1 . People of Sommaroy, an island in northern Norway where the sun doesn’t set for a full 69 days during the summer, want to make timekeeping obsolete, making this island the world’s first time-free zone.
On this island, the sun doesn’t rise from November to January. The people of Sommaroy try to make the most of summer, when the sun stays up in the sky from May 18 right through to July 26. During this time, it’s common to see people doing all kinds of things at late hours of the “night”—like doing the household chores, swimming or playing ball games in their yards.
Now the people of Sommaroy want to officially declare (宣布) their island is a time-free zone. It may seem like a joke, but locals are taking it seriously, and it’s true that Sommaroy has received a tourism boost (增长) after the plan was announced. Islanders gathered at a town hall meeting to sign a petition (请愿书) for a time free-zone on June 13, 2019. Islanders of Sommaroy plan to make school and working hours more flexible (灵活的). Fishing and tourism are the main industries on this island with a population of little more than 300 people.
When visitors cross the bridge to the island from the mainland, they aren’t greeted with love locks like on similar bridges worldwide. The bridge is covered with watches, as people prepare for entry to the land where time is forgotten.
In the meantime, the people of Sommaroy have a full five weeks of daylight before a sunset, pinks their sky once more. It’s time to put away those clocks.
1. The underlined word “obsolete” in the passage probably means ________.| A．延长的 | B．及时的 | C．废弃的 | D．停止的 |
| A．It is a touristy island in northern Norway. |
| B．Fishing may come to our mind when we think of its industries. |
| C．It has a population of little more than 300 people. |
| D．Its summer lasts from November to January there. |
| A．be free of traditional school and working hours |
| B．spend more time catching fish on the ocean |
| C．receive more tourists from all over the world |
| D．do the household chores, swim or play ball games even at night |
| A．Their watches don’t work in Sommaroy. |
| B．They want to forget time and enjoy their trip. |
| C．They find no place to buy love locks on the island. |
| D．They have to do so according to the local law. |
| A．Sommaroy wants to be the world’s first time-free zone. |
| B．Sommaroy’s plan to attract more tourists. |
| C．Sommaroy’s plan to make a change to its tourism. |
| D．The traditional life of the people in Sommaroy. |
2 . Narrator: There once was a beautiful princess whose favorite amusement was a golden ball. One day the princess tossed the ball too high, and it landed in the well (井). As the princess cried over her lost treasure, she heard someone ask a question.
Frog: Why are you so sad, beautiful princess?
Narrator: The princess looked around and saw only a frog.
Princess: My favorite golden ball fell into the well.
Frog: I can retrieve it for you, but first, you must agree to one condition. You must promise to take me home and be my friend.
Narrator: The princess didn’t want to be friends with a frog, but she promised anyway. When the frog brought her the ball, the princess snatched (夺去) it from him and hurried home!
Frog: What a selfish princess! I’m certain that she has forgotten her promise. I’ll just hop over to the castle to remind her.
Narrator: The frog hop-hop-hopped through the grass and knocked on the heavy door of the castle.
Princess: What are you doing here, you bumbling frog?
Frog: Dear princess, I am here to remind you of the promise you made.
Narrator: The princess slammed the door in the frog’s face with a big BANG.
King: I heard a door slam. What’s happening? If you made a promise, you must honor it.
Narrator: The princess was angry but obeyed her father. So, the king, the princess, and the frog enjoyed dinner together. It was mutton stew, the cook’s specialty.
Frog: I was hungry, but now I’m full. Thank you for dinner. Kindly show me to my bed now.
Narrator: The princess did as she was asked, but the frog looked sad!
Frog: You have welcomed me into your home, but I can tell that you don’t want to be my friend.
Narrator: The princess’s face went red, for what the frog said was true. She bent down to kiss the frog, but ended up kissing a prince.
Frog: I am a prince who was turned into a frog, and your kiss turned me back. Thank you, dear friend!
Narrator: The prince and princess were wonderful friends from that day on and lived happily ever after.
1. The reading material above is ________.| A．a poem | B．a play | C．an interview | D．a questionnaire |
| A．bring back | B．take away | C．break down | D．put away |
| A．To ask the king for help. | B．To visit his friends in the castle. |
| C．To give the ball to the princess. | D．To remind the princes of her promise. |
| A．It is often difficult to keep a friendship. |
| B．We shouldn’t be afraid of making friends. |
| C．Once you make a promise, you must keep it. |
| D．We should ask for help when we are in trouble. |
3 .
