1 . Why do We Yawn?
Do you yawn? There are about 20 reasons that scientists think are possible for yawning after research. They do not know exactly why yawning happens, but they do know many facts about yawning.
We know that everyone yawns in the same way. First you open your mouth slowly. Your mouth stays open for about five seconds. You take in a lot of air and then push it out. Then you quickly close your mouth. We also know that yawning is contagious. When you see someone yawn, you yawn, too.
Many people say they yawn because they are bored or tired. That might be true. People do often yawn before they sleep and after they wake up. However, we know that people also yawn when they are excited or nervous. Olympic runners, for example, often yawn before a race. Why is that? In 2007, scientists found that a yawn can help a warm brain cool down.
Some scientists believe that yawning makes you notice things more quickly. When you yawn, you breathe deeply. You also stretch (强化) the muscles (肌肉) in your face, mouth, and neck. Your eardrums stretch, too. Maybe this helps you to be quicker to notice things.
In some countries, people think yawning is not nice. People put their hands over their mouths to cover a yawn. In other countries, people think yawning is healthy. They think that opening the mouth very big can let good things in. When they breathe out, they think that bad things go out of the body with the air.
Scientists do not spend much time studying yawning. That is probably because yawning does not hurt. It is just something we do.
1. What does the underlined word “contagious” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Able to spread quickly. | B．Able to breathe easily. |
| C．Able to change easily. | D．Able to sleep quickly. |
| A．They are too tired or too bored. |
| B．A yawn can let good things in. |
| C．A yawn can help a warm brain cool down. |
| D．A yawn can stretch the muscles in their faces. |
| A．Reasons for yawning. | B．Advantages of yawning. |
| C．Disadvantages of yawning. | D．Different ideas about yawning. |
| A．People use different ways to yawn. |
| B．Scientists will do further research on yawning. |
| C．It’s hard to notice things quickly while yawning. |
| D．Some scientists think yawning is good for people. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
2 . 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 |
3 . In China, writing brushes, ink sticks, paper and ink tones are called the Four Treasures of Study. Among the high-quality treasures, the writing brush produced in Huizhou, the ink stick produced in Huizhou, the xuan paper made in Xuancheng and the ink stone made in Duanxi are the best-known.
The writing brushes can be used to draw the pictures on painted potteries(陶器). They are mainly made of the hair of animals. Those made of wool are called yanghao and those made of the weasel’s(鼬) tail hair are called langhao. Their artistic effects in writing and painting cannot be copied by any other pens.
The ink stick is the pigment used in writing and painting. The ink stick produced in Huizhou is of high quality. A story goes like this: Two famous skilled men Xi Chao and his son produced a kind of high-quality ink stick. As a result, the Emperor Li Yu in the Southern Tang Dynasty agreed to give them the family name “Li”. From then on, the fame of the Li Ink Stick was widespread. In the Song Dynasty, its producing area was changed into Huizhou, and it was then called the Hui Ink Stick.
Paper is among the four great inventions in ancient China. The famous xuan paper appeared in the Sui and Tang dynasties. In Xuanzhou, Anhui Province where the xuan paper is produced, it’s said that Cai Lun’s pupil Kong Dan took the job of producing paper but failed to make perfect white paper. Later he happened to see the ebony(黑檀) in the rivers. It was wet with the water and turned white. Then he used the bark to produce the world-famous xuan paper.
The ink stone was already very popular in the Han Dynasty. The Ming and Qing dynasties saw the appearance of the Four Famous Ink Stones-Duan Ink Stone. She Ink Stone, Tao Ink Stone and Chengni Ink Stone. They can not only be used in writing and painting but also for admiration.
