1 . Pippi Longstocking, the 9-year-old red-haired hero of children's books, turned 75 yesterday. The first Pippi Longstocking book, written by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, was published in 1945.
Pippi Longstocking first came to life in 1941, when Ms. Lindgren's daughter, Karin, who was sick in bed for a long time suddenly said to her, “Tell me about Pippi Longstocking.”
The stories Ms. Lindgren made up were about a wild, but good-hearted young girl who lived by herself in a house called Villa Villekulla. The girl lived with her horse and her monkey. She was constantly surprising her neighbor friends with her crazy adventures.
But it wasn't until three years later that Ms. Lindgren began to write down the stories she had told her daughter. When she finished her book, she sent it to a well-known publisher, but the book was turned down. Ms. Lindgren kept working on the book. In 1945, Ms. Lindgren entered her book in a contest being held by a different publisher. Pippi Longstocking won the first prize, and the book came out in November.
Pippi Longstocking was quickly a hit with young readers. Who wouldn't love a girl strong enough to lift a horse, and willing to risk her life to save children trapped in a burning building?
But the book was less popular with some adults, who felt like Pippi set a bad example. Pippi didn't go to school, she lived by herself, and only followed the rules she wanted to follow. But with time. Pippi's good heart won over readers of all ages.
1. Why did Ms. Lindgren write Pippi Longstocking?| A．To make a fortune. | B．To amuse her daughter. |
| C．To arouse sympathy. | D．To make Karin calm. |
| A．Kind and good-looking. | B．Strong but impolite. |
| C．Kind and adventerous. | D．Confident and grateful. |
| A．Lindgren was discouraged. | B．Lindgren entered a contest. |
| C．Lindgren continued the book. | D．Lindgren contact another publisher. |
| A．She had a bad effect. | B．She lacked freedom. |
| C．She made bad rules. | D．She had bad temper. |
2 . If our kids don’t fall, they don’t learn to get up. I still remember the day in high school that my mom forgot to pick me up from school. I’m the oldest of four children, and no doubt she’d had a long day with the other kids and it’d slipped her mind. After waiting at school for an hour, I walked the three miles home, and when I got to my house, I shut our front door with anger, stormed into the kitchen and screamed in my mom’s face that she’d forgotten me.
Later that night, my dad told me I no longer had a ride to school the next day. I figured my mom would still take me, but when the morning came, she refused. It was midterm, and as a straight-A student ready to start college applications, being late wasn’t an option (选择). In my mind, missing these tests would have been the end of my academic career. I begged my mom. I told her she was ruining my future and everything I’d worked for. But she held her ground, and that day, I walked to school. And I missed my tests.
My mom didn’t rescue me from failure. She let me suffer from it. She let me figure it out. She let me learn. Now, as a mom myself, I’ve realized that I want my kids to experience failure because failure is how we grow, learn and think outside of ourselves. It’s how we self-educate to learn what’s right and respectable, and what’s not. It’s how we become responsible and enthusiastic. Falling down makes us better because we learn how to get up.
1. What is one of the reasons that the author got angry that day?| A．She was tired. | B．She failed in a test. |
| C．She was late for school. | D．She had to walk home by herself. |
| A．Terrible. | B．Meaningful. | C．Embarrassing. | D．Colorful. |
| A．gave in to me | B．said yes to me |
| C．stayed in the place | D．kept to her idea |
| A．My Way of Growing | B．The Value of Failure |
| C．My Love for Mother | D．Failure in My Life |
3 . Sleep's Effect on the Brain's Performance
When you have a busy schedule, it can be easy to neglect your sleep because of the different items you want to get done on your checklist each day. Whether you stay up late responding to emails or cut your sleep short to exercise in the morning, lack of sleep can start to have a negative effect on the brain. Your sleep can affect your brain's performance in a few main ways.
When your brain doesn't have time to rest, it can slow down your ability to think quickly, as well as your reaction time. You may have difficulty trying to stay awake and become more alert, which can affect how well you make decisions. You may find yourself taking more risks than normal.
Studies also show that memory and sleep are closely linked, which means it can be difficult to recall certain details or facts if you fail to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. NREM (Non-Rapid-Eye-Movement Sleep) and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep are necessary for remembering basic facts to improve your efficiency and ability to perform different tasks. In particular, fragmented sleep can affect the memory even if you get seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
Those who are easy to suffer from migraines (偏头痛) are at a higher risk of developing a headache if they don't get consistent, quality sleep. Studies show sleep loss also increases the risk of diabetes. It affects the body's ability to release insulin, resulting in higher blood sugar levels. Your body also has more difficulty determining when it's full while eating, which can make it easy to consume more calories than you need throughout the day.
