4 . It was Jennifer Williams’ mother who got her interested in books. As a librarian, Williams’ mother read to her three children every day. “From when we hadn’t gone to kindergarten,” Williams told vadogwood.com, a local news site, “until we went to college.”

When Williams, who is now 54, became an elementary school teacher and tutor in Danville, Virginia, she wanted her students to be falling in love with reading just as she had. But early on, she realized that some kids had little chance to get enough books to read.

To Williams, the solution was simple: give kids books. In 2017, she donated (捐赠) 900 used children’s books over three days. “I wanted to do something that’s going to continue my faith,” she said.

So she started a new project for herself: give away one million books. It sounds like an unreachable number, but as Williams posted on Facebook: “Don’t complain in the stand if you aren’t willing to work hard out on the field.”

She got to work, first by persuading her friends to donate books or money to buy books. Before long, as news of Williams’ project spread, strangers started leaving varieties of books on her front walk way. As quickly as the books came in, Williams gave them to local schools—free of charge —and also supplied 41,000 books to little free libraries around the city just over the North Carolina border. She also hosted a book club for prisoners in the local prison.

Over the four years she’s been doing all this. The Book Lady, as Williams has come to be celebrated, has given away more than 78,000 books—only 922,000 more to reach her goal! And she’s not slowing down. “Reading can take you anywhere,” she told CNN. “You can travel in time and space. If you can read, you can learn almost anything.”

1. What made Williams decide to give away books?

A．The requirement of teaching.

B．The shortage of kids’ books.

C．Her mother’s faith in reading.

D．The desire for being famous.

2. What did Williams do to encourage people to read?

A．She hosted a book club locally for prisoners.

B．She persuaded her friends to donate only money.

C．She gave all the books collected to local schools.

D．She invited strangers to leave books in her house.

3. What does the underlined word “celebrated” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Positive.	B．Serious.
C．Proud.	D．Famous.

4. Which of the following best describes Jennifer Williams?

A．Humorous and confident.	B．Independent and smart.
C．Curious and professional.	D．Kind and influential.

5 . There is an older homeless woman who sometimes is sitting near where I am living, begging for money. _________, the better city places are often being _________ by younger men and women, she has to _________ such a place.

Whenever I see her, I will give her something. If I don’t take some money with me, I will _________ to her for a few seconds at least.

Today I was passing her again, giving her some _________, and asked how she was. She _________ me by saying she wanted to thank me, because I used to _________ my time talking to her,

She _________ how hard it is for her to have so little money that she has to beg. She often feels _________. She has prepared for several days to say __________ to me for my attitude towards her. People walk by, sometimes drop some money, but __________ make eye contact with her. This makes her feel even more __________. She said she was __________ me to pass by because she knew I would see her as a __________ person and probably stop to talk to her. On hearing all this, I had __________ in my eyes. I decide to treat her better, making sure to talk to her as often as possible!

1.

A．Uncertainly

B．Naturally

C．Interestingly

D．Unfortunately

2.

A．showed off

B．taken over

C．searched for

D．referred to

3.

A．leave

B．buy

C．choose

D．protect

4.

A．talk

B．explain

C．describe

D．report

5.

A．information

B．money

C．advice

D．luck

6.

A．satisfied

B．interested

C．surprised

D．excited

7.

A．spend

B．waste

C．pass

D．miss

8.

A．proved

B．discussed

C．mentioned

D．remembered

9.

A．shocked

B．uncomfortable

C．fresh

D．unbelievable

10.

A．yes

B．hello

C．sorry

D．thanks

11.

A．seldom

B．always

C．sometimes

D．often

12.

A．happy

B．tired

C．awkward

D．relaxed

13.

A．asking

B．expecting

C．advising

D．inviting

14.

A．rich

B．polite

C．lucky

D．normal

15.

A．lights

B．pride

C．anger

D．tears

7 . What makes a human being? Is it our thoughts? Our emotions? Our behavior?

