1 . Carrots are grown on farms and in family gardens throughout the world. Carrots are easy to raise and easy to harvest. They taste good, and people from all countries love them.
When people think of carrots, they usually picture in their minds a vegetable that is long, thin and orange in colour. But carrots come in many different sizes and shapes. And not all carrots are orange. For the best results, carrots should be grown in sandy soil (土壤) that does not hold water for a long time. The soil also should have no rocks. To prepare your carrots garden, dig up the soil, loosen it and turn it over. Then, mix in some plant material or animal fertilizer. Weather, soil conditions and age will affect how carrots taste. Experts say warm days, cool nights and a medium soil temperature are the best conditions for growing carrots that taste great.
Carrots need time to develop their full sugar content. This gives them their good taste. But carrots lose their sweetness if you wait too long to remove them from the ground. The best way to determine if a carrot is ready to be harvested is by its colour. Usually, the brighter the colour, the better the taste.
Carrots are prepared and eaten in many different ways. They are cut in thin pieces and added to other vegetables. They are cooked by themselves or added to stews. Or, once they are washed, they can also be eaten just as they come out of the ground.
1. What does the underlined word “picture” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Understand. | B．Describe. |
| C．Explain. | D．Imagine. |
| A．Choosing wet land. | B．Digging up the soil. |
| C．Making the earth loose. | D．Mixing in plant material or animal fertilizer. |
| A．Orange is not the only colour that carrots have. |
| B．They are easy to raise but hard to harvest. |
| C．Only one factor affects the way carrots taste. |
| D．It is only by colour that you can decide if you should harvest them. |
| A．Because sometimes people are very busy. |
| B．Because it takes time for carrots to keep sugar. |
| C．Because carrots have different kinds. |
| D．Because weather always changes. |
2 . Gibraltar has vaccinated (注射疫苗) its entire adult population, making it a perfect “green list” destination for the coming sunny break. Here are our tips on what you can get there.
Cable car
The views from the Cable Car’s Top Station, located 412 m above sea level, are truly breathtaking and it will take you only 6 minutes to get to the top. You will find our tailless monkey at the Cable Car Top Station. However, please be aware that although they look cute and friendly, they are wild animals and must be treated with caution and respect.
The Cable Car is open 7 days a week from 09:30 to 19:15. No reservation needed.
ADMISSION PRICES: £16 for each adult, £7 for each child, and £14.5 for senior citizens
E-bike
E-bike system was established in July 2019 to provide e-bike guided tours and bike rentals in Gibraltar.
The directors of our tours bring 20 years of experience organizing and operating e-bike and motorcycle tours around the world. Our tour guides are officially licensed by the Gibraltar Tourist Board, are native English speakers and carry first-aid. German and Spanish speaking tour guides are also available on request.
CONTACT: TEL +350 56004948, e-mail info@ebike-gibraltar.com, or visit http://www.ebike-gibraltar.com/
Lower St Michael’s Cave
When the upper section of St Michael’s Cave has been known for over 2000 years and used for various purposes such as a hospital during World War II, it was only in 1942 that Lower St Michael’s Cave was discovered.
The tour into Lower St Michael’s Cave normally lasts around three hours. People are advised to wear shoes and clothing suitable for climbing. Due to the unusual nature of this tour, children under the age of ten years are not allowed. Three days in advance is also necessary for bookings.
ADMISSION PRICE: £25 per person
For details: TEL +350 20076849 or e-mail eltopo@gibraltar.gi
1. If a couple with two children want to get close to wildlife in Gibraltar, how much do they have to pay?| A．£30. | B．£46. | C．£50. | D．£61. |
| A．English. | B．German. | C．Spanish. | D．French. |
| A．Call +350 56004948 for detailed information. |
| B．Take a child of 8 on the tour. |
| C．Wear comfortable shoes for climbing. |
| D．Book the tour one day ahead of their schedule. |
3 . A teenager from the UK almost died because of an addiction to unhealthy exercise.
Lisa Fouweather, 19, was so addicted to working out that she ran half marathons before breakfast. She started to practice running, hoping to become excellent at her running club, but quickly became addicted.
