1 . Last week, my grandfather was explaining his favorite words, “Nothing is ever easy.” Yesterday, I happened to
It is not only
If you can accept that nothing will ever be easy, then life might seem slightly more
| A．get | B．notice | C．carry | D．collect |
| A．removing | B．observing | C．keeping | D．chasing |
| A．ago | B．away | C．later | D．earlier |
| A．changed | B．happened | C．existed | D．compensated |
| A．unsafe | B．uneasy | C．dull | D．dizzy |
| A．pass | B．waste | C．spare | D．last |
| A．space | B．room | C．insect | D．pet |
| A．importance | B．effort | C．power | D．time |
| A．costs | B．causes | C．pressure | D．burden |
| A．mind | B．turn | C．view | D．favor |
| A．strange | B．unpleasant | C．natural | D．funny |
| A．continue | B．fly | C．go | D．come |
| A．dangerous | B．normal | C．different | D．unfair |
| A．usually | B．even | C．therefore | D．instead |
| A．simple | B．complex | C．important | D．impossible |
| A．valuable | B．changeable | C．manageable | D．stable |
| A．jobs | B．steps | C．classes | D．seats |
| A．Yet | B．So | C．Again | D．Also |
| A．selfish | B．uncertain | C．tired | D．disappointed |
| A．appearance | B．responsibility | C．reputation | D．performance |
2 . Staying connected
When Central Bucks South became one of the first Philadelphia-area high schools to close because of the fear of novel coronavirus exposure in early March, 16-year-old sophomore Andrew Chen knew that things were not going to return to normal as quickly as some of his peers hoped.
But still, the change from seeing his friends on the swim team during daily practices to learning alone at home was jarring.
“I only have three years here at South, and it pains me to see one of them being wasted,” Chen said.
The coronavirus has changed everyone’s lives, but for students, the disruption feels particularly serious. Schools closed and graduation ceremonies were put off. Summer plans, such as camps, are up in the air.
But right now, many students are trying to stay connected, struggling with false information, and finding out the best ways they can help – through online method.
For Josh Harycki, 17, a senior student at the Shipley School in Philadelphia, the best way to help was to create a “social distancing promise” for young people.
“I saw a lot of young people not paying attention,” he said. “They were … still going out, hanging out with others. I thought that there had to be a way to reach younger people, who were possibly not watching the news.”
Harycki started a call to action on social media and then built a website with a map that followed and kept the locations of people who’d signed the promise. The site also shares links to accurate sources of information like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Harycki knows that his peers are worried they can’t connected with their friends in the same way, so he created the social distancing promise to strengthen that although everyone might be physically distant, they’re still connected.
“Part of what we’re showing is that you might feel like you’re the only one taking this seriously, but our map shows that you’re not alone,” he said.
1. What does the underlined word “jarring” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．natural |
| B．necessary |
| C．worrying |
| D．reasonable |
| A．Friends who are worried and bored. |
| B．Young people not aware of the situation. |
| C．Younger students trying to help. |
| D．People taking the coronavirus seriously. |
| A．To order young people to stay at home. |
| B．To follow those infected with the coronavirus. |
| C．To tell young folks of latest news about the coronavirus. |
| D．To show young people that they are still connected. |
| A．To explain what worried students most when schools closed. |
| B．To show the different views of students toward the coronavirus. |
| C．To show how the coronavirus affected students’ lives. |
| D．To explain the proper reaction to the close of school. |
3 . For decades,Americans have been sorting their trash believing that most plastic could be recycled.But the truth is that the vast majority of all plastic produced can't be or won't be recycled.In 40 years,less than 10% of plastic has been recycled.
A news programme Frontline,by NPR and the PBS,found that oil and gas companies- the makers of plastic-have known that all along,even as they spent millions of dollars telling the American public the opposite.The plastics industry officials said the industry is providing money for new technology that they believe will get recycling plastic up to scale.The goal,they said,is to recycle 100% of the plastic they make in 5 years.
But the more plastic is recycled,the less money the industry will make by selling new plastic.And those profits have become increasingly important.Companies have told shareholders（股东）that profits from using oil and gas for transport are expected to decline in coming years with the increasing use of electric cars.The industry leaders expect oil and gas demands from the chemical industry will be much greater than the demand from the transport side in the coming decade.Plastic production overall is now expected to rise three times by 2050,and once again,the industry is spending money on advertisements and public relations to promote plastic recycling.
