1 . I experienced years of loneliness as a child.
A bright spot for me turned out to be reading. My love of the written word began early as my mother read to me every evening.
My mother also encouraged me to make what I wanted. I tried making toy cars with cardboard boxes and constructing buildings from leftover cardboard and bits of wood my father gave me. When my mother saw my creations, she told me how creative my designs were.
A.I wasn't alone any longer. |
B.I enjoyed reading stories aloud. |
C.I was invited to play with another kid. |
D.I loved the colorful photographs in the books. |
E.Another habit I formed early was being outdoors. |
F.Thus, I began my lifelong interest in making things. |
G.My older brother couldn’t be bothered to play with me. |
2 . Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers, small, tightly knit(联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.
Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialization, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalisation and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.
At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages. Often spoken by many people while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 Languages: the Americas about 1,000, Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number(中位数) of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the worlds languages are spoken by fewer people than that.
Already well over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction(消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers), Chiapaneco in Mexico(150). Lipan Apache in the United States(two or three) or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.
1. What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?A.They developed very fast. | B.They were large in number. |
C.They had similar patters. | D.They were closely connected |
A.Complex. | B.Advanced. |
C.Powerful. | D.Modern. |
A.About 6,800 . | B.About 3,400 |
C.About 2,400 | D.About 1,200. |
A.New languages will be created. |
B.Peoples lifestyles are reflected in languages. |
C.Human development results in fewer languages. |
D.Geography determines language evolution. |
3 . The brown paper bag hit the ground. A Michelin engineer picked it up and opened it, revealing a cracked, leaking egg. The third graders at A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School were disappointed when they saw the runny mess.
It was engineering week at A.J. Whittenberg, a public primary school in Greenville, South Carolina. One week per month, engineers from local industries visit the classrooms and talk to students about their careers.
Greenville is now introducing the idea of a career path to students in primary school and giving students the option to follow those programs to middle and high schools. Each primary school focuses on a specific technical skill. The district allows students to attend schools outside of their attendance boundaries as long as space is available, which means students can choose to continue to follow their chosen career pathway at a middle school with corresponding programs.
The effort in Greenville is part of a growing national trend in which school districts partner with local industries to develop curriculum (课程) and expose students to specialized careers at a young age.
Some education experts worry the focus on industry qualifications has resulted in schools taking on responsibilities that should fall to businesses, like training workers for specific job duties, damaging a more comprehensive education in schools. “Schools are to not just prepare people for work and strengthen the economy, but also a place where students should experience art, music and think creatively,” said Jack Schneider, a professor of education at the University of Massachusetts.
A teacher from Greenville, however, said, “Career exposure has a big impact on kids. We’re not really wanting them to make a decision—‘I’m in the second grade and now I’m locked in to being whatever when I graduate from high school in 10 years.’ We just hope students walk across the graduation stage with plans for a career in mind.”
Modern times need modern solutions. When students leave school, they need to be already down their road to college, if that’s what they’re going to do, or schools need to give them something that allows them to get to work and earn a living. Just getting out with a high school degree doesn’t do that.
1. Why were the third graders disappointed?A.Their test failed. | B.The bag missed the target. |
C.Engineers disturbed them. | D.They had to clean the ground. |
A.Design more career paths. | B.Invite engineers to their schools. |
C.Adopt the open enrollment policy. | D.Offer more courses for them to choose. |
A.People’s employment. | B.Students’ overall development. |
C.The nation’s economy. | D.The school’s innovative education. |
A.Modern solutions are hard to find. |
B.More students need college education. |
C.Greenville’s practice is not acceptable. |
D.A high school degree is not enough for jobs. |
4 . Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun, according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday.
While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers, some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children’s lives, and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading.
According to the report’s key findings, “the proportion (比例) who say they ‘hardly ever’ read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13-year-olds and 9 percent of 17-year-olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today.”
The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children, ages 2—8, remain largely the same. But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined, from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session.
When it comes to technology and reading, the report does little to counsel(建议) parents looking for data about the effect of e-readers and tablets on reading. It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading, mainly due to concerns about increased screen time.
The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading. Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently, compared to infrequent readers, have more books in the home, more books purchased for them, parents who read more often, and parents who set aside time for them to read.
As the end of school approaches, and school vacation reading lists loom(逼近) ahead, parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore.
