1 . Once there was a famine in the town. A rich and kind baker sent some bread to twenty of the poorest children. He said to them, “In this basket there is some bread for you. Each of you can have one loaf every day until the hard days end.”
The impatient children couldn’t wait to gather around the basket. They shouted and fought for the bread because each wished to have the largest loaf. At last they went away without even thanking the good gentleman. But Shirley, a poorly-dressed little girl, did not join them. Instead, she remained standing modestly in the distance. When the other children had left, she took the smallest left in the basket, kissed the gentleman’s hand and went home.
The next day the children were as rude as before. Poor shy Shirley still took the smallest loaf . When she got home, her mother cut the bread open. Many new shining pieces of silver fell out of it. Her mother was very surprised and said, “Take the money back to the good gentleman at once, for it must have got into the loaf by accident. Be quick, Shirley! Be quick!”
But when the little girl gave the rich man her mother’s message, he said, “No, no, my child. It was no mistake. I put silver pieces into the smallest loaf to reward you because you are a kind and honest girl. Go home and the money is yours now.”
1. From the story, we know the twenty children lived a ________ life.| A．happy | B．rich | C．poor | D．comfortable |
| A．shouted at them | B．stood modestly |
| C．joined them | D．laughed at them |
| A．buy some food | B．give it back to the rich man |
| C．hide it quickly | D．tell her father the news |
| A．it’s not important to say thanks to others | B．fighting with others can help us get more |
| C．a kind and honest person will be rewarded | D．Shirley’s mother doesn’t like silver |
2 . Want to know what we can do to help make our city a better place to live in? Why not take part in “Clean & Green weekend”? Join us, and you can make new friends and help protect the environment at the same time.
Park Life
Do you like playing and relaxing in the park with your friends? If so, why not take the chance to come with us and tidy up the park when you go? To add some fun, there is a gift for the person who collects the most rubbish! Meet us at the south entrance to Taohe Park at 9 a.m. next Saturday if you want to join in.
The Air You Breathe
A great way to make the air we breathe cleaner is by planting lots of trees！It is a fact that trees slowly filter (过滤) a lot of pollutants (污染物) from the air. So come and help us plant some new ones in Fenhe Park at 2 p.m. next Sunday.
War on Graffiti(涂鸦)
Some people think graffiti is cool. Well, it is not! The best way to stop buildings from becoming totally covered in ugly graffiti is to fix it as soon as possible. And that is exactly what we are going to do. We are repainting the school walls from 1 p.m. on Saturday. You don’t have to bring any tools, just remember to wear some old clothes!
1. The main purpose of “Clean & Green Weekend” is to ________.| A．have a nice weekend | B．offer the chance to have fun |
| C．help students meet old friends | D．make our city more beautiful |
| A．draw pictures well | B．bring some tools with us |
| C．wear some old clothes | D．wear some new clothes |
| A．on a school notice board | B．in a fashion magazine |
| C．in a travelling magazine | D．on a hospital notice board |
3 . Being trapped in an elevator(电梯) can be one of the worst experiences of one’s life. Some people who have such experiences may be afraid to use elevator again. In fact, there are some useful tips to follow when people are in trouble with the elevator.
First, take deep breaths and keep calm. Too much fear will add to your panic(恐慌) and make you too nervous to think clearly. Tell yourself to be patient and believe that nothing is impossible.
Secondly, use the emergency(急救) call inside the elevator or your mobile phone to let people outside know your are stuck in the elevator. There is an emergency call on the wall of each elevator. You may use your mobile phone to give light and find it. The phone number can be found around it.
Thirdly, putting on messages on Wechat(微信) is also a good idea to allow more people to find you are in need of help. If help hasn’t come, knock the door hard to get attention from other people in the building.
Fourthly, move less and try to relax. Even if the workers have known your situation, it may take them a long time to repair the elevator and bring you back to safety. Instead of keeping moving all the time, you are advised to keep still and relax yourself as much as possible, or you will make yourself tired out. Make sure that you are fine when the door is open.
