1 . When I talk to kids about writing, I often compare it to the roller coaster (过山车) to remind them to mix laughs with tears in writing, because nobody wants to ride a roller coaster that’s a long, never-ending and terrifying one. Even Shakespeare, in his darkest tragedies, opens each act with a funny scene before the bad things come out. We need amusing relief in literature, a break in the tension (紧张).

I have always tried to write stories for kids that mix the heart-racing thrill of a mystery with a few jokes. Maybe this is because, when I was in the fifth and sixth grades, the fun magazine was my favorite reading material. When I first moved to New York City, I performed with one of the city’s top comedy (喜剧) groups. Comedy, I have discovered, is a great teaching tool. It is also a wonderful defense against fear.

One of my favorite e-mails I’ve ever received was sent to me in 2009 by a young reader who loved my stories. Here’s what he wrote:

Dear Mr. Grabenstein,

I just wanted to let you know that I really, absolutely love your books. I’m in 6th grade and recently finished The Hanging Hill after reading The Crossroads. Your stories mix action, humor and horror together in a perfect combination.

Thanks so much!

Will R

Comedy is a writer’s tool for releasing tension and it also simply makes books more fun to read. I used humor in my middle grade novel The Island of Dr. Libris to make classic literature feel more accessible to young readers. I also think it’s why so many reluctant readers — including kids who haven’t read a book in years — have been crazy about Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics. Learning the Dewey DecimaI System in maths class can be fun if it is presented in a funny way because when we’re laughing, we never think we’re working too hard.

1. Where is the text probably from?

A．A literature textbook.	B．An autobiography.
C．A writing guideline.	D．A writing outline

2. Why does the author mention the e-mail from a student in paragraph 3?

A．To prove a theory.	B．To explain a concept.
C．To support his opinion.	D．To introduce the topic.

3. Which of the following best describes Dewey Decimal System in the last paragraph?

A．Boring.

B．Effective.

C．Useful.

D．Simple.

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

A．Drama suit, a decoration for writing	B．Imagination, the soul of writing
C．Magazine, a guide for writing	D．Fun, the basis in writing

3 . Liu Jichen, 23, a student from Tsinghua University, has developed a WeChat mini-program called “Clear Your Plate”. After a meal, users can open the mini-program and take a picture of their empty plates. Once the image is recognized by the AI(Artificial Intelligence), students can collect points and use them to buy gifts or purchase charity meals to children in impoverished(贫困的) rural areas.

Liu and his team, together with other organizations, launched the “Clear Your Plate” campaign in November for the third year. It has swept over 1,017 universities across the country. The one-month campaign attracted almost 1.6 million participants and collectively reduced food waste by 862 tons and carbon emissions(碳排放) by 3,337 tons.

“Technological innovation is a good way to reduce food waste,” Liu thought. He organized a team of 20 members to work on the project at the end of 2017. To solve the AI’s problem of identifying photos of empty plates, the team spent half a year collecting over 100,000 samples in canteens and restaurants. In 2018, the mini-program was officially put into operation on Oct 16, World Food Day. They then launched a campaign later that year.

“There were so many unknowns in research and development. For our team members, the biggest challenge was whether we were confident enough to complete it,” Liu said. They not only achieved their goal, but now, the mini-program has more than 5 million registered users, according to Liu. “We hope our efforts can start a new trend among the younger generation by encouraging them to cherish(珍惜) their food and develop the habit of thrift(节约),” Liu added.

1. What can we know about the “Clear Your Plate” mini-program?

A．It aims to put an end to waste and encourage thrift.

B．Its 6 million users are mostly students.

C．It helped reduce food waste by 3,337 tons.

D．It is an exchange of food for rewards to help poor children.

2. What challenge did Liu and his team face?

A．They found it tough to promote the campaign.

B．They felt uncertain whether they could complete the project.

C．They lacked professional technical support.

D．They had difficulty gathering enough samples.

3. Which of the following best describes Liu Jichen?

A．Optimistic and demanding.	B．Generous and responsible.
C．Talented and humorous.	D．Creative and determined.

4. Where is the text probably from?

A．A guidebook.

B．A news report.

C．A book review.

D．A textbook.

4 . Two weeks ago, a 5-year-old girl named Sunshine Oelfke emptied out her piggy bank (存钱罐) onto the living room floor and immediately started counting. Her grandmother, Jackie Oelfke, thought she was playing as she carefully lined up the coins, but then she saw the girl put the coins into a plastic bag and place it in her backpack.

“What are you doing with that money?” Jackie asked her granddaughter.

“I’m taking it to school,” Sunshine replied. “I’m going to take it for milk money. My friend Layla doesn’t get milk— her mom doesn’t have milk money and I do.”

Jackie’s heart melted at Sunshine’s words. Choked with strong feelings, Jackie held her sweet granddaughter tightly in her arms.

