1 . When I was 13, my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant beating out Miller King, who was the best ___________ at our school.

Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for ___________.

Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he came back from ___________. He looked very ___________, but he didn’t cry.

That season, I ___________ all of Miller’s records while he ___________ the home games from the bench. We went 10­1 and I was named most valuable player, but I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller’s ___________.

One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller ___________ going over a fence—which wasn’t ___________ to climb if you had both arms. I’m sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept ____________ from, but I did it. When we were finally ____________ on the other side, he said to me, “You know, I didn’t tell you this during the ____________, but you did well. Thank you for filling in for me.”

His words freed me from my bad ____________. I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was ____________ ahead of me. From that day on, I grew ____________ and a little more real.

1.

A．coach

B．student

C．teacher

D．player

2.

A．practice

B．power

C．insurance

D．pleasure

3.

A．school

B．vacation

C．hospital

D．training

4.

A．pale

B．calm

C．relaxed

D．determined

5.

A．held

B．broke

C．set

D．tried

6.

A．reported

B．judged

C．organized

D．watched

7.

A．decision

B．mistake

C．accident

D．absence

8.

A．trapped

B．injured

C．buried

D．lost

9.

A．reliable

B．hard

C．fun

D．useless

10.

A．thanks

B．advice

C．help

D．apology

11.

A．awake

B．ready

C．active

D．safe

12.

A．holiday

B．disaster

C．season

D．journey

13.

A．memories

B．ideas

C．attitudes

D．dreams

14.

A．still

B．also

C．yet

D．just

15.

A．healthier

B．bigger

C．cleverer

D．cooler

2 . The concept of solitude (独处) in the digital world is almost non-existent. In the world of technology, e-mail, social networking and online video games, information is meant to be________. Solitude can be hard to discover________it has been given up. New technologies have ________our culture.

The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n) ________as we’ve known it. People have become so reachable in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted ________they’d rather not be. Today we can talk, text, e-mail, chat and blog, not only from our computers, but from our mobile phones as well.

Most developed nations have become________on digital technology simply because they’ve grown used to it, and at this point not using it would make them an outsider. ________many jobs and careers require people to be________. From this point of view, technology has changed the culture of work. Being reachable might feel like a  ________to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.

I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who________wants it. Computers can be shut ________and mobile phones can be turned off. The ability to be “connected” and “on” has many advantages, as well as disadvantages. Travelers have ended up ________on mountains, and mobile phones have saved countless lives. They can also make people feel________and forced to answer unwanted calls or________to unwanted texts.

Attitudes towards our connection as a society________across generations. Some find today’s technology a gift. Others consider it a curse. Regardless of anyone’s view on the subject, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like without daily progress in technology.

1.

A．shared

B．received

C．updated

D．collected

2.

A．though

B．once

C．until

D．before

3.

A．respected

B．kept

C．ignored

D．shaped

4.

A．edge

B．end

C．stage

D．balance

5.

A．only if

B．even if

C．as if

D．if only

6.

A．bent

B．hard

C．strict

D．dependent

7.

A．Also

B．Instead

C．Otherwise

D．Somehow

8.

A．trained

B．connected

C．suggested

D．interested

9.

A．burden

B．benefit

C．pleasure

D．disappointment

10.

A．really

B．hardly

C．merely

D．slightly

11.

A．out

B．up

C．down

D．in

12.

A．lost

B．hidden

C．relaxed

D．dropped

13.

A．confused

B．excited

C．trapped

D．amused

14.

A．turn

B．reply

C．belong

D．object

15.

A．arise

B．vary

C．spread

D．exist

4 . A work of art created by artificial intelligence (AI) has been sold by a major art seller for the first time. The print sold for an unexpectedly large amount of money, $432,500. The artwork was bought during an auction (拍卖) Thursday at Christie’s, an art auction house, in New York City. Officials had predicted it would sell for between $7,000 and $10,000.

In a website post, Christie’s said the AI-created work was the first ever sold by a major auction house. It praised the sale as a signal of “the arrival of AI art on the world auction stage”.

The artwork, called “Portrait (肖像) of Edmond Belamy”, was made by a machine having learnt the algorithm (算法). The AI system was created by members of an art group called “Obvious” in Paris, France. It shows the portrait of a man, looking similar to subjects shown in historical paintings. Christie’s described some differences between the AI-created work and other artworks it had sold. For example, it said some parts of the face were not drawn as clearly as those painted by artists. Also, some parts of the print were left empty. However, the sales organizer of Christie’s, Richard Lloyd, said the piece was very similar to many others sold over many years.

