1 . On the first day of my new high school, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Everything about the school seemed so difficult. When I got home, my parents said, “You’re nervous and that’s okay. Everyone is afraid of high school.” I denied it. I wanted to be strong, so I refused to let anyone know about my fear, even my closest friends.

On the first day I was late for every class and was constantly lost. The school seemed like a puzzle that I couldn’t figure out. Was this how the whole year was going to be? I didn’t think I could rise to this challenge, especially carrying a huge backpack that I could hardly lift. It was so big that I could knock someone out with it!

Despite my fears, after the first week I finally had my schedule figured out. With the exception of falling up and down the stairs a couple of times and getting laughed at, high school was turning out to be not so bad. It was actually much better than middle school and much more challenging. Since then, I’ve been elected (选举) the vice monitor of my class, which wasn’t much of a victory since only three people ran for the four positions.

It is normal to be scared of a new school. Take a deep breath and relax. High school is not so frightening. Make sure you participate in some out­of­class activities because you’ll find it easier to make friends. Try to do your best, even if it isn’t straight A’s.

Most important of all, be who you are, whether you’re a“fool”， an athlete, or a lower grader. Don’t try to pretend to be someone you’re not. Now you know the secret of my success.

1. What is the main reason for the author’s fear on his first day in high school ?

A．He was unable to work out the puzzle.

B．His schoolmates were unfriendly to him.

C．He was not familiar with the new surroundings.

D．His schoolbag was too heavy for him to carry.

2. What can we infer from the author’s first day’s experience?

A．He didn’t know the right way to class.

B．He got to school before classes began.

C．He was fond of the school immediately.

D．His home was very far from the school.

3. What can be learnt about the author after his first week at school?

A．He was still not accustomed to the schedule.

B．He was gradually used to the new school.

C．He found high school not so challenging as he had imagined.

D．He ran for monitor of his class against three other students.

4. What is the secret of the author’s success according to the passage?

A．Making more friends.

B．Being who he really is.

C．Getting straight A’s at school.

D．Joining in out­of­class activities.

2 . Gitanjali Rao, Colorado teenager who invented mobile device to test for lead (铅) in drinking water, was Time’s Kid of the Year for 2020. The magazine announced the award on Thursday, citing Rao’s ability to apply scientific ideas to real-world problems and her desire to motivate other kids to take up their own causes.

It was just the latest recognition for Rao, 15, who was named last year to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She won praise in 2017 after she responded to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, by creating a device named Tehys, using carbon nanotube sensors to detect (探测) lead in water. The Lone Tree, Colo., native was named America’s Top Young Scientist when she was in the seventh grade. She went on to cooperate with scientists in the water industry to try to get the device on the market.

More recently, Rao has developed a phone and Web tool named Kindly, which uses artificial intelligence technology to detect possible early signs of cyberbullying (网络欺凌).

“You type in a word or phrase, and it’s able to pick it up if it’s bullying, and it gives you the choice to edit it or send it the way it is,” Rao told Time. “The goal is not to punish people. As a teenager I know teenagers tend to become very angry sometimes. Instead, it gives you the chance to rethink what you’re saying so that you know what to do next time around.”

Rao was chosen in part because of the way she has followed up her technical work with efforts to get other young people to work on solving the problems they see.

“I don’t look like your typical scientist. Everything I see on TV is that it’s an older, usually white man as a scientist,” she told Time. “My goal has really shifted, not only from creating my own devices to solve the world’s problems, but inspiring others to do the same as well. So I really want to put out that message: If I can do it, you can do it, and anyone can do it.”

1. What made Gitaniali Rao Time’s Kid of the Year for 2020?

A．Her desire to guide other kids.

B．Her invention of testing lead in water.

C．Her idea of making devices commercial.

D．Her excellent personal ability and desire to encourage other children.

2. What is the function of Rao’s Web tool “Kindly”?

A．To make sure the security of the network.

B．To punish teenagers’ wrong thoughts.

C．To use artificial intelligence technology.

D．To type a word or phrase on the Internet.

3. Why did Rao say “anyone can do it” in the last paragraph?

A．A white man can work as a scientist.

B．We ought to set a goal at an early age.

C．We are supposed to inspire others to do the same.

D．Everybody may succeed in solving world’s problems.

4. In which section of newspaper may this text appear？

A．Health.

B．Science.

C．People

D．Entertainment.

3 . Volunteers in New York call on people to donate their used iPads to help poor patients keep in touch with their families online.