Last week, Jackie and Sunshine met with her teacher, Rita Hausher, and handed her the $30 the kindergartner had saved. There are 20 kids in Sunshine’s class and about half don’t get milk. It costs $ 0.45 a carton (纸盒). The total adds up to about $180 a month for every child in the class to have milk every day.

After dropping Sunshine off at school, Jackie posted a tearful video on Facebook to explain her granddaughter’s plan. To her surprise, many people offered to donate toward the cause. Within a week, Jackie raised more than $1,000. Now every student in Sunshine’s class can get free milk for the rest of the year.

Jackie said Sunshine doesn’t see her kind act as a big deal. She was just trying to look out for her friends. “She doesn’t understand the effect she’s brought about,” Jackie said. “But now she knows she can do whatever she puts her mind to.”

1. Why did Sunshine empty her piggy bank?

A．She hoped to show off her savings in class.	B．She needed to train her counting skills.
C．She wanted to play with the coins.	D．She intended to pay for her friend’s milk.

2. How did Jackie feel upon hearing Sunshine’s words?

A．Relieved.

B．Touched.

C．Curious.

D．Proud.

3. In Jackie’s eyes, what did Sunshine learn from the experience?

A．Two heads are better than one.	B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.	D．There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．Small Coins, Big Changes.	B．Jackie’s Piggy Bank.
C．Piggy Bank and Carton Milk.	D．A Moved Grandmother.

5 . Have you ever received a gift that was so clearly, not your taste that you wondered if perhaps it had been handed to you by mistake? Worse, have you ever given a present and watched your friend look as though she had opened the wrong box? Maybe she responded with a polite “Why, thank you,” but you knew you had missed the mark. Why do presents sometimes go wrong? And what do your choices (good and bad) reflect about your personal qualities?

Choosing the right gift is an art, I believe. It calls for empathy—the ability to put yourself into someone else’s head and heart.We’re all able to do this; in fact, we’re born with a kind of natural empathy.After the earliest period of childhood, however, it needs to be reinforced (加强) —by our parents, teachers, friends. When it isn’t, we’re not able to understand other people’s feelings as sharply.This can show in the gifts we select, and so can many other emotional(情感的) qualities.

Think back to the presents you’ve given over the past year, the time and effort you put into your selection, how much you spent, your thoughts while you were shopping, and your feelings when the receiver opened the package.Keep in mind that what you choose displays your inner world.(Of course, you may express yourself differently with different friends, relatives, and other people you know.)

We live in a society where exchanging presents is an important part of communication.Ignoring the tradition won’t make it go away.If you really dislike such a tradition, tell your friends ahead of time.

1. The underlined expression “you had missed the mark” means you had failed to _______.

A．make her feel better	B．keep your friendship
C．get the expected effect	D．receive a present in return

2. Which of the following is the main idea of the second paragraph?

A．Natural empathy needs to be reinforced.

B．Emotional changes influence one’s choice of gifts.

C．Selecting the right gift is an ability people are born with.

D．Choosing gifts requires one to understand the receivers.

3. In the third paragraph, the author tells us that ________.

A．the choice of gifts reflects one’s emotional qualities

B．one learns from what he did in the past

C．attention should be paid to the receivers’ responses

D．one should spend more time choosing gifts

4. What can be the best title for this passage?

A．Ways of Choosing Gifts	B．An Important Tradition
C．Exchanging Presents	D．Message in a Gift

6 . When you set a foot outside of your door to drop trash, go to a social event or go for a walk, thoughts like “I hope I don’t see anyone I know” or “please don’t talk to me” may run through your mind. I’ve also said such things to myself. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is to talk with someone, especially someone new.

Why do we go out of our ways to avoid people? Do we think meeting new people is a waste of time? Or are we just lazy, thinking that meeting someone new really is a trouble?

Communication is the key to life. We have been told that many times. Take the past generations, like our parents, for example. They seem to take full advantage of that whole “communication” idea because they grew up talking face to face while Generation-Y grew up staring at screens. We spend hours of our days sitting on Facebook. We send messages to our friends and think about all of the things we want to say to certain people that we don’t have the courage to do in reality.

Nowadays, we are so caught up in our little circle of friends—our comfort zone. We love it that they laugh at our jokes, understand our feelings and can read our minds. Most importantly, they know when we want to be alone. They just get us.

Holding a conversation with someone new means agreeing with things that you don’t really believe and being someone you think they want you to be—it is, as I said before, a trouble. It takes up so much energy, and at some point or another, it is too tiring.

But meeting new people is important. Life is too short, so meet all the people you can meet, make the effort to go out and laugh. Remember, every “hello” leads to a smile—and a smile is worth a lot.

1. What do we learn about the author?

A．He likes to meet someone new.	B．He feels stressed out lately.
C．He’s active in attending social events.	D．He used to be afraid of talking to others.

2. What’s the problem of Generation-Y in the author’s eyes?

A．They rely on the Internet to socialize.	B．They are less confident in themselves.
C．They have difficulty in communicating.	D．They are unwilling to make new friends.