Create Your Own Story Competition If you love to write, draw and create stories, here’s your chance! Come and join in the Create Your Own Story Competition (13-19 January 2022)
All you have to do is to create your own stories. ●The competition is only open to the students in Grand Middle School. ●Please write a story in at least 300 words. ●Pictures are not necessary but stories with creative pictures will get extra (额外的) points. | |||
Get an entry (参赛) form from www.GrandMiddleSchooL.org/createyourownstory. The closing date: January 20, 2022. | |||
The best stories will be posted on www.GrandMiddleSchool.org/beststories. Everyone will have the chance to vote (投票) for their favorite stories from 23 to 25 January 2022. | |||
Names of winners will also be posted on www.Grand MiddleSchool.org/beststories on January 30, 2022. | |||
Please call 1800 6221 4422 or visit www.GrandMiddleSchool.org/storycompetition for more information. |
| A．1 dictionary and 5 books. | B．1 dictionary and 10 books. |
| C．1 dictionary and 15 books. | D．1 dictionary and 20 books. |
| A．he creates the story all by himself |
| B．his story has more than 300 words |
| C．his story doesn’t have any pictures. |
| D．he isn’t from Grand Middle School |
| A．Parents who are good at telling stories. |
| B．Adults who like writing stories. |
| C．Students who have creative ideas. |
| D．Students who like drawing pictures. |
4 . The 2021 Henan Spring Festival Gala appeared on Wednesday evening. Since Thursday, a video of the dance show “Night Banquet in Palace of Tang Dynasty《唐宫夜宴》” caused a hot discussion. On the first day of the lunar New Year, the program has been viewed 10 million times on Sina Weibo.
According to Chen Lei, the director of the show, “We hope the 2021 Spring Festival gala can give everyone more joy and warmth,” Chen said. “We used 5G and AR technology to connect virtual (虚拟) scenes with a real place, bringing singing and dancing into a museum setting and creating a feeling of a wonderful night in the museum.”
People have been drawn into learning more about traditional culture after watching the Henan Spring Festival Gala because of this show. Chen said that after enjoying the gala, netizens (网友) said that they would like to go to visit the Henan Provincial Museum and that made him filled with a sense of pride. “We have done a little bit to the revival (复兴) of traditional culture,” he said.
A netizen named @kenanyis said that the program really “brought our national treasure back to life. After watching it, I really want to go to the Henan Provincial Museum,” Another netizen named @aichiyu said that it was amazing how popular the show was after being replayed millions of times!
1. What do you know about the dance show “Night Banquet in Palace of Tang Dynasty”?| A．It is difficult to understand. |
| B．It is popular with people. |
| C．It is enjoyed only by some people. |
| D．It can only be seen on Sina Weibo. |
| A．works in a museum |
| B．is an expert in modern technology |
| C．got a big prize for the play in the year of 2020 |
| D．directed “Night Banquet in Palace of Tang Dynasty” |
| A．The program used 5G and AR technology to connect virtual scenes with a real place. |
| B．Because of this show, people have been drawn into learning more about traditional culture. |
| C．Netizens said they had done a little bit to the revival of traditional culture. |
| D．After watching this program, some people want to go to the Henan Provincial Museum. |
5 . In the film Forrest Gump (《阿甘正传》), there’s a famous saying: “Life is like a box of chocolate; you never know what you’re gonna get.” It’s the same with blind boxes (盲盒).
Each of these small, sealed (密封的) boxes has one of many toy figures in a series (系列的) inside. The buyer doesn’t know which figure they’ve got until they open the box. The start of blind boxes can be dated back to lucky bags sold in Japan from the late 1860s. In recent years it becomes big business in China.
During the Double 11 shopping festival, POP MART, a leading blind box company in China, sold 55,000 LABUBU dolls on Tmall in just 9 seconds according to a Tmall report.
One reason for their popularity is the lovely look of the figures inside the boxes. They’re like small cartoon characters. They can be put anywhere in your home to make your home more beautiful and lovely. But another, perhaps more important reason people like them is the fun of being surprised. “The most interesting thing about blind boxes is the gap between what you expect and what you get.” said Wen Xi, a blind box collector from Beijing. The excitement of getting the exact thing you want is like winning the lottery.
