1 . Here are four homes for sale around the U. S. with links to past presidents, as well as their close families.
John F. Kennedy’s Weekend Retreat
A modest farm near Middle burg, Virginia, was built by John F. Kennedy and his wife in the early 1960s. The former first lady designed it herself. The four-bedroom property is currently back on the market for $5.95 million, decreased by $10.99 million when it was first put up for sale in 2013.
Jackie Kennedy’s Summer House
Another Kennedy-linked property for sale is the “Lasata” estate in the Hamptons, designed by architect Arthur C. Jackson and built in 1917. Set on more than seven acres of land near the ocean, it includes a ten-bedroom house that was restored in 2007, including a three-car garage building. It’s on the market for $38.995 million, a little bit higher than last year.
Chester A. Arthur’s Summer White House
Chester A. Arthur, who became the 21st president in 1881, spent some of his down time here. The three-story, six-bedroom Victorian mansion, which was built in 1796 and has been recently restored, is for sale with a $14.2 million price tag. Features include a library with fireplace, a formal dining and living room and a family room overlooking the garden and the swimming pool.
Barack Obama’s Summer Rental
This Martha’s Vineyard home which was built in the late twentieth century served as the summer White House to former President Obama. It is currently for sale for $19.125 million, down from $22.5 million in July 2015. Set on nine-and-a-half acres of land and with its own private road, this property no doubt acts as a perfect summer hideaway for those who didn’t want his every movement seen. In addition to privacy, other features include a heated pool, a half-basketball court, outdoor terraces and a two-bedroom guest cottage.
1. Which house has the longest history?| A．Barack Obama’s Summer Rental. |
| B．Jackie Kennedy’s Summer House. |
| C．Chester A. Arthur’s Summer White House. |
| D．John F. Kennedy’s Weekend Retreat. |
| A．Privacy. | B．Architecture. | C．Location. | D．Price. |
| A．Their prices are going down these years. |
| B．They have connections with U. S. presidents. |
| C．They have a history of more than a century. |
| D．They have more than 5 bedrooms in the house. |
2 . WP Puppet Pop-Up Studio
It is a monthly puppet(木偶 ) making and performing workshop offered on the third Saturday of each month at different places in Calgary. The workshops are suitable for people with different skill levels and encourage all family members, youngsters and elders to create art and drama together , with a different theme each month. But for 2020 , we can't get together for fun , and you can enjoy it online.
Michaels Kids' Club
Let your kids explore their art creativity here. Kids 3 and up can enjoy a quick project and take home a finished masterpiece. Sign up online,or just drop in. Only $3 per child reserves 30minutes for your creative kid. The project starts every half hour between 10 am and 11:30 am on Saturday mornings.
Contemporary Calgary
It is an art gallery and contemporary art museum. People can enjoy the art of our times through exhibitions , speeches , and education programs here. It is open from 9 am to 6 pm on weekdays and closes at 10 pm on weekends. Kids under 12 years old are free.
Leighton Art Centre
It is full of fine crafts(工艺品) and artwork by local artists, where you find truly unique gifts for your loved ones. For 2020 , it is staying until December 20th to give visitors more opportunities to come in person, while still making sure of social distancing in the house. To avoid the chance of having to line up outside, purchase a $10 ticket in advance for a 9 - 10 am shopping time on Saturday or Sunday morning.
1. What do we know about WP Puppet Pop-Up Studio?| A．It's open to people of all skill levels. | B．Its works are exhibited for a month. |
| C．It has a different theme every year. | D．Its activities begin every half hour. |
| A．Michaels Kids' Club. | B．Leighton Art Centre. |
| C．Contemporary Calgary. | D．WP Puppet Pop-Up Studio. |
| A．They are all open on Sundays. | B．They organize activities offline. |
| C．They are all free for children. | D．They are related to art activities. |
3 . This is not a diet. It’s a simple way to lose weight. You don’t have to give up the food you love or join a gym. You just follow some habits thin people have. Keep them, and you’ll become thin.
