1 . Today we communicate over the Internet all the time. In this blog post, I want to discuss how we keep our Internet communications well protected.

"How are the mobile apps safe?" I can hear you ask. It is a good question. They all use encryption（加密）to make sure no one else can eavesdrop on your messages with your friends, family, and business partners. Apple is one of the first to do this for its users; however, it started encrypting the message between iCloud users and the shortcoming is that the encryption only works between iCloud users.

Many of us are used to being able to take our computers down to the local coffee shop or with us when we travel, connect to any Wi-Fi, and then keep doing what we always do on the Internet. What you may not be aware of, however, is that public Wi-Fi is not encrypted. Anything done on those wireless networks can be known by some bad people. So how do you protect the wireless? It can be protected by using a Virtual Private Network（VPN）.

As with the encryption protection for E-Mail and messaging, there are a lot of VPN providers out there that don't cost a lot of money. Any person or organization can research and decide which one is best for their needs. Using a free VPN isn't suggested. Free VPN providers can be uncertain because they get much of their pay through pushing ads to their users. And they can follow and record what to do, which kind of fails the purpose of using a VPN in the first place.

Returning to how a VPN can protect your communications, we could go into a lot of details about what a VPN does, but we will keep it simple instead. Unlike the protection above, which is very specific, a VPN works by creating a passage between you and a distant server. This passage is encrypted, which means that everything you send through it is protected from being listened. This can be especially useful if you are working at a coffee shop or an airport.

1. Where does the text probably come from?

A．A website.	B．A guidebook.
C．A personal diary.	D．A scientific magazine.

2. What does the underlined phrase "eavesdrop on" in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Care about.	B．Miss out on.
C．Get something by accident.	D．Listen secretly to something.

3. What is the disadvantage of using the encryption of Apple?

A．It works slowly.	B．It costs you too much.
C．It is unsafe sometimes.	D．It is limited to certain user.

4. Paragraph 4 implies that a free VPN           .

A．requires extra fees for long-time usage

B．may cause risks to personal information

C．pushes ads according to your interest

D．fails to be encrypted sometimes

2 . Our busy modern lives don't always make it easy for us to plan healthy meals. These books provide a guide to different types of healthy diets and plenty of recipes and hacks to keep your eating on track.

The Blue Zones Solution

Author Dan Buettner defines Blue Zones as places in the world where people have recorded as living the longest. The Blue Zones Solution explores diet and lifestyle techniques used in areas like Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia, Italy, and more. Buettner explains how you can apply these to your own daily life. There are recipes and checklists to help you create your own Blue Zone.

Food to Live By

Food to Live By takes things back to the basics. Myra Goodman, author and cofounder of Earthbound Farm, focuses on cooking simple dishes with organic ingredients. The recipes are easy to prepare and include important information about care and handling of ingredients. Goodman also includes full-colored photos of her dishes.

Wildly Affordable Organic

Eating organic is a healthier choice because the food is free of pesticides and antibiotics. Unfortunately, it can also be an expensive option. Wildly Affordable Organic gives you tricks to eat well without the high price. There are tips for how to make your family's lifestyle greener, save money on grocery runs, and cook easy seasonal meals.

The New Primal Blueprint

The New Primal Blueprint is an update on author Mark Sisson's The Primal Blueprint, released in 2009. It continues to focus on the benefits of eating the way our primal ancestors did and emphasizes Sisson's lifestyle laws for health and well-being. In addition to expanded and updated information, the new book comes with updated photos, graphics, and cartoons.

1. What does The Blue Zones Solution mainly feature?

A．Live longer with your own recipes.

B．Live your own life to the fullest.

C．Seek recipes from long-lived people.

D．Apply book knowledge to daily life.

2. What do Food to Live By and Wildly Affordable Organic have in common?

A．They are about eating organic.

B．They are written by the same author.

C．They concerns ways of making dishes.

D．They offer full-colored photos of dishes.

3. What is special about The New Primal Blueprint?

A．It focuses on health.	B．It is an updated version.
C．It emphasizes lifestyles.	D．It contains good photos.

3 . I was 17 years old. Along with a dozen other boys I had made a long trip to Iowa in order to see a college that I was thinking of _______. While the trip had been _______ for the most part, I was feeling depressed, alone, and isolated. I was _______ the Appalachian mountains and the forests of my home. I loved _______ the leaves turned a thousand _______ of green in the Spring and then became a _______ of red, gold and orange in the Fall.

Here in Iowa everything was _______. The grass looked burnt and brown. All that I could_______was a mixture of corn, mud and pigs. I walked outside the dormitory of the college and sat on a big rock. I closed my eyes and _______ being back home again. When I finally opened them, however, I saw something that touched my __________. It was a Prairie (大草原) Sunset. It seemed to __________ the sky from horizon to horizon. Gold, red, purple and pink clouds all __________ together in a picture painted by Heaven’s own hand. It was so huge that it took my __________ away. It made our mountain sunsets seem __________ by comparison. I realized that this place too had its own special beauty. This place too was a part of nature’s__________.