All of these things make us who we are, but at the center of the matter is the genome (基因组) — the genes inside our bodies that may determine everything from our hair colour to our intelligence. But if we could change our genome, what would it mean to us?

In an online video posted on Nov 26, He Jiankui, a biological researcher from Southern University of Science and Technology in China, said that he had helped to make the world’s first genetically edited babies.

These are twin girls, born in November, with genes edited in an attempt to help them fight against possible future infection (感染) with the AIDS virus.

He said that he chose to do this because HIV infections are a big problem in China. “I feel such a strong responsibility that it’s not just to make a first, but also to set an example,” He told the Associated Press(AP).

The announcement has caused an international storm. Some believe that success will benefit the families of HIV patients. Considering that HIV is “a major and growing public health threat,” attempted gene editing for HIV is justifiable, Harvard Medical School genetics professor George Church told AP.

However, others think that gene editing technology is still unsafe to attempt.

“Gene editing itself is experimental and is still associated with unexpected mutations (突变), causing genetic problems early and later in life, including the development of cancer,” Julian Savulescu, a specialist in ethics at the University of Oxford, told BBC News.

Others fear that this could open the door to using gene editing technology to make designer babies. It might give the parents the choices to choose everything from their baby’s eye color to intelligence.

“You could find wealthy parents buying the latest ‘upgrades’ for their children, leading to even greater inequality than we already live with,” Marcy Darnovsky, director of the San Francisco Center for Genetics, told BBC News.

1. Why did He Jiankui make the genetically edited babies?

A．Because he wanted to be a leader in gene editing technology.

B．Because he tried to do his part in fighting against HIV infection.

C．Because he attempted to help the twin girls who were infected with AIDS.

D．Because he wanted to become the first to make the genetically edited babies in the world.

2. What’s George Church’s attitude towards gene editing technology?

A．indifferent

B．understanding

C．objective

D．unfavorable

3. For those who are against gene editing technology, their reasons are as follows EXCEPT ________.

A．Gene editing can determine everything inside a person’s body

B．Gene editing may widen the gap between the rich and the poor

C．Gene editing may enable wealthy parents to design their babies

D．Gene editing can cause genetic problems sooner or later in life

8 . Snowy wanted to be a show jumping horse. Every day she would _______ her mum to allow her to jump. Finally, her mum decided she was _____ enough and they went into the jumping arena (竞技场).

Snowy was very excited, but when she saw how ______ the jumps were, she started shaking." I can't jump that high. It's a good idea that we ________." she said. Her mum said,“I wouldn't expect you to _________ that high. There's a log (原木) on the ground. Why not start jumping over that?" Snowy gathered (积聚) her ________, walked to the log and then managed to jump over it.

“I did it!" she shouted happily. _________, her mum said,“You can't just jump over logs if you want to be a show jumper. ________ the low jump over there."

Again, Snowy was ___________but she tried it and found she could do it. As time went on, Snowy progressed to taller jumps, until finally she ________ the arena and looked at the tallest jumps. Over the past few weeks, something had _______. These jumps seemed much less ______ to Snowy. She jumped over them easily. Her mum looked with ________ at her and said,“This is what happens when you start ________ and build your way up."

So never be afraid of ________   in life, but start small and keep trying. Then you'll be able to do anything.

1.

A．ask

B．warn

C．force

D．advise

2.

A．old

B．fat

C．clever

D．careful

3.

A．deep

B．high

C．long

D．far

4.

A．wait

B．leave

C．stay

D．settle

5.

A．see

B．stop

C．start

D．arrive

6.

A．speed

B．power

C．doubt

D．courage

7.

A．Suddenly

B．immediately

C．However

D．Besides

8.

A．Remember

B．Try

C．Carry

D．Study

9.

A．nervous

B．happy

C．upset

D．serious

10.

A．missed

B．liked

C．entered

D．needed

11.

A．appeared

B．changed

C．begun

D．continued

12.

A．dangerous

B．important

C．familiar

D．terrible

13.

A．pride

B．anger

C．patience

D．kindness

14.

