1 . Two Candles

Tom was a middle-aged leather trader whose repeated failure in career made him a depressed man, often _______ that he had been cheated by others. One day he told his wife he was so _______ with the city that he had to leave.

So his family moved to another city. It was the evening of a weekend. When Tom and his wife were busily _______ up their new home, the light suddenly went out. They had to stop work. Tom was regretful to have forgotten to bring along candles and had to wait _______ in a low mood. Just then he heard slight knocks on his door that sounded clear in the _______ night.

“Who’s it?” he wondered, since Tom was a _______ to this city. And this was the moment he especially hated to be disturbed, so he went to the door and opened it _______. At the door was a little girl, shyly asking, “Sir, do you have candles? I’m your neighbor.” “No,” answered Tom in anger and shut the door _______ “What a nuisance (讨厌鬼)!” he complained over it with his wife. “No sooner had we settled down than the neighbor came to _______ things.”

After a while, the door was knocked again. He opened it and found the same girl outside. ________this time she was ________ two candles, saying, “My grandma told me the new neighbor downstairs might need candles. She sent me here to give you these.” Tom was very ________ by what he saw. When he became fully aware, he said, “Thank you and your grandmother. God bless you!”

At that moment he suddenly realized what caused his ________ in life. It was his ________ and harshness (刻薄) with other people. The person who had cheated him in life was actually nobody else but himself, for his life had been darkened by his unsympathetic ________.

1.

A．hoping

B．telling

C．complaining

D．pretending

2.

A．inspired

B．disappointed

C．embarrassed

D．impressed

3.

A．building

B．turning

C．coming

D．tidying

4.

A．anxiously

B．doubtfully

C．hopefully

D．helplessly

5.

A．dark

B．quiet

C．cold

D．sleepless

6.

A．newcomer

B．traveler

C．guest

D．settler

7.

A．surprisedly

B．delightedly

C．impatiently

D．willingly

8.

A．gently

B．kindly

C．politely

D．violently

9.

A．lend

B．sell

C．fetch

D．borrow

10.

A．And

B．So

C．But

D．For

11.

A．holding

B．hiding

C．blowing

D．lighting

12.

A．frightened

B．pleased

C．puzzled

D．surprised

13.

A．failure

B．dissatisfaction

C．complaint

D．determination

14.

A．responsibility

B．apology

C．coldness

D．concept

15.

A．mind

B．opinion

C．behavior

D．look

2 . For many parents, raising a teenager is like fighting a long war, but years go by without any clear winner. Like a border conflict between neighboring countries, the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?

Both sides want peace, but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict. In part, this is because neither is willing to admit any responsibility for starting it. From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ complete unreasonableness. And of course, the teens see it in exactly the same way, except oppositely. Both feel trapped.

In this article, I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the trap. The first no-win situation is quarrels over unimportant things. Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanliness of the bedroom, the preferred style of clothing, the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school, or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends. Second, blaming. The goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong. Third, needing to be right. It doesn’t matter what the topic is—politics, the laws of physics, or the proper way to break an egg—the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong, for both wish to be considered an authority—someone who actually knows something—and therefore to command respect. Unfortunately, as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other, they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress.

1. Why does the author compare the parent-teen war to a border conflict?

A．Both are about where to draw the line.

B．Both can continue for generations.

C．Neither has any clear winner.

D．Neither can be put to an end.

2. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents.

B．The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict.

C．The teens cause their parents of misleading them.

D．The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict.

3. Parents and teens want to be right because they want to ______.

A．give orders to the other

B．know more than the other

C．gain respect from the other

D．get the other to behave properly

4. What will the author most probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?

A．Solutions for the parent-teen problems.

B．Examples of the parent-teen war.

C．Causes for the parent-teen conflicts.

D．Future of the parent-teen relationship.

3 . Pennsylvania is full of mysterious places! One of those is an old turnpike （收费高速公路） _______ for decades. My dad loves history, and he learned it was open to the public. _______, when I was 14, we took a bike trip to _______ this road!

My dad chose a 16-mile _______ of the road for us to ride. Part of it included an old tunnel called Sideling Hill which is over a mile long! To _______, we checked our tires and made sure our lights had batteries. In the morning, we loaded our bikes into the car and set off. As we approached the tunnel, I felt _______ as it was absolutely black inside! But Dad encouraged me. He said he would be beside me. He reminded me to stay _______ and keep my light on!

