1 . You accidentally step into quicksand(流沙）. You begin to sink. Can you drown? Quicksand is sand with so much water between its particles (颗粒) that is soupy. Quicksand can no longer support weight. So does this mean one can drown in quicksand?

The truth is that it is very rare to drown in quicksand. This is because of two things. The first reason is that most quicksand pools are not deep. Usually, a person will sink only a few inches before hitting solid ground. If it is a deep pool, an adult will usually hit solid ground after sinking only to his or her waist. Deeper pools are rare, but even then, there is a reason why people are not swallowed（吞没）up after accidentally stepping into quicksand.

The reason is that quicksand is dense（稠密）. When something is dense, its particles are crowded close together. Quicksand is denser than the human body. This means that humans will naturally float in quicksand! The upward push of quicksand is greater than the downward push of the human body.

Usually you will sink to your chest before you begin to float. Your lungs, acting like giant balloons, help you float. You will only sink further if you are loaded down, perhaps with a heavy pack. Take off your pack, and you cannot drown. You cannot be swallowed.

One man escaped from quicksand after he sank up to his chest. How did he do it? He swam. People can swim in quicksand if they move slowly enough. The man slowly made swimming motions with his arms and legs. He swam slowly and carefully for an hour. He did not stop making the swimming motions once. Finally, he reached the edge of the quicksand pool. He did not drown. He climbed out unharmed.

1. According to the text, quicksand is sand_________.

A．with high temperature	B．mixed with a lot of water
C．that we see on the beach	D．that can pull everything into it

2. What can we infer from the passage?

A．People often drown in quicksand.

B．Most quicksand pools are very deep.

C．Only fat people can be trapped in quicksand.

D．People won’t be swallowed up even in deep quicksand pools.

3. Why do people float in quicksand?

A．Quicksand pools are usually not deep.

B．Quicksand can support heavy weight.

C．Quicksand is denser than the human body.

D．The downward push of quicksand is greater.

4. The text mainly talks about________.

A．quicksand pools.

B．the safety of quicksand.

C．the dangers of quicksand.

D．ways to escape from quicksand.

2 . There are always some persons in your life who touch your soft heart with kindness.

As a little girl, my favorite thing was _______. And when I thought about _______ I wanted to be when I grew up, I figured I’d be a librarian, just because the two librarians changed my life.

At that time, the town library limited the number of books a person borrowed _______ two once a week. I _______ the books in just three days. So to read more, I was _______ about what books to choose. The librarian, Mrs. Tonne, was a warm person. Every time I went into the library, she greeted me, _______. When learning about my trouble, she often _______ some better books. Thanks to her help, I _______ a lot from these books.

Gradually, I developed an interest in writing, _______ poems. When I was in fourth grade, our school librarian, Mrs. Ketelsen, encouraged me to write more. When my poem was not accepted, she ________ me with comfortable words. Once she helped ________ some poems I’d written about dinosaurs to Highlights magazine. It was my first published writing!

Later, at the University of Iowa, ________ I majored in journalism, my dream was different. I realized that I was shy about interviewing people, which made me ________. When I recalled Mrs. Tonne and Mrs. Ketelsen, I made a decision without ________ to be devoted to writing. And now I am an editor at Reader’s Digest.

Whenever I think of the help from them, how ________ I am. It is their kindness that makes me what I am.

1.

A．reading

B．painting

C．exploring

D．creating

2.

A．how

B．why

C．where

D．what

3.

A．of

B．to

C．from

D．between

4.

A．published

B．edited

C．presented

D．finished

5.

A．under the weather

B．in the air

C．at a loss

D．on the rocks

6.

A．shouting

B．smiling

C．crying

D．dancing

7.

A．exchanged

B．recommend

C．designed

D．adapted

8.

A．reflected

B．devoted

C．expected

D．benefited

9.

A．extremely

B．fortunately

C．especially

D．slightly

10.

A．inspired

B．challenged

C．contented

D．tricked

11.

A．admit

B．send

C．revise

D．settle

12.

A．although

B．because

C．when

D．since

13.

A．relaxed

B．satisfied

C．impressed

D．upset

14.

A．hesitation

B．tension

C．exception

D．argument

15.

