1 . Let’s move to Dorking, Surrey: perfect if you’re looking for an easy life

What’s going for? Dorking has what many people want in life: an easy life, a job that pays well, little traffic, nice pubs and fancy restaurants for fancy nights out. Dorking is a market town with bow-fronted antique shops. It’s a county where English is terribly spoken, in accordance with all expectations.

Well connected? Very Trains: from the Dorking station to Leatherhead (7 mins), Horsham (22 mins), London Victoria (1 hour) and Waterloo (51-56 mins); from Dorking West to Guildford (16-25 mins) and Gatwick Airport (24-28 mins). Driving: 10-15mins to the M25 if the traffic is kind; 30 mins to Gatwick and Guildford.

Schools: Primaries: St Martin’s C of E, Powell Corderoy, St. Joseph’s Catholic and St Paul’s CofE are all good ones, with St Paul’s CofE being outstanding. Secondaries: Both the Ashcombe and Priory School are good.

Hang out at... Everyone’s talking about the new restaurant Sorrel. The Running Horses pub in nearby Mickleham ticks the Sunday lunch box.

How much? Very nice property of all types, from 18^th-century cottages via late Victorian arts to 1920s semis (半独立式住宅). The Rose Hill conservation area is a nice spot to start with. Large townhouses: €650,000-€2m. Smaller townhouses:€500,000-€650,000. Semis: €300,000-€750,000. Cottages: €275,000-€550,000. Flats: €175,000-€400,000. Rentals: a one-bedroom flat, €825-€1,200pcm; a two-bedroom house, €1,200-€1,400pcm.

How others think? Jane Holmes: Hills are everywhere you look --- Box Hill, Ranmore and Leith Hill. It’s beautiful. Dan Andrew: Traffic is not controlled by commuters (通勤者): folks work locally, too.

1. What kind of place is Dorking?

A．An ideal county for many people.

B．A county with a small population.

C．A less popular English-speaking city.

D．An old town famous for antique shops.

2. How long may it take to drive from Dorking to the M25 at rush hours?

A．5 minutes.

B．8 minutes.

C．10 minutes.

D．20 minutes.

3. Which of the following is the best primary in Dorking?

A．Powell Corderoy.	B．St Martin’s C of E.
C．St Paul’s CofE.	D．The Priory School.

4. How much may a smaller townhouse cost?

A．€2m.

B．€550,000.

C．€175,000.

D．€275,000

5. What is the writing purpose of this passage?

A．To suggest an easy lifestyle.

B．To show the beauty of Dorking.

C．To recommend moving to Dorking.

D．To introduce the property of Dorking.

2 . When little kids line up for the school picture day, there’s the typical nervousness as they get ready to show off their wide-toothed smiles. Maybe they’re wearing their best clothes. But the children who sit in front of the camera as part of Project Picture Day are a special kind of subject. They’re kids who get to be the focus of attention for the very first time.

Jules Alonzo brainstormed with his professional photographer friend about how they could combine a love for photography and working with children in poor areas. They created a concept and had a trial run in the Dominican Republic, taking photos of kids at school. Since then, the organization has reached many students and schools in three countries and it’s not for profit, which has made the Project Picture Day team of six members admired by many people. The team spend time photographing the students and editing and printing their photos.

“It’s funny and slightly embarrassing to see a photo of themselves. They love to show their peers and everyone gets a good laugh,” Alonzo says. “There’s a sense of pride and the whole ‘look at me!’ starts to spread across the room as more students get their photos. Others run to their parents to show them. Honestly, the reactions are the best part of all of this.” Besides photos, each student gets a care package including a notebook and a pencil. The group used to bring in donated supplies, but they soon realized that purchasing the school supplies locally had a positive economic impact. The students appreciate the supplies, but they’re truly charmed by the photos.

The group hope those kids can see themselves in a new light. These photos are meant to serve as a reminder of their accomplishment. Education, something that’s considered a luxury (奢侈品) in most poor countries, is indeed something to feel proud of and that’s something that makes the parents proud, too. For a parent, the photo means their child can go to school. The photo has a huge impact.

1. What’s special about the subject of Project Picture Day?

A．They’re too nervous to show off themselves.

B．They dress themselves beautifully.

C．They hardly got photographed before.

D．They will probably attract public attention.

2. What made the Project Picture Day team admired by people?

A．Their great care for kids’ mental health.

B．Their volunteering to photograph many kids.

C．Their outstanding skills in taking photos of kids.

D．Their contribution to improving poor areas’ education.

3. How did the kids probably feel when seeing their photographs?

A．Curious and excited.	B．Embarrassed and confused.
C．Shocked but appreciative	D．Anxious and grateful.

