1 . The Ig Nobel Prize, a spoof (滑稽模仿）of the actual Nobel Prize, exists to award the 10 strangest research projects of the year that bring you fun and make you think. The following are three of them in 2019.

Medicine Prize: Pizza

It’s one of the world’s most popular foods. According to the Ig Nobel Medicine Prize winner, eating more pizzas can lower the risk of cancer and heart disease — if your pizza is loaded with fruits and veggies. These provide flavonoids (类黄酮）to fight against certain diseases. So, if you’re a pizza enthusiast, you now have one more reason to love it!

Economics Prize: Dirty Money

Paper money, the most frequently passed items on the planet, is known to pick up all kinds of bacteria. Which country’s currency is the dirtiest? An international team compared seven countries’ paper money. The Romanian Leu was the only one to carry all three types of bacteria tested. And the US Dollar was also a finalist. Perhaps this will make cashless payments more popular.

Biology Prize: Cockroach

Cockroaches (蟑螂) are well known for their survival abilities, but few folks know they can sense magnetic fields. More surprisingly, an international team found that dead cockroaches have more magnetic properties (磁'性)than live ones. That’s because magnetic properties decrease when the temperature gets higher. So if you can stand cockroaches, they may be good magnetic sensors (传感器）.

1. What do the three prizes have in common?

A．They are beneficial to our health.

B．They are entertaining and unusual.

C．They’ve gained the recognition of the Nobel Prize.

D．They are stranger than any other project in previous years.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．People with heart disease should eat more pizzas.

B．US Dollar is relatively dirtier than Romanian Leu.

C．Dirty paper money leads to cashless payments

D．Dead cockroaches are better magnetic sensors than live ones.

3. In which column can you find this passage in a newspaper?

A．Discovery.	B．Sports.
C．Health.	D．Business.

2 . Do you know the proverb “no pain, no gain”? It gives the impression that we ought to be suffering while we study. It seems that the only way to know if we’ re putting in enough work is how much hardship we bear. We are totally taken up with study, shutting ourselves away for a big exam. Is that necessarily true?

When we haven’t taken the time to come up with another idea, we just shut ourselves in a room with a book. It’s no surprise that we find revision boring and difficult. Just as children learn from playing, we can learn from doing, or at least from study techniques that interest us, rather than make us switch off. Shutting ourselves away can make us learn to hate studying, leading to a situation where, instead of being able to concentrate on our work, we are troubled by how unfair it is that we must study. This can be part of a vicious cycle (恶性循环) that traps us into ineffective revision, or poor progress fueling further annoyance.

Thankfully, working in the company of other people really helps fight against that. We just need to learn how to deal with distractions(使人分心的事). It’s not necessary to avoid all company, just lazy company. They constantly try to keep others in conversation, while studying in the same room with someone who is ironing or working out is perfectly possible. Of course, it’s also a good idea to avoid the company of people involved in activities where you would rather be playing than studying. Working while sitting next to someone playing video games is most likely to end with a new high score of games rather than productive revision.

If being around others means working in a noisy environment, a pair of headphones and some background music can block out noises. They also act as a psychological barrier, so that people think twice before interrupting you. Besides, we should know friends and family can lessen feelings of isolation. And connecting with other people makes us happy, so it’s important not to give that up and to make sure that we take the time to socialize.

1. What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To introduce effective studying means.

B．To encourage us to work as hard as possible.

C．To remind us to balance activities and study.

D．To discuss the importance of family company.

2. What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．Good ideas are needed in terms of progress.

B．Ways that interest us can lead to effective revision.

C．Shutting ourselves away can help concentrate on work.

D．With study techniques, revision is interesting and easy for certain.

3. What does the last sentence in Paragraph 3 imply?

A．One should learn from certain activities that interest him.

B．Playing video games is helpful for effective study.

C．One shouldn’t study with the company of a video game player.

D．The more time one spends in playing games, the higher test scores one will get.

4. What should you do if you are studying in a noisy environment?

A．Give up others company at once.

B．Think twice before taking any action.

C．Give indication of not wanting to be interrupted.

D．Force yourself to be accustomed to the environment.

