1 . Every year on April 1, April Fools' Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. In France, it's called "Poisson d^’Avril" or "Fish of April”. In Scotland, the holiday is often called "Gowkie Day". In Iraq, the holiday is called "Kithbet Neesan” or "April Lie".

History experts say people have celebrated April Fools^’ Day for a long time. Some believe April Fools' Day comes from the ancient Romans more than two thousand years ago, which was a day of playing games and pretending to be someone else.

Others say the day for fooling began in France in 1564. when King Charles changed the yearly calendar. He moved New Year's Day from April 1 to January I Many people did not know about the change because of communication problems then. Some people continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Other people called them April Fools and played jokes on them.

In the United State, April Fools' Day is just a day of joking and playing tricks on friends. These kinds of jokes are also called pranks （恶 作 剧）.These jokes typically end in the prankster shouting “April Fools”!

Simple pranks, like telling a friend a funny lie or making prank phone calls, are still common. But major companies also get in on April Fools' Day in a much bigger way. A few years ago, on April 1, Starbucks announced it was introducing new coffee cup sizes-plenta and Micra. The very large cups, bigger than a human head, remained useful for customers even after finishing all that coffee. According to Starbucks, the cups could be used as a rain hat, a pot for plants, or a lampshade.

It did not take long for customers to catch on to the prank. More and more people use media or smartphone apps to play pranks on their friends on April Fools' Day. One very annoying smartphone app, Cat Facts, sends funny facts about cats to your friends⁵ phones every day.

1. Why did some French people keep the old New Year's Day?

A．They liked the old celebration.

B．They did not know the change.

C．They wanted to be different from others.

D．The king wanted to play plank on the people.

2. Americans celebrated April Fools' Day to ________.

A．escape the stress of their work

B．find a chance to give children gifts

C．improve the friendship between them

D．have fun and play jokes on others

3. What is the   meaning of the underlined words "get in on” in Paragraph 5?

A．Join in	B．give away
C．stick to	D．break away from

4. What is the author's purpose of writing the text?

A．To introduce a new festival.

B．To tell a story on April Fools'   Day.

C．To introduce April Fools' Day.

D．To explain the misunderstanding of April Fools' Day.

2 . When I was 12 years old, I already knew that my teen years were going to be the worst years of my life. I was a total outsider, bullied （欺凌）at school. I felt completely alone in my small town.

But by starting to do volunteer work when I was 14, I turned my problem into a passion for helping others. The opportunity to practice kindness made me feel like my life had a greater purpose. The more positive energy 1 shared, the more kindness and appreciation I received, I realized that my purpose in life would be to reach out to people, specifically teenagers, and help them feel less alone.

Books were my true friends back then. I was so thankful that the authors wrote those books. The kindness they offered me with their books saved my life. One of my biggest dreams was to become an author so I could write books that would help other teenagers the way those books helped me.

After surviving the terrible experiences at school and at home, 1 made a choice to take the optimistic, positive road in the next steps of my journey. My dream career, one I thought was only possible for the authors I loved, is what I am doing now. I have been a full-time author of teen novels since 2007 and am grateful for this amazing opportunity to reach out to readers every single day.

Kindness saved me when I needed help the most. Even small acts of kindness can change someone's life. You never know what someone else is going through. But by practicing daily kindness, you become an architect of positive change.

1. What was the author's life like when he was 12?

A．Boring.

B．Peaceful.

C．Joyful.

D．Unhappy.

2. What benefit did the author get from the volunteer work?

A．It helped him find the goal of life.

B．It made him energetic in his life.

C．It helped to shape his dream career.

D．It helped him understand others' lives better.

3. The reason why the author chose writing as his job is that ________.

A．he was inspired by his teacher.

B．he found he had a talent for writing.

C．he could pass positive energy to readers.

D．he wanted to share his teenage experiences.

4. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?

A．Say 'no' to bullies bravely.

B．Make positive changes in our lives.

C．Treat others with kindness in daily life.

D．Learn to care more about others' feelings.