1.

A．quitting

B．visiting

C．attending

D．exploring

2.

A．fun

B．hard

C．plain

D．tiresome

3.

A．assuming

B．picturing

C．reminding

D．missing

4.

A．if

B．where

C．why

D．how

5.

A．shapes

B．shades

C．shadows

D．sheets

6.

A．flood

B．cloud

C．sea

D．blanket

7.

A．easy

B．flat

C．beautiful

D．tough

8.

A．hear

B．touch

C．taste

D．smell

9.

A．cared about

B．dreamed of

C．prepared for

D．looked over

10.

A．body

B．hand

C．face

D．soul

11.

A．fill

B．break

C．separate

D．block

12.

A．folded

B．sank

C．flowed

D．escaped

13.

A．pain

B．breath

C．wealth

D．eyesight

14.

A．splendid

B．pale

C．tiny

D．weak

15.

A．creation

B．punishment

C．change

D．reflection

4 . One day, Amanda was diagnosed (诊断) with cancer of an early stage. During this time, she was admitted to a college. She planned to save money to meet the college expense and then seek medical treatment for the cancer.

Her father, Clint and her friends didn’t want her to put off her treatment due to the expense. They took matters into their own hands and started a GoFundMe campaign. A longtime friend of the family was cofounder of a group named Praynksters, known for random acts of kindness. The friend decided to use their own group to help the family. The group came up with the creative idea to spread the word and invite families, friends, and strangers who wanted to help to take part in a donation activity. The event induced the enormous assistance from the local community.

Clint and Amanda were moved as the crowd passed by and the donations poured in. The event brought the family over $13, 000 in donations to go towards her medical treatments. The generous act of kindness gave the family a comforting, and optimistic feeling during a time when all hope seemed lost. Clint said that Amanda struggled with the idea of asking for help. She felt guilty and undeserving compared to others who are also struggling. She is still humbled by it all.

After several months of treatment, life for the family has started getting back to their normal routine. Once Amanda got her strength back, she returned to school and completed her bachelor's degree. The family is now inspired to volunteer in their local neighborhood and contribute to crowdfunding (众筹) efforts. They are grateful for the opportunity to give back and help others as many have helped them.

1. Why did Amanda postpone her treatment of cancer?

A．She didn't care about her disease.

B．She had to take care of her family.

C．She was in a bad economic situation.

D．She couldn’t find an effective treatment.

2. What does the underlined word “induced” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Brought about.	B．Made up.
C．Gave away.	D．Set about.

3. Which of the following best describes Amanda?

A．Shameful but caring.

B．Kind-hearted and grateful.

C．Curious and warm-hearted.

D．Hard- working and humorous.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．It's quite easy to cure Amanda’s cancer.

B．Praynksters is a nonprofit organization funded by Clint.

C．Volunteering is very popular in Amanda's community.

D．A GoFundMe campaign is actually a crowdfunding activity.

5 . Hello and welcome to English with Lucy. Today we have another topic:“Four common British expressions.” Now, before we get started, make sure you connect with me on all my social media which is right here. You can subscribe to my YouTube. You can also like me on Facebook. And for my Chinese followers, I have my Weibo account as well.

Four Common British Expressions:

“A piece of cake.”

And this is very similar to “Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy,” which we've discussed in a former video.   And basically, it means very easy.   So I might come out of an easy exam saving, “That exam was a piece of cake. ”

“Break a leg!”

It actually looks really rather cruel, but I promise you it's positive.   And “Break a leg!” means “Good luck!” So before a race, before a job interview, before a test, instead of saying “Good luck!” I might say “Break a leg!”

“It cost an arm and a leg.”

And this basically means something was really expensive.   If I say, “My bag cost an arm and a leg,” I mean it cost a lot of money.

“To call it a day.”

And this means “to end a task”.   So, for example, “I'm feeling a bit tired. I think I'll call it a day. ”That means “I think I'll stop here.   Let's finish.”

Thank you so much for watching this program of “Four Common British Expressions.” I hope you like it, and I hope you've learned something.

1. How can Chinese listeners connect with Lucy?

A．With Wechat

B．Through Weibo

C．On Facebook

D．By YouTube.

2. When John went to an English Speech Competition, you should say “_________” to him.

A．Break a leg!	B．It cost an arm and a leg.
C．To call it a day	D．A piece of cake.

3. What does he/she mean when the teacher says “Let's call it a day.” ?

A．He/She will stop that day	B．He/She feels tired
C．Class is over.	D．It is daytime.

