2 . Two weeks ago, a 5-year-old girl named Sunshine Oelfke emptied out her piggy bank (存钱罐) onto the living room floor and started counting. Her grandmother, Jackie Oelfke, thought she was playing as she carefully lined up the coins. But then she saw the girl put the coins in her backpack.

“What are you doing with that money?” Jackie asked her granddaughter.

“I’m taking it to school,” Sunshine replied. “I’m going to take it for milk money. My friend Layla doesn’t get milk—her mom doesn’t have milk money and I do.”

Jackie’s heart melted at Sunshine’s words. Choked (哽咽) with strong feelings, Jackie held her sweet granddaughter tightly in her arms.

Last week, Jackie and Sunshine met with her teacher, Rita Hausher, and handed her the $30 the girl had saved. There are 20 kids in Sunshine’s class and about half don’t get milk. It costs $ 0.45 a carton (纸盒). The total adds up to about $180 a month for every child in the class to have milk every day.

After dropping Sunshine off at school, Jackie posted a video on Facebook to explain her granddaughter’s plan. To her surprise, many people offered to donate toward the cause. Within a week, Jackie raised more than $1,000. Now every student in Sunshine`s class can get free milk for the rest of the year.

Jackie said Sunshine doesn’t see her kind act as a big deal. She was just trying to look out for her friends. “She doesn’t understand the influence she’s brought about,” Jackie said. “But now she knows she can do whatever she puts her heart to.”

1. Why did Sunshine empty her piggy bank?

A．She hoped to show off her savings in class.	B．She needed to train her counting skills.
C．She wanted to play with the coins.	D．She planned to pay for her friend’s milk.

2. How did Jackie feel upon hearing Sunshine’s words?

A．Annoyed.

B．Touched.

C．Curious.

D．Proud.

3. In Jackie’s eyes, what did Sunshine learn from the experience?

A．Two heads are better than one.	B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.	D．There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．Small Coins, Big Changes	B．Jackie’s Piggy Bank
C．Piggy Bank and Carton Milk	D．A Moved Grandmother

3 . Endangered polar bears are breeding (繁殖) with grizzly bears (灰熊), creating “pizzly” bears, which is being driven by climate change, scientists say.

As the world warms and Arctic sea ice thins, starving polar bears are being forced ever further south, where they meet grizzlies, whose ranges are expanding northwards. And with that growing contact between the two come increasing hybrids (杂交种).

With characteristics that could give the hybrids an advantage in warming northern habitats, some scientists guess that they could be here to stay. “Usually, hybrids aren’t better suited to their environments than their parents, but these hybrids are able to search for a broader range of food sources,” Larisa DeSantis, an associate professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, told Live Science.

The rise of “pizzly” bears appears with polar bears’ decline: their numbers are estimated to decrease by more than 30% in the next 30 years. This sudden fall is linked partly to “pizzly” bears taking up polar bears’ ranges, where they outcompete them, but also to polar bears’ highly specialized diets.

“Polar bears mainly consumed soft foods even during the Medieval Warm Period, a previous period of rapid warming,” DeSantis said, referring to fat meals such as seals. “Although all of these starving polar bears are trying to find alternative food sources, like seabird eggs, it could be a tipping point for their survival.” Actually, the calories they gain from these sources do not balance out those they burn from searching for them. This could result in a habitat ready for the hybrids to move in and take over, leading to a loss in biodiversity if polar bears are replaced.

“We’re having massive impacts with climate change on species,” DeSantis said. “The polar bear is telling us how bad things are. In some sense, “pizzly” bears could be a sad but necessary compromise given current warming trends.”

1. Why do polar bears move further south?

A．To create hybrids.	B．To expand territory.
C．To relieve hunger.	D．To contact grizzlies.

2. What makes “pizzly” bears adapt to natural surroundings better than their parents?

A．Broader habitats.	B．More food options.
C．Climate preference.	D．Improved breeding ability.

3. What does the underlined phrase “a tipping point” in paragraph 5 refer to?

A．A rare chance.	B．A critical stage.
C．A positive factor.	D．A constant change.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Polar bears are changing diets for climate change.

B．Polar bears have already adjusted to climate change.