3 . Unique and Weird New Year's Eve Traditions

German

In some parts of Germany, they do lead （铅）pouring. Pour a dollop （团）of lead into cold water and the shape it dorms may be telling you about the year to come. A heart shape, naturally, means love will come your way. A crown predicts wealth and fortune. A star indicates happiness. But if you see a cross, you're almost dead!

Latin America

If you are in Latin America, make sure you have some colourful underpants to ring in the New Year. End — of — the — year partiers put on colourful underwear to ensure certain types of outcomes of the following year, red for love and yellow for success.

Naples, Italy

Neapolitans like throwing things out of the windows, at least on New Year's Eve. Furniture, kitchen machines, grandma.. Well, maybe not the last one. Let's hope not, anyway. This tradition is meant to symbolize an out — with — the — old gesture and get a new beginning of the new year. These days people are a bit more mindful of what they throw into the street below.

Spain

In 1909, winegrowers in the Alicante region of Spain had a brilliant idea: Start and promote an annual tradition that would involve people in having to buy and eat more grapes. Everyone must eat 12 grapes on New Year's Eve to pray for wealth of the coming year. Now, it's a popular custom in Spain. But the problem is that people have to eat a grape for each bell striking at midnight.

1. Germans would like to see the following shapes of lead Except ________.

A．a heart	B．a cross
C．a star	D．a crown

2. What can we know about Neapolitans^’ tradition?

A．They hate cooking at home.

B．They are more careful about what to throw now.

C．They throw their grandma out of the window.

D．They like making gestures in front of the windows.

3. In order to have wealth of the coming year, what do people in Spain do?

A．They buy lots of wine.

B．They pray with 12 grapes.

C．They eat as many grapes as possible.

D．They eat a grape for each bell striking,

4 . Splash (落水声)! Did you hear that? Can you guess what it is? Can you figure it out? If you guessed the ocean, then you’re correct! I believe that my organization, Reef Check, is the most worthy of receiving the Chocolate Heart money. Do you want to know why? Well, soon you’ll find out.

First of all, Reef Check needs the money to repair and clean coral reefs (珊瑚礁) which are home to millions of sea animals. Reef Check hopes to educate the public about the value of reef ecosystems (生态系统) and the danger that sea animals and plants are facing. Based in Los Angeles, Reef Check has volunteer teams in more than 90 countries, making community volunteers, businesses, universities, and other non-profit organizations work together. It works to create a worldwide network of volunteer teams trained in Reef Check’s scientific methods that survey coral and rocky reefs and report on reef health. Also, Reef Check takes action to protect remaining ancient reefs and repair reefs in danger worldwide.

For example, imagine you are a poor sea animal, whose home just got destroyed or wasn’t clean. What would you do? What could you do? Nothing much, really. But that’s exactly Reef Check’s job! To clean and protect these homes for many sea animals!

Furthermore, in 1997, Reef Check carried out the first-ever survey of coral reef health that provided scientific evidence that our coral reefs were in danger because of overfishing, illegal fishing, and pollution. The results surprised many biologists who had not realized the seriousness of human influence on reefs. In August 2002, Reef Check presented its report, The Global Coral Reef Crisis - Trends and Solutions, at the World Summit in South Africa. The report warned that there was no reef in the world that remained untouched by human influence, such as overfishing, pollution, and climate change.

In short, everyone should have a home including animals from the sea. So don’t leave them out! Be generous and give them a home!

1. What do we know about Reef Check?

A．It is a team of scientists.

B．It mainly studies sea animals.

C．It is a non-profit organization.

D．It is run by the US government.

2. Why does the author ask those questions in Paragraph 3?

A．To show the role of Reef Check.

B．To show the importance of reefs.

C．To show how poor sea animals are.

D．To show the seriousness of sea pollution.

3. What did the survey made by Reef Check in the 1990s find?

A．Reefs would die out in the near future.

B．Humans and reefs depended on each other.

C．Overfishing influenced the oceans seriously.

D．Reefs were at risk because of human activities.

