1 . Diving in the ocean, marine biologist Erika Woolsey has seen how coral reefs (珊瑚礁) are being damaged by climate change. It has made her decide to find a way to share her experience —including those who can’t easily explore the ocean.
Through her non-profit, The Hydrous, Woolsey is using virtual reality to bring the ocean to everyone. Scientists, filmmakers and divers are taking people on immersive (沉浸式的) virtual dives, attracting attention to reef damage and expecting action to protect our sea. About 25% of marine species depend on coral reefs. However, climate change, pollution and overfishing have done harm to around half the world’s shallow water coral reefs.
Twenty years of underwater exploration has given Woolsey a detailed understanding of the dangerous situations facing reefs. “I’ve seen this first-hand shift. Healthy colourful coral reefs become what look like the moonscape step by step,” Woolsey says.
It is through this experience that The Hydrous team set out to recreate with their award-winning film Immerse. Intended to watch with a VR headset, viewers join Woolsey for a nine-minute guided virtual dive on the coral reefs, immersed in a 360-degree underwater view.
They swim alongside sea turtles and sharks before witnessing the worsening of the reefs. The experience often brings out strong feelings. “As soon as people take off that headset and look me in the eye, they want to tell me a story about their ocean experience,” Woolsey says. “It’s that human connection to our ocean that will solve our ocean problems.”
Woolsey hopes advances in camera technology will allow her team to take more and more people to places in the ocean that are under-explored and places further away from human civilization. They are developing a virtual experience that will put the people in the role of a marine biologist, carrying out biodiversity surveys underwater, and even transporting the viewers to space to monitor global sea surface temperatures.
1. Why did Erika Woolsey set up The Hydrous?| A．To collect money for ocean protection. | B．To let the public know about coral reefs better. |
| C．To help people enjoy the ocean’s beauty. | D．To encourage people to protect the ocean. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Concerned. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．The story about the ocean. | B．The situation of coral reefs. |
| C．The connection with sea life. | D．The way to protect the ocean. |
| A．To bring more fun during the lockdown. | B．To help people learn more about the ocean. |
| C．To train talents for environment protection. | D．To discover more places that need protection. |
2 . 15 years ago, Andrew McLindon was riding his bike in Austin, Texas, when he thought about a friend’s son. The boy had
When he got home, McLindon, now 60, went online and
That smile led to the McLindon Family Foundation. The group works to
McLindon said the happiness of telling families they are getting this
“She said ‘A bike for my child, a bike for my child.’ She couldn’t
For kids lucky enough to get an adaptive bike, it is a
“We worked with a 14-year-old who has spina bifida (脊柱裂),” said McLindon. “She spent most days watching TV. Soon after she
| A．almost | B．never | C．even | D．also |
| A．changed | B．shared | C．remembered | D．found |
| A．biking | B．walking | C．searching | D．talking |
| A．success | B．luck | C．fun | D．support |
| A．bravery | B．mindfulness | C．creation | D．kindness |
| A．surprise | B．smile | C．fear | D．pain |
| A．give | B．sell | C．borrow | D．introduce |
| A．popular | B．common | C．expensive | D．different |
| A．gift | B．prize | C．advice | D．idea |
| A．meeting | B．interview | C．training | D．call |
| A．accept | B．believe | C．forget | D．prove |
| A．silent | B．busy | C．free | D．ready |
| A．interested | B．sorry | C．excited | D．nervous |
| A．tool | B．life | C．record | D．time |
| A．suggested | B．repaired | C．got | D．returned |
3 . A songbird jumps around in the woods near Washington, D. C. On its back it carries a very small, lightweight electronic device called a tag (标签). Ecologist Emily Williams watches from behind a bush. On this clear spring day, she says, “Now I’m watching to see whether he’s found a mate.” The bird has moved to a nearby tree where there is another robin. When the bird leaves, this new device it carries will send data about its position to a special satellite, then back to Williams’ computer.
The Georgetown University researchers have been attaching tracking (跟踪) tags on birds and animals for many years. But, the International Space Station and the involved satellite now provide new ways to receive the information sent by the tags. The new system permits scientists to watch songbird movements from a faraway place in much greater detail than before.
“We’re in a sort of golden age for bird research,” said Adriaan Dokter, an ecologist at Cornell University, adding that the technology is improving as the tags are made smaller and smaller. “We can track a robin by satellite with smaller and smaller chips. The device that the robin wears can report its immediate place on Earth, within about 10 meters. Ten years ago, that was unthinkable,” said the scientist, who is not involved in Williams’ study.
