1 . My kitchen may be the best kitchen on the planet. That is because when I look out of its window can see the west side of Grandeur Peak. Grandeur Peak is one of the most attractive mountains in central Wasatch, with its animals, trees, morning clouds, evening sunset, and the mountain’s paragliders (滑翔伞运动员).
The number of paragliders flying above Grandeur Peak has grown over the past 15 years, so much so that they have become part of the mountain. But during the past year they have largely disappeared. Some paragliders told me that the wind became too strong to fly in. The wind is too strong! Is this another character of our changing climate (气候)? Will paragliding be a sport affected by a warming planet? Utah has been much windier in the past few years. For me, a scientist who studies living things, it is easy to believe that our future will be windier. This year it’s getting super-hot, and the planet is warming faster than scientists expected. I can’t help but worry that the future of paragliding in Utah is not bright.
I’m writing to the brave people who fly from Grandeur Peak with beautiful wings. I want you to join Clean The Dam Air, a group that’ s working hard to fight climate change and air pollution — I’m part of it too. We are introducing a measure, which aims to remove the state sales tax (税) on grocery store food and put a carbon tax on fossil fuels (化石燃料) in its place: gas, electricity produced from fossil fuels, and natural gas. The goal isn’t to make taxes higher. The idea is to encourage everyone to reduce their use of fossil fuels. So, paragliders, join us. Now is the time to take care of our planet. If we succeed, then Utah can be an example to others in fighting climate change.
1. Why does the author mention his kitchen?| A．To share his love of cooking dishes. |
| B．To bring back his memories of paragliding. |
| C．To introduce Grandeur Peak’s paragliding. |
| D．To describe his adventures around Grandeur Peak. |
| A．The author saw less paragliding. | B．Few people visited Grandeur Peak. |
| C．Air pollution became serious in Utah. | D．Strong winds stopped people going outside. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Supportive. | C．Positive. | D．Worried. |
| A．Buy those foods that are taxed less. |
| B．Reduce flying with wings in Grandeur Peak. |
| C．Join him to support a program about taxing. |
| D．Join a group to improve their paragliding skills. |
2 . I was riding my special motorbike this past weekend and stopped at a store. As I was getting my wheelchair off the back, a man watched me from his car and I noticed a wheelchair in his back seat. We spoke for a moment and I asked him about the wheelchair. He answered that it was for his daughter. “Well, do you think she would like to go for a ride on my motorbike with me?” I asked. He seemed shocked that a total stranger would ask him this. He thought about it for a second and said, “OK, as long as I can follow you.” He introduced me to Amy and he sat her on my back seat. Her father followed me for a few miles and she talked non-stop about what she wanted for Christmas.
As we came back to the store, she said, “This ride is the best Christmas present I could ever receive. I have been in a wheelchair my whole life and didn’t know I could do this.” Then she turned to him and said, “Oh Daddy, I’m going to be OK. Mr. Bryant does all kinds of things—and I will, too.” Her father hugged me and said, “I was sitting here praying for a gift for Amy that would encourage her. She often felt that her life was dull compared to other children. God answered my prayer (祷告) just now. Now I pray that God will bless you for your gift to Amy today.” Being kind and thoughtful to others, we can be an answer to prayer.
1. What can we know about the author?| A．He was a disabled man. | B．He usually drove too fast. |
| C．He worked in a store. | D．He often helped people in trouble. |
| A．Anxious. | B．Embarrassed. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Moved. |
| A．was not allowed to do some sports |
| B．used to be a completely healthy person |
| C．was unwillingly to communicate with a stranger |
| D．usually felt sad about life because of her disability |
| A．The motorbike. | B．The wheelchair. |
| C．The ride. | D．The prayer. |
3 . India, as a country with plenty of resorts (旅游胜地), is popular with different kinds of travelers. If you’re planning to visit the country, the followings are the places that may interest you.
Delhi
Delhi is a perfect place for those who love history, and there are plenty of attractions here to keep tourists of all interests entertained. It’s often the first city that many tourists visit on a trip around India. There are many resorts including India Gate, the Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar, and Humayun’s Tomb.
Agra
Agra is most well known for the Taj Mahal, which draws a large number of tourists to the city. Built in the 1600s, the Taj Mahal is still standing strong today and is admired by tourists as an important part of India’s heritage (遗产).
