1 . Today, we visit one of the most famous parks — Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. This huge park in the southeastern part of the state covers more than 10 thousand square kilometers of the Alaskan wilderness. It includes mountains, glaciers, fjords (峡湾), and even rain forests. Glacier Bay supports hundreds of kinds of animals, including many species of birds, fish, bears, whales and sea lions.

As its name suggests much of Glacier Bay is covered by glaciers. A glacier is a large area of ice that moves slowly down a slope or valley, or over a wide area of land. Glaciers cover a large area of the park.

The glaciers found in the park today are what remain from an ice development known as the Little Ice Age. That period began about 4,000 years ago. During the Little Ice Age, the cold weather caused the ice to grow and develop. That growth continued until the 1700s, when the climate began to warm. The hotter temperatures caused the ice to start melting (融化). That melting led the huge glacier to divide into more than 1,000 different glaciers.

The extremely tall mountains seen in Glacier Bay were formed by the ice developing and then melting over time. The melting of the ice also created water that filled in and created the many fjords within the park. Fjords are narrow parts of the ocean that sit between cliffs or mountains.

Glacier Bay is a popular place for people searching for adventure. Some visitors choose to explore the park by kayak. The small, narrow boats offer visitors a chance to experience the park’s many fjords and its hundreds of kilometers of coastline.

1. If you pay a visit to Glacier Bay, you will find ________.

A．it almost covers the whole Alaskan wilderness

B．the rain forests are rare in such conditions

C．there live numbers of kinds of animals

D．there are more birds than other species

2. What can we learn from the third paragraph?

A．Some glaciers existed there long long ago.

B．Greenhouse effect has affected the glaciers.

C．The glaciers will disappear in the soon future.

D．Only 1,000 large glaciers are left at present.

3. What do you know about fjords mentioned in the passage?

A．They are formed on the top of mountains.	B．The melting of the ice is also called fjords.
C．Water is the source of creating many fjords.	D．Fjords move as the oceans flow around.

4. What is the writer’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To do a research about Glacier Bay.	B．To warn visitors there are too many dangers.
C．To show Glacier Bay has a long history.	D．To introduce Glacier Bay to readers.

2 . An 82-year-old Chinese female pilot has set a record in the country’s airline industry after flying a small plane for 40 minutes in Beijing. Miao Xiaohong, one of China’s second team of female pilots, controlled the Tecnam P2010 plane to take off, turn, climb, dive and land safety at the Shifosi Airport in Pinggu District of Beijing.

In 1956, Miao Xiaohong, who graduated from a high school in Jinan, won a position in the second team. She graduated from the flight school in 1958. in the following years, she flew many important missions. In 1963, she undertook a mission to airdrop materials for the flood-stricken areas in Hebei Province. Poor visibility prevented her locating the target areas as the clouds were about 100 meters above the ground, but she managed to finish the task.

In 1989, she retired and started her writing career. When she collected material for her books, she found that many aged pilots in other countries still flew, and she had the idea of returning to the sky. To prepare for the flight, she walked 3,000 steps every day and moved her arms to meet the requirements for the high-altitude flight. Different from past flights for missions, this time her goal was to enjoy the flight. She said that it was exciting and fresh. “Seeing the boundless blue sky unfold in front of me, I feel it is very open,” she said.

The trainer said that Miao Xiaohong could finish the 30-hour flight to get a license for commercial flights. She said, “My physical condition is good enough to finish the 30-hour flight but it is not so important for me to get such a license. After achieving my dream of returning to the sky, I hope to encourage young women to join the airline industry. I’m 82 years old and I can fly again. You, the young people, can fly and will fly better than me.

1. What can we learn from the airdrop mission carried out by Miao Xiaohong?

A．She was a very beautiful pilot.	B．She had excellent flying skills.
C．She suffered from poor eyesight.	D．She usually completed hard tasks.

2. What made Miao Xiaohong have the idea of flying a plane at the age of 82?

A．Her deep love for flights.	B．Her wish to set a flying record.
C．The requirements of her books.	D．The influence of other aged pilots.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Miao Xiaohong?