A second new device, for only the heaviest robins, provides more information about the bird’s movements; future versions may also measure the humidity and barometric pressure of the space the bird occupies. The devices are known as ICARUS tags.
Martin Wikelski is director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. His scientific team is working to improve the ICARUS technology. He hopes that more and better devices could help develop what he called “an Internet of animals”—a collection of sensors around the world giving us a better picture of the movement of life on the planet.
1. What is Emily Williams doing in the woods?| A．Trying to catch a songbird. |
| B．Observing a bird with a new device. |
| C．Playing a bird game on the computer. |
| D．Taking an adventure trip in the nature. |
| A．Find the exact place of the robins quickly. |
| B．Take control of the robins easily. |
| C．Collect all the information from the satellite. |
| D．Communicate with the robin in a faraway place. |
| A．By explaining the reasons. | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By listing two new devices. | D．By analyzing the data. |
| A．People can use more devices to keep healthy. |
| B．Technology can give better ways to track animals. |
| C．Human beings and animals can live in harmony. |
| D．People will know more about animals from the Internet. |
4 . It is often said that the best teachers are those who are able to form a sincere relationship with their students. This was never a problem for my second-grade teacher, as she viewed all of her students as family. Of course. in my case, it was actually true, because my second-grade teacher was my mother.
I won’t lie and say the year was easy. At times, there were difficulties starting the school day as teacher and student when there had been an issue at home as mother and son. The same can be said for after school when my mother just happened to know every little thing that happened during the school day.
My mother decided to move me up to the third-grade reading class. I used to joke that it was simply because she wanted me out of her classroom for part of the day, but I knew better. She had too much respect for education to do such a thing.
Even as she was ill and had a long stay in hospital, my mother, the teacher, still made me check in to see how her students were doing as the school year wrapped up. She also continued to press me about my future writing projects to make sure that I never gave up on my dreams, as well as checking that the plots all made sense.
I know that some people might refuse the idea of having their mother as a teacher as I did at first, but looking back, I can tell you I am grateful for that opportunity. While telling time and counting change are important lessons, they pale in comparison to the lessons Mom taught me about faith, love, and family. Those lessons are at the core of who she was and are cornerstones (基石) of my beliefs because of her. She was my favorite and best teacher.
1. What challenge did the author face with his mother as his second-grade teacher?| A．The difficulty of getting along with his mother at school. |
| B．The challenge of separating the two identities of his mother. |
| C．The pressure of his mother knowing everything about him. |
| D．The struggle to focus on studying with his mother in the same classroom. |
| A．He understood his mother very well. |
| B．He thought it was a poor decision. |
| C．He was angered by this arrangement. |
| D．He thought his mother was only joking. |
| A．Strict. | B．Patient. | C．Knowledgeable. | D．Responsible. |
| A．It gave him a sense of duty. |
| B．It enabled him to work hard. |
| C．It taught him valuable life lessons. |
| D．It made him have a good education. |
5 . Like many others, Animal Lovers League (ALL) all started with a love for animals. ALL is a charity and home to over 500 dogs and cats. It encourages the public to adopt (领养) instead of buying animals and tries to help the animals at ALL find loving families.
Tasks that the founders, Cathy and Mohan, as well as volunteers carry out to care for the animals include feeding them, taking sick animals to hospital and bringing them for checkups.
The adoption process at ALL:
STEP 1 Contact us
Learn more details about our animals for adoption, or view them on our website www.animalloversleague.com .
For dog adoptions, please WhatsApp Catheryn at 9753 3320.
For cat adoptions, please WhatsApp Mohan at 9670 8052.
STEP 2 Meet our furry kids
Get a chance to play with our furry kids, one-on-one, to find your perfect match!
All adoption visits are by appointment (预约) only. No walk-ins are allowed.
STEP 3 Homestay
We will interview you and do a home visit to ensure you are able to take care of our kids.
After that, you will go through the adoption initiation (开始) process with a 2-week homestay to see if our furry baby is able to get used to the environment of your home and if you can follow the lifestyle of having a furry kid to care for.
STEP 4 Successful adoption
You will be asked to fill in an adoption form upon the completion of this process.
We will keep in contact with you to check up on your progress.
No adoption fees are required as we do not put a price on the lives of our furry kids.
