1 . Kristin went to a dance party on Saturday in her sleepwear. The clothes didn't matter, because she never left her living room. The party took place entirely on a social app—Instagram.

A few minutes before, she'd been sitting on her couch reading the news, feeling like she was about to cry. Then she got a message pushed to her phone: Ryan Heffington, the two-time Grammy proposed choreographer（编舞者）, was streaming a dance class on Instagram Live. “The numbness I was feeling just went away,” she says. “I'm just gonna do it.” As Kristin danced, she saw comments and hearts pop up on the live stream. Almost 2,700 people were dancing virtually alongside her. “Wow, people are really connecting,” she says. Now, moving alone in her apartment with only her phone to keep her company, she felt almost optimistic.

Heffington is part of a wave of dance teachers moving their classes online as the COVID-19 continues to spread. There is a rise in social media offerings as people look to their phones to give them a sense of community and help them stay active during the crisis. Heffingon, however, is well suited to lead the digital dance era. His philosophy is that anyone can dance- and anywhere, apparently. To Heffington, this s is proof that the crisis is an opportunity for people to come together. “This is what social media was designed for.” he says, “It's separated us in some aspects, but at this point in time, it's kind of all we have, and it's so beautiful.”

From her living room, Kristin agrees. She's figured out how to project her phone onto her TV, and pushed back her couch to have more space to dance. “Ryan's next classes are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week, and I'm going to all of them,” she says. “Why not? I'm going to dance my way through this crisis.”

1. Why did Kristin go to a dance party in her sleepwear?

A．She was invited to a fancy dress party.

B．She was not particular about her dressing.

C．She was going to a virtual dance party online.

D．She was numb with grief at the news of COVID-19.

2. To Heffington, what's the benefit of social media during the crisis?

A．Gaining possibilities to keep social distance.

B．Helping people feel connected and stay active.

C．Winning instant fame in the field of digital dance.

D．Spreading the knowledge of COVID-19 to more dancers.

3. Which word best describes Kristin's attitude towards online dance classes?

A．Skeptical.

B．Active.

C．Reserved.

D．Tolerant.

2 . Where am I? What am I doing? If you're one of my 500 friends online, you'll always be the first to know. My phone and laptop are never out of touching distance, so I'm endlessly checking through all my social networking apps - whether I'm having a coffee, on my way to school, watching TV. . . even when I'm in the shower. I have a never - ending flow of messages and updates from all the people I associate with online. Yet the truth of the matter is: I feel lonely

I'm not the only person who feels this way. According to research, over two-thirds of young people find it easier to make friends online than it is “in real life”. I'm a shy person, but I'm wired up (上线) every day, like most of my friends. On the surface, phones bring us closer together. But in reality, my mind is always a million miles away.

I often feel depressed, dissatisfied and alone. Since I spend so much time socializing online, I even become a procrastinator (拖延者) . I keep postponing things that are important in my real life: homework, tasks, connecting with my friends and family members in a meaningful way. It's funny that my friends and I chatter away online so much, but we end up having nothing to say when we meet.

What is rally worrying is that no one I know, including myself could go cold turkey. I can't even imagine going without social networking for a week - think of all the important appointments, invitations and news updates you would miss! Alcoholics (酗酒者) who want to quit drinking can avoid drinks, but how do we give up our phones? After all, I need it for my studies because my teachers and classmates need to contact me at any time. So, that's the problem with social networking. We're hard-wired in, but we're more disconnected than ever.

1. The author always uses his phone and laptop to __________ .

A．avoid feeling a sense of loneliness

B．explore ways of enriching his social life

C．follow the updates on his online social network

D．receive help with his addiction to online socializing

2. What is the main problem the author is facing now?

A．He is an alcohol addict	B．He is a poor web chatter
C．He is a mild procrastinator	D．He is a heavy social media user

3. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 suggests that ________.

A．social media have created many offline problems

B．it's difficult to break away from online socializing

C．people are unwilling to interact face to face anymore

D．the benefits of social networking are too good to miss

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．So Close, Yet So Far

B．The Young Never Felt More Alone

C．Social Networking Worsens Relationships

D．More Social Media, Better Online Socializing

3 . Anxiety sweat. Horsehair Wet grass and soil after a rain. Gunpowder. Perfume （香水） containing rosemary and bitter orange. A touch of leather.