6 . I was once in a workshop out of town with colleagues. One of them was much _______ and had recovered from an illness. He didn't want Asian food which we youths like, so he stayed in the _______while the rest of us ventured out(外出). This might have affected his sense of_______

One night I told him I wanted to take him out wherever he wanted to eat. As I had vegetarian food _______and he did not, he did not want to burden(使负担）me by going to places where I would have very _______options. I insisted it wasn't a (n)_______, and we went to a place he would prefer. My other colleagues went out _______, so I was able to hang out with this colleague and practice deep listening. We had a great _______ together.

As we ended our meal and conversation, I decided to _______ him right to the door of the hotel and not the parking lot, as it was quite ________ outside and I didn't want him catching a cold. This felt good, and over the next few ________ it felt more________ to tell my colleagues to wait inside the restaurant while I________ the car to create more comfort for them.

Simple acts like this gave me a lot of ________ .We all felt a ________sense of community, invested in each other's well-being.

1.

A．fatter

B．shier

C．older

D．busier

2.

A．hotel

B．office

C．hospital

D．workshop

3.

A．loyalty

B．community

C．devotion

D．service

4.

A．supplies

B．preference

C．take-outs

D．left-overs

5.

A．satisfying

B．suitable

C．multiple

D．few

6.

A．issue

B．choice

C．solution

D．argument

7.

A．hurriedly

B．secretly

C．joyfully

D．separately

8.

A．conversation

B．meal

C．discussion

D．party

9.

A．leave

B．drop

C．pick

D．show

10.

A．noisy

B．wet

C．cold

D．unsafe

11.

A．meetings

B．rides

C．outings

D．dinners

12.

A．vital

B．convenient

C．necessary

D．natural

13.

A．warmed

B．drove

C．parked

D．called

14.

A．confidence

B．joy

C．pressure

D．help

15.

A．mild

B．strange

C．normal

D．strong

7 . “Join our exciting wildlife watching tours and experience the holiday of a lifetime!” Eco-wildlife tours like this are becoming more and more popular with tourists. The opportunity to see whales and dolphins swimming in their natural habitat is so much better than seeing these great mammals in zoos and aquariums. As your boat edges out into the blue water, a group of dolphins come to greet you and swim around the boat, jumping playfully around you. In some places, tour companies even encourage tourists to go swimming with the dolphins. These intelligent mammals seem to enjoy our company and interact with us. But is it possible that this kind of human activity putting their survival at risk?

A recent study has shown that the behavior of whales and dolphins changes greatly when they are close to boats. Interpreting the boats as a possible danger, they start to breathe more to breathe more quickly. The boats drive them away from the places where they feed and interrupt their routine of resting and taking care of their young. All of these factors could have a very negative effect on their general health. Another factor that should be taken into account is the effect of human attention on the animals. As they become more used to interacting with humans, they become less afraid of them. There have been several cases of tour boats running into dolphins or whales and causing their deaths. As dolphins live within close communities, events like these cause a lot of stress.

Perhaps the best way to protect these animals is to reduce our interaction with them. We could do by keeping a minimum distance between the animals and the boats, and by limiting the number of boats out on the water at one time. Most importantly, instead of interrupting these animals’ routines, we should try to adapt to them. In this way, we could learn to exist in harmony with these wild animals and ensure our continued co-existence on the planet that we shall share.

1. Why are Eco-wildlife tours increasingly popular?

A．Because they are widely advertised.

B．Because tourists can visit wild animals in nature.

C．Because wild animals enjoy our company.

D．Because visitors do not disturb wild animals.

2. What’s the author’s attitude towards Eco-wildlife tours?

A．Interested.

B．Supportive.

C．Critical.

D．Confused.

3. What can we learn from the recent study?

A．The visiting boats excite whales and dolphins.

B．Boats drive young whales and dolphins away from their parents.

C．Human’s attention benefits whales and dolphins a lot.

D．Getting too close to wild animals may cause trouble to them.

4. What is suggested to stay in harmony with wild animals according to the text?

A．Making less interaction with them.

B．Keeping a minimum distance between boats.

C．Banning boats entering their habitat.

D．Making them adapt to our daily routine.

8 . When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard, but was always very kind.

When Doctor Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He hardly watered his new trees, an attitude which flew in the face of conventional wisdom.

Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said he had to make things tough for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how, if they were not watered, trees would grow deep roots in search of water.

So, instead of watering his trees every morning, he’d beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the trees’ attention.

Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I'd watched him plant some 25 years ago. They were tall and strong.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray that their lives will be easy. But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to encounter hardship. There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won’t be torn apart.

1. What did the author think of Doctor Gibbs’s planting trees at first?

A．Perfect .	B．Puzzled.
C．Amused.	D．Impractical .

2. What did Doctor Gibbs do to the trees he planted?

A．He let them grow quickly.

B．He beat them to get their attention.

C．He helped them search for water.