A．Faithful.

B．Energetic.

C．Determined.

D．Enthusiastic.

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

A．Returning to the blue sky	B．Coming to join in the flight
C．Managing to finish difficult tasks	D．Improving yourself to set a record

3 . Years ago,when we first went to Canada, we were driving through Montana to Colorado with our two children. We thought we’d find a hotel on the way without _________ ahead of time. As it was getting late, we started looking for a hotel, only to find that all the hotels were full.

_________, around 9 p.m., we stopped at a gas station. My husband told the woman behind the counter that we were _________ to find a hotel. She told us it would be _________ at such late time in a busy season. Noticing that we were worried, she said we could spend the night at her home near.

Though surprised at her _________, we gladly accepted it. She then called her son to come and lead the way, since she had to work until midnight. Soon a pick-up vehicle arrived and we _________ it. When we reached her home, her husband _________ us. He invited us to have coffee and we chatted when _________ his wife. She came past 12. We asked if we could leave _________ in the morning so as not to disturb them. They said we were now guests and we’d have to have breakfast with them.

The next morning, around the table were a mass of people, and we were ____________ that they were total ____________ from different countries. After breakfast, when we were ____________, my husband asked if he could offer some ____________. But they said no. Then we left. We kept in ____________ for many years. Later we lost contact, but over the years we have never forgotten their ____________.

1.

A．ordering

B．booking

C．seeking

D．exchanging

2.

A．Eventually

B．Incredibly

C．Typically

D．Luckily

3.

A．managing

B．struggling

C．deciding

D．failing

4.

A．unnecessary

B．informal

C．improper

D．impossible

5.

A．employment

B．request

C．offer

D．admission

6.

A．followed

B．made

C．took

D．embraced

7.

A．joined

B．accepted

C．greeted

D．assisted

8.

A．talking about

B．waiting for

C．cheering up

D．picking up

9.

A．absolutely

B．definitely

C．originally

D．secretly

10.

A．aware

B．angry

C．amazed

D．anxious

11.

A．consumers

B．strangers

C．relatives

D．neighbors

12.

A．insisting

B．wandering

C．approaching

D．leaving

13.

A．payment

B．service

C．advice

D．food

14.

A．line

B．check

C．touch

D．mind

15.

A．passion

B．eagerness

C．kindness

D．encouragement

4 . Chinese cuisine is widely known and enjoyed all around the world. Who doesn’t long for a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting concept concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming increasingly ignored by the youth of the East—the ancient custom of “tonic food”.

Tonic food is food which is consumed to improve one’s well-being or avoid sickness. For instance, it was once the custom for new mothers to eat a sesame oil(麻油) chicken soup every day for the first month after giving birth. It was believed that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate sweating, and warm the body. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach, are seen as “hot”, while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radishes, are seen as “cold”. One should be careful not to eat too much of either “hot” or “cold” food. However, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s health.

The custom of employing tonic food for a healthier life also influences the catering industry. Chinese herbal medicines, such as wolfberry(枸杞子), can be found on many a restaurant menu, either added to fruit tea or as a beneficial addition to a dish. These herbs attract customers, such as overworked office staff, in need of a modest pick-me-up.

So, whether you need to boost your strength with a large helping of chicken soup, or increase your mental powers with a serving of fish soup, you may find that this ancient Chinese custom could be just the tonic you were looking for.

1. What is the present situation of tonic food?

A．It is catching less attention.	B．It is enjoyed by many young people.
C．It is well-known worldwide.	D．It is becoming increasingly popular.

2. What is believed to benefit new mothers?

A．Chinese cabbage.	B．Fruit tea.
C．Sesame oil chicken soup.	D．Fish soup.

3. Which of the following best explains “catering” underlined in Paragraph 3?

A．Medicine.

B．Restaurant.

C．Manufacture.

D．Agriculture.