C．“Pizzly” bears are on the rise because of global warming.

D．“Pizzly”bears have replaced polar bears for global warming.

4 . For people suffering from depression, there’s an all-natural treatment they should use — getting more exercise. It could help fight depression, even if people have a genetic risk, new research shows.

For the study, researchers collected information from nearly 8,000 people and found those with related genes were more likely to have depression over the next two years after examining them. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had a family history of depression. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk of depression.

Both high-intensity (高强度) exercise and low-intensity activities were associated with a reduced risk of depression. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode (一段经历) of depression by 17%, according to the study. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, being physically active has the potential to remove the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically risky,” said lead author Karmel Choi. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each day may help people to reduce their risk and protect against future depression episodes.”

Depression is a common mental illness globally, with more than 264 million people affected. “Depression is so ubiquitous, and that underlines the need for effective approaches that can impact as many people as possible,” Choi said. And mental health and primary care providers can use the findings to advise patients that there’s something meaningful they can do to lower their risk of depression.

1. How did the researchers reach their conclusion?

A．By analyzing a mass of data.

B．By conducting genetic research.

C．By comparing various levels of activity.

D．By tracking the subjects for many years.

2. What does the study show about depression?

A．Physical activity betters medical treatment.

B．Exercise is able to decrease and prevent it.

C．Different levels of exercise intensity matter the same.

D．Exercising 35 minutes daily is the most effective treatment.

3. What does the underlined word “ubiquitous” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Harmful.	B．Complex.
C．Unusual.	D．Common.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To discuss a disease.

B．To introduce a method.

C．To analyze a genetic risk.

D．To explain a phenomenon.

5 . London and Paris are two of Europe’s biggest tourist destinations, just a few hours away from each other by road or rail and an hour’s distance by air. What about the train-ferry combination that many recall fondly from their childhoods? Well, though it’s budget-saving, this option is too time-consuming today, so better leave it to your memories. Since the UK is not part the Schengen Area, passengers need to go through passport control prior to boarding.

Air trips

Though flying between London and Paris is by no means recommended, there are still a few people traveling between the two dynamic cities by air. A very low one-way fare is possible through advanced booking, but of course it’s rare, and that doesn’t include the taxi and rail fares traveling to and from the airports.

* One-way fares from Paris can be as low as 49;

* From London, Air France flies with fares as low as £39(46), and British Airways as low as £48 (56).

Rail trips

The only direct train between London and Paris is the Eurostar, which travels 15 -17 times per weekday. Eurostar’s 2015 edition trains can make the journey in two hours at speeds of up to 320 km/h. Besides, they offer good seating space.

* Fares begin at a reasonable £58(68), round trip;

* The earlier you book, the more you save.

Bus trips

The bus is by far the least expensive and longest way to travel between Paris and London. Eurolines and OUIBUS are two major bus lines traveling between the two capitals. The journey takes between seven and nine hours. Both lines advertise free Wi-Fi.

* One-way Eurolines fares begin at 15;

* One-way OUIBUS fares begin at 15 too, but early bird sales can even lower the fare.

1. Which way is probably the cheapest for a round trip?

A．By train-ferry.

B．By air.

C．By rail.

D．By bus.

2. What special service does the bus trip provide?

A．Free booking.	B．Taxi pickup.
C．Good seating space.	D．Free Wi-Fi.

3. What do the trips have in common with each other?

A．There are different competing companies.

B．They are cheaper if booked ahead of time.

C．They are more expensive from the Paris end.

D．There are still additional fees to be included.

6 . When you are about to go to a boarding school (寄宿制学校) in England, there are many different questions that may come to mind. But once you look at them with some perspective (视角), you will certainly feel easy. Here is a normal boarding day.

Early Morning:

Usually boarders get up around 7:00 am and have around an hour to take a shower and put on their uniform before breakfast.

Lessons:

Classes start at 9: 00 am and every lesson lusts for 50 minutes. After two lessons, at 10: 40 am, you’ll have a short break. The next period of classics will include two more lessons.

Lunch:

Lunch is usually held around 12:30 pm at the dining hall, where you’ll join your friends to enjoy a hot dish. After an hour of lunch, you’ll have three or four more lessons to attend.

