1 . Are you worried about moving up to Senior High school? It can be a new experience, but you shouldn’t worry. We’ve put together a guide on how to survive the first week.
You’re not alone!
Remember everybody else in your year is on the same boat. They may not realize it, but they’re just as nervous as you are. Moving to Senior High school is an opportunity, not a problem. Things are different and all you need to do is be polite and learn the new rules.
Teachers are ready to help!
If you’re unsure what to do or are worried about anything then you had better ask for help. Teachers are probably the best people to turn to as they’re experienced in helping new students. Some Senior High schools also have a “friends system”. If your school has this, then you will be paired with an older student. They will look out for you and help you if you have any problems or questions.
All change
There are lots of differences between Junior High school and Senior High school. You’ll have a homework diary or a student planner. You will have your lessons with different teachers in different rooms. You will have homework for different subjects on different days, so make sure you get organized. Make sure you have a copy of your school timetable written down so you know which rooms your classes are in and on which days you will have your different subjects.
Other points
If you’ve got an elder brother or sister at the school then ask them for advice.
Be yourself! It sounds simple, but people will know you much better if you just act naturally.
Having early nights makes a difference and you’ll find it easier to get up in the morning!
1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined sentence?| A．Other students have similar feelings to yours. |
| B．Other students have to learn boating with you. |
| C．Other students will help you solve your problems. |
| D．Other students will teach you politeness and new rules. |
| A．teachers won’t blame them as parents do |
| B．teachers are good at helping solve problems |
| C．teachers are equal to every student |
| D．parents are too busy to help them |
| A．To tell students the importance of learning. |
| B．To warn students not to ignore friendship in Senior High school. |
| C．To make a difference when moving up to Senior High school. |
| D．To help new students to get used to the life in Senior High school. |
2 . Years ago, my wife and I volunteered at a homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles, US, preparing meals for thousands of people. I got to talk with one of them in line, Albert. He said he liked my socks. “Want to see mine?” he asked, lifting his leg. He was barefoot (赤脚的). He said he had been meaning to buy a pair but he hadn’t got around to it. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.
The next day, after work I stopped at Ross and filled up my car with socks. That next morning, I drove over to Santa Monica’s Palisades Park, which is a common place for homeless people. I knew that when they woke up they would find a very meaningful present.
That was nine years ago. Every week I’ll hand out as many socks as I can. If I’m on vacation or on a business trip for more than a week, I bring a bag of socks with me and hand them out to the homeless on the streets in other states and countries.
It’s extremely satisfying to do “under the radar” things to help make some people’s lives a little bit easier. Part of me hopes to see Albert out there one of these days, but even if I don’t, I’d like to think one of the pairs will find him.
1. What caused the author to hand out socks to the homeless?| A．A homeless shelter’s request. |
| B．His wife’s volunteer work. |
| C．His talk with Albert. |
| D．A festival’s arrival. |
| A．He wondered about the reason behind it. |
| B．He expected to get more socks. |
| C．He refused to accept it. |
| D．He was afraid of it. |
| A．Spreading presents on trips |
| B．Looking for Albert all over the world |
| C．Giving the homeless a lifetime surprise |
| D．Helping the homeless in an unexpected way |
3 . I took one of the bags from my car. It was still dark out. I headed for a group of three men, standing around a tree, probably using it as a windbreaker. As I walked toward them, one of them watched me, perhaps questioning my motives. “I thought you all might need some fresh new socks,” I said, handing him a pair. He looked confused at first but took them and said, “Thank you.” I gave him two more pairs for his friends. I moved on. An hour later, I had given out all the socks. Most people were sleeping, and I felt like Santa. On her first day teaching students from poor families at an after-school program in New York City, Alyssa Kapasi noticed how many kids were lining up for free sandwiches and fruit in the school cafeteria. One of the workers explained that many of these students don’t get enough to eat at home, so a school lunch or an after-school meal might be the most food they would get all day.
Kapasi, who attends private school, was very surprised. What’s more, she made up her mind to help. “I want other kids to understand that if you see a problem, you don’t have to wait to grow up to fix it,” says Kapasi. She and a group of friends are now putting their programming skills to work to create an app called Food for Thought, which will allow parents, students, and even kind-hearted strangers to donate to a lunch account for a student in need at a nearby school.
About 20 million American kids receive free lunches. Two million more can have low-price meals, and those students’ families have to pay for part of their food. When they don’t have the money on any given day, the students might have to settle for an “alternative (可替代的) meal” such as a cheese sandwich.