Kashmir
Kashmir is one of the most beautiful cities in India. With flower gardens, amazing water-falls, and snow-topped peaks, it’s a simply unforgettable place that tourists want to return to time and time again. Kashmir is especially popular with honeymooners and loved-up couples, because a lot of romantic trips are on sale in Kashmir.
Goa
Though Goa is small in size, it’s one of the top resorts for young tourists and those who love taking beach vacations. The golden sands and coconut palm trees are the charm (吸引力) here, and the sunrises and sunsets are so gorgeous that you’ll never forget them.
1. What do we know about Delhi from the text?| A．It is the highest city in India. |
| B．It is known for the Taj Mahal. |
| C．It is attractive to history lovers. |
| D．It is the coolest city in India. |
| A．It is the smallest place. |
| B．It is the capital city of India. |
| C．It offers many tours attracting couples. |
| D．It drives young people crazy. |
| A．Delhi. | B．Goa | C．Kashmir. | D．Agra. |
4 . Yang He, a 64-year-old man from Yichang, Hubei, has observed the changes in finless porpoises (江豚) population with his camera for six years. As a(n)
Every day, Yang wakes up early and drives to the
The Yangtze finless porpoise is so
However, the situation has changed as
Thanks to his camera, he once discovered and
| A．leader | B．admirer | C．hunter | D．advisor |
| A．banks | B．waves | C．beaches | D．sights |
| A．suddenly | B．patiently | C．formally | D．strangely |
| A．imagination | B．anxiety | C．strength | D．beauty |
| A．follows | B．listens | C．knows | D．exchanges |
| A．belongs to | B．focuses on | C．applies for | D．adapts to |
| A．addicted | B．connected | C．convenient | D．important |
| A．threaten | B．balance | C．protect | D．promote |
| A．crashing | B．trapping | C．tracking | D．preventing |
| A．in addition to | B．due to | C．in spite of | D．apart from |
| A．global | B．possible | C．effective | D．historic |
| A．creative | B．lucky | C．magic | D．valuable |
| A．catching | B．striking | C．kicking | D．drawing |
| A．inspired | B．approached | C．reserved | D．rescued |
| A．conquer | B．remind | C．document | D．identify |
5 . Hang your tongue out of your mouth while your eyes look upwards. Breathe loudly and use your hands to pull your head in every way. This is yoga(瑜伽) for your face.
Fumiko Takatsu, creator of the Face Yoga Method, has written six books on face yoga and has been practicing facial exercises for about 15 years. Takatsu, 50, said she came up with the idea of facial exercises after a car accident when she was 35 years old, which left her face out of its proper position. Around the same time, Takatsu said she began to notice signs of aging, but gave up using creams and beauty treatments after they became too expensive.
Koko Hayashi, 39, a face yoga instructor in Los Angeles, said she first heard of face yoga by discovering Takatsu’s work. Hayashi said she had a chin implant(下巴植入体) when she was 27 years old, but took it out because it misshaped her face. ”That’s why I’m so interested in more natural beauty instead of plastic surgery(整形手术) ,” Hayashi said. Like others who practice facial exercises, Hayashi believes it can fix signs of aging and help reduce wrinkles(皱纹).
The question that often pops up when someone mentions face yoga is, “Does it actually work?” A study out of Northwestern University found that the exercises may help middle-aged women.
“This is a pilot study that suggests that there might be some factors of face exercise that can be helpful to at least certain patients in improving certain signs of aging,” said Dr. Murad Alam from Northwestern University. “But we need more studies to better understand exactly how much exercise is necessary to have any benefit, whether it works for men and women of different ages, and then how much exercise is needed to keep that benefit.”
Medical reporter Dr. Jennifer Ashton said that she is not sure whether face yoga works and that any benefits are most likely going to be up to the person trying it. “If you feel better after trying face yoga, it may be something you should keep doing,” she said.