Three creators from the art group Obvious cooperated in the process of making the print. First, they put a collection of 15,000 portraits into a machine learning system. The portraits were painted by artists from the time period between the 14th and 20th centuries. Then a tool called the “Generator” made a new image based on the information entered into the system. After that, another tool, called the “Discriminator”, attempted to find differences between the human-made image and the one created by the Generator. Then the image was improved. “The aim is to fool the Discriminator into thinking that the new images are real-life portraits. Then we have a result,” Hugo Caselles-Dupré, a member of the Obvious group, said in a statement.

1. What can be inferred from the text?

A．The AI portrait received much recognition.

B．There is little true artistic value in the AI artwork.

C．Technology will one day replace human artists.

D．There is no similar AI system for art nowadays.

2. What does the underlined word “subjects” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Artists.

B．Machines.

C．Figures.

D．Techniques.

3. What is the final purpose of the “Discriminator”?

A．To select useful information from real-life portraits.

B．To help the portrait look more like a human-made one.

C．To put human portraits into the machine learning system.

D．To create a portrait based on paintings by artists.

4. What can be the suitable title for the text?

A．The Secrets of AI

B．An AI Portrait

C．Artworks and AI

D．AI Art at Christie's

5 . I’d never been to the Day of the Dead before. As my dad and I looked around for seats, I _______ Marco, my best friend, hurrying toward us. “Hi, Mr. O’kane,” he _______ my dad. Then he turned to me and said, “Nate! Will you help me?” 

“Whatever you need,” I said.

Marco threw me parts of a _______: Mexican sandals (凉鞋), a straw hat, a cane (手杖), a gray wig, and an “old man” mask (面具). “My cousin couldn’t _______!” Marco’s voice rang with worry. 

“It’s part of a traditional dance,” he said,“and we should wear the costume.”

“You expect me to dance? ” I _______. “I don’t want to dance!” 

Marco smiled. “It’ll be fun. And hurry! We’re going to be _______.”  

“We’re going to do a lot of stomping (跺脚). Slow at first. Keep one hand _______ on your back, like an old man with an ache,” added Marco. 

The speakers _______: “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for TheDanceoftheLittleOldMen!” 

“Be quick,” Marco _______ to me to follow his lead. 

We all began stomping slowly to music. I could only see ________ the small holes of the mask. I continued to stomp, trying to ________ what to do. I leaned on my cane and kept a hand low on my back. After a few minutes of dancing like that, my back ________ started to ache. 

The music ________. And we stomped quickly. Performing with Mexican sandals was ________ and inconvenient. People laughed as we hopped and kicked, but after a moment the laughter turned into cheers. 

Marco gave me a thumbs⁃up. As the audience clapped for our group, I said to him happily, “You were right. That was ________.”

1.

A．watched

B．noticed

C．monitored

D．surveyed

2.

A．satisfied

B．ignored

C．contacted

D．greeted

3.

A．suit

B．chain

C．decoration

D．costume

4.

A．make it

B．get it

C．focus on

D．go through

5.

A．chatted

B．despaired

C．hesitated

D．replied

6.

A．nervous

B．late

C．happy

D．nice

7.

A．up

B．high

C．low

D．down

8.

A．shouted

B．announced

C．defined

D．issued

9.

A．signaled

B．pointed

C．moved

D．complained

10.

A．through

B．in

C．over

D．under

11.

A．bring about

B．carry on

C．figure out

D．put out

12.

A．extremely

B．possibly

C．truly

D．finally

13.

A．disappeared

B．sped up

C．started

D．faded away

14.

A．typical

B．fascinating

C．tough

D．flexible

15.

A．important

B．creative

C．beneficial

D．fun

6 . On the first day of my new high school, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Everything about the school seemed so difficult. When I got home, my parents said, “You’re nervous and that’s okay. Everyone is afraid of high school.” I denied it. I wanted to be strong, so I refused to let anyone know about my fear, even my closest friends.

On the first day I was late for every class and was constantly lost. The school seemed like a puzzle that I couldn’t figure out. Was this how the whole year was going to be? I didn’t think I could rise to this challenge, especially carrying a huge backpack that I could hardly lift. It was so big that I could knock someone out with it!

Despite my fears, after the first week I finally had my schedule figured out. With the exception of falling up and down the stairs a couple of times and getting laughed at, high school was turning out to be not so bad. It was actually much better than middle school and much more challenging. Since then, I’ve been elected (选举) the vice monitor of my class, which wasn’t much of a victory since only three people ran for the four positions.

It is normal to be scared of a new school. Take a deep breath and relax. High school is not so frightening. Make sure you participate in some out­of­class activities because you’ll find it easier to make friends. Try to do your best, even if it isn’t straight A’s.

Most important of all, be who you are, whether you’re a“fool”， an athlete, or a lower grader. Don’t try to pretend to be someone you’re not. Now you know the secret of my success.

1. What is the main reason for the author’s fear on his first day in high school ?

A．He was unable to work out the puzzle.

