1 . Most of us still have lots of photographs sitting around from the days when we used cameras, not telephones, to take pictures. There are probably many photos that we do not look at and may never see again. But these images, representing memories from our past, do not have to be lost. Google has create a tool to help bring these forgotten pictures back to life in very high quality.

The PhotoScan app works the same as an image scanner. But this software program uses the camera on your phone to capture images as digital copies, which is a quick and easy way to save old photos without having to spend money on new equipment. The PhotoScan app uses new technology to improve the capturing process, which makes it possible to take a picture of a photo with a camera phone, without glare, a common problem.

After opening the app, the user first puts the desired photo within the camera’s frame. When this is done, four small circles appear in different places over the photo. The user then moves the phone over each of the circles, which change color after the process completes. That’s it! The app finds the edges of the photo, straightens the image, and puts it in the right position while removing glare. From this point, the pictures can easily be saved to the Google Photos app or somewhere else. If you do have Google Photos, images are organized by face or place and can easily be found.

The release of PhotoScan came at the same time as some changes to the Google Photos app. One change is an improved auto tool that Google says creates high-quality effects in just one step. Another tool lets users choose from 12 different looks to improve overall photo quality. The third provides high-level controls for changing light and colors.

Anil Sabharwal, the Vice President of Google Photos, explained why he created PhotoScan. In 1947, his parents lived under British colonial rule in India and were ordered to leave their home with only a few belongings. They decided to leave behind jewelry and other valuables, but gathered up as many photos as they could take.

1. What can we know about the PhotoScan app?

A．It is new equipment used to scan images.

B．It can adjust the angle of cameras by moving four small circles.

C．Users can use it to take digital photos.

D．Using it to photograph pictures won’t have glare.

2. In the third paragraph, the author mentions ____________.

A．how to use the PhotoScan app	B．where to find Google Photos.
C．what the benefits of the app are	D．why the new app can benefit us

3. What is the advantage of Google Photo according to the passage?

A．It provides various styles that users can select from to improve the apps

B．Users can easily find the desired picture through the photographing place.

C．The changed storage space is bigger than before.

D．It stores most pictures captured by PhotoScan.

4. What can we infer about Anil Sabharwal from the last paragraph?

A．He got the idea for PhotoScan from his family’s experiences.

B．His parents helped him a lot while in India.

C．British colonial rule forced him to make PhotoScan.

D．His family’s poverty promotes him to create PhotoScan

5. The purpose of the passage is to__________.

A．persuade us to use the PhotoScan app.

B．tell us a new Google app brings old photographs back to life.

C．remind us of the pictures representing memories from our past.

D．offer some suggestions for Google to improve its new app.

2 . In the past 50 years, the amount of water in the open ocean with zero oxygen has increased more than four times. In coastal water bodies, including the river mouth and seas, low-oxygen sites have increased more than 10 times since 1950. Scientists expect oxygen to continue dropping even outside these zones as the Earth warms. To stop the decline, the world needs to control in both climate change and nutrient pollution.

Oxygen is a must to life in the oceans. The drop in ocean oxygen is among the most serious effects of human activities on the Earth’s environment.

This is the first time for the scientists to take such a deep look at the causes, consequences and solutions to low oxygen worldwide, in both the open ocean and in coastal waters. About half of the oxygen on the Earth comes from the ocean. However, combined effects of nutrient loading and climate change are greatly increasing the number and size of “dead zones”in the open ocean and coastal waters, where oxygen is too low to support most sea life.

In areas traditionally called “dead zones”, like those in Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, oxygen drops to levels so low that many animals have trouble in breathing and die. As fish run away from these zones, their living areas become smaller and smaller. But the problem goes far beyond “dead zones”. Even smaller oxygen drops can hold up the growth in animals, reproduction and lead to disease or even death. Low oxygen also can cause the release of dangerous chemicals. While some animals can thrive in dead zones, overall biodiversity falls.