4. Why do the members of the team stop bringing in donated supplies now?

A．Fewer people make any donations.

B．Students appreciate photos more than supplies.

C．They find donated supplies make little sense.

D．They want to contribute to the local economy.

5. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．The magic of having a photo for poor students

B．The development of Project Picture Day

C．The kids’ love for their photographs

D．The education in poor countries

3 . For my 8^th birthday my ________ was a shiny blue bike. My older sisters decided to teach me to ride. We lived on Edgewood Avenue at the top of a steep hill. My ________, Agnes and Christina, put me on my bike and ________ me hard, yelling instructions, “Peddle! Steer! Use the brakes!” Needless to say, I was rushing down the street ________ trying to hold on.

I bumped into the curb (路缘), ________ over the handlebars onto the sidewalk, skinning my knees, hurting my hands and crying loudly. Instead of offering ________, my sisters yelled at me ________ I hadn’t listened to their instructions. Weeks ________ before I tried again. This time I walked my bike to the ________ parking lot behind the schoolyard. I kept repeating the instructions to myself and after a few awkward ________ and even more painful spills I learned to ride a bike.

Learning life lesson is ________ like learning to ride a bike. Some life lessons are ________ to learn. We don’t always get to choose where we learn them; we don’t always have good teachers and we are not always ________. Sometimes we find ourselves madly trying to hold on.

But things are different now.

My husband, Rich, ________ my sons to ride a bike. First he raised their training wheels a little and they rode around the block getting used to the unstable ________. After he removed the training wheels he would run along the side of the bike holding on to the seat to ________ them. Up and down our street they would go with Rich calling out, “You ________ have it! You’re doing great!” until my son would call out “Let go”. Rich would let go but still run along, just ________. It was a happy day in the neighborhood.

When the life lessons come along in this New Year you may ________ them from a patient and kind teacher; you may have them surrounded by ________ and encouragement. And you may have someone stay by your side until you have found victory.

1.

A．dream

B．reward

C．gift

D．aim

2.

A．brothers

B．sisters

C．friends

D．classmates

3.

A．stuck

B．turned

C．knocked

D．pushed

4.

A．wildly

B．carefully

C．slowly

D．instantly

5.

A．jumping

B．flying

C．moving

D．leaving

6.

A．sadness

B．happiness

C．excitement

D．sympathy

7.

A．although

B．until

C．because

D．while

8.

A．passed

B．remained

C．happened

D．changed

9.

A．crowded

B．busy

C．covered

D．empty

10.

A．experiments

B．attempts

C．fights

D．conflicts

11.

A．though

B．even

C．much

D．still

12.

A．wonderful

B．comfortable

C．dangerous

D．painful

13.

A．ready

B．perfect

C．wrong

D．strong

14.

A．forced

B．taught

C．allowed

D．ordered

15.

A．practice

B．habit

C．development

D．feeling

16.

A．repair

B．fix

C．steady

D．move

17.

A．almost

B．usually

C．always

D．seldom

18.

A．in time

B．in relief

C．in turn

D．in case

19.

A．accept

B．learn

C．refuse

D．avoid

20.

A．blame

B．complaint

C．support

D．criticism

4 . My dad, Greg Newman, had wanted to be a race car driver, but things didn’t work out for him. So I guess having a son who could become a race car driver was the next best thing. Don’t get me wrong — Dad didn’t push me into racing. In fact, when I was about 10 years old, my dad was afraid that driving a car wasn’t my dream. So he took the racing away from me. I wasn’t very happy with that decision. It wasn’t long before Dad realized that racing was what I loved.

At four, Dad bought me my first Quarter Midget (袖珍赛车) and that’s really where it started for us. Back then, Dad coached me. He would stick out (伸出) his foot in the path of the race car, and then tell me to exactly hit his foot. By repeating this again and again, Dad believed that I would be faster and sharper on the race track.

Dad worked really long hours at his car repair business to make money so that I could race each weekend. I can remember that every night before he turned off the lights in the garage, Dad would tell me: “Don’t forget to kiss your race car good night.” He was trying to teach me that if I show respect, it’s returned. He wanted me to show thankfulness and respect for my race car and for all the hard work that we and many others had put into the dream.

My dad, my mom and my sister gave up a lot of things to help me race. For us, there was no better moment than winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2018. That evening in February 2018, I knew I had gotten a good push. I could hear the excitement. My father couldn’t speak a word, and when he got to Victory Lane (车道), he nearly knocked me over and gave me such a big hug.

1. Why did Greg Newman stop his son to race when his son was 10 years old?

A．Because he thought racing was dangerous.

