1 . Ryder was born with a serious illness and has never been able to walk. When he started attending preschool, he had to be
Then his father
The hut made of wood was
| A．pulled | B．walked | C．driven | D．pushed |
| A．car | B．wheelchair | C．bus | D．plane |
| A．dance | B．shout | C．rush | D．slip |
| A．vehicle | B．scene | C．weather | D．class |
| A．searched for | B．put up | C．taken over | D．found out |
| A．shelter | B．help | C．benefit | D．hope |
| A．fought | B．stood | C．cared | D．sought |
| A．art | B．construction | C．music | D．literature |
| A．Consequently | B．Obviously | C．However | D．Besides |
| A．interested | B．satisfied | C．strict | D．depressed |
| A．predicted | B．interrupted | C．delayed | D．responded |
| A．big | B．bright | C．heavy | D．light |
| A．fixed | B．borrowed | C．delivered | D．thrown |
| A．changes | B．designs | C．plays | D．uses |
| A．popular | B．fantastic | C．strange | D．flexible |
2 . Humans have been living and working on the space station for 20 years. Their meals are packaged, though sometimes astronauts receive fresh treats from resupply missions. The longer that packaged food is stored, the more it loses nutrients like vitamin C and vitamin K.
Astronauts have successfully grown 10 different crops on the space station since 2015 and had the chance to sample each one. The International Space Station hosted a party for astronauts on Friday as they celebrated the harvest of the first Chili (辣椒) grown in space. The crew finally had a chance to taste the peppers after initially kicking off the plant experiment on the space station in July.
Plant Habitat-04 is one of the most complex plant experiments on the orbiting laboratory to date because peppers take much longer to grow than the previous experiment plants. After growing for four months, the peppers were harvested on Friday.
Peppers provide a great source of vitamin C, as well as other key nutrients. Pepper plants self-pollinate, so they are easy to grow, and they are a pick-and-eat crop that doesn’t have to be cooked. They are also safe to eat raw.
A side effect of life in zero gravity is that astronauts often lose some of their taste and smell, so spicy or well-seasoned foods are a favorite. Adding fresh greens or peppers to the menu allows astronauts to liven up their regular meals. But growing and tending to the plants can also produce other benefits.
Astronauts have described the joy from seeing—as well as smelling and caring for—leafy green plants on the space station that remind them of Earth.
“Growing colorful vegetables in space can have long-term benefits for physical and psychological health,” said Matt Romeyn, principal investigator for the experiment.” We are discovering that growing plants and vegetables with colors and smells helps to improve astronauts’ well-being.”
1. What does underlined “kicking off” in the 2nd paragraph mean?| A．Launch. | B．Complete. | C．Quit. | D．Announce. |
| A．The technology. | B．Growing process. |
| C．The varieties of plants. | D．Growing time required. |
| A．They are delicious. | B．They restore their appetite. |
| C．They help kill diseases. | D．They improve their memory. |
| A．The Fun in the Space Life |
| B．The Common Goal in the Space Mission |
| C．The First Chili Peppers Grown in Space |
| D．A Research Finding from the Space Mission |
3 . Most Famous Paintings in the World
Among the millions of paintings that are created and shown in galleries and museums all around the world, a very small number of them go beyond time and make history. Below are some examples.
The Persistence of Memory — Salvador Dali. Painted in 1931, The Persistence of Memory is one of the most recognizable pieces in art history. This work is known to make people reflect on their way of life and the way they spend their time, and it is also thought that Albert Einstein’s well-known Theory of Relativity gave Dali the idea for this wonderful painting.
Girl with a Pearl Earring — Johannes Vermeer. Considered by many to be “the Dutch Mona Lisa”, this beautiful painting features an unnamed young woman looking over her shoulder to stare directly at the viewer. It was completed in 1665 and is exhibited in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, the Netherlands.
Guernica — Pablo Picasso. The famous painting by Picasso was completed in 1937. It was painted in Paris following the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The painting is on permanent display in the Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain.
Starry Night — Vincent van Gogh. Painted in 1889, Starry Night is one of the most famous paintings in modern culture, which is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It is based on van Gogh’s direct observations as well as his imagination, memories, and emotions and was the inspiration for the song Vincent (also known as Starry, Starry Night).