Some people with COVID-19 died alone in hospital physically _________ from their friends and family, which is a heartbreaking situation. This terrible reality _________ on a group of volunteers. Their goal is to connect patients with family members who are unable to be present ___________ hospital restrictions (限制) on visitors. They plan to collect used iPads from across the country and donate them to _________ in communities where the need is extremely _________. Nicolas Heller, a 31-year-old volunteer, said thousands of people had_________ from the disease in isolation (隔离) without the comforting words or _________ from a loved one. Heller is collecting used iPads for patients who do not _________ smart phones capable of video chatting.

By Friday morning, the volunteer group had _________ 375 used iPads from donors (捐赠者) nationwide. So far, 300 of the iPads have been __________ donated to Brooklyn’s University Hospital of Brooklyn. The volunteers were amazed by the donors’ __________. What the volunteers are doing is __________ people’s iPads that are not used anymore to help those patients in hospitals. These iPads can __________ medical staff to communicate with patients from outside of the room, decreasing their __________ of being exposed to the virus.

No one is an island. __________, we can make the world warmer.

1.

A．separated

B．prevented

C．protected

D．suffered

2.

A．depends

B．insists

C．looked

D．weighs

3.

A．because of

B．instead of

C．regardless of

D．apart from

4.

A．universities

B．clubs

C．hospitals

D．companies

5.

A．unbelievable

B．pleasant

C．strange

D．urgent

6.

A．recovered

B．died

C．escaped

D．learned

7.

A．hope

B．touch

C．worry

D．advice

8.

A．hire

B．provide

C．own

D．share

9.

A．received

B．bought

C．sent

D．gave

10.

A．frequently

B．nicely

C．correctly

D．smoothly

11.

A．generosity

B．friendship

C．duty

D．knowledge

12.

A．get hold of

B．take charge of

C．make use of

D．take notes of

13.

A．force

B．allow

C．advise

D．encourage

14.

A．cost

B．moment

C．risk

D．right

15.

A．Treated

B．United

C．Greeted

D．Taught

4 . Several years ago I went on a trip alone to Mozambique. Our bus broke down by the side of the road. There was certainly nothing in the way of _________ or campsites or any kind of place to sleep. I _________ I’d just have to bed down on the roadside like others. But I was pretty _________ at the idea. Most everyone else was traveling with their families or other _________, and here I was, a very young woman, alone, with pale white skin that just screamed out “I’m a foreigner and do not _________ here.” Besides I spoke Portuguese reasonably _________ but not any of the local dialects, which _________ my difficulty.

I was trying to work out what to do when I _________ one of the women passengers I’d been chatting with _________ to me. “Come with me,” she said. I was then taken to the nearby village, where she lived. She and her large family __________ me that night. We had chips and matapa, a delicious Mozambican dish. Her kids laughed and circled around and were __________ to have a visit from a real white person. I couldn’t __________ a lot of the conversation, because only the woman spoke Portuguese, but I felt so __________ despite my foreignness.

This kind-hearted woman accommodated (提供住宿) a __________ a night spent shaking in __________ and hunger by the side of the road.

1.

A．hospitals

B．stores

C．hotels

D．colleges

2.

A．wished

B．concluded

C．insisted

D．argued

3.

A．frightened

B．surprised

C．excited

D．annoyed

4.

A．guides

B．villagers

C．volunteers

D．friends

5.

A．wait

B．tour

C．belong

D．explore

6.

A．frequently

B．poorly

C．fluently

D．eagerly

7.

A．added to

B．got over

C．discussed

D．expected

8.

A．felt

B．found

C．kept

D．stopped

9.

A．explaining

B．whispering

C．complaining

D．gesturing

10.

A．hosted

B．interviewed

C．charged

D．comforted

11.

A．scared

B．attracted

C．satisfied

D．embarrassed

12.

A．hear

B．remember

C．follow

D．affect

13.

A．worried

B．confused

C．uncertain

D．welcomed

14.

A．local

B．family

C．customer

D．stranger

15.

A．relief

B．regret

C．doubt

D．fear

5 . J. K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.

She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9­year­old daughter Bailey.

He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter” and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.

Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud，“Burke explains.” This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”

After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.

1. Why did Burke thank J. K. Rowling according to the text?

A．She guided him how to write a good story.

B．She encouraged him when he was in trouble.

C．Her books helped him through times of confusion.

D．Her books helped him improve his bond with his daughter.

2. What is implied in Burke’s words in paragraph 4?

A．He has found it interesting to read the series.	B．He was too old to understand the series better.
C．He has chosen a better way of reading the series.	D．He hopes to play a role in the drama in the future.

3. Which word can best describe Burke’s experience according to the text?

A．Useless.

B．Normal.

C．Valuable.

D．Boring.