This might have been what Napoleon's withdrawal from the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 smelled like. At least, these are some of the elements that Caro Verbeek, an art historian and olfactory（嗅觉的）researcher, tried to combine when she was reconstructing the smell. “Wars are extremely smelly,” Dr. Verbeek said. “Soldiers don't write about their injuries as much as they write about the terrible sounds and smells. So we know more about them. We also know that it had rained the night before the battle, that anxiety sweat smells different from normal sweat, and that there were thousands of horses on the field.” These were some details Dr. Verbeek relied on during the reconstruction, which is part of a project called “In Search of Lost Scents（气味）.” The scent is offered in the Rijks museum as part of tours- -on pieces of paper or in a necklace with tiny pumps- alongside Jan Willem Pieneman's 1824 painting of the scene.

Dr. Verbeek approaches past smells by attempting to recreate versions of them, as she did with the Battle of Waterloo, making a perfume of sorts that might be associated with historical events, people and works of art. Bringing smell into a museum context can be one way to make art more accessible. Marie Clapot, associate museum educator, has worked over the last few years to bring smell into the museum “It's not just about ‘Oh, it's nice to smell something.’ It's one way you can make an art objet accessible” It is also a way, she said, to bring a number of people into the conversation about art who might not be moved by traditional art history.

1. What did Dr. Verbeek's reconstruction depend on?

A．Personal experience in the war.	B．Pure imagination for the past.
C．Great talent in descriptive writing.	D．Detailed facts about the history.

2. What's the purpose of bringing smell into the museum?

A．To inform visitors of the project of nice smells.

B．To promote the popularity of traditional art history.

C．To get visitors to know wars and battles in history.

D．To combine various elements from different fields.

3. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．What does history smell like?

B．How was a project carried out?

C．The Battle of Waterloo: a smelly war

D．The Rijks museum: a creative museum

4 . The Uncommon Professional

Another long and tiring day! I went to the dark end of the shelves, pressed my forehead against the wall and buried myself in a few moments of quiet _________. Was this the way it would be for the rest of my life? Here I was, two years out of school, working at yet another _________, low-pay, dead-end job.

There were several new guys on the job the next morning — temporary _________. One of them, wearing a _________ with his name “Jim” sewn on the pocket, caught my eye. The company didn't issue uniforms — in fact, the company didn't care what you wore _________ you showed up.

I _________ him all that day and the rest of the days he worked with us. Jim was _________ late or early. He worked at a steady, _________ pace. He was friendly to everyone he worked with, but _________ talked while he was working.

He was the kind of worker managers ____________. And the other workers liked him too. He didn't gossips or ____________ or argue. He just did the job with more personal dignity than I had believed, ____________ the work was low-level and dull.

He was a professional. Labour might be ____________; he wasn't. He was just admirable!

Months later, Jim left, but the ____________ he made on me didn't. I worked just the way Jim had done. To my great surprise, the managers noticed my new devotion and ____________ me. A few years later, I promoted myself to a ____________ job in a different company. And so it we went. ____________, many companies and many years later, I started a ____________ of my own.

Whatever success I've had has been the result of hard work and good luck, but I think the biggest part of my ____________ was the lesson I learned from Jim so long ago. ____________ does not come from the kind of work you do; it comes from the way you do the work.

1.

A．excitement

B．embarrassment

C．disappointment

D．astonishment

2.

A．mindless

B．challenging

C．rewarding

D．meaningful

3.

A．students

B．workers

C．visitors

D．managers

4.

A．hat

B．uniform

C．smile

D．moustache

5.

A．as long as

B．in case

C．even though

D．as soon as

6.

A．chatted with

B．stared at

C．teased

D．watched

7.

A．never

B．always

C．either

D．still

8.

A．fast

B．unhurried

C．anxious

D．casual

9.

A．frequently

B．cheerfully

C．rarely

D．sincerely

10.

A．accused of

B．took care of

C．dreamed of

D．felt sick of

11.

A．speak

B．laugh

C．smoke

D．complain

12.

A．though

B．if

C．unless

D．so

13.

A．typical

B．specific

C．great

D．common

14.

A．comment

B．impression

C．demand

D．joke

15.

A．promoted

B．assessed

C．fired

D．denied

16.

A．temporary

B．better-paying

C．permanent

D．low-level

17.

A．Similarly

B．Instantly

C．Eventually

D．Currently

18.

