1 . I grew up in Florida, surrounded by my extended family, but we can trace our ancestry back to Texas when it still belonged to Mexico. Our language, customs and even the names my ancestors called themselves have since largely been lost to forced assimilation (同化). Yet our oral traditions, expressed through storytelling, poetry and jokes, persist.

My grandmother and mother taught me, a lovely girl, that the natural world around us has stories to tell if you listen closely. After all, language is not unique to humans. One of my earliest memories is sitting on my grandmother’s cracked concrete porch watching one of the many doves she had nursed back to health land in her raised hand after she called out to it. When dark storm clouds gathered over the half-finished roof, my mother would take a steak knife from the kitchen to the outside of the house, pointing it to the sky to cut the rain away. My friends thought it was magical how nature seemed to bend to my mother’s will.

It makes sense that I became an author. My life is built around stories. When I lived in New York and Los Angeles, I’d have to hike very far to find a piece of nature to be in—the rare tree in downtown Los Angeles, or the ginkgoes near Inwood Hill Park in New York City. Now in East Tennessee, I walk a few steps past my porch, into my garden—two small pieces of land that borders my two-story white and greenish-blue farmhouse. When I first moved here, non-native European grass blanketed the thirsty clay, red as dried blood. I dug up eight garden beds in the middle of that grass, filling them with plants native to my region: cone flowers and aromatic aster, bee balm and Virginia blue bells. I tried growing squash peppers, yellow watermelon and white eggplant but the plants languished. My land seems to want nothing but flowers. So I am trying my hand at planting zinnias, cosmos and dahlias instead.

If I am creatively blocked, I walk barefoot on the earth, no matter what the season, allowing stories to feed the roots of my entire body. If I have a plot hole I need to fix, I visit my lemon and lime basil, keeping my fingers with their sweet scents (气味).

1. What plays a role in keeping traditions alive in the author’s view?

A．A close family relationship.	B．The practice of storytelling.
C．The values of society members.	D．An atmosphere of growth.

2. What does the third paragraph mainly talk about?

A．How the author became a gardening expert.

B．How the author fed himself with stories.

C．How the author connected with nature.

D．How the author was inspired by stories.

3. Which can best replace the underlined word “languished” in paragraph 3?

A．Stood out.

B．Survived.

C．Developed.

D．Faded away.

4. What can be inferred about the author from the text?

A．She’s a very responsible person.

B．She’s a nature-loving writer.

C．She’s a passionate traveller.

D．She’s a professional gardener.

2 . Here are some musicals on Broadway.

Back to the Future

When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past and send himself back to the future. It’s recommended for ages 6 and up.

How to Dance in Ohio

At a group counseling center in Columbus, Ohio, seven autistic(患孤独症的) young adults prepare for a spring formal dance—a rite of passage that breaks open their routines and sets off heartbreaking encounters with love, stress, excitement, and independence. It is a story about people standing at the turning point of the next phase of their lives, facing their hopes and fears, ready to make a very big first move and dance. It’s based on the award-winning documentary.

Mother Play

Outside of D.C., Phyllis is supervising her teenage children, Carl and Martha, as they move into a new apartment. Phyllis has strong ideas about what her children need to do and how to succeed, and troubles the child faces when finding their own path. Combining flares of imaginative theatricality, surreal farce, and deep tenderness, this beautiful rollercoaster ride reveals timeless truths of love, family, and forgiveness.

I Need That

Sam doesn’t get out at all, opting instead for the safety of his house in the company of his many things. But when a notice from the government arrives alerting Sam that he must cleanup hi property or face eviction(驱逐), he’s forced to deal with what’s trash, what’s treasure, and whether we can ever know the difference between the two.

1. What can be learned about Back to the Future?

A．It is kid-friendly.	B．It is based on the history.
C．It explores the value of time.	D．It encourages people to connect more.

2. What does Mother Play focus on?

A．Parenting.	B．Family relationships.
C．Mother’s troubles.	D．Fiction and reality.

3. Which musical is adapted from true stories?

A．Back to the Future.	B．How to Dance in Ohio.
C．Mother Play.	D．I Need That.

3 . A sugar replacement called erythritol (赤藓糖醇) has been linked to blood clotting (血液凝固), stroke, heart attack and death, according to a new study.

“The degree of risk was not modest,” said lead study author Dr. Stanley Hazen. People with existing risk factors for heart disease will be twice as likely to experience the risk if they have the highest levels of erythritol in their blood. Erythritol appears to be causing blood platelets (血小板) to clot more readily. Clots can break off and travel to the heart or the brain, causing a heart attack or a stroke.