The app — which is getting financial (财政的) support from a GoFundMe page — provides anonymity (匿名) to those who receive lunch and donors. To receive help, a family will need only a recommendation (推荐) from a school teacher, and no one else has to know.
“I want to make an app that all users feel no shame in using,” says Kapasi. She hopes to test the app in a school district this fall.
1. Why does Kapasi want to create an app?| A．To teach kids how to help others. | B．To practise her programming skills. |
| C．To introduce her school to the public. | D．To solve the problem of hunger in schools. |
| A．Buy. | B．Make. | C．Accept. | D．Offer. |
| A．Visit a GoFundMe page. | B．Get in touch with Kapasi. |
| C．Be recommended by teachers. | D．Donate something else instead. |
| A．They won’t lose face in using it. | B．They will make money by using it. |
| C．They will know who offers them help. | D．They won’t meet their donors until this |
4 . Every day, we have messages to give people through Post-it Notes. They have a special glue on the edge（边缘）of the paper. They are sticky so that you can leave them anywhere and they won’t fall off. You can reuse the notes because the special glue on the back doesn’t wear off easily.
Who invented Post-it Notes? Art Fry was a scientist who worked for the famous 3M Company. He needed a bookmark that stayed in place but didn’t tear（撕）the page when he wanted to remove it. So he took some of the weak glue a friend made and put it on the back of a yellow piece of paper. Then he wrote a report to his boss and put the yellow sticky paper on the top page. His boss took off the note, wrote an answer, stuck the paper back on, and sent it back. This was the beginning of Post-it Notes. It was a new and creative way to communicate.
Today, Post-it Notes are one of the most popular office products. Everyone uses them for many different purposes. One man used one to write a marriage proposal（求婚）and put it on his girlfriend’s front door. She wrote her answer and put the note back on his door. One mother put a note on the back of her son’s car before he left on a long trip. When he arrived, he found the note. After 3,000 miles, it was still on the car. One university student was waiting in the bus station and started to feel sleepy. She didn’t want to miss her bus so she put Post-it Notes all over herself. The notes asked people to wake her up in time for her bus. She did fall asleep but her plan worked. Someone saw the notes and woke her up.
There are Post-it Notes to please everyone’s tastes. You can buy Post-it Notes in fifty different colors, twenty-seven different sizes, and fifty-six different shapes. More than 400 Post-it products are sold in more than 100 countries around the world. Art Fry should be proud of his invention.
1. What do we know about Post-it Notes?| A．They use a strong glue to be sticky enough. | B．They are used to leave messages. |
| C．They are one-off products. | D．They fall off easily. |
| A．he was making some glue | B．he was discussing with his boss |
| C．he creatively glued a torn report | D．he accidentally created a bookmark |
| A．To ask someone to wake her up in time. |
| B．To prevent herself from falling asleep. |
| C．To find out what time the bus left. |
| D．To tell others to leave her alone. |
| A．They are popular in many places. |
| B．They require design improvement. |
| C．They have failed to meet everyone’s needs. |
| D．They would not satisfy Art Fry’s expectation. |
5 . It is natural that young people are often uncomfortable(不自在) when they are with their parents. They say that their parents don’t understand them. They often think that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are too serious and too strict with their children; and that they seldom give their children a free hand.
It is true that parents often find it difficult to win their children’s trust and they tend to forget how they themselves felt when young. They show that they have grown up and they can face any difficult situation. Older people worry more easily. Most of them plan things ahead, at least in the back of their minds, and do not like their plans to be upset(扰乱) by something unexpected.
When you want your parents to let you do something, you will have better success if you ask before you really start doing it.
Young people often make their parents angry with their choices in clothes, in entertainment and in music. But they do not mean to cause any trouble; it is just that they feel cut off from the older people’s world, into which they have not yet been accepted. That’s why young people want to make a new culture(文化) of their own. And if their parents do not like their music or entertainment or clothes or their way of speech, this will make the young people extremely happy.
Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to say “yes” to what you do. All you want is to be left alone and do what you like. It is natural enough, after being a child for so many years, when you were completely under your parents’ control.
If you plan to control your life, you’d better win your parents over and try to get them to understand you. If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility(责任), they will certainly give you the right to do what you want to do.
1. This article is particularly written for_____ .| A．parents | B．both parents and their children |
| C．young people | D．teachers |
| A．ask for advice before they really start to do anything |
| B．do things without thinking carefully ahead |
| C．be very strict with themselves |
| D．think in the same way as their parents do |
| A．they want to show they have grown up |
| B．they do not want to get into trouble |
| C．they feel they are cleverer than the older people |
| D．they don’t feel they belong to the world of the older people |
| A．do everything according to his own wish |
| B．do everything the way his parents do |
| C．do everything under his parents’ control |
| D．do everything with a high sense of responsibility |
6 .
