1 . Every festival has its own meaning. Labor Day, for example, celebrates the value of hard work. Thanksgiving is about showing thanks to people around you. And Valentines’ Day is a time when you express love to your loved ones. But somehow it now seems that all festivals we just care about one thing — shopping. And that can be a big problem.

“In a way, over-consumption (过度消费) is the mother of all our environmental problems,” Kalle Lasn once told CNN. Lasn is the organizer of Buy Nothing Day, a day set up in Canada in 1992 to fight against unhealthy spending habits, and has now become an international event. It’s held on the day, which is known as Black Friday — a famous shopping day in the US and Canada.

You can see the irony (讽刺) here.

Even though the idea of Buy Nothing Day was brought up 26 years ago, we seem to need it now more than ever. It’s just as Lasn said, all the different kinds of pollution in our lives today — bad air quality, the reduction of forest area, endangered animal species, and plastic bags found in the ocean — seem to be the same cause: over-consumption.

The latest example is the Singles’ Day shopping craze of Nov 11, which saw a new sales record. But as Nie Li, a campaigner at Greenpeace, told Reuters, “Record-setting over-consumption means record-setting waste.” And it was reported that last year the Singles’ Day packages left more than 160,000 tons of waste, including plastic and cardboard. The Collins Dictionary has also just named “single-use” its Word of the Year, pointing out the problem that there’re too many things we tow out after only using them once.

So, Buy Nothing Day might only be here for one day a year, but it’s not just to remind us to the a break from shopping on that day, but to change our lifestyle completely, focusing on fun “with people we care about” rather than wasting money on useless things.

1. What’s the authors purpose of writing the first paragraph?

A．To express the people’s love for all festivals.

B．To talk about the meaning of the festivals.

C．To appreciate the value of the festivals.

D．To bring out the topic of the passage.

2. Why did Kalle Lasn organize Buy Nothing Day?

A．To help people save money.	B．To cut the cost for daily life.
C．To prevent over-consumption.	D．To set up a new sales record.

3. What’s Nie Li’s attitude towards the shopping craze?

A．Opposed (反对的).	B．Supportive.
C．Unknown.	D．Neutral (中立的).

4. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．Creating a New Lifestyle	B．Buy Nothing Day
C．Festivals Around the World	D．A Change in People’s Life

2 . Are you looking for some movies? You’ve landed on the right place. Let’s take a look at the list I’ve collected.

A Beautiful Mind

A Beautiful Mind is the story of John Nash, a mathematician who went on to win the Nobel Prize for his Game Theory. This movie brings his whole journey on screen—from his beginning to his downhill ride.

The first half is all about his rise to fame while the second half shows how he slowly falls into madness. After many years of fighting, he finally is victorious.

I.Q.

The story is about an auto mechanic who falls for Albert Einstein’s niece. The only problem is that she is engaged (已订婚的) to someone else. Fortunately, Einstein likes him. The young man pretends to be a physicist to run after her, but things don’t go as he has planned.

If A Beautiful Mind was a little too heavy for you, I.Q. would be the perfect fit. It’s a light drama that is funny and heartwarming for the most part.

Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting is a touching tale of a troubled young man called Will Hunting who is gifted with a natural talent in mathematics.

However, he is struggling to find his identity. He can solve any math problem, but not the one he seems to be struggling within his life. His life seems to be getting only worse until one day he meets Sean, a therapist, who helps him find direction in life.

Creation

Creation is a story of a famous scientist, Charles Darwin, best known for his Theory of Evolution. This movie attempts to bring his struggling days into focus, the time when he was dealing with the loss of his daughter and was suffering from hallucinations (幻觉). At the same time, he was working on a book called On the Origins of Species, which he finally completed.

All in all, Creation is a great historical drama.

1. If you are interested in a relaxing movie, which one can you see?

A．I.Q

B．Creation

C．A Beautiful Mind

D．Good Will Hunting

2. Who are experts in mathematics?

A．Will Hunting and Sean.	B．John Nash and Will Hunting.
C．Charles Darwin and Sean.	D．John Nash and Charles Darwin.

3. What’s the main purpose of the text?

A．To introduce movies.	B．To promote science.
C．To recommend actors.	D．To compare movies.

3 . Dance Classes

Ballet

Ballet teaches grace, posture (姿势) and flexibility. Students focus on the use of proper ballet items (物品), expanding their knowledge of classical ballet techniques and improving motor skills for classical ballet practice. The class is a formal ballet class.

Age: 8 — 10

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 10:30 am — 12:00 am on Saturdays

Creative Movers

Students can explore creative movement, balance, focus, the development of skills, motor planning and balance. The class helps build strength, flexibility and self-confidence, and allows children to realize expression in a positive and encouraging environment. Children use their imagination to celebrate movement and have lots of fun.

Age: 3 — 5

Date: September 7, 2019 — January 18, 2020

Time: 9:00 am — 9:45 am on Saturdays

Jazz

Jazz includes movements from both classical ballet and dance techniques. This class will focus on traditional Jazz dance. Students will be introduced to jazz-style rhythms and movements. In order to ensure proper placement for your child, we invite all students to participate in a sample (示例) class. Students and parents work with program staff to meet students’ personal dance goals.