4. What’s the main purpose of the text?

A．To describe what Reef Check is.

B．To introduce a dangerous but important job.

C．To explain why Reef Check needs support.

D．To educate the public to care for the environment.

5 . When we buy something new, we get rid of what’s old. That cycle of consumption（消费）has made electronics waste the world’s fastest-growing solid-waste stream, which is expected to grow as the world upgrades to 5G. However, less than a quarter of U. S. electronic waste is recycled, the rest ending up as rubbish, posing environmental risks.

Part of the problem concerns rule. In states without laws banning (禁止) electronics from the regular trash, electronics often end up in garbage. Even when e-waste rules exist, it’s left to consumers to handle their old devices properly. But recycling them can be a pain. People have to take their electronics to a store, which may pay them for it or charge them to get rid of it. Many consumers simply throw their devices into the trash or throw them in a drawer.

One solution is to make electronics last as long as they once did. Yet, technology companies are speeding the pace of being deserted. “It’s a strategy by producers to force us into shorter upgrade cycles,” said Kyle Wiens, the founder of iFixit, which publishes do-it-yourself repair guides.

Some environmental groups say big companies like Apple and Samsung should pick up the cost of recycling the devices they sell. Lawmakers have passed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, which require producers to establish and fund systems to recycle or collect deserted products.

Some companies are increasing their recycling efforts on their own. For example, Apple in 2018 introduced Daisy, a smartphone-recycling robot that can take apart 200 iPhones every hour. But that's a drop in the bucket compared with the 50 million tons of e-waste produced globally last year.

1. Which of the following statements is true?

A．A large number of electronics end up as waste.

B．E-waste problems will be solved if laws are made.

C．Most people prefer to sell their old electronics to stores.

D．E-waste is the biggest threat to environment.

2. According to Kyle Wiens, technology companies________.

A．are trying to collect their deserted products

B．have a short life cycle because of the market

C．intend to shorten the life cycle of products

D．struggle to provide goods with good quality

3. What might be the writer’s attitude towards the future of the e-waste recycling?

A．Positive.

B．Unconcerned.

C．Confident.

D．Doubtful.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Choice for Recycled Electronics

B．Solutions to the Mountain of E-waste

C．Bad Effects of E-waste on the Environment

D．Companies on Duty for Nature Protection

6 . Vancouver

Natural Resources

As a major centre for the global forestry industry, Vancouver is host to many international forestry conferences and events, and the natural home of the massive BC forestry business. Companies such as Canfor and West Fraser Timber Co., the second and third largest lumber (木材) producers in the world, are headquartered in Vancouver. Vancouver is also a major centre for the mining industry.

International Trade

International trade is a key part for Vancouver’s economy. The city has Canada’s largest port and is one of North America’s major gateways for Pan-Pacific trade. The Port of Vancouver ranks first in North America in total foreign exports and second on the West Coast in total goods volume.

Banking and Finance

The headquarters for HSBC Canada is located in the Financial District in downtown. Canada’s third largest commercial entity (实体), Jim Pattison Group is a so based in Vancouver.

International Relation

Vancouver is a major centre for diplomacy (外交) and foreign relations. Most countries of the world have consulate (领事馆) or general offices in the Central Business District. In fact, many major diplomatic conferences are hosted by the city-including the world famous G7 summit with President Clinton, APEC, and the World Trade Organization. Greenpeace has its world headquarters in the city. Therefore, Vancouver was among the first North American cities to declare itself a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone.

Tourism

Tourism is a leading industry to Vancouver. The Whistler-Blackcomb Resort is among the most popular skiing resorts in North America, and was the site of the downhill events of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Vancouver’s beaches, parks, waterfronts, and mountain backdrops and its multi-cultural character attract more and more tourists.

Films

Vancouver was also called “Hollywood North”, for hosting the production of about ten percent of Hollywood’s movies. Many U.S. television and film series are shot exclusively in Vancouver. This has partly been because of the favourable Canadian dollar exchange rate.

