1 . The COVID-19 pandemic has spread far and wide. Because of this, countries around the world have carried out measures to help stop the virus in its tracks. As more people stay inside to stay safe, the outside world seems to have become much quieter. In fact, scientists have seen this change in their research.

Seismologists - scientists who study earthquakes - have heard a lot less seismic（地震的） noise recently.

Seismic noise is made from vibrations (continuous shaking movements) in the ground that are caused by things like ocean waves and human activity, such as construction work and traffic. This noise makes it difficult for scientists to pick up seismic activity that is made at the same frequency.

Thomas Lecocq, a scientist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, located in Brussels, was the first to notice this phenomenon. According to Lecocq, the amount of seismic noise in Brussels has been reduced by about 30 to 50 percent since mid-March. Interestingly enough, this is around the same time Belgium started its measures. Because of this reduction in background noise, scientists like Lecocq have been able to pick up on smaller earthquakes that some seismic stations - like the one in Brussels - wouldn’t have been able to before.

This phenomenon isn’t unique to Brussels, though. Once Lecocq shared his findings online, seismologists from all over the world echoed similar findings. Celeste Labedz, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology, mentioned in a tweet that Los Angeles also experienced less background noise. “The drop is seriously wild,” she wrote.

Researchers from the UK, France and New Zealand also noted a decrease in background noise since measures were put in place.

These global efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus have helped to shed light on seismic activity that may have gone unnoticed. It also shows that people are listening to health officials and following lockdown rules. “From the seismological point of view, we can motivate people to say, ‘You feel like you’re alone at home, but we can tell you that everyone is home. Everyone is respecting the rules,’” Lecocq told CNN.

1. What did seismologists find out recently?

A．Reduced seismic vibration makes the Earth quieter.

B．More smaller earthquakes are more likely to happen.

C．Many seismic activities have been detected recently.

D．Seismic noise is caused by vibrations underground.

2. What can we infer from the text?

A．More seismic noise is being picked up.

B．More data on smaller earthquakes is being collected.

C．Scientists will shift their focus to smaller earthquakes.

D．Future big earthquakes must be more accurately predicted.

3. The underlined word “echoed” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to “__________”.

A．repeated

B．demanded

C．explored

D．questioned

4. Which of the following statements does Lecocq mostly probably agree?

A．The drop in seismic noise is unique to Europe.

B．Seismic noise is mainly caused by human activity.

C．Many seismologists wanted tighter restrictions for their research.

D．The phenomenon proved that people are practicing social lockdown rules.

2 . When I was a child my father taught me five words that I've used all my life---in my acting career, as a mother, in my business activities. If I __ that I was afraid of the dark, or if I seemed worried about meeting new people, Dad would say, "Stand porter to your __. "

A porter is a gatekeeper, who stands at a door __ people in or out. Dad would get me to __ myself stopping destructive things---such as fear---at the door, __ saying "Come in" to faith, love and self-assurance.

As a (n) __, before I went on camera, I'd make sure anxiety stayed out and confidence in my ability came in. As a mother, when I was __ about my children, I would try not to let worry in but would __ my mind with trust in them.

Of course, there were always times I'd __ those words.

In 1972, my husband, Fillmore Crank, and I opened the doors to our own __ in North Hollywood. This was a new business venture for us, and it was a lot more __ and complicated than we had __.

We were on call 24 hours a day. Something was always going __. Electricity went on the blink, food wasn't delivered, employees called in sick. Once, a flu epidemic __ left us with no maids (佣人). Fillmore gave me a __: scrub floors or do the laundry. For 10 days I folded enough king-size sheets to __ the whole state of California.

Then there was the __ crisis. The price of gasoline doubled, and tourism in California __. How could we fill our beds? What if we kept losing money? What if we failed? Fear and worry were sneaking in. But I caught them just __. I stood porter. I stood in the door of my mind and sent fear packing.

These days at the hotel, whenever fear tries to __, I just smile and point to the sign that reads No Vacancy.

1.

A．complained

B．announced

C．recalled

D．decided

2.

A．future

B．value

C．family

D．studio

3.

A．letting

B．urging

C．inviting

D．observing

4.

A．busy

B．involve

C．send

D．picture

5.

A．so

B．and

C．but

D．or

6.

A．official

B．actress

C．maid

D．manager

7.

A．serious

B．curious

C．anxious

D．cautious

8.

A．fill

B．change

C．read

D．ease

9.

A．eat

B．twist

C．exchange

D．forget

10.

A．clinic

B．hotel

C．laundry

D．restaurant

11.