A．fund

B．school

C．journey

D．business

19.

A．failure

B．luck

C．work

D．trip

20.

A．Friendship

B．Money

C．Respect

D．Love

5 . It's all about ME!

“Me”. It's a small word with big meaning.     1     Through interviews, I was able to discover what “me” means to other people, and how they have learnt to appreciate the beauty in themselves. . .

一 Psychologist, Dr Hart

Jade, 24, accounting manager As a song in Ugly Betty puts it, “It's a pretty person's world”. I understand this more than most, as I'm a plain - looking girl who'd love to look good. So, ever since I discovered selfie (自拍) apps that could remove my freckles, enlarge my eyes and even slim my jawline, I've become addicted. I spend hours every day editing my selfies, posting them and eagerly checking my phone a hundred times for comments.     2     Dad thinks I am a narcissist (自恋狂), but what I say is that my pictures aren't hurting anyone, so who cares? Dr Hart says: The image Jade presents to obtain the praise of others is false.     3

Anthony, 21, college student I never really cared about my appearance. When I first moved into my dormitory at college, this made my roommates quite confused as they saw me in the same clothes day after day. Last month they registered me for a TV programme, A New You.     4     But I was surprised at how good I looked after the makeover! For the first time in my life I saw myself as a handsome young man. At that moment, I realized that external beauty isn't totally worthless. It can be an expression of our personalities. Dr Hart says: It's true that inner beauty is very important, but external beauty shouldn't be completely ignored     5

A．Each “like” builds up my confidence.

B．I didn't like being reviewed from head to toe at first.

C．It plays a part in the image we present to the whole world.

D．My anxiety drove me to try every means possible to lose weight.

E．And that meaning is as individual to each of us as the way we look.

F．People who pretend to be someone else tend to misjudge themselves.

G．Being healthy is beautiful and we should wear that beauty with confidence.

6 . This heartwarming story began unfolding on Father's Day. It might have been a(n) _______ for dads across the U.S., _______ for Don Rosario, it was “another day at the office.” The 70-year-old, _______ his traditional suit, cowboy hat and leather belt, was _______ a cart around a Chicago neighborhood- hard work for anyone on a hot summer day. However, thanks to some _______ customers and the kindness that spread widely, he _______ had the opportunity to enjoy _______.

Rosario Del Real had been working as a carpenter (木匠) from home. But an injury _______ him to take a break from his profession. He started to sell paletas (棒冰) to the _______.

Since Oscar Gonzalez and his friend Victor Dominguez were ________ a Father's Day barbecue for their families, they invited the paleta salesman to ________ them. Everyone bonded quickly, and before long, they decided to buy all of the paletas in Rosario's ________ so that he could go home and rest.

One of their friends ________ a video of the heartwarming sale and ________ it on the social sharing app TikTok. The video drew attention from the public, and then the family set up a fundraiser to ________ Rosario retire. The first ________ was to raise $10,000 for their new friend, but ________ strangers from all over the world ended up ________ more than $62,000.

Even before learning that his new friends had ________ a huge amount for his retirement, Rosario was moved to tears by their generosity that day - although he was ________ to have the opportunity to work. “I don't like to sit at home doing nothing and without a purpose.” he said.

1.

A．stage

B．holiday

C．accident

D．challenge

2.

A．or

B．so

C．but

D．and

3.

A．packing

B．cleaning

C．wearing

D．trying

4.

A．pushing

B．selling

C．repairing

D．observing

5.

A．calm

B．sweet

C．energetic

D．graceful

6.

A．finally

B．actually

C．extremely

D．usually

7.

A．shelter

B．success

C．company

D．retirement

8.

A．forced

B．requested

C．enabled

D．permitted

9.

A．partners

B．carpenters

C．neighbors

D．colleagues

10.

A．hosting

B．donating

C．visiting

D．filming

11.

A．hire

B．join

C．support

D．represent

12.

A．cart

B．office

C．apartment

D．neighborhood

13.

A．found

B．explored

C．attracted

D．recorded

14.

A．sent

B．tapped

C．posted

D．updated

15.

A．see

B．help

C．hear

D．make

16.

A．goal

B．reaction

C．process

D．impact

17.

A．honest

B．confident

C．generous

D．humorous

18.

A．owning

B．saving

C．borrowing

D．contributing

19.

A．selected

B．collected

C．rejected

D．expected

20.

