1 . With the development of our society, cellphones have become a common part in our lives. Have you ever run into a careless cellphone user in the street? Maybe they were busy talking, texting or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new "species" of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name—phubbers (低头族).
Recently a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cellphone while letting his patient die. A pretty woman takes a selfie (自拍) in front of a car accident site. And a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events will finally lead to the destruction(毁灭) of the world.
Although the ending of the film sounds unrealistic, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and the result of it. "Always bending your head to check your cellphone could damage your neck," Guangming Daily quoted doctors' words. "The neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching." Also, staring at cellphones for a long time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.
But that's not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. When getting together with family or friends, many people prefer to play their cellphones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.
It can also cost your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cellphones in broad daylight.
1. Why does the author give the example of a cartoon in Paragraph 2?| A．To suggest phubbers will destroy the world. |
| B．To call for people to go walking without phones. |
| C．To tell people the bad effects of phubbing. |
| D．To advise students to create more cartoons like this. |
① Destructing the world.
② Affecting his social skills.
③ Damaging his neck and eyesight.
④ Getting separated from his friends and family.
| A．①②④ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ | D．①②③④ |
| A．Supportive. | B．Confident. | C．Disapproving. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Ways to avoid the risks of phubbing. | B．Bad effects of phubbing. |
| C．Daily life of phubbers. | D．Behaviours of phubbers. |
2 . When asked to point out one or two things that are most important to themselves, many put friends ahead of homes, jobs, clothes and cars.
A true friendship carries a long history of experience that determines(确定)who we are and keeps us connected. It is a treasure we should protect. Unfortunately, the better friends you are, the more probably you'll have disagreements. And the result can be what you don't want—an end to the relationship.
The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended. First, don't let your pride get in your way. Most of us can forgive each other when differences are brought out in the open. Second, apologize when you're wrong—even if you've been wronged. Over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes. Sometimes, it may be best if the wronged person takes the lead and apologizes. When you apologize, give your friend a chance to admit that he has been wrong. Third, see things from your friend's point of view(观点). And finally, accept that friendships change as our needs and lifestyles change. Making friends can sometimes seem easy. The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that have an effect on all relationships. My suggestion: Consider the friendship an honor and a gift, and worth the effort to treasure and nurture(培养).
1. What would be the best title for the text?| A．Easy Ways to Make Friends |
| B．Ups and Downs in Friendship |
| C．How to Mend a Troubled Friendship |
| D．How to Take the Lead in Making Friends |
| A．who has been mistaken for another |
| B．who has been blamed unfairly |
| C．who has treated friends badly |
| D．who has admitted his mistakes |
| A．we have much in common |
| B．we know our friends' mistakes |
| C．we treat our disagreements wisely |
| D．we have known one another for long |
| A．Stick to our own point of view. | B．Avoid making mistakes. |
| C．Make an apology first. | D．Change our lifestyles. |
3 . What’s the meaning of the “dark horse”? It is someone who wins when no one expect it.
Han Xiaopeng took China’s first gold on snow. He became an Olympic “dark horse” by winning the gold medal in men’s freestyle skiing aerials (自由式滑雪空中技巧) at Turin in Italy. He made two almost perfect jumps for the highest score. Han had never won a world gold medal before, let alone in the Olympics!
“I never thought this would happen,” said Han Xiaopeng, “I feel like I’m in a dream.” It’s China’s second gold medal at the Turin Olympic Winter Games. But more important, Han’s gold was the country’s first ever in a snow sport. In 2002, China’s Yang Yang won the gold for speed skating at the Winter Olympic in Salt Lake City, US.
That Han’s win was unexpected doesn’t mean that he didn’t work hard.
Han grew up in Jiangsu Province. Before he started his training on snow, he used to be an acrobat (杂技演员) at a circus. In 1995, a coach found his talent. The coach, Yang Er’qi, said Han had the agility (灵活性) and courage to be a ski jumper. When Yang first took the 12-year-old boy to northern China, he couldn’t swim, skate or ski. But he wasn’t afraid of the high platform and kept on training.
Han almost left the sport after hurting his knee months before the Salt Lake Games. In that Olympics he only got 24th. “I was hopeless at that time, but my family and the coach stood behind me, helping me through,” he recalled.
Han Xiaopeng worked so hard that he won the gold medal in the Olympics at last. Because of his success, more and more people in China are becoming interested in skiing. We are proud of him.