A．promising

B．demanding

C．convincing

D．boring

12.

A．figured

B．confirmed

C．admitted

D．suggested

13.

A．sour

B．missing

C．wrong

D．pale

14.

A．hardly

B．regularly

C．specially

D．suddenly

15.

A．warning

B．command

C．choice

D．solution

16.

A．cook

B．book

C．mirror

D．blanket

17.

A．credit

B．energy

C．identity

D．family

18.

A．ceased

B．recovered

C．dropped

D．boomed

19.

A．in time

B．on purpose

C．at random

D．by chance

20.

A．split

B．shelter

C．withdraw

D．register

3 . First aircraft carrying medical supplies from China arrives in U.S

An aircraft carrying personal protective equipment donated by China, along with U.S.-purchased medical supplies, arrived in New York on March 29.

The plane is the first in a series of flights over the next 30 days organized by the White House to help fight the coronavirus, the White House said. Most of the purchases are from Asia including Malaysia and Vietnam.

The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. retweeted a report from Axios, which said that 12 million gloves, 130,000 N-95 masks, 1.7 million surgical masks, 50,000 gowns, 130,000 hand sanitizer units, and 36,000 thermometers from China have arrived in the United States.

Along with the goods, Chinese company Huawei donated 10,000 masks, 20,000 articles of protective clothing, 10,000 gloves and 50,000 goggles to New York state.

Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed the donation and thanked Huawei on Twitter.

The plane was funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It landed at John F. Kennedy airport carrying gloves, gowns and masks for distribution in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, three hard-hit states battling to care for a crush of coronavirus patients.

The airlift is a product of a team led by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, which formed "Project Airbridge," a partnership between large U.S. healthcare distributors such as Mekesson Corp, Cardinal, Owens & Minor, Medline and Henry Schein Inc, and the federal government.

The flight from Shanghai was the first of about 20 flights to arrive between now and early April, according to the White House. Additional flights will carry similar gear from China, Malaysia and Vietnam.

1. From the passage we know that ________.

A．all good on the plane are donated by China

B．all goods on the plane are purchased from China

C．all good on the plane are donated by Huawei

D．some of the goods on the plane are from donation while others are purchased from Asia

2. Which is not the hard-hit state battling to treat coronavirus patients?

A．New York.

B．New Jersey.

C．California.

D．Connecticut.

3. Who built “Product Airbridge” between large U.S. healthcare distributors and the federal government?

A．The federal government.	B．A team led by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner.
C．Large U.S. healthcare distributors.	D．White House senior adviser Jared Kushner.

4. What does the underlined word "gear" mean in the last paragraph?

A．Protective equipment and medical supplies.	B．Parts of the machine.
C．Medicine.	D．Food.

5. Where do you think passage is most probably taken from？

A．A textbook.	B．A collection of stories.
C．A guide book.	D．An official report.

4 . The undersea world is very beautiful. Now more and more people want to dive in the water to find the secrets there. Scuba diving is a new sport today. It can take you into a wonderful undersea world.

You will find many strange animals in the sea. Some are as large as a school bus. Many sea animals give out light in the dark and some have sharp teeth. During the day, there is enough light. Here, under the sea, everything is blue and green. When fish swim nearby, you can catch them with your hands. When you have bottles of air on your back, you can stay in deep water for a long time. However, you can’t dive too deep. And you must be very careful when you dive in deep water. The deep sea is not an easy place to live in. It’s cold, and it’s dark, too. The deeper it is, the less sunlight there is. At about 3,000 feet, there is no light at all. It is very dark in the sea. Many fishes have no eyes. Some have big eyes. A few have eyes on one side.

Besides the cold and the darkness, deep-sea animals face a third danger ― other animals. Animals eat! They must find food to eat. Many animals eat plants. However, some animals eat meat. This means these sea animals have two big jobs. They need to find animals as food, and they have to try not to become other animals’ meal.

1. Why do people want to dive in the sea?

A．Because they want to catch fish.

B．Because they want to find the secrets of the undersea world.

C．Because the sea is deep.

D．Because there are all kinds of plants in the sea.

2. In the daytime, when you dive in the sea, you ________.

A．can’t see anything bright

B．can’t be in danger

C．can catch nothing

D．can see everything is green and blue

3. According to the writer, how many dangers will animals meet in the deep sea?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

4. When you do scuba diving, you can ________.

A．stay in deep water for a long time

B．dive very, very deep

C．live in deep water safely

D．dive freely without any dangers

5. According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?

A．One animal finds something to eat, and it may be eaten by others.

B．Animals in the sea must find food to eat. Many eat plants. However, some eat meat.