A．capable

B．powerful

C．suitable

D．grateful

7 . On Friday morning when 53-year-old Thong Pham broke into the house through the unlocked back door, he took a steak knife from the kitchen.

It was dark, and the family didn't know what Marley was barking (吠) at. Taylor, Amber and their girls Finley, 6, and Sadie, 4, soon woke up and came downstairs, too. “Well, it was dark so we couldn't see anything, only could hear Marley,” Amber recalled, saying her husband then went for the lights. “And once he turned the hall light on, we realized that the guy was holed up in the corner trying to hide.”

“So I think he got to the front door and realized he couldn't get out, and by that point in time, Marley's got him cornered,” Taylor said. Pham slashed (砍) both Marley and Taylor, and blood went everywhere. Taylor shared a video summary to his Facebook page, where he said Marley was stabbed (刺) up to six times, mostly around the head and neck area. “And as I pulled back, blood shot out of my arm,” Taylor continued. “She got him pretty good and I got him pretty good in the face.”

“But it was really hard because I was trying to make sure that my husband wasn't going to die,” Amber explained, adding that she was trying to protect their two girls. “When he realized that the two girls were in the house, that's when he kind of backed up and started running. "

Taylor expressed gratitude to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. And the family is thankful for their dog Marley.

“She's our hero,” Amber said. “If it hadn't been for her, that guy could have gone in the...he could have gone to their rooms or something.” Taylor added, “Yeah, I mean, the story plays out very differently if Marley's not there.”

1. Why did the family come downstairs before daybreak?

A．To stop a break-in.	B．To lock the back door.
C．To check on Marley.	D．To turn the hall light on.

2. What happened during the fight?

A．Pham dug a hole in the corner.

B．Marley was injured but bit back.

C．Taylor had a backup from neighbors.

D．Amber fought back to protect her girls.

3. What does Taylor mainly express on his Facebook?

A．Forgiveness.

B．Concern.

C．Anger.

D．Appreciation.

8 . “Your mind is a garden; your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest can either be flowers or weeds,” William Wordsworth wrote. In the above quote, William suggests that the process of gardening mirrors human life. Depending on what we “plant” in our lives, we bloom (生长茂盛) or don’t. Before you start to work in your garden, it’s necessary to have a vision for it. Thinking of what you want to grow in your garden and how to lay it out is a good first step in making your vision a fruitful reality. In life, you should consider what you want to create and what you want to achieve, because your mind-garden is like the white paper and the possibilities are endless.

Regardless of what you choose to plant, poor soil isn’t suitable for growth. This is why gardeners take the time and energy to upgrade the soil before planting. So, creating the right soil is important to the realization of your goals and dreams. Fortunately, there are countless ways to make your personal bedrock better. Getting an education is one of the most effective ways, which can help you enrich your life’s soil.

You don’t have to be an enthusiastic gardener to understand the meaning of “You reap(收获) what you sow.” When a gardener wants tomatoes, they just need to plant tomato seeds. It’s a very clear act that produces an expected result. Each of us has the power to decide which “life seeds” to plant. For example, if you plant ill seeds, it's likely that you’ll experience pain in return. Contrarily, if you plant seeds of kindness and understanding, your life will bloom with happiness and love.

A gardener’s truly arduous work begins after the seeds are in the ground because a garden requires a lot of care and attention. Regular watering and weeding are required for a healthy garden. So, to ensure your dreams take root, you should be devoted, aware, and present. After countless hours and energy spent, the crops have grown well and are finally ready to be harvested.

1. What is important before gardeners break ground in their gardens?

A．Receiving some training in planting.

B．Drawing up a good plan for their gardens.

C．Having the courage to accept the worst outcome.

D．Doing research on the common local garden plants.

2. What is compared to getting education by the author?

A．Improving the condition of the soil.	B．Growing your most favorable plants.
C．Taking care of the plants in your garden.	D．Selecting proper goals in gardening work.

3. What does the author want to express in Paragraph 3?

A．Your quality of life depends on your positive action.

B．Your experience can help you understand plants better.

C．Your choice of soil is an important part in your gardening.

D．Your knowledge of planting will make you a successful gardener.

4. What does the underlined word “arduous” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Beneficial

B．Creative

C．Boring.

D．Tough

9 . Loneliness is a widespread problem with complex roots.