1. What are the writing brushes mainly made of?| A．The pigment. | B．The animals’ tails. | C．The bark. | D．The hair of animals. |
| A．Because they produced a kind of high-quality ink stick. |
| B．Because the fame of the ink stick was widespread. |
| C．Because its producing area was changed into Huizhou. |
| D．Because Xi Chao was the relative of the Emperor Li Yu. |
| A．He took the job of producing paper. |
| B．He appeared in Xuanzhou, Anhui Province. |
| C．He happened to see the ebony in the rivers and used the bark to produce the famous ruan paper. |
| D．He was Cai Lun’s pupil at that time. |
| A．The Ming and Qing dynasties. | B．The Han Dynasty. |
| C．The Sui and Tang dynasties. | D．The Song Dynasty. |
| A．The History of Potteries | B．The History of the Four Treasures of Study |
| C．The History of the Four Famous Ink Stones | D．The History of Xuan Paper |
4 . There’s nothing quite like falling sound asleep after a full day of work. Like people, animals need to rest after working hard. Some animals sleep in water. Others dig holes under the ground. Some even sleep high in trees or under leaves. But they all find a way to rest.
Some animals in the sea sleep in strange ways. Fish sleep with their eyes open. They seem to look ahead far into the sea while they rest. Sea otters sometimes sleep in beds of the plants that grow in the sea. This keeps them from moving away. Parrotfish blow something from their mouths when they are ready to sleep. Then a bubble (气泡) will be formed around them. The bubble protects them from harm while they sleep.
Some animals sleep under the ground. Chipmunks (花栗鼠) sleep curled up (蜷缩) in a ball. Their beds are made of leaves and grass. In winter, they sleep for two weeks and wake up to eat the stored food. Then they go back to sleep for another two weeks before waking up again. Some desert frogs dig underground holes during the hot, dry season. A frog may stay in its hole for months.
High above the ground, monkeys find leafy places in trees each evening before they sleep. The tall trees help to keep monkeys safe during the night. Some insects even sleep under the leaf that will be their next meal. A bee may climb down into a flower to rest. When it climbs out the next morning, it is rested and ready for work.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。1. What animals blow bubbles when they sleep?
| A．Sea otters. | B．Monkeys. | C．Desert frogs. | D．Parrotfish. |
| A．They rest with their eyes open. |
| B．They never sleep curled up in a ball. |
| C．They wake up now and then in winter. |
| D．They don’t eat any food during the winter. |
| A．The forest where monkeys sleep safely. |
| B．The animals that sleep above the ground. |
| C．The reason why bees climb down into flowers. |
| D．The ways that keep animals away from danger. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Where animals live? | B．Why animals move? |
| C．How animals sleep? | D．What animals feed on? |
The Grand Canal（大运河）is a man-made waterway that runs north and south in eastern China. Dating back 2,500 years and stretching 1,794 kilometers, it is among the world’s oldest and l
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So far, the museum has over 10,000 exhibits（展品）, including 20 groups of large ones, making it the best collection to show the grandness of the canal and h
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Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum is different from all the other m
6 . The blue whale (鲸) is the largest animal alive today. And one of these whales has been caught making a big journey through the South Pacific. The whale was first recorded near the Galapagos Islands, west of Costa Rica. Years later, that same whale was photographed off the coast of Chile in South America, a new study reports. The two places are separated by about 5,200 kilometers. That means the whale, nicknamed Isabella, swam farther than the distance between New York and Los Angeles.
Blue whales are found in all the world’s oceans but live in deep waters. So there are few places where they can be found easily. What’s more, they were nearly driven by whaling a century ago. Populations are increasing. But because there are so few of the animals, they are still considered endangered.
One blue whale may look like any other to the untrained eye. But each animal has special spots (斑点). “We use those spots as the fingerprints of blue whales,” Torres Florez says. To make the comparison job easier, scientists focus on the area around a whale’s dorsal fin (鳍), which is on its back. “Comparing those spots we are able to tell if a whale is the same whale we saw in different places or if the same whale is seen during different years in the same place,” he says.
Isabella is probably not the only blue whale to travel so far, the researchers say. Members of her population likely migrate regularly from Chile to the Galapagos. In summer months, Torres Florez notes, waters in the far southern Pacific are loaded with krill, but that food disappears in winter. That’s when the whales travel north to warm, tropical (热带的) waters near the Galapagos. There, instead of feeding, the whales produce babies. Scientists don’t yet know why whales prefer to produce babies in tropical locations. But the ocean there may be warmer and calmer and have fewer killer whales that would feed on baby blue whales, Torres Florez says.