1. According to the passage, when in trouble with an elevator, you should________ first.| A．Keep calm and think clearly | B．do nothing but wait |
| C．shout out for help | D．try to break the door open |
| A．tired | B．kept |
| C．troubled | D．trapped |
| A．they can spend their time easily |
| B．their situations can be known by more people |
| C．they can become less nervous |
| D．they can make more friends |
| A．To introduce how to use an elevator. |
| B．To teach us how to save ourselves when trapped in an elevator. |
| C．To warn us not to take an elevator. |
| D．To tell us an elevator often goes wrong. |
Since it was founded in 1947, Italy’s first public playhouse has consistently staged some of Western theatres’ most challenging works, such as Euripides’ and Shakespeare’s. Shows here are guaranteed to be daring and thought-provoking (发人深省的). Tickets are priced from €22 to €30. You can buy tickets from the box office or book online.
Address: Via Rovello 2, 20121 Milan
Teatro alla Scala
It was opened in 1778, with the debut (初次登台) of Antonio Salieri’s Europa Riconosciuta. There are operatic performances mostly year round, as the theatre is closed during the month of August. Tickets range from €24 for seats with blocked views of the stage to €210 for orchestra-level seats. You can buy tickets online, from authorized sales agents and from the box office.
Address: Filodrammatici Street, 2 — 20121 Milan
Auditorium di Milano Fondazione Cariplo
Originally a 1930s cinema house, today it hosts a full calendar (日历) of symphonic and choral (合唱的) music. Its productions range from the classics to the contemporary, with symphonic tributes (颂歌) to Pink Floyd, the Beatles, and Queen. The cheapest tickets are priced at €8.
Address: Largo Mahler — 20136 Milan
Teatro Manzoni
Founded in 1850 as a theatre for dramatic plays, Teatro Manzoni was destroyed by bombing in 1943. It was rebuilt to the designs of architect Mario Cavalle and reopened in 1950. Today it’s a great space for various kinds of performances, including plays, variety shows and musical performances. Tickets start at €20, and parents can frequently find productions that will appeal to young children.
Address: Alessandro Manzoni Street 42 — 20121 Milan
1. At which theatre will people watch some daring and inspiring plays?| A．Teatro alla Scala | B．Piccolo Teatro |
| C．Teatro Manzoni | D．Auditorium di Milano Fondazione Cariplo |
| A．listen to symphonic and choral music |
| B．appreciate dramatic plays with your children |
| C．watch Antonio Salieri’s Europa Riconosciuta |
| D．enjoy classical dramas at Italy’s first public playhouse |
| A．Its unique design style. | B．Its easy access to performers. |
| C．Its wide range of shows. | D．Its requirements for the actor’s lines. |
5 . Aeron McQuillin, 18, Bailey Campbell, 17, and Billy Tarbett, 15, were on their way to a supermarket in Fonthill, Ontario, when they spotted a woman on the side of the road with smoke coming out of her car. They quickly found the problem and determined the car was too dangerous to drive.
The driver couldn’t afford a tow truck (拖车). So, Billy suggested that they push the car. The woman lives more than five miles away. Dan Morrison, who also stopped to help, told CNN the driver’s jaw dropped on hearing the teens’ offer. Bailey told CNN they just wouldn’t want to be stuck like that, so they insisted.
The three bought bottles of water and a speaker so they could “jam out” and started their journey. Morrison drove behind them with his hazard lights (双闪灯) on for safety. Baily said they faced several problems. The first was a big hill 300 yards from the start. Halfway through, they took a break and the battery died. They had to charge it just to get back into neutral (空挡位置).
After more than two and a half hours of pushing, they finally delivered the car back home. Bailey described the motorist as both thankful and amazed. They exchanged hugs, and everyone went home for some much-needed rest. The teens never got the woman’s full name.
Morrison took a couple of pictures of the teens, hoping to turn them into hometown heroes on social media. His Facebook post went viral, with positive comments coming in from as far away as Australia.
1. What did the three teens do on their way to the supermarket?| A．They saved an injured driver. |
| B．They helped repair a damaged car. |
| C．They witnessed a car crash accident. |
| D．They pushed a car to its owner’s home. |
| A．Surprised. | B．Annoyed. | C．Frightened. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．He bought them water. |
| B．He let them drive his own car. |
| C．He provided them with a speaker. |
| D．He warned drivers behind to keep their distance. |
| A．Emotional. | B．Demanding. | C．Caring. | D．Honest. |
6 . A calorie deficit is a state in which you burn more calories than you consume. As one of the most popular approaches of losing weight, how does it work? For example, if you burn 2,500 calories per day but only eat 2,000，you have created a deficit of 500 calories per day. There is mathematical certainty. But, this by no means tells the whole story about how calories deficit affects our lives.