4. What is the main idea of this text?

A．J. K. Rowling chooses to help improve kids’ health.

B．J. K. Rowling gives a magical gift to a single father.

C．J. K. Rowling has a deep influence on others’ growth.

D．Burke comes to know J. K. Rowling through her series.

6 . My grandfather died in 1970, leaving my grandmother living in their old house alone. Shortly after that, we went to the animal shelter and picked out a little dog to accompany Grandma. The dog was named Penny.

Grandma and Penny quickly became very attached (喜爱的) to each other, and that attachment grew much _________as the years passed—they became very _________. When Grandma went to _________, Penny walked along and lay _________ her until she woke up. As Penny aged, she could no longer jump up on the _________ to lie next to Grandma, so she lay on the blanket beside the bed. Grandma never went anywhere without her partner by her side.

The time came when both my grandmother and Penny were becoming _________.Grandma had been sent to hospital several times, and Penny couldn’t _________ around very well. When Grandma was in hospital, Penny would sit at the window _________ out for the car bringing Grandma home and would _________ wait at the door when Grandma came through. Each homecoming was a great meeting again between the two.

On Christmas Day in 1985, Grandma was again taken to the hospital. Penny, __________, sat at the window watching out for the car bringing Grandma home. Two mornings later, I __________ she couldn’t stand and wouldn’t eat. Later, she had difficulty in breathing. I quickly __________ her to the hospital where Grandma stayed to let her see her __________ for the last time. There, as soon as Penny saw Grandma, Penny’s eyes brightened suddenly and then slowly __________. Grandma left this world several hours later.

After fifteen years of loving friendship, Grandma and Penny passed away on the same day. God had it all worked out — Penny was waiting at the door to __________ her when Grandma came home.

1.

A．stronger

B．higher

C．farther

D．longer

2.

A．similar

B．gentle

C．friendly

D．close

3.

A．work

B．hospital

C．sleep

D．church

4.

A．on

B．beside

C．under

D．below

5.

A．table

B．bed

C．chair

D．blanket

6.

A．lost

B．active

C．weak

D．tired

7.

A．lie

B．walk

C．play

D．jump

8.

A．looking

B．crying

C．climbing

D．getting

9.

A．worriedly

B．hurriedly

C．excitedly

D．disappointedly

10.

A．as usual

B．in time

C．by accident

D．at once

11.

A．believed

B．guessed

C．heard

D．found

12.

A．guided

B．posted

C．sent

D．followed

13.

A．owner

B．mother

C．doctor

D．saver

14.

A．opened

B．brightened

C．closed

D．wetted

15.

A．call

B．help

C．miss

D．greet

7 . Although the weather is very hot now, the carnival of ice and snow is getting closer. The preparation work for Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which are expected to begin on Feb. 4, 2022, has entered its final stage. In January, 2021, the ice­making work on the “Ice Ribbon”, a landmark venue for the Beijing Winter Olympics, was completed.

In the Winter Olympics, where races can be won or lost by a small time gap, tiny imperfections in the ice can make all the difference. “It’s not just a hunk of ice like you’d normally think of, like ice cubes sitting in your freezer, ” told Kenneth Golden, a US mathematician who studies the structures of ice. “It’s a much more fascinating and complex substance than people would normally think.”

The first step for building any ice rink is to purify the water to remove dissolved solids like salts and minerals. Such impurities don’t fit in the regular hexagonal (六边形的) structure of ice that forms as water freezes. The more pure the water is, the more consistent the ice surface.

In addition to the need for excellence in the raw materials of ice­making, technology is also very important. As one of the most advanced technologies for winter sports venues, a carbon dioxide (CO₂) cooling technology has been applied on a large scale for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. CO₂ is not new when it comes to ice­making. However, it has been gradually replaced by the man­made refrigerant, like Freon.

With increasing attention toward climate change, the old refrigerant has come into use again. As an element of the atmosphere, CO₂ doesn’t damage the ozone layer. Although CO₂ is a greenhouse gas, its greenhouse effect is much lower than that of other synthetic refrigerants. The Winter Olympics venues adopted CO₂ instead of Freon as a refrigerant in ice­making, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions greatly.

“We believe these technological innovations will bring Beijing 2022 to spectators all over the world in a more impressive way, ” told Gao Bo from the Media Operations Department of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

1. What is the result of impurities in water for ice­making?

A．The water isn’t able to freeze completely.	B．The quality of the ice will be affected.
C．The ice surface will be more consistent.	D．It’s likely for athletes to fall on the ice.

2. Why has CO₂ cooling technology been applied for the Winter Olympic Games?

A．It’s the most advanced technologies for ice­making.	B．CO2 is more efficient than other refrigerants.
C．CO2 is more environmentally­friendly than Freon.	D．CO2 has already existed in the atmosphere.