1. What can we infer about blue whales in Paragraph 2?| A．They are no longer at the risk of dying out. |
| B．It’s difficult for scientists to study them. |
| C．They can’t live well in a new environment. |
| D．It is common for people to see them worldwide. |
| A．How to study blue whales. |
| B．The spots of blue whales. |
| C．How to find out the exact blue whale. |
| D．The habits and lifestyle of blue whales. |
| A．演变 | B．分离 | C．迁徙 | D．繁殖 |
| A．there is enough food for baby blue whales |
| B．they don’t have enemies there |
| C．it’s easy for them to find a mate there |
| D．it’s easy for baby blue whales to remain alive there |
| A．Traditional Custom. |
| B．Job Wanted. |
| C．School Life. |
| D．Nature. |
7 . Every living thing needs to reproduce. Reproducing means creating more members of your group. In order for plants to reproduce, they have to spread their seeds (种子) to other areas. Plants have developed all kinds of ways to do this.
The simplest way is gravity. Many seeds are inside of fruit. When a piece of fruit gets too heavy, it falls from a tree to the ground. Sometimes animals will pick up the fruit and drop it in another area. That helps move the seed even farther away. Apples spread this way.
Other plants use wind to spread their seeds. Dandelions are a good example of this. Dandelion seeds are so light that when wind blows, it carries dandelion seeds to new places. Maple (枫树) seeds also use wind. Their seeds are connected with long, thin leaves that look like wings. When the seed falls from the tree, its “wings” help it fly farther from the tree.
Some animals help plants spread their seeds. The animals eat the seeds. While the seed is in the animal’s body, it stays whole. When the seed leaves the animal, it’s in a new place.
Ants also help spread seeds. Some seeds have a special smell that attracts ants. The ants bring the seeds back to their home, which of course is underground. They only eat part of the seed. They leave the rest of the seed underground. After that, the seed can start growing.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. What does the word “gravity” mean in the second paragraph？
| A．The action that makes animals drop seeds. |
| B．The help that moves seeds even farther away. |
| C．The need that comes from animals and plants. |
| D．The force that causes fruit to fall to the ground. |
| A．They use ants. | B．They use wind. |
| C．They use smells. | D．They use animals. |
a. They only eat part of the seed.
b. They help seeds fall from the tree.
c. They carry seeds to the underground home.
d. They pick up the fruit and move it far away.
e. They leave the rest of the seed underground.
| A．b, d, e | B．a, b, d | C．a, c, e | D．b, c, d |
| A．Nature. | B．Culture. | C．Education. | D．Technology. |
| A．How Plants Spread Seeds? | B．Why Animals Pick Up Seeds? |
| C．How Wind Helps Seeds Spread? | D．Why Seeds Have a Special Trip? |
8 . Can anyone be an astronaut?
Of course not. You don’t have to have a science degree but most astronauts do. Most of them are pilots too. Life in a spaceship is hard so you must have a healthy body and mind. You need to be easy-going, patient, and helpful to spend so much time in a small space with other people.
What’s the training like?
People have to train for a year to learn how to stay healthy and safe. They practise space walking and living in zero gravity(重力). They train in difficult conditions to learn how to solve problems and to work in a team. Everyday tasks like eating, washing and sleeping can be difficult on a spaceship. There is no running water so you have to wash with wet tissues: it’s hard to enjoy the dry food that astronauts have to eat. And to sleep you must cover your eyes because the sun rises every 90 minutes on the International Space Station. You also have to tie yourself to something so you don’t fly away!
What health problems do astronauts have?
Life in zero gravity causes changes to our bodies. Bones and muscles(肌肉) become thin and weak so you must do a lot of exercise in space to stay fit and to help the heart move blood around your body. Astronauts often get backache because you grow in space— up to 8 centimeters! It’s also common to have headaches and to feel sick, especially at the beginning. You must have vitamins to take the place of fresh fruit and vegetables. But you don’t have to put on sun cream because space suits can protect your skin (皮肤).
Are you still interested?
So now you know. If you want to go to space, study hard, learn to fly and take care of your body and mind.