1. What does the underlined word “decline” mean ?

A．Increase.

B．Drop.

C．Keep.

D．Double.

2. How much oxygen on the Earth comes from the ocean?

A．10%.

B．25%.

C．40%.

D．50%.

3. Why are these waters called “dead zones”?

A．The oxygen in these areas is too low for the animals to live.

B．Ships are easy to break down and sink in these areas.

C．There are no animals living in these areas.

D．Many people died in these areas.

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．All animals living in the sea need oxygen.

B．Climate change can help cut down the dead zone.

C．Fish grow faster and better in low oxygen area.

D．Human activities have many bad effects on environment.

5. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Dead zone in water is becoming larger.

B．Oxygen in water is necessary for sea animals.

C．The drop in ocean oxygen causes bad effects.

D．Low oxygen can cause the release of dangerous gas.

3 . It was December 2018.UPS driver Ryan Arens was making his rounds near a pond in Bozeman, Montana, when he heard a strange sound. It came from a brown-and-white hound(猎犬）,struggling to hold on tightly to a thin layer of ice.

How it got there no one knows,but an elderly man was already on the scene.He'd entered the pond in a rowboat,breaking the ice with a rock to create a path to the dog.It was going slowly,and Arens,44, thought he stood a better chance.

“Animals are my weakness,” he told the Great Falls Tribune, explaining why he took off his clothes and asked the elderly man to use his rowboat.

Arens slid closer to the dog and used the other man's rock to smash at the ice.He lifted the stone too high and slipped off the boat,crashing into 16-foot deep cold water.He resurfaced in time to see the dog going under.Using nervous energy to keep warm,he swam about five feet toward it.He grabbed hold of its collar,and pulled it to the ice.He then lifted the dog into the boat and slid back to the shore,where anxious bystanders carried the dog to the home of a retired veterinarian (兽医）.

The next day, Arens was back working the same neighborhood when the dog's owner came over to thank him for saving it."Would you like to meet it?"he asked.He opened the door to his pickup,and it sprang out.It leapt on Arens and bathed him in wet kisses.

“That special delivery,” says Arens, “was the highlight of my UPS career.”

1. What do we know from the incident?

A．The dog was hunting before struggling in the pond.

B．Arens hated it when seeing any animal suffering.

C．The elderly man had a better way to save the dog.

D．Swimming to save the dog was Arens's intention.

2. What kind of person is Arens?

A．Manful and helpful.

B．Devoted and aggressive.

C．Responsible and ambitious.

D．Decisive and stubborn.

3. What is the best title of the passage?

A．A dying dog rescued with joint efforts.

B．A pond frozen with a thin layer of ice.

C．A UPS driver saved by a veterinarian.

D．A kind deed done in a special delivery.

4 . For kids and many adults, a San Diego vacation means theme parks and other attractions. Before heading to a park call or check its website for updated hours of operation; many parks have seasonal or holiday hours. Ticket prices listed here are for general admission（入场费）, single-day use only.
Seaworld San Diego
A 6-minute tide（海潮）called Journey to Atlantis, which is to open in late May, tells the legend（传说）of the island nation. After the ride of Greek fishing boats, folks can visit a new exhibit of dolphins, which have not been on display at the park since 1998.
DETAILS: General admission is $ 46.95 for adults, $ 37.95 for children aged 3-9, free for children 2 and younger. 1-800-380-3203 or www.seaworld.com
San Diego Zoo
There’s not much in the way of new attractions. The zoo has a new panda cub（幼兽）, Mei Sheng. Nighttime Zoo, a program popular with families, starts June 26.
DETAILS: General admission is $21 for adults, $14 for children aged 3-11, free for children 2 and younger. 1 -（619）-234-5331 or www.Sandiegozoo.org
Maritime Museum of San Diego
The HMS Surprise, the 18th-century British warship featured in the film Master and commander, is on exhibit though Nov.30.
DETAILS: The ship is available for tours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Admission is $ 8 for adults,$ 6 for seniors and children aged 13-17, $ 5 for kids aged 6-12, and free for kids 5 and younger. 1-（619）-234-8135 or www.sdmaritime.org
Old Town Trolley Tours
Visiting relatives or friends in San Diego? They can get a hometown pass and ride or free with your paid admission.
DETAILS: The main ticket booth（售票亭）is in Old Town at 4010 Twiggs St. Hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, daily $ 25.www. historictours.com/sandiego.
1. The purpose of this text is to_______.