1. What do we know about The Persistence of Memory?| A．It was finished in the 1920s. | B．It centers on people’s lifestyle. |
| C．It reflects the painter’s memories. | D．It may be inspired by a famous theory. |
| A．The Persistence of Memory. | B．Starry Night. |
| C．Girl with a Pearl Earring. | D．Guernica. |
| A．They are everlasting artworks. | B．They share the similar theme. |
| C．They are on permanent display. | D．They give ideas for music creation. |
4 . When I was growing up in Minnesota, Joe Versus the Volcano was one of my favorite movies. I
I had come
It wasn’t long before the airlines canceled all flights. When
For two days, I wandered
Like the people of La Palma, I
As I finally left, I realized how
| A．seemed | B．pretended | C．refused | D．longed |
| A．recording | B．checking | C．reporting | D．focusing |
| A．guessed | B．realized | C．agreed | D．imagined |
| A．excited | B．disappointed | C．prepared | D．confused |
| A．rock | B．ash | C．lava | D．smoke |
| A．covering | B．blocking | C．breaking | D．destroying |
| A．managers | B．actors | C．tourists | D．residents |
| A．driven | B．forgot | C．cleaned | D．missed |
| A．broad | B．beautiful | C．empty | D．crowded |
| A．panicked | B．satisfied | C．relaxed | D．inspired |
| A．ability | B．chance | C．talent | D．right |
| A．studying | B．noticing | C．writing | D．experiencing |
| A．relied on | B．appealed to | C．dealt with | D．believed in |
| A．lent | B．gave | C．sent | D．sold |
| A．upset | B．smart | C．anxious | D．grateful |
5 . Piñatex is made from pineapple leaves that are left over after the fruit is harvested. It is an innovative way of using a product that would otherwise be thrown away, which reduces the amount of organic waste going to landfill and thus the methane emissions (沼气排放) that would result. Tough and durable, it is commonly used as an eco-friendly material for vegan leather by fashion designers.
Piñatex was developed by Dr. Carmen Hijosa, a Spanish leather goods expert who grew horrified at the environmental impact of leather production while working in the Philippines in the 1990s. Nor did she approve of the petroleum-based alternatives that are commonly used. At the same time, Hijosa noticed how some traditional Filipino garments（服装）were made from pineapple fibers, which kickstarted her research into how such a resource could be transformed into something more widely usable.
The fabric is made by extracting (提取) fibers from the pineapple leaves after harvest. They are washed and dried in the sun, then undergo a purification process that results in a soft fiber. This is mixed with corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) and turned into a non-woven product called “Piñafelt”, which is the base for Piñatex products.
Around 480 leaves from 16 pineapple plants go into the creation of a single square meter of Piñatex, which weighs and costs less than a comparable amount of leather. Because the fabric is natural, it is breathable, as well as flexible; it can easily be printed on and sewed. It’s produced in a roll, which means less waste than when an irregularly-shaped animal hide is used. But best of all, it can replace animal leather.
Piñatex is a multi-use material that is suitable for footwear, bags, clothing, pet leashes, and more. It has already been adopted by 1,000 shoe companies, fashion labels, and hotel chains around the world, including Hugo Boss, H&M, and the Hilton Hotel Bankside. The number of partnerships is likely to grow as more designers and consumers discover its benefits.
1. What can we infer about Dr. Carmen Hijosa?| A．She resists Spanish leather production. | B．She disapproves of any leather alternatives. |
| C．She is devoted to designing Piñatex garments. | D．She has got inspiration from a Filipino tradition. |
| A．Advantages of Piñatex. | B．Ways to treat Piñafelt. |
| C．Purification of Piñatex. | D．Process of making Piñafelt. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Promising. | C．Doubtful. | D．Negative. |
| A．Piñatex, From Rubbish to Treasure | B．Piñatex, New Use of Vegan Leather |
| C．Piñatex, New Hope of the Earth | D．Piñatex, Innovation to Rid Rubbish |
6 . A first grade teacher from Suffolk, Virginia found a way to teach her students about black history by taking them back in time to meet celebrated black figures. For each day of Black History Month, LaToya McGriff has dressed up like a famous African-American pioneer and taught her students about their significant contributions to the U.S.
On Monday, February 3, she dressed up as Virginian native Mary Jackson and began her creative class. “She was a mathematician who worked as an aeronautical (航空的) engineer whom people referred to as a human computer,” McGriff wrote on Facebook. She shared a photo of herself in 1960s clothing, like Jackson would have worn when she worked for NASA.
Jackson was one of the three “human computers” described in the book and film Hidden Figures, which revealed the African-American female mathematicians whose efforts helped put men on the moon.
