1 . Many years ago, my dad was facing a serious heart condition. He was unable to do a steady job. He suddenly fell ill and had to be admitted to the hospital.

He wanted to do something to keep himself busy, so he decided to volunteer at the local children’s hospital. My dad loved kids. It was a perfect job for him. He ended up working with the seriously ill children. He would talk, play, and do arts with them.

One of his kids was a girl with a rare disease that paralyzed (使瘫痪) her from the neck down. She couldn’t do anything, and she was very depressed. My dad decided to try to help her. He started visiting her in her room, bringing paints, brushes and paper. He stood the paper up, put the paintbrush in his mouth and began to paint. He didn’t use his hands at all. All the while he would tell her, “See, you can do anything you set your mind to.” At the end of the day, she began to paint using her mouth, and she and my dad became friends. Soon after, the little girl was sent home because the doctors felt there was nothing else they could do for her. My dad also left the children’s hospital for a little while because he became ill. Some time later after my dad had recovered and returned to work, in came the little girl who had been paralyzed and only this time she was walking. She ran straight over to my dad and hugged him really tight. She gave him a picture she had done using her hands. At the bottom it read: “Thank you for helping me walk.”

My dad would cry every time he told us this story and so would we. He would say sometimes love is more powerful than doctors, and my dad — who died just a few months after the little girl gave him the picture — loved every single child in that hospital.

1. How did the author’s father help the paralyzed girl?

A．He helped her practice walking.	B．He visited her and made a toy for her.
C．He showed her that she could still do things.	D．He painted special pictures for her.

2. What can be learned about the paralyzed girl according to Paragraph 3?

A．She eventually became a unique painter.

B．She was sent home and never seen again.

C．She gradually recovered and walked.

D．She sent the author’s dad a picture painted with her mouth.

3. What message does the passage mainly convey?

A．It’s better to give than to receive.	B．A sick person should not focus on his disease.
C．Volunteering is a worthwhile thing to do.	D．Love can sometimes bring great results.

4. Why did the author’s father work at the local children’s hospital?

A．To make his serious heart condition less serious.	B．To keep himself occupied and pleased.
C．To realize his childhood dream.	D．To earn money to pay for treatment.

2 . Tea drinking was common in China for nearly one thousand years before anyone in Europe had ever heard about it. People in Britain were much slower in finding out what tea was like, mainly because tea was very expensive. It could not be bought in shops and even those people who could afford to have it sent from Holland did so only because it was a fashionable curiosity. Some of them were not sure how to use it. They thought it was a vegetable and tried cooking the leaves.

Tea remained scarce (稀少的) and very expensive in England until the ships of the East India Company began to bring it directly from China early in the 17th century. During the next few years so much tea came into the country that the price fell and many people could afford to buy it.

At the same time people on the Continent were becoming more and more fond of tea. Until then tea had been drunk without milk in it, but one day a famous French lady named Madame de Sevigne decided to see what tea tasted like when milk was added. She found it so pleasant that she would never again drink it without milk. She was such a great lady that her friends thought they must copy everything she did, so they also drank their tea with milk in it. Slowly this habit spread until it reached England and today only very few Britons drink tea without milk.

At first, tea was usually drunk after dinner in the evening. No one ever thought of drinking tea in the afternoon until a duchess (公爵夫人) found that a cup of tea and a piece of cake at three or four o’clock stopped her getting “a sinking feeling” as she called it. She invited her friends to have this new meal with her and so, teatime was born.

1. What do we know about the introduction of tea into Britain?

A．Tea reached Britain from Holland.

B．The Britons got expensive tea from India.

C．The Britons were the first people in Europe who drank tea.

D．It was not until the 17th century that the Britons had tea.

2. When did tea become a popular drink in Britain probably?

A．In the late 19th century.	B．In the 18th century.
C．In the 17th century.	D．In the 16th century.

3. The underlined words “this habit” in Paragraph 3 refers to __________.

A．drinking tea with milk in it	B．drinking tea without milk in it
C．drinking tea after dinner	D．drinking tea in the afternoon

4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．The history of tea.	B．The ways of making tea.
C．The birth of teatime.	D．The habit of drinking tea.

4 . Amblyopia is the most common cause of vision loss in children. In all cases of amblyopia, there’s a stronger eye and a weaker eye, and it’s winner-take-all in the cortex (大脑皮层). The cortex learns to ignore the signal from the weaker eye. By ignoring the weaker eye, the brain doesn’t fuse (融合) images from both eyes. As a result, people with amblyopia can have trouble seeing in 3D.