C．The deeper the sea is, the darker and colder it is.

D．At the depth of 3, 000 feet under the sea, all animals can find their way by seeing.

5 . “It’s never too old to learn!” says Frenchcorner _________ Archibald Clinton. He began to learn French at the age of 50. In a few years, he has made _________ progress!

Archibald decided to study at Frenchcorner because no evening classes were _______ in his city. He joins _________ classes online and speaks with native French-speaking teachers.

Archibald says, “Frenchcorner is a wonderful place to_________. My son always says, ‘Dad, you are a bit _________.’ He can’t understand why I spend so many hours studying, _________ I love it.”

Archibald began with the first level and quickly _________. He finished all his _______ after 2 years, but noticed he still had __________ making himself understood by native French speakers. Instead of __________, he was determined to press on. Four years later, he’s still studying in the online classroom, but to perfect his already ________ French, he has set new__________ and __________ understanding grammar points.

“Sometimes studying online is a little __________. But if you really want to learn, never quit even when you notice difficulties or when you think there is no __________. Practice, practice! What you need are self-discipline and self-motivation,” he says.

“Studying French isn’t all about hard work. It is also __________!” he says. “I like the online conversation classrooms. I have learned so much about other cultures and traditions. I’m open for all __________ ”.

Archibald has been able to __________ his French to use. “I am very __________ for Frenchcorner because most of the French I know now was learned here,” he says.

1.

A．friend

B．student

C．professor

D．reporter

2.

A．challenging

B．discouraging

C．disturbing

D．amazing

3.

A．satisfied

B．attended

C．offered

D．represented

4.

A．reading

B．composition

C．listening

D．conversation

5.

A．study

B．eat

C．entertain

D．live

6.

A．tired

B．crazy

C．worried

D．attractive

7.

A．but

B．so

C．and

D．or

8.

A．dropped

B．brushed

C．progressed

D．awarded

9.

A．channels

B．schedules

C．papers

D．courses

10.

A．improvements

B．pains

C．difficulties

D．advantages

11.

A．giving up

B．fighting back

C．turning away

D．looking around

12.

A．significant

B．shabby

C．excellent

D．broken

13.

A．decisions

B．goals

C．means

D．conclusions

14.

A．turns off

B．focuses on

C．gets off

D．puts up

15.

A．interesting

B．unwilling

C．shocking

D．boring

16.

A．success

B．vision

C．struggle

D．tendency

17.

A．wonder

B．waste

C．fun

D．later

18.

A．measures

B．fashions

C．timetables

D．topics

19.

A．put

B．take

C．make

D．set

20.

A．sensitive

B．grateful

C．hopeful

D．glad

6 . A punctual (准时) person is in the habit of doing a thing at the proper time and is never late in keeping an appointment.

The unpunctual man, on the other hand, never does what he has to do at the proper time. He is always in a hurry and in the end loses both time and his good name. A lost thing may be found again, but lost time can never be regained. Time is more valuable than material things. In fact, time is life itself. The unpunctual man is forever wasting and mismanaging his most valuable things as well as others. The unpunctual person is always complaining that he finds no time to keep appointments, answer letters, or return calls promptly.

A punctual person can be very busy and really has a great deal to do. What is different is that he is very careful of his time and seldom complains of shortage of it. He knows that he cannot get through huge amount of work unless he faithfully deals with every piece of work when it has to be attended to.

Failure to be punctual in keeping one’s appointments is a sign of disrespect towards others. If a person is invited to dinner and arrives later than the appointed time, he keeps all the other guests waiting for him. Usually this will be regarded as a great disrespect to the host and all other guests present.

Unpunctuality, moreover, is very harmful when it comes to doing one’s duty, whether public or private. Imagine how it would be if those who are put in charge of (负责) important tasks failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time. A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends or fellow men.

1. The correct description of an unpunctual person is that ________.

A．he always does things at the right time

B．he is always very busy doing things

C．he can’t do things when they should be done

D．he complains of having no letter to answer

2. The following are harmful effects of being unpunctual EXCEPT________.

A．losing good name	B．losing health
C．losing trust from others	D．losing the best time of doing things

3. The underlined word “promptly” in Para. 2 most probably means ________.

A．eventually	B．kindly
C．patiently	D．immediately

4. It is true that a punctual person ________.

A．has lots of things to deal with

B．is very careful with time

C．is never short of time

D．gets through his work quickly

5. According to the passage, when you are invited to a party, it’s good manners to________.

A．arrive at the appointed time	B．arrive before all other guests
C．arrive after all other guests	D．keep all other guests waiting

6. The best title of this passage could be ________.

A．Time: Most Valuable

B．Lost Time: Never to Be Regained

C．Being Punctual: a Meaningful Lifestyle

D．Being Unpunctual: Harmful to Others and Yourself

7 . When someone steals something from you, whether it’s valuable or not, it’s completely natural to feel angry, but one thief has managed to turn things around and win sympathy(同情) for his crime. Singer Stevie Valentine said his friend had received an email from a thief who had stolen the laptop containing his university course work.  