A．concerned

B．relieved

C．grateful

D．regretful

3 . Purnota Dutta, an MBA from India, took a break from her career in 2010, spending time with her newborn daughter. This life-changing time led her to found Cuddles Foundation — a nonprofit organization focused on providing food and nutrition (营养) to poor children battling cancer in government cancer hospitals.

At the hospital, she saw so many children with cancer, and a baby who was around the same age as her child. Moved by what she saw, Purnota spoke to the social worker about how she could extend support to these children. While they had enough financial resources for treatment, they needed money for nutrition.

The couple did their best to meet their essential requirements. However, it soon surpassed what they could afford, and they started tapping into their networks to raise money. At first, Cuddles Foundation joined hands with Dr Brijesh Arora, who was leading the program for nutrition for children with cancer in India. “Then came Unlimited India, which got me on board as an investee (被投资者),” she adds..

At present, Cuddles Foundation’s FoodHeals programme bridges the nutrition gap in children with cancer in 35 government and charity hospitals in 20 cities across India. Over the past year, it provided nutrition guidance to over 6,000 patients.

Swara is among many children supported by the foundation. The five-year-old from Baramati was diagnosed with cancer. Her father had spent all of his savings on her medical tests and travel. After a year of regular guidance and nutrition support, Swara has entered the recovery stage of treatment and is back home in Baramati.

She hopes, with the support of more partners, Cuddle Foundation will be able to reach its great aims.

1. What’s Purnota’s purpose to establish Cuddles Foundation?

A．To provide school children with food.	B．To support the cancer hospitals.
C．To help poor children with cancer.	D．To collect money to change her life.

2. Which of the following can replace “surpassed” in paragraph 3?

A．made up.

B．used up.

C．gave away.

D．went beyond.

3. Where can you find the data reflecting the achievement of Cuddles Foundation?

A．In paragraph 2.

B．In paragraph 3.

C．In paragraph 4.

D．In paragraph 5.

4. Why does the author mention Swara?

A．To show Cuddles Foundation is helpful.

B．To draw readers’ concern for her.

C．To inspire more children to join the Foundation.

D．To attract more partners for the Foundation.

4 . “The Last Dance”, the documentary (纪录片), told the story of Michael Jordan and his success with the Chicago Bulls .We learned a lot about Michael Jordan.We took behind - the - scenes glimpses (一瞥) at what it’s like to compete in the NBA .We were given a glimpse into the 90s basketball era (时代) at a time when almost no sports are being played .But it also meant something for our culture, experts say.

Dr.Josh Shuart, the director of sport management at the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology at Sacred Heart University (Connecticut), told the Deseret News that the documentary showed something important for our modern society.Watching “The Last Dance” gave us something to look forward to during a time when there’s nothing else going on, he said.“Why is it important and why did people watch it? The latter is simple: with the absence of live sports of any kind, it was probably the single most interesting thing on TV,” Shuart said in an email to the Deseret News.

Michael Jordan matters for sports culture, too.Jordan set the standard when it came to connecting sportsmen to brands (品牌) and brands to sportsmen .Sportsmen can take care of their brand during their careers (职业生涯) and even after they stop doing sports .Shaquille O ' Neal is an example, Shuart said.The Los Angeles Lakers star - though highly celebrated for his basketball career一has built post-basketball success through business chances .

There might not have been too much new content in “The Last Dance” for sports fans who grew up in the Jordan era.But storytelling still provides a way for us to find happiness, Shuart said.

“Above all, even though we know the beginning, middle, and end, the storytelling provides wonderful insight and results in a very interesting story,” he said.

1. What is “The Last Dance” mainly about?

A．The history of the Chicago Bulls.

B．Michael Jordan’s growing-up experience.

C．The development of basketball in the 1990s.

D．Michael Jordan’ s success with the Chicago Bulls.

2. Why did the author take Shaquille O ' Neal as an example?

A．To prove that it takes sportsmen much hard work to be successful.

B．To show Michael Jordan’s great influence on other sportsmen.

C．To discuss why basketball means a lot to most people.

D．To compare Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’ Neal.

3. What does Shuart think of “The Last Dance”?

A．It shows Michael Jordan’s unknown life.	B．It can’t attract Michael Jordan’s fans.
C．It is encouraging and successful.	D．It is boring for most people.