3 . A http:/www.literacynet.org/cnnsf/

Fantastic site from CNN. Over 50 news stories categorized under headings such as crime, environment and adventure. Each story has a range of activities focusing on comprehension and vocabulary, mostly of the multiple-choice variety.

B http:/www.npr.org/

NPR is an American radio network with an extensive audio archive—an excellent source of authentic English.

C http:/www.humorlinks.com/

Hilarious site bringing together over 7,000 links to humor of every kind, from American comedy to Australian cartoons. Here you will see the funniest jokes and pictures from around the world.

D http:/www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/

Hundreds of fascinating interviews with famous people from every walk of life: actors, cartoonists, musicians, painters, philosophers, political activists, scientists and writers.

E http:/www.bbc.co.uk/music/listen

Lots of online music from classical to jazz, from blues to rap. You can listen to radio programs or select a range of special features.

F http: /www.onestopenglish.com

Here you will find listening activities—updated each month--from the online magazine from Macmillan.

1. http:/www.literacynet.org/cnnsf is a website intended for those who________.

A．are learning English

B．are writing news stories

C．are interested in environment protection

D．are designing activities for newspapers

2. For someone who is doing a project on this year's Nobel Prize winner, ________ will be the most suitable website to turn to.

A．http:/www.onestopenglish.com

B．http:/www.humorlinks.com/

C．http:/www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/

D．http:/www.bbc.co.uk/music/isten

3. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．How to Choose a Suitable Website

B．This Week's Web Guide

C．Web Radio: New Access to Information

D．Special Features from Famous Websites

4 . ● West Town

The Chicago Public Library (CPL) encourages lifelong learning by welcoming all people and offering equal access (路径) to information, entertainment and knowledge through materials, programs and events. Each year, Chicago Public Library recommends the Best of the Best, CPL’s selections of the very best books published that year.

● Hours

Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM     Tuesday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM     Thursday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM       Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Sunday: Closed

● Holidays & Closures

All Staff Institute Day: Thursday, April 30, 2020 Closed All Day

Memorial Day: Monday, May 25, 2020   Closed All Day

Independence Day: Saturday, July 4, 2020   Closed All Day

Labor Day: Monday, September 7, 2020   Closed All Day

Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 26, 2020   Closed All Day

Christmas: Friday, December 25, 2020   Closed All Day

● Address & Contact

1625 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL 60622

Phone: (312) 743-0450     Email: westtown@chipublib.org

● Get a Library Card

Getting a library card is easy – and it’s free! Please visit any CPL location to fill out an application.

Current, valid (有效的) ID with name, photo and Chicago address is required.

● Facilities

Bike rack; Computers; Meeting room;     Parking lot;     Scanner;     WiFi

● New at West Town

Firewatching by Russ Thomas

The Big Lie by James Grippando

Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut by Sarah Graves

The Girl in White Gloves by Kerri Maher

● Upcoming Events at West Town

Design Challenge Day

Description:

Are you up for a challenge? Welcome to drop in and tackle (解决) some   design challenges using supplies provided by the library. Prizes will be awarded for most creative.

Suitable for: Kids and Teens

Time: Monday, July 20, 2020,   5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Film Screening: The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017)

Description:

Join the West Town branch for a screening of The Zookeeper’s Wife. A married couple who work as zoo caretakers help save Jews (犹太人) from the Holocaust (大屠杀).

Suitable for: Adults and Teens

Time: Tuesday, March 31, 2020, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

1. When can people go to Chicago Public Library?

A．11:00 am, April 29, 2020.	B．2:00 pm, May 25, 2020.
C．9:00 am, July 5, 2020.	D．6:00 pm, Nov 26, 2020.

2. What is required for people to get a library card?

A．Paying for it on a yearly basis.

B．Providing a photo recently taken.

C．Applying on the library’s website first.

D．Having a valid ID with name, photo and Chicago address.

3. What do we know about Design Challenge Day?

A．The activity will offer prizes.

B．The activity will last for 2 hours.

C．The activity is mainly open to adults.

D．Participants can watch The Zookeeper’s Wife for free.

4. What do we know from the text?

A．People can still return books when the library closes.