A．early

B．young

C．small

D．smart

15.

A．failures

B．worries

C．uncertainties

D．difficulties

9 . You have probably read about robots replacing human labour as a new era of automation takes root in one industry after another. However, a new report suggests humans are not the only ones who might lose their jobs.

In New Zealand, farmers are using drones（无人机）to herd and monitor cows and sheep, taking up the position that highly intelligent dogs have held for more than a century. The robots have not replaced the dogs entirely, Radio New Zealand reports, but they have appropriated（盗用）one of the animal's most powerful tools: barking. The DJI Mavic Enterprise, a $ 3,500 drone favored by farmers, has a feature that lets the machine record sounds and play them over a loudspeaker, giving the machine the ability to imitate its canine counterparts.

Corey Lambeth, a shepherd on a farm, told RNZ the machines are surprisingly effective. “That's the one thing I've noticed that when you're moving cows the old cows stand up to the dogs, but with the drones, they've never done that,” he said, noting the drones move cows faster, with less stress, than the dogs do.

The drones come in handy for more than just herding cows and sheep. The robots allow farmers to monitor their land from afar, monitoring water and feed levels and checking on the animals' health without disturbing them. Jason Rentoul told RNZ that a two- hour herding job that used to require two people and two teams of dogs could be accomplished in 45 minutes using a single drone. “On a hilly farm where a lot of stuff is done by farmers on foot, the drones really save a lot of man hours,” he said.

For now, farmers say, there is still a need for herding dogs, primarily because they have a longer lifespan than drones, can work in bad weather and do not require an electrical socket every few hours to recharge.

1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Farmers.

B．Dogs.

C．Sheep.

D．Loudspeakers.

2. Which of the following statements is supported by the passage?

A．Herding dogs will gradually lose their position on the farmland.

B．The drones can help monitor weather conditions with the current technology.

C．The drones are multifunctional and leave the animals undisturbed.

D．The market for the DJI Mavic Enterprise is pretty small because of its high price.

3. Why can't the drones replace the dogs entirely?

A．The drones can't bark as loudly as the dogs do.

B．Cows are not used to seeing the drones.

C．The drones are much more expensive.

D．The drones' power is limited and they need charging.

4. What is the author's attitude towards the drones in the passage?

A．Supportive.

B．Objective.

C．Critical.

D．Doubtful.

10 .         The Most Tech­friendly School in the World

Forget a pen and paper! This new­fashioned school relies on iPads, touch screens, projectors and even electronic locker keys. The School of the Future's main goal is to equip students with the most knowledge in the technology field. While it struggled back when it opened in 2006, it is now one of the most in­demand schools.

Hamburger University

No, this school isn't about perfecting the hamburger. Actually, it sort of is! The McDonald's training facility is where restaurant managers go to learn the craft (手艺). From making a hamburger to dealing with complaining customers, it takes a lot to handle the running of Micky D's. Also, imagine having Hamburger University on your resume (简历). Now that would make you stand out from the crowd!

Real­life Clown (小丑) College

While movies and television shows love to make fun of kids and adults alike running off to join clown college or the circus but it turns out that it isn't made up. The Ringling Brothers set up a number of courses and schools around the United States to teach willing students the art of clowning around. It's a tough job，right? Imagine wearing a bright red nose while kids scream at you for a balloon animal.

Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School

Set up in the 1930s, this famous institution aims to produce the very best Santas. Potential Santas will learn how to interact with children and of course, how to laugh like the real deal. While you won't take the course unless you plan on being a professional Santa, it surely would be fun to dress up for a day!

1. What do we know about the School of the Future?

A．It has been run smoothly since 2006.

B．It employs digital devices in fruitful ways.

C．Its popularity has declined in recent years.

D．It aims to   spread knowledge in many fields.

2. Which school may help you become a comedian?

A．The School of the Future.

B．Hamburger University.

C．Real­life Clown College.

D．Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School.

3. Which of the following best describes the four schools?

A．Entertaining.	B．Ancient.
C．Wild.	D．Unusual.