◆Wake-up
When you wake up in the morning, sit up slowly without using your hands. With legs straight out, lean forward (前俯) until you feel sore (酸痛的) in your back. It will use up 10 calories.
◆Start with soup
Order a clear soup, and have it before the main food. In this way, you’ll feel fuller, so you’ll eat less when the main food comes.
◆An apple or more a day
Apples are full of fiber (纤维) and water, so your stomach will want less. Studies show that people who eat at least three apples or pears a day may lose weight.
◆Talk it up
Every time you use the cell phone, stand up and walk around. Heavy people sit on average two and a half hours more each day than thin people. This skill is very important as standing up and walking around will burn up 50 or more calories. Use these skills, and you will have a big weight loss.
1. The text is to encourage you to ______.| A．go on a diet | B．give up your favorite foods |
| C．join a gym | D．follow some habits of thin people |
| A．Sit up quickly in the morning. | B．Have soup before the main food. |
| C．Eat rice instead of apples. | D．Sit down when using a cell phone. |
| A．in a magazine | B．in a dictionary | C．in a story-book | D．on a map |
4 . Influenced by their families and society, many youths are infatuated with expensive famous brands. But not every youth is as rich as a millionaire and people are getting worried about this.
According to a recent survey, one out of five pupils wears clothes of well-known brands, including a belt worth 560 Yuan, more than an ordinary worker’s salary. Among the 100 middle school students surveyed, as many as 70 own famous-brand clothes, 60 have famous-brand watches and 45 possess famous-brand bicycles. Two of them even wear over 1500 Yuan worth of suits.
Most young people who come from ordinary families will try to steal money to have better food and clothing if their parents don’t satisfy their needs. A boy named Chen even killed another boy simply for 500 Yuan and was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
People wonder how these teenagers can be independent in the future, while parents are calling for help from schools, governments and the society.
1. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?| A．More than 50 percent of the students surveyed possess things of famous brands. |
| B．An ordinary worker owns less than 560 Yuan each month. |
| C．Suits may cost as much as 1500 Yuan. |
| D．Young people now are as rich as millionaires. |
| A．steal money for better food and clothing |
| B．kill another boy for 500 Yuan |
| C．stay in prison for nine years |
| D．ask his parents to satisfy his needs |
| A．The governments | B．The schools |
| C．The society | D．All the above |
| A．Youths Run After Famous Brands. |
| B．Youths Should Own More Money |
| C．Youths As Rich As Millionaires |
| D．Youths Must Be Taken Good Care of |
5 . 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 |
I used to have a really good group of friends. Now they're all getting into smoking and drinking. I want to find a new group of friends, but I'm shy. How can I know who are the types of people I should make friends with, and who will accept me?
Yours,
Mike
Dear Mike,
You've already made a very important step because you've realized that it's time to find new friends. Making and keeping good friends is a challenge for all of us, whether you are shy or not. Since you've done this successfully before, one thing is to think back on how you developed friendships in the past.
Probably the best way to make and keep friends is to find others who share your interests. Lasting friendships often develop between people who enjoy the same activities. You also want to be with friends who share your values and goals for life. It just depends on what your own interests are.
That old saying is also true — the best way to have a friend is to be a friend. Reach out to the others who share your interests, sit with them at lunch, invite them to join you in the activities you all like, listen to their thoughts and tell them yours. Being a real friend takes time and effort. With time and effort, I'm sure you will find some very good friends during your school years and you'll always be in touch after leaving school.
