1 . When other teenagers hang out with friends in the summer vacations. Erica doesn’t join. Instead, the 16-year-old senior high student is
Erica started baking out of
Always considered a
| A．applied | B．occupied | C．accommodated | D．adapted |
| A．assists | B．shelters | C．charges | D．runs |
| A．sympathy | B．gratitude | C．passion | D．politeness |
| A．failure | B．success | C．pressure | D．astonishment |
| A．employed | B．perfected | C．shared | D．presented |
| A．reminded | B．permitted | C．instructed | D．inspired |
| A．confirmation | B．debate | C．consideration | D．contrast |
| A．annoyed | B．elegant | C．cautious | D．serious |
| A．distinguished | B．approved | C．neglected | D．hesitated |
| A．regular | B．potential | C．favoured | D．demanding |
| A．Unobviously | B．Unconsciously | C．Unfortunately | D．Unavoidably |
| A．down | B．off | C．through | D．up |
| A．model | B．sculptor | C．psychologist | D．captain |
| A．keep to | B．go beyond | C．jump at | D．work on |
| A．mean | B．modest | C．assured | D．sensitive |
2 . Seba lives in Memphis, Tennessee—a place famous for music. He grew up with music all around, but he especially loved the drumming of Stewart Copeland from the band The Police. “The Police songs are full of so much cool drumming,” he says.
Before he turned three, his parents asked him what he wanted for his birthday. “Drums!” he answered. His parents weren’t sure, but after seeing him play the drums at a local music store, they decided he was serious. They bought him a junior drum kit.
But soon Seba grew upset. He couldn’t get his junior drum kit to make the sound he heard Mr. Copeland making. It was a lesson for the family: good instruments were worth paying for. His parents bought him a professional drum kit and signed him up for lessons.
In just a few months, his drum teacher reported that Seba was learning extremely quickly and needed a higher level of training. He was still four.
Seba’s parents encouraged him to explore music in other ways. Seba learned bass (贝斯), guitar, and piano. He faced challenges—some related to his size. “I couldn’t see over my drum set,” he says. “And I couldn’t reach some of the cymbals.” He also had trouble finding a good bass that was small enough.
In 2020, Seba got special permission to join a summer music program at Berklee as an 8-year-old. Seba studied bass in an online program. To keep up, he had to practice up-to 36 hours a week.
After the intense summer, his parents thought Seba might want a break. They were wrong. Instead, Seba asked his parents to home-school him so he could keep going to Berklee during the school year. His parents had to make some big changes to make the plan work.
Last May, Seba became the youngest person ever to receive a professional certificate (证书) from Berklee. The certificate is equal to about four college-level classes.
1. What troubled Seba after he got a junior drum kit?| A．His parents signed him up for lessons. |
| B．He couldn’t make the sound he wanted. |
| C．He didn’t like the drum his parents bought |
| D．His drum wasn’t as good as Mr.Copeland’s. |
| A．He couldn’t find a bass of good quality. |
| B．He was too short to see over the drum set. |
| C．He was unable to explore all kinds of music. |
| D．He couldn’t receive a higher level of training. |
| A．He went to Berklee. | B．He had a good rest. |
| C．He continued to learn. | D．He studied online music. |
| A．Talented and hard-working. | B．Famous and honest. |
| C．Serious and responsible. | D．Grateful and polite. |
3 . Despite many public health campaigns to highlight various problems with sugary drinks, we drink them a lot. But, not everyone consumes them. Two new studies shed light on the fact that some of us easily fall victim to the harms of sugary drinks than others.
Though sugary drinks are everywhere, some people find them harder to resist and the first study, conducted by professor Joshua McGreen at Flinders University, sought to understand why. For the research, 128 young adults of 17 to 25 completed a computer test evaluating their attitudes about soft drinks, measured against their soft drink consumption. The study showed that the more unconscious positive judgments individuals had of soft drink advertising, the more soft drink they consumed. It also found that a lack of inhibitory control, which is the cognitive process that allows us to control our desires — say, to buy a nice-tasting soft drink even though we know it’s unhealthy — was also a factor in increased consumption.
A second study provides clues about who is more easily influenced by the marketing strategies. The study found that soft drink companies, like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, have multi-billion-dollar advertising and marketing budgets aimed to “create, maintain and increase consumer demand around benefits related to happiness, social status etc.” These campaigns are “increasingly being directed at disadvantaged groups”, including children and adolescents generally.