A．warn	B．amuse
C．persuade	D．guide

2. If you want to enjoy the performance of dolphins, you should go to________.

A．Seaworld San Diego	B．San Diego Zoo
C．Maritime Museum of San Diego	D．Old Town Trolley Tours

3. If a couple visits San Diego Zoo with their children, one aged 3 and the other 2, the admission will be____________.

A．$35

B．$49

C．$56

D．$70

4. According to the text, Old Town Trolley Tours can be well described by the saying________.

A．“Love at first sight.”

B．“Kill two birds with one stone”

C．“Easy come, easy go.”

D．“Strike the iron while it is hot.”

5. It can be inferred from the text that___________.

A．San Diego Zoo will attract the largest number of children

B．there may be some stories about the island of Atlantis

C．tickets during the holidays are more expensive

D．the film Master and commander can be seen in Maritime Museum of San Diego

5 . The Forbidden City is well known for being full of Chinese cultural and historical relics. But Masters in the Forbidden City (《我在故宫修文物》) does not just focus on the stories of the past.

Instead，the documentary movie，which came out in Chinese cinemas on Dec. 16, focuses on ordinary people—the restorers (修复者) of relics and antiquities (古董).

The stories are told at a slow and relaxed pace, reflecting the restorers’ work. Restoration of cultural relics and antiques can be time-consuming, and sometimes boring. Yet these restorers’ patience and peace of mind are especially precious in a society where everything is changing so fast.

“If you choose this job，you have to stand hours of work sitting on a chair. You need to be quiet and get used to being quiet,” says Wang Jin' an ancient clock repair expert.

A touching part of the documentary is the spirit of craftsmanship (工艺) in the restorers. “Years of humdrum work requires not only skill，but also faith and spirit, China Daily commented. Looking for preciseness and perfection, devoting yourself to work, patience, endurance (忍耐)，loneliness... All these qualities come from the craftsman spirit.”

But unlike the popular idea of serious experts who sit around being serious, the documentary shows off the enthusiasm of the restorers. They play their guitars and make jokes about each other after a long day of restoration work.

One scene that has been very popular with Internet users features a young female restorer riding a bicycle through the empty Forbidden City on a Monday. While she is doing this, a narrator says,”The last person to do this was Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty.”

Masters in the Forbidden City has proved wrong many people’s ideas about antique restorers, allowing them to realize that they are not old, dull professors, but people in their 40s, 30s and even 20s who can be quite pleasing to the eye.

1. According to the text，what’s the main purpose of the documentary Masters in the Forbidden City?

A．To show people how antiques are restored.

B．To display relics seldom seen by ordinary people.

C．To draw attention to Chinese antique restorers' lives.

D．To praise the craftsmanship of Chinese antique restorers.

2. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Masters in the Forbidden mainly talks about the story of the past.

B．Masters in the Forbidden talks about the story of serious expert.

C．Masters in the Forbidden shows the enthusiasm of the restorers.

D．The idea of the documentary came out on Dec.16.