When we _______ the tunnel, the sound of our bikes was heard through the darkness. I shined my flash light around and saw walls _______in graffiti （涂鸦）.And I felt like I was being __________! I was pretty scared, but __________ on following Dad helped me relax. After riding half-way through, I could see light coming from the other end, motivating me to keep going. And I was so delighted to ride out into the bright afternoon!

Whenever going through __________ in life, I remember this trip. It reminds me that my father is always beside me. He turns on the light of hope in my __________, as well as gives me __________ to keep riding through life's   __________ tunnels.

1.

A．designed

B．destroyed

C．abandoned

D．locked

2.

A．However

B．Otherwise

C．Therefore

D．Meanwhile

3.

A．explore

B．construct

C．protect

D．repair

4.

A．tunnel

B．section

C．block

D．course

5.

A．participate

B．register

C．cooperate

D．prepare

6.

A．excited

B．nervous

C．annoyed

D．exhausted

7.

A．silent

B．curious

C．cautious

D．positive

8.

A．approached

B．observed

C．constructed

D．entered

9.

A．covered

B．buried

C．absorbed

D．dressed

10.

A．forced

B．watched

C．abused

D．judged

11.

A．depending

B．surviving

C．calling

D．focusing

12.

A．accidents

B．hardships

C．regulations

D．incidents

13.

A．chest

B．trip

C．work

D．heart

14.

A．courage

B．pride

C．excitement

D．enthusiasm

15.

A．difficult

B．distant

C．dark

D．long

4 . What do you do when nobody is around to take your picture? You take a selfie (拍照) .But what about selfies in space? On Twitter last year, NASA astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, who famously became the second man to walk on the moon in July 1969, laid claim to a spaceflight first taking the first selfie in space during the Gemini XII mission in 1966.

“For me, it needs to be digital to be selfie,” argues Jennifer Levasseur, who is in charge of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. According to Levasseur, the concept of a selfie is directly linked to Internet culture and human desire to interact on social platforms. “The thing that makes a selfie is sharing it,” she says.

Still, astronauts have been carrying cameras abroad space vehicles since the 1960s ,and they've taken plenty of pictures of themselves along the way. Astronauts had to pull the film magazines out and leave their cameras behind when they returned to Earth because early space missions were restricted by a conservative weight limit on the return trip.

A big change in space camera technology came after sad loss of the space shuttle Columbia who broke apart on its return to Earth in 2003. “Fearing that they would never be able to bring the film back from space and lose all that hard work celebrated the push for digital.” Levasseur says.

Today astronauts can have access to the Internet and social platforms in space and post true based selfies taken by digital cameras. Taking selfies and sharing them on social media is a way that astronauts in space can participate in the same activities people on Earth do every day. The first astronaut selfie that went viral(网红的) on the internet was one by Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide in 2012.

1. What does Levasseur think of Aldrin's claim?

A．It hardly makes any sense.	B．It revolutionizes astronautics.
C．It contradicts public opinions.	D．It needs to be further proved.

2. Why were cameras left in space on early space missions?

A．To lighten the load of the spaceship.

B．To test cameras under extreme conditions.

C．To prepare for the next stage of spaceexploration.

D．To take more pictures in space by remote control.

3. What advanced space camera technology?

A．The invention of new films

B．The fear of falling behind in the space race

C．The concern about the loss of valuable data

D．The popularity of space selfies on socia media

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Exploration of Space.	B．The History of Selfies in Space.
C．The Change in Space Camera Technology.	D．The Development in Space Technology.

5 . Alexandra Adams, 25, is a four-year medical student who was born both deaf and blind. However, she has _________ to let her condition prevent her from becoming a doctor.

Being completely deaf in both ears without hearing aids, and with 5 percent sight in only one eye, she relies on her other _________ such as touch to feel for veins (血管). “You can _________ a lot about patients just by listening to them.” she told The Daily Mail.

Miss Adams was _________ to take part in the 2012 Paralympics as a swimmer aged 16, but her previous serious stomach problems went very wrong, _________ her to be hospitalized for 18 months.