Dinner:

At 5:00 pm you will have finished your school lessons for the day. Most boarding schools in the UK offer their full boarders different kinds of hot meals to choose from.

Activities/ Sports:

All boarding schools in the UK provide many different kinds of activities for their boarders, such as football, swimming, golf or art.

Prep:

An important part of boarding school life is the supervised homework session known as “prop”. Although “prep” might sound stressful, it’s a great way for you to keep up with your studies.

Free time:

Once you have done all your classes and activities, it’s time to relax.

Bedtime:

In most boarding schools, the lights go out around 10:30 pm.

Being nervous just before you go to a boarding school is completely normal and understandable. Hopefully, knowing the usual routine (常规) can help you. Once you are there, you will also see how exciting life in a boarding school in England can be.

1. What can help you keep up with your studies in the boarding school?

A．Doing activitıes.	B．Having lessons.
C．Enjoying free time.	D．Supervised homework sessions.

2. What do we know about boarding schools in England from the text?

A．Classes usually start at 8:30 am.	B．Students can have a short break after four lessons.
C．They don’t give students any free time.	D．They turn off the lights around 10:30 pm.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To help students know about boarders’ life.	B．To attract more students to boarding schools.
C．To introduce a new school life.	D．To advertise for boarding schools.

7 . The Price of a Dream

I grew up poor. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, they could still afford a dream. My dream was athletics.

By the time I was sixteen, I was good at baseball and football. My high school coach was Ollie Jarvis. He not only believed in me, but taught me the difference between having a dream and showing conviction (信念).

One summer a friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket — cash for dates with girls, certainly, money for a new bike and new clothes, and the start of savings for a house for my mother.

Then I realized I would have to give up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing. I was afraid of this, but my mother said, “If you make your bed, you have to lie in it.” 

When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as mad as I expected him to be. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them,” he said.

I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the words that would explain to him why I dream of buying my mom a house.

“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he demanded.

“Three point twenty-five an hour,” I replied.

“Well,” he asked, “is $3. 25 an hour the price of a dream?”

That question exposed the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play rookie-league ball, and offered a $20, 000 contract. I signed with the Denver Broncos in 1984 for $1.7 million, and bought my mother my dream house.

1. Why was the writer grateful to Coach Jarvis?

A．Because Coach Jarvis made him set a goal.

B．Because Coach Jarvis supplied him with new clothes.

C．Because Coach Jarvis gave him financial support.

D．Because Coach Jarvis helped him show conviction.

2. What did the writer want to do when he was offered a job?

A．Balance summer baseball and the work schedule.

B．Refuse the job offer for summer baseball.

C．Give up summer baseball for the job.

D．Ask his coach Jarvis for advice.

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined part “If you make your bed, you have to lie in it.” in paragraph 4?

A．You must eat the bitter fruit of your own making.

B．Believe in yourself, but above all be patient.

C．You must rely on yourself first, then others.

D．A good beginning makes a good ending.

4. What did the writer do at the end of the story?

A．He failed to buy his mother a house.

B．He succeeded as a sportsman.

C．He became a successful businessman.

D．He made some money in the summer job.

8 . Dance Classes

Ballet

Ballet teaches grace, posture (姿势) and flexibility. Students focus on the use of proper ballet items (物品), expanding their knowledge of classical ballet techniques and improving motor skills for classical ballet practice. The class is a formal ballet class.

Age: 8 — 10

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 10:30 am — 12:00 am on Saturdays

Creative Movers

Students can explore creative movement, balance, focus, the development of skills, motor planning and balance. The class helps build strength, flexibility and self-confidence, and allows children to realize expression in a positive and encouraging environment. Children use their imagination to celebrate movement and have lots of fun.

Age: 3 — 5

Date: September 7, 2019 — January 18, 2020

Time: 9:00 am — 9:45 am on Saturdays

Jazz

Jazz includes movements from both classical ballet and dance techniques. This class will focus on traditional Jazz dance. Students will be introduced to jazz-style rhythms and movements. In order to ensure proper placement for your child, we invite all students to participate in a sample (示例) class. Students and parents work with program staff to meet students’ personal dance goals.