Before wondering what a calorie deficit is, it’s probably best to learn what a calorie is. A calorie is a unit that we use to track our body’s energy expenditure (消耗) and storage. In order to just stay alive, human beings (and animals) burn calories. This means, even before we perform any activity, our bodies are already using energy (measured in calories) to keep us alive. Around 70% of the calories we consume are spent on just keeping our vital organs running. Thus, if a person consumes calories far more less than needed to look thin，it may have negative effects on the body.
When people pick up a calorie deficit, they often merely note that the calorie math is irrefutable (无可辩驳的). The question here is that not all calories are the same. If you eat a few bags of potato chip worth of calories to support the calorie intake needed to maintain or cut down on your weight, it will work. But, this doesn’t have the same effect on your body and overall health as a balanced nutritional meal containing the same amount of calories.
It seems like a simple unit of energy has become an object of our society’s obsession. It needn't be that way. Remember, calorie deficits are just a tool, which serves a purpose in losing some weight and keeping track of your calorie intake seems simple enough.
1. What do we know about the calorie deficit?| A．It helps people lose weight. |
| B．It is a way of doing exercises. |
| C．It affects people's lives positively. |
| D．It means the calories people consume. |
| A．A calorie is a unit to store daily energy. |
| B．People need to burn calories to be alive. |
| C．Calorie intake is to keep our organs operating. |
| D．Living animals only burn calories after activities. |
| A．Focusing on the calorie math when eating. |
| B．Focusing on different calories when eating. |
| C．Having bags of potato chips containing enough calories. |
| D．Having balanced nutritional diets containing proper calories. |
| A．Influences of calorie deficits. | B．Approaches to lose weight. |
| C．Distinctions between calories. | D．Ways to track calorie intake. |
7 . This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. As I searched the name, I found that there were two famous people having the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts(花生), while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice; let the coin decide. I flipped(掷) a coin and Ah! Tails (背面)! My report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.
Weeks later, I stood in front of the classroom and proudly read my homework. But things started to get strange. I looked around the room, only to find my classmates with big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes and my stone-faced teacher. I was completely lost. “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”
Oh well, I dropped the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American War of Independence.” The whole world became quiet! How could I know that my teacher meant that George Washington?
Of course, my subject result was awful. Sad but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to the headmaster Miss Lancelot, but she said firmly: No re-dos; no new score. I felt that it was not fair, and I believed I deserved a second chance. So I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, I sat in the headmaster’s office again, but this time a completely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the terrible moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster told me I was good enough to skip(跳过) the 6th grade and started the 7th grade next term.
1. The task I received was to find information about ________.| A．uses for peanuts |
| B．American War of Independence |
| C．George Washington |
| D．my headmaster Miss Lancelot |
| A．I was too proud of my homework |
| B．I mistook what the homework was about |
| C．the whole world suddenly became quiet |
| D．the teacher’s face turned to a stone |
| A．the headmaster didn’t like the writer at all |
| B．the writer’s classmates felt sad at his mistake |
| C．the writer knew little about American history |
| D．the writer’s grandpa was a very wise man |
| A．Seeing is believing. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．One is never too old to learn. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
8 . The popularity of Chinese-owned video-sharing service TikTok(抖音)continues to grow among young people in the United States. In 2019, experts say the service more than doubled its American user base to 37 million. TikTok is especially popular with teens and young adults.
The service lets users create and share their short videos that they think interesting and useful. Many of them are under 15 seconds. The TikTok app offers a wide choice of sounds, brief parts of songs and special effects tools to help create a video. Some TikTok-based memes(表情包)are very popular. Videos often include popular songs from well-known artists and TikTok has even helped launch the careers of new music stars.
TikTok is considered a competitor to the video-sharing app Snapchat, as well as Facebook's Instagram service. Snapchat and Instagram also mainly interest young users with a wide mix of photos and videos centered largely on fashion, pop culture and humor.
Last year, TikTok was the second-most downloaded app from Apple and Google stores. Only WhatsApp was downloaded more. Research company Sensor Tower guesses people have downloaded the TikTok app 1.65 billion times.
TikTok has been used by many major companies to reach young people who use little or no traditional media. One of those companies is American-based e. l. f. Cosmetics(化妆品). The makeup company's chief marketer, Kory Marchisotto, said that TikTok is "where the Gen Z party is". Gen Z is a name used to call the generation born between the late 1990s and the early 2000s.“That's where they're all hanging out," Marchisotto said.