Plastic is now more common than it's ever been and harder to recycle.Gas prices remain at historic lows,making new plastic cheaper than recycled plastic.And the industry now produces many more different-and more complex-kinds of plastics that are more costly to sort and in many cases can't be recycled at all.Efforts to reduce plastic use are mounting nationwide,but any plan to slow the growth of plastic will face an industry with billions of dollars of future profits to lose.
1. What do we know about the goal of 100%plastic recycling?| A．It's modest. |
| B．It's achievable. |
| C．It's urgent. |
| D．It's unreal. |
| A．By selling electric cars. |
| B．By adding emphasis on recycling. |
| C．By increasing plastic production. |
| D．By meeting the needs of transport. |
| A．Increasing. |
| B．Working. |
| C．Failing. |
| D．Decreasing. |
| A．Should Plastic Be Recycled? |
| B．Can Plastic Waste Be Handled? |
| C．Recycle Plastic or Sell More? |
| D．Plastic Products or Substitutes? |
4 . “The Mexican is familiar with death, jokes with it, sleeps with it and celebrates it,” wrote Mexican author Octavio Paz.
To celebrate death, people throughout Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead on or around Nov. 1 each year. People wear makeup to celebrate the festival on that day.
Widely considered to be Mexico’s most important festival, the Day of the Dead is deeply rooted in the culture of the local Mexica.
The Mexica were the dominant local people in Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.
The celebration is based on a Mexican legend ( 传 说 ) that says after death, souls can only communicate with their still-living families in the first days of November. One can see how these days would be quite important for the Mexican people.
Now the tradition has become a modern festival .
“It’s a celebration with many years of history, to which local people have incorporated(融合) new religious elements, such as the gathering of offerings,” said Octavio Murillo, director at the National Institute of Local People in Mexico.
On this special day, people around Mexico decorate their homes, streets and relatives’ graves with flowers, candles and colorful skulls. At the same time, they set up altars ( 祭坛) on which they place the personal belongings of the dead to welcome them home.
In recent years, this festival has become a global symbol of Mexican culture , especially after the movie Coco《寻梦环游记》 hit big screens in 2017.
“We are all afraid of death, and in Mexico, it is part of a celebration, a ritual of color. It’s amazing. ” said Alejandra Diaz, a 30-year-old traveller. She took a week-long trip from Colombia to Mexico City just to take part in the festivities.
1. What do we know about the Day of the Dead?| A．It dates back to the 15th century. |
| B．It is related to a Mexica legend. |
| C．It honors those who died for Mexico. |
| D．It is a traditional Christian festival in Mexico. |
| A．The origins of the Day of the Dead. |
| B．Traditional ways of celebrating the Day of the Dead. |
| C．How the Day of the Dead is recently celebrated in Mexico. |
| D．Why the Day of the Dead is important for Mexican people. |
| A．To show that we should not be afraid of death. |
| B．To prove that the Day of the Dead has become a modern festival. |
| C．To present the influence of Mexican culture on modern movies. |
| D．To tell the readers that the festival stands for Mexican culture. |
5 . Few people can refuse a delicious ice cream, especially on a hot day. The only thing that stops the fun is that the treat is hard to enjoy slowly, ending up with a sticky, melted mess. Now, researchers from Colombia’s Pontifical Bolivarian University may have found an unlikely thing to help solve this age-old problem — a kind of fibre from banana plant waste.
Bananas, as you probably know, grow in groups on a tree-like plant. Each group is connected to a central rachis (叶轴), which is thrown once the fruit has been gathered. The team, which was led by Dr. Robin Zuluaga Gallego, began by abstracting /drawing out cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) from the powdered rachis. The tasteless fiber, thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, was then added to 100 grams of ice cream mix.
With the right amount of CNFs mixed in, the dessert lasted longer in its frozen state than the traditional ice cream, extending the amount of time that the treat can be enjoyed. What was even more exciting was that the fibre increased the stickiness of the low-fat ice cream to levels higher than the full-fat one. Since this is what determines the frozen treat’s creaminess and taste, CNFs could help create the healthier ice cream without influencing the taste of it.
The researchers, who presented their findings at the American Chemical Society( ACS) meeting in New Orleans in March, 2018, next plan to study how different types of fat, such as coconut oil, influence the behaviour of CNFs in other frozen treats.
The Colombian researchers are not the only ones working on creating a slower-melting ice cream. In 2015, scientists at the University of Dundee in Scotland found that a natural protein called BsIA was very effective in keeping the treat frozen for longer periods of time. With both teams fighting to be the first to get to the market, the future of everyone’s favorite dessert certainly looks bright.