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

A．The Charm of Chinese Cuisine	B．The Popularity of Tonic Food
C．An Introduction of Chinese Tonic Food	D．Differences Between “Hot” Food and “Cold” Food

5 . When 12, I knew my teen years would be the _______ years of my life. I was a total outsider, bullied (欺凌) at school. I felt _______ alone in my small town. _______ , by doing volunteer work when 14, I turned my _______ into a chance to help others. The opportunity to practice kindness made me feel my life had a greater _______. The more _______ energy shared, the more kindness and appreciation I _______. I realized my purpose in life would be to help people, especially teenagers, feel less alone.

Books were my true friends back then. I was so _______ that the authors wrote those books. The _______ they offered with their books saved my life. My biggest dream was to become an author to write books that would ________ other teenagers as those books helped me.

After ________ terrible experiences at school and at home, I chose to take the positive road in later steps of my journey. I have been a full-time ________ of teen novels since 2007 and am grateful for this amazing opportunity to reach ________ to readers every day.

Kindness saved me ________ I needed help the most. Small acts of kindness can change someone’s life. You never know what someone else is ________. But by practicing daily kindness, you become an architect of positive change.

1.

A．best

B．worst

C．calmest

D．craziest

2.

A．completely

B．obviously

C．suitably

D．amazingly

3.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Besides

D．Finally

4.

A．appreciation

B．impression

C．problem

D．organisation

5.

A．strategy

B．personality

C．purpose

D．style

6.

A．formal

B．suitable

C．negative

D．positive

7.

A．believed

B．arranged

C．received

D．addicted

8.

A．confused

B．obvious

C．fluent

D．thankful

9.

A．comment

B．recommendation

C．accommodation

D．kindness

10.

A．help

B．master

C．honor

D．rescue

11.

A．shocking

B．surviving

C．calming

D．sharing

12.

A．author

B．summary

C．shelter

D．volunteer

13.

A．away

B．in

C．for

D．out

14.

A．when

B．if

C．although

D．because

15.

A．working out

B．making a difference

C．going through

D．working on

6 . Fantastic Fall Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss

Seymour Apple Festival

Admission to the Seymour Apple Festival is free and so is the entertainment! More than 15,000 people from all over the region come out to take part in the activities, ranging from drawings, vendor booths, food, apple contests, bike decorating contests, and more.

Marionville Apple Festival

The popular Marionville Apple Festival is home to countless activities and events. The carnival, pony rides, and games will keep the kids busy, while adults will enjoy watching the pie-eating contest and browsing dozens of craft vendor booths.

Humansville Fall Festival

The Humansville Fall Festival may be hosted by a small town, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking big fun. Perfect for all ages, this fall festival is celebrating its 70th year and will provide three full days of fun. This year’s festival will feature live music from fantastic local musicians, which will definitely make it different from the ones in other years. You’ll also find fun carnival rides, talented artisans selling their goods, and an amazing parade to wrap up the event on Saturday.

Southside Fall Festival

The Southside Fall Festival is perfect for family celebrations, with an alcohol-free environment and free admission. Enjoy a colorful parade and float contest, delicious food vendors, live music, karaoke, and more.

Fall Into Arts Festival

Make sure to bring the kids along for this festival that celebrates all things creative. The Fall Into Arts Festival features a host of kid-friendly activities like a lego build, sand art, bubble stations, chalk the sidewalk, a jump house, and more. Parents will have plenty to do as well, with an excellent variety of artists, festival food, a mini film festival, and much more.

1. Which festivals are free of charge?

A．Seymour Apple Festival and Southside Fall Festival.

B．Southside Fall Festival and Fall Into Arts Festival.

C．Humansville Fall Festival and Fall Into Arts Festival.

D．Seymour Apple Festival and Marionville Apple Festival.

2. What makes Humansville Fall Festival special this year?

A．Fun activities on Saturday.

B．The duration of the festival,

C．The area of the hosting town.

D．Musicians’ live performance.