1. What does the “dark horse” mean?| A．Someone who is unexpected to win. |
| B．A horse which dark. |
| C．A horse which likes the dark. |
| D．Someone whose win is expected. |
| A．In China. | B．In America. |
| C．In Australia. | D．In Italy. |
| A．He had enough courage though he was only 13 years old. |
| B．He was born in the south of China and liked sports on snow. |
| C．He had the agility and wasn’t afraid of the high platform. |
| D．He had the talent and he had won a world gold medal before. |
| A．A wonderful Match |
| B．A Dark Horse at the Winter Olympic |
| C．A Hopeful Snow Game |
| D．An Exciting Skiing Race |
4 . Being a teenager can be hard, for you have to face a lot of difficult problems, but a new program called Nfusion is working hard to help teens with mental(精神的)health needs. Nfusion gives teenagers classes where they study or discuss some troubling subjects. Drugs and bullying(欺凌)are just a few of the topics discussed during the class on Saturday.
"I had a bad attitude, " said 17-year-old Titeana Davis. Davis went through the Nfusion Program last year. The teen, who once had trouble with her attitude towards others, says the program has changed her life. "They taught me a bad attitude is not going to get you anywhere, "said Davis.
Nfusion is a new program that meets teens mental health needs and provides help for their families. The program is designed to help teens aged 14—21 live through a difficult period.
"They're still growing, still developing and still there are a lot of things they don't know how to address. So this is a good program for them to be a part of, " said Lakicha Jemigan, who worked for the Nfusion Program.
Teens like Davis are just a few who have come through the program successfully. Now thanks to Nfusion, Davis says she's looking forward to a bright future. "After I graduate from college, I want to work at a primary school and I want to be a second grade teacher, " added Davis.
1. Why is it necessary to help teens?| A．Teens are in need of money. |
| B．They have to face a lot of problems. |
| C．Teens may face lots of problems in their study. |
| D．Teens are too weak to deal with lots of difficulties. |
| A．To provide teens with some programs. |
| B．To help teens fight for a better future. |
| C．To help teens receive a good education. |
| D．To meet the mental health needs of teens. |
| A．look for | B．deal with | C．talk about | D．learn from |
| A．She became a teacher. | B．She worked for Nfusion. |
| C．She went back to school. | D．She got along well with others. |
5 . Would you save a woman, a child or a dog in a car crash? An experiment has investigated human morality（道德观）and ranked countries based on who they would save in the event of a certain death situation.
The findings show the value of life varies according to different countries. French people, for example, are far more likely to save women than men. Lithuania ranks in the top 10 for saving both the young and the healthy. The four characters most people saved in the experiment are a baby, a little girl, a little boy and a pregnant woman.
The experiment put forward difficult ethical（伦理的）decisions such as choosing between the lives of a family of four crossing the road and a group of old people going the other way. Quandaries（两难境地）like this will one day be faced by autonomous vehicles that will be programmed with rules that place value on human life.
Tests into the moral decisions involving almost forty million people around the world, including the English, have found that the lives of women and men are widely held in equal regard. The French however resist the trend as they think the lives of women have far more weight than those of men.
Dr Edmond Awad, of the MIT Media Lab, who is the lead author, said, “The study is basically trying to understand the kinds of moral decisions that driverless cars might have to turn to. We don't know yet how they should do that.” He added, “we find that there are three elements that people seem to approve of the most.”
“These are that humans are saved over animals, that many people are saved rather than a few, and that the young are saved rather than the old.”
Dr Awad added, “The main preferences are to some degree universally agreed upon. But the degree to which they agree with this varies among different groups or countries.”
1. According to Para. 2, which of the following is least likely to be saved in danger?| A．A little girl. | B．A little boy. |
| C．A pregnant woman. | D．An old man. |
| A．Self-driving cars will one day face the same decisions. |
| B．It's very interesting to do this kind of experiment. |
| C．The value should be placed on human life. |
| D．It's very dangerous for a family of four to cross the road. |
| A．It treats lives of women and men equally. |
| B．It thinks the lives of the young come first. |
| C．It attaches more value to women's lives. |
| D．It shows extraordinary respect for the old. |
| A．Animals are saved over humans. |
| B．The lives of many people will be considered first. |
| C．The lives of the old are above those of the young. |
| D．The three elements are equally agreed upon. |
6 . Four Free Mobile Apps to Help You Learn English Faster
Have you realised that you can put your smartphone to really good use for learning English? Here are 4 free mobile apps that will help you do just that.