3. According to Wang Jin, we can learn that ________.

A．he often gets tired with his work

B．there is no need to do restoration work fast

C．antique restorers need to be patient and peaceful

D．it takes years of hard work to adapt to antique restoration

4. The underlined word “humdrum” probably means ________.

A．boring

B．different

C．relaxing

D．unusual

5. The bicycle-riding scene in the documentary is used to ________.

A．remind the audience of the last Qing emperor

B．show the strange hobbies of young antique restorers

C．encourage the young to consider a career in antique restoration in the future

D．show that the documentary breaks from the old，dull image of antique restorers

6 . One day in March,seven years ago,during happy hour at a bar in my hometown of Fayetteville,Arkansas,made a surprise announcement to my friends:I was going to shut down my law practice and attempt to travel around the globe in a year.What’s more,I would do it without taking any flights or making a single advance reservation of any kind.My announcement drew mixed reactions from my friends.Some offered support and encouragement,while others were more doubtful.

Once I had said the words,there was no turning back.It took months to shut down my practice and get things in order.Once I set off on my adventure in December 2008,found travelling without using planes was not easy.Trying to circle the globe in 16 months(it took me a bit longer than the initial 12 months planned)made it even harder.Even so,travelling overland was the most amazing way to truly understand the immensity(浩瀚无际)of our wonderful planet.

I took three consecutive(连续)overnight buses to travel 3,000 km through Argentina,from Ushuaia to the capital Buenos Aires.I would look out the windows for hours on end of the completely unspoiled plains,as if humans had never touched it.

It took seven consecutive days and nights on trains to get from Moscow to Beijing,each day spent staring out the windows for hours as the Siberian plains swept by.Sometimes,I wouldn’t see a village or a human being for 10 hours.Later in my journey,it took 22 days on a cargo freighter(货船)to get from New Zealand through the Panama Canal and back to Philadelphia,to finish my round-the-world adventure.

It turned out that travelling with no reservations was far less difficult than had imagined.Pulling into a city on a bus with a backpack,looking in a guidebook for a few suggestions of accommodations(住宿),and then finding an empty room was never much of a problem anywhere.It also kept me flexible and open about all my travel plans,which is advice I give everyone who asks—plan far less than you think you should.

1. The author's trip was special in that         .

A．he made it at the expense of giving up his job

B．it hardly cost him anything

C．he did not make advance booking or travel by air

D．it was a global trip

2. The author most probably returned to the United States in          .

A．June 2009

B．December 2009

C．February 2010

D．April 2010

3. What does the underlined word“unspoiled”mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Unimportant.

B．Undamaged.

C．Invaluable.

D．Priceless.

4. The author's travelling route was         .
(1)Moscow       (2)Philadelphia       (3)New Zealand
(4)Ushuaia       (5)Beijing       (6)Buenos Aires

A．(5)(4)(1)(6)(3)(2)	B．(4)(6)(1)(5)(3)(2)
C．(4)(5)(1)(6)(3)(2)	D．(5)(1)(6)(4)(3)(2)

5. What does the author think of his around-the-world tour?

A．Challenging but pleasant.	B．Dangerous but wonderful.
C．Boring and disappointing.	D．Costly and painful.

7 . A social worker played a huge role in my life when I was young. I want to share a letter I wrote________social workers for the work they do.

Dear social workers,

When you feel_______, take a moment to read this letter.

I was 12 when I first_______Dale. I had been left in an institution (收容所) for the last few years. At that time I thought I was________and could not be good again. I later_______it was my family that was broken. My father was an alcoholic(酒鬼) and my mum________the family when I was 3 and she_______came back. When some teachers noticed my behavioral problems, a________was made to put me into an institution where I met Dale. Dale promised to find a________for me. He kept his word. I________the institution I had been in. It meant well but it was no place to grow up.

Once in Dale’s car, I________a fire extinguisher(灭火器) to see what it would do. The entire inside of his car looked like it had been snowed in. I was_______loud voice telling me how________I was and a beating. But he just took a deep breath and________his head from side to side. When we finished cleaning, he_______thanked me for helping clean so hard.

