1 . Summer reading
Finding Junie Kim
by Ellen Oh
Middle schooler Junie Kim is facing bullying (欺凌) at school, but she keeps quiet. Then, for a school project, Junie interviews her grandparents, who grew up in Korea during wartime in the 1950s. In their story of struggle, Junie finds the courage to speak up. The book will encourage any kid who has ever been in Junie’s shoes.
Simon B. Rhymin’
by Dwayne Reed
Simon is starting fifth grade and wants everyone to call him Notorious D. O. G. because he wants to be a famous rapper (说唱歌手). But he’s shy about using his voice to express his thoughts. When a teacher asks the class to give a talk, Simon must face his fears. Simon B. Rhymin’ is a great book that will give confidence to readers who are going through similar struggles.
A Shot in the Arm!
by Don Brown
A Shot in the Arm! is a novel about the history of vaccines (疫苗). Readers learn how vaccines have been used throughout history to fight disease. The author also introduces people around the world who helped with the development of vaccines. A Shot in the Arm! is an exciting read that uses colorful drawings to pull the reader in.
The One Thing You’d Save
by Linda Sue Park
If your house were on fire, what one thing would you save? Writer Linda Sue Park explores different answers to this question in poems that show the different voices of a middle school class. Some choose baseball cards or toy animals. One picks a sweater that was passed down for generations. The book is illustrated (给……作插图) with black-and-white art. Readers of all ages will like this book. It helps you realize what matters most.
1. What problem does Simon have?| A．He is bullied at school. | B．He fears receiving vaccines. |
| C．He dislikes doing his homework. | D．He is afraid of expressing his ideas. |
| A．Finding Junie Kim. | B．Simon B. Rhymin’. |
| C．A Shot in the Arm! | D．The One Thing You’d Save. |
| A．It is for teenage readers. | B．It is written in poem form. |
| C．It has many colorful pictures. | D．It was written by Dwayne Reed. |
2 . A new study suggests that dark markings on the planet Mars represent sand — not water. The research in 2015 suggested that lines on some Martian hills were evidence of water. Yet American scientists now say these lines appear more like dry flows of sand. If water is present, it is likely to be a small amount. Water in liquid form would be necessary for microbial (微生物的) life.
NASA, the American space agency, said more research is needed. Michael Meyer is the lead scientist for NASA’s Mars exploration programme. He noted that the latest study does not reject the presence of water. But he admitted, “It just may not be as exciting as the idea of rivers going down the sides of cliffs (悬崖).”
The new findings come from a team led by Colin Dundas of the United States Geological Survey. His team measured 151 of these lines in 10 areas. Most of the lines end with slopes (倾斜) between 28 degrees and 35 degrees. These measurements are similar to active sand dunes (沙丘) on both Mars and Earth. A small covering of dust that moves and sometimes becomes lighter might help explain the markings. They usually appear in the Martian summertime, and then disappear until the next year. If these lines are dry, this suggests that recent Mars bas not had large amounts of liquid water. Dundas and his research team say that many questions remain.
“I still think that Mars has great potential for having had life early on in its history,” Meyer said. “As long as that’s true, we also have a reasonable possibility of life still being on Mars. It just happens to be cryptic or well hidden.”
NASA currently has no robotic — either on Mars or in development — with the ability to climb steep slopes. The lack of such equipment has engineers coming up with ideas like Martian helicopters or planes without pilots.
1. What do American scientists find on Mars now according to their study?| A．A lot of little life. | B．An amount of water. |
| C．Some Martian hills. | D．Dark markings are sand. |
| A．In Martian spring. | B．In Martian summer. |
| C．In Martian autumn. | D．In Martian winter. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Trustful. | C．Unconcerned | D．Objective. |
| A．Undiscovered. | B．Strange. | C．Magical. | D．Icy. |
3 . Are all your photographs good? Be honest with yourself. Aren’t some of your pictures too dark, and others too light? How many times have you thrown away a photo? We, the Fine Photograph Club, can help you. We meet every Wednesday in our comfortable club room in Bridge Street. At 7:30 p.m. a member of the club or a visitor would give a talk, and then we have coffee. Our members will advise you on all the latest camera and films. They will help you to develop your films or enlarge your pictures. What does it all cost? Only 5 pounds a year.