In an attempt to solve this problem, doctors start treating patients with amblyopia at a young age, while their brain pathways are still developing. The children, usually under 7 years old, are often told to wear an eye patch over their strong eye to force the brain to rely on the weaker. But whenever the eye patch is removed, the competition can start over. For lasting improvement, new treatments need to teach the brain to stop suppressing (抑制) key visual cues coming from the weaker eye, says neuroscientist Dennis Levi of the University of California.

Now, several research teams are taking a new way that aims to get the brain to make better use of the information coming from both eyes, Several companies are working on treatments based on this new angle. One is called Luminopia.

Luminopia’s therapy involves having children watch videos through a virtual reality headset. As the children watch, the headset blocks out certain parts of the display for each eye, so the patients actually have to combine input from the two images to get the full video.

The company conducted a trial showing that children with amblyopia begin to see better on eye chart assessments after three months of one-hour sessions done six days a week, But they have yet to measure improvements in long-term effectiveness. It is believed that if people with amblyopia don’t learn to fuse signals from both eyes from a young age, they never will. So some scientists think attempting to treat adults, whose brains have suppressed signals from their weak eye for decades, is a lost cause.

1. Why does a person with amblyopia have trouble seeing in 3D?

A．His brain is unable to receive images.

B．His cortex overlooks signals from the weaker eye.

C．His stronger eye can’t send signals to the brain.

D．His weaker eye fails to receive signals.

2. Which of the following best describes the effect of an eye patch?

A．Ineffective.	B．Temporary.
C．Wonderful.	D．Comprehensive.

3. What is the working principle of Luminopia’s therapy?

A．Activating the weak eye to get the full video.

B．Forcing the brain to rely on the weaker eye.

C．Improving the situations with eye chart assessments.

D．Blocking out the images received from the stronger eye.

4. What can we learn about Luminopia’s therapy from the last paragraph?

A．It has an instant effect.	B．Adults are is main targets.
C．More trials need to be conducted.	D．It has long-term effectiveness.

5 . According to reports, three-quarters of all crops around the world depend on pollinating (授粉的) insects like bees and butterflies. By pollinating, pollinators enable the production of seeds. Without them, crop farming can become extremely difficult or costly threatening food supplies and prices globally.

Research has shown a rapid and consistent decline in pollinator populations. Average butterfly populations have almost halved since 1991 and bee populations in particular face a sharp decline. Given the world’s growing dependence on these insects, we can only expect the problem to worsen if no action is taken.

Much has been written about how intensive farming practices the use of chemical pesticides and pollution are threatening the survival of these helpful insects. To add to the already critical situation, global warming is contributing significantly to the rapid disappearance of pollinators.

Climate change is a major threat to pollinators, with rising temperatures and increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events affecting the food sources and habitats, on which pollinators depend for their survival.

Climate change also changes the timing and availability of lowering plants, leading to mismatches between pollinators and their food sources. A study has found that climate change has shifted plants’ blooming to earlier times and caused certain plants to move to higher areas, resulting in a decline in pollination.

Another study has found that climate change could lead to a decline in the quality of nectar, which is the main food source for many pollinators. As temperatures rise, the sugar content of nectar decreases, making it less nutritious for pollinators. This leads to a decline in the health and reproductive success of pollinators, as well as a decline in the pollination of plants.

Needless to say, cutting global emissions is key. It’s essential that we continue to advocate for emission reductions. From country-level to individual businesses, more concrete roadmaps to net zero are a must.

We must at least minimize, if not prevent, the usage of pesticides, since these chemicals are harmful to pollinators and can have a far-reaching effect on pollination as a whole.

1. What does paragraph 1 try to show?

A．The influence of crop crises.	B．The importance of pollinators.
C．The serious challenges faced by humans.	D．The increasing difficulty of crop production.

2. How does the author sound in paragraph 2?

A．Curious.

B．Suspicious.

C．Humorous.

D．Anxious.

3. What do paragraphs 3-4 mainly talk about?

A．How climate change has affected pollinators.

B．Causes of the decline in pollinator populations.

C．The importance of pollinators to the ecosystem.

D．Why chemical pesticides are harmful to pollinators.

4. What is a suggestion for helping pollinators?

A．Starting keeping bees.	B．Reducing pesticide use.
C．Increasing the amount of nectar.	D．Building more habitats for pollinators.

8 . When it comes to an ox, very similar to a bull, people will think of 2009, the Year of Ox. The Ox is a representative of the farming culture of China. In the farming economy, oxen are the major animals pulling plows (梨).

Of course, the good of oxen is not limited to plowing. In fact, they are seen as “boats on land” for their ability to carry loads. Besides, the whole body of an ox is full of treasures. Their meat and milk are food full of nutrition, and their skin can be used to make clothes and shoes. With all these qualities, oxen are regarded as generous creatures.