There has been a quiet pandemic developing while most people's attention has been on covid-19. The lockdown has worsened a problem that has been spreading in many developed nations for decades: loneliness.

It is a complex issue which covers not only social lives, but the way you work and the way you vote. Noreena Hertz, an academic, deals with the subject in an important new book, "The Lonely Century". Loneliness increases the risk of heart disease, strokes and dementia(痴呆症). Those who say they are lonely are likelier to be depressed five years later. In addition, lonely people can become more hostile towards others and more attracted to extremist politics.

Part of the problem stems from contemporary employment. Globally, two in five office workers feel lonely at work. This rises to three in five in Britain. Gig-economy(零工经济)jobs can leave people with insecure incomes and without the companionship of colleagues. The pandemic has made it more difficult to make, and maintain friendships, particularly for new employees.

Ms.Hertz points her finger at other recent developments. One of them is social media. The internet has led to much cyber-bullying (although it has also been a source of companionship during the lockdown). And people glued to their smartphones spend less time interacting socially.

Some changes in behavior are caused by individual choice. Before the pandemic no one was stopping people going to church or taking part in sports. They simply preferred to do other things. American fathers spend three times as much time with their children as they did in the 1960s. That is surely a welcome development.

So recreating a communal society may be difficult. When the pandemic ends, people may enjoy the chance to be with their neighbors and colleagues for a while. But the trend is clear. Technology means that people can get their entertainment at home, and work there, too. It is convenient but it also leads to loneliness.

1. What does the underlined phrase "a quiet pandemic" refer to in the second paragraph？

A．Covid-19.

B．Loneliness.

C．The lockdown.

D．A complex issue.

2. Why is the new book mentioned in Paragraph 3？

A．To show the seriousness of loneliness.

B．To advertise a new book.

C．To give an example of loneliness.

D．To introduce what to be discussed.

3. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons for the trend of loneliness？

A．Contemporary employment.

B．Social media.

C．Individual choice.

D．Extremist politics.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text？

A．Loneliness: Good or Not？

B．A Common Disease.

C．Loneliness: A Clear Trend.

D．Pandemic and Loneliness.

10 . If you’re not ready to keep a dog or a cat, Panasonic has introduced yet another companion robot that dutifully pays attention to you just like a real pet.

Nicobo isn’t easy to describe; it’s as if someone flipped a bowl over, gave it some lively eyes, a wagging tail, and then wrapped in an old sock. It has no ability to locomote—it won’t come when you call it-but it’s attached to a moving base so that it can turn from side to side and look up and down. Co-developed by robotics researchers from the Toyohashi University of Technology, Nicobo also includes a camera for recognizing faces, multiple directional microphones for recognizing voices and turning to pay attention, touch sensors (传感器)so it knows when it’s being touched or hugged, and a light sensor so that like a cat, it can enjoy a nap in bright sunlight.

Instead of picking up laundry or cleaning your floors, Nicobo is all about providing simple companionship. So when someone pets it, the robot’s tail starts wagging in appreciation. But it can also have days when its mood isn’t so cheerful and that’s probably when it won’t think twice about farting (放屁)around you.

Nicobo can also talk, but in the beginning, it only speaks a single word. But eventually, it can speak full sentences in katakoto-the Japanese word for broken language, or baby talk. You’re never going to have a long conversation with Nicobo, but is simple sentences will help reinforce (加强) the feeling that it’s truly attentive and listening to your feelings, even if it can’t do anything about them. Sometimes that’s all a human needs.

Getting your hands on Nicobo is a little complicated. For starters, Panasonic is only planning to initially(起初) make 320 units of the little robot, with a price tag of around $ 360. But it’s handing preorders through its own crowdfunding(众筹)platform with the goal of raising 10,000,000 YEN(about $ 95,000)before production actually happens. And it looks like all the preorders for Nicobo are already claimed.

1. What does the underlined word “locomote” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Stop

B．Spin

C．Move

D．Jump

2. As a pet, Nicobo can ________.

A．recognize its owner	B．touch people like a cat
C．help do some housework	D．communicate with people fora long time

3. What will probably happen if Nicobo has a bad mood?

A．It will stay still.	B．It will have a nap.
C．It will stop talking.	D．It will fart around you.

4. What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．It is not easy to get Nicobo.

B．Many people have booked Nicobo online.

C．The future of Nicobo is bright.

D．The company needs more money to produce Nicobo.