She was hardly eating to keep in shape. The teen’s meals would only include a few pieces of food from her “safe foods” list which was mainly fruit and vegetables. She would avoid anything containing sugar or fat. “I would throw my orange juice and bread out of the window when my parents left the room,” she said. At one point, her weight dropped to just 75 pounds — around 34 kg.
This helped to improve her running in the short-term when, in fact, her whole life was falling apart. It affected her education as she would turn up late to school every day to finish her morning running. She said, “Six-mile runs became half marathons, all on an empty stomach before breakfast. Upon my return, I would eat only fruit.”
However, although warned by her parents, Lisa refused to admit she had a problem and wouldn’t give up her way of working out until one day she had a heart attack after her running and was rushed to hospital, where she was diagnosed with anorexic (厌食症) and banned from exercise. “I was told that I could have died because my heart was under great pressure.” She was given dieting advice by doctors to help treat her eating disorders. Thanks to hard work and professional help, she managed to put a stop to her extreme exercise and dieting and has been in recovery for nearly three years.
Lisa said, “I want people who are going through the same problem as I did to know that there is help and support out there, and don’t wait until you’re at breaking point to seek that help.”
1. Why did Lisa start practicing running at first?| A．To become great at the running club. |
| B．To keep in shape. |
| C．To help her with her diet. |
| D．To improve her education. |
| A．She ran half marathons on an empty stomach. |
| B．She had an unhealthy way of eating. |
| C．She didn’t get any warning from others. |
| D．She wouldn’t quit her wrong way of exercise at first. |
| A．There are many people going through the same problem as Lisa did. |
| B．Lisa can provide help and support to people with the same problem. |
| C．You can wait for help if you’re going through the same problem. |
| D．People with the same problem should ask for help in time. |
| A．Science. | B．Technology. |
| C．Health. | D．Nature. |
4 . This year, the hole in the ozone layer (臭氧层）over Antarctica has expanded to one of its largest sizes and deepest levels in years.
So how big is the ozone hole? On Sept 20, the hole over Antarctica peaked (达到高峰) at 24.8 million square kilometers, which is three times the size of the United States. It has increased by 8.4 million square kilometers since 2019.
That puts it in about the same ballpark (范围) as ozone holes in 2015 and 2018, which respectively recorded peaks of 25.6 and 22.9 million square kilometers.
"The 2020 ozone loss shows that we have to remain vigilant (警觉的) and maintain continuous observations (观察)," said World Meteorological organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
The ozone layer is important because it acts like a sunscreen, blocking harmful ultraviolet light (紫外线) from reaching our planet's surface. Without it, humans and animals will be more likely to experience skin cancers, immune suppression (抑制), cataracts (白内障) and premature (提前的) aging.
Of course, humans play a large role in the depletion (消耗) of the ozone layer. The loss of ozone in the Antarctic, as well as the Arctic, is due to the large amounts of ozone-destroying gases caused by human activity. Once released into the atmosphere, these gases can remain for decades. In extremely cold weather conditions, they trigger (激发) chemical reactions that destroy the ozone layer.
"The Arctic stratosphere (平流居) continues to be vulnerable (脆弱的) to ozone-depleting substances linked to human activities," said Taalas.
Marcus Rex, a scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, told Nature that the ozone hole doesn't threaten human health but that over next month, there is a possibility that it might move to more populated areas. In that case, he recommends more sunscreen.
Although it seems bad, scientists are hopeful that Earth can heal (治愈) itself. Researchers believe the ozone hole will eventually heal and around 2050, Earth's ozone layer will return to normal.