Age: 5 — 6

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 2:00 pm — 3:00 pm on Saturdays

Hip Hop

Students will be introduced to several different aspects of hip hop dance including Popping, Locking, Breaking and Tutting in a high-energy environment. Our hip hop instructors are highly knowledgeable and will provide students with a wonderful view of hip hop dance.

Age: 7 — 10

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 1:00 pm — 2:00 pm on Sundays

1. Which class is suitable for 4-year-old children?

A．Ballet.

B．Creative Movers.

C．Hip Hop.

D．Jazz.

2. What can students do in the jazz class?

A．Make use of all the ballet items.	B．Learn the long history of jazz.
C．Dance with famous modern jazz dancers.	D．Get to know jazz-style movements.

3. What is special about the hip hop class?

A．It is open in the afternoon.	B．It is available on Sunday.
C．It teaches traditional dances.	D．It has the most skilled teachers.

4 . Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son. Suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut,” Joanna noted.

Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up (依偎) against me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is understanding which time is which.”

Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their mind. “In fact, parents are first on the list,” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years,” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”

Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental (思想的) break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.

1. “The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son ________.

A．keeps himself away from his parents	B．begins to dislike his parents
C．is always busy with his study	D．doesn’t want to be ignored

2. What does trouble Tina and Mark?

A．Their daughter isn’t as lovely as before.

B．They can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly.

C．They don’t know what to say to their daughter.

D．Their daughter talks with them only when she needs help.

3. Which of the following best explains “the wall of silence” in the last paragraph?

A．Teenagers talk a lot with their friends.	B．Teenagers do not understand their parents.
C．Teenagers talk little about their own lives.	D．Teenagers do not talk much with their parents.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Parents shouldn’t be angry with teenagers.

B．Parents have to talk with children face to face.

C．Parents are unhappy with their growing children.

D．Parents should try to understand their teenagers.

5 . Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her senior high school life was unhappy and that she was tired of struggling with homework all the time.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, h placed potatoes, eggs and coffee beans in them. After 20 minutes, he took them out, putting the potatoes and eggs in a bowl and the coffee in a cup.

Turning to his daughter, he said, “Look closer, and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After puling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. Its good smell brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans were in the same adversity (逆境)—the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.

The strong and hard potato became soft and weak in boiling water. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which one do you want to be like,” he asked. “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?”

In life, challenges happen to us all, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.

1. Why did the girl complain to her father?

A．Because of her tiring job.	B．Because of her hard school life.
C．Because of her father’ s busy work.	D．Because of the food her father cooked.

2. What can we infer from this story?

A．The girl liked the coffee best.

B．The father was good at cooking.

C．Different people have different reactions to adversity.

D．The girl didn’t like the potatoes and eggs.

3. What does the underlined word “fragile” mean in the 5th paragraph?

A．thick

B．hard

C．strong

D．easily-broken

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Challenges and responses.	B．Adversities and a chef.
C．A chef and coffee beans.	D．Father and daughter.

6 . Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet to discuss them. Now, the website Book Crossing.com turns the page on the traditional idea of a book group.

Members go on the site and register (登记) the books they own and would like to share. Book Crossing provides an identification number (识别码) to stick inside the book. Then the person leaves it in a public place, hoping that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.

Bruce Pederson, the managing director of Book Crossing, says, “The two things that change your life are the people you meet and books you read. Book Crossing combines both.”

Members leave books on park benches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops. Whoever finds their book will go to the site and record where they found it.

People who find a book can also leave a journal entry describing what they thought of it. E— mails are then sent to the BookCrossers to keep them updated about where their books have been found. Bruce Pederson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping a book to gather dust on a shelf at home.

Book Crossing is part of a trend (趋势) among people who want to get back to the “real” and not the virtual (虚拟).The site now has more than one million members in more than one hundred thirty—five countries.

1. Why does the author mention book groups in the first paragraph?

A．To explain what they are.	B．To introduce Book Crossing.
C．To stress the importance of reading.	D．To encourage readers to share their ideas.

2. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．An adventure.	B．A public place.
C．The book.	D．The identification number.

3. What will a Book Crosser do with a book after reading it?

A．Keep it safe in his bookcase.	B．Mail it back to its owner.
C．Meet other readers to discuss it.	D．Pass it on to another reader.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Online Reading: A Virtual Tour	B．Electronic Books: A New Trend
C．A Book Group Brings Tradition Back	D．A Website Links People through Books

7 . I have dreamed of taking a trip to Hawaii since I graduated, but the best thing always needs waiting.

I took a trip with my friends to Haleakala National Park, which lies in Hawaii.

When we arrived at Haleakala National Park, we were advised to watch the early morning sunrise. I was lost in the sightseeing (观光) that afternoon, so I could hardly wait to see the sunrise. The next morning, we all got out of bed very early and got to the seaside at 3 o’clock. In the first half an hour, we imagined how wonderful it would be when the first light came out through the thick clouds and how soft it would be when the light touched our skin, so we waited and waited. However, another half an hour later, I gradually lost my patience since there was nothing but the chilly darkness, and I felt that I was frozen to death. (冻死) But my friends were still extremely cheerful.