The experience _________ her switch her attention from swimming to medicine --- and she was finally _________ to Cardiff University.

Recalling her first placement (实习), she said: “When I arrived, a doctor asked why I was walking with the patient’s stick. I had to explain it was _________ mine. I was told not to touch any patients --- I felt really _________. That first day I had faced a level of discrimination (歧视) I was __________ for.

Recently the student is __________ the older patients in palliative care (姑息治疗), with her __________ proving to be a popular conversation topic. She described the patients’ __________ as ‘wonderful’, adding: “They don’t discriminate”

Miss Adams is __________ about disabled issues. Though having limited __________, she takes photos of other disabled workers around the UK, and __________ their stories in her blog Faces of the NHS to show different __________ of the workers in the health service.

NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said: “Alexandra is a(an) __________ woman who got over difficulties through hard work and __________. I hope her __________ will inspire thousands.”

1.

A．managed

B．tried

C．decided

D．refused

2.

A．feeling

B．senses

C．skills

D．spirit

3.

A．give up

B．go through

C．pick up

D．work out

4.

A．commanded

B．expected

C．employed

D．begged

5.

A．forcing

B．reminding

C．allowing

D．encouraging

6.

A．heard

B．saw

C．felt

D．noticed

7.

A．taken

B．connected

C．attached

D．admitted

8.

A．surely

B．actually

C．usually

D．possibly

9.

A．nervous

B．frightened

C．hurt

D．tired

10.

A．unprepared

B．fit

C．responsible

D．thirsty

11.

A．dealing with

B．consulting with

C．looking for

D．spying on

12.

A．clothes

B．health

C．face

D．stick

13.

A．influence

B．reaction

C．guidance

D．advice

14.

A．concerned

B．excited

C．disappointed

D．puzzled

15.

A．patience

B．hearing

C．sight

D．evidence

16.

A．discovers

B．reads

C．covers

D．includes

17.

A．ages

B．colors

C．habits

D．images

18.

A．impressive

B．attractive

C．generous

D．reliable

19.

A．curiosity

B．interest

C．determination

D．cooperation

20.

A．work

B．dream

C．example

D．lesson

6 . For two centuries, the famous University of Cambridge debating society has hosted many prominent figures, from world leaders to scientists to comedians.

On Nov 21, the Cambridge Union hosted another extraordinary guest—a non-human debater called Project Debater. Designed by IBM, Project Debater is a machine that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to form a spoken argument. It can even listen and answer to opposite statements, much like a real person.

In the Cambridge test debate, it argued the topic: Al will ultimately (最终) do more harm than good. Before the debate, more than 1,100 arguments for the positives and negatives of AI were submitted (递交) to the IBM website. The machine then analyzed these sources and formed the basis of its arguments in minutes. Project Debater then showed off its AI by arguing for both sides of the debate.

Over a four-minute speech, it argued first that, “AI can only make decisions that it has been programmed to solve, while humans can be programmed for all situations.”

In support of AI, it then argued that AI would create new jobs and “bring a lot more efficiency” to the workplace.

This isn’t the first test for Project Debater. In June 2018, the machine went back-and-forth for 20 minutes against champion debater Harish Natarajan.

According to New Scientist, on both occasions, Project Debater repeated points and didn’t always sufficiently (充分地) support them.

Speaking to Cambridge Independent, Noam Slonim, the project’s lead engineer, said, “The AI is not perfect, but it’s going in the right direction.” The team hopes to improve the AI by researching why humans find certain arguments more persuasive than others. They also hope the test might provide well-informed viewpoints for society, governments and private companies.

1. What does the underlined word “prominent” mean in paragraph one?

A．Intelligent.	B．Outstanding.
C．Well-educated.	D．Creative.

2. According to the passage, Project Debater ________.

A．can make decisions for all situations

B．argued with itself in the Cambridge test debate

C．can always find enough evidence to support its idea

D．defeated champion debater Harish Natarajan in June 2018

3. What does Noam Slonim think of the AI?

A．It’s not so beneficial to humans.	B．It will defeat humans in time.
C．It remains to be improved.	D．It will ultimately do more harm than good.

4. This passage above can be most probably read in ________.

A．a newspaper	B．a guidebook
C．a textbook	D．a research paper

7 . One morning when I was visiting a poor woman, I noticed her dog was suffering from a terrible case of mange (癞疥). I asked why she didn’t _________him and she told me there was nothing she could do about it for being short of _______ .