1. What does the underlined word "That" in Paragraph 3 mean?| A．The ozone layer. | B．The growing of ozone hole. |
| C．The ultraviolet light. | D．The size of ozone hole. |
| A．It contains resources on which mankind rely for living. |
| B．It can prevent human from experiencing skin cancers, immune suppression, cataracts and premature aging. |
| C．It can protect ultraviolet light from harming people. |
| D．It can help deplete ozone-destroying gases caused by human activity. |
| A．To show that Arctic stratosphere is too vulnerable to protect the Earth. |
| B．To introduce several ozone-depleting substances linked to human activities. |
| C．To prove that human activities have a great effect on the depletion of the ozone layer. |
| D．To discuss why Arctic stratosphere is vulnerable. |
| A．Human activities' great effect on nature |
| B．Researches on the ozone layer |
| C．The harm of the depletion of the ozone layer |
| D．Rapidly growing ozone hole |
5 . In work, as well as in life, doing what needs to be done in order to reach our goals can be difficult. Without a good system in place, it is easy to lose focus, waste time and lose track of our most important tasks. Luckily, one of the most efficient(高效的)useful ways is also one of the world's easiest---the Pomodoro Technique.
The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, which breaks down your work into 25-minute blocks(一段时间)divided by short breaks. Cirillo named the system after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer(计时器)that he used to track his work time when he was studying in university, where he developed a habit of doing short blocks of work followed by resting periods. He realized this method could help him work with time instead of struggling against it. In 2006, Cirillo published his Pomodoro Technique manual for people to download free of charge. It was downloaded over two million times.
The Pomodoro Technique was built around a handful of important steps. First, choose a task that you'd like to get done. It can be something big, something small, or something that you've been putting off for months. What matters is that you are ready to give it your full attention.
Next, set a timer for 25 minutes. Try to spend the full 25 minutes with your complete attention on the task. Then, when the timer goes off, take a five-minute break. Sit back, have a drink, go for a short walk, or do something else that doesn't relate to work. Treat yourself to a longer break that lasts 15 to 30 minutes after you have completed four of these 30-minute cycles. In theory, the longer break will allow your brain to relax, reset, ready for the next round of Pomodoros.
After trying the Pomodoro Technique, you may want to experiment a little. Some people have found that 90-minute blocks work best, while others might perform better with more flexible periods. It varies from person to person. Just remember, like many things in life, simpler is often better!
1. What can we know about Pomodoro Technique?| A．The technique was named after Cirillo. |
| B．Cirillo developed a habit of doing short blocks of work followed by resting periods in 2006. |
| C．Users of the technique can have a rest at intervals. |
| D．Cirillo got profits from Pomodoro Technique manual. |
a. Focus on the task.
b. Set out tasks.
c. Take a 5-minute break.
d. Take a longer break.
e. Repeat the cycle four times
| A．acebd | B．baced |
| C．bacde | D．acede |
| A．A 90-minute block works best. |
| B．Take a longer break that lasts 60 minutes will allow your brain to relax, reset, ready for the next round of Pomodoros. |
| C．The time setting depends on the users. |
| D．A simple Pomodoro can make things in life better. |
| A．The introduction of the Pomodoro Technique. |
| B．The invention of the Pomodoro Technique. |
| C．The use of the Pomodoro Technique. |
| D．The effect the Pomodoro Technique brings to people. |
6 . Gift-Giving Customs
Whether it is for a special festival, to express thanks or to just let someone know that you care about them, giving gifts is a common custom. The purpose of giving gifts may be similar, but the tradition varies from country to country. A gift of respect in one place may be considered rude in another. Take a look at three unique gift giving traditions.
India
If you're invited to someone's home in India, you should bring a small gift, whether it's a box of chocolates or some flowers. Gifts shouldn't be wrapped（包裹）in black or white colors, because they are considered unlucky. Instead, use bright colors such as green, red or yellow. When giving money for any occasion, it should have an odd number （奇数）value. That's believed to bring good luck. Instead of receiving a gift with both hands, Indians generally only use their right hand because left hands are considered unclean.
Japan
For most Japanese, the ritual（礼节）of giving presents is more important than the gifts themselves. The correct way is to present or receive gifts with both hands. Every gift should be wrapped. That's because uncovered gifts are considered disrespectful. To show politeness and thanks, those who are receiving the gift may turn it down once or twice before finally accepting it. Gifts should be given in pairs, but four should be avoided just like in China. Lucky numbers also include eight. Eight is said to bring prosperity（兴旺）.
Native America
While it may be common for guests to prepare gifts for hosts, this is different in Native American communities. From weddings to birthday celebrations, guests are the ones who receive gifts. Gifts are usually homemade arts and crafts（工艺）- made by hand to show love, respect and appreciation.