How Grandpa Tata Caught a Ginormous Fish without a Hook
By Dhan Reddy
Rating (等级): 4.6 out of 5 stars
Many children are lucky enough to go fishing. The luckiest ones get to go fishing with their grandpas! In this story, Dinesh and his grandpa go in search of a really big fish and catch the world’s biggest fish with nothing but a piglet (小猪)! This book is a funny story of going out and getting what you want — if you’re willing to go beyond what others do.
Merely
By Cate Davis
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Born in the Kalahari Desert in Africa, Merely the Meerkat is the only child of her mother, Mernie, who teaches her to keep an open heart, to be kind, and to look for the best in others. But Merely is unluckily taken from her home and family, along with many other animals, and transported across the ocean to an American zoo where her young life changes forever.
The Way Things Never Were
By Norman H. Finkelstein
Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
It seems like kids are always hearing stories about America in the “good old days.” But, in fact, the 1950s and 1960s were not as carefree (无忧无虑的) as they sometimes seem. Through interesting stories, advertisements, facts and photographs, Norman H. Finkelstein invites people of all ages to decide for themselves.
Silent Days, Silent Dreams
By Allen Say
Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
This picture book tells the story of James Castle, an artist who grew up unloved by his family and community because of his deafness. This book is a story as much about acceptance and understanding as it is about perseverance (坚 持).
1. Which word can best describe the story told in the first book?
| A．Boring. | B．Touching. | C．Worrying. | D．Interesting. |
| A．Those who care about animals. | B．Those who love making friends. |
| C．Those who want to know about desert. | D．Those who were born in an unlucky family. |
| A．Allen Say’s. | B．Cate Davis’s. | C．Dhan Reddy’s. | D．Norman H. Finkelstein’s. |
| A．Merely. |
| B．Silent Days, Silent Dreams. |
| C．The Way Things Never Were. |
| D．How Grandpa Tata Caught a Ginormous Fish without a Hook. |
7 . My grandmother stayed in the nursing home for five years.
That day, I saw an old
I asked if they would mind my pushing Jean the rest of the
Now, this same man was
He couldn't speak English but spoke to me in his
We didn't
| A．Dealing with | B．Thinking about | C．Turning to | D．Searching for |
| A．imagine | B．appreciate | C．remember | D．determine |
| A．useless | B．secure | C．sad | D．reliable |
| A．nurse | B．doctor | C．man | D．partner |
| A．harm | B．calm | C．entertain | D．push |
| A．settle | B．move | C．escape | D．explore |
| A．block | B．yard | C．street | D．way |
| A．tip | B．kindness | C．invitation | D．identity |
| A．room | B．station | C．office | D．nation |
| A．alone | B．frightened | C．active | D．dusty |
| A．changed | B．disliked | C．rescued | D．recognized |
| A．dirt | B．steam | C．loss | D．type |
| A．happily | B．responsibly | C．continuously | D．universally |
| A．face | B．hand | C．leg | D．head |
| A．poor | B．native | C．foolish | D．selfish |
| A．mixed | B．stopped | C．hid | D．wiped |
| A．debating | B．talking | C．bargaining | D．laughing |
| A．even though | B．in case | C．as if | D．ever since |
| A．know | B．affect | C．beat | D．admit |
| A．medal | B．disadvantage | C．suffering | D．connection |
8 . One argument for why robots will never fully measure up to people is because they lack human-like social skills. But researchers are experimenting with new methods to give robots social skills to better interact with humans. Two new studies provide evidence of progress in this kind of research.
One experiment was carried out by the researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT. The team developed a machine learning system for self- driving cars that is designed to learn the social characteristics of human drivers and how they act. The researchers studied driving situations to learn how human drivers on the road were likely to behave. Since not all human drivers act the same way, they meant to teach the driverless car to avoid dangerous situations.
The researchers say the technology uses tools borrowed from the field of social psychology (心理学). In this experiment, scientists created a system that attempted to decide whether a person's driving style is more selfish or selfless. In road tests, self-driving cars equipped with the system improved their ability to predict what other drivers would do by up to 25 percent.
In one test, the self-driving car was observed making a left-hand turn. The study found the system could cause the car to wait before making the turn if it predicted the oncoming (迎面驶来的) driver acted selfishly and was dangerous. But when the oncoming car was judged to be selfless, the self-driving car could make the turn because it saw less risk of unsafe behavior.