1. What prevents people enjoying an ice cream slowly?| A．A kind of fibre from bananas. |
| B．The ice cream’s quick melting. |
| C．The ice cream’s stickiness. |
| D．The fat in the ice cream. |
| A．To improve its taste. |
| B．To increase its stickiness. |
| C．To reduce its fat content. |
| D．To make it melt more slowly. |
| A．The ice cream. | B．The fiber. |
| C．The fat. | D．The stickiness. |
| A．BsIA is popular in the market. |
| B．CNFs are more useful and expensive than BsIA. |
| C．Ice creams with CNFs have been on sale at the market. |
| D．Slowly enjoying an ice cream will soon become a reality. |
6 . For several months, Cara has been working up the courage to approach her mom about what she saw on Instagram. Not long ago, the 11-year-old girl discovered that her mom had been posting her photos for much of her life. “I’ve wanted to bring it up. It’s strange to see myself up there, and sometimes there are pictures I don’t like of myself,” she said.
Like most other modern kids, Cara grew up under the influence of social media. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube were all founded before she was born. Instagram has been around since she was a toddler. While many kids may not yet have accounts themselves, their parents, schools, sports teams have been organizing an online presence for them since birth. It is a shock to know that details about their lives have been shared online without their permission or knowledge. And this has become a common experience for many teenagers.
Recently a parenting blogger said that despite her 14-year-old daughter’s horror at discovering that her mother had shared years of highly personal stories and information about her online, she simply could not stop doing it.
But it’s not just crazy mommy bloggers who share their children’s information on social media. Plenty of average parents do the same. There’s even a special word for it: sharenting (晒娃). Almost a quarter of children begin their digital lives when parents upload their prenatal sonogram scans (产前超声波扫描) to the Internet, according to a study conducted by the Internet-security firm AVG. The study also found that 92 percent of kids under the age of 2 already have their own unique digital identity.
1. How does Cara feel about her mom’s behavior?| A．It's supportive. |
| B．It's appropriate. |
| C．It's annoying. |
| D．It's favorable. |
| A．Teenage girl. |
| B．School student. |
| C．Daughter. |
| D．Very young child. |
| A．Fathers don’t like to share their kids’ information on social media. |
| B．25% of children begin their digital lives before they are born. |
| C．The word “sharenting” can be found 10 years ago. |
| D．AVG is the name of an internet company. |
| A．Growing up on the Internet |
| B．A New Term Born |
| C．Parents Addicted to Blogging |
| D．The Children’s Horror |
7 . A trip to the theater, museum or art gallery could help you live longer. And the more often you get that culture, the better the results are, a new study suggests.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) did the research on more than 6,000 adults in England age 50 years and older. How often an individual engaged in art activities was measured at the start of the study in 2004 to 2005. Participants were then followed up for an average of 12 years, during which time deaths were recorded using data from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). They found that people who engaged in the arts more frequency had a 31% lower risk of dying early when compared to those who didn’t. Even going to the theater or museum once or twice a year was linked with a 14% lower risk.
The study looked at a range of economic, health and social factors to try and explain why there is a link between “arts engagement and living longer. Part of the reason, the study said, comes down to social and economic differences among those who go and don’t go to museums, exhibitions and art galleries. Wealth, they found, explained about 9% of the association. Cognitive (认知的) differences and mental health also played a role. Things like free time and occupational status made no difference, said Fancourt.
Engaging with the arts can act as a buffer against stress and build creativity that allows people to adapt to changing circumstances. It also helps people access emotional support and information that helps people age more successfully. “We also thought that a greater sense of purpose could play a role,” she said. “It can have wide ranging benefits and support healthier lives lived longer.”
A world health organization last year found that both receptive participation, like visiting a museum, and active participation, like singing in a choir, had health benefits. An editorial that accompanied the paper said that everyone should have the chance to take part in cultural activities and said the study added weight to growing concerns about the decline in arts subjects in schools and universities.
1. What was the right step of the experiment?| A．Following the participants for 12 years. |
| B．Recording the participants’ death time. |
| C．Comparing the frequency of art activities. |
| D．Dividing the participants into two groups. |
| A．Wealth. | B．Cognition. |
| C．Occupation. | D．Mental health. |
| A．Relief. | B．Barrier. |
| C．Defence. | D．Battle. |
8 . There he was, turning the corner of Hawley and Main Street like clockwork. His red hair seemed to catch the sunlight, giving his head a soft candle-flame glow. He caught my eye, and up went his arm in his usual wave. As usual, I
Having moved from a larger city, I wasn’t used to waves from
Perhaps that’s why I enjoyed these daily waves. It felt great to be
One night I was walking in the street, my thoughts traveled to “The Waver”, wondering if I could be
I heard a car
Everyone at some point in their lives wonders if they’ve made any
| A．waved | B．took | C．saluted | D．glanced |
| A．cautious | B．reliable | C．friendly | D．thankful |
| A．strangers | B．relatives | C．colleagues | D．employers |
| A．informed | B．encouraged | C．encountered | D．acknowledged |
| A．behaviors | B．business | C．appearance | D．manners |
| A．worried | B．noticed | C．relieved | D．checked |
| A．agree | B．attempt | C．promise | D．happen |
| A．pedestrians | B．buildings | C．street | D．children |
| A．mildness | B．kindness | C．eagerness | D．brightness |
| A．brave | B．mature | C．lucky | D．crazy |
| A．attacking | B．escaping | C．following | D．approaching |
| A．lengthened | B．softened | C．worsened | D．tightened |
| A．cool | B．tough | C．fresh | D．curious |
| A．comment | B．impact | C．decision | D．sense |
| A．accurately | B．slightly | C．thoroughly | D．generally |
9 . Light pollution is blocking a starry view of the night sky for more than half of people across England, a research has found.
Fifty-seven percent of stargazers(观星者)struggled to see more than 10 stars, while just 2% of participants said they experienced a truly dark sky enabling them to count more than 30, according to the research by the Campaign to Protect Rural England(CPRE). People in the countryside were encouraged to count how many stars they could see with eyes within the constellation(星座)of Orion, which is visible only in the winter months.
Campaigners said the results of the star count, supported by the British Astronomical Association, showed the problem of light pollution and how it affected one of the countryside's most magical sights-a dark, starry night sky. They said the results of the research to map England's night skies suggested more could be done by the government, local councils and the general public to lessen the negative effects of artificial light from streets and buildings.
Emma Marrington, dark skies campaigner at the CPRE, said, “We're hugely grateful to the people who took the time to get out and take part in our star count. But it's deeply disappointing that the vast majority were unable to experience the natural wonder of a truly dark sky blanketed with stars. Without intervention, our night sky will continue to be lost under a covering of artificial light, ruining the health of the natural world.”
She added, “The star count results show just how far-reaching the light from street lights and buildings can be seen. Light doesn't respect boundaries, and careless use can see it spread for miles from cities.”
She suggested better-designed lighting, street light dimming(暗淡)systems and partnight lighting where some street lights are turned off during the small hours should provide an opportunity to limit the damage caused by light pollution, reduce carbon emissions and save money.
1. What effect does the light pollution bring about to England?| A．It leads the stars to disappear. |
| B．It makes the countryside dim. |
| C．It makes the environment terrible. |
| D．It prevents the people seeing stars. |
| A．The overuse of artificial light. |
| B．More and more buildings. |
| C．Less and less outdoor activities. |
| D．The spread of light in the countryside. |
| A．Regretful. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Appreciative. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Changing the streets' design. |
| B．Turning off lights at night. |
| C．Spreading light further. |
| D．Using street lights wisely. |
10 . When I search my mind for who has made an impact on my life, my father steps out first. To be honest, my father is not an
While I believe I won’t
After I failed the college entrance exam, he
| A．honored | B．energetic | C．ideal | D．outstanding |
| A．doubt | B．hesitation | C．freedom | D．permission |
| A．fighting | B．talking | C．training | D．operating |
| A．lectures | B．performances | C．instructions | D．invitation |
| A．take | B．make | C．practice | D．share |
| A．inside | B．behind | C．under | D．beneath |
| A．heard | B．believed | C．followed | D．received |
| A．interesting | B．tough | C．indifferent | D．smooth |
| A．forgive | B．accept | C．avoid | D．forget |
| A．confident | B．particular | C．passionate | D．sympathetic |
| A．delayed | B．opposed | C．admitted | D．refused |
| A．courage | B．wealth | C．perseverance | D．personality |
| A．poverty | B．reality | C．challenge | D．background |
| A．step | B．role | C．authority | D．advice |
| A．Therefore | B．Moreover | C．Otherwise | D．However |
| A．accompanied | B．ordered | C．advised | D．comforted |
| A．calm | B．content | C．optimistic | D．responsible |
| A．fate | B．examination | C．competition | D．outcome |
| A．catching | B．watching | C．keeping | D．picturing |
| A．devoted | B．attached | C．close | D．faithful |