1. Which of the following descript in about Vancouver is NOT true according to the passage:

A．The Port of Vancouver ranks first in North America in total foreign exports.

B．Vancouver is a film production centre and called “Hollywood North”.

C．International forestry conferences and events were held in Vancouver.

D．Vancouver is a leading centre for the global agriculture and industry.

2. Which of the following organizations or events is not related to Vancouver?

A．Jim Pattison Group.	B．WHO.
C．Greenpeace.	D．The 2010 Winter Olympics.

3. The passage is probably taken from ________.

A．a business magazine	B．a geography book
C．a financial newspaper	D．an entertainment book

7 . Darrell Blatchley, a marine biologist and environmentalist based in the Philippine city of Davao, received a call from the Philippines, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (渔业与水产资源局) early Friday morning reporting a death of a young whale.

When the necropsy (尸检) was performed, Blatchley told NPR, he was not prepared for the amount of plastic they found in the whale’s stomach. “It was full of plastic nothing but nonstop plastic.” he said “It was filled to the point that its stomach was as hard as a baseball.” That means that this animal has been suffering not for days or weeks but for months or even a year or more,” Blatchley added.

Blatchley is the founder and owner of the D’Bone Collector Museum, a natural history museum in Davao. In the coming days, the museum will display all the items found in the whale’s system. Blatchley and his team work with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and other organizations to assist in rescue and recovery of marine animals.

“Within the last 10 years, we have recovered 61 whales and dolphins just within the Davao Gulf,” he said. “Of them, 57 have died due to man whether they took plastic or fishing nets or other waste, or gotten caught in pollution — and four were pregnant.”

Blatchley said he hoped that the latest incident would launch the issue of plastic pollution in the Philippines and across the globe. “If we keep going this way, it will be more uncommon to see an animal die of natural causes than it is to see an animal die of plastic,” he said.

1. What can be inferred from the second paragraph?

A．The whale was starved to death.

B．The dead whale must have swallowed a baseball.

C．Blatchley was very shocked at what he found.

D．Blatchley didn’t make preparations for the necropsy.

2. What will be shown in the D’Bone Collector Museum?

A．Waste collected from the ocean.

B．Things found in the whale’s body.

C．The whole system of the whale.

D．Many different tools of whaling.

3. What does Blatchley think of plastic pollution in the Philippines?

A．Worrying.	B．Indifferent.
C．Inspiring.	D．Mild.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A Whale Found Dead of Plastic	B．Stand Up for Protecting Whales
C．Plastic Threatening Our Existence	D．Natural Death or Merciless Murder

8 . Fish cats are a kind of cats that love water and love to fish. They are like tigers and lions, only much smaller, around twice the size of our average pet cats. They live in wetlands of South Asia and mangrove forests （红树林）of South and Southeast Asia. Like many endangered species, fish cats were in danger of dying out more than twenty years ago, mainly because of the great international need for fish food and the people's cutting of the mangroves at an extremely fast speed.

Mangroves of Southeast Asia are home to a great many fantastic species, like fish cats, turtles, shorebirds and others. Mangroves can protect soil, and they can be the first line of protection between storms, tsunamis and the millions of people who live next to them. The fact is that mangroves can store almost five to ten times more CO2 than other forests. So protecting mangroves may well be like protecting five to ten times more of other forests.

Ten years ago, in South India, many people came together to change the future of their home. In less than 10 years, with international support, the state forest departments and the local people worked together to restore over 20,000 acres of unproductive fish and shrimp farms back into mangroves. Now experts are working with them in helping study and protecting the mangroves as well as the species living in them. Fish and shrimp farmers are now willing to work with experts to test the harvest of nature protection like fishes, turtles and other species in mangroves. The local farmers are encouraged to protect and plant mangroves where they have been lost. A win-win-win for fish cats, local people and the global ecosystem（生态系统）is being built.

1. What made the fish cats endangered?

A．Natural enemies and environment pollution.

B．Cutting of mangroves and lack of water.

C．Being too large and need for fish food.

D．Less fish and overcutting of mangroves.