In the past, oxen played an important role in the spiritual life of the Chinese. Even today, oxen still play a special part in some folk activities. For example, some people who live in southwest China will cook cattle bone soup and share it among family members when holding the ceremony for children who reach 13. They believe that the cattle bone soup represents the blood relationship among family members. In order to express their love for oxen, people in some other areas will run to shake off diseases on the 16^th day of the first month by the lunar calendar, and during their run they will take their oxen along, which indicates they regard the creature as human.

Because of the contribution of oxen in their lives, the Chinese people are very grateful to the animal. In addition, the use of oxen in ceremonies and the thanks people owe to oxen help to develop various traditional customs, which becomes an important part of the folk culture of the Chinese nation.

1. The second paragraph focuses on ______.

A．the qualities of oxen	B．creatures for pulling plows
C．treasures of the folk culture	D．tools in the farming economy

2. From the third paragraph, we know that ______.

A．Oxen are no more important today than in the past

B．Ceremonies are held when people cook cattle bone soup

C．Oxen are treated as human in some areas of China

D．People run with oxen to shake off diseases every month

3. Which of the following helps to develop traditional customs?

A．The special role of oxen in farming.

B．People’s respect and love for oxen.

C．The practical value of an ox’s body.

D．The contribution of oxen to the economy.

4. Why does the author write the text?

A．To stress the importance of oxen in history.

B．To introduce the Chinese folk culture.

C．To describe how to celebrate the Year of Ox.

D．To explain how to develop agriculture with oxen.

9 . In the old-fashioned town of Willowbrook, two friends named Emma and Liam shared an intimate bond. They were inseparable and spent every moment together, laughing, exploring, and creating unforgettable memories.

One cold winter morning, as the first snowflakes gently fell from the sky, Emma woke up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. She tried to brave it and get ready for school, but her body felt weak and achy. Unwillingly, she called Liam to let him know she couldn’t make it to school that day.

Liam was concerned when he heard the tiredness in Emma’s voice. “Don’t worry, Em. I’ll take care of everything at school for you,” he assured her. Feeling grateful for Liam’s understanding, Emma forced a smile and replied, “Thank you, Liam. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.”

After school, Liam hurried to Emma’s house, carrying a meal he had prepared for her. He knocked on the door, and Emma’s mother welcomed him with a warm smile. “Oh, Liam, you’re such a thoughtful friend,” she said.

“I brought some soup and tea for Emma. I hope it will make her feel better,” Liam replied, some concern in his eyes. Entering Emma’s room, Liam found her curled up under a blanket, looking pale but relieved to see him. “Hey, I brought some comfort food to cheer you up,” he said, setting the food on her bedside table.

Emma’s eyes lit up, and she smiled weakly. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. This means the world to me,” she whispered. Sitting by her side, Liam kept her company, chatting softly and making her laugh despite her illness. The warmth of their friendship enveloped the room, bringing a feeling of comfort to Emma’s tired soul.

As Emma regained her strength, she realized just how lucky she was to have a friend like Liam. His unwavering presence and kindness had made her recovery easier and brighter. Their friendship grew stronger with each passing day, and from that moment on, they knew they would be there for each other through thick and thin.

1. What does the underlined word “intimate” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Satisfactory.

B．Informal.

C．Close.

D．Temporary.

2. Why didn’t Emma go to school that morning?

A．It was too cold to go outside.	B．Liam failed to pick her up.
C．She was in a bad condition.	D．School was closed for the heavy snow.

3. Which of the following can best describe Liam?

A．Considerate and caring.	B．Brave but lazy.
C．Selfless and active.	D．Independent but stubborn.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．Emma’s illness.	B．A precious friendship.
C．Liam’s company.	D．How to help a friend.

10 . We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

What’s the problem? It’s possible that along with the rapid development of society, we all focus on our phone and desktop, and therefore it results in our compromised conversational intelligence. However, it’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s awkward and challenging, or we think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can’t forget that deep relationships wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for small conversation. “Small talk is the grease (润滑剂) for social communication,” says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. “Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk,” he explains. “The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them.”

In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. “It’s not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,” says Dunn. “But interactions with peripheral (边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also.”

Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. “Small talk is the basis of good manners,” he says.

1. What does the underlined word “compromised” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Weakened.

B．Enhanced.

C．Secret.

D．Natural.

2. What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci?

A．Showing good manners.	B．Relating to other people.
C．Focusing on a topic.	D．Making business deals.

3. What can we learn about small talk from the coffee shop study?

A．It made the coffee taste better.	B．It reduced waiting time in line.
C．It improved people’s mood and experience.	D．It helped them bond with the server deeply.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Elevator manners.	B．The importance of small talk.
C．Smartphones and social media.	D．Developing deep relationships.