Yours,
Tom Black
1. Mike wrote the letter to ________.| A．ask Mr Black why people don't like him |
| B．ask Mr Black why his old friends left him |
| C．ask Mr Black to introduce some friends to him |
| D．ask Mr Black for some advice on making friends |
| A．Because they try to make him smoke and drink. |
| B．Because they have formed some bad habits. |
| C．Because they no longer want to spend time with him. |
| D．Because they have never treated himas a good friend. |
| A．not so easy |
| B．just hard for shy people |
| C．an easy task for some people |
| D．especially difficult for students |
| A．have good goals for life |
| B．can set good examples to him |
| C．have a lot of money |
| D．have the same interests as him |
7 . Harvard English Language Center
Information for New Students
CLASS TIME: 9:00a.m.—10:00a.m., 10:30a.m.—12:00a.m., 1:30p.m.—3:00p.m..
The Language Center is open from Monday to Friday. Each class has one afternoon free per week. On the first day, go to the lecture hall to check your timetable.
SELF-ACCESS: The language laboratory (Room 1110) is open from Monday to Friday (3:15p.m. -5:00p.m.) for all full-time students.
You can learn how to use computers for language games or word-processing. There are tapes for students to borrow to practice their English. Go in and ask the teacher to show you. If you plan to take public examinations, there are dictation and listening comprehension tapes for you to practice with. There are close exercises on the computers. Ask your class teacher for a list of past exam essays. Students can borrow tapes to take home but they must be returned after two days.
ATTENDANCE（出勤）：All students are expected to attend classes as it is required. Students who do not attend classes will be reported to OSS. Eighty percent attendance is required for students to receive their certificates (证书) when they finish their courses. It is also required by OSS for an extension to your visa.
BOOKS: If students are given course books, the books are their responsibility. If a book is lost, the student will be expected to pay for it.
If students wish to buy books, there is a bookshop in the college specializing in English books (Room 3520).
1. When do classes begin and end on a full day?| A．8:30a.m.—1:30p.m.. | B．9:00a.m.—3:00p.m.. |
| C．10:30a.m.—3:15p.m.. | D．3:15p.m.—5:00p.m.. |
| A．the classroom | B．Room 3520 |
| C．the lecture hall | D．Room 1110 |
| A．80% of the students can receive their certificates when they finish their courses. |
| B．Students can borrow tapes to practice their English. |
| C．Books can be taken home but they must be returned after two days. |
| D．The librarian will be expected to pay for the lost book. |
8 . Do you like running enough to make it a habit? Tierney Wolfgram does; she has made running a lifelong career and isn't stopping.
In February, the 16-year-old from a high school, US, competed at the 2020 US Olympic Trials. She finished the marathon(42.195 km)with a time of 2:42:47 as the youngest competitor in the race and ranked 76th out of 390 runners. However, the cross-country(越野的)season was postponed to winter because of the COVID-19. So she jumped at the opportunity to train for another race-the Parkway Marathon in California. In November, Wolfgram broke the Women's American Junior marathon record with her time of 2:31:49. The old record was 2:34:32, which had stood since 1984.
“I'm completely stunned, ”said Wolfgram's coach. “I knew she was going to break it, but she really showed out！”
During the run, Wolfgram once hit a wall pretty hard, but she overcame it to finish. “I guess I can say I gave it my all, ”she told Runner's World. “When I finished, all I was thinking was I felt super happy,” Wolfgram said This was only her third marathon. In 2018, when Wolfgram was 15 years old, she ran her first marathon just because she wanted to see if she had the ability to do it. “I believed that I would get faster as the distances got longer. . . I'm still glad that I did it. ”
When preparing for that first marathon, she ran up to 120 miles per week. Although her parents didn't have any background in running, they helped Wolfgram train. At first, her dad would take her out in the morning and run about 13 miles. The distance would gradually increase each day. On top of her runs in the morning, she would do cross-country practice after school.
Now Wolfgram will consider attending the Olympics Games in 2024 after it's scheduled.