Companies appearing on TikTok can make money through advertising. Often, the companies create user "challenges" as part of their advertisement campaigns. TikTok users created 3 million videos that received more than 4 billion view.
1. Which word can best describe the videos created on TikTok?| A．Traditional. | B．Boring. | C．Various. | D．Serious. |
| A．TikTok. | B．Snapchat. | C．Instagram. | D．WhatsApp. |
| A．Challenge their competitors. | B．Make advertisements. |
| C．Hold music concerts. | D．Promote users' abilities to make videos. |
| A．TikTok Keeps Growing Among US Youth | B．How to Share Short Videos |
| C．Facebook Achieves Great Success | D．Companies Benefit Much from Videos |
9 . Feel like a family day trip outside London? Here are some of the best choices.
Harry Potter Studio
The Harry Potter Studio tour is one of the easiest day trips from London. Just read the directions on the website where you buy tickets and follow the crowds from the train to the bus. It is a unique experience. A walk through the studio allows families to appreciate every little detail that was put into the production of the Harry Potter movies from the costumes to the sets. Visitors can view the Potions Classroom, board the Hogwarts’ Express, and walk through the Dursley’s house.
Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle is one of the most beautiful castles in the UK. It is surrounded by a river and gardens, making it a relaxing and peaceful place. Leeds Castle is open for self-guided tours, and there are kid-friendly shows. Leeds Castle has a wonderfully-designed maze (迷宫), which has a surprise at the center that will appeal to all ages, not just children looking for a place to play. Leeds Castle also has a big playground, one part of which is set aside for small kids while the other inspires teenagers in an old game of hide-and-seek.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is used by the current British royal family. This makes it the longest-occupied palace in Europe. Afraid that your young children might feel dull? Don’t worry. There is a kids’ audio tour available as well as an activity that features crafts (手工艺), coloring and dress-up for little ones. And in the summer months, parents will be happy to know that there is a place to get an ice cream for their kids centrally located in the castle complex (建筑群).
1. What can visitors do on the Harry Potter Studio tour?| A．Buy some costumes. |
| B．Ride on a special train. |
| C．See Harry Potter movies. |
| D．Study in the Potions Classroom. |
| A．Visitors must go on a tour with a guide. |
| B．The gardens are meant for hide-and-seek. |
| C．Kids can have a fun time on the playground. |
| D．The maze is especially popular among grown-ups. |
| A．Tiresome. | B．Comfortable. |
| C．Adventurous. | D．Interesting. |
“Many focus on the benefits of digital devices（设备）in education but ignore the costs”, said Patricia Greenfield from the University of California, “losing the ability to understand the emotions of other people is one of the costs.” Greenfield and her research team did an experiment. They worked with 105 children who spend about 4.5 hours in front of screens on a school day. The students were asked to describe the emotions towards the pictures of people who were happy, sad, angry or scared. Then, half of them attended a five-day nature and science camp. There they had no smart phones, TV, or computers. The other half stayed in school and spent the five days as usual. Five days later, all the children took the test again.
Students who had been to the camp got about 5 percent more answers correct than they had done before the camp. But the other group of students didn't show much improvement. The study is not perfect in some ways, said the researchers. But scientists say that the study is still a warning for us.
“Emotional skills develop in practice and the brain develops through real interaction.” said Professor Taylor, a professor at the University of San Francisco.
Researchers talked to 2,000 parents of children aged 2-16 in the UK about what activities their children could do confidently. The results were surprising: Their children could use a tablet(平板电脑)(59%)and work a mobile phone(57%)more confidently than they could tie their shoe laces(鞋带)(53%)! So, spend more time away from mobile phones and computers if you want to be an understanding friend, and not a member of what the Daily Mail called “Generation Helpless”.
1. According to Professor Greenfield，using digital media in education leads to ______.| A．being in bad terms with family members |
| B．making more mistakes when taking exams |
| C．falling far behind others in all schoolwork |
| D．failing to relate to other people's emotions |
| A．are alarming for people | B．are far from perfect |
| C．are quite surprising | D．need to be improved |
| A．Too much play with digital devices raised some worries． |
| B．Students learned how to describe emotions in the experiment． |
| C．Students living without screens did much better in studies． |
| D．Most of the UK children couldn't tie their shoe laces． |
| A．Stay away from the Internet | B．Here comes a digital world! |
| C．Screens do harm to emotions | D．How people become addicted？ |