B．His schoolmates were unfriendly to him.

C．He was not familiar with the new surroundings.

D．His schoolbag was too heavy for him to carry.

2. What can we infer from the author’s first day’s experience?

A．He didn’t know the right way to class.

B．He got to school before classes began.

C．He was fond of the school immediately.

D．His home was very far from the school.

3. What can be learnt about the author after his first week at school?

A．He was still not accustomed to the schedule.

B．He was gradually used to the new school.

C．He found high school not so challenging as he had imagined.

D．He ran for monitor of his class against three other students.

4. What is the secret of the author’s success according to the passage?

A．Making more friends.

B．Being who he really is.

C．Getting straight A’s at school.

D．Joining in out­of­class activities.

7 . Gitanjali Rao, Colorado teenager who invented mobile device to test for lead (铅) in drinking water, was Time’s Kid of the Year for 2020. The magazine announced the award on Thursday, citing Rao’s ability to apply scientific ideas to real-world problems and her desire to motivate other kids to take up their own causes.

It was just the latest recognition for Rao, 15, who was named last year to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She won praise in 2017 after she responded to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, by creating a device named Tehys, using carbon nanotube sensors to detect (探测) lead in water. The Lone Tree, Colo., native was named America’s Top Young Scientist when she was in the seventh grade. She went on to cooperate with scientists in the water industry to try to get the device on the market.

More recently, Rao has developed a phone and Web tool named Kindly, which uses artificial intelligence technology to detect possible early signs of cyberbullying (网络欺凌).

“You type in a word or phrase, and it’s able to pick it up if it’s bullying, and it gives you the choice to edit it or send it the way it is,” Rao told Time. “The goal is not to punish people. As a teenager I know teenagers tend to become very angry sometimes. Instead, it gives you the chance to rethink what you’re saying so that you know what to do next time around.”

Rao was chosen in part because of the way she has followed up her technical work with efforts to get other young people to work on solving the problems they see.

“I don’t look like your typical scientist. Everything I see on TV is that it’s an older, usually white man as a scientist,” she told Time. “My goal has really shifted, not only from creating my own devices to solve the world’s problems, but inspiring others to do the same as well. So I really want to put out that message: If I can do it, you can do it, and anyone can do it.”

1. What made Gitaniali Rao Time’s Kid of the Year for 2020?

A．Her desire to guide other kids.

B．Her invention of testing lead in water.

C．Her idea of making devices commercial.

D．Her excellent personal ability and desire to encourage other children.

2. What is the function of Rao’s Web tool “Kindly”?

A．To make sure the security of the network.

B．To punish teenagers’ wrong thoughts.

C．To use artificial intelligence technology.

D．To type a word or phrase on the Internet.

3. Why did Rao say “anyone can do it” in the last paragraph?

A．A white man can work as a scientist.

B．We ought to set a goal at an early age.

C．We are supposed to inspire others to do the same.

D．Everybody may succeed in solving world’s problems.

4. In which section of newspaper may this text appear？

A．Health.

B．Science.

C．People

D．Entertainment.

8 . Volunteers in New York call on people to donate their used iPads to help poor patients keep in touch with their families online.

Some people with COVID-19 died alone in hospital physically _________ from their friends and family, which is a heartbreaking situation. This terrible reality _________ on a group of volunteers. Their goal is to connect patients with family members who are unable to be present ___________ hospital restrictions (限制) on visitors. They plan to collect used iPads from across the country and donate them to _________ in communities where the need is extremely _________. Nicolas Heller, a 31-year-old volunteer, said thousands of people had_________ from the disease in isolation (隔离) without the comforting words or _________ from a loved one. Heller is collecting used iPads for patients who do not _________ smart phones capable of video chatting.

By Friday morning, the volunteer group had _________ 375 used iPads from donors (捐赠者) nationwide. So far, 300 of the iPads have been __________ donated to Brooklyn’s University Hospital of Brooklyn. The volunteers were amazed by the donors’ __________. What the volunteers are doing is __________ people’s iPads that are not used anymore to help those patients in hospitals. These iPads can __________ medical staff to communicate with patients from outside of the room, decreasing their __________ of being exposed to the virus.

No one is an island. __________, we can make the world warmer.

1.

A．separated

B．prevented

C．protected

D．suffered

2.

A．depends

B．insists

C．looked

D．weighs

3.

A．because of

B．instead of

C．regardless of

D．apart from

4.

A．universities

B．clubs

C．hospitals

D．companies

5.

A．unbelievable

B．pleasant

C．strange

D．urgent

6.

A．recovered

B．died

C．escaped

D．learned

7.

A．hope

B．touch

C．worry

D．advice

8.

A．hire

B．provide

C．own

D．share

9.

A．received

B．bought

C．sent

D．gave

10.

