1 . A study confirmed that the cracks (裂缝) found on the surface of Mars last year by the Curiosity Rover are evidence of ancient lakes that likely dried up about 3.5 billion years ago. The new study provides further evidence of what the climate on the Red Planet may have been like in its ancient past.

The study, published online in Geology, proved that cracks on Mars’s surface previously photographed by Curiosity are dry mud cracks which could have only been formed when wet ground was exposed to the air. This conclusion was based on an analysis of a single area of rock known as “Old Soaker.”

Researchers used the Curiosity Rover and information from its many tools including the Mars Hand Lens Imager, ChemCam Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) and the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) to study both the physical appearance and the chemistry of the rock, which is described as no bigger than a coffee table.

The analysis showed that cracks on the rock were formed by exposure to air, rather than heat or the flow of water. In addition, the shape of the cracks suggests it experienced a single drying event on the planet, rather than getting wet and drying over repeatedly. The position of the cracks, closer to the center of the ancient lake rather than alongside it, also suggests that the lake levels changed often, rising and falling over time.

“The mud cracks are exciting because they help us to understand this ancient lake system,” lead study author Nathaniel Stein, a geologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, said, referring to the ancient lake system on the planet.

Scientists have known of the existence of ancient water on Mars for years. A 2015 NASA study that measured water in Mars’s atmosphere suggested that ancient oceans may once have had more water than our own Arctic Ocean. However, because the planet has less gravity and a thinner atmosphere than Earth, this water evaporated into space over the course of several billion years.

1. What is the Curiosity Rover underlined in Paragraph 1?

A．A research organization.	B．An automatic machine.
C．An ancient remain on the planet.	D．A space telescope on earth.

2. What do we know about the discovery on Mars?

A．The cracks are near the center of an ancient lake.

B．Mars was getting wet and drying more than once.

C．The lake level on Mars seldom changes over time.

D．The cracks on the rocks were formed by water flow.

3. What do we know from the last paragraph?

A．Ancient water still exists on Mars now.

B．The gravity on Mars is stronger than that on Earth.

C．The atmosphere on Earth is thicker than that on Mars.

D．The ancient Arctic Ocean had more water than it has now.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Water on Mars.	B．A trip to Mars.
C．A study on Mars.	D．Cracks on Mars.

3 . We have studied in Songpu High school for several months. When I first went into the school gate and saw my new classroom and teachers, I thought I would have a new start. The school life is very busy and exciting. There are many activities in our school, such as Sports Meeting, Science Week, Art Week and so on. We all take an active part in them. I have made many new friends and we often help and learn from each other in study.Our teachers have taught us a lot. They not only teach us how to study but also teach us how to be a useful person in society. They tell us which thing is worth doing.Habit is a second nature.Our teachers often remind us to form a good habit.

People often said: There is no royal to learning. Now I feel it is true. The study now is far more different than before. I often find there is something difficult to understand at once. At this time, you must spend a lot of time studying by yourself or you won't make progress. Of course study is hard but when you make progress you'll find it is interesting.

Our school is clean and beautiful. There are many trees and flowers around it.In order to make our school more and more beautiful we should try our best to keep it clean.

Today we are proud of Songpu. Tomorrow Songpu will be proud of us.

1. ________ is also important besides studying hard according to this passage.

A．Being a useful person	B．Good studying habit
C．Taking part in activities	D．Making progress

2. The attitude of the author to his/her school is ________.

A．thankful	B．enthusiastic
C．loving	D．exciting

3. The life of the students in this school is ________.

A．boring	B．harmonious (和谐的)
C．terrible	D．quiet

4. The best title for this passage is ________.

A．An Attractive School	B．My School Life
C．I Like My School	D．My Teacher

4 . Answering the Community Needs of Our City

The Siver City Council recognizes that citizens have certain needs. To better meet your needs, we have made several changes to community facilities in 2020. The followings shows how we have tried to make your life better.

Transport

☆Three stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service.

☆20 new buses for the southern line were purchased in January.

☆50 per cent of city bus-stops have been upgraded.

Communication

☆Broadband cableis now available to ll parts of the city.

☆All of the new Government buildings are smart-wired for better computer service!

Medical Facilities

☆The new state-of-the-art Nightingale Hospital was opened in June.

☆To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff at Dover Hospital, 10 doctors have been employed from overseas.

☆Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgraded.

Education

☆Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2020!

☆Rental for private schools has been reduced.

Protection and Security

☆Extra police now patrol(巡逻)the tourist areas.

☆50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city area.

Entertainment/Recreation

☆The new Central Community Building opened in May.