1. What is a must for an astronaut?| A．A science degree. | B．A pilot’s license. |
| C．A healthy body and mind. | D．A weak character. |
| A．Experience zero gravity. | B．Wash with running water. |
| C．Practise long walks. | D．Sleep with your eyes open. |
| A．To make their bones and muscles thinner. |
| B．To help the heart work well and keep fit. |
| C．To avoid backache and grow much taller. |
| D．To stop their skins from getting sunburned. |
| A．What we need to know to become an astronaut. |
| B．Why young people are interested in space trips? |
| C．What problems astronauts must solve in space. |
| D．Why we need to train hard before a space trip. |
9 . More than 1,000 schools across the UK have signed up（报名）to a project with the aim of helping schools become carbon neutral（碳平衡的）by 2030. Carbon neutral means cutting down carbon emissions（碳排放）to zero or balancing them out in other ways. Carbon emissions are gases such as carbon dioxide（CO2）that come out into the atmosphere, where they make climate change worse. This has also caused the temperature rise.
Emissions are caused by all sorts of human activities, such as burning fossil fuels（coal, oil and gas）to make energy, cutting down forests and some types of farming. Becoming carbon neutral includes cutting the amount of carbon emissions a school produces and balancing those that are left by taking some carbon out of the atmosphere.
The project also shows how small changes can make a big difference. These might include thinking carefully about energy use, cutting waste, growing food closer to where it's eaten and walking or cycling to school if it is possible. Ways of balancing out the carbon emissions that a school still makes include planting trees and plants that take in CO2 as they grow.
Ysgol Bro Dinefwr Secondary School in Wales has promised to run entirely on renewable（可再生的）energy（such as wind and solar power）within the next three years. At Down High School in Northern Ireland, the students are looking after their own bees. So when flowers and crops produce food, that helps. Other schools have projects to cut food waste by weighing it after each meal to know how much is not being eaten. Some put the waste into a system that can turn this waste into useful things. They will be put on the garden to help plants grow.
Climate change is seen as a major global challenge. We can see it all around us. So join together, find out ways your school can put efforts to, and talk to a teacher about signing up.
1. Which statement would the author most probably agree with?| A．Human activities influence the environment. |
| B．The fight against climate change will not succeed. |
| C．More UK schools should be introduced to the world. |
| D．We could deal with the climate change without changing our behavior. |
| A．By moving to the countryside. | B．By cutting waste and planting trees. |
| C．By providing more spaces for students. | D．By burning coal instead of gas to make energy. |
| A．To praise these schools. | B．To show the difficulties in the project. |
| C．To call for more schools to take action. | D．To explain the efforts made by the government. |
| A．How to Help Plants Grow | B．Schools Sign Up to Help the Planet |
| C．Carbon Emissions in the UK Schools | D．Our Planet, a Wonderful Living Place |
10 . Windy days are common during spring. Did you know that strong winds can even influence trains?
On May 1, 2021, strong winds in Baoding, Hebei Province, caused a foreign thing to get caught in power lines above the railway lines, stopping some trains. Some passengers were even stuck on their trains while traveling.
High-speed trains receive power from wires (电线) hung above the railway lines, according to Worldwide Rails, a rail news website. As an important power source for high-speed trains, why are these lines so easy to break in the face of wind.
The line itself is strong, but too many light things can still influence them. Kite wires are one of the biggest problems for railway workers. If one end of a kite wire touches a power line and the other end touches the ground, it will cause a short circuit (电路) on the line, causing a loss of power.
Other materials, such as tin foil (锡纸), can also cause problems. If they are blown onto train power lines, they can stop trains from getting power.
In many cases, train workers have to remove foreign things from power lines themselves. The bigger the foreign thing is, the harder it is to clean up. Bird nests are one of the most difficult.
Because of their height and strength, power lines have become a popular place for birds to make homes. Birds carefully make their homes with branches and other materials. “They keep us busy. One day we deal with one bird's nest and the next day they’ll build another,” a Xiamen train worker told Xiamen TV. How to solve? To make man-made nests and put them along the lines to fool birds into thinking the place is taken.
根据上文内容判断正(T)误(F)
1. The train was late on May 1, 2021 because of a foreign thing caught in power lines.
2. The power of high-speed trains comes from underground wires.
3. Paragraphs 4 and 5 are two examples to show light things can stop trains from getting power.
4. Train workers solve problems caused by bird nests by making bird nests somewhere else.
5. The purpose of the passage is to warn railway workers of the risks they face.