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, a carb found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. However, artificially manufactured in massive quantities, erythritol has become an extremely popular additive to low-carb products.

The discovery of the connection between erythritol and cardiovascular issues was purely accidental. Hazen’s research had a simple goal: find unknown chemicals or compounds in a person’s blood. To do so, the team analyzed 1,157 blood samples. “We found this substance that seemed to play a big role, but we didn’t know it was erythritol, a sweetener until later,” said Hazen. To confirm the findings, the team tested another two batches of blood samples and found that higher levels of erythritol were connected to a greater risk of heart attack, stroke or death within three years.

“This certainly sounds an alarm,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of a hospital inDenver. “Science needs to take a deeper div e into erythritol and in a hurry, because this substance is widely available right now. If it’s harmful, we should know about it.”

Hazen agreed,“I normally don’t get up on a pedestal (崇高地位) and sound the alarm, but this is something that I think we need to be looking at carefully.”

1. About the risk, what does Hazen’s word in paragraph 2 mean?

A．It is not worth considering.	B．It is removed by erythritol.
C．It should not be underestimated.	D．It is just present in people with disease.

2. What do we know about erythritol?

A．Its quality is uncertain.	B．It has been used widely in food.
C．It is manufactured by artists.	D．It mainly exists in fruits.

3. What can be concluded from the last two paragraphs?

A．Erythritol is not available to people.

B．Hazen likes warning people about potential dangers.

C．People have realized that erythritol is dangerous.

D．Further research should be done on erythritol.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．The Accidental Discovery of a New Sweetener

B．The Potential Health Risks of Erythritol Uncovered

C．The Rise of Erythritol as a Popular Sugar Substitute

D．The Surprising Benefits of Erythritol in Diet Products

4 . Climate change is causing more areas to turn into deserts. This issue is affecting the lives of 250 million people as land that used to be good for farming becomes dry and unproductive. Around one-third of the world’s land is impacted, including regions in Africa, southern Europe, Asia and America.

Sand to Green is a Moroccan company that can transform a patch of desert into a sustainable (可持续的) and profitable plantation in five years, according to Wissal Ben Moussa, its co-founder and chief agricultural officer. The solution is using agroforestry (农林业)to create a new kind of agriculture that is sustainable and that can be resilient (有适应力的) in front of climate change.

The system can be set up close to any source of salty water, which Sand to Green cleans using energy from the sun. It then grows different types of fruit trees and plants together in the same area—a method called mixed planting—and waters the plants’ roots directly with the cleaned water, to reduce water loss to the air. The soil is regenerated using what Sand to Green calls “green manure”, a mixture that includes compost, biochar(生物炭)and microorganisms that help the soil “wake up”. Biochar is a form of charcoal that can help dry soil hold on to water.

In a five-hectare trial in southern Morocco that’s been running since 2017, Sand to Green has tried out a variety of plants in search of the best performers. Among the intercropping herbs (草本植物) that have been successfully trialed are rosemary, geranium, vetiver and citronella, which Ben Moussa describes as “very low-maintenance and very high-profit”.

Sand to Green is now working to scale up to a 20-hectare commercial site, also in southern Morocco. It says a site of that size would cost around $475,000 to set up and would start bringing financial returns in about five years.

According to Ben Moussa, with this system they create biodiversity, which means better soil, healthier crops and a bigger yield. The plantation can generate 1.5 times more yield, thus making more money than a farm that grows only one type of crop in the same space.

1. What phenomenon does the author describe in paragraph 1?

A．Deforestation.	B．Desertification.
C．Global warming.	D．Urbanization.

2. Why did Sand to Green use agroforestry?

A．To preserve the crop’s survival rate.

B．To protect water from pollution.

C．To make a new type of soil.

D．To help people adapt to climate change.

3. What can we learn about Sand to Green?

A．It aims to plant more trees.

B．It earns a good reputation.

C．It develops new plants.

D．It produces good results.

4. What does the underlined phrase “scale up” mean in paragraph 5?

A．Expand.

B．Object.

C．Refer.

D．Prefer.

5 . My family visited the coastal town of St. Pete Beach. Florida. With its pretty sandy beaches, deep blue waters and year-round sunshine, it’s clear to see why St. Pete is a popular tourist destination among travelers from around the world.