Apologizing for the theft, the thief said he was poor and needed money but offered to send on any files(文件) the student might need for his course work. Stevie’s tweet has now been liked 26,000 times with many people expressing sympathy for the person who stole the computer. 

The unnamed thief started the message by saying he was “very, very sorry” for taking the student’s laptop. “I am extremely poor and needed the money,” the thief explained, “I left your phone and wallet, so I hope that slightly makes up for something.” The thief added, “I can see you are a university student. If there is any file such as university work on here that you need, let me know and I will send them to you. Once again I am sorry.”

“I actually like this thief because of his honesty though he was poor,” one wrote, while several said they would be happy to let the thief keep it after reading that explanation. One said that the message “breaks my heart,” while another added, “This is the nicest thief I’ve ever seen.” One even suggested that the laptop owner should reply and find the thief and give him some money.

However, another said that despite the email being sweet, the student is now left without the laptop and can’t do his work, not to mention being on a limited budget himself.

1. Stevie Valentine’s friend lost ________.

A．his computer	B．his phone
C．his wallet	D．his key

2. ________ is mainly presented in Para.3.

A．The thief’s complaining and warning

B．The thief’s apologizing and explaining

C．The thief’s arguing and explaining

D．The thief’s apologizing and comforting

3. Some people thought the thief should be forgiven and even helped because_______.

A．he sent back the files

B．he might look nice

C．his message was moving

D．he needed a laptop

4. We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.

A．the email is so sweet that the student will forgive the thief

B．the student can still work without the laptop

C．no one will have a pity on the student because he is rich

D．not everyone can forgive the thief and his theft

8 . Grady had a surprise encounter in the camping site. He threw down his backpack over his shoulder and threw the door of the car shut. "This is going to be another really ________ week, " he said to no one ________, sighing. He looked around at the campground. Hundreds of tall trees ________ the mountainside, like a beautiful green carpet. The sun would be setting soon. Even up here in the ________, the hot air of July could still be annoying.

Grady hated camping, but it was something his family insisted on every ________. His father liked cooking over a(n) ________ fire, telling stories about how to ________ things like bear attacks and bee bites. His mother and younger brother Jared liked to hike and take ________ of animals. Jared had a collection of bug(小昆虫) pictures and he pinned them to the ________ in his half of their room, bugs on leaves, bugs on trees, bugs moving in dirt. Grady thought it was not quite normal and regarded Jared as a ________ kid.

They ________ camp -- two tents, one for his parents and one for himself and Jared. While everyone else started ________ dinner, Grady set off for the nearby stream which was deep enough to ________ in, looking for some place to cool down.

As he ________ the stream, something caught his eyes. There was a(n) ________ black baby bear, no more than two feet tall with a lovely face. It was ________ joyfully at the water’s edge,________ its surroundings(周围事物). Grady moved closer to get a ________ look. Then Grady heard a sound behind him. He suddenly ________ his father once saying that baby bear would never be ________. Then he looked up and saw the mother bear moving towards him……

What a surprise encounter!

1.

A．long

B．interesting

C．satisfactory

D．pleasant

2.

A．in advance

B．in brief

C．in particular

D．in turn

3.

A．quit

B．covered

C．reflected

D．moved

4.

A．mountain

B．river

C．car

D．tower

5.

A．spring

B．summer

C．autumn

D．winter

6.

A．weak

B．open

C．hot

D．dead

7.

A．encourage

B．attract

C．forgive

D．survive

8.

A．pictures

B．control

C．care

D．examples

9.

A．roofs

B．walls

C．floors

D．beds

10.

A．generous

B．independent

C．strange

D．sensitive

11.

A．let down

B．broke down

C．set up

D．pick up

12.

A．packing

B．gathering

C．ordering

D．preparing

13.

A．dig

B．swim

C．hide

D．sink

14.

A．removed

B．defended

C．filled

D．approached

15.

A．cute

B．terrible

C．frightened

D．large

16.

A．working

B．playing

C．fighting

D．clapping

17.

A．attacking

B．destroying

C．hating

D．ignoring

18.