1. What is the Common Sense Media report probably about?A.Children’s reading habits. |
B.Quality of children’s books. |
C.Children’s after-class activities. |
D.Parent-child relationships. |
A.In paragraph 2. | B.In paragraph 3. |
C.In paragraph 4. | D.In paragraph 5. |
A.E-books are of poor quality. |
B.It could be a waste of time. |
C.It may harm children’s health. |
D.E-readers are expensive. |
A.Act as role models for them. |
B.Ask them to write book reports. |
C.Set up reading groups for them. |
D.Talk with their reading class teachers. |
5 . Sometimes it’s hard to let go. For many British people, that can apply to institutions and objects that represent their country’s past-age-old castles, splendid homes… and red phone boxes.
Beaten first by the march of technology and lately by the terrible weather in junkyards (废品场), the phone boxes representative of an age are now making something of a comeback. Adapted in imaginative ways, many have reappeared on city streets and village greens housing tiny cafes, cellphone repair shops or even defibrillator machines (除颤器).
The original iron boxes with the round roofs first appeared in 1926. They were designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, the architect of the Battersea Power Station in London. After becoming an important part of many British streets, the phone boxes began disappearing in the 1980s, with the rise of the mobile phone sending most of them away to the junkyards.
About that time, Tony Inglis’ engineering and transport company got the job to remove phone boxes from the streets and sell them out. But Inglis ended up buying hundreds of them himself, with the idea of repairing and selling them. He said that he had heard the calls to preserve the boxes and had seen how some of them were listed as historic buildings.
As Inglis and, later other businessmen, got to work, repurposed phone boxes began reappearing in cities and villages as people found new uses for them. Today, they are once again a familiar sight, playing roles that are often just as important for the community as their original purpose.
In rural areas, where ambulances can take a relatively long time to arrive, the phone boxes have taken on a lifesaving role. Local organizations can adopt them for l pound, and install defibrillators to help in emergencies.
Others also looked at the phone boxes and saw business opportunities. LoveFone, a company that advocates repairing cellphones rather than abandoning them, opened a mini workshop in a London phone box in 2016.
The tiny shops made economic sense, according to Robert Kerr, a founder of LoveFone. He said that one of the boxes generated around $13,500 in revenue a month and cost only about $400 to rent.
Inglis said phone boxes called to mind an age when things were built to last. “I like what they are to people, and I enjoy bringing things back,” he said.
1. The phone boxes are making a comeback ______.A.to form a beautiful sight of the city |
B.to improve telecommunications services |
C.to remind people of a historical period |
D.to meet the requirement of green economy |
A.They were not well-designed. | B.They provided bad services. |
C.They had too short a history. | D.They lost to new technologies. |
A.their new appearance and lower prices | B.the push of the local organizations |
C.their changed roles and functions | D.the big funding of the businessmen |
6 . I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.
I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl(猫头鹰) on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.
I examined the chick(雏鸟) and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.
The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.
Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.
A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all — LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.
1. What is unavoidable in the author’s rescue work according to paragraph 1?A.Efforts made in vain. |
B.Getting injured in his work. |
C.Feeling uncertain about his future. |
D.Creatures forced out of their homes. |
A.To rescue a woman. |
B.To take care of a woman. |
C.To look at a baby owl. |
D.To cure a young owl. |
A.A new nest. |
B.Some food. |
C.A recording. |
D.Its parents. |
A.It’s unexpected. |
B.It’s beautiful. |
C.It’s humorous. |
D.It’s discouraging. |
7 . Egyptian table tennis player Ibrahim Hamadtou didn’t win a medal, or even score a victory. But he has become one of the most
Hamadtou lost his
After several
He first competed at the Rio Paralympics, and was finally able to fulfill his lifelong
In Tokyo, he lost to a Chinese player and a player from South Korea,
“I want to tell everybody that nothing is
A.interesting | B.inspiring | C.depressing | D.surprising |
A.parents | B.legs | C.arms | D.friends |
A.reduce | B.beat | C.lose | D.fall |
A.in shape | B.held up | C.shut up | D.in comfort |
A.intense | B.tiring | C.noisy | D.dangerous |
A.thoughts | B.matches | C.injuries | D.attempts |
A.practice | B.failure | C.waiting | D.challenge |
A.start | B.hit | C.serve | D.ball |
A.chance | B.journey | C.road | D.dream |
A.earn | B.pay | C.deserve | D.give |