D．He read a newspaper near them.

3. Which of the following can best describe Doctor Gibbs?

A．Kind and wise.	B．Calm and brave.
C．Careful and ambitious	D．Strict and devoted.

4. What does the author learn from Doctor Gibbs?

A．Elders are treasures.

B．Two heads are better than one.

C．A man without distant care must have near sorrow.

D．Only those who bear the most become the highest.

9 . Byrd is in her eighth year of teaching at Wilder Elementary in Mansfield. She has taught fifth grader Fisher Croney every year since he was in kindergarten. Fisher _______ in the class by helping in Byrd's classroom whenever he has free time after class.

Byrd also _______ Fisher's mother, Shannon Croney, as an acquaintance. They would occasionally chat at their boys' baseball games. She had heard that Croney was having some _______ problems. In January 2019 Croney received a routine blood test and found her kidneys （肾）were not _______ normally. After going through a string of tests, doctors could not figure what caused her kidneys to _______. But Byrd didn't know what the _______ was until she saw a Facebook post from Fisher around Christmas of 2019. It was _______ to help his mother find a kidney. Byrd did not _______ to help. In March, Byrd, learned that she and Croney were a close _______ Even doctors were ________ that they were not related in blood.

Byrd was in the hospital for ________ in June. She was never ________ about the transplant（移植）. Actually, she felt honored that her donation enabled another person to live a totally ________ life.

Today, both women are doing well. They are turning their ________ to another member of their community, who is also sick and ________ a kidney transplant.

1.

A．gives out

B．stands out

C．looks about

D．sits about

2.

A．learned

B．met

C．taught

D．knew

3.

A．family

B．behavior

C．communication

D．health

4.

A．functioning

B．growing

C．forming

D．beating

5.

A．miss

B．ache

C．fail

D．improve

6.

A．schedule

B．issue

C．offer

D．opportunity

7.

A．intended

B．allowed

C．persuaded

D．urged

8.

A．respond

B．hesitate

C．confirm

D．attend

9.

A．encounter

B．relative

C．neighbor

D．match

10.

A．excited

B．embarrassed

C．surprised

D．relieved

11.

A．surgery

B．practice

C．recovery

D．training

12.

A．curious

B．nervous

C．certain

D．frank

13.

A．normal

B．casual

C．strange

D．dependent

14.

A．back

B．faith

C．attention

D．respect

15.

A．in favor of

B．in memory of

C．in recognition of

D．in need of

10 . China is determined to land its astronauts on the moon and set up a scientific station there,according to a project leader.

Zhou Yanfei,deputy chief designer of China's manned space program,said on Friday that China wishes to use the manned lunar missions to carry out scientific surveys and technology demonstrations,explore ways to develop lunar resources and strengthen the nation's space capabilities.

＂A new wave of lunar explorations has been emerging in the world,with participants aiming to make sustainable missions to deepen knowledge of the moon and exploit resources there,"he said in a report delivered at the 2020 China Space Conference in Fuzhou,Fujian province."Unlike other nations,China must depend on its own science and technology to realize our goals."

The country is independently able to land its astronauts on the moon because it has the technologies,a group of well-trained,innovative professionals and high-efficiency research and management systems,Zhou said."However,our existing carrier rockets can't perform landing missions to the moon because they are not powerful enough.The Shenzhou- series manned spaceships are not suitable for lunar expeditions.We don't have a lunar landing capsule,"he said."Our ground support system was designed for operations in low-Earth orbit rather than on the lunar surface.

To solve the problem, we set out to produce a powerful launch vehicle. Zhou said researchers thought about two approaches-making a new heavy-lift rocket,or adjusting the next-generation rocket designed to carry astronauts,which is under development.Researchers prefer the latter approach because it would be easier to design and make and would become operational earlier.

The new rocket is being designed at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.Its main body will be 87 meters tall,with a diameter of 5 meters,which would make it almost twice as tall as the Long March 5,currently the biggest of China's rockets.

1. Which is NOT the goal of the manned lunar mission?

A．To explore lunar resources.

B．To perform scientific experiments.

C．To set up a scientific station.

D．To strengthen the national space power.

2. What is the main idea of paragraph 4?

A．China is not capable of pursuing the manned lunar program.

B．There are still difficulties in pursuing the manned lunar program.

C．There are a series of steps in the Manned Lunar program.

D．It is manageable to carry out the Manned Lunar program.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Nations must depend on themselves to explore the moon.

B．The Long March 5 is the biggest of China's rocket.

C．The newly-designed rocket will not carry astronauts.

D．Producing a powerful launch vehicle is the most difficult part in the program.

4. What do the figures in the last paragraph imply?

A．The new rocket is big enough to perform landing missions.

B．The new rocket is being made to launch lunar spaceship.

C．China's scientific power has improved.

D．The new rocket will be put into use soon.