The researchers say they believe the technology could also be used in cars with human drivers. It could act as a warning system against other drivers judged to be behaving badly. The research suggests that humanoid robots have the ability to affect people socially just as humans do. Fang says this ability could become more important in the future when machines and humans are expected to interact regularly.
1. What was the machine learning system designed to do?| A．Teach social psychology. | B．Increase driving pleasure. |
| C．Remind drivers to drive quickly. | D．Learn about human drivers' behaviour. |
| A．It found the car itself was broken. | B．It predicted the oncoming driver was selfish. |
| C．It realized the oncoming driver was selfless. | D．It observed the oncoming driver make a turn. |
| A．It is actually useless in the future. | B．It has the ability to control people. |
| C．It causes human drivers to behave badly. | D．It can warn other misbehaving human drivers. |
| A．Science. | B．Nature. | C．Diet. | D．Sport. |
9 . Plenty of animals hibernate (冬眠), but what do wild bees do? When it starts to get cold outside, we seldom see honeybees. That's for sure. But where exactly do they end up? Do they hibernate?
In climates that drop below 50 F in the wintertime, they can hibernate. If the climate stays warmer, they just carry on business as usual. In colder climates, the hibernation process can be a bit difficult, however.
In order to stay warm, bees will return to their home and form a winter group. The queen sits at the center of the group, while the outer shell is made up of the female worker bees. The group actively takes turns changing places, regularly allowing the outermost bees to cycle inside to stay warm.
The length of life of each kind of bee varies based on the season and their reproduction cycle. Worker bees usually survive five to six weeks, but in the winter time, they can survive for more than five months, as they 're less active and can store more of their energy for survival. The queen tends to live two to three years but has been known to live up to five years.
The temperature toward the center of the group hits up to 100 F，while the outermost temperature tends to around 50 F. If you meet a beehive (蜂巢) in the winter time, don't worry, as there will be almost no activity when it comes to the ins-and-outs of the hive. But don't disturb it with a stick, either.
Remember, bees are not looking at a calendar and waiting for the first day of winter. If you've had an warm winter with temperatures above 50 F, bees will just carry on their business as usual, and you should still be careful. And once spring rolls back around, you can plant some flowers that bees love to attract them.
1. How do bees keep each of them warm in winter?| A．By going out together. | B．By keeping turning nonstop. |
| C．By changing positions in their home. | D．By forming a line in the beehive center. |
| A．They exercise more. | B．They behave less actively. |
| C．They look after each other better. | D．They need more time to spend winter. |
| A．They can't carry on business above 50o F. | B．They may work as usual in warm winter. |
| C．They often hibernate on the first day of winter. | D．They can't attack people when disturbed in winter. |
| A．To introduce the types of wild bees. | B．To show the life of bees in warm climates. |
| C．To explain the reasons why bees hibernate. | D．To introduce how bees live through the winter. |
10 . One day while trying to print all the class worksheets we needed for the day, I found myself shouting at my printer in front of my son. “Why won’t this stupid thing print?” I shouted. My son came up to me quietly, saying, “Calm down, Mommy. Maybe if you don’t shout at the printer, it will work. You need to have patience.”
He was right. I needed patience-patience with this whole situation. I stopped myself, realizing this was not the behavior I wanted my son to see. He was also right that I needed to calm down. Just like what I told him to do, I took a few deep breaths and walked away from the collapsed printer. Later that day when we were outside, I tried to keep the sense of calm I had slightly achieved. Once I blocked out all the anxiety over the virus, school, and my work-I found the afternoon peaceful and pleasant. I played flying disc with my son, simply enjoying each other’s company while the birds sang. It was an everyday moment I’ll never take for granted again.
From then on, things got a little easier. I started to give myself, and everyone else, some favour. I stopped holding myself to my perfectionism standards with every little thing because they were truly impossible to keep to.
With that favour, I changed my focus. Getting every school worksheet done correctly is not important. Neither is cleaning the house. And, apart from getting fired, neither is my work. Spending time with my family, and staying healthy emotionally and physically, became my main concerns. We took walks. We danced our hearts out during the Disney Family Sing-Along. We got up early and walked secretly into our backyard with telescopes to bird watch. Who knows, birding may be the new hobby we’re never giving up.
1. What did the author’s son ask his mother to do?| A．Print later. | B．Stop printing. |
| C．Change another printer. | D．Stay calm. |
| A．Sensitive. | B．Stubborn. |
| C．Broken-down. | D．Unfriendly. |
| A．By giving up dreams. |
| B．By focusing on others. |
| C．By stopping pursuing perfection. |
| D．By paying little attention to work. |
| A．Watching birds. | B．Doing house cleaning. |
| C．Seeking after her career. | D．Finishing school worksheets. |