3. Why do many young people avoid meeting new people?

A．They think it troublesome.	B．They are busy with their study.
C．They fear to disappoint their friends.	D．They want to do meaningful work.

4. Why does the author write the text?

A．To stress the importance of friends.

B．To give tips on how to meet new people.

C．To encourage people to meet new people.

D．To display the disadvantages of Generation-Y.

8 . Have you ever had problems in your life and don’t know how to be happy? If _______, you will find “Being a Happy Teenager” by Australian writer Andrew Matthews _______. In his book, Matthews _________us how to have a happy life and answers the _______of teenagers. There are many _________such as parents and friends, and the book _______ we should stop being angry and forgive. The book tells us of useful skills _______ how to put what you have learned into pictures of your mind to _______ your memory better.

Many teenagers think _________happiness comes from a good exam result __________praise from other people. But you can ________ be happy when there are no such “good” things. Success comes from a(n) __________ attitude. If you ________ from problems, you will have success in the future.

Some school students have ________such as being too tall or too short. But Matthews tells us that __________comes from thinking about things in a positive ________.If you are __________, people notice you and you can get a __________view at the movie; if you are short, your clothes and shoes __________less room in your bedroom! This is Matthews’ most important __________: you choose to be happy!

1.

A．not

B．so

C．ever

D．any

2.

A．wise

B．smart

C．useful

D．simple

3.

A．orders

B．tells

C．asks

D．argues

4.

A．problems

B．questions

C．ideas

D．comments

5.

A．roles

B．classes

C．courses

D．subjects

6.

A．says

B．writes

C．reads

D．thinks

7.

A．for an example

B．such as

C．so as

D．so that

8.

A．make

B．turn

C．let

D．change

9.

A．what

B．how

C．that

D．whether

10.

A．for

B．but

C．so

D．or

11.

A．yet

B．already

C．still

D．rather

12.

A．bad

B．good

C．independent

D．normal

13.

A．learn

B．rescue

C．struggle

D．separate

14.

A．experiences

B．difficulties

C．fears

D．problems

15.

A．success

B．happiness

C．failure

D．height

16.

A．way

B．means

C．manners

D．spirit

17.

A．short

B．small

C．tall

D．fat

18.

A．lower

B．higher

C．worse

D．better

19.

A．take

B．spend

C．cover

D．cost

20.

A．work

B．lesson

C．teaching

D．study

9 . Our summer school offers you the chance to live and learn on our beautiful and historical campus in the heart of south-west London. You will earn credits by taking classes relating to your major or general education and have the opportunity to visit London's world-class museums, libraries, parks and night life over a three- or six-week period during June and July.

Course Description

Each 3-week session caries 20 UK credits. Students are welcome to attend one or two sessions.Students should choose several courses within the session that they would like to attend, as courses will run according to the needs of students.

Dates and Costs 2020

One session: £2100

Two sessions: £ 3,840

How to Apply:
Apply online at this link
Apply before 1 May

We welcome applicants(申请人) from students who meet the following requirements:Have a minimum 2.8 GPA(grade point average)Have finished high school Be 18 years old or older Along with a completed applicant form, you will be expected to submit(提交)your most recent grades and write a personal statement. You will also be asked to submit three module choices per session.

If you have any questions, please email us at roehamplonabroad@roehampton.ac.uk

1. How many UK credits does a student earn during two sessions?

A．20

B．30

C．40

D．50

2. When can you apply for Session 2 classes?

A．On 27 June.

B．On 1 July

C．On 2 May

D．On 27April

3. Which of the following is required of the applicants?

A．Age

B．Social backgrounds

C．Nationality

D．Physical condition

10 . San Francisco Fire Engine Tours

San Francisco Winery Tour
Running: February 1st through April 30th

This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer.(Included in tickets price)

Departing from the Cannery: Tour times upon request.
Duration(时长): 2 hours
Price: $90
Back to the Fifties Tour
Running: August 16th through August 31st

This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco’s most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream.

Departing from the Cannery: 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $90
Spooky Halloween Tour
Running: October 10th through October 31st

Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district. Authentic fire gear(服装) is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most thrilling parts of San Francisco.

Departing from the Cannery: 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Price: Available upon request
Holiday Lights Tour
Running: December 6th through December 23rd

This attractive tour takes you to some of San Francisco’s most cheerful holiday scenes. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit.

Departing from the Cannery: 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Advance reservations required.
1. Which of the tours is available in March?

A．San Francisco Winery Tour.	B．Back to the Fifties Tour.
C．Spooky Hallowen Tour.	D．Holiday Lights Tour.

2. What can tourists do on Back to the Fifties Tours?

A．Go to Treasure Island.	B．Enjoy the holiday scenes.
C．Have free ice cream.	D．Visit the Presidio district.

3. What are tourists required to do to go on Holiday Lights Tour?

A．Take some drinks.	B．Set off early in the morning.
C．Wear warm clothes.	D．Make reservations in advance.