1. What made Takatsu decide to create the Face Yoga Method?| A．An unexpected car accident. | B．Great interest in doing yoga. |
| C．Unaffordable beauty treatments. | D．Unsatisfactory effects of creams. |
| A．She wrote a book about face yoga. |
| B．She experienced a failed plastic surgery. |
| C．She had always admired natural beauty. |
| D．She has practiced facial exercises since she was 27. |
| A．Face yoga is helpful but more research is needed. |
| B．Face yoga is more suitable for women than men. |
| C．Face yoga needs much too exercise to bring benefits. |
| D．Face yoga should be widely taken by more people. |
| A．Its key point is keeping exercising. |
| B．It can stop all kinds of signs of aging. |
| C．Its advantages do more than its disadvantages. |
| D．Its effectiveness depends on personal feelings. |
6 . The photographs that Scilla took as a 16-year-old girl on the streets of London in 1955 stayed largely in her album over the years. Scilla is now 83, and her self-developed black-and-white photos have been brought back to life after they were discovered by a teenage photographer.
Over the past year, Philip Loveday, 16, has been revisiting his grandmother’s path across the capital to carefully rephotograph the pictures. His journey through time with a camera has been especially moving, because his grandmother, Scilla, has Alzheimer’s disease (阿尔茨海默症) and has lost many of her memories.
Philip took new photos that looked like the ones Scilla took long ago, and put them in a new album. Each page of Scilla’s old album was copied and put in the new one, with Philip’s new photos on the opposite pages. Philip’s mother, Catherine Loveday, said Scilla had been happy with the new album, which had “put her back in her shoes” as a teenager.
Philip said his mother showed him the album she had found at her mother’s house. Greatly absorbed in how modern London would compare to the city photographed by his grandmother, Philip and his mother began to make trips into central London. During the trips, they had the idea of retaking the photos.
Some of the places are similar, like Big Ben. Others show how the city has modernized. Unlike Scilla’s view of St. Paul’s Cathedral from the Thames, Philip’s retake has the Millenium Bridge. When Scilla photographed the John Lewis store on Oxford Street, it was a one-storey building—now it has seven floors. Philip had to use his imagination to recreate other sights. Scilla has repeatedly returned to her new album since receiving it. Philip said: ”It’s nice for her to see someone taking an interest in those photos and going back over them, and also good for her to connect her past to where are now.“
1. What did Philip do for Scilla during the past year?| A．He taught her how to use a camera. | B．He took her to visit London streets. |
| C．He found a new way to treat her disease. | D．He recreated photos of London she had taken. |
| A．It inspired her to take photos. | B．It made her think of her teenage days. |
| C．It encouraged her to travel across London. | D．It raised her confidence to fight off illness |
| A．Troubled. | B．Interested. | C．Experienced. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．A teenager sensed the great changes of London. |
| B．An old lady suffered a lot from Alzheimer’s disease. |
| C．A teenager and his mother travelled to London for fun. |
| D．Retaken photos awakened old memories. |
7 . Discover Our Winter Camps This Season
Spaces EduAges 13-17 Years
Are you looking for an exciting and creative way to develop computer skills? Spaces Edu is the perfect course for students who want to bring their imaginations to life by coding(编码)their own VR projects. In this course, students will learn how to create 3D objects and will also learn how to collect information quickly, as well as how to share their creations online and experience them with VR headsets(头戴式耳机). This is an advanced course so some coding experience is necessary.
Necessary Life SkillsAges 12-13 Years
This course will offer important real-life skills for students which will prepare them for their university. Students will learn how to create their own detailed résumés(简历)as well as how to prepare for interviews so they are prepared and filled with confidence as they take the next steps in life.
French through Art & CultureAges 8-11 Years
Join us this spring as we travel in time through the richness of French music, people and colors. Each day, students will build their understanding of the language through a different way. As students become interested in French art and culture they will develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
First StepsAges 7-12 Years
In this introductory course for beginners, students will learn the basics of computer in Python. The course will focus on learning Python programming and then using the knowledge and skills to create computer programs. Using an online learning platform(平台), students will be guided through their learning of Python basics. Students should bring their own computers.