1. What do we know about Animal Lovers League?| A．It focuses on taking care of animals. |
| B．It offers professional medical treatment to animals. |
| C．It is home to many animals including dogs and cats. |
| D．It was set up to stop the buying and selling of animals. |
| A．To give people some detailed information about the animals at ALL. |
| B．To ask people to provide a home for the animals at ALL. |
| C．To teach people how to get along with animals at ALL. |
| D．To invite people to get close to the animals at ALL. |
| A．Give some money to ALL. | B．Complete an adoption form. |
| C．Attend an adoption interview. | D．Do some volunteer work for ALL. |
6 . ※ Brown Girl Dreaming
By Jacqueline Woodson
As a winner of the National Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and a Newberry Honor Book, in her book, Brown Girl Dreaming, the author uses poetry to tell her true story of growing up as a black woman in the 1960s and 1970s. Woodson’s beautiful language explores big ideas while describing her family, her growing awareness of race and the civil rights movement, and her life in South Carolina and New York City.
※ When You Were Everything
By Ashley Woodfolk
Cleo and Layla have been best friends for years. But in their second year of middle school, everything changes. Layla starts hanging out with her new friends, and the two girls’ friendship slowly ends. Cleo is still trying to make sense of what happened as she tries to make new friends. Told across two timelines, Cleo’s story of sadness surrounding a lost friendship will be relevant for many 8th graders trying to deal with past middle school friend drama and looking forward to high school.
※ The Hound of the Baskervilles
By Arthur Conan Doyle
The famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend Watson set out to look into a new case in Dartmoor, England. A man is dead, with many dog paw prints leading to his body. Holmes and Watson arrive in Dartmoor to find several unexplainable events and clues. Together, they start to figure out a puzzle that has defined mystery and detective fiction ever since.
※ The Hobbit
By J. R. R. Tolkien
This story is an opener to the longer and more challenging The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s an adventure story set in a fantasy world. With dwarves (小矮人), hobbits, sword fights, wizards and dragons, the book’s plot and humor have stood the test of time.
1. How is Brown Girl Dreaming different from the other books?| A．It focuses on city life. | B．It uses clear language. |
| C．It has won many awards. | D．It tells humorous stories. |
| A．Friendship and growth. | B．Lost love and gained hope. |
| C．Learning to be more independent. | D．Dealing with pressure from schoolwork. |
| A．The Hobbit | B．Brown Girl Dreaming |
| C．When You Were Everything | D．The Hound of the Baskervilles |
7 . When I was a little boy growing up, I would always change out of my good clothes after church and run outside to play for a few hours. When I came back inside, the house always smelt
I remember we would all
As I got older and became an adult myself, I
There finally came a point when I
Nana always put her love into her cooking and her life as well. Since then I’ve tried my best to do the same. No matter what I am cooking or what I am doing, I always try to
| A．terrible | B．similar | C．pleasant | D．strange |
| A．enjoying | B．preparing | C．admiring | D．introducing |
| A．slowly | B．simply | C．anxiously | D．secretly |
| A．search for | B．gather around | C．show off | D．set apart |
| A．eat | B．play | C．talk | D．joke |
| A．tired | B．curious | C．patient | D．peaceful |
| A．laid | B．left | C．checked | D．designed |
| A．hurried | B．happened | C．tried | D．failed |
| A．method | B．chance | C．order | D．meaning |
| A．famous | B．powerful | C．safe | D．right |
| A．remembered | B．realized | C．explained | D．agreed |
| A．gift | B．praise | C．taste | D．skill |
| A．delicious | B．common | C．expensive | D．hot |
| A．freedom | B．interest | C．fun | D．love |
| A．observe | B．compare | C．replace | D．season |
8 . Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World
Welcome to the world-famous house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and where he grew up. The property (房产) remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806. The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the word , for over 250 years.
| OPENING TIMES: 20 Mar to 19 Oct Mon to Sat: 9:00am to 5:00pm Sun:9:30am to 5:00pm 20 Oct to 19Mar Mon to Sat:9:30am to 4:00pm Sun:10:00am to 4:00pm | ADMISSION: Adult £4.90 Child £2.20 Family £ 12.00(2 adults +up to 3 children) |
◆Enter though the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare’s World, a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.
◆Stand in the rooms-where Shakespeare grew up.
◆Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s period.
◆Enjoy the traditional (传统的) English garden, planted with trees and flowers mentioned in the poet’s works.
◎The Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map; nearest is Windsor Street(3 minutes’ walk).
The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition hall, and the garden are accessible (可进入的) to wheelchair user.
◎The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace).