1. What can we learn about Wolfgram from Paragraph 2?| A．She was the champion at the 2020 US Olympic Trials. |
| B．She put off the cross-country season for the COVID-19. |
| C．She broke an Olympic marathon record in November. |
| D．She prepared for the Parkway Marathon in California. |
| A．Doubtful | B．Worried. | C．Shocked. | D．Interested |
| A．Her parents' encouragement. | B．Her desire to prove she could do it. |
| C．Her coach's support and help. | D．Her hope to break the national record |
| A．Sports. | B．Lifestyle | C．Culture. | D．Opinion |
9 . We are surrounded every day by thousands of chemicals. These chemicals have been found to be safe－on their own. But are they still “safe” if mixed with other chemicals? That's the big question.
On its own, each chemical seems harmless. But in combination with other chemicals, they may become deadly. That is the finding of a two－year study by a high－profile task force of scientists. The task force was told to investigate the cancer－causing possibility of chemical mixtures.
Linda Gulliver was one of 174 scientists on the task force. Their job was to study the cancer－causing potential of 85 chemicals. All 85 are said to be common in the environment.
Ms Gulliver explains that chemicals have the potential to form dangerous mixtures. Even simple minerals can become dangerous when mixed with chemicals found in plastics or beauty products. While the chemicals are safe on their own. She says, the researchers found that many chemical compound cause cancer in human cells.
Working in groups, the scientists explored how different chemical mixtures could lead to cancer. Ms Gulliver's team looked at the ability of different combinations to support the increase of malignant (恶性的) human cells.
She says the big issue－what she calls “the $ 64 million dollar question”－is, “Which common, everyday chemicals do people need to avoid？”
“The $ 64 million dollar question that everybody wants to ask is, ‘Which chemicals should we be looking out for？’ And the answer to that is, ‘We don't know yet.’”
She says the current way to identify whether chemicals cause cancer is to test them one at a time. This method leads, she adds, to a long list of supposedly “safe” chemicals. She and her team say that approach needs to change.
“We definitely need certain research ... to find out what mixtures of chemicals would be more harmful than others; what groups of chemicals, when together, would produce more harmful effects. And at the moment, that is not known.”
1. The purpose of the researchers' work is ________.| A．to find ways to protect human cells |
| B．to study the character of the chemicals |
| C．to study how deadly the chemicals in our homes are |
| D．to study the cancer－causing possibility of mixtures |
| A．practical to other researchers | B．completely successful |
| C．still limited | D．not well received |
| A．Chemicals are everywhere |
| B．Chemicals can lead to cancer |
| C．What is in chemicals in our daily life? |
| D．Mixture of safe chemicals may cause cancer |
| A．Harmful chemicals are throughout our homes. |
| B．It is hard to tell what mixture of chemicals is harmful. |
| C．Researchers have quick approaches to studying the chemicals. |
| D．Scientists know which mixture does harm to our health. |
10 . It was 1504, and Columbus was making another trip to the New World. Columbus and his men needed fresh water and food after three months at sea. They saw an island and went to the shore. On the island there were unfriendly Indians who refused to give food and water to them. Columbus’ men were afraid of the Indians, but he had a clever plan. He used gesture language to tell the Indians about his mysterious power to turn off the light in the sky. He knew about a lunar eclipse (月食) the next night because the information was in his almanac. Columbus told the Indians, “Tomorrow night I’ll turn off the light in the sky.” But they didn’t believe him. When the eclipse began the next night, the Indians became very frightened. They begged Columbus to turn on the light again, and they quickly gave him all the food and water he wanted. Immediately Columbus and his men hurried back to the ship and sailed away in the moonless night.
1. Columbus and his men stopped at the island because .| A．they wanted to meet the Indians there |
| B．they hoped to get supplies of food and water |
| C．they had never been on the island before |
| D．they had planned to visit it |
| A．were glad to see | B．were kind to | C．welcomed | D．were hostile to |
| A．used sign language |
| B．spoke in the language of the Indians |
| C．drew a lot of signs |
| D．wrote in the language of the Indians |
| A．the sun | B．the moon | C．the stars | D．the daylight |
| A．believed Columbus was a man with mysterious power |
| B．were interested in Columbus’ trip |
| C．wanted to help Columbus |
| D．were clever |