B．The library doesn’t have a parking lot for readers.

C．The Big Lie is one of the recommended books this year.

D．The library holds more activities for kids than for adults.

5 . Robots’ Intelligence

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly complicated, there are growing concerns that robots could become a threat. This danger can be _________, according to computer science professor Stuart Russell if we figure out how to turn human _________ into a programmable code.

Russell argues that as robots take on more complicated tasks, it’s necessary to translate our morals into AI language. _________ , if a robot does chores around the house, you wouldn’t want it to put the pet cat in the oven to make dinner for the _________ children. “You would want that robot _________ with a good set of values,” said Russell.

Some robots are already programmed with basic human values. For example, mobile robots have been programmed to keep a _________ distance from humans. Obviously there are cultural differences, but if you were talking to another person and they came up close in your personal space, you wouldn’t think that’s the kind of thing a _________ brought-up person would do.

It will be possible to _________   more complicated moral machines, if only we can find a way to set out human values as clear rules. Robots could also learn values from drawing patterns from large sets of data on human behavior. They are dangerous only if programmers are _______.

The biggest __________ with robots going against human values is that human beings fail to do sufficient testing and they’ve produced a system that will __________ some kind of taboo(禁忌). One simple check would be to program a robot to check the correct course of action with a human when presented with a(n) __________ situation.

If the robot is unsure whether an animal is suitable for the microwave, it has the opportunity to stop, send out beeps, and ask for __________ from a human. If we humans aren’t quite sure about a decision, we go and ask somebody else.

The most difficult step in programming values will be deciding exactly what we believe in ________, and how to create a set of ethical(伦理的)rules. But if we __________   an answer, robots could be good for humanity.

1.

A．avoided

B．revised

C．increased

D．rejected

2.

A．personalities

B．behaviors

C．intentions

D．values

3.

A．Instead

B．For example

C．After all

D．As a result

4.

A．special

B．demanding

C．bright

D．starving

5.

A．preloaded

B．downloaded

C．uploaded

D．upgraded

6.

A．comfortable

B．private

C．sufficient

D．noticeable

7.

A．literarily

B．independently

C．properly

D．naturally

8.

A．manufacture

B．install

C．introduce

D．create

9.

A．careless

B．senseless

C．powerless

D．thoughtless

10.

A．doubt

B．threat

C．concern

D．prospect

11.

A．subject

B．prohibit

C．observe

D．break

12.

A．similar

B．familiar

C．unusual

D．ideal

13.

A．permission

B．guidance

C．feedback

D．comment

14.

A．principle

B．moral

C．standard

D．technology

15.

A．look into

B．pick out

C．turn to

D．come up with

6 . There are two species of crocodile in Australia—the saltwater crocodiles and the freshwater ones.

Saltwater crocodiles are among the world's largest crocodiles, with males often reaching five metres. But some can reach six to eight metres. Females grow up to 2.5 metres long.

Saltwater crocodiles live in rivers, and coastal waters in northern Australia and eat a wide variety of prey. The young ones stick to insects, small reptiles and fish. But adults hunt for bigger prey like snakes, monkeys and cattle. And they have been known to attack humans.

Freshwater crocodiles, however, aren't usually dangerous to people. They live in freshwater streams, rivers and large water holes in northern Australia. Freshwater crocodiles aren't as big as saltwater ones either, reaching a length of three metres at most.

Crocodiles first appeared 200 million years ago and lived originally on land. But they soon evolved into aquatic (水生的) animals.

These reptiles are excellent predators (肉食动物) and have few natural enemies. Crocodiles have about 30 or 40 teeth in each jaw. And it is the jaw that gives a unique feature to them.

A crocodile can close its jaws with such force that it can break the bones of some animals. Yet, once the jaws are shut, they're so weak that they can be held together by a person's hand.

To reproduce, crocodiles, like other reptiles, lay eggs. One female can produce between 20 and 90 eggs at a time. Once laid, female crocodiles bury their eggs in sand or mud, where they are left to hatch. Some females stay in the area to protect the nest and look after the young after they hatch, but often other predators eat the eggs.