A．better

B．brighter

C．fixed

D．lasting

19.

A．found

B．learned

C．remembered

D．misunderstood

20.

A．alone

B．awake

C．asleep

D．absent

9 .

Survival and rescue stories from the deadly crash of TransAsia Airways Flight 235 in Taiwan are inspiring as well as exciting. They raise the question: Why do some passengers survive plane crashes while others sadly don’t?

Some of the survival games involve factors passengers largely can't control, like the weather, flight crew skills, the design of airline seats and the construction, maintenance and the age of the plane.

But passengers themselves can do a lot to improve their chances of survival simply by making smart choices and being informed.

Here are a few ideas to keep in mind:

＊Seat choice. Experts differ. Have you heard of the “five-row rule”? This refers to the idea that if you're sitting within five rows of an emergency exit, you have a statistically(统计地) better chance of surviving a crash.

＊Listen to the safety talk. Yeah, it’s boring. But it could save your life! The presentation—by video or by flight attendants—explaining what to do in case the plane goes down, offers key information like: How do I get out?

＊Read the safety card. Do you know that safety card in the pocket of the seat in front of you? Think of it as a map leading you toward survival. Read it. It shows how the plane you're on will be evacuated.

＊Be aware of the exits. Plan your escape. Visualize how you—and perhaps children you're traveling with—are going to get out of the plane.

＊Move quickly. You have 90 seconds to get out of the plane after a crash. Many passengers in plane crashes survive the initial impact. It's what happens next that often kills them.

This includes fire, smoke and sometimes water. Sherwood advises using 90 seconds as a time frame for escaping.

1. At the beginning of the passage, the crash of TransAsia Airways is mentioned ____.

A．to share a story	B．to introduce the topic
C．to introduce a flight	D．to criticize the passengers

2. Of the following things, passengers can control ________.

A．the weather	B．flight crew skills
C．the age of the plane	D．making choices of the seat

3. The underlined word “it” in the passage refers to ________.

A．the plane

B．the seat

C．the card

D．the map

4. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

A．You'd better sit within five rows of an emergency exit.

B．You should listen carefully to the safety talk.

C．You should pay attention to the passengers around you.

D．You should move quickly after a crash.

5. The author’s purpose in writing this passage most probably is ________.

A．to offer us some tips on how to survive an air-crash

B．to offer us some tips on how to enjoy an air journey

C．to inform us of the danger of taking planes

D．to inform us of major services on the plane

10 . Thanksgiving Day was near. One day, the first-grade teacher, Miss White, let her students draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.

Most students would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional foods of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her students’ art. Miss White was right. But Douglas made a different kind of picture. When he was asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand. His picture brought imagination to his classmates. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raised turkeys. Another suggested it was a police officer’s hand, because the police protected and cared for people.

While the children were discussing with each other, Miss White stood at Douglas’ desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked up and whispered, “It’s yours, Miss White.” What Douglas had said reminded Miss White of the time she had taken his hand and walked with him here and there. How often had she said, “Take my hand, Douglas, we’ll go outside.” Or, “Let me show you how to hold your pencil.” Or, “Let’s do this together.” Douglas was most thankful for his teacher’s hand. With tears in her eyes, Miss White went on with her work.

The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching, parents parenting, friends showing friendship, and how much Miss White’s hand means to Douglas. He might not always say thanks, but he’ll remember the hand that Miss White reaches out.

1. What kind of picture did Miss White ask her students to draw?

A．A picture which expressed their love to their parents.

B．A picture which showed their favorite traditional foods.

C．A picture that could show their thankfulness for something.

D．A picture that could be given to their friends as a gift.

2. It can be known from the passage that ________.

A．most students drew some kinds of foods just as Miss White expected

B．Douglas’ family was poor and he couldn’t afford a turkey or other foods

C．Miss White often gave Douglas pencils to encourage him to draw

D．Douglas didn’t know how to draw a turkey and other traditional foods

3. Which word can best describe Miss White when she saw Douglas’ picture?

A．Angry.

B．Disappointed.

C．Proud.

D．Surprised.

4. Why did Douglas draw a picture of his teacher’s hand?

A．Because Miss White’s hand was the most beautiful hand he had ever seen.

B．Because he thought Miss White had given him a lot of care and help with her hand.

C．Because he wanted Miss White to take his hand when they went out for activities.

D．Because he was good at drawing hands and was asked to draw one by his teacher.

5. The author tells the story to tell us ________.

A．it is not easy to be a good teacher

B．why to express your thankfulness

C．kindness will be remembered

D．the best way to get along with your teacher