Soft drinks, even “zero-sugar” ones, are typically high in calories, but of little nutritional benefit. Placing a tax on sweet drinks may be one strategy to reduce people’s consumption. McGreen also suggests that people develop strong self-control of soft drink consumption. It’s something he wants to research further.
1. What do the two new studies focus on?| A．The harm of sugary drinks. | B．The popularity of sugary drinks. |
| C．The consumers of sugary drinks. | D．The profit made by sugary drinks. |
| A．Those who have a good impression of soft drinks. |
| B．Those who have a good spending habit. |
| C．Those who can control their desires well. |
| D．Those who have no interest in soft drink advertising. |
| A．The warning against the consumption of soft drinks. |
| B．Plans to research into self-control of soft drink consumption. |
| C．The importance of sports stars in advertising soft drinks. |
| D．Suggestions on reducing the consumption of soft drinks. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Uncaring. | D．Ambiguous. |
4 . Family vlogging — the frequent recording and uploading of personal videos of the family, usually on video sharing website — has become big business nowadays, especially among parents of young children. The more viewers such videos can get, the more money the family can make. At first thought, it does seem like an easy way to make money. However, are we doing right by putting their lives up for public attention?
For one thing, as the children grow up, they increasingly become aware that what they do needs to be admirable enough for the public to enjoy — Being young children, they also would want to do whatever it takes to please others. They then feel the pressure to be perfect, and as that is something not always possible, they become anxious and stressed. Comments from viewers and the expectations of sponsors (赞助者) can also affect the parents’ reactions towards their children.
Another problem is the lack of privacy in the children’s lives. As the children reach adolescence, there is a greaser need for personal space. At 12 or 13, very few children would appreciate being filmed while eating or having a conversation with their friends. Teenhood is a time of significant change in an individual, both physically and emotionally, and is a time when parents need to protect their children and guide them, instead of exposing them to the eyes of the public.
Family vlogging can be irresistible, given how it allows parents to bring greater fun to their family lives. There is also the easy money and the fame to look forward to. Indeed, all would probably go well, but only as long as parents keep in mind that, if not managed well, making their children live their lives in the unforgiving eyes of the public could prove to be a big mistake.
1. How does vlogging about children’s lives influence the family?| A．Children will get used to public attention. |
| B．Children may suffer from too much pressure. |
| C．Parents may show no concern for their children. |
| D．Parents become addicted to exposing their children to the public. |
| A．By providing examples | B．By listing numbers |
| C．By making comparisons | D．By analyzing causes |
| A．To introduce a new big business |
| B．To show how vlogging influence people’s lives. |
| C．To persuade parents to watch out for comments from viewers. |
| D．To convince parents of the danger of vlogging about children’s lives. |
| A．negative | B．positive | C．neutral | D．uninterested |
5 . Best Parks to See Wildlife
A recent report from a vacation site listed the total number of species and sizes of several well-known national parks. Here are some of them to see the widest variety of animals.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Number of species per square meter: 317
Located 20 miles southwest of Cleveland, Ohio, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a mixed ecosystem of forest and wetlands sheltering a variety of animals. From the boardwalk at Beaver Marsh, watch for water-loving mammals or snapping turtles (鳄龟) that can weigh as much as 55 pounds each. More than 200 bird species live in the park.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
Number of species per square meter: 286
The representative for Carlsbad Caverns is the Brazilian free-tailed bat. Every summer, hundreds of thousands of the furry, big-eared creatures live in these caves in southeastern New Mexico, attracting crowds at sunset with their spectacular out flight. The Brazilians are one of the 17 bat species that nest at Carlsbad. You might also encounter wild pigs and cave swallows.
Acadia National Park, Maine
Number of species per square meter: 242
The Atlantic Ocean meets the Maine coast at this popular park on Mount Desert Island, providing habitat for wildlife with feet and flippers (鳍状肢). From the shore, scan the water for the heads of harbor porpoises (鼠海豚) and gray seals.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
Number of species per square meter: 219
In western Colorado, the 2, 722 feet between this park s canyon edge and the Gunnison River below support numerous wildlife habitats. Experienced climbers and hikers who adventure into the inner canyon find collared lizards and mule deer.
1. Which park has the largest number of species per square meter?| A．Acadia National Park. | B．Carlsbad Caverns National Park. |
| C．Cuyahoga Valley National Park. | D．Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park |
| A．Watch crowds of flying bats at sunset. |
| B．Observe 17 swallow species nesting in the city. |
| C．Play with turtles weighing over 55 pounds. |
| D．Meet wild pigs in forests and wetlands. |
| A．Cave swallows. | B．Gray seals. | C．Mule deer. | D．Free-tailed bats. |
6 . Who is the greatest teacher in Chinese history? Many people would think of Confucius, whose birthday was September 28. Although he lived over 2,000 years ago, people still remember and respect him for his contribution to the education today.