3. Fall Into Arts Festival is specially welcomed by_________.

A．families with kids	B．modern artists
C．visitors of all ages	D．Movie lovers

7 . You may not know a lot of people when you start senior high school. Maybe your friends from junior high school are going to a different senior high school. Even if you know other freshmen (一年级学生), you still feel jittery that you don’t know any upperclassmen. How are you going to make friends among this sea of unknown faces?

Most senior high schools hold the freshman orientation (迎新会) before school actually starts. It is helpful because you not only learn your way around the building but also get to meet some of your teachers and fellow freshmen. That way, when you show up on your first day of school, you may already recognize a few familiar faces.

When you talk to people at orientation, you’ll probably find that a lot of them are feeling just like you are. They’re all new to the school and don’t know what to expect. Talking about a common concern with your classmates can help you develop friendships.

The work in senior high school is something freshmen are probably worried about. It builds on what you learned in junior high school, giving you a more advanced (高深的) knowledge of many subjects. So you may find you have more work to do or that it’s a bit more challenging. If you ever find your work too difficult, teachers can give you extra help.

Senior high school also has more after-school activities than junior high school, such as clubs, music and theater groups and sports teams. This is a good time to explore your interests and try new things.

Junior high school taught you the basics of time management and social skills while providing you with a little extra support and guidance. Senior high school gives you the chance to learn how to be more independent and responsible.

1. What does the underlined word “jittery” mean in Paragraph 1?

A．Proud.

B．Confident.

C．Anxious.

D．Bored.

2. What are freshmen probably worried about?

A．The learning task.	B．The freshman orientation.
C．The ability to make friends.	D．The relationship with teachers.

3. What do after-school activities mainly help students to do?

A．Develop friendships.	B．Develop their interests.
C．Build up their strength.	D．Improve their learning ability.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．What you learned in junior high school.

B．The importance of being more independent.

C．How to improve yourself in senior high school.

D．The difference between junior high school and senior high school.

8 . Natural disasters take many different forms and can happen without warning. Earthquakes, floods, vol-canoes, droughts, typhoons, and hurricanes are all natural disasters.

The earthquake of 26 December 2004 resulted in one of the worst natural disasters in living memory. It was a massive underwater quake and occurred in the Indian Ocean. This caused a huge tsunami (海啸) to cross the Indian Ocean. It destroyed coastlines and communities and brought death and destruction to many people. The survivors needed fresh water, food and shelter as well as medical help. People from all over the world gave money to help the people survive.

The surface of the Earth has not always looked as it does today; it is moving continuously (although very slowly) and has done so for billions of years. This is one cause of earthquakes, when one section of the Earth crashes with another. Scientists can predict where this might happen and the area between plates is called a fault line. However, earthquakes do not always happen on fault lines, which is why they are so dangerous and unpredictable.

All the disasters are very dangerous and continue to kill thousands of people each year,but they are nowhere near the most dangerous disaster to ever happen on earth. One type of event in the earth’s history has regularly killed millions of beings: asteroid (小行星) impacts (撞击). About once every million years the Earth is hit by a piece of rock and ice from space large enough to cause massive destruction (including earthquakes, volcanoes and ice ages) and sometimes to kill entire species. Sixty-five million years ago more than half the earth’s species were killed by such a disaster,including all the dinosaurs (恐龙). Disasters on the Earth may seem dangerous, but the biggest threat to humans is likely to come from space.

1. What did the world do when the tsunami occurred in the Indian Ocean?

A．They gave away money to the beggars.

B．They sponsored to help the people survive.

C．They donated their art works to the survivors.

D．They helped rebuild the coastlines and communities.

2. What can scientists predict about earthquakes?

A．The possible time.

B．The possible climate.

C．The possible place.

D．The possible frequence.

3. Which is the best heading that matches Paragraph 3?

A．What do earthquakes destroy?

B．Why do earthquakes happen?

C．How can we prevent earthquakes?

D．Which is the most dangerous natural disaster?

4. Where does the author think the most dangerous natural disaster will come from?

A．Space.

B．Earth.

C．Humans.

D．Wild animals.