B．Because he worried that his son didn’t like racing.

C．Because he didn’t want his son to fail like he did.

D．Because he couldn’t afford the money.

2. Greg Newman did all the following things to support his son’s dream EXCEPT ________.

A．training his son to race

B．working hard to make money

C．buying his son a mini racing car

D．changing his job as a race car driver

3. Why did Greg Newman let his son hit his foot?

A．To improve his son’s skill.	B．To help his son to be braver.
C．To have fun with his son.	D．To make his son more careful.

4. Greg Newman asked his son to kiss his race car good night to ________.

A．get help from his family

B．treat the race car as his son

C．feel grateful that he could follow his dream

D．develop a close relationship with his race car

5. In the 50th running of the Daytona 500, Greg Newman couldn’t say anything because he was ________.

A．disappointed

B．surprised

C．sad

D．excited

5 . Only humans speak using words. But all animals can communicate in one way or another. Maybe you have heard about the way bees dance around to send messages to each other and the way dogs make loud noises in different ways to give warnings.

Do you know that animals can communicate through infrasonic (次声的) sounds? This is how it works:

Humans hear low sounds like thunder rumbling (雷声轰鸣) in the sky. But we don’t hear sounds lower than these. However, elephants can hear many lower sounds, and they use them to communicate with each other. This is known as infrasound.

Another surprising thing about infrasound is that it travels over several kilometres. Sounds which have a higher pitch(音调), like the ones people can hear, don’t travel through walls, leaves, trees and so on. And that is why we can’t hear sounds from more than 100 metres away. But infrasound is much ‘stronger’, and things like grass and trees have no effect on it. Because of that it can travel much farther. Elephants can hear infrasonic calls from four kilometres away!

There have been reports that people were watching elephants feeding or resting when the elephants all ran away for no reason at all. It is clear that they heard a warning call from a long way away, but the people didn’t hear the sound. In places like a zoo where you can get nearer to animals, it is a bit easier to sense when infrasonic sounds are made. When you stand near mother elephants with their babies in a zoo you may notice a weak rumbling in the air every few minutes — not loud or strong, but clearly noticeable. They are infrasonic calls — the mother elephants “talking” to their babies.

1. Why does the author mention bees and dogs in Paragraph 1?

A．To show humans are special.

B．To introduce animal communication.

C．To compare different kinds of animals.

D．To tell us an interesting story about animals.

2. We can learn from the passage that infrasound ________.

A．belongs to high sounds

B．can travel longer distances

C．is higher than the sound of thunder

D．gets weaker when traveling through walls

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．The people watching also heard the warning call.

B．The people could hear lower sounds than elephants.

C．The elephants were frightened by the people nearby.

D．The elephants communicated through infrasonic sounds.

4. It is easier for people to notice infrasound if they ________.

A．live in the wild	B．go to the park
C．stay closer to animals	D．watch elephants feeding

5. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．Wild Elephants	B．The Animal World
C．Talking Through Infrasound	D．Dog Communication

6 . When having a meal, a European usually holds the knife in the right hand, and the fork in the left. He uses the knife and fork with his both hands. He keeps his knife and fork in his hands until he finishes eating.

But an American, on the opposite, may use just one hand whenever possible and keep the other hand on his lap. He uses the fork in his right hand to pick up fried potatoes. When he has to cut his meat, he changes his fork to the left hand and cuts it. Then he puts down the knife and changes his fork to his right hand to pick up the sliced meat. Then, perhaps, he will suddenly think of his coffee or orange. So he has to put down his fork in order to drink his coffee or orange. Now you can see, an American is busy all the time at the dinner table. By the way, Europeans usually have their coffee after meals, but many Americans prefer to have coffee during the meal.

If you are present at a formal dinner, you might be confused to find so many forks, knives and spoons put before you. You might be at a loss to know what to do with them. Don’t worry. The rule is simple. You just use them in the order in which they lie, beginning from outside towards the plate. The small fork on the outside on the left is for salad. The spoon on the outside on the right is for soup. There is another little knife, called a butter spreader, on a bread-and-butter plate on the left. As the bread is passed, each guest helps himself and puts his pieces on the small plate. Next to the soup there will probably be the blunt(钝的) knife for fish, which is smaller and blunter than other knives.

1. When do Europeans usually drink their coffee?

A．Before meals.

B．After meals.

C．While they are having their meals.

D．They never drink coffee when they eat.