Photography is now a big business. Do you know, for instance, that there are 15 million cameras in our country? And that 700 million photographs are taken a year, more than one-third of them in color? Think of the amount of photography in television, the camera, newspapers, books, advertisements and so on. In morden life people learn a lot from pictures, so photography is more and more important. It is also more complicated and more expensive than it used to be. You may only want to take good photographs of faces and places. If so, we can help you to get better results. You needn’t waste any more money. If you want to learn more about photgraphy and how it is used, join the club please. You won’t be disappointed. Write now to the Secretary, Fine Photograph Club. Bridge Street.
1. The purpose of the passage is to ____________.| A．show people how to take fine pictures |
| B．tell people photography is now a big business |
| C．tell people the club can do many things for you |
| D．encourage people to join the photograph club |
| A．must be good at photography |
| B．must know about the latest cameras and films |
| C．must pay a little money a year |
| D．must be honest with yourself |
| A．say if your photos are good or bad |
| B．tell how much money you waste |
| C．help the Fine Photograph Club |
| D．know the latest development in cameras |
| A．coffee | B．amusement |
| C．advice | D．information |
4 . During the outbreak of novel coronavirus, wearing masks is widely believed to be a simple but effective method to protect oneself from a variety of harmful things. In fact, masks have been helping mankind for centuries. Let’s take a look at some mask-related history.
1st century
In that era, many people in Roman Empire worked underground in mines to support their families. But most of them suffered from and even eventually died of respiratory (呼吸的) illnesses. To handle this problem, Pliny the Elder (23 — 79 AD), a Roman philosopher and naturalist, recommended the use of animal bladder (膀胱) skins to stop dust from being inhaled (吸入). Although primitive, his idea was considered the very first recorded mask invention.
16th century
Early inventions did not stop with Pliny. Many centuries later, Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci (1452 — 1519), suggested using a woven cloth dipped in water over the face to protect against the toxic (有毒的) chemicals.
19th century
The design of the mask took a big step forward in the 19th century. In 1848, American Lewis Hassley became the first person to patent (注册专利) a protective mask for miners, which was a milestone in face mask history. Masks at this stage were similar to gas masks. Later, in 1897, Polish-Austrian doctor Johann von Mikulicz-Radecki designed a simple mask made up of one layer of gauze (纱布), recommending medical workers to wear it to prevent infection. That was the first recorded use of a surgical mask.
20th century
In 1910, an epidemic broke out in Northeast China. Chinese doctor Wu Liande designed a cheap face mask called “Wu’s mask”. Made of two layers of surgical gauze, it could be wrapped around the back of the head and tied in a knot. This mask was praised by many experts around the world, as it was simple to make and had a low production cost.
Modern exploration
With several outbreaks of infectious diseases and the flu, and the rise of pollution caused by industrial waste, the materials in masks have continued to evolve to better protect its wearer. For example, in 2012 when China suffered from smog, mask models such as N95 and KN90, which can filter out (过滤掉) this fine particulate (微粒) matter, became highly popular.
1. According to the text, why were masks invented?| A．To reduce the risk of infection. |
| B．To protect miners from dust. |
| C．To indicate patients with respiratory illnesses. |
| D．To protect workers from harmful chemicals. |
| A．Using a woven cloth instead of animal skins. |
| B．Getting a patent on protective masks for miners. |
| C．The invention of surgical masks in 1897. |
| D．Using more than one layer of surgical gauze. |
| A．it could be used multiple times |
| B．it was simple for people to wear |
| C．it was cheap and easy to produce |
| D．it could better protect people from smog |
| A．The development of masks. |
| B．The benefits of using masks. |
| C．A comparison of different masks. |
| D．The roles masks played in ancient times. |
5 . On the night of the play, Jack was at the theatre early and he was already dressed in a suit of policeman’s clothes long
A knock on the door made him look
| A．before | B．by | C．after | D．at |
| A．looked | B．admired | C．showed | D．enjoyed |
| A．make | B．join | C．have | D．give |
| A．read | B．remember | C．understand | D．learn |
| A．came | B．went | C．happened | D．got |
| A．away | B．out | C．down | D．up |
| A．passed | B．left | C．missed | D．failed |
| A．wondered | B．imagined | C．noticed | D．examined |
| A．agreed | B．suggested | C．persuaded | D．encouraged |
| A．where | B．when | C．which | D．there |
| A．way | B．idea | C．path | D．plan |
| A．do | B．win | C．work | D．act |
| A．hour | B．minute | C．moment | D．period |
| A．feeling | B．looking | C．sounding | D．growing |
| A．frightened | B．excited | C．disappointed | D．pleased |
6 . Artificial intelligence (AI) is practically everywhere today. There are so many products out there which use Al. Some are being developed, some are already in use, and some failed and are being improved so it’s very difficult to name a few of them and regard them as the best.