1. How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children?| A．$9.80 | B．$14.20 | C．$12.0 | D．$16.40 |
| A．Behind the exhibition hall. | B．At Windsor street. |
| C．Opposite the Visitors’ Centre. | D．Near the Coffee House. |
| A．textbook | B．A news report | C．Fashion Magazine | D．A travel brochure |
9 . It was a cold May morning when I received an email from an old friend inviting me to join a 10-day all-girls surf trip. I knew I had to say yes. The trip seemed simple enough. 10 women aged 30 to 45, all complete strangers, were to meet on the coast of Portugal to try something new: surfing in the Atlantic Ocean. I have always loved traveling, so I eagerly sent an email to my boss asking for time off to make the trip.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over my past 33 years, it’s that adults typically spend their days mastering the things they’ve done before. It seems like we pride ourselves on becoming experts in whatever field we’ve fallen into, knowing more about less. Now, in theory, this is a great strategy, as it allows you to become really good at one particular thing, but it also kind of ends up leaving some skills lacking.
I met my new surfing companions on the grass of the hotel lawn in a small surf town called Ericeira. Despite our different personalities and backgrounds, we were all united in a strong desire to challenge ourselves, learn, tackle and grow.
The shores at Ericeira, where the beginners learn to surf, are shallow and covered with slippery rocks. They make for softer waves but are difficult to ride.
Guided by our amazing coaches, together, we faced the waves. Sometimes, it poured with rain, and the waves crashed around us, but we were still out there. And with every slip and fall, words of encouragement filled the air. Honestly, I probably spent most of my days frozen to the bone, but that didn’t matter because a new level of genuine joy and personal achievement had been unlocked.
Learning a new skill taught me the humility (谦虚) that can come from doing badly at something new, and the pride that develops when you finally manage to grasp something you’ve been working on. While surfing might not be my lifelong passion, trying it out inspired me to take more risks in life. You never know what you’re capable of if you don’t go out there and try.
1. What inspired the author to join the surf trip?| A．Her love for seashore surfing. | B．Her desire to make new friends. |
| C．Her need to take a break from work. | D．Her passion for exploring something new. |
| A．It hurts one’s pride. | B．It narrows one’s potential. |
| C．It promotes one’s career success. | D．It broadens one’s view of the world. |
| A．Relaxing but dangerous. | B．Tough and uninteresting. |
| C．Challenging but rewarding. | D．Surprising and unforgettable. |
| A．She used to lack confidence in herself. |
| B．She determined to become an expert surfer. |
| C．She discovered her lifelong passion after the trip. |
| D．She was more willing to try new experiences in life. |
On a windy day, Emily invited Nora to play football in her garden, “I go first!” Nora shouted as she kicked the ball towards Emily.
“Is that all you got? Watch me, the champion, hit the ball. It will travel off to infinity (无穷大)!”
Emily ran like the wind to the ball and kicked it so hard that it flew over the fence of her garden and into the neighbor’s house. There was a sharp cracking sound.
“Uhoh...what did you do?” Nora asked, feeling afraid.
“I...I don’t know. Ohno! I think I broke my neighbor’s window, “Emily cried as she dashed across her garden and hid behind some cherry bushes. Nora faded into thin air.
Terror was written all over Emily’s face. She saw the neighbor, Mr. Mason, picking up the pieces of sharp glass. There was anger, as well as panic, on his face.
The sun was setting. Emily knew that it was not secure for her to stay out so late. Eventually, as the light faded, she returned home, keeping her eyes wide open for the neighbor.
Her heart was shaking as she cautiously arrived home. Her mother saw the sweat on her face. She knew, her daughter had done something wrong. Mothers at next to Emily on the comfortable sofa and then asked, “Emily, are you okay? Is something wrong?”
Emily held her mother’s hands. Her eyes were wet with tears. “Mom, I did something bad, but it was unintentional. I hit the football so hard that it flew out of our garden and broke Mr. Mason’s window.”
Mother listened to her patiently as she calmed her and wiped her tears away. Then she held a sharp-tipped pencil. “Do you know why pencils have erasers?” Mother asked, surprising Emily since she wasn’t expecting such a question.
1. 根据语篇内容填写表格(每空不限词数)| Where | In the garden |
| Who | Emily, Nora, Mr. Mason, Emily’s mother |
| What | . On a windy day, Emily invited Nora to play football in her garden. Emily . Emily was so frightened that . Emily saw her neighbor Mr. Mason, . Emily arrived home . Mother calmed Emily and asked her |
按情节推进，用完整句子回答问题
2. How did Emily react when realizing what her mother wanted to say?
3. What did Emily decide to do to make up for her mistake?
4. What did Emily do to reduce her nervousness before knocking on the door?
5. How did Mr. Mason react to Emily’s late but sincere apology?
6. How did Emily feel when she got forgiveness from Mr. Mason?