Just a few feet from our apartment, we found ourselves walking on white sand towards the bright blue ocean. We were soon greeted by a man offering us the use of one of his luxury beach cabanas (小屋) for the day at a very reasonable price and settled into a full day of relaxation. The peaceful atmosphere was a true escape from the hustle and bustle (喧嚣) of the city. It was so easy to while away the days from morning until dusk, enjoying the warmth of the sun’s rays and getting lost in a good book, before taking a quick swim in the calm waters to cool off.

Once the sun set, there was a various range of bars and restaurants to choose from just a few steps away. The warm evening atmosphere was peppered with the mouthwatering smell of sizzling freshly-caught fish. The only hardship was trying to decide where to dine each evening with so many tasty options!

After a while, we began to desire a bit more adventure on our trip which, to our delight, we discovered was easy to come by. On one of our outings, we took a boat trip to the undisturbed island of Egmont Key State Park. There we explored the ruins of a military outpost built in 1898 and a 150-year-old working lighthouse. The island is also a protected wildlife reserve. On our return journey, we were excited to discover we were being followed by over a dozen dolphins, who were taking turns to leap out of the water playfully in the wake of our boat.

1. What made the author’s family select St. Pete Beach as the destination?

A．Water sports.	B．The city’s busy nightlife.
C．Some historical buildings.	D．The beautiful beach and weather.

2. Why did the family decide to spend a day in a beach cabana?

A．Because of some fun activities.

B．Because of a cost-effective offer.

C．Because of near historical landmarks.

D．Because of the distance of it from their apartment.

3. What troubled the author’s family when they chose a place to eat?

A．Friendly atmosphere in each restaurant.

B．High prices in most restaurants.

C．Diverse choices available.

D．Family members’ preferences for food.

4. What added excitement to the family’s return boat trip?

A．The presence of a wildlife expert in the boat.

B．Dolphins following and playing around the boat.

C．The discovery of hidden treasures on the boat.

D．A surprising visit from some local residents.

6 . Some of the classrooms at Taft Elementary in Santa Clara, California, have one flaw in common. They don’t have ________. Former school psychologist Ernesto Rodriguez thought the lack of windows does ________ kids, because research shows being in and around nature ________ anxiety and has benefits for students.

Rodriguez, who is now a park ranger (护林员) on Southern California’s Catalina Island ________ knows the impact nature has on mental health, and began ________ on his passion—landscape photography. It was during his training to become a park ranger that he learned a fact that ________ with him. “Kids who have views out windows to trees do ________ academically, emotionally and creatively. And more kids ________ and go to college,” he said. “I thought, why isn’t this being used?”

Rodriguez uses his photography skills to take 360 degree ________ of tree canopies (树冠), then he prints them and ________ them onto ceiling tiles. “So when you ________ it feels like you’re sitting under a tree. And it has all those ________ of the science that helps calm you down, focus and communicate,” he said.

A student named Octavio thinks trees bring him ________. “It is surprising to see because any time you’re inside of a school, you mostly don’t see ________ or trees. But now it’s ________ to see that there are trees here,” Octavio said. “I would say that it’s pretty great and ________.”

Rodriguez says if you still don’t believe in the science behind the art, you can ________ it yourself by going outside and looking up at the trees. “This is a(n) ________ of both my careers as a school psychologist and a photographer,” Rodriguez said. “And to be ________ to create imagery—and spend time out in nature creating imagery that I know is going to help people—is really a ________”.

1.

A．desks

B．windows

C．curtains

D．blackboards

2.

A．spoil

B．attract

C．affect

D．frighten

3.

A．shares

B．kills

C．arouses

D．eases

4.

A．deeply

B．rarely

C．simply

D．curiously

5.

A．depending

B．calling

C．focusing

D．counting

6.

A．stuck

B．fought

C．filled

D．concerned

7.

A．quicker

B．better

C．earlier

D．worse

8.

A．register

B．revise

C．skip

D．graduate

9.

A．ways

B．views

C．shots

D．angles

10.

A．takes

B．moves

C．throws

D．fits

11.

A．look up

B．get in

C．come out

D．sit down

12.

A．contents

B．elements

C．types

D．powers

13.

A．credit

B．trouble

C．peace

D．fun

14.

A．changes

B．signs

C．books

D．plants

15.

A．amazing

B．normal

C．common

D．scarce

16.

A．convenient

B．sacred

C．practical

D．beautiful

17.

A．draw

B．try

C．take

D．study

18.

A．design

B．marriage

C．honor

D．image

19.