3. What is Gao Bo’s attitude to CO₂ being applied to ice­making?

A．Unclear.

B．Opposed.

C．Doubtful.

D．Favourable.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Beijing Winter Olympic Games Is Coming	B．Beneath Olympic Ice
C．The Use of Refrigerants in Olympic Games	D．The Structure of Ice

8 . In an ideal world, we would be able to devote as much time to sports as we feel we need. But in reality, with growing demands in both work and family, we can only jump at the chance for our physical exercise when we can. Making the most of that time to practice Yin Yang yoga, which mixes the dynamic and slow-paced elements of yoga, helps keep you active and relaxed.

Yin and Yang are the Taoist concepts representing a balance of opposite forces which are also interconnected. Yin is inactive, cooling, and negative, associated with the female force. Yang is active, warming, and positive, associated with action and movement. They are complementary to one another, as one cannot exist without the other.

Yin Yang yoga is a combination of high-energy movement which builds energy, increases strength and promotes stamina (耐力), followed by the more restful practice of Yin to give us a deeper stretch (拉伸) and calm the nervous system.

If you have a busy and active life you may feel more in Yang, so taking some cooler, slower Yin yoga practice into your routine may help you feel calmer and more balanced.

If you are practicing for an hour, divide the time in half, Warm up with sun salutations (拜日式瑜伽), continue into a dynamic flow and then move on to some standing postures. After half an hour your heart will be pumping, muscles tighten up and you are hopefully feeling energetic, but ready for a rest. Then pick five Yin postures to hold for 3-5 minutes, or even longer if you are enjoying them!

As ever with yoga, if you are a beginner or have health issues, always attend a class with a trained instructor first to guide you safely through the yoga practice and avoid injury.

1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?

A．Most of our sports time should be spent on Yin Yang yoga.

B．We’d better devote as much time to physical exercise as we can.

C．Busy schedule makes it impossible for us to do any form of sports.

D．Yin Yang yoga can be a choice of physical exercise when time is tight.

2. What does the underlined word “complementary” in the second paragraph probably mean?

A．Independent from one another.

B．Competitive against one another.

C．Similar to each other but unable to work together as a whole.

D．Different from each other but together making a good combination.

3. Which of the following might be the benefit of Yin postures?

A．Relaxing muscles.	B．Building stamina.
C．Strengthening the body.	D．Quickening the heartbeat.

4. What suggestion does the writer give in the last two paragraphs?

A．Hold each Yin posture for longer than 5 minutes.

B．Do not practice yoga when you are not in good health.

C．Start your yoga practice under the guidance of a trainer.

D．Spare half an hour for five Yin postures in every yoga practice.

10 . I went with some colleagues for dinner in a very popular local restaurant. It was ________ business time and the restaurant was crowded.

As we were waiting for a table, we heard a crash when a cleaning boy________the floor with all the plates he was carrying. There was ________ and no one was saying or doing anything. In a flash I remembered my ________ many years ago. At one time, I ________ when I was on business. I had a high fever but luckily was taken care of by two ________. Then this was my chance to ________ it forward.

I had learned some first-aid lessons before, so I ran to the boy’s side________, turned him on his back and screamed for someone to ________ a hot drink. The boy soon opened his eyes,________ what had happened. And so I ________ him by saying it was OK. I held the warm drink to his mouth till he________ it. At that time the manager arrived, who was kind enough to look after the boy. By the time all this was over, we hadn’t________anything yet, and we decided to go home.

I slowly walked home, not hungry any more, feeling________for the opportunity to pay forward the _______ I had received many years ago.

1.

A．busy

B．local

C．spare

D．regular

2.

A．kicked

B．touched

C．hit

D．swept

3.

A．silence

B．danger

C．doubt

D．suffering

4.

A．prediction

B．behaviour

C．experience

D．career

5.

A．fell about

B．fell asleep

C．fell behind

D．fell ill

6.

A．friends

B．strangers

C．partners

D．relatives

7.

A．pay

B．return

C．take

D．put

8.

A．frequently

B．quickly

C．sadly

D．excitedly

9.

A．select

B．mix

C．remove

D．bring

10.

A．knowing

B．wondering

C．ignoring

D．arguing

11.

A．reminded

B．comforted

C．observed

D．encouraged

12.

A．spotted

B．checked

C．noticed

D．finished

13.

A．prepared

B．required

C．received

D．ordered

14.

A．concerned

B．eager

C．grateful

D．ready

15.

A．kindness

B．honor

C．respect

D．service