4. Where does the text probably come from?

A．ATV guide.	B．A business report.
C．An official notice.	D．A documentary review.

5 . Once upon a time, two birds lived in a forest. They had three lovely baby birds and they___________them very much. However, the parents___________that one of the baby birds was very selfish(自私的). They were___________worried. One day, the parents told the baby bird, "Gina, you should___________what you have with others.___________you don't share with others, nobody will share with you.” But the baby bird didn't___________them.

When the baby birds___________, they all left their parents and lived on their own. One day, the bird named Gina found many beautiful flowers. She was very___________. "I'm sure there will be a lot of seeds in___________," she thought. She stayed there every day and if some other birds____________to get close to the flowers, she would shout, "Go away. They are____________!" Hearing that, all the other birds flew away.

Several months later, the flowers were____________. But there were no seeds as they were cotton trees. As winter was getting close, Gina became____________. She had stored no____________for winter. Some other birds flew to her and said, "We all____________they were cotton trees. We tried to tell you about__________, but you've always driven us away." Hearing that, Gina was__________ashamed(羞愧的). She remembered what her parents once said to her. She____________how selfish she was!

She decided to make a____________. She looked for food everywhere and once she found some, she shared with others. The other birds__________her, too. Because of their help, she got through the winter.

1.

A．hated

B．feared

C．surprised

D．loved

2.

A．explained

B．doubted

C．found

D．told

3.

A．daily

B．possibly

C．really

D．hardly

4.

A．play

B．share

C．enjoy

D．find

5.

A．Though

B．Unless

C．If

D．Until

6.

A．care about

B．look for

C．look at

D．listen to

7.

A．grew up

B．flew away

C．looked up

D．run away

8.

A．kind

B．happy

C．disappointed

D．angry

9.

A．spring

B．summer

C．autumn

D．winter

10.

A．decided

B．refused

C．used

D．tried

11.

A．his

B．theirs

C．yours

D．mine

12.

A．short

B．gone

C．lost

D．old

13.

A．worried

B．interested

C．tired

D．excited

14.

A．room

B．wood

C．food

D．water

15.

A．told

B．ignored

C．lied

D．knew

16.

A．how

B．when

C．that

D．where

17.

A．gradually

B．greatly

C．finally

D．frequently

18.

A．realized

B．wrote

C．suggested

D．remembered

19.

A．change

B．plan

C．preparation

D．meal

20.

A．visited

B．found

C．liked

D．helped

6 . Microplastics are tiny bits or threads of plastic, often too small to be seen. In recent years, microplastics have been found almost everywhere, from the North pole to Antarctica, from the top of Mount Qomolangma to the deepest point in the sea.

In a recent study led by a group called Ocean Wise, researchers made four trips across the Arctic Ocean. They took 71 samples from between 10 and 26 feet below the ocean’s surface, and 26 more samples from more than 0.6 miles below. They found microplastics in all but one, with an average of about 40 microplastic particles in every cubic meter. To identify the particles they found, the scientists used a tool based on infrared (红外的) light. Over 92% of the microplastics found were small threads, called microfibers. About 73% of these fibers were made of a plastic known as polyester(聚酯), which exactly matched polyester used in clothing.

The study also found far more microfibers near the Atlantic side of the Arctic Ocean than near the Pacific side. The fibers on the Atlantic side were also newer. The team believes this suggests that the fibers come from Europe and North America. Peter Ross, who led the research, said, “With these polyester fibers, we’ve created a cloud throughout the world’s oceans.”

Most samples were taken from an ocean layer where lots of sea life finds food. The scientists believe this means that many kinds of sea life, from the smallest to the largest, are likely to be affected by the pollution.

So how do these microfibers get into the sea? They break off when clothes are washed and emptied by washing machines into underground pipes. One recent study suggested that laundry from the US and Canada carries around 7,716,000 pounds of plastic microfibers into the sea every year.

1. Which is true about the study according to paragraph 2?

A．All the samples taken contained microplastics.

B．Polyester accounted for most of the microfibers.

C．The head of the research group is called Ocean Wise.

D．Most samples were collected from over 0.6 miles below.

2. What can we infer from Peter’s words?

A．These polyester fibers look like clouds.