1. Which of the tradition will fit in India?| A．Bring the gift wrapped in white. |
| B．Use 600 dollars as gift. |
| C．Receive gift with both hands. |
| D．Chocolates in red box as gift. |
| A．color | B．value | C．way | D．amount |
| A．The traditions of giving gift is similar in different countries. |
| B．Japanese will receive the presents directly. |
| C．The hosts in America are expected to receive presents. |
| D．No matter where the gift-giving customs are, they convey good meaning. |
7 . If you want to become a fluent English speaker you should take some advice: There are four skills in learning English. They are reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The most important thing you must remember is that if you want to improve your speaking and writing skills you should first master the skills of reading and listening.
Read as much as you can. But your reading must be active. It means that you must think about the meaning of the sentence, the meaning of the unfamiliar words, etc. There is no need for you to pay much attention to grammars or try to understand all the unfamiliar words you come across, but the fact that you see them for the first time and recognize them whenever you see them, for example, in other passages or books, is enough. It would be better to prepare yourself a notebook so you can write down the important words or sentences in it.
As for listening, there are two choices: besides reading, you can listen every day for about 30 minutes. You can only pay attention to your reading and become skillful at your reading, then you can catch up on your listening. Since you have lots of inputs in your mind, you can easily guess what the speaker is going to say. This never means that you should not practice listening.
For listening you can listen to cartoons or some movies that are specially made for children. Their languages are easy. Or if you are good at listening you can listen to VOA or BBC programs every day. Again the thing to remember is being active in listening and preferably taking some notes.
If you follow these pieces of advice, your speaking and writing will improve automatically, and you can be sure that with a little effort they will become perfect.
1. According to the author, which should you improve first among the four skills?| A．Reading and listening. | B．Reading and writing. |
| C．Writing and speaking. | D．Speaking and listening. |
| A．meet by accident | B．discover |
| C．find on purpose | D．look for |
| A．everyone should listen to VOA or BBC programs every day |
| B．you needn’t practice listening if you keep on reading every day |
| C．being good at reading is helpful in improving your listening |
| D．you should take notes of whatever you are hearing |
| A．choose suitable listening materials |
| B．deal with new words in reading |
| C．improve your English as quickly as possible |
| D．become fluent in speaking and writing English |
8 . With COVID-19 outbreaks at different stages around the world, in many countries lockdowns (封城) are being carefully eased off while urging citizens to keep on practicing the social distancing rules. Singapore is trying a new way of carrying it out—a robot dog.
The government has arranged Spot, a yellow and black robotic dog made by Boston Dynamics Company, at one local park. The same robot has ever been seen dancing to hit song “Uptown Funk” before. However, 2020 is an extremely difficult year and the company is trying to assist the national coronavirus-control effort. In turn, the job has been handed over to Spot.
The four-legged robot dog patrols (巡查) the park and broadcasts a pre-recorded message to encourage visitors to observe safe distancing measures. As it walks around the park, the dog says in a female voice, “Let’s keep Singapore healthy. For your own safety and for those around you, please stand at least one meter apart. Thank you.”
Spot is one of the world’s most advanced robots and unlike wheeled robots, it is capable of going pretty much anywhere a dog can go and can walk up to three miles per hour over different areas, making it ideal for operation in public parks and gardens. Furthermore, it is remotely controlled and has cameras with 360-degree vision and analytic tools to scan the surroundings and help officials estimate the number of people gathering in the park.
For now, the project is currently set to run in a limited trial for two weeks at one park during off-peak (非高峰) hours. But if all goes well, authorities will consider expanding the program to improve enforcement (强制) of social distance throughout on Singapore.
Spot is also being used in other ways during the public health crisis beyond just patrolling a park. The government says it’s also using Spot in another capacity—at a local isolation facility where the robot helps bring medicine to patients.