There are many ways your sleep can affect the brain's performance and impact every area of your life. Scheduling your sleep and creating a restful, comfortable setting in the bedroom can make it easier to feel relaxed and recharged.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To stress what a busy life people live nowadays. |
| B．To warn the readers of the importance of sleep. |
| C．To show brain sometimes has poor performance. |
| D．To introduce the theme of the whole passage. |
| A．Your ability to drive safely will be influenced. |
| B．You can realize your mistakes in a short time. |
| C．Your ability to remember is likely to decline. |
| D．You can't carry out a few tasks at the same time. |
| A．Sound. | B．Broken. | C．Adequate. | D．Dreamless. |
| A．Sleep loss leads to the decline of insulin. |
| B．People fail to control the amount of intake. |
| C．People don't know the calories they need. |
| D．Sleep loss results in their poor appetite. |
4 . When you go to a grocery store, you expect to pay for your goods with money. But students at a high school in Texas, us, opened a store that runs on good deeds.
In November, students from Linda Tutt High School in the city of Sanger opened a grocery store that enables students to buy necessities(必需品) using a point system. The store aims to support families in need.
In our school district, a good many students are considered economically disadvantaged," explained Anthony Love, principal of Linda Tutt. "“About 3.6 percent of our students are considered homeless. We thought it important to support them and their families and make sure they had food on the table."
Students earn points by contributing positively to the school. For those students from poor families, the point system has provided a way for them to shop for their families. "They can earn points for doing chores around the building or helping to clean," Love said.
The number of points for each item was actually decided by the students. “So we walked through here and decided that a can of green beans was one point," said Paul Juarez, the director of First Refuge Ministries.
Juarez said that he hopes the idea gets implemented(实施) in other areas. “It gives us a picture of what can be. So if we can do this inside other schools, it will do a whole lot to help other small towns."
In addition to the financial benefits, students also learn about supply, management and customer. service, and such, lessons could prepare them for. future jobs. ; The grocery, store's student manager, Hunter Weertman, said he has already learned important life skills from his experience at the store.
The store practice was also welcomed by Thomas Muir, Sanger's mayor. “We all had our first jobs and it taught us how to work, and what you got for your work," he said,“I think this will do that for them too, and also meet an immediate need."
1. Why did the students open the grocery store?| A．To learn to manage money. | B．To support poor families |
| C．To finish their research project. | D．To provide students with necessities |
| A．By shopping for their families | B．By doing chores at home. |
| C．By doing good deeds at school. | D．By volunteering in the community. |
| A．The point system can only be used in schools. |
| B．The practice has set a good example for other schools. |
| C．The Customer service at the store needs improvement. |
| D．The number of points should not be assigned by students. |
| A．It helps students gain work experience. | B．It improves students' learning abilities. |
| C．It inspires students to do volunteering. | D．It guides students in career choices. |
5 . Hampton Court Motor Cruiser
16 Hampton Court Road
TEL：208－977－1728
Hampton Court Motor Cruiser is a boat docked on the River Thames. Facilities (设施) include heating, Smart TV and Wi-Fi. The price per stay also includes the free use of a 4-seat electric boat and barbecue facilities. There is no staff at all on board during your stay.
Hilton London Green Park
4－6 Half Moon Street
TEL：207－629－7522
Hilton London Green Park stays in the heart of London. It features modern rooms with air conditioning. Wi-Fi is available in public areas and is free of charge. There is also a cocktail bar on site. All children and pets are welcome.
Arbor City
12 Osborn Street
TEL：207－247－3313
Arbor City Hotel is just next to the White chapel Art Gallery. It offers free Wi-Fi and 24－hour room service. Air-conditioned rooms feature a TV, a safe and a shower. Parking is available on site and costs GBP 24 per day. For an additional charge, the hotel offers various breakfast options: English breakfast, Continental breakfast, Vegan and Dairy-free breakfast. The hotel is 10 minutes' tube ride from the West End.
Abercorn House Hostel
28－30 Bute Gardens
TEL：203－696－0215
Abercorn House Hostel is located just a 3-minute walk from Hammersmith Underground Station, with a 24-hour front desk. Guests can stay in rooms or dormitories fitted with a wardrobe. Some come with a shower, while others offer access to a shared bathroom. They can also use a shared kitchen to prepare their meals. Wi-Fi is available and costs GBP 1 per hour. Non-smoking throughout.
