, a Chinese philosopher（思想家）, Mo Zi, spent three years making a kite out of light wood and bamboo. The earliest record（记录）of kite flying was in about 200 BC when the Chinese General Han Xin of Han Dynasty flew a kite over the walls of a city. He wanted to know how far his army would have to travel.
In the 13th century, Marco Polo wrote about how the shipping businessmen flew the huge kite in the wind before the ship set sail（起航）. It predicted the voyage（航海）in this way. If the kite went high and starlight, it meant a quick and successful ride, but if it didn't fly well, it was a bad omen（预兆）. In the late 1500s, the kite was introduced to Europe by the Italians. Kite flying was first mentioned in England in a popular book in 1589.
1. How was the first kite born?| A．It was first used for sailing. |
| B．A Chinese General called Han Xin flew a kite to train his army. |
| C．A Chinese farmer tied a string to his hat to keep it from blowing away. |
| A．silk | B．paper | C．steel |
| A．We know exactly how and when a kite was first flown. |
| B．Kite flying was first written in England in a popular book in 1589. |
| C．In 478 BC, Mo Zi spent three years making a kite out of light wood and paper. |
| A．In the 13th century. | B．In the late l500s. | C．In 1589. |
| A．The History of Kites. | B．Materials for Kites Making. | C．When to Make the First Kite. |
6 . Let children learn to judge(判断) their own work. A child doesn’t learn to talk by being corrected all the time. If he is corrected too much, he will stop talking. He notices a thousand times a day the differences between the language he uses and the language others use. Little by little, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s.
In the same way, children learn to do all the other things without being taught—to walk, run, climb or ride a bicycle. They compare their performances with those of more skilled people, and slowly make the changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to find out his mistakes and correct them himself. We do it all for him. We thought that he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him, or correct it unless he was made to. Soon he becomes dependent on the teacher. Let him work out with the help of other children if he wants it.
If it is a matter in math or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such daily work? Our job should be to help the children when they tell us that he can’t find the way to get the right answer. Let the children learn what all educated persons must learn, how to measure(估量) their own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know.
Let them get on with this job in their ways. School teachers can offer help if they ask for it. Some parents and teachers are worried that the children might fail to learn something that they will need to get in the world. Don’t worry! If it is important, they will go out into the world and learn it.
1. According to the passage, the best way for children to learn things is by ________.| A．being always corrected |
| B．following adults’ advice |
| C．doing as other people do |
| A．encourage students to learn from eacho ther |
| B．teach students how to get the answers directly |
| C．tell students what is wrong as often as possible |
| A．teachers can’t correct students’ papers |
| B．teachers needn’t waste time teaching students in class |
| C．teachers should helpstudents improve their learning ability |
| A．students can face any challenge easily |
| B．students can learn a lot in the real life |
| C．students can grow up without others’ help |
| A．Let Us Teachers Stop Working |
| B．Let Children Learn by Themselves |
| C．Let Parents Understand Their Kids |
At 12 o’clock, the students eat lunch at school. They have meat, vegetables, fruit, bread and a drink, but they like hot dogs and hamburgers best. American kids like sugar, and after the meal they can have a small piece of cake. Students sleep for a short time after lunch. They begin classes at 1:30 in the afternoon. They go to school on weekdays (工作日)and have classes for six hours every day and then go home.
Parents let their kids play or watch TV until dinner at 6:00 p. m. After dinner, they do their homework. Sometimes kids and their parents have a family activity after dinner.
1. What do the students like best for lunch at school?
| A．Meat and fruit. |
| B．Bread and sugar. |
| C．Hot dogs and hamburgers. |
| A．at 5:00 a.m |
| B．at 6:00 p.m |
| C．at 6:30 p.m |
| A．30 | B．36 | C．40 |
| A．American students eat lunch at school. |
| B．After lunch students sleep for a short time. |
| C．American students can’t eat any food after the meal. |
| A．Junior high school |
| B．Favorite food |
| C．School life in America |
8 . Everyone likes talking about the weather. When people meet, they usually say something like “Isn’t it a nice day?” or “Do you think it will rain?”
Different people often want different weather. When a farmer(农民) needs water, he hopes it will rain. When people want to take a trip, they hope it will be sunny soon. How will be the weather? Many people think they can tell(判断) it. But they often have different ideas. Some may(也许) say, “It’s cloudy in the east. It will rain tomorrow.” But others may say, “No, it will be sunny tomorrow.” So people like the weather report(报告). It sometimes makes mistakes(错误). Still, it can tell many things about the weather.
1. When people meet, they usually say something about .| A．their clothes | B．their work | C．the weather |
| A．different people often want different weather |
| B．farmers always want rain |
| C．sunny weather is good for a trip |
| A．don’t know the weather tomorrow |
| B．have different ideas about the weather |
| C．do the same things in different weather |
| A．People don’t need it now. |
| B．It’s interesting to watch it. |
| C．It’s still useful. |
| A．What Is the Best Weather |
| B．I like Good Weather |
| C．Talking about Weather |
9 . Every year， thousands of people come to Edinburgh(爱丁堡)， the capital(首都) city of Scotland， to be part of the Edinburgh Festival. For three weeks every August and September the city is filled with actors and artists from all over the world. They come to Edinburgh for the biggest arts festival in Britain.During this time the streets of the city are alive with music and dance from early morning until late at night. You can even see artists painting pictures on the streets. One of the best parts of Festival is the “Fringe”， where students do comedy shows in small halls and cafes.
Tens of thousands of tourists come to the Festival to see new films and plays and hear music played by famous musicians.This year， you can see over five hundred performances with actors from more than forty countries.
The tickets for these performances are quite cheap and it is usually easier to see your favorite star in Edinburgh than it is in London. So come to Edinburgh next summer， but remember it can be difficult to find a room， so why not book your hotel now?
1. How long does the Edinburgh Festival usually last?| A．Three days |
| B．Seven days. |
| C．Twenty–one days |
| A．You can see many actors and artists from all over the world. |
| B．You can see artists painting pictures on the streets. |
| C．You can see some magicians playing on the streets. |
| A．too dear |
| B．very expensive |
| C．not expensive |
| A．To book the tickets for the performances. |
| B．To book the hotels in Edinburgh. |
| C．To see the films and plays. |
| A．Enjoy the Edinburgh Festival. |
| B．Travel Around Edinburgh. |
| C．The Best Hotel in Edinburgh. |