1. What do we know about Spot in the passage?| A．It’s a dog-like robot that can speak. |
| B．It’s a robot that can sing a popular song. |
| C．It’s a wheeled robot that can walk anywhere. |
| D．It’s a robot newly invented during the pandemic (流行病). |
| A．It enforces people to follow the rules. |
| B．It politely tells people to keep apart. |
| C．It works day and night to patrol the park. |
| D．It warns visitors against throwing trash anywhere. |
| A．Some smart features of the robot. |
| B．The robot dog’s basic equipment. |
| C．The working condition of the robot. |
| D．The experiment process of the project. |
| A．Spot, a Dog like Robot, Walks in the Park. |
| B．A New Program is Expanding in Singapore. |
| C．A Multi-skilled Robot Goes Beyond the Park. |
| D．Singapore Leads the Top in Fighting COVID-19. |
9 . A young Dutch inventor is widening his effort to clean up floating(浮动的) plastic from the Pacific Ocean. He has developed a floating device(设备) to catch plastic waste moving into rivers before it reaches the oceans.
Boyan Slat was just 18 years old when he invented a system for catching waste in the ocean. He also set up an environmental group called “The Ocean Cleanup”. Its purpose is to develop the system. Last year, Slat showed the next step: a floating device called Interceptor. It takes plastic out of rivers. The device is powered by energy from the sun. “The 1,000 rivers are responsible for about 80% of plastic going into the world’s oceans,” said Slat. Three of the machines have already been used. Each machine costs about $ 775,660, but the cost might drop as production increases.
Since they were used, the machines have been doing very well, collecting the plastic bottles and all the rubbish in the rivers. According to Slat, it is necessary to close “the tap”, which means stopping more plastic from reaching the ocean in the first place. He wanted to clean them all in the next five years. “This is not going to be easy, but if we do get this done, we could truly make our oceans again,” said Slat.
The device is designed to be safe in rivers. Its nose is shaped to change directions to keep it away from larger floating things. It works by guiding plastic waste into an opening in the front of the device. The waste is then carried inside the machine where it is dropped into containers(容器). The device sends a text message to local operators that can come and empty it when it is full.
1. What do we know about Interceptor?| A．It hasn’t been used yet. |
| B．It can help sort waste. |
| C．It is mainly used under the sea. |
| D．It needs energy from the sun to work. |
| A．To empty the waste. |
| B．To serve as containers. |
| C．To ensure(确保) the device’s safety. |
| D．To send operators text messages. |
| A．A floating device for catching plastic waste. |
| B．A young well-known Dutch inventor. |
| C．A system for making rivers safe. |
| D．An environmental group called the Ocean Cleanup. |
| A．A diary. | B．A dictionary. |
| C．A travel brochure. | D．A magazine. |
10 . When it comes to thrilling places to travel to, the nation of Thailand has got to be at or near the top of the list. The beaches of Thailand are simply amazing. Here is a look at the four best beaches in all of Thailand.
Maya Bay
This small beach attracts some huge crowds, but it is still worth a visit thanks to what is widely regarded as some of the best sights in the whole country. The Maya Bay Beach is located on a small island and is only accessible(可进入的) via boat or passenger ferry.
Lamai Beach
For the traveler looking for a quite unforgettable beach experience during their visit to Thailand, a trip out to Lamai Beach in Samui is a must. The sandy areas are long and wide with plenty of room for everyone. The water is inviting and easy to access.
Patong Beach
Patong Beach is not only one of the most beautiful and popular beaches in Thailand, but it is the largest beach on the popular island of Phuket. The soft white sand is a great place to relax. Some of the many great activities that travelers can join in during a visit to Patong Beach include jet skiing, kayaking, surfing, diving, snorkeling(浮潜) , swimming, and more.
Haad Rin
Haad Rin is one of the most popular party spots in the country, for both locals and travelers. All month long, during most parts of the year, there are some special entertainment(娱乐), eating, and socializing opportunities.
1. If you want to have a very impressive beach experience, which is highly recommended?| A．Maya Bay | B．Lamai Beach |
| C．Patong Beach | D．Haad Rin |
| A．Maya Bay | B．Lamai Beach |
| C．Patong Beach | D．Haad Rin |
| A．Relax on the white soft sand. |
| B．Take part in adventurous activities. |
| C．Have a good time with the people living here. |
| D．Learn much culture and history about Thailand. |