☆5,000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library.

1. What’s the notice mainly about?

A．The work carried out by the people of Silver City.

B．The facilities available in Silver City.

C．Some improvements in Silver City.

D．Information for interested tourists.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Travel books are provided in the new library.

B．More bus lines and stops are bought in Silver City.

C．Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital.

D．There are more police officers on duty now.

3. The public notice is from ________.

A．the community	B．the local government
C．the Silver City Library	D．a travel agency

5 . With paper flowers and music hanging around in the air, Lyu Jun was hosting a small farewell ceremony at an industrial zone in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. It was a funeral for a pet dog. Lyu came up with the idea of becoming a pet mortician (殡葬师) four years ago when he was preparing to start a business.

“At that time, there was only one brick-and-mortar(实体的) business that provided funeral services for pets in Shenzhen, but hundreds of pets die every day in this city,” he said. According to Lyu, many pet owners used to bury the remains of their beloved animals near their homes , which had a harmful impact on the environment and created the risk of spreading disease.

He saw a gap in the market for someone able to properly handle the death of pets. “A pet funeral service provides treatment of the bodies that is harm-free, and it is the greatest comfort to pet owners,” Lyu said.

He takes good care of the remains of the pets and tidies up their appearance before the funeral. In addition, he prepares funeral addresses and selects suitable tombs for the pets. He also films funerals for owners who cannot attend the ceremonies, and provides paper and pens for those who want to write down their blessings and hang the notes on the wishing tree.

Over the past four years, Lyu has bid farewell to more than 2,000 dogs, cats and other kinds of animals. He also does volunteer work in his spare time to promote responsible dog raising. “The pet funeral service industry is still in its babyhood, and I hope there will be a set of strict standards for people who take on this job and a belter environment for the industry,” Lyu said.

1. Why did Lyu start the business on pet funeral service?

A．Because he could earn a lot of money from it.

B．Because he thought it met the market requirement.

C．Because he thought it would be a unique and challenging business.

D．Because he could help owners bury their dead pets near their homes.

2. What does Lyu often do as a pet mortician?

A．He delivers speeches to mourn the pets.

B．He gives best wishes to the pets' owners.

C．He makes films of the pets for their birth.

D．He nurses and cares for the pets carefully.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Lyu volunteers to raise pets on his own.

B．The pet funeral service has got a big success.

C．More strict standards should be set for pets' owners.

D．There remains a potential in the pet funeral industry.

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A research report.	B．An advertisement.
C．A novel.	D．A magazine.

6 . A mix of anxiety rising in my chest and a voice at the back of my mind shouting ‘what’s wrong with me?’ –it’s how I’ve felt about rejection my whole life.

The earliest rejection I can remember was on my first day of school. I started the term late due to illness and the teacher asked the class who would play with me at break. The silence was deafening. Now, a bit of online dating sees us rejected by half the town before we've even started our day. There's not a break at work. Is there a worse feeling than hitting the final slide on your presentation, boldly asking 'any questions?' and looking around the room to see everyone on their phones?

We need to build resilience. For me, this has come in two stages. First, I spent time listening to the voice of fear that saw each rejection as proof that there was something wrong with me. When I analysed it, I could see it was rarely about me. Perhaps the guy I was talking to was too busy to reply. It was likely that the magazine I'd sent a passage to already had an article on that topic. Now, I assume it's about me 20 per cent of the time - and I can live with that.

The other thing I do is practice rejecting. Because I hate rejection, I shy away from being the rejector, which means I either please people or avoid tricky situations. Instead, I've come up with a few lines for when I want to say no: 'That sounds great but it's not for me; thank you for asking but I decline; it was lovely but I think we should leave it there.' It's never pleasant to reject a person but there is a kind way to do it. With resilience and clarity, we can see the plus sides of rejection: it frees us up to do something else, be with someone else and be happier. We can't complain about that.

1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The examples of the author's being rejected.

B．The experiences of the author's online dating.

C．The reasons of the author's lateness for school.

D．The feelings of the author's being ignored at work.

2. What did the author find after analyzing the reason of rejection?

A．He could live with it.	B．It was partly about him.
C．He did something wrong.	D．It had nothing to do with him.

3. What might be the author's advice when you reject others?

A．Do it with resilience and clarity.

B．Come up with a few pleasant lines.

C．Please others or avoid tricky situations.

D．Show your kindness and don't complain.

4. What is one of the benefits of rejection?

A．It enables us to live.	B．It gives us more time.
C．It has some plus sides.	D．It does something else.

