2 . A British friend told me he couldn't understand why Chinese people love eating sunflower seeds (葵花子) as a snack so much. “I’ve met a lot of older Chinese and many have a crack in their front teeth; I believe that's from cracking the seeds,” he said.

I had never noticed the habit, but once he mentioned it, I suddenly became more aware. I realized that whenever I’m watching TV or typing a report, I always start mindlessly cracking sunflower seeds. My friend doesn't like sunflower seeds, and, to him, it seems unnecessary to work so hard just to get one small seed.

When we were young, the whole family would usually get together for Chinese New Year. Then, we all lived close to one another, usually in a small city, and sometimes even neighbors would go doortodoor on Chinese New Year’s Eve to check out what every household was making.

I remember my parents would be in the kitchen cooking. In the living room, a large table would already be laid out, complete with a fancy tablecloth, readymade dumpling fillings, and dishes full of candy, fruits and sunflower seeds.

Some of the dishes were to be offered to our ancestors later, while others were for neighbors and children to eat before the evening feast. I must have learned how to crack sunflower seeds back then.

I don’t think it’s right to criticize one’s choice in food or eating habits, no matter how strange they may seem.

It’s not only in China. When I went abroad, I found people had all sorts of strange habits when it came to food. In Denmark, they put salted red fish on bread and eat it for dinner, no matter how much it ruins their breath. They think it’s a delicacy, and it’s connected with their culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.

1. What lesson can we learn from the passage?

A．One kind of food doesn’t necessarily suit everyone.

B．Eating habits come from a certain culture.

C．It is good to form healthy eating habits.

D．Changing your eating habits will change your life.

2. What did the writer become aware of?

A．She had ever typed a report about seeds.

B．She ate various snacks while watching TV.

C．She has a habit of cracking sunflower seeds.

D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds.

3. What does the writer prove by mentioning Chinese New Year?

A．The traditions of celebrating it disappear.

B．Children can eat delicious food on that day.

C．The families would get together for it.

D．Eating sunflower seeds is related to it.

4. The writer’s attitude to Denmark’s way of eating bread is ________．

A．acceptable	B．critical
C．neutral	D．doubtful

3 . “Good Night Lights” began as a game，with the effort of Steve Brosnihan, a cartoonist volunteering at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. He ______ from room to room drawing and chatting and doing whatever else he can to ______ the sick children up. During one ______ to a teenager who would be in the hospital for the last night, he decided to do something ______ for their final farewell.

As he left, Brosnihan told the ______ to watch the corner near the bus stop from his window. Brosnihan ______ to that spot in a Parking area, and flickered (闪烁) his bike light up toward the ______. To his surprise, the teen flickered his own room lights back ______.

Brosnihan made it a(an) ______ to flicker his bike light to kids as he left for the night as a(an) ______ way to say goodbye. When he mentioned this activity to a friend, owner of a ______ restaurant, the friend agreed to flicker the restaurant’s ______ at 8:30 every night for one minute. The nightly tradition became such a ______ that customers started joining in too.

Good Night Lights has been such a simple, ______ powerful, rallying point(号召力) for the community to support the young patients. For 60 seconds, patients were ______ in a luminous(发光的) dialog with residents.

“It would be very hard not to do this ______ you start,” says Brosnihan. “You do it to represent how much you care for kids and families who ______ a lot during their hard times in hospitals.”

Brosnihan hopes it ______ more. “In my grander dreams, I hope other cities that have children’s hospitals ______ the idea and run with it and ______ their own version of Good Night Lights.” he says.

1.

A．rushes

B．moves

C．checks

D．marches

2.

A．put

B．turn

C．cheer

D．bring

3.

A．visit

B．show

C．experience

D．journey

4.

A．strange

B．exciting

C．similar

D．different

5.

A．colleague

B．teenager

C．doctor

D．friend

6.

A．biked

B．ran

C．fled

D．walked

7.

A．park

B．hospital

C．road

D．bike

8.

A．in return

B．in order

C．in response

D．in place

9.

A．ceremony

B．activity

C．habit

D．routine

10.

A．logical

B．unique

C．fun

D．important

11.

A．local

B．generous

C．native

D．distant

12.

A．fires

B．forks

C．plates

D．lights

13.

A．hit

B．wonder

C．start

D．tradition

14.

A．and

B．yet

C．or

D．so

15.

A．given

B．crowded

C．involved

D．participated

16.

A．once

B．whether

C．while

D．as

17.

A．waste

B．enjoy

C．spend

D．suffer

18.

A．grows

B．spreads

C．discovers

D．deepens

19.

A．give up

B．set up

C．pick up

D．build up

20.

A．design

B．invite

C．open

D．create

4 . There’s no doubt that one of the greatest human achievements is the exploration of the space. Ever since astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to be sent into the orbit around the moon in 1961, scientists have been pushing the boundaries further and further. But until now the exploration into the unknown has been dominated (主导) by men.

Of course, in the past, women were also included in the space projects and played an active role on the ground and behind the scenes. For example, they worked as seamstresses (女裁缝师), sewing vital spaceflight components. In fact, many of NASA’s key works would never have been possible without them. Recently Hollywood produced a movie called Hidden Figures to focus on a group of American female mathematicians, especially the black women, who helped NASA send the first American into space. But this was not women’s only contribution. Back in 1963, Soviet astronaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to be sent into space. However, after that, space flight programs were slow to employ women. In the USA. NASA didn’t accept applications from women to become astronauts until 1978.

But attitudes have changed and leading officials at NASA say that the first person to set foot on Mars should be a woman. The space agency aims to have a sex-balanced workforce but can only achieve that if equal numbers of men and women are trained for science and technology jobs. As Allison McIntryre told the BBC, “My director is a woman. We have female astronauts. We haven’t put a woman on the moon yet. And I think that perhaps the first person to step on Mars should be a woman.”

1. What did Yuri Gagarin do in 1961?

A．He landed on the moon in success.

B．He discovered many new boundaries.

C．He led scientists to explore the moon.

D．He made the first journey into the space.

2. Why does the author mention the film Hidden Figures?

A．To show women are the true heroes of NASA’s first launch.

B．To stress that black people have won equal rights in NASA.

C．To prove women can do as well as men in NASA’ projects.

D．To present women’s contributions to NASA’s space programs.

3. What is Allison McIntryre’s attitude toward women astronauts?

A．Uncaring.	B．Disapproving.
C．Supportive.	D．Disappointed.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Will the First Person to Step on Mars Be a Woman?

B．Great Achievements Have Been Made in Space Exploration?

C．Why Men Played an Important Role in Exploring the Unknown?

D．Men and Women Have Made Equal Contributions to NASA’s Projects?