B．The world’s oceans are linked together.

C．The pollution has reached a serious level.

D．The food chain of the sea has been damaged.

3. Which one might be the source of the microfibers?

A．Plastics.	B．Ocean layers.
C．Washing machines.	D．Laundry.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Efforts Made to Protect the Arctic Ocean

B．Reduction in the Consumption of Plastic Products

C．Microplastics Found All Through the Arctic Ocean

D．Reasons Behind the Pollution of the Arctic Ocean

7 . Primary and junior-high school students and their parents across the country have seen some changes since the new school year started on September 1. Students have less homework, and their parents no longer need to correct the homework of their children. At the same time, the number of after-school tutoring institutions for primary and junior-high school students is reducing. These changes are the result of national guidelines to ease the burden(负担）of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students during the nine years of compulsory education(义务教育）.Known as the“double reduction”policy(双减政策），the guidelines were issued at the end of July,and took effect this semester.

The policy is an important step in China's boosting of more well-rounded educational practices. In addition to providing compulsory education, China is also working to develop an education system that enables young people to create a moral, intellectual, physical and mental grounding. China's education system had become increasingly exam-oriented(应试教育）in recent decades due to the desire of achieving high scores in high school and the college entrance examinations. In addition, the extracurricular tutoring companies,most of which privately funded, were producing social anxiety in the name of creating a better future for children. Each of these factors contributed to an excessive burden on primary and junior-high school students, and made education a results-oriented tool serving short-term interests, endangering the entire education system and even the mental health of the future generations.

The policy of easing study burden aims to help education recover its essential purpose with schooling as the cornerstone of the system, social education as the supplement and family education as the foundation, so as to better educate high-caliber talents for the country.

The policy may bring back well-rounded education; however, the motivation to receive and offer exam-oriented learning will last as long as exam scores remain the standard for entry to high schools and colleges. There is still a long way to go for China to change fromexam-oriented to well-rounded education.

1. What change has taken place since this September?

A．Students have no homework.

B．Parents have to correct homework.

C．After-school tutoring institutions disappear.

D．The burden of students becomes less.

2. What is well-rounded education?

A．An education to develop students in many ways.

B．An education to encourage students to achieve high scores.

C．An education to train students to deal with exams.

D．An education to put young students' health in danger.

3. What is the author's writing purpose?

A．To welcome the new policy.

B．To introduce the new policy.

C．To question the new policy.

D．To support the new policy.

4. Where can the text be found?

A．In a text book.

B．In a novel.

C．In an education magazine.

D．In a diary.

8 . HOW WIND FORMS

You'll need:

·Two empty glasses or plastic bottles of the same size

·Hot and cold water

·Red and blue food coloring

·One playing card

·Towels(毛巾），in case of spills

What to do:

Fill one bottle with hot water and the other with very cold water. Be sure each one is filled to the brim. Add several drops of red food coloring to the hot water, and several drops of blue food coloring to the cold water.

Press the playing card against the mouth of the hot-water bottle. Turn the bottle upside down so it's mouth-to-mouth with the cold-water bottle, then carefully slide out the playing card.The hot red water will not mix with the cold blue water.

Keeping the bottles attached at the mouth, carefully turn them over so the blue bottle is on top.The hot red water will rise as the cold blue water sinks, creating purple water.

Cool science:

This experiment uses water to show how wind currents move.“Wind forms because of uneven(不均衡）heating (in the air),”Donaher says.“Uneven heating creates pressure differences, and that will set the air in motion.”Hotter, less dense air rises (just like the hot red water) while colder,more dense air sinks (like the cold blue water). The warmer air is less dense, Donaher explains, because its molecules are moving faster and they're farther apart.As lower-pressure, hotter air moves up, cooler air whooshes in to take its place. We feel that as wind.

1. What material does the science experiment need?

A．Cloth to keep warm.

B．Two playing cards.

C．Different food coloring.

D．Some colored water.

2. Where is the playing card placed during the experiment?

A．Around the two bottles.

B．Between mouths of two bottles.

C．In the bottle with warm water.

D．Below the bottom of one bottle.

3. What sets air to move to form wind?

A．Water pressure.

B．Warmer air.

C．Colder air.

D．Air heating.

