1 . Linda Evans was my best friend — like the sister I never had. We did everything together: taking piano lessons, going to the movies, swimming, and horseback riding.
When I was 13, my family moved away. Linda and I kept in touch through letters, and we saw each other on special time — like my wedding(婚礼) and Linda’s. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back, stamped “Address Unknown.” I had no idea how to find Linda.
Over the years, I missed Linda very much. I wanted to share the happiness of my children and then grandchildren with her. And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then my mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.
One day I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagmans — Linda’s married name. “There must be thousands of Wagmans,” I thought, but I still wrote to her.
She called as soon as she got my letter. “Mrs. Tobin!” she said excitedly, “Linda Evans Wagmans is my mother.” Minutes later I heard a voice that I knew very much, even after 40 years, then we laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there’s one thing that Linda and I know for sure: We won’t lose each other again.
1. How old was the writer when her family moved away?| A．She was three years old. | B．She was thirty-three years old. |
| C．She was thirty years old. | D．She was thirteen years old. |
| A．they got married |
| B．they had little time to do so |
| C．the writer’s brother and mother died |
| D．they could keep in touch with each other by QQ |
| A．Some children. | B．A wedding. |
| C．Some grandchildren. | D．Only a friend like Linda. |
| A．For about 13 years. | B．For about 40 years. |
| C．Since they got married. | D．Since the writer’s family moved away. |
2 . Take a closer look at the wonders of Kew Gardens by joining a guided walking tour. Led by our knowledgeable volunteer guides, it is a fun and informative way to explore the grounds.
Free daily walking tours
Tours leave at 11am and 1:30pm from the information desk at Victoria Gate Plaza. Each guide presents their own tour and takes in the highlights (最精彩的部分) of the season.
Themed tours
Tours leave at 12am from the information desