1 . The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.
Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, “It’s a little damp (潮湿的) outside.” Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, “She isn’t exactly friendly.” Understatement is often used in unpleasant situation or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humor.
Another key to understanding British humor is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen to our everyday life when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. What’s more, the British love to watch comedies (喜剧) about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedies series Mr. Bean is a good example of this kind of humor.
Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. Mr. Bean doesn’t talk often, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr. Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. Mr. Bean is popular in many countries around the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humor. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humor.
1. Why is it difficult for foreigners to understand British jokes?| A．The British often enlarge the fact. |
| B．The British try to understate something. |
| C．British jokes are connected with many different cultures. |
| D．British jokes are not as funny as jokes in other countries. |
| A．describing a process | B．using examples |
| C．following time order | D．making comparisons |
| A．telling funny stories |
| B．copying how others behave |
| C．making jokes about others’ accent |
| D．using his body movement and facial expressions |
| A．British Humor in Comedy | B．Humor in Different Cultures |
| C．Developing Your Sense of Humor | D．Understanding British Humor |
2 . When she returned home that year, she was given an enthusiastic welcome in the same hall. Many hands stretched out to her, many cameras focused on her. A reporter in glasses kept pestering her with the question: “What do you like best?” She was wondering how to respond when she caught sight of a bunch of flowers. Then she said, “Flowers!” Following her remarks, more flowers were at once presented out to her, too many for her to hold. During the past two years, she had participated in many international competitions and brought back one shining medal after another. What she got in return was all smiles, flowers and camera flashes. Was it because of this that she became preoccupied with winning? The more she won, the more obsessed she was with the fear of losing. So her mind was in fact more burdened with success than with failure. The mind could control physical pains but could not free itself from mental strain easily.
This time when she was a little off balance on the horizontal bar (平衡木), she became so worried that she lost self-control and fell off. This failure was followed by several more in other events. Afterwards in order to avoid people at the airport, she trailed along behind the team. She found that very few people greeted her and reporters seemed to shun her. However hard she tried, she couldn’t turn the tide; she was a complete failure. Indeed, who would side with a failure?
All of a sudden, she saw a pair of shoes in front of her. Who could it be? She raised her bent head slowly and saw a navy blue suit, long legs, and then a clear fair face. Before her stood the stewardess with her hands behind her back, speaking with a smile, “I watched your performance on the television. I knew you would come home today. So I am here especially to welcome you.”
“I did very poorly.” She lowered her head again.
“No. You did your best.”
“But I failed.”
“Nobody can avoid failure. I believe failure is as important to you as success. Failure belongs to the past, and victory is the future.” The stewardess’s voice came gentle but firm.
Hearing these words, the girl raised her head. The stewardess held out her hands from behind her back with a big bouquet of colorful flowers, and presented it to the girl. The strong fragrance seemed to turn into a magic, powerful current that went through her body. She was moved to tears. Flowers are usually given to victorious heroes. Why to the disgraced loser?
1. What does the underlined word “pester” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Greet. | B．Annoy. | C．Inquire. | D．Concern. |
| A．She had received many smiles, flowers and camera flashes. |
| B．She was passionate about walking on the horizontal bar. |
| C．Her mind was free from over anxiety about failure. |
| D．She was in good physical condition. |
| A．Ashamed. | B．Stressed. | C．Miserable. | D．Grief-stricken. |
| A．Action is worry’s worst enemy. |
| B．The winners laugh and the losers weep. |
| C．Excessive pressure will become a burden. |
| D．Success is never final and failure is never fatal. |
3 . I was never very neat while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but my always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Overtime, Kate got neater and I got my merriser. She moved to push my dirty clothing over and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.
Who broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! why under my bed!” Suddenly I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up. She quickly crawled (爬) under her covers, crying. Obviously. that was something she could not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy (同情) rose up in my heart.
Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bad. Cleaned the suckers and swept the floor even on her side. I got so absorbed into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching. Her tears dried and her expression was such disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me. “Thanks.”
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.
1. What made Kate so angry one evening?| A．She couldn’t find her books. |
| B．She heard the writer shouting loud. |
| C．She got the news that her grandma was ill. |
| D．She saw the writer’s shoes beneath her bed. |
| A．Because she was scared by Kate’s anger. |
| B．Because she hated herself for being so messy. |
| C．Because she wanted to show her care. |
| D．Because she was asked by Kate to do so. |
| A．By analyzing courses. |
| B．By showing differences. |
| C．By describing a process. |
| D．By following time order. |
| A．My Friend Kate. |
| B．Hard Work Pays off. |
| C．How to Be Organized? |
| D．Learning to Be Roommates. |
4 . Our savings ran out and we were going to lose our house. We had to move into Grandpa’s house, which had been old and beyond
The roof seemed to leak
Joe and I both tried to be
One evening, I walked out into the back yard to
I suddenly
| A．control | B．repair | C．recognition | D．comparison |
| A．empty | B．noisy | C．secret | D．busy |
| A．for no reason | B．in every respect | C．on no account | D．at any moment |
| A．worn | B．kept | C．cut | D．cleared |
| A．proved | B．felt | C．grew | D．stood |
| A．hardly | B．simply | C．suddenly | D．occasionally |
| A．brave | B．friendly | C．energetic | D．cheerful |
| A．warning | B．answer | C．message | D．lesson |
| A．escape | B．defeat | C．release | D．absorb |
| A．Probably | B．Accidentally | C．Naturally | D．Consequently |
| A．planting | B．picking | C．watering | D．observing |
| A．flowers | B．insects | C．seats | D．trees |
| A．quietest | B．safest | C．nicest | D．cleanest |
| A．confirmed | B．declared | C．recalled | D．realized |
| A．eager | B．grateful | C．concerned | D．responsible |
5 . My new teacher is cool. Her name is Paula so we call her Miss Paula.
The first time we met her she said we are going to be good friends and that good friends are always nice to each other.
Miss Paula has been teaching us a lot of things. Some of us used to get in trouble for talking in the hallway (过道). Miss Paula says she can’t change the rule that we can’t make noise in the hallway but we can still talk to each other. She is teaching us sign language. I already know how to say “hello” and “how are you” with my hands. Now we love it when we have to walk somewhere and we are always quiet except for a laugh or two.
Miss Paula likes everybody even Sam and nobody likes Sam. He never does what he’s told but now he is doing better. Miss Paula says every single one of us is perfect and beautiful just the way we are. I guess that includes Sam.
This week at school was really the best ever. I didn’t even get in trouble when I thought I would because I spilled (洒) milk on my homework and had to hand it in when it was still wet. Miss Paula just smiled and asked “What’s this?” So I told her what happened. Miss Paula put it near the window to make it dry. She said the sun had been waiting for such an important job as this and would be happy to help us.
Well I have to go and get ready for bed now. I have school in the morning and I want to wake up early so I will have time to pick Miss Paula some flowers.
1. From the passage we know that Miss Paula ________.| A．is strict with the writer | B．changed the school rules |
| C．is very kind to her students | D．uses sign language in class |
| A．Sam dislikes his new teacher. | B．Sam has made some progress. |
| C．Sam is often praised by Miss Paula. | D．Sam is one of the writer’s best friends. |
| A．Bored. | B．Excited. | C．Relaxed. | D．Worried. |
| A．loves and respects her new teacher | B．is a bit afraid of her new teacher |
| C．always picks her teacher some flowers | D．wrote this article in the morning |
6 . Sharon, Aged 22
The most important thing to keep in mind when going into high school is to be yourself. Besides, I don’t know what your middle school was like, but high school teachers will not care about things such as how much homework you already have in one night. It’s best to just learn to deal with things and manage your time wisely so you can achieve everything you need.
Frank, Aged 21
I think almost every kid feels both nervous and excited before their first day. You will probably love it. I know I did. You should join in some sports or activities that will make your high school experience more enjoyable. Good luck！
Eddie, Aged 20
When I started high school I was really nervous too, especially since I had been home-schooled all through middle school and didn’t really know anyone, I suppose the best advice would be to just relax. The first couple of days can be a little bit hard, but things will become easier after you know it.
David, Aged 19
I’m not going to lie. The first day is kind of frightening. But you’ll get used to it. Don’t be afraid of anyone; upperclassmen will pick on you more if you let them know you’re afraid. Just take it easy. Making some friends and staying with them will greatly help you get used to high school quickly. After the first week it’s really not bad at all. Don’t worry.
1. What can we infer from Sharon about high school?| A．Teachers are quite strict. |
| B．Students often stay up at night. |
| C．Teachers provide little care for students. |
| D．Students should make good use of their time. |
| A．Excited | B．Bored. | C．Worried. | D．Relaxed. |
| A．Frank. | B．David. | C．Sharon. | D．Eddie. |
7 . There is more of a connection between food and culture than you may think. On an individual level, we grow up eating the food of our culture. It becomes a part of who we are. Many associate food from our childhood with warm feelings and good memories and it ties us to our families, holding a special and personal value for us. Food from our families often becomes the comfort food we seek as adults in times of frustration and stress.
On a large scale, traditional food is an important part of culture. It also operates as an expression of cultural identity. Immigrants bring it wherever they go, and it is a symbol of pride in their culture and means of coping with homesickness.
Many immigrants open their own restaurants and serve traditional dishes. However, the food does not remain exactly the same. Some materials needed to make traditional dishes may not be readily available, so the taste and flavour can be different from what they would prepare in their home countries. Additionally, immigrants do not only sell dishes to people from the same countries as them, but to people from different countries. Therefore, they have to make small changes in the original dishes to cater to a wider range of customers. Those changes can create new flavours that still keep the cultural significance of the dishes.
We should not only embrace our heritage (传统) through our culture’s food, but also become more informed about other cultures by trying their food. It is important to remember that each dish has a special place in the culture to which it belongs, and is special to those who prepare it. Food is a window on culture, and it should be treated as such.
1. What’s the function of food mentioned in the text?| A．To help motivate homesickness. |
| B．To show cultural identity. |
| C．To reflect a country’s history. |
| D．To show a community’s superiority. |
| A．The specific traditional food. |
| B．The national culture. |
| C．A traditional expression of food. |
| D．The old-fashioned taste. |
| A．To attach cultural importance to their dishes. |
| B．To announce the beginning of their life on foreign soil. |
| C．To make the dishes popular among customers. |
| D．To present their own food culture in a new way. |
| A．Negative. |
| B．Balanced. |
| C．Unfair. |
| D．Unchangeable. |
8 . When it comes to family holidays in Australia, most people look to hot spots such as Sydney or the Gold Coast. However, Perth makes for a strong competitor, with plenty of museums and theme parks to keep the kids entertained, as well as historic sites and botanical gardens.
To give you a travel guide, we take a look at the best things to see and do in Perth.
King’s Park
Located in the heart of Perth’s business district, the four-square-kilometre park is perfect for spending an afternoon and making the most of the sunny weather. Here you’ll find plenty of picnic spots, play areas for little ones, and a host of activities and things to see. However, if you only visit one thing, make it the park’s impressive botanical gardens where you’ll find colorful plants.
Bibbulmun Track
Hikers, this one’s for you! This track is one of the world’s great long distance walks. Along the way you can expect amazing scenery, comfortable campsites, and a host of exciting wildlife and plants to look out for.
Perth Mint
You can discover a century’s worth of metals from gold to silver and even Coca-Cola bottle caps here. There are plenty of activities too from a live gold pouring session that you can watch to countless exhibitions.
Perth Zoo
The unusual creatures at the Perth Zoo are sure to keep small children’s attention! Giraffes, lions, elephants and monkeys are just some of the wildlife living in the zoo, which focuses on protecting various species.
1. What do we know about King’s Park?| A．It is in the hot spot Perth. | B．It is a good place for a picnic. |
| C．It is perfect for long-distance walking. | D．It is home to various plants and animals. |
| A．They have a lot of wildlife. | B．They have large exhibitions. |
| C．They are in a business centre. | D．They are noted for campsites. |
| A．To introduce Australia. | B．To celebrate some events. |
| C．To attract visitors to Perth. | D．To announce new activities. |
9 . Getting sick is a common part of people’s lives. But their attitudes toward being sick and hospital visits vary from country to country. This difference hasn’t been more obvious since the start of the novel coronavirus epidemic — when a great number of people are falling ill all at the same time.
The conditions in the US are getting worse quickly, which is largely due to the fact that there’s no universal health-care system. According to the 2019 US Census, 28 million people are not covered or do not have adequate health insurance, meaning that they would probably avoid getting tested for the virus, for fear of the cost of being hospitalized.
‘‘There is a strong financial reason to hide symptoms, to try to keep working and caring for children, and thus, they’re spreading the virus … simply because they have no other choice.” wrote reporter James Hamblin on The Atlantic.
Germany, on the contrary, has one of the world’s best-developed public healthcare systems that covers every citizen. People in Germany — who have ‘‘high levels of job security’’, according to the Los Angeles Times — are also more likely to follow the separation measures and stay at home without having to worry about losing their jobs.
Japan also has universal public health-care, but it brings another kind of problem: People tend to seek more medical care than necessary. According to Yusuke Tsugawa, a physician at Harvard University, Japan has three times more outpatient (门诊) visits than in the US, and patients also stay in hospital for three times longer than in the US. This often wastes medical resources, which are even more critical and precious during a global pandemic.
‘‘It isn’t good to do tests just to ease public anxiety,” Kentaro Iwata, an infectious disease expert at Kobe University, Japan, told Reuters. ‘‘If they test everyone with light symptoms, the medical system will break down.”
Indeed, a country’s healthcare system is the key to keeping its people safe - it’s also the key to whether a country can survive a crisis like the novel coronavirus pandemic.
1. Why are the conditions in the US worsening rapidly?| A．All people there avoid getting tested. |
| B．Most people there don’t have health insurance. |
| C．Most people there can’t afford being hospitalized. |
| D．All people there are not covered by health-care system. |
| A．They choose to do so. | B．They don’t want to work alone. |
| C．They are concerned about money. | D．They want to stay with their children. |
| A．They have too many outpatient visits. |
| B．They waste too much time on unnecessary testing. |
| C．They spend too much money on public health-care. |
| D．They don’t make the best use of medical resources. |
10 . The “24 solar terms” (节气) originated and was first used in China. It was created thousands of years ago on the basis of practical needs of agricultural. Ancient Chinese people used it to guide agricultural production, explain special climate signs and even come up with healthy living tips. Last year, the 24 solar terms was added to UNESCO's world cultural heritage list(联合国教科文组织世界文化遗产名录). Now, it has been brought to life thanks to a creative designer from Southwest China's Guizhou Province.
On the eve of this year's Qingming Festival, Shi Changhong released (发布) his version of reproduced and packaged characters for each solar term in the form of “moving art” of gifs. Since their first release on Zcool on March 29, the gifs have won great praise among the general public and quickly flooded the social media with millions of hits during the festival period.
To maximize publicity, Shi released his work in three forms: the video, the animation and pictures. The background sounds add to the brilliance.
“When I watch the short video, I can strongly feel the Chinese-style elements hidden in it. And it is really cool to liven up traditional Chinese culture in such a unique way.” WeChat user Xiao Feifei said.
“It is really a comfort to me to see so many people like my latest work. To be honest, it would really surprise me if the work had not aroused great interest among Chinese people. The 24 solar terms is a deeply rooted concept that covers the essence of Chinese wisdom. However, only a small portion of people know all the names or the correct order of those terms. My intention is to increase Chinese people’s self-awareness to learn more about our traditional fine culture. Actually, the 24 solar terms work is only a part of my whole design program ‘Charm China’, which I started a year ago.” Shi told China Daily.
1. Which part of the newspaper does the text probably belong to?| A．Travel. | B．Culture. | C．Agriculture. | D．Education. |
| A．Newspaper. | B．Magazine. |
| C．Radio broadcast. | D．Website. |
| A．The background sounds of the work make the video more attractive. |
| B．It really surprised Shi Changhong to see so many people like his latest work. |
| C．Most people know all the names or the correct order of the 24 solar terms. |
| D．The 24 solar terms work designed by Shi Changhong was added to UNESCO’s heritage list. |
| A．To introduce a creative designer. |
| B．To introduce the 24 solar terms work. |
| C．To introduce the origin of the 24 solar terms. |
| D．To introduce a design program “Charm China”. |