Vi Personal Trainer
It tracks your daily activities, understands your workout routines (常规) and coaches you to achieve your fitness goals. The AI human voice living inside its bio-sensing headphones is one of the best conversational voice assistants (助手) and is super easy to talk to. You can also enjoy your favorite music while you work out or talk on the phone without having to press a button.
Deep Text
Do you ever wonder how an ad appears suddenly just when you are looking for something similar? This is because of Deep Text. It uses real-time consumer (消费者) information to produce data which in turn is used to target consumers. Thus, if you search online for flight tickets from Bangalore to Delhi, it is very likely that an ad relating to hotels in Delhi will soon follow.
Hello Egg
If you live alone and miss your mother because you always miss your breakfast or don’t know what to eat for dinner, then Hello Egg is exactly what you are looking for. A very healthy choice of the 2-minute noodles and oats, Hello Egg provides you with a detailed weekly meal plan about the needs of your body. It is truly a modern AI-powered home cooking tool for the young.
Wordsmith
You can put Mr. Smith into your Microsoft Excel using their free API, and let it write up detailed analysis (分析) of the stories behind your numbers. It can produce detailed reports on thousands of pages of spreadsheets in seconds.
1. What can we learn about Vi Personal Trainer?| A．It has a phone button. | B．It is an AI music player. |
| C．It functions as a fitness lest tool. | D．It helps improve exercise results. |
| A．Collect numbers. | B．Produce a report. |
| C．Write the stories. | D．Update Microsoft Excel. |
| A．Vi Personal Trainer. | B．Deep Text. | C．Hello Egg | D．Wordsmith. |
7 . Little New Year usually falls a week before the lunar New Year. It is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God, the deity (神) who oversees the moral character of each household. Here are six things you should know about the Little New Year, another sign of the start of spring.
1. Offer sacrifices to Kitchen God
One of the most distinctive traditions of the Little New Year is the burning of a paper image of the Kitchen God, who will report on the family’s conduct over the past year. The offerings to the Kitchen God include pig’s head, fish, sweet bean paste, melons, fruit, boiled dumplings, barley sugar, and Guandong candy. Most of the offerings are sweets of various varieties. It is thought that this will seal the Kitchen God’s mouth and encourage him to only say good things about the family when he ascends to Heaven to make his report.
2. House cleaning
According to Chinese folk beliefs, during the last month of the year ghosts and deities must choose either to return to Heaven or to stay on Earth. It is believed that in order to ensure the ghosts and deities’ timely departure people must thoroughly clean both their persons and their houses, down to every last drawer and cupboard.
3. Eat Guandong candy
Guandong candy, a sticky treat made out of glutinous millet and sprouted wheat, is a traditional snack that Chinese people eat on the Festival of the Kitchen God.
4. Paste paper-cuts to windows
In the Little New Year, old couplets and paper-cuts from the previous Spring Festival are taken down, and new window decorations, New Year’s posters, and auspicious (吉利的) decorations are pasted up.
5. Bath and hair-cut
As the old Chinese saying goes, whether they’re rich or poor, people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival. The activity of taking bath and haircut is often taken on the Little New Year.
6. Preparations for the Spring Festival
People start to stock up necessary provisions for the Spring Festival since the Little New Year. Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors, entertain guests, and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.
1. What is the most unusual tradition in the Little New Year?| A．Offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God. |
| B．Burning a paper image of the Kitchen God. |
| C．Preparing the necessities for the New Year. |
| D．Cleaning houses and people themselves. |
| A．Collecting the information of the man’s world. |
| B．Protecting the character of each home. |
| C．Gathering sacrifices for other Gods in Heaven. |
| D．Watching out for the moral people in the world. |
| A．Because the Kitchen God loves sweet foods. |
| B．Because it is the traditional custom. |
| C．Because people hope the God says good for them. |
| D．Because sweets are the best sacrifices. |
| A．Little New Year always falls in February. |
| B．House cleaning is to welcome the New Year. |
| C．In the Little New Year only paper-cuts are pasted up. |
| D．People will make full preparations for the coming New Year. |
8 . During a career planning class, Brenda Fabian, former director of the Career Development Center at Susquehanna University, asked how many students used online social media. Almost everyone in the room raised their hand. Then she asked how many knew that employers were reviewing online social media for hiring purposes. No hands were raised, and their faces revealed their surprise.