This_______is just one of the many I could tell about Dale. He was the________man have ever met in my life. The next time you are questioning whether your work________, believe it does. The next time you _______everything, read this simple letter. You can also________this letter to every social worker you know.

Sincerely,

A once lost child

1.

A．supporting

B．charging

C．preparing

D．thanking

2.

A．tired

B．surprised

C．angry

D．comfortable

3.

A．met

B．caught

C．recognized

D．mentioned

4.

A．brave

B．broken

C．lost

D．dying

5.

A．noticed

B．thought

C．learned

D．admitted

6.

A．ran out of

B．cared for

C．looked down upon

D．built up

7.

A．usually

B．never

C．sometimes

D．always

8.

A．wish

B．change

C．comment

D．decision

9.

A．house

B．family

C．friend

D．room

10.

A．left

B．liked

C．visited

D．entered

11.

A．looked for

B．turned on

C．broke down

D．checked on

12.

A．enjoying

B．raising

C．expecting

D．imagining

13.

A．active

B．excited

C．curious

D．stupid

14.

A．nodded

B．touched

C．shook

D．rubbed

15.

A．almost

B．seldom

C．even

D．hardly

16.

A．accident

B．promise

C．history

D．story

17.

A．funniest

B．wisest

C．strongest

D．kindest

18.

A．fails

B．matters

C．advances

D．changes

19.

A．need

B．forget

C．question

D．hate

20.

A．show

B．write

C．remember

D．keep

8 . Nobody laughed when the UK comedy show Little Britain toured the US. Americans didn’t find the “British stereotypes(刻板印象)”funny. One character was a woman who was sick whenever she saw a foreigner.Another was a loud and rude 15-year-old girl cursing(骂)at her teachers.But back home,British people were laughing,thinking,“Yes!That’s exactly what we’re like!”

A laugh is a laugh in any language,but the reasons for it can be very different.Britons and Americans speak the same language,but humor does not always translate.

Take The Office as an example.This was originally a UK TV series but it was changed for the US.Both the US and UK series are set in a boring workplace in a boring town.But David Brent,the boss of the UK office,is not a nice guy like Michael Scott in the US version. “We had to make Michael Scott a slightly nicer guy,”wrote series creator Ricky Gervais.“He couldn’t be too mean.”

Gervais said British people are different from Americans because“Britons cruelly make fun of people we like or dislike…and of ourselves”. He believes the differences between the American and British senses of humor are because of“our upbringing”.

“Americans are brought up to believe they can be the next president of the United States,”he wrote.“Britons are told,‘It won’t happen for you’.”

Things usually turn out fine at the end of every US Office episode(集). Even if they’re not perfect, the characters “learn a lesson” for the future.

But in David Brent’s office—and in lots of UK comedies—the last scene is often sad. You are often left with the feeling that things just couldn’t get worse. For British people, this seems truer to life and so much funnier.

It’s not just Britain and the US that have comic differences. Few foreigners would understand a Chinese cross-talk show,for example.

Cultural differences are no laughing matter. But comic differences can be a window into a culture.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To show that British humor is not funny at all.

B．To show that American people don't understand British people.

C．To show that Britain and America have different stereotypes.

D．To show how humor may mean different things in different cultures.

2. What's the meaning of the underlined word“mean”in Paragraph 3?

A．Unkind.

B．Great.

C．Average.

D．Ugly-looking.

3. Which of the following statements about The Office is TRUE according to the article?

A．David Brent is quite a nice guy.

B．Michael Scott is a rather mean guy.

C．Episodes in the UK version often end on a hopeless note.

D．Episodes in the US version often end in a boring way.

4. What can we infer from the article?

A．Britons do not like to make fun of others.

B．British comedy often has a moral message.

C．American people are brought up to be more positive.

D．Jokes are difficult to translate from one language into another.

5. What is the author’s opinion of comic differences?

A．They are slight differences that can be ignored.	B．They can partly show cultural differences.
C．They show stereotypes of different cultures.	D．They help people communicate with each other.