A.developed | B.adopted | C.demonstrated | D.extended |
A.abandoning | B.ending | C.winning | D.joining |
A.example | B.message | C.quote | D.lesson |
A.unfortunate | B.comfortable | C.meaningful | D.impossible |
A.disability | B.pity | C.suffering | D.belief |
8 . The Language of Flowers
Ding dong! I looked up from the couch. Who in the world could that be? My body was troubled with illness, so I’d
I
Instead of returning to the couch, I
The group had followed him and picked very
The more I understood what the flowers were
A.hidden | B.given | C.driven | D.broken |
A.forbid | B.accept | C.act | D.respond |
A.cautiously | B.reluctantly | C.instantly | D.cheerfully |
A.size | B.style | C.uniqueness | D.shape |
A.go together | B.stand out | C.mix up | D.fade away |
A.informed | B.thanked | C.rewarded | D.telephoned |
A.delivery | B.program | C.mystery | D.scene |
A.companion | B.message | C.commitment | D.gift |
A.expensive | B.rare | C.specific | D.fresh |
A.explained | B.clarified | C.defined | D.analyzed |
A.pain | B.fortune | C.sympathy | D.sunshine |
A.modest | B.tolerant | C.formal | D.meaningful |
A.involving | B.saying | C.smelling | D.signing |
A.advocated | B.confirmed | C.required | D.earned |
A.ambition | B.value | C.curiosity | D.fantasy |
9 . TikTok, a social media app dedicated to short-form videos, has emerged as a major firer of food trends — from mushroom coffee and pancake cereal to cloud bread and feta pasta. But another trend, the #whatieatinaday trend, is dominating TikTok, which is nearing 9 billion
Even though #whatieatinaday posts may be
The
Often the overly stylized (程式化) meals do not
Younger audiences, especially girls and young women, internalize the message that they must eat like these creators to achieve and maintain not only health, but also social
Even if the #whatieatinaday posts are displaying a
People making these videos are overwhelmingly thin, young, able-bodied and white. There is a complete lack of body
A.views | B.statements | C.analyses | D.identities |
A.emphasized | B.simplified | C.requested | D.intended |
A.moral | B.scientific | C.potential | D.instant |
A.modern | B.staged | C.educational | D.labelled |
A.prioritize | B.commercialize | C.recognize | D.exchange |
A.promoting | B.representing | C.spoiling | D.perfecting |
A.welfare | B.equality | C.desirability | D.justice |
A.individual | B.instinctive | C.restrictive | D.changeable |
A.attracting | B.seeking | C.losing | D.offering |
A.fixed | B.balanced | C.relaxing | D.demanding |
A.reader | B.advertiser | C.browser | D.poster |
A.Therefore | B.Finally | C.Additionally | D.Meanwhile |
A.lose weight | B.share interests | C.assume burden | D.make contributions |
A.language | B.diversity | C.warmth | D.response |
A.available | B.predictable | C.inadequate | D.unachievable |
10 . Climate experts have warned about the many ways a warming planet can negatively affect human health.
One long-held prediction that appears to be coming true — according to the results of a study recently published in Nature Scientific Reports — is how climate change might enhance
Vibrio vulnificus (创伤弧菌) flourishes in salty or brackish waters above 68℉. Infections are currently rare in the U.S., but that’s likely to change. Using 30 years of data on infections, scientists at the University of East Anglia in the U.K. found that Vibrio vulnificusis
“We’re seeing the core
Based on the latest data on how much the world’s water and air temperatures will rise, the scientists predict that by 2081, Vibrio vulnificus infections could reach every state along the U.S. East Coast. Currently, only about 80 cases are reported in the U.S. each year; by 2081, that could go up to over three-fold, the authors say.
Such a proliferation could have serious health consequences. Vibrio vulnificus kills approximately 20% of the healthy people it infects, and 50% of those with weakened immune systems. There is little evidence that antibiotics can
Warming sea temperatures aren’t the only reasons behind the rise of Vibrio vulnificus. Hotter air also draws more people to the coasts and bays, bringing them into closer contact with the bacteria.
“The bacteria are part of the natural marine environment, so I don’t think we can
To alert people to the growing threat,
Vbrio vulnificus is so
Lake says the expansion of Vibrio vulnificus is concerning for public health since the bacteria are now invading waters closer to heavily
A.Even if | B.Except when | C.The instant | D.In case |
A.numbers | B.ranges | C.coverages | D.concentrations |
A.failure | B.fatality | C.survival | D.acid |
A.ranging | B.varying | C.expanding | D.shifting |
A.distribution | B.launch | C.community | D.sample |
A.principle | B.lead | C.principal | D.hit |
A.boost | B.accelerate | C.contain | D.remove |
A.harms | B.damages | C.injuries | D.wounds |
A.relieve | B.dissolve | C.resolve | D.erase |
A.conscience | B.awareness | C.panic | D.alert |
A.monitoring | B.processing | C.managing | D.delivering |
A.sensible | B.vital | C.vulnerable | D.sensitive |
A.populated | B.dense | C.paralleled | D.bordered |
A.reaction | B.interaction | C.intervention | D.relativity |
A.rather than | B.except for | C.such as | D.other than |