2. The right way to use the forks, knives and spoons is ________.

A．to use whichever you like when necessary

B．to use them from the outside to the inside

C．to use them from the inside to the outside

D．to use them from the middle to both sides

3. The butter spreader is________.

A．a fork

B．a spoon

C．a knife

D．a plate

4. The spoon on the outside on the right is for________.

A．soup

B．salad

C．butter

D．chicken

5. The best title for this passage is________.

A．Eating Habit in America

B．Eating Habit in Europe

C．How to use Forks, Knives and Spoons

D．Dining Customs of the West

7 . Wind power is a very clean source of energy. This is how wind power works. Wind makes windmills spin(旋转). When the windmills spin, they make electricity. Then we can use the electricity.

A lot of people think that wind power is new, but that’s not true. For thousands of years, people have used wind to sail boats and move water. We still do those things today, but these days we mostly use wind power to make electricity.

Wind power is a very popular source of energy. Most people think that we should use it more and more. First of all, it’s clean. Windmills don’t pollute the environment at all. Second, we can use wind power forever. After all, we will always have wind. Also, wind power is cheap, and it’s getting even cheaper.

A lot of people don’t understand wind power very well. They believe that there are problems with wind power, but many of those problems are not real. For example, some people say that windmills are dangerous for birds. They used to be true, but it isn’t true anymore. Old windmills killed birds because they spun very fast. New windmills spin slowly, and they aren’t dangerous for birds.

However, there are real problems with windmills. One problem is that many people think windmills are very ugly. This is a problem for people, because windmills are often in very pretty areas. Also, wind doesn’t blow all the time, so we can’t use wind power all the time. Finally, windmills are noisy.

Wind power is becoming more and more common. Right now, more than 80 countries use wind power. About 2.5 percent of the world’s power comes from the wind. For some countries, that number is a lot higher. Wind power gives Denmark more than 25 percent of its electricity.

1. Why DON’T new windmills kill birds? Because ________.

A．birds don’t fly near them	B．they are shorter than old windmills
C．they spin slowly	D．new windmills don’t spin

2. When did people start using wind power？

A．Over 1,000 years ago.	B．About 500 years ago.
C．About 80 years ago.	D．About 25 years ago.

3. ________, so we CAN’T use wind power all the time.

A．We can’t use windmills at night

B．Windmills break all the time

C．Wind doesn’t blow all the time

D．Windmills are too expensive to use all the time

4. What does the passage say about wind power?

A．Most people don’t like it.	B．Denmark doesn’t use it.
C．It’s getting more expensive.	D．It’s getting cheaper.

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Dangerous Birds	B．Popular and Clean Wind Power
C．Cheap and Clean Energy	D．Expensive Windmills

8 . The big fire inside her flat did not stop the brave grandmother. The 70-year-old only had thoughts of saving her mentally-unsound son as she dashed right into the sea of fire.

The fire happened in the morning at an apartment block in Hong Kong. The grandmother, identified as Madam Guan, had gone for Mandarin lessons at her local community centre. When she returned home at around 10 a.m., she heard her neighbors calling for the firefighters the moment she stepped out of the lift.

When Madam Guan realized it was her flat that was on fire, she got frightened. Inside the flat was her second son Mr. Feng, diagnosed with depression when he was 15 and also with problems with his vision.

Guessing that her son was probably trapped in the fire, Madam Guan rushed into the flat even though it was already covered in smoke. She found him moving on the floor of his room, with his face and hands badly burnt. She quickly helped her son up and half-carried him as they made their escape.

The firefighters arrived soon after and put out the fire. Mr. Feng was later sent to the hospital, with 20 percent burns on his body. Madam Guan was unhurt. Mr. Feng is the only child still living with her since her husband died more than 10 years ago. Mr. Feng is jobless, preferring to stay in his room.

After the fire was put out, she was reportedly so distraught upon seeing the scene.

“I’ve really lost everything this time.”

The fire at her flat is believed to have been caused by a short circuit(电路).

1. When did Madam Guan realize her house caught fire?

A．When she went for her lessons.

B．At about 10:00 p.m.

C．After she stepped out of the lift.

D．When she saw her son moving on the floor.

2. According to the text, we know that Mr. Feng ________.

A．liked to work at home

B．had been ill for many years

C．was only injured a little

D．often stayed at home alone

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A．20 percent of Mr. Feng’s face was badly burned.

B．Madam Guan’s house was seriously destroyed.

C．With the firefighters’ help Mr. Feng escaped from the fire.

D．When found, Mr. Feng was finding his glasses.