Although some parents do keep track of their teen’s online activities, most teenagers don’t realize that websites may be monitored by schools, future employers or anyone else that might be interested in their lifestyle not just today but anytime in the future.
Most of us don’t realize that the information that gets posted on the Internet may be deleted, but it doesn’t disappear permanently. “The stuff is there forever,” says Jamie Riehle, director of Product Management at Lycos. “It is backed up onto servers and doesn’t go away.”
As company recruiters, college admission officers, law enforcement personnel and parents become more Web learned, it becomes even more vital for teenagers to be cautious when they post any information on their websites. Even though sites that are private can be seen only by a preselected list of friends, there are companies that, for a fee, can dig deeper into cyberspace and find anything. Even government officials who thought that deleting emails would exonerate them from wrongdoing are discovering that, on the Web, there is nothing that is private or gone forever.
Steven Rothberg, founder of College Recruiter, suggests that teenagers think of their Web posts as tattoos. “Naturally, there is nothing wrong with them if they are private,” he says. “But if they are visible or offensive, they can affect the way others see you.”
1. What is implied in the second paragraph?| A．The Internet is becoming more insecure. |
| B．A teenager shouldn’t write about his lifestyle online. |
| C．It’s hard for parents to know their teen’s online activities. |
| D．One posting negative things may have his employment affected. |
| A．It can be deleted easily. | B．It remains for a short time. |
| C．It can’t be deleted completely. | D．It usually falls into the hands of employers. |
| A．They are not so private as supposed. | B．They are owned by some companies. |
| C．They charge people for visiting them. | D．They can keep the information a secret. |
| A．Teenagers should be monitored online. |
| B．Teenagers should be cautious about their posts online. |
| C．Teenagers should keep their information open online. |
| D．Teenagers should not be allowed to post anything online. |
9 . I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal eggs and toast. Others had Cokes and candy for lunch, while I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We felt embarrassed because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9: 00 each night and up at 7: 45 the next morning. So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break the Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us.
Through the years, our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, however, would only be content with the black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background, I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I’m mean because now I thank the meanest mother in the world every day.
1. From the text we can learn that the writer’s mother was ________.| A．not generous at all | B．very mean with money matters |
| C．very strict with her children | D．very cruel to her children |
| A．Eating differently from other kids. | B．Letting mother know where they were. |
| C．Wearing clean clothes made by mother. | D．Going to bed early and getting up early. |
| A．The writer worked hard and usually got good grades in study. |
| B．The mother was punished for breaking the Child Labour Law. |
| C．All the other kids study better than the writer. |
| D．The writer’s family lived a miserable life. |
| A．In a hateful way. | B．In a humorous way. |
| C．In a eristical way. | D．In an unfriendly way. |
10 . Burns from fire or other sources of heat can be mild or life-threatening. Some burns can be treated at home, while others need emergency medical care.
·What to do if you get burned.
First, decide if you can take care of the burn yourself. If you can’t get to a hospital right away or wait for an ambulance, follow these steps:
1. Remove clothes from the burned area. But do not remove clothes that are sticking to the skin and don’t break any blisters.
2. Run cool rather than cold water over the burn until the pain lessens. Do not put butter, oil or ice on the burn.
3. Lightly cover the burn with a bandage.
4. Remove jewelry that’s close to the burn.
·Seek emergency medical care if:
—the burn is serious.
—the burned area is large (cover the area with a clean, soft cloth or towel).
—the burn is caused by fire, electrical wire or chemicals.
—the burn looks infected.
·Precautions first!
Be careful when using candles, heaters and curling irons. Do not allow children to play in the kitchen while someone is cooking. Children can easily get burned in the kitchen.
1. What should you do first if you get burned?| A．Call the doctor. |
| B．Check the burn. |
| C．Go to the hospital. |
| D．Clean the burned area. |
| A．Run cold water over the burn. |
| B．Put some butter on the burn. |
| C．Cover a bandage gently over the burn. |
| D．Break the blisters quickly on the burn. |
| A．Preventing possible problems in advance. |
| B．Staying away from the kitchen. |
| C．Reducing the use of candles. |
| D．Wearing no jewelry at all. |