1. Which of the following can offer a river-view?| A．Arbor City. |
| B．Abercorn House Hostel. |
| C．Hilton London Green Park. |
| D．Hampton Court Motor Cruiser. |
| A．28－30 Bute Gardens. |
| B．12 Osborn Street. |
| C．4－6 Half Moon Street. |
| D．16 Hampton Court Road. |
| A．207－629－7522. |
| B．208－977－1728. |
| C．207－247－3313. |
| D．203－696－0215. |
| A．a survey. |
| B．an announcement. |
| C．an advertisement. |
| D．an academic report. |
6 . Your action can speak louder than your words. It is important to know another language and how to communicate without words when you are in another country. Before saying anything, people communicate with each other by using gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world.
In the United States, nodding your head up and down means “yes”, while in some parts of Greece and Turkey, it means “no”. In the southeast of Asia, it is a polite way of saying “I heard you”.
Today in the USA, when someone puts his thumb up, it means “Everything is all right.” However, in Greece it is bad manners to do so. Also putting your clasped hands up above your head means “I am the winner.” It is the sign which players often make. In Russia it is the sign of friendship.
In the USA, holding your hand up with the thumb and index finger in a circle, and the other three straight means “Everything is OK.” In France, it means “You are worth nothing.”
It is also important to make eye communication. If you look down when talking to an American, he or she may feel that you are shy, or you are trying to hide something.
Besides these, you should also know there are some topics that can not be talked about, such as age, weight and marriage. You can talk about the weather, work, sports, food, where one lives and news of the day.
1. What does the sentence “Your action can speak louder than your words” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．What you do is better than what you say. |
| B．You try your best to be polite. |
| C．You are better understood by your gestures than through your words. |
| D．What you say is better than what you do. |
| A．Greece. | B．the USA. | C．England. | D．China. |
| A．Putting your clasped hands up above the head means friendship in Greece. |
| B．You can express “You are worth nothing” by putting your thumb up in France. |
| C．Making eye communication is not important in a talk. |
| D．Weather, sports, food and work are the topics that can be talked. |
7 . A former teacher who joined the army discovered the influence his small act of kindness had on one student thanks to a chance meeting years later.
Sharing the story online, the man said while teaching science in 2014 and 2015, there was one girl who sat at the front of the class and was “filled with typical middle school anxiety”. She was quiet and “kept to herself”, but was always writing in a notebook during lessons.
He said, “ I decided to look over her shoulder and see what she was writing. “I suck. I ’m ugly. I ’m stupid. No one likes me. I hate m… ” Without thinking, I snatched(抓) the notebook from her and started writing in it. “You ’re great; you ’re beautiful; you ’re intelligent; you ’re loved. ” The opposite of everything she wrote, then handed it back. He said neither of them made a big deal of it at the time, but she slowly started opening up to him, talking more and coming out of her shell in class.
A few years later, the teacher got talking to a woman, who also served in the army and they discovered they were from the same area. They realized he had taught at the same school her cousin attended and she asked if he remembered teaching her. After telling the story about the notebook, the woman replied, “It is you”. She still has that notebook. She looks at it from time to time to get her through the tough times.
He wrote,“I was amazed. I almost started crying night there. Teachers always talk about how rare it is to hear from students in the future about how they influenced them. I only taught for a few years but I really tried and really cared. Even though that path didn ’t turn out how I had planned, it ’s humbling to know that I did some good in that time.”
1. What attracted the attention of the teacher?| A．The girl ’s being active in class. |
| B．The girl ’s unpleasant appearance. |
| C．The girl ’s writing constantly during lessons. |
| D．The girl ’s non-communicating with classmates. |
| A．No longer being absent-minded. | B．No longer keeping writing. |
| C．Becoming more intelligent. | D．Becoming self-confident. |
| A．His small act had a deep effect on the girl. |
| B．His new job did not meet his expectations. |
| C．He only taught for a few years but succeeded. |
| D．He met the cousin of a student he taught years ago. |
| A．It ’s typical that a student lacks confidence. |
| B．Encouragement can make a great difference. |
| C．Students rarely communicate with their teachers. |
| D．Almost all students have experienced middle school anxiety. |
8 . The weather is getting hotter and you’ll be getting thirstier playing basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may be just the thing. But be careful what you pour down your throat. Something that looks cool may not be good for your health.
There are plenty of so-called energy drinks on the market. Most of them have an attractive color and cool name. Their nutrition lists also contains various things from vitamins to ginseng. Sounds great!
But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine. These drinks are typically aimed at young people, students, busy people and sports players.
Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake. But be careful not to drink too much Caffeine raises your heartbeat. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee has limited their use. The amount of caffeine in most energy drinks is at least as high as in a strong cup of coffee or strong tea.
There are potential health dangers linked to energy drinks. Just one can of energy drink can make you nervous, have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart attacks.