The boxes are certainly enjoyable to some. However, others worry that children might spend too much money on these toys. “The blind box economy makes use of gambling psychology (赌博心理),” said Liu Chunsheng, “young people want to look for the excitement brought by higher risks, which leads to impulse buying (即兴购买).” Last year, over 200,0 Chinese customers spent more than 20, 000 yuan collecting blind boxes. Most of them were Generation Z (those born after 1995), according to a report by Tmall.
1. What do we know about blind boxes?| A．They came from the movie Forrest Gump. |
| B．People like them because of all kinds of boxes. |
| C．Buyers have no idea what is inside each box. |
| D．They first came out in China in the late 1860s. |
| A．POP MART is a big blind box company |
| B．blind boxes are popular in China |
| C．people can buy blind boxes online |
| D．LABUBU dolls are only sold on “Double 11”. |
| A．关系 | B．期待 | C．缺口 | D．差距 |
| A．The lovely look of the figures inside the boxes. |
| B．It becomes big business in China. |
| C．They’re like small cartoon characters. |
| D．The fun of being surprised. |
| A．Don’t spend too much money. |
| B．A popular game in the world. |
| C．Blind boxes. |
| D．Lovely dolls at home. |
6 . Tom is ten years old. He loves watching TV. But for one year, he didn’t watch TV at all. What was the reason? Tom’s parents said they would give him $ 600 if he didn’t watch TV for a year. Tom’s parents thought he watched too much TV.
One day his mother read a story in a newspaper about a boy who didn’t watch TV for a year. She showed the story to Tom. Tom liked the idea. He turned off the TV right away, and said, “It doesn’t trouble me not to watch TV. I just want the money.” At first, Tom’s parents were very happy. Tom read books and newspapers, played outside and played computer games, but soon he got bored.
Every evening, he asked his parents, “What are we doing tonight?” Sometimes his mother and father wished he would watch TV just for one evening. Tom always said, “No, it would cost me money!” Finally the year was over. Then Tom started watching his favorite TV shows all day again. Tom got the money from his parents. What did he plan to do with the $600? “I want to buy myself a TV set!” he said.
1. Tom didn’t watch TV for one year because ________.| A．he wanted the money | B．he wanted to study harder |
| C．he wanted to learn from the boy | D．he thought watching too much TV was bad |
| A．It’s no use watching TV | B．It’s a waste of time watching TV |
| C．It’s important for me to watch TV | D．It doesn’t matter not to watch TV |
| A．Because they were very rich. |
| B．Because they wanted to play with him |
| C．Because they wanted him to buy a new TV. |
| D．Because they didn’t want him to watch too much TV |
| A．He played outside. | B．He did his homework. |
| C．He played computer games. | D．He read books and newspapers. |
| A．happy | B．interested | C．surprised | D．excited |
7 . Like many other young boys, I didn’t know what I want to be when I was a middle school student. My mother advised me to be a teacher like her, but it seemed that I was not interested in it. My father wanted me to be a pianist. However, I could not stand spending all of my time in front of a piano.
I got my own goal (目标) after I went to high school. I got a part-time job at the school radio station and I found it interesting. I liked to discuss school life and my favorite music with my classmates on the radio.
I kept on doing this job during the next six years. When I left the university, I got a full-time job at our local (当地的) radio station. My career (事业) started. My program is successful and I have lots of fans. I enjoy my job and my life now.
1. When did the writer start working at a radio station?| A．When he was ten years old. | B．When he was a high school student. |
| C．When he studied at university. | D．After he left the university. |
| A．School news. | B．Famous movies. | C．School life. | D．Famous people. |
| A．He was interested in teaching. | B．He couldn’t play the piano. |
| C．He often interviews (采访) stars. | D．His program is very popular now. |
| A．No job is easy to get | B．Never listen to your parents |
| C．Study hard to get good grades | D．The part-time job helped me find my career |
8 . Have you ever heard of “a ball of energy”? People often use it to describe very active children. But today we tell about an invention called the socket, that is a real soccer ball of energy. Julia Silverman explains that in fact the soccket is a portable generator (便携式发电机).
Julia Silverman and Jessica Matthews developed the soccket as part of a group project for an engineering class at Harvard University. There are mechanisms (装置) in a soccket. When you kick, hit or throw it, energy is then kept in it by these mechanisms instead of disappearing into the environment. Then the user can put something directly into the ball, like a lamp, or a mobile phone charger so that they can get energy from it. For every fifteen minutes of the game play, the soccket can provide enough electricity (电) for an LED lamp for three hours, and the ball can store (储藏) up to 24 hours’ electricity.