9 . Societies all over the world name places in similar ways. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference (参考) by people. Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name. Often it happens that a place has two names： One is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits died hard, and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost.

Many roads and places in Singapore are named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries---in both the West and the East.

Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were at first from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named after former British military bases (军事基地). If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus--- obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel (人员).

Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example, “Base Basah” means “wet rice” in Malay (马来语). Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road.

A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is “Circular Road” for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Crescent”. This road is called a crescent (月牙) because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again.

1. We learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.

A．many places tend to have more than one name

B．the government is usually the first to name a place

C．a ceremony will be held when a place is named

D．people prefer the place names given by the government

2. What does the underlined phrase “die hard” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Change suddenly.	B．Change greatly.
C．Disappear very slowly.	D．Disappear secretly.

3. Which of the following places is named after a person?

A．Raffles Place.	B．Selector Airbase.
C．Piccadilly Circus.	D．Paya Lebar Crescent.

4. Bras Basah Road is named ________.

A．after a person

B．after a place

C．by its shape

D．after an activity

5. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The way Singaporeans name their places is unique.

B．Young Singaporeans have forgotten the pioneers.

C．Some place names in Singapore are the same as in Britain.

D．Some places in Singapore are named for military purposes.

10 . Like a tired marriage, the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache. Libraries know they need digital wares, but many publishers are too cautious about piracy(盗版)and lost sales to co-operate. Among the big six, only Random House and Harper Collins license e-books with most libraries.

Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of E-readers are exactly the customers they need: book-lovers with money. If these people switch to borrowing c-books instead of buying them, what then? Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed hooks, which must be checked out and returned to a physical library miles from where you live, book files can be downloaded at home. The tiles disappear from the device when they are due.

E-lending is not simple, however. There are lots of different and often incompatible(不兼容的)e-book formats, devices and licenses. Most libraries use a company called OverDrive, which secures rights from publishers and provides E-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by OverDrive's global market dominance, as the company can control fees and conditions. Publishers were annoyed when OverDrive cooperated with Amazon, the world's biggest online bookseller, last year. Owners of Amazon's Kindle E-reader who want to borrow E-books from libraries are now redirected to Amazon's website, where they must use their Amazon accounts to secure a loan.

According to Pew, an opinion researcher, library users are perfect for market for Amazon. Late last year Amazon Introduced its Kindle Owners' Lending Library, which lets its best customers borrow free one of thousands of popular books each month.

Library supporters argue that book borrowers are also book buyers and that libraries are vital spaces for readers to discover new work. Many were cheered by a recent Pew survey, which found that more than half of Americans with library-cards say they prefer to buy their e-books.

1. It can be inferred from paragraph I that         .

A．libraries and publishers face the same problem of e-books' piracy

B．libraries are eager to keep strong relationship with publishers

C．most publishers are hesitant to cooperate with libraries

D．several big publishers have sold E-books to libraries

2. Why are publishers worried that people will switch to electronic borrowing?

A．Book sales may drop sharply because of convenient electronic borrowing.

B．There are lots of different and incompatible E-book formats available.

C．There is no time limit for the book files downloaded on the device.

D．E-books must be checked out and returned to libraries regularly.

3. What do we learn about Over Drive?

A．It has the privilege to offer readers various brands of E-readers.

B．It distributes E-books and audio files to publishers.

C．Its market control threatens publishers and libraries.

D．It devotes itself to improving conditions of e-book market.

4. We can learn from the passage that        .

A．E-books can be lent at libraries as many times as you like

B．OverDrive distributes E-books and audio files to publishers

C．over half of Americans are borrowing E-books from libraries

D．Amazon is adopting measures to win more customers

5. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Hopeful Future of Publishing Business

B．Libraries and E-books

C．The Dull Relationship between Libraries and Publishers

D．The Close Cooperation between OverDrive and Amazon