My heart broke as I watched him slowly trying to stand his _________from the illness. I asked her if she would mind if I tried to   _______ him. I told her I would try to get some _________ to make him feel comfortable. Instead of going to a _______chemist’s shop, I went to the local animal doctor and told him what the dog _________like and he told me what I needed. When I _________ to the woman’s home I asked her if she would be sure to_________the dog in the medicine liquid every day until it was__________ .

Two weeks later when I returned to the house, this __________ little ball of dog with red fur ________ me at the door. It was him, shaking his tail__________. I smiled and told the woman she did a great__________ .I called the dog Firecracker because his fur was so red and lively. Every time I went to her home, Firecracker always greeted me with a wave of his tail.

That was the best $16 I____________spent.

1.

A．feed

B．sell

C．treat

D．donate

2.

A．time

B．ability

C．food

D．money

3.

A．pain

B．noises

C．looks

D．hopelessness

4.

A．change

B．please

C．help

D．buy

5.

A．medicine

B．love

C．water

D．milk

6.

A．rural

B．food

C．strange

D．regular

7.

A．sounded

B．looked

C．smelled

D．felt

8.

A．returned

B．hurried

C．rushed

D．turned

9.

A．raise

B．protect

C．walk

D．bathe

10.

A．cut down

B．taken apart

C．used up

D．paid off

11.

A．weak

B．funny

C．energetic

D．naughty

12.

A．drove

B．ignored

C．attacked

D．recognized

13.

A．honestly

B．carefully

C．anxiously

D．happily

14.

A．service

B．job

C．favor

D．attempt

15.

A．even

B．never

C．ever

D．then

8 . The Tokyo Summer Olympics is going green. The 5,000 medals Japan has made are more special than most.

One novel focus of the Tokyo Olympics is to be“sustainable”—to avoid using too many natural resources, so that the games are easy on the environment. As part of this goal, the organizers decided to make all of the Olympic medals out of metal recycled from old electronics.

Almost all electronics are made with small amounts of "precious metals", like gold and silver. But collecting enough of these metals to make 5,000 medals was a huge challenge. That's because the amount of metal in each device is tiny. It would take about 20,000 cell phones to get just 1 kilogram of gold.

Beginning in April 2017, the organizers placed collection boxes around the country, and asked people to turn in their old electronic devices. Soon people began to respond to the initiative, turning in smartphones, digital cameras, hand-held games, and laptops. At first, collection went slowly, but soon more and more areas began to take part. By the end, 1,621 local governments had helped out with the collection process.

Then came the job of breaking those devices down into smaller pieces. After being taken apart and sorted, the small electronics were smelted (熔炼) to get all the gold, silver, and bronze elements. This is a tricky job, which calls for careful attention and good skill. It's also dangerous, because some of the metals and other things aren't safe for people to touch or breathe.

By the end of March, 2019, the organizers had hit their targets of getting enough metal for the medals. They had collected around3xkilograms of gold, 4,100 kilograms of silver and 2,200 kilograms of bronze. And now all the 5,000 medals are available for the would-be winners.

1. What can we know about the Tokyo Olympics medals?

A．They are hugely valuable.

B．They are of high quality.

C．They are designed uniquely.

D．They are made from e-waste.

2. What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us?

A．The difficulty of making the medals.

B．The process of collecting old electronics.

C．The initiative to recycle used smartphones.

D．The classification of the collected devices.

3. The underlined word “tricky”in Paragraph 5 means“      ”.

A．creative	B．well-paid
C．demanding	D．time-consuming

4. What's the purpose of Tokyo's way of making the medals?

A．To advocate sustainable use of resources.

B．To promote the spirit of Olympic Games.

C．To introduce a new technique to make medals.

D．To call people's attention to environmental damage.

9 . I don't think I can recall a time when I wasn't aware of the beauty of the ocean. Growing up in Australia, I had the good fortune of having the sea at my side. The first time I went to Half Moon Bay, I suddenly had the feeling of not being able to feel the ground with my feet anymore.