Teenagers should be discouraged from taking drinks with a lot of caffeine in them, an expert from the Australia Nutrition Foundation said.
1. The teenagers like drinking energy drinks because of the following EXCEPT that ________.| A．they have an attractive color and cool name | B．they contain high levels of caffeine |
| C．they can keep them awake and better at sports | D．they are said to have various nutrition |
| A．dropped | B．stopped | C．helped | D．asked |
| A．advertisements play an important part in getting people to buy the goods |
| B．the amount of caffeine in most energy drinks is lower than that in a strong cup of coffee |
| C．Australian teenagers drink more energy drinks than those in the other countries |
| D．The energy drinks are typically aimed at young people |
| A．What’s the Use of Energy Drinks? | B．Who can Drink Energy Drinks? |
| C．What is That in Energy Drinks? | D．Why can’t We Buy Energy Drinks? |
9 . By now, most of us have picked up at least one pandemic hobby. And there's a seemingly common pandemic hobby trend: People who haven't been able to go anywhere are making imaginary travel plans. Maybe you're among those who have spent hours researching locations-even though you're not actually planning to travel.
It turns out that you aren't alone. People who seem to be sticking to public safety recommendations are still planning trips they don't intend to book. And, when I suddenly found myself addicted to an imaginary girls' trip to Joshua Tree, I wondered whether this was a healthy distraction.
"It's an escapist imagination," said Regine Galanti, a psychologist, adding that there's nothing wrong with escapism during a global pandemic.
On the one hand, distractions are often beneficial right now. We are a full year into living with COVID-19 as a pandemic, and that means you've probably had to navigate a range of emotions like discomfort, sadness, or even boredom. So any hobby that doesn't harm anyone or endanger your well-being is probably a worthy attempt.
Even if vacation planning is your happy place, Dr. Galanti suggests you "actually think about what you're trying to achieve." Why? "Maybe what you're saying is, I need a vacation from work," Dr. Galanti explains. "Then take three days off even if you are not going anywhere. "When you figure out what you're looking for, you might be able to find a small socially distanced adventure in your backyard or a quiet place. Vacation planning is a good way to spend some time, but there might be an even better way to get what you're desiring.
Anyway, when uncertainty is all around us, creating things to look forward to isn't a terrible idea. And when things are safer, you'll have all your plans in place.
1. Why do people make imaginary travel plans during the pandemic?| A．To develop a new hobby. | B．To stay safe and sound. |
| C．To be distracted from reality. | D．To get ready for future travel. |
| A．Express. | B．Balance. | C．Adapt to. | D．Deal with. |
| A．Objective. | B．Negative. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Figures. | B．Lifestyle. |
| C．Food and recipe. | D．Science and technology. |
10 . Regardless of whether or not you are young, there are particular habits that give away your true age. Like falling asleep on the very thought of a second glass of wine, some issues simply sign to the world that you are just over 40. Now, a brand-new study reveals that there is one factor you do along with your smartphone that reveals your age: turning to a PIN(personal identification number) to unlock your telephone rather than a fingerprint or facial recognition means you are of an older technology.
The study, carried out by researchers on the University of British Columbia, explored the links between age and smartphone use by remotely monitoring smartphone customers' habits. “As researchers working to protect smartphones from illegal access, we need to first understand how users use their devices,” defined Konstantin Beznosov, a professor involved in the research.
To get more information, the researchers selected 134 volunteers, ranging in age from 19 to 63, and had them set up a tailored app to their Android telephones for two months. The app recorded all of their lock and unlock occasions, together with whether or not they choose auto or guide lock, and the actions of the telephone on the time of unlocking. This is how they found the generational variations in unlocking habits.
The researchers additionally collected information on the size of consumer periods. The staff discovered that along with an individual's most popular technique for unlocking their telephones, the period of time spent on the telephone additionally related with age.
As one report on the study explains “Study showed that older users used their phone less frequently than younger users. For every10-year- interval in age, accordingly there was a 25 per cent decrease in the number of user sessions. In other words, a 25-year-old might use their phone 20 times a day, but a 35-year-old might use it only 15 times.”
So, in case you unlock your smartphone by hand, you may chalk it as much as a generational desire.
1. What will a man in his sixties probably use to unlock his phone?| A．Passwords. | B．Fingerprint. | C．Facial recognition. | D．Voice control. |
| A．Gaining illegal access. | B．Checking their phones. |
| C．Using special app. | D．Recording with cameras. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．four. |
| A．Unlocking says your age | B．Secrets to smartphones safe |
| C．Smartphones change our lives | D．Ways to unlock your smartphones |