Nearly another one hour later, “Amazing!” Judy burst out and we all shouted to welcome the light, which was really unbelievable. Until today, I dare say that it is the most impressive sunrise in my life. However, waiting in the morning darkness is also one memory I can’t forget forever.

Waiting sometimes is really a hard thing for most of us as it needs patience and strong-willed determination (决心) , but what about the result after that? It might turn out to be pleasing and unbelievable. So, it is really worth (值得的) waiting for the best.

1. What can we learn from the passage?

A．he author’s friends and the author took a trip to China.

B．Hawaii is a good place to enjoy the sunrise.

C．Sometimes, it is worth waiting for the best.

D．The author enjoyed the worst sunrise in his life.

2. When did they see the first light of the sunrise?

A．About 3 o’clock.	B．About 4 o’clock.
C．About 5 o’clock.	D．About 6 o’clock.

3. What’s the meaning of the underlined word in Paragraph 2?

A．Total.

B．Cold.

C．Terrible.

D．Interesting.

4. How did the author feel when waiting for the sunrise?

A．Excited all the time.	B．Afraid all the time.
C．Firstly excited then afraid.	D．Firstly excited then impatient.

8 . My wife and I moved into our home two years ago. We had a yard with a lot of ________. Very often when we have flowers, Denise or I would plant some between the rocks, just to add some ________ to the area.

Last summer, I found a tiny little plant in the yard that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise said she didn’t either.

We decided to let it ________ growing until we could find out what it was.

Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the ________ plant, it appeared to be a sunflower. I decided to ________ the weeds (杂草) around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something ________.The sunflower had not ________ where I saw it begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the ________.

That’s when I ________ that if a tiny little sunflower didn’t let a big rock stand in its way of developing, we too have the ability of doing the same thing. If we ________ ourselves like that little sunflower, we can reach where we ________ to go and get what we need for growth.

We need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the ________ to achieve our goals. Like the sunflower, it knew it had the ability to get over the rocks because it had ________ in itself that it would succeed. Stand tall like the sunflower and be ________ of who and what we are, and then the environment will begin to ________ us. We will find a way to go under or around any “rocks” in order to reach our goals.

1.

A．flower

B．insects

C．vegetables

D．rocks

2.

A．water

B．fertilizer

C．color

D．shape

3.

A．stop

B．continue

C．improve

D．escape

4.

A．weak

B．strange

C．lonely

D．pretty

5.

A．collect

B．tend

C．remove

D．watch

6.

A．unusual

B．wonderful

C．terrible

D．valuable

7.

A．passed

B．started

C．left

D．died

8.

A．air

B．top

C．sun

D．house

9.

A．hoped

B．realized

C．doubted

D．regretted

10.

A．fill in

B．put in

C．worry about

D．believe in

11.

A．forget

B．hate

C．aim

D．wait

12.

A．wish

B．plan

C．ability

D．idea

13.

A．faith

B．energy

C．virtue

D．courage

14.

A．aware

B．afraid

C．proud

D．tired

15.

A．forgive

B．support

C．upset

D．affect

10 . A teenager needs to have a sense of independence in their life to feel secure (安全的). To some teenagers independence means a lot to them, and I think that some parents don’t allow their teenagers enough independence.

Independence has something to do with freedom. Some kids are not allowed to go anywhere alone, and the only thing their schedule includes is going to school, coming home, going to sleep, and repeating the process the next day. Parents tend to be afraid that their kids can get hurt if they go outside into the world. But if parents control their kids too much, they may never learn to live on their own. The best way for a teenager to learn lesson is through experience. I think it is beneficial for teenagers to have freedom.

Teenagers’ lack of freedom can also stop them from having good friendship at school. Some might say this is a good thing, because it helps them focus more on their school work. I argue that this can only discourage them not to do their school work. Some parents do not allow their children to be around their friends outside the school, thinking that this will get them into trouble. But I don’t think so. Instead, isn’t this a good reason for parents to get their children a cellphone? Cellphones allow teenagers to stay in touch with their parents, and communicate with friends.

Privacy is another issue between parents and their teenagers. Teenagers tend to enjoy relaxation by themselves in their own room. This also gives them a sense of independence. It often annoys teenagers when their parents enter their room when they are not home. I know that my mom always goes in my room when I’m not home, and this has brought me to the point where I have asked many times to get a lock on my door.

1. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?

A．It benefits teenagers to have freedom.	B．Some parents allow their kids no freedom.
C．Kids know how to live independently.	D．Kids have a dull routine every day

2. In the opinion of the author, ________ .

A．it is unnecessary for a kid to have a cellphone

B．kids should focus on the school work

C．parents should make it easy for kids to communicate with their friends

D．good friendships between kids harm their school work

3. How do teenagers usually feel when their parents enter their rooms in their absence?

A．Angry

B．Lucky

C．Disappointed

D．Calm

4. The author hopes to have her door locked in order to________.

A．keep her father from reading her dairy	B．stop thieves from going in
C．protect herself from any harm	D．prevent her mother entering her room