A．frequently

B．nicely

C．correctly

D．smoothly

11.

A．generosity

B．friendship

C．duty

D．knowledge

12.

A．get hold of

B．take charge of

C．make use of

D．take notes of

13.

A．force

B．allow

C．advise

D．encourage

14.

A．cost

B．moment

C．risk

D．right

15.

A．Treated

B．United

C．Greeted

D．Taught

9 . Several years ago I went on a trip alone to Mozambique. Our bus broke down by the side of the road. There was certainly nothing in the way of _________ or campsites or any kind of place to sleep. I _________ I’d just have to bed down on the roadside like others. But I was pretty _________ at the idea. Most everyone else was traveling with their families or other _________, and here I was, a very young woman, alone, with pale white skin that just screamed out “I’m a foreigner and do not _________ here.” Besides I spoke Portuguese reasonably _________ but not any of the local dialects, which _________ my difficulty.

I was trying to work out what to do when I _________ one of the women passengers I’d been chatting with _________ to me. “Come with me,” she said. I was then taken to the nearby village, where she lived. She and her large family __________ me that night. We had chips and matapa, a delicious Mozambican dish. Her kids laughed and circled around and were __________ to have a visit from a real white person. I couldn’t __________ a lot of the conversation, because only the woman spoke Portuguese, but I felt so __________ despite my foreignness.

This kind-hearted woman accommodated (提供住宿) a __________ a night spent shaking in __________ and hunger by the side of the road.

1.

A．hospitals

B．stores

C．hotels

D．colleges

2.

A．wished

B．concluded

C．insisted

D．argued

3.

A．frightened

B．surprised

C．excited

D．annoyed

4.

A．guides

B．villagers

C．volunteers

D．friends

5.

A．wait

B．tour

C．belong

D．explore

6.

A．frequently

B．poorly

C．fluently

D．eagerly

7.

A．added to

B．got over

C．discussed

D．expected

8.

A．felt

B．found

C．kept

D．stopped

9.

A．explaining

B．whispering

C．complaining

D．gesturing

10.

A．hosted

B．interviewed

C．charged

D．comforted

11.

A．scared

B．attracted

C．satisfied

D．embarrassed

12.

A．hear

B．remember

C．follow

D．affect

13.

A．worried

B．confused

C．uncertain

D．welcomed

14.

A．local

B．family

C．customer

D．stranger

15.

A．relief

B．regret

C．doubt

D．fear

10 . My grandfather died in 1970, leaving my grandmother living in their old house alone. Shortly after that, we went to the animal shelter and picked out a little dog to accompany Grandma. The dog was named Penny.

Grandma and Penny quickly became very attached (喜爱的) to each other, and that attachment grew much _________as the years passed—they became very _________. When Grandma went to _________, Penny walked along and lay _________ her until she woke up. As Penny aged, she could no longer jump up on the _________ to lie next to Grandma, so she lay on the blanket beside the bed. Grandma never went anywhere without her partner by her side.

The time came when both my grandmother and Penny were becoming _________.Grandma had been sent to hospital several times, and Penny couldn’t _________ around very well. When Grandma was in hospital, Penny would sit at the window _________ out for the car bringing Grandma home and would _________ wait at the door when Grandma came through. Each homecoming was a great meeting again between the two.

On Christmas Day in 1985, Grandma was again taken to the hospital. Penny, __________, sat at the window watching out for the car bringing Grandma home. Two mornings later, I __________ she couldn’t stand and wouldn’t eat. Later, she had difficulty in breathing. I quickly __________ her to the hospital where Grandma stayed to let her see her __________ for the last time. There, as soon as Penny saw Grandma, Penny’s eyes brightened suddenly and then slowly __________. Grandma left this world several hours later.

After fifteen years of loving friendship, Grandma and Penny passed away on the same day. God had it all worked out — Penny was waiting at the door to __________ her when Grandma came home.

1.

A．stronger

B．higher

C．farther

D．longer

2.

A．similar

B．gentle

C．friendly

D．close

3.

A．work

B．hospital

C．sleep

D．church

4.

A．on

B．beside

C．under

D．below

5.

A．table

B．bed

C．chair

D．blanket

6.

A．lost

B．active

C．weak

D．tired

7.

A．lie

B．walk

C．play

D．jump

8.

A．looking

B．crying

C．climbing

D．getting

9.

A．worriedly

B．hurriedly

C．excitedly

D．disappointedly

10.

A．as usual

B．in time

C．by accident

D．at once

11.

A．believed

B．guessed

C．heard

D．found

12.

A．guided

B．posted

C．sent

D．followed

13.

A．owner

B．mother

C．doctor

D．saver

14.

A．opened

B．brightened

C．closed

D．wetted

15.

A．call

B．help

C．miss

D．greet