Once McGriff started dressing up, she kept going. By February 18, McGriff's Black History Month lessons were starting to gain attention online. She was interviewed by CBS News, and said she works at a majority-black school and “wanted students to see that people who look like them contribute”.
She said that the seeds for this project were planted in her years ago by a teacher who did something similar. “That’s what I remember, having a teacher come dressed as a storybook character. Well, I could dress up as a different figure, an African-American figure from the past or present so they can see themselves represented,” McGriff said.
“My students will want to know who I will be tomorrow. Today, they just said ‘Are you going to be so-and-so?’ Because they want to know and kind of prepare themselves for it so that they can tell me something they know about the person,” she said.
McGriff said bringing history alive kept her students curious and asking questions, and she’s hoping the overall project will give them the confidence to know that, like these historic figures, they can be great, too.
1. What can we learn about LaToya McGriff from the text?| A．Her students are all black. |
| B．She is a primary school teacher. |
| C．Her lessons receive little attention online. |
| D．She posted a 1960s-style photo of Mary Jackson on Facebook. |
| A．The result of McGriff's project. |
| B．McGriff’s reflections on teaching. |
| C．How McGriff came up with this teaching method. |
| D．Why McGriff’s students can see themselves represented. |
| A．They have a lot of energy and determination. |
| B．They have a strong desire to know about something. |
| C．They give serious attention to what is quite challenging. |
| D．They show the ability to invent and develop original ideas. |
| A．To help her students get high grades. |
| B．To introduce African history to her students. |
| C．To stress big figures’ contributions to the US. |
| D．To encourage her students to trust themselves to do better. |
7 . When I was young, my understanding of life was simple. This made it easier for me to deal with the world around me. As I grew up, things seemed more
When I try to teach my daughter important
When I was seven or eight, I played at my cousin’s house with his toys. His family was better off, and he had many more toys. There was one in particular that I’d always desired, and I
I hope to help my daughter
| A．important | B．embarrassed | C．delicate | D．complex |
| A．aim | B．view | C．experience | D．expectation |
| A．basics | B．lessons | C．subjects | D．choices |
| A．put down | B．cut down | C．break down | D．turn down |
| A．passion | B．faith | C．respect | D．desire |
| A．try | B．accept | C．compete | D．forgive |
| A．cruel | B．worse | C．trapped | D．motivated |
| A．runs | B．goes | C．witnesses | D．follows |
| A．fetched | B．arranged | C．slipped | D．fitted |
| A．doubted | B．promised | C．questioned | D．sensed |
| A．lied | B．stolen | C．changed | D．cheated |
| A．suffer | B．improve | C．fade | D．spread |
| A．gave | B．left | C．pulled | D．handed |
| A．admit | B．avoid | C．commit | D．recognize |
| A．enemies | B．participants | C．coworkers | D．candidates |
8 . A psychologist at Stanford once did an experiment. He assigned preschool children to three groups. The first group watched adults play rudely with an inflatable clown (充气小丑) called Bobo; another watched adults play quietly with a different toy while ignoring Bobo; and the third had no exposure to these adult role models. Next, each of the children was left alone with Bobo.
The results of the study were striking. Only the children in the first group later kicked Bobo, hit it with a stick, and sat on it just as they watched the adults do.
The above study indicates kids may follow suit if they see what others do. That’s why role models matter. When kids are exposed to role models they can relate to, it helps them set ambitious goals. Don’t assume kids know they can be anything they want when they grow up.
Take myself for example. “Angela, do you think the US will elect a female president in your lifetime?” Years ago, this was the last question of the last interview for a scholarship I didn’t win. Without hesitation I shook my head saying “no”. As the interview ended, I sensed I’d given an answer the committee found disappointing. “Of course there will be a female president,” they wanted me to say with a confident smile. “And I hope I have your vote.”
Like most children, my first role models were in my family. My dad had a PhD in chemistry. My uncles and countless cousins were mostly doctors or scientists. So, if you’d asked me in, say, third grade, “Angela, could you become a college professor someday if you tried?” Without a bit of evidence that I’d be any good at such a career, I’d have nodded my head.
So it’s quite necessary that we should go out of our way to expose kids to role models, whether it’s an Olympic athlete or a CEO. Now that we have our first female vice-president, can the first female president be far behind?