Age: 5 — 6

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 2:00 pm — 3:00 pm on Saturdays

Hip Hop

Students will be introduced to several different aspects of hip hop dance including Popping, Locking, Breaking and Tutting in a high-energy environment. Our hip hop instructors are highly knowledgeable and will provide students with a wonderful view of hip hop dance.

Age: 7 — 10

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 1:00 pm — 2:00 pm on Sundays

1. Which class is suitable for 4-year-old children?

A．Ballet.

B．Creative Movers.

C．Hip Hop.

D．Jazz.

2. What can students do in the jazz class?

A．Make use of all the ballet items.	B．Learn the long history of jazz.
C．Dance with famous modern jazz dancers.	D．Get to know jazz-style movements.

3. What is special about the hip hop class?

A．It is open in the afternoon.	B．It is available on Sunday.
C．It teaches traditional dances.	D．It has the most skilled teachers.

9 . Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her senior high school life was unhappy and that she was tired of struggling with homework all the time.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, h placed potatoes, eggs and coffee beans in them. After 20 minutes, he took them out, putting the potatoes and eggs in a bowl and the coffee in a cup.

Turning to his daughter, he said, “Look closer, and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After puling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. Its good smell brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans were in the same adversity (逆境)—the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.

The strong and hard potato became soft and weak in boiling water. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which one do you want to be like,” he asked. “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?”

In life, challenges happen to us all, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.

1. Why did the girl complain to her father?

A．Because of her tiring job.	B．Because of her hard school life.
C．Because of her father’ s busy work.	D．Because of the food her father cooked.

2. What can we infer from this story?

A．The girl liked the coffee best.

B．The father was good at cooking.

C．Different people have different reactions to adversity.

D．The girl didn’t like the potatoes and eggs.

3. What does the underlined word “fragile” mean in the 5th paragraph?

A．thick

B．hard

C．strong

D．easily-broken

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Challenges and responses.	B．Adversities and a chef.
C．A chef and coffee beans.	D．Father and daughter.

10 . Five years ago, Chinese skater Wu Dajing introduced himself to the skating world by winning a silver medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games. At Pyeong Chang Olympics, Wu not only returned, but also made history.

On Feb 22th, 2018, Wu won the gold medal in the men’s short-track 500-metre race. He set a new world record with a time of 39.584 seconds. He also became the first Chinese man to take home an Olympic short-track gold medal. BBC said Wu’s win was “flawless”, because he was much faster than all of the other skaters.

“I didn’t give them a chance and I kept my speed from the start,” he told the media after the match.

But China’s short-track teams didn’t do well in general at the Games. Chinese skaters in the women’s 500 metres, 3000-metre relay and men’s 1500 metres all failed to take home the gold. Wu was China’s biggest hope, which put a lot of pressure on him. But he proved himself with his great performance.

Wu is now known as a highly talented skater. But things were not always that way. When Wu joined the national team in 2010, he was seen as almost “nothing” compared to gifted skaters like Zhou Yang and Fan Kexin, as his coaches said at the time. Their comments made him quite upset. But as the saying goes. “Winners never quit (放弃) and quitters never win”. Wu didn’t want to give up and worked as hard as he could. He practiced skating all year round. He even didn’t return to his hometown for the holidays for 10 years. “I believe in myself.” he told the media after his match at the Olympics.

1. People began to know Wu Dajing by the time he .

A．won the second place at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games

B．won a gold medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games

C．won a gold medal at Pycong Chang Olympic Winter Games

D．entered the Pycong Chang Olympic Winter Games

2. What does the underlined word “flawless” mean?

A．common

B．valuable

C．perfect

D．difficult

3. According to the passage, which of the following is RIGHT?

A．Wu won a gold medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games four years ago.

B．Wu broke the world record with a time of 39.584 seconds and made history.

C．Wu’s coaches placed great hope on him when he joined the national team.

D．Chinese skaters in women’s 500 metres, 3000-metre relay took home the gold.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The national team and coaches thought Wu as a talented skater all the way.

B．Wu kept on practicing skating all year round even in the holidays for 10 years.

C．Zhou Yang and Fan Kexin were more hard-working on skating than Wu Dajing.

D．It is the hardwork, confidence and strong will that have made Wu a winner.