Hello English
It covers all the aspects of language learning, including vocabulary, translation, grammar, spelling, speaking and reading skills. It uses interactive games to teach different English lessons and offers new audiobooks, the latest news, and books. However, you should already understand basic English structures and the alphabet, for the app can't help you learn English from scratch（从零开始）.
Duolingo
If you want to learn English from scratch, then this is the app you are looking for, Duolingo uses interactive games to help you learn English. For beginners, the app focuses on helping you learn verbs, phrases and sentences.
Lingbe
If you are ready to practise your spoken skills in the real-world communication, you'll need Lingbe. It's a community-based app where people help each other and share their native languages. It connects you with real people on call who are native English speakers.
HelloTalk
HelloTalk is similar to Lingbe as it connects you with native speakers to help improve your language skills. However, it adds a few extra functions that might interest you. You can view the information about users to find a match that interests you. Additionally, you can also send text and audio messages, and even make video calls with other people.
If you are a beginner, start from Duolingo and then use Hello English to have a good command of the language. For fluent spoken English learners, you can try out Lingbe or HelloTalk.
1. What should you already understand to use Hello English?| A．Good reading and writing skills. |
| B．Basic listening and speaking tips. |
| C．Different English lessons and books. |
| D．English letters and basic structures. |
| A．Hello English. | B．Duolingo. |
| C．Lingbe. | D．HelloTalk. |
| A．Read the latest news. |
| B．Enjoy the interactive games. |
| C．Practise your spoken English. |
| D．Talk with native speakers face-to-face. |
7 . I had a picnic one day with my sister. We both like to ride her motorcycle and that day we rode it to the nearest park. We bought some coffee and cakes, and then we enjoyed our food. Within a few hours, the sky changed and looked ready for a heavy rain. We packed everything and were ready to go. My sister, who was sitting on a bench suddenly was very still and couldn't talk to me.She couldn't move. Her eyes were rolling and she was about to lose consciousness(知觉). I held her in my arms and asked if she wanted to rest. She didn’t answer and only said“Sorry.”
It started to rain and I didn't know what to do. She was fighting to stay aware but her skin was pale and her eyes were acting strangely. Suddenly, from nowhere, a woman on a bicycle appeared. wearing a raincoat." She isn't looking good. Do you want me to call an ambulance(救护车)?”“Yes, please,yes!”I begged.
She did. Struggling with the rain, she managed to call some policemen, who quickly helped me carry my sister to a safer place. The ambulance arrived and we went to a hospital where she was treated in time and she came to life the next morning after some rest and medical help.
An interesting fact was that I guessed the woman in the raincoat was a doctor or a nurse. I later learned from one of the police officers who told me: “No.She was an ordinary person who took some courses on emergency situations(紧急情况).”
I am so grateful that she appeared exactly at the moment I don’t know why or how .I didn’t even get the chance to say thanks to her.
1. What happened when the author and her sister were ready to go?| A．They had a fight. | B．The sister fell ill suddenly. |
| C．They were caught in the rain. | D．They had difficulty packing things. |
| A．By giving first aid to her sister. | B．By protecting her sister from the rain. |
| C．By carrying her sister to the hospital | D．By asking for emergency medical help |
| A．To keep order in the park. |
| B．To send the sick girl to hospital. |
| C．To carry the sick girl to a safer place quickly. |
| D．To carry the sick girl onto the ambulance. |
| A．Thankful | B．Friendly |
| C．Doubtful | D．Admirable |
8 . Earthquakes strike suddenly at any time of the day or night, but there's no way to tell when. If an earthquake happens, it may cause many deaths, injuries and damage. So you need a good preparation ahead of time. Decide how and where your family will get together if separated. Choose an out-of-state friend or relative that the family members can call after the quake to report where they are and how they are. Know the safe places in each room: under the strong tables, desks, or against inside walls. Keep enough food, water and other things, including a flashlight, a radio, medicines and clothing.
During the earthquake, you should keep a clear head and never be too nervous to know what to do. Protect your head and neck with your arms. If possible, take a book, a pillow or any other things to protect yourself from falling glass and ruins. If you are indoors, you must immediately lie under any strong furniture. If outdoors, move to an open area away from trees, buildings, walls or power-poles. If you are in a narrow valley, move to the centre of it and look up for falling stones. If you are in a car, move to the side of the road and stop the car. Do not stop near buildings, power lines or on or under bridges. Stay in your car until the shaking stops.