7 . Beijing—Chengdu Train

Altogether about 5 pairs of trains are running between Beijing and Chengdu at present. Among them, a few pairs are high speed trains, which run between Beijing West Railway Station and Chengdu East Railway Station with duration of 8 to 10 hours; the rest few pairs are normal types between Beijing West Railway Station and Chengdu Railway Station and the whole journey takes about 21 to 32 hours.

High Speed Trains
Basic Facts:

·Duration: about 8—10 hours

·Distance: about 1,874—2,391 kilometers (1,165—1,485 miles)

·Top speed: 300 km/h (186 mph)

·Operated at: Beijing West Railway Station, Chengdu East Railway Station

·Stations along the way: Shijiazhuang, Handan East, Anyang East, Zhengzhou East,

Huashan North, Xi'an North, Guangyuan, Mianyang

Beijing to Chengdu High Speed Train Schedule:
(Last Update on Nov 12, 2020)

Train No.	Departure - Arrival	Travel Time
G89	06:53—14:38	7h45m
G571	09:22—18:54	9h32m
G307	09:38—19:36	9h58m
G349	15:13—22:58	7h45m

Beijing—Chengdu Train Ticket Price:
(Last Update on Nov 12, 2020)

Business Class Seat	First Class Seat	Second Class Seat
CNY 2,417 / USD 350	CNY 1,246 / USD 181	CNY 778 / USD 112

Note: Children under the height of 1.2 for free ; Children with height between 1.2 and 1.5 meters half price ; Children above the height of 1.5 full price.
1. Where will you get off if you take a normal type train from Beijing to Chengdu?

A．Chengdu Railway Station.	B．Chengdu East Railway Station.
C．Beijing West Railway Station.	D．Mianyang Station.

2. Which high-speed train would you take in order to get to Chengdu before 17:30?

A．G571.	B．G307.
C．G89.	D．G349.

3. How much should a couple with their 1.3-meter-tall son pay if they all book Second Class Seats?

A．USD 224.	B．USD 280.
C．USD 336.	D．USD 1945.

8 . Recently I’ve had two good roles on television. But when I was just getting started in theater work 17 years ago, I never thought I’d make it. Back then I was recovering from surgery and had been off work for six months. Even worse, as a single mother with three youngsters, I had no place to live in. I felt hopeless.

One Sunday morning I saw actor Robert Young on the television talking about his faith: Believe yourself! If we confidently take that first step, well take the next, until we reach our goal.

The first step was scary. After I went working part-time, I looked for an apartment. The ones I saw were either too expensive, or I couldn’t raise my children in them. I knew a house, not an apartment, was more suitable for me. However, after seeing several houses, my confidence was shaken. I found two seemed right, but when I was about to make an offer, someone else had ordered.

I remembered a saying, “When one door closes, a better one opens.” I wouldn’t just sit staring at the closed one but got up and struggled on. In a real estate (房地产) agent, I found a small house with proper price. To buy it, I had to borrow $ 3,000 for a down payment and get a mortgage (按揭). Common sense argued that a mortgage for a single mother working part-time was impossible. But I had enough self-confidence without following common sense.

After getting the house, my new self-confidence grew. Later , when I began filling small parts in television productions, that self-confidence showed. I'd always played the role as the director wanted. Now I find myself freer to interpret (演绎) it.

Self-confidence has made it through life. Trouble can be scary at first, but each time I take that step, I believe I will win the next.

1. How did the author feel when entering television industry at first?

A．Hopeful.

B．Embarrassed.

C．Pessimistic.

D．Aggressive.

2. Why does the author mention her experience of finding a house?

A．To show the value of self-confidence.

B．To share her different life experiences.

C．To introduce her toughest part of life.

D．To tell us her ways to get over difficulty.

3. What mainly helped the author perform well in her later acting?

A．Her sense of confidence.	B．The difficulty in her life.
C．The director’s good direction.	D．Her success in her first attempt.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Appear on the Stage	B．Struggle with Life
C．Stick to Your Plan	D．Believe in Yourself

9 . Anti-smoking ad campaign

Every year millions people around the world die because of smoking. Every pocket of contains poisonous chemicals that can lead to lung cancer and heart disease. This costs countries a lot of money and causes great damage to the welfare of the people. There are huge numbers of smokers in Asia. This is why anti-smoking is chosen as the subject of our ad campaign.