9 . Alibaba Cloud and the Hangzhou city government announced the launch of ET City Brain 2.0, a cloud-powered and AI-driven urban traffic-management system that aims to increase the city’s efficiency.

After over two years of testing in Alibaba’s home base, ET City Brain has become the new infrastructure (基础设施) for Hangzhou, with a total coverage of 420 square kilometers in area, including over 1,300 traffic lights. Over 200 traffic officers are connected via mobile phones, enabling them to receive real-time alerts on any traffic-related emergencies.

In version 2.0, the system will optimize the city’s firefighting abilities by providing key information to firefighters, such as water pressure, the number and position of fire hydrants (消防栓) in a given area, the location of gas pipes and other details they need to know. The information is instant, making the entire firefighting process faster, safer and more accurate.

City Brain gives meaning to data. By using AI and advanced algorithms (计算程序), City Brain is able to analyze a large amount of data and turn them into useful information in real-time speed.

As a result of City Brain’s ability to predict traffic flow, detect accidents and provide instant feedback, Hangzhou has dropped from 5th to the 57th on the list of China’s most congested cities. Hangzhou is probably the only city that can tell you how many cars are on the street at any given time.

In the case of medical emergencies, City Brain is able to change traffic lights, so emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks can head to the scene without interruption, accelerating their arrival time by 49%.

Dr. Wang Jian, head of Alibaba’s Technology Steering Committee who invented the term “City Brain”，said the system is designed to empower a city to act quickly and directly. It is more than just about traffic management. It’s really about how to make city more livable at a time of shrinking natural resources around the globe. “It is a matter of sustainability, while using as little natural resources as possible,” Wang said, “This is just the beginning.”

1. What benefit will ET City Brain bring?

A．Less traffic jam.

B．Lower crime rates.

C．Efficient government.

D．Improved medical care.

2. Which of the following functions of the City Brain is NOT mentioned in the text?

A．Predicting traffic flow.

B．Giving quick feedback.

C．Changing traffic lights.

D．Handling traffic accidents.

3. Which of the following best explains the underlined word “optimize” in Paragraph 3?

A．Practise.	B．Better.
C．Operate.	D．Emphasize.

4. What can we conclude from the last paragraph?

A．ET City Brain 2.0 is a mature version.

B．Alibaba targets environment-friendly development.

C．The government is devoted to improving the system.

D．The system can solve the problem of lack of resources.

10 . Growing pains and gains

It’s not easy to grow up. Actually it’s far from easy. Growing up can be a real “pain” for some of us. We are always doing things that someone else makes us do and aren’t allowed to do all the things we like. Sometimes we feel stuck, sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don’t understand why we can’t stay young forever. When we look back on all the challenges in life with a positive attitude, we realize that all of our growing pains actually turn into growing gains!

As a young girl my parents forced my sisters and me to do so many things that I never liked. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music, just because it was what they wanted me to do. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched my life in so many ways. I realize that my parents and teachers were always pushing me along. not because they wanted me to suffer(受苦)but because they wanted me to succeed in life. They’ve always wanted me to have a better life than they did themselves.

Every moment of our lives is either living or dying, so live life to its fullest! We are all going to experience growing pains, but they are just small pains in life. They might seem so huge at the time but we must be strong. Think about how we would feel if we had no fear and live life like that. The future is ours!

A little hard work and sweat never hurt anyone! If we realize that these pains are just small bumps(凸块)on our road to success we will realize that our growing pains are actually growing gains!

1. According to paragraph 1, we learn that when we are young, ______.

A．life is full of joy

B．life is easy for us

C．we know we can stay young forever

D．we sometimes can’t do things we like

2. When the author was young, she was forced by her parents to ______.

A．take music lessons

B．turn gains into pains

C．look back on challenges

D．live a successful life

3. What does the underlined phrase “to its fullest” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Directly.

B．Completely.

C．Carefully.

D．Terribly.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Growing pains are necessary for us to grow up.

B．We all have to experience growing pains.

C．A little hard work and sweat are harmful to us.

D．Life without fear is a better choice for us.