1. Why did the children in the first group treated Bobo rudely?| A．They regarded it as a mere toy. |
| B．They meant to make fun of Bobo. |
| C．They were raised to behave badly. |
| D．They were set a negative example. |
| A．To raise her doubt. |
| B．To respond positively. |
| C．To interpret its meaning. |
| D．To change her reply quickly. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Doubtful. | C．Curious. | D．Hesitant. |
| A．My Role Models |
| B．Aim High and Act Early |
| C．How to Become American President |
| D．Role Models Help Shape Kids’ Future |
9 . Under the background of the slow growth of its total population to 1.44 billion, China has seen a sharp rise in older adults over the past decade, solidifying the country’s rapidly aging pattern, the latest national census (人口普查) data shows. The population on the Chinese mainland increased by an average of 0.53 percent annually during the past 10 years to 1.41 billion, compared with an annual growth rate of 0.57 percent from 2000 to 2010, according to the 7th national census published by the National Bureau of Statistics.
“The growth of the total population has slowed down but remains at a steady pace,” Ning Jizhe, head of the bureau, said at a news conference. “Based on trends in recent years, China’s population will grow at an increasingly slow rate in the future while remaining above 1.4 billion.” The increasing elderly population has become a defining feature of the past decade.
Ning said an aging society will set the tone for China's population structure for a long time, presenting challenges and opportunities. “A graying population will pile pressure on supply of labor force and social services, as well as adding to families’ elderly care burden. But more elderly people could also motivate consumption of products and services targeting this age group, and advance the development of some technologies,” he said.
Ning added that those between the ages of 60 and 69, who are equipped with knowledge, experience and skills and are generally in good health, make up nearly 56 percent of all older adults. “Their potential to continue making contributions to society and playing a constructive role is big,” he responded to a question on the outlook for raising the retirement age and carrying out other potential measures aimed at addressing the aging trend. Some population economists also said the latest number and proportion (比例) of elderly are largely within predictions, and the aging trend will continue for a long time.
1. What does the 7th national census data show?| A．The aging population of China has risen rapidly. |
| B．The annual growth rate has increased by 0.04%. |
| C．The annual growth rate was 0.57% during the past 10 years. |
| D．The total population of Chinese mainland increased to 1.44 billion. |
| A．It is beyond predictions. | B．It brings few advantages. |
| C．It has sharply slowed down. | D．It will increase pressure on family. |
| A．Objective. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear. | D．Negative. |
| A．The aging trend brings problems |
| B．An aging society presents opportunities |
| C．China’s population gets old as growth slows |
| D．Measures are to be taken to tackle the aging trend |
10 . World’s richest woman Gina Rinehart is suffering a media firestorm over an article in which she blames the middle class for “drinking, or smoking and socializing” rather than working to earn their own fortune. What if she has a point?
Steve Siebold, author of “How Rich People Think”, spent nearly three decades interviewing millionaires around the world to find out what separates them from everyone else. It had little to do with money itself, he told Business Insider. It was about their mentality.
Average people think money is the root of all evil (罪恶). Rich people believe poverty is the root of all evil. “The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are lucky or dishonest,” Siebold writes. That’s why there’s a certain shame that comes along with getting rich in lower-income communities. “The rich knows that while having money doesn’t guarantee happiness, it does make your life easier and more enjoyable.”
Average people believe you have to do something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to be something to get rich. “While the masses are attached to the doing and the immediate results of their actions, the great ones are learning and growing from every experience, whether it’s a success or a failure, knowing their true reward is becoming a human success machine that eventually produces outstanding results,” he writes.
Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained. The rich don’t think it a must to earn their wealth through formal education, and they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over, Siebold says. “Walk into a wealthy person’s home and you often see many books used to educate themselves on how to become more successful,” he writes. “The middle class reads novels, tabloids (小报) and entertainment magazines”.
1. What’s the function of the first paragraph?| A．To lead in the topic of the text. |
| B．To describe the life of the middle class. |
| C．To introduce the richest woman in the world. |
| D．To show readers the supporting details of the article. |
| A．Probably because he succeeds by dishonest means. |
| B．Probably because people are misled by false ideas. |
| C．Probably because he becomes rich by pure chance. |
| D．Probably because people think of him as the root of evil. |
| A．Everyone can go to the library for further education. |
| B．Education should be received through formal ways. |
| C．Learning should last for one’s whole life. |
| D．Novels and tabloids bring people poverty. |
| A．Rich People Think Differently | B．Education or Entertainment? |
| C．Average People Long for Fortune | D．How to Earn Wealth? |