The target audience is high-school teenagers. Our main aim is to discourage young people from smoking. Our research shows that health and future is what young people care about. We will educate them about the bad physical effects of smoking and how smoking affects those people around them. We will explain all the advantages of not smoking, such as saving money which can then be spent on other things. Our interviews also indicate that young people are concerned about what is cool and what their friends like. We will show how smoking is not cool or attractive, because it makes people smell terrible, and gives them bad teeth, skin and fingernails. If we can convince young people not to start, they might then urge their parents and other people to give up smoking, too.

Our campaign will start on 31 May, World No Tobacco Day. We will put large posters around the school with our logo and slogan. Our website will provide students with more information about smoking. We will also publish an article in the school magazine informing students about the dangers of smoking, and we will organize an essay competition as well. Our slogan: Smoking kills!   

Many people think that smoking is cool or enjoyable, but they are not fully aware of the damage that it does to their health. This is why we choose this picture as our logo. We want to shock people into realizing that many smokers die all too soon from illnesses and diseases related to smoking.

1. What is one of the reasons for anti-smoking according to paragraph one？

A．Smoking will not cause lung cancer deaths and other related disease.

B．Website will provide students with  information about smoking.

C．The welfare of people may be positively affected.

D．There is a large number of smokers in Asia.

2. What is the main aim of the anti-smoking campaign？

A．To prevent young people from smoking.

B．To inform continuous improvement efforts by school.

C．To attract widespread media attention around the world.

D．To educate people about the bad physical effects of smoking.

3. On which day will the campaign start？

A．On 31 May.	B．On 30 May.
C．On 30 March.	D．On 31 March.

4. Why do they choose the picture—‘Smoking kills’ as their logo？

A．Because they have organized a competition for this logo.

B．Because many people think smoking cool or enjoyable.

C．Because people have realized the damage smoking does to their health.

D．Because people are fully unaware of harm smoking causes to people’s health.

10 . In October, 2019, Beijing Daily warned the youth that they shouldn't let Internet slang （俚语） deepen the generation gap（代沟），after People Daily started a discussion on Chinese microblog Weibo on how to "explain" the youth's Internet slang terms to parents. The post got 40,000 likes. People were commenting that they couldn't keep up with the rapidly developing Internet lingo （术语）in China.

People also fear that Chinese Internet slang will negatively influence broader linguistic （语言的） trends of Mandarin Chinese, in particular, the gradual taking over of pinyin, the romanization of traditional Chinese characters using the Western alphabet. As pinyin gets widely used when people text or write on mobile phones or computers, while less and less people write characters by hand, people gradually forget how to write them, which is called "character amnesia" in China.

2019^’s latest slang terms add a further simplification: the use of pinyin acronyms. "Awsl"   in pinyin, for instance, means Ah, wo si le (Oh, I'm gonna die), and is used if something is too cute or adorable. "Nsdd" stands for ni shuo de dui (you're right).

Certainly, as an age-old written language, Chinese has been evolving and developing over the years. But the Chinese Internet lingo is unlikely to replace the existing use of Mandarin Chinese, but will rather be enriching it by adding another layer.

Acronyms aren't new. They have appeared with the limited space available in early-generation cell phone messaging. Some of them have become a part of the English language, such as BTW (by the way) and LOL (laugh out loud), while others had a rather short lifetime. That's likely to be what's going to happen with China's Internet slang terms. Some are going to be old in a few weeks, while others might make it into mainstream use, and as they do, young net users are coming up with new slang words to differentiate themselves.

In China, using Internet slang means belonging to a certain generation that likes to watch the same talk shows, play the same games, etc., and therefore, creates unity. Older generations don't have to feel left out, and certainly don't have to fear a degradation (没落)of the Chinese language. While language development is unavoidable, Internet slang is not going to let 6,000 years of Chinese written language completely change overnight.

1. The public are worried about Chinese Internet slang abuse because

A．It's used by children to keep secrets from parents.

B．It can cause confusion even among young people.

C．It was invented in response to the limited messaging space.

D．It will rarely have a positive effect on linguistic trends of Chinese.

2. How do Chinese Internet slang terms affect the Chinese language?

A．They add variety to the language.

B．They are replacing its traditional vocabulary.

C．They make the language more global.

D．They only have temporary effects on Chinese.

3. By using Internet slang in China, people may get.

A．a sense of purpose

B．a sense of group identity

C．a sense of cultural pride

D．a sense of safety

4. Which could be the best title for the passage?

A．Is Media Helping Older Generation Understand Internet Slang?

B．Is Chinese Language Too Powerful to Be Largely Affected?

C．Is Mandarin Chinese Useful to Bridge the Generation Gap?

D．Is Internet Slang Deepening the Generation Gap, Ruining Chinese?