1. Which camp is suitable for students who prepare for college life?| A．French through Art & Culture. | B．Necessary Life Skills. |
| C．Spaces Edu. | D．First Steps. |
| A．Improve their French. | B．Travel in France. |
| C．Organize an art show. | D．Create a 3D painting. |
| A．They are perfect for beginners. | B．They are open to students aged 7. |
| C．Computers will be used. | D．Free headsets will be provided. |
8 . Both Vijayan and his wife Mohana grew up on the streets of Kochi, India. They married 49 years ago, making a(n)
Each day, they
Mohana had always been
Traveling has opened up the couple’s minds so much. They’ve been to many natural and man-made
Vijayan and Mohana aren’t finished with their adventures and their
| A．mistake | B．difference | C．living | D．apology |
| A．explore | B．change | C．control | D．support |
| A．added up | B．took in | C．gave out | D．set aside |
| A．exchanges | B．failures | C．adventures | D．proposals |
| A．saving | B．applying | C．competing | D．renting |
| A．annoyed | B．curious | C．positive | D．concerned |
| A．confuses | B．protects | C．attracts | D．requests |
| A．anxious | B．frightened | C．inspired | D．addicted |
| A．still | B．quite | C．hardly | D．immediately |
| A．organizations | B．greenhouses | C．civilizations | D．sights |
| A．improving | B．admiring | C．recommending | D．recognizing |
| A．relaxed | B．amazed | C．confident | D．awkward |
| A．design | B．strategy | C．arrangement | D．goal |
| A．reminds | B．orders | C．awards | D．offers |
| A．debates | B．responsibilities | C．challenges | D．directions |
9 . “Do you need a vase for your purple carnations (康乃馨)?” a gentle voice
“Yes, these are from a special friend,” I
I asked her if she likes flowers. Her eyes lit up and she spoke in an excited
I told her that I’ve been
She left, came back and said, “I will be thinking of you whenever I see purple.” I
| A．awoke | B．interrupted | C．bothered | D．surprised |
| A．important | B．moving | C．rare | D．painful |
| A．cleaners | B．doctors | C．nurses | D．patients |
| A．happened | B．managed | C．pretended | D．refused |
| A．gave in | B．chanced upon | C．swept away | D．held back |
| A．specifically | B．fluently | C．willingly | D．bravely |
| A．dance | B．shout | C．whisper | D．voice |
| A．shower | B．feed | C．bye | D．greeting |
| A．buying | B．receiving | C．requesting | D．borrowing |
| A．imagination | B．struggle | C．craziness | D．opinion |
| A．delight | B．panic | C．shock | D．need |
| A．remind | B．inspire | C．prepare | D．persuade |
| A．organize | B．plant | C．communicate | D．share |
| A．cried | B．slept | C．laughed | D．hesitated |
| A．small | B．strange | C．kind | D．unbelievable |
10 . Having a teenager at home can be a real headache. Many teenagers smoke, drink and even fight. They often do something dangerous.
Earlier studies have shown that teenagers are more likely to make irrational decisions than people from any other age group, including children and adults. Is it that teenagers are too young to tell right from wrong? Not really. So what’s the reason?
According to Laurence, a teacher from a US university, the reason is that teenagers care a lot about how their peers (同龄人) view them—that is “peer influence”.
As children enter their teenage years, they spend more time with their friends and classmates, and also they care more about what they think of them. This makes teenagers make decisions without thinking about the costs.
In a test, a group of teenagers were asked to play a video driving game. When they played with their friends watching around them, they took more chances and drove more carelessly because that would increase their possibility of winning. But when they played alone, they drove more safely.
Why do peers have such a big influence on teens’ behavior?
As Laurence sees it, a teenager’s brain is like a car with a good accelerator (油门) but a weak brake (刹车). The “accelerator” is fully developed by teenage years while the “brake” is still not fully developed. When teenagers are watched by their peers, they usually push hard on the accelerator. With their weak brake, it is likely that they are going to end up in an accident.
But the good news is that a violent (暴力) teenager doesn’t necessarily become a violent adult. About two-third to three-quarters of violent youth grow out of it. “They get more self-controlled. ”
1. What does the underlined word“irrational”in the 2nd paragraph mean?| A．Quick. | B．Crazy. | C．Careful. | D．Correct. |
| A．They like difficult tasks. | B．They don’t care about costs. |
| C．They are too young to tell right from wrong. | D．They care a lot about what their peers think of them. |
| A．By comparing it with how a car works. | B．By comparing it with an accident. |
| C．By showing research findings. | D．By giving examples. |
| A．A pupil. | B．A high school student. | C．A home schooling child. | D．An adult. |