For my 10th birthday, my sister and I were taken out to the Great Barrier Reef. There were fish in different colors, caves and layers of coral. They made such an impression on me. When I learned that only 1 percent of Australia's Coral Sea was protected, I was shocked. Australian marine life is particularly important because the reef have more marine species than any other country on the earth. But sadly, only 45% of the world's reefs are considered healthy.

This statistic is depressing, so it's important to do everything to protect them. The hope that the Coral Sea remains a complete eco system has led me to take action. I’ve become involved with the Protect Our Coral Sea activity, which aims to create the largest marine park in the world. It would serve as a place where the ocean's species will all have a safe place forever.

Together, Angus and I created a little video and we hope it will inspire people to be a part of the movement. Angus also shares many beautiful childhood memories of the ocean as a young boy, who grew up sailing, admiring the beauty of the ocean and trying to find the species.

1. From the underlined sentence in Para.1, we can learn the author_______

A．had a wonderful impression of Half Moon Bay	B．seldom went surfing at the sea
C．forgot his experiences about the ocean	D．never went back to his hometown

2. According to the second paragraph, Australian marine life________

A．is protected better than that in other oceans

B．is escaping from the Coral Sea gradually

C．depends on reefs for living greatly

D．may be faced with danger

3. The Protect Our Coral Sea activity is intended to_______

A．raise more teenagers environmental awareness

B．contribute to a complete eco-system

C．prevent more marine species being endangered

D．set up a large nature reserve for reefs

4. Angus and the author created a little video to__________

A．bring back to people their memory of ocean species

B．urge more people to take action to protect the marine species

C．inspire more people to explore the secret of the ocean

D．share their childhood experiences about the ocean

10 . It would be my first Thanksgiving since my father moved to heaven, and it would also be my first Thanksgiving being away from my family. Holidays are_______when you can't be with family, and I was mourning(哀悼)the _______ of my dad and feeling sad about being _______ from my family in Indiana. But, that sadness turned into _______when it hit me: I was going to have to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving_______myself!

That night at Dubya's Restaurant，which was our favorite place to _______, I began discussing the dilemma (困境)with Jeff. “It's too bad that this place won't be_______on Thanksgiving, or we could just come here, ”I said. Dubya, the owner of the restaurant, happened to be_______by our table when I said those words.“You mean you expect me to _______ for you on Thanksgiving, too？” he teased. “Well，I guess you'll just have to come to our ________since the restaurant will be closed then.”

We'd become ________with Dubya and his wife, as we ate at Dubya's twice a week; however, I didn't think we were close enough to ________Thanksgiving dinner with his family. I was sure he was ________.But as we headed toward the door, Dubya handed Jeff a note with directions to their house and their phone number.“You’re ________？” I asked.“Of course, ” he said.

And, two days later, we reached Dubya's house. Everyone________ us. As expected, the food was delicious but the company was even better. We truly felt that we________there.

Of course, I wrote them a thank-you note the next week, but I couldn't really ________ into words what that Thanksgiving dinner ________ had meant to us. I've never forgotten their kindness and that very ________ Thanksgiving.

So, here's my suggestion to you this year. If you know someone who will be dining alone on Thanksgiving, why not invite that person over to________ your family?

1.

A．happy

B．interesting

C．tough

D．noisy

2.

A．loss

B．pressure

C．change

D．success

3.

A．missed

B．separated

C．passed

D．gone

4.

A．anger

B．peace

C．panic

D．love

5.

A．decoration

B．ceremony

C．clothes

D．dinner

6.

A．dance

B．walk

C．dine

D．sing

7.

A．open

B．clean

C．warm

D．dry

8.

A．cheering

B．taking

C．leading

D．passing

9.

A．wait

B．cook

C．care

D．look

10.

A．house

B．school

C．theatre

D．factory

11.

A．similar

B．ordinary

C．different

D．familiar

12.

A．share

B．prepare

C．give

D．argue

13.

A．joking

B．doubting

C．blaming

D．praising

14.

A．silly

B．kind

C．selfish

D．serious

15.

A．knew

B．welcomed

C．pushed

D．called

16.

A．refused

B．belonged

C．turned

D．referred

17.

A．put

B．get

C．make

D．break

18.

A．communication

B．notice

C．plan

D．invitation

19.

A．expensive

B．special

C．same

D．fond

20.

A．stop

B．pay

C．join

D．follow