1. The largest crocodiles in Australia can reash a length of ________.

A．three metres	B．five metres
C．eight metres	D．ten metres

2. The following features of saltwater crocodiles and freshwater crocodiles have been mentioned in the passage except ________.

A．their eating habits

B．the law to find a mate

C．the key to their strong power

D．threat against their reproduction

3. What do saltwater crocodiles and freshwater crocodiles have in common?

A．Theh have the same size.

B．They both live in freshwater streams.

C．They are usually both dangerous to people.

D．They both live in northern Australia.

4. We can infer from Paragraph 7 that ________.

A．crocodiles close their jaws very quickly

B．crocodiles' jaws are easy to control when they are open

C．crocodiles are not dangerous to people when their jaws are closed

D．crocodiles' jaws are very powerful when closing

5. What usually happens after crocodile eggs are laid?

A．The eggs will be kept under the ground.

B．The eggs will be hatched by their parents.

C．The male crocodiles will protect the eggs.

D．The female crocodiles will leave the nest.

7 . We have studied in Songpu High school for several months. When I first went into the school gate and saw my new classroom and teachers, I thought I would have a new start. The school life is very busy and exciting. There are many activities in our school, such as Sports Meeting, Science Week, Art Week and so on. We all take an active part in them. I have made many new friends and we often help and learn from each other in study.Our teachers have taught us a lot. They not only teach us how to study but also teach us how to be a useful person in society. They tell us which thing is worth doing.Habit is a second nature.Our teachers often remind us to form a good habit.

People often said: There is no royal to learning. Now I feel it is true. The study now is far more different than before. I often find there is something difficult to understand at once. At this time, you must spend a lot of time studying by yourself or you won't make progress. Of course study is hard but when you make progress you'll find it is interesting.

Our school is clean and beautiful. There are many trees and flowers around it.In order to make our school more and more beautiful we should try our best to keep it clean.

Today we are proud of Songpu. Tomorrow Songpu will be proud of us.

1. ________ is also important besides studying hard according to this passage.

A．Being a useful person	B．Good studying habit
C．Taking part in activities	D．Making progress

2. The attitude of the author to his/her school is ________.

A．thankful	B．enthusiastic
C．loving	D．exciting

3. The life of the students in this school is ________.

A．boring	B．harmonious (和谐的)
C．terrible	D．quiet

4. The best title for this passage is ________.

A．An Attractive School	B．My School Life
C．I Like My School	D．My Teacher

8 . My friend Jason and I wanted to do something to help other people who are less fortunate and help us grow at the same time. After we decided that we would volunteer in Nepal, I did some research on the Internet and I found Volunteer Nepal and felt strongly that it was the right choice for us.

While making our plans, Jason and I realized that others might like the opportunity to be a part of our experience. So before leaving for Nepal, we asked the people we know whether they would be interested in donating(捐赠)cash or goods to Nepal Orphans(孤儿)Home.

One friend, whose family owns a chain called Drake Supermarket, told others about it. His effort paid off. We received donations that filled 29 boxes with sporting goods, toys, coloring books, pencils, children's books, and more. The boxes were later taken to Drake's warehouse where I prepared them for shipment. Drake agreed to ship them to Nepal for free.

The boxes had arrived at the Volunteer House when we arrived there. The next day, Jason and I unpacked the boxes. The children from the orphanages lined up and were each able to choose a gift. This process took about an hour, but the looks on their faces and the happiness that we saw in their eyes made it one of the best days of our life.

We visited the orphanages there in the following days. Being with the children at the orphanages was both sad and wonderful. I'm sure that anyone who has volunteered will understand what I mean by that. My experience as a volunteer was very rewarding(有益的).It has changed me as a person and the way I viewed life in the past.

1. The writer did some research on the Internet probably to________ .

A．get in touch with some students

B．find an organization for volunteers

C．decide in which country to volunteer

D．find some friends to volunteer with him

2. What did Drake Supermarket do to help the writer?

A．It donated many sporting goods.

B．It helped call Nepal Orphans Home.

C．It helped keep the boxes at a low price.

D．It helped ship the boxes to Nepal for free.