Do not move a badly injured person unless he is in great danger after the earthquake. Do not use the telephone immediately unless there is a serious injury or fire. Turn on your radio for instructions and news reports. Be prepared for aftershocks. If you want to leave your home, post a message inside your home telling your family members where you can be found.
1. To prepare for an earthquake, we should make sure of ________.| A．when an earthquake may happen |
| B．the place where we can find our family |
| C．how to receive instructions and news reports |
| D．the money with which we can buy food and water |
| A．find a strong building to hide in |
| B．leave the car as soon as possible |
| C．go on driving quickly to leave the area |
| D．move to the side of the road and stop there |
| A．we should keep calm and know what to do clearly |
| B．the trees and walls can protect us if we are outdoors |
| C．we should protect our necks with a pillow or a book |
| D．falling glass can be used to help us |
| A．move an injured person quickly |
| B．use the telephone immediately |
| C．turn on the TV to get news reports |
| D．leave a message before leaving home |
9 . 4 Popular Places to Go This Winter
Harbin, China
China Harbin’s winter is for the brave ones—the average temperature is 1.8°F- but those who brave the cold will be rewarded with experiencing one of the world’s largest winter festivals. 2021 marks the 37th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (January-March), when massive frozen structures rise and are lit up, transforming the city into a winter wonderland.
Lyon, France
Paris may be called The City of Light,but every December, light takes center stage in Lyon, France’s third-largest city. That’s when the annual Festival of Lights (around December 8) takes over, with light installations (装置)that transform the city’s streetscapes into modern works of art. The city is also home to two Christmas markets (one in La Croix-Rousse; the other at the Place Carnot; through December 25).
Lima, Peru
Peru’s capital Lima is home to the world’s highest number of cooking schools per person. Aside from its delicate dining, the city also has great cocktail bars where you can taste classic or contemporary takes on the Pisco Sour.Combine that with the oceanfront setting and temperatures in the 80s, and you’ll understand why Lima should no longer be ignored this winter.
Vermont, US
Winter in Vermont means skiing and snowboarding, Many resorts (度假胜地)have greatly upgraded their snowmaking abilities as part of a $15 million statewide program that replaced many outdated snow guns with new, low-energy models.These new machines will also improve the quality of snow surfaces and lengthen the season, meaning this will be one of the best winters for skiing and riding in Vermont in recent memory.
1. What similarities do the first two places have?| A．They are decorated with lights. | B．They offer snow sculptures. |
| C．They have three-day festivals. | D．They are extremely cold. |
| A．Harbin. | B．Lyon. | C．Lima. | D．Vermont. |
| A．Skiing and snowboarding. | B．A longer winter. |
| C．Cooking schools. | D．Updated equipment. |
10 . The electricity workers' strike has been going on for three days. Below are some statements about the strike.
Mr. Mike Smith:
It wasn't an easy decision, but we have been asking for a reasonable wage for years. Now at last people are beginning to listen to us. We're only asking for a 25 percent increase in our wages. It's a pity so many people have to be inconvenienced by our strike, but please don't blame us. Blame the government for refusing our claim.
Mr. Tom Brown:
It's totally unreasonable to demand so much money when we are trying desperately to stop the prices going up. If wages go up, so do prices. If we give in to them, all the other unions would want more, with the inevitable result that the crisis would become uncontrollable. We offer them a 10 percent increase. And that's already too much. My stand on the strike is to persuade the Union to see the reason.
Mr. Bob Davis:
Everybody will be hurt by this strike, including the electricity workers themselves. The economy will be destroyed and many people will lose their jobs. Already people are saying that the big unions have too much power and shouldn't be allowed to strike. Of course the electricity workers want to get more money. Don't we all?
Miss Stater:
Let's face it. It's neither here nor there. The electricity workers are in a strong position. Perhaps we can't do anything about it. What I say is：let them have their 250 dollars so they can return to work. I mean, the government wastes the taxpayers' money all the time on unimportant things. How can anyone say 250 dollars is “too much”？Pop singers get more. Nurses get less. It's just one of those things.
1. Who is most likely to be an employee in electricity industry?| A．Mr. Mike Smith. | B．Mr. Tom Brown. |
| C．Mr. Bob Davis. | D．Miss Stater. |
| A．avoidable | B．inspiring | C．automatic | D．sensitive |
| A．the electricity workers won't achieve their goal | B．the government won't meet the workers' demand |
| C．the strike caused little trouble for the society | D．the workers got little support from the society |