2. Why are mangroves so important?

A．They can prevent extreme weather.

B．They can take in more CO2 effectively.

C．They help plants grow better on the soil.

D．They are perfect home to all species.

3. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Ways of turning farms into forests.

B．Changes of South India in 10 years.

C．Efforts to protect the mangroves.

D．Work in protecting shrimps.

4. What's the best title for the text?

A．Fish Cats and Mangroves Protection

B．The Importance of Mangroves

C．Ways to Protect Fish Cats

D．Man and Nature

9 . When a computer works on a group of programs, it can get very hot. Cooling the computer can cost a lot. So some scientists wonder what would happen if the heat from the computer could be used.

Large Internet companies such as Google and Microsoft have thousands of computers. As these computers deal with information, they produce lots of heat, so they need huge cooling systems. These systems send the heat into the air.

A computer in Holland thinks paying to make the computer work and then paying again to cool them are a waste of energy. So the company developed a special device — the e-Radiator.

Boaz Leupe, head of the company, says that e-Radiator works as a heating system and saves money. He explains that the energy is used twice — once to heat the home and once to cool the computer and that the users don’t have to pay to cool their computers.

Five homeowners in Holland are testing the heating system in their homes.

“We pay for the computer using. so, in that way, homeowners get heating for free,” Boaz says. Jan Visser is one of the homeowners. “If you use the computer more, the e-Radiator produces more heat,” he says, “It cannot provide enough heat if you don’t use your computer often.” But he is ready to try it, It’s a great help for his family.

The company says e-Radiators produce heat temperatures of up to 55℃. It says the system could save its users about $440 a year.

1. Before the e-Radiator appears, usually the heat of a computer ________.

A．is sent into the air	B．helps the five homeowners
C．is used twice	D．makes the computer work better

2. The e-radiator is mainly used ________.

A．to drive the computer	B．to help Microsoft
C．to heat the computer	D．to provide heat

3. The Chinese meaning of the underlined word “device” in the third paragraph is probably “________”.

A．节能

B．实验

C．仪器

D．开关

4. The best title of the passage may be “________”.

A．An Environment Problem	B．A New Way to Heat Homes
C．The Future Computers	D．The Energy to Be Wasted

10 . Kid Inventors—Attend Kids' Day at the Invention Show

INPEX®, the American largest invention trade show, is looking for kid inventors to bring their inventions to Kids' Day at the Invention Show. Young inventors come for a chance to win cash prizes and great giveaways (赠品)．

No invention? No problem！Kids' Day isn't just for kid inventors. Enjoy music, games and many interesting activities for all ages. Bring your family and friends for a fun day of creativity and excitement.

Attention, young inventors!

There will be lots of exciting activities to take part in and inventions to check out from kid inventors. All inventions will be judged and cash prizes will be awarded. Every exhibitor will receive a certificate for taking part and a bag full of fun things just for bringing your invention to Kids' Day.

Kids' Day activity schedule

8：00 am－11：00 am	Set­up time for inventions, exhibits and activities
11：00 am	Judging of inventions
12：00 pm	Kids' Day at the Invention Show opens to the public
12：00 pm－4：00 pm	Activities in progress and inventions on display
3：30 pm	Prizes are awarded for inventions
4：30 pm－6：00 pm	Tear­down   (拆除) of inventions, displays and activities

How to sign up for Kids' Day at the Invention Show

Please print Kids' Day Participation Form. Then fill it out and mail it or fax it to：

ATTN：Kids' Day

217 Ninth Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Fax：(412) 288－4546

If you have any questions, please e­mail info@inpex.com.

1. People who go to the show can surely ________.

A．win cash prizes

B．receive a certificate

C．get a bag full of fun things

D．take part in interesting activities

2. When can people enjoy the invention show?

A．At 10：30 am.	B．At 11：30 am.
C．At 2：30 pm.	D．At 4：30 pm.

3. How can one sign up for the invention show?

A．By fax.	B．By email.
C．By phone.	D．By online ordering.