Confucius lived in the Kingdom of Lu, which lies in Shandong Province. He lived during the Spring and Autumn Period. He had a hard childhood. His father died when he was only 3. His mother brought him up. As a child, he had to work to help his mother, but young Confucius didn’t give up studying. He visited many famous teachers and learned music, history, poetry and sports.
Later, he became a teacher and started the first public school in Chinese history. At that time only children from noble families could go to school, but Confucius believed everyone should go to school if they wanted to learn. He had about 3,000 students in his lifetime.
Today, people still follow Confucius’ lessons. He told us that we all have something worthy to be learned. “When I am with three people, one of them must be better than me in some areas. I choose their good qualities and follow them.”
He also taught us that thinking is very important in study. He said, “All study but no thinking makes people puzzled, while all thinking but no study makes people lazy.” Confucius is not only a great teacher, but also a famous thinker with wise thoughts about the world and society. His most important teachings are about kindness(仁) and good manners(礼). He said, “A person should be strict with himself, but be kind to others.”
1. Today we still remember Confucius mainly because________.| A．he lived a poor life in his childhood |
| B．he traveled with his students from state to state |
| C．he lived during the Spring and Autumn Period |
| D．he had wise thoughts and great views about education |
| A．poor | B．wealthy | C．fool | D．cute |
| A．Thinking is very important in study. |
| B．We can learn everything from others. |
| C．We should always care for ourselves. |
| D．Learning music and sports is popular. |
| A．Confucius’ teaching methods |
| B．A great man with a hard childhood |
| C．A person who changed Chinese history |
| D．Confucius-a great teacher and thinker |
7 . The captain hadn’t even turned off the “fasten your seat belt” light and Matthew Bahani was already having a rough time.
Matthew, a 9-year-old with autism(自闭症), was growing increasingly anxious even as his parents hugged and kissed him.
“He gets nervous and he can’t control himself. He gets loud. He makes noise. It isn’t easy,” said his father, Sam Bahani, 48. “You can’t imagine what he goes through. He can’t express himself.”
The Bahanis were among the ten families who participated in a program at Newark Liberty International Airport intended to help familiarize autistic children with air travel — a confusing, complex process that, with loud noises, uniformed screening agents and lines of passengers they don’t know, can be frightening to them.
The “Autism Explores” program — which takes participants through all aspects of the flying experience without leaving the ground — also helps parents, who often find themselves in the position of dealing with a difficult child, as well as with scare from other adults who may have no idea of the child’s particular difficulty.
“When you’re in a public situation and that happens, people are not always kind,” said Matthew’s mother, Jennifer Bahani, 42, who avoids even the shopping mall with Matthew.
Each aspect of the program, from check-in to baggage claim, related to the flying experience, except for the actual flying. While the pilot and other flight crew made the usual announcements about flying conditions or the weather on the ground, the plane never actually pulled back from the gate.
“It’s a beautiful day for flying. Sit back and enjoy the flight,” announced the pilot, Geoff Bender, whose 13-year-old daughter, Teresa, is also autistic.
“Normalizing activities like flying for children with autism is important in making sure they will lead as full and independent a life as possible,” he said.
1. How did Matthew feel on the plane?| A．Terrible. | B．Bored. | C．Puzzled. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．To help them get used to air travel. |
| B．To make them interested in air travel. |
| C．To encourage them to travel independently. |
| D．To let them experience air travel with their parents. |
| A．People scaring the child. | B．People being unkind to the child. |
| C．People dealing with a difficult child. | D．People not knowing the child is autistic. |
| A．It had just taken off. | B．It was on the ground. |
| C．It was waiting for passengers. | D．It would soon land at the airport. |
8 . Have you ever received a gift that was so clearly, not your taste that you wondered if perhaps it had been handed to you by mistake? Worse, have you ever given a present and watched your friend look as though she had opened the wrong box? Maybe she responded with a polite “Why, thank you,” but you knew you had missed the mark. Why do presents sometimes go wrong? And what do your choices (good and bad) reflect about your personal qualities?
Choosing the right gift is an art, I believe. It calls for empathy—the ability to put yourself into someone else’s head and heart.We’re all able to do this; in fact, we’re born with a kind of natural empathy.After the earliest period of childhood, however, it needs to be reinforced (加强) —by our parents, teachers, friends. When it isn’t, we’re not able to understand other people’s feelings as sharply.This can show in the gifts we select, and so can many other emotional(情感的) qualities.