The International Energy Association reported last year that nearly one and a half billion people in the world had no electricity to use, and most of them live in sub-Saharan. Africa and in India and other countries in Asia. Julia Silverman and Jessica Matthews both had experiences in developing countries before they began the project. They knew that power shortage are a serious problem in these areas. There’s an energy crisis in the world. One out of every five people in the world don’t have any electricity. And besides that, there are a lot of health problems because what people use instead of the electricity are harmful choices like kerosene (煤油) lamps, which produce a lot of smoke.
Julia Silverman says the soccket ball is one small solution (解决方法) to a big problem. Jessica Matthews and Julia Silverman hope their soccket ball will shine more light on the problem of power shortages. It offers people a chance to put their energy into the world’s most popular sport and get some energy in return.
1. From the passage, we know the soccket is ________.| A．an active child | B．an invention | C．a lamp | D．a mobile phones |
| A．fifteen minutes | B．half an hour | C．six hours | D．three hours |
| A．a time of safety | B．a time of difficulty | C．a time of success | D．a time of pride |
| A．Julia Silverman has never been to developing countries before |
| B．only active children like to play soccket |
| C．kicking a soccket can let the energy disappear into the environment |
| D．people can get some energy by playing soccket |
| A．The Only Way to Produce Electricity | B．The Best Way to Solve Energy Crisis |
| C．A Soccer Bell that Gives Energy | D．An Invention Changing the Universe |
9 . In a room full of people, you can still feel lonely. Loneliness is a state(状态) of mind usually caused by feelings of being misunderstood, or having no friends or persons to talk to during a difficult time. There are many things that make one feel lonely, like going to a new school where he doesn’t know anyone. There are a lot of reasons for people to feel lonely, but there are also many ways to stop the feeling of loneliness.
Ask yourself why you are feeling lonely. This is the first thing you should do when you feel lonely. Write down your feelings and thoughts. Take time to find out if you always feel lonely or you feel lonely just because something happened in your life recently.
If your loneliness is internal(固有的), find a psychologist that you can talk to about your feelings. Communicate with others who share the same interest with you by joining a club or surfing the Internet and getting into chat rooms. Go to different. This will provide you with opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. Give a hand to those who are in trouble. I think this is the beat way to stop your lonely feelings. By doing so, you’ll know loneliness isn’t the terrible thing.
1. The passage is probably helpful to those who ________.| A．feel lonely | B．want to make friends | C．often surf the Internet. | D．always make trouble |
| A．Find someone in trouble and help him. | B．Find out the reasons for our loneliness. |
| C．Travel to some interesting places. | D．Communicate with others. |
| A．have a good rest | B．make new friends | C．forget our loneliness | D．enjoy the beautiful world |
| A．Helping others. | B．Keeping busy. | C．Chatting with friends. | D．Travelling to new places. |
| A．If you are in a room with other people, you will not feel lonely at all. |
| B．All lonely people have the feeling because of the same reason—having no friends. |
| C．If one’s loneliness is internal, he /she should find someone professional for help. |
| D．Telling others how you feel will only make things worse. |
10 . People use money to buy food, books and hundreds of other things they need. When they work, they usually get paid in money.
Money has had an interesting story from the days of shell money till today. Most of the money used today is made of metal or paper. But a time long ago, people used to use all kinds of things as money. One of the first kinds of money was shells.
In China, cloth and knives were used as money. Elephant tusks (牙), monkey tail and salt were used in some parts of the world. Rice was also a kind of money used by the people on some islands. Some animals were used as money, too.
The first copper coins were made in Chins. They were round and had a square hole in the center. Different countries used different metals for their money. Later, some countries began to make coins of gold and silver. But gold and silver were heavy to carry when people needed a lot of coins to buy something expensive. The Chinse were the first to use paper money as well. The first paper money looked more like a note from one person to another than the paper money used today.
1. People usually use money ________.| A．to buy gold | B．to buy shells | C．to get something they want | D．to buy something expensive |
| A．the same metal | B．the same paper | C．the different metals | D．all kinds of things |
| A．as a tool | B．as a kind of goods | C．as a gift | D．as money |
| A．Rice | B．Gold | C．Animals | D．Knives |
| A．looked interesting | B．looked like the same as today | C．had a square hole in the center | D．looked like a note |