3. What can we learn from Paragraph 4?

A．The children were very happy to receive the gifts.

B．The writer didn't expect the kids would love the gifts.

C．The writer and his friend took the gifts to the orphanages.

D．The children had never received gifts from others before.

4. The writer thinks that his experience as a volunteer was________ .

A．useless

B．helpful

C．boring

D．disappointing

9 . Germany is a highly developed country.Many people think its people lead a luxurious(奢侈的) life.

One day，my friend and I _________ a restaurant.We noticed that a young couple were having their meal.There were _________ two dishes and two cans of beer on their table.I wondered if such a(n) _________ meal could be fine and whether the girl would leave that _________ man.

As we were _________，my friend ordered more food for us.When we left，there was still about one third of the food we had ordered on the table.

When we were leaving，the young man spoke to us in English.We _________ that he was unhappy about us _________ so much food.“We paid for our food.It is none of your _________，” my friend told him.The young man was so angry that he _________ took his phone out and made a call to someone.

After a while，an officer from the Social Security Organization(社会保障组织) arrived.Upon knowing what had happened，he gave us a €50 fine(罚款)，which __________ us.

The officer told us in a __________ voice.“__________ is yours but resources(资源) belong to society.There are many __________ people in the world who are __________ hunger(饥饿)．We have no __________ to waste resources.”

Their attitudes to eating put both of us to __________.We need to correct our wrong __________.We are from a country which is not very rich.To save face，we often think we should order more than we can eat，which __________ our friends our generosity(慷慨)．We should realize that resources don’t belong to a(n) __________ person but they belong to everyone.We can’t __________ to waste them.

1.

A．entered

B．opened

C．left

D．called

2.

A．still

B．even

C．already

D．only

3.

A．cheap

B．simple

C．expensive

D．common

4.

A．gentle

B．stupid

C．mean

D．friendly

5.

A．full

B．hungry

C．honest

D．free

6.

A．disagreed

B．ignored

C．understood

D．doubted

7.

A．ordering

B．eating

C．serving

D．wasting

8.

A．business

B．power

C．action

D．concern

9.

A．slowly

B．calmly

C．exactly

D．immediately

10.

A．surprised

B．upset

C．worried

D．satisfied

11.

A．relaxing

B．serious

C．grateful

D．boring

12.

A．Money

B．Decision

C．Right

D．Freedom

13.

A．old

B．young

C．rich

D．poor

14.

A．thinking about

B．suffering from

C．bringing in

D．getting along with

15.

A．use

B．reason

C．need

D．way

16.

A．interest

B．trouble

C．shame

D．joy

17.

A．purpose

B．method

C．education

D．opinion

18.

A．returns

B．shows

C．lends

D．passes

19.

A．single

B．wealthy

C．important

D．special

20.

A．expect

B．manage

C．afford

D．begin

10 . Answering the Community Needs of Our City

The Siver City Council recognizes that citizens have certain needs. To better meet your needs, we have made several changes to community facilities in 2020. The followings shows how we have tried to make your life better.

Transport

☆Three stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service.

☆20 new buses for the southern line were purchased in January.

☆50 per cent of city bus-stops have been upgraded.

Communication

☆Broadband cableis now available to ll parts of the city.

☆All of the new Government buildings are smart-wired for better computer service!

Medical Facilities

☆The new state-of-the-art Nightingale Hospital was opened in June.

☆To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff at Dover Hospital, 10 doctors have been employed from overseas.

☆Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgraded.

Education

☆Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2020!

☆Rental for private schools has been reduced.

Protection and Security

☆Extra police now patrol(巡逻)the tourist areas.

☆50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city area.

Entertainment/Recreation

☆The new Central Community Building opened in May.

☆5,000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library.

1. What’s the notice mainly about?

A．The work carried out by the people of Silver City.

B．The facilities available in Silver City.

C．Some improvements in Silver City.

D．Information for interested tourists.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Travel books are provided in the new library.

B．More bus lines and stops are bought in Silver City.

C．Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital.

D．There are more police officers on duty now.

3. The public notice is from ________.

A．the community	B．the local government
C．the Silver City Library	D．a travel agency