4. The underlined word “distraught” in the sixth paragraph means “________”.

A．worried

B．angry

C．happy

D．disappointed

5. What would be the best title for the text?

A．A Brave Grandmother in a Big Fire

B．A Big Fire

C．A Lucky Escape

D．Granny, 70, Rescues Son from Burning Flat

9 . For nearly a decade now, Merebeth has been a self-employed pet transport specialist. Her pet transport job was born of the financial crisis(危机)in the late 2000s. The downturn hit the real estate (房地产)firm where she had worked for ten years as an office manager. The firm went broke and left her looking for a new job. One day, while driving near her home, she saw a dog wandering on the road, clearly lost. She took it home, and her sister in Denver agreed to take it. This was a loving home for sure, but 1, 600 miles away. It didn’t take long for Merebeth to decide to drive the dog there herself. It was her first road trip to her new job.

Merebeth’s pet delivery service also satisfies her wanderlust. It has taken her to every state in the US except Montana, Washington and Oregon, she says proudly. If she wants to visit a new place, she will simply find a pet with transport needs there. She travels in all weathers. She has driven through 55 mph winds in Wyoming, heavy flooding and storms in Alabama and total whiteout conditions in Kansas.

This wanderlust is inherited from her father, she says. She moved their family from Canada to California when she was one year old, because he wanted them to explore a new place together. As soon as she graduated from high school she left home to live on Catalina Island off the Californian coast, away from her parents, where she enjoyed a life of sailing and off-road biking.

It turns out that pet transporting pays quite well at about $30, 000 per year before tax. She doesn’t work in summer, as it would be unpleasantly hot for the animals in the car, even with air conditioning. As autumn comes, she gets restless—the same old wanderlust returning. It’s a call she must heed alone, though. Merebeth says, “When I am on the road, I’m just in my own world. I’ve always been independent-spirited and I just feel strongly that I must help animals.”

1. Why did Merebeth changed her job?

A．She wanted to work near her home.

B．She was tired of working in the office.

C．Her sister asked her to move to Denver.

D．Her former employer was out of business.

2. The word “wanderlust” in paragraph 2 means a desire to _________?

A．make money.	B．try various jobs.
C．be close to nature.	D．travel to different places.

3. What can we learn about Merebeth in her new job?

A．She has chances to see rare animals.

B．She works hard throughout the year.

C．She relies on herself the whole time.

D．She earns a basic and tax-free salary.

10 . Do you wait for people to inspire you or do you take action to inspire yourself?

If you wait, it may take a long time to come or it may not________at all. If you inspire yourself, the frequency and possibility are all within your________.

W. Mitchell is a good________. He suffered burns to over 65 percent of his body in an________and was paralyzed a few years later, but he never________. While Mitchell rose like a phoenix(凤凰)from his________， Australian skier Janine Shepherd also fought back with self­inspiration.

Shepherd was training for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics________a truck hit her. She had a broken neck, back and many other injuries. It was a miracle(奇迹)that she________. She was told she would never walk or ski again.

“________” was a word Shepherd could not accept. She resisted any negative thought. She fought back even when a________setback, a blood disease, occurred.

She inspired herself to live with________. She didn’t want to be robbed of her life aims. Every time she________planes flying, she lifted her fighting spirit to a________level.

“If I can not walk, I am going to________，” she decided. She learned to fly even one leg unable to operate a pedal. She was________that she could not have children but went on to have two________. Having published a book about herself, Shepherd now gives speeches nationwide, encouraging people not to________life.

Mitchell and Shepherd________have given in to their suffering. But no, they did not want to give in so________. They did not want to lose or be defeated________even trying in their new circumstances. Fortune always favors those with determination.

1.

A．happen

B．work

C．exist

D．appear

2.

A．limit

B．control

C．mind

D．target

3.

A．coach

B．sportsman

C．story

D．example

4.

A．event

B．accident

C．incident

D．exercise

5.

A．gave out

B．broke down

C．gave up

D．broke in

6.

A．suffering

B．discomfort

C．disease

D．anger

7.

A．since

B．before

C．while

D．when

8.

A．recovered

B．survived

C．succeeded

D．insisted

9.

A．Seldom

B．Ever

C．Never

D．Forever

10.

A．longer

B．smaller

C．further

D．shorter

11.

A．pain

B．sadness

C．loneliness

D．failure

12.

A．had

B．remembered

C．kept

D．heard

13.

A．lower

B．higher

C．quicker

D．deeper

14.

A．run

B．quit

C．fly

D．drive

15.

A．warned

B．convinced

C．blamed

D．educated

16.

A．brothers

B．daughters

C．pets

D．planes

17.

A．make fun of

B．feel ashamed of

C．catch hold of

D．let go of

18.

A．would

B．should

C．could

D．must

19.

A．easily

B．badly

C．unwillingly

D．anxiously

20.

A．by

B．without

C．except

D．beyond