Think back to the presents you’ve given over the past year, the time and effort you put into your selection, how much you spent, your thoughts while you were shopping, and your feelings when the receiver opened the package.Keep in mind that what you choose displays your inner world.(Of course, you may express yourself differently with different friends, relatives, and other people you know.)
We live in a society where exchanging presents is an important part of communication.Ignoring the tradition won’t make it go away.If you really dislike such a tradition, tell your friends ahead of time.
1. The underlined expression “you had missed the mark” means you had failed to _______.| A．make her feel better | B．keep your friendship |
| C．get the expected effect | D．receive a present in return |
| A．Natural empathy needs to be reinforced. |
| B．Emotional changes influence one’s choice of gifts. |
| C．Selecting the right gift is an ability people are born with. |
| D．Choosing gifts requires one to understand the receivers. |
| A．the choice of gifts reflects one’s emotional qualities |
| B．one learns from what he did in the past |
| C．attention should be paid to the receivers’ responses |
| D．one should spend more time choosing gifts |
| A．Ways of Choosing Gifts | B．An Important Tradition |
| C．Exchanging Presents | D．Message in a Gift |
9 . John von Neumann was the oldest of 3 children of a banker, and his speed of learning new ideas and loving problems stood out early. At 17, his father tried to persuade him not to become a mathematician because he might lead a poor life being a mathematician, so von Neumann agreed to study chemistry as well. In 1926, at 23, he received a degree in chemical engineering and a Ph. D. in mathematics. From then on, mathematics provided well enough for him, and he never had to turn to chemistry.
In 1930, von Neumann visited Princeton University for a year and then became a professor there. His first book was published in 1932. In 1933, the Institute for Advanced Study was formed, and he became one of the 6 full-time people in the School of Mathematics (Einstein was one of the others).
World War Ⅱ hugely changed von Neumann’s areas of interest. Until 1940 he had been a great pure mathematician. During and after the war, he became one of the best mathematicians who put mathematical theories into practice. During the last part of the war, he became interested in computing machines and made several fundamental contributions. After the war, von Neumann continued his work with computers, and was generally very active in government service. He received many awards, was president of the American Mathematical Society and was a member of the Atomic Energy Commission. He died of cancer in 1957.
Von Neumann made several great contributions and any one of them would have been enough to earn him a firm place in history. He will be remembered as one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
Von Neumann really was a legend in his own time, and there are a number of stories about him. His driving abilities is a part of his legend. He reported one accident this way: “I was driving down the road. The trees on the right were passing me in an orderly fashion at 60 miles per hour. Suddenly one of them stepped in my path.”
1. According to the text, von Neumann’s father believed that _________.| A．a mathematician needed a good memory |
| B．von Neumann had the ability to learn two subjects at the same time |
| C．von Neumann had the gift for solving problems at a high speed |
| D．a mathematician couldn’t earn a lot of money |
| A．25. | B．26. | C．29. | D．32. |
| A．He lost interest in chemistry. |
| B．He began to research how to put mathematics into practice |
| C．He realized the importance of engineering. |
| D．He left college and served at the government department. |
| A．humorous | B．intelligent | C．brave | D．calm |
10 . For the past ten years, my dad and I have attended the same school — he as an administrator and I as a student. Our relationship, in and out of school, has been totally unpredictable.
When I was younger, all that my dad said was doctrine (信条) and anything he did I,
As I grew older, we were not as
However, the
This
I had needed someone else to show me what I
I feel fortunate to have such an unusual father. The
| A．accurately | B．naturally | C．originally | D．passively |
| A．apply to | B．see off | C．count on | D．pick out |
| A．close | B．reliable | C．generous | D．confident |
| A．discriminations | B．failures | C．competitions | D．disasters |
| A．debate | B．instance | C．progress | D．struggle |
| A．differ | B．extend | C．change | D．grow |
| A．issue | B．task | C．lesson | D．procedure |
| A．participated | B．hesitated | C．committed | D．explored |
| A．witnessed | B．investigated | C．pictured | D．fled |
| A．persuaded | B．defeated | C．ignored | D．evaluated |
| A．confusion | B．encouragement | C．embarrassment | D．fascination |
| A．recommended | B．absorbed | C．doubted | D．appreciated |
| A．recognize | B．demand | C．argue | D．estimate |
| A．approach | B．resist | C．limit | D．believe |
| A．strategy | B．conclusion | C．relationship | D．potential |