A．confident

B．likely

C．able

D．happy

20.

A．motivator

B．privacy

C．matter

D．question

7 . Discover the Huge Health Benefits of Strength Training

One of the best ways to stay fit and healthy as you age is to do strength and power training exercises. It is known that when you are in your thirties, you will begin to lose muscle mass. This loss actually contributes to achy joints, the increased risk of injury, and the “middle-age spread” we all fear. What’s more, the older you get, the faster muscle mass loses. It means that eventually, simple tasks like getting out of a chair and climbing stairs can become more difficult.

Strength training can help you build muscles, make you strong, increase your staying power and make everyday activities easier. By combining strength and power training exercises, you’ll not only get stronger, but also improve your reaction speed. As you grow older, that’s critical because it can help prevent falls. Here is a book, Strength and Power Training for All Ages, for your reference.

Common sense about fitness in the book:

·The key muscles to work for an injury-free body

·How to tell how much weight is suitable for you

·How to strengthen the bones most likely to break

·How to take pressure off your knees when walking or running

·Why you’ll want to apply heat to sore joints before you exercise

Four total body workouts in the book:

·Build bones

·Fight diseases

·Improve balance

·Strengthen muscles &Increase muscle power

Get a copy, start training, and then you’ll discover a whole new self.

1. What will happen as people age according to paragraph 1?

A．They will need less exercise.

B．They will improve reaction speed.

C．They will experience muscle loss.

D．They will have better staying power.

2. What does Strength and Power Training for All Ages mainly teach people to do?

A．Train their brains.	B．Build a sound body.
C．Treat bone diseases.	D．Cut down their weight.

3. What is the text?

A．A notice.	B．An oral folktale.
C．A scientific paper.	D．An advertisement.

8 . Research shows that forming connections with your coworkers is good for your career and your overall happiness.

It’s a fact that as you get older, it becomes harder to make friends. It’s a natural progression, whether you work in an office or a remote area. As you get older and leave school, you often have more demands for your time and fewer opportunities to get to know those around you.

“Maintaining friendships takes effort, but it’s well worth it,” says CEO and Fast Company contributor Corey Weiner. “Studies show that a friend can make you a better collaborator (合作者), a more creative and productive worker and generally happier with your job.”

After all, most of you spend a huge number of your waking hours at work. Of course, it’s more fun to have someone to collaborate with and occasionally sympathize with. But how do you go about making genuine connections with coworkers or other like-minded individuals in your industry?

It might sound overly simplistic, but a big part of building friendships is just putting yourself out there. “If you’re not used to having a lot of friends any more, you may actually need to remind yourself to engage,” writes Professor Art Markman. “Set time on your calendar for a phone call or make plans to get a cup of coffee.”

“Don’t wait for someone else to make the first move,” says Keith Rollag, author of What to Do When You’re New. “If things go well during an initial coffee or activity, actively follow up to build on that connection.”

You’re not going to immediately bond with all of your coworkers or every person you meet at a networking happy hour. But making continual attempts to find connections with your non-annoying colleagues will eventually pay off. Last but not least, don’t call them work husband or work wife in the beginning.

1. Why is it harder to make friends when people get older?

A．They focus more on other business.

B．They have more demands on friends.

C．They reject to put many efforts into it.

D．They are too old to know other people.

2. What do the words of Corey Weiner show?

A．The way to make friends.	B．The need to do jobs well.
C．The importance of the studies.	D．The meaning of gaining friendship.

3. What does Keith Rollag attach importance to?

A．Keeping in touch with old friends.	B．Spending more time drinking coffee.
C．The initiative in forming connections.	D．The balance between work and life.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the last paragraph?

A．To offer suggestions.	B．To explain reasons.
C．To draw conclusions.	D．To make comments.

9 . “The majority of decisions we make do not come from the conscious (有意识的) mind, but the subconscious mind,” Beni Gradwohl, the co-founder of Cognovi Labs, said. “Our decisions are based on emotions. People think they are very rational (理智的). But they are not. In fact, decisions in the subconscious mind are made in a second before the rational mind recognizes that.”

Gradwohl used to think that cold and hard data defined the world. But when he was exposed to behavioral economics, his world view changed. He said, “Emotional intelligence is more important than intelligence quotient (IQ). Most successful leaders in the world don’t have above-average IQ but above average emotional quotient (EQ).”

Gradwohl co-founded AI company, Cognovi Labs, to better understand how people make decisions, using data and science and technology to measure underlying emotions.