9 . Like the rest of us, scientists have long suspected the healing capacity (修复能力) of a good hug. Unlike the rest of us, they’ve gone about trying to prove it.

“Laboratory studies suggest that things like hugs help us feel safer. They can also make us less sensitive to physical pain and less reactive when we’re faced with threatening experiences,” says Michael Murphy. He is a research professor in the department of psychological sciences at Texas Tech University. “This lab work has shown that hugs and other touch behavior are related to stress. The more stress we have, the more our heart rates and blood pressure go up. At this time, hugs and other forms of personal touch may give off all sorts of feel-good chemicals, so that stress can be reduced.”

“There’s a lot that we still need to learn, and there’s a lot we don’t know,” Murphy says. “However, what seems to be rising up is that hugs, as well as other forms of loving and gentle touch, are really powerful. They remind people that they’ re cared about and that they have someone in their corner.”

We expect touch. When we were born, we were placed in our mothers’ arms almost immediately. In that first year of our life, we spend a lot of time being held by other people. And as we grow up, we seek out hugs and touch as a way of connection. I think what we have lost in the past few years are these really easy opportunities to be reminded of connection.”

While he was at Carnegie Mellon, Murphy was the lead author of a hug-centered 2018 article in the scientific journal PLOS One. In a series of interviews with 404 adults over a two-week period, the researchers found that receiving a hug is associated with the attenuation of negative emotions that occur on days with interpersonal conflicts. That is to say, generally, hugs help to reduce the negative impacts that personal conflicts may cause in our daily lives.

1. What can we infer about hugs from the laboratory studies?

A．They show people’s good social relationships.

B．They can cure us of our mental disease.

C．They can put much pressure on people.

D．They make us feel calm and at ease.

2. Why do people seek out hugs and touch as they grow up?

A．To recall childhood memories.

B．To keep connected with others.

C．To solve relationship problems.

D．To express their social politeness.

3. What does the underlined word “attenuation” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Expression.	B．Influence.
C．Suffering.	D．Reduction.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Power of Hugs

B．How to Reduce Stress

C．How to Care for Others

D．The Importance of Interpersonal Relations

10 . On the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), red tourism has gained popularity among tourists who flood in to visit historic sites with a modern revolutionary heritage.

Jinggangshan

This is one of the most crucial and splendid chapters of history of establishing Red China as well as a unique and wonderful ecosystem, which is covered with rich forest, rugged peaks and several memorials to the Red Army. The best time to visit is between April and October, with the most temperature timing April and May when the large azaleas (杜鹃花) bloom.

Open: 8:00-17:00 (Feb. 16-Nov. 15). 8:00-16:30 (Nov. 16-Feb. 15)

Xibaipo

It is an old revolutionary base where the leadership of the Communist Party of China was stationed, drawing up the blueprint for a new country. A memorial hall was built to honor the memory of this site. The lake and the hill here add brilliance and beauty to each other and form pleasant scenery.

Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 9:30-17:00 (Xibaipo Memorial Hall)

The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall

A new exhibition is held with updated display approaches, including phantom imaging (全息影像) and oil painting, which are used to improve visitors' experiences. The exhibition shows four stages of the CPC from its establishment to its achievements.

Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 8:30-18:00 (closed on Mondays)

Former Site of the Editorial Department of New Youth

New Youth started the New Culture Movement and spread the influence of the May Fourth Movement. The site was briefly based in Beijing but moved back to Shanghai in 1920 and also served as the office for the Communist Party of China Central Committee in the 1920s.

Open: Thursdays to Tuesdays 9:00 - 11:30, 13:30 - 16:30 (closed on Wednesdays)

1. Where would visitors learn more about the history of the Red Army?

A．Jinggangshan.

B．Xibaipo.

C．The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall.

D．Former Site of the Editorial Department of New Youth.

2. What do we know about the Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall?

A．It focuses on Chinese achievements in art.

B．It mainly advertises the coming anniversary.

C．It applies modernized methods to the exhibition.

D．It briefly introduces the rise and fall of Nanhu.

3. When can tourists visit Former Site of the Editorial Department of New Youth?

A．At 1:00 p.m. on Mondays.	B．At 9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays.
C．At 2:00 p.m. on Fridays.	D．At 5:00 p.m on Sundays.