When asked how event organizers could benefit from using emotional AI, Gradwohl said, “The first thing is whether you really understand what’s driving your target audience to an event.” He added, “You can ask them, but what potential registrants tell you may be incorrect.”

According to Gradwohl, registering for an event is not an entirely rational decision, and it goes deeper. Understanding how your target audience makes decisions is important because you don’t want to sell them something they don’t care about. Cognovi Labs’ AI can uncover the underlying emotional drivers or blockers of your target audience’s decision-making.

Beyond using Cognovi Labs’ AI in the marketing leading up to an event, once the event is underway, Gradwohl thinks organizers can know how their participants are feeling via the AI. That involves using feedback (反馈) surveys. He said, “Have attendees talk to the event app and then transcribe that. We call that diagnostic (诊断的) interview because they may generate a strong emotional response. With those conversations about what they are experiencing throughout the program at different times of the day, we will see what the emotional blockers and drivers are. We can get a full picture of the emotional aspects of the attendees.”

1. What may Cognovi Labs mainly focus on?

A．Researching people’s potential emotions.	B．Helping people make rational decisions.
C．Training people to develop conscious minds.	D．Leading people to study science and technology.

2. What can we learn from paragraph 5?

A．Registering for an event is important.	B．Believing target audience is necessary.
C．Cognovi Labs’ AI helps event organizers.	D．Cognovi Labs’ AI benefits lots of drivers.

3. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Cognovi Labs’ AI’s feedback surveys.	B．Cognovi Labs’ AI’s additional function.
C．The ways to organize a marketing event.	D．The attendees’ strong emotional response.

4. Which of the following may be the best title for the text?

A．The Founder of an Emotional AI	B．The Future of Behavioral Economics
C．An AI Company Improves Intelligence	D．An Emotional AI Helps Make Decisions

10 . Taking a vacation may be the last thing on the mind of a cancer patient. ________ can be expensive, time-consuming and sometimes hard work. While people facing illness may be ________ of resources for vacation, they are ________ a stress-free time away. I’m one such ________.

I’m suffering from lung cancer. Diagnosed in March 2017, I was ________ beyond belief. At that time, I was ________ 60 hours a week as a billing clerk. Due to my medications’ side effects, I ________ my career and what I thought made me who I was, though I now discover that ________ is what matters.

Through the Internet, I ________ Little Pink Houses of Hope, a nonprofit that provided a free week-long ________ to cancer patients and their families. After applying and being ________, we drove from Houston all the way to Hatteras Island in North Carolina. It rained most of the time, so I ________ the beauty along the way. I had no idea what to expect and was ________.

Looking back, I am so glad I went. I hadn’t felt such ________ love and such a sense of family. We went to the beach, had wonderful meals and went surfing which I had never thought I would get the chance to do. We ________ in a way that I thought was impossible, not only with the other ________ but also with the volunteers. It was nice to see my husband get along with the other husbands. Being a(n) ________ and the breadwinner,” he had a lot on his plate.

I’ve suffered from the cancer for many years and I undergo ________ every year. I want people to know that though I am living with a serious disease, I am still living ________. So don’t feel sorry for me, but make the ________ of life with me.

1.

A．Writing

B．Driving

C．Traveling

D．Shopping

2.

A．sure

B．short

C．careful

D．capable

3.

A．in need of

B．in front of

C．by means of

D．on top of

4.

A．guide

B．volunteer

C．consultant

D．patient

5.

A．confident

B．relieved

C．scared

D．cautious

6.

A．working

B．sleeping

C．playing

D．wandering

7.

A．found

B．remembered

C．lost

D．chose

8.

A．work

B．love

C．friendship

D．luck

9.

A．complained about

B．worried about

C．talked about

D．learned about

10.

A．arrangement

B．treatment

C．vacation

D．conference

11.

A．proved

B．approved

C．ignored

D．doubted

12.

A．designed

B．exposed

C．grasped

D．missed

13.

A．concerned

B．efficient

C．beneficial

D．embarrassed

14.

A．weak

B．potential

C．uncomfortable

D．unconditional

15.

A．bonded

B．succeeded

C．chatted

D．competed

16.

A．doctors

B．colleagues

C．participants

D．employees

17.

A．assistant

B．carer

C．organizer

D．specialist

18.

A．education

B．surgery

C．development

D．punishment

19.

A．curiously

B．patiently

C．independently

D．wonderfully

20.

A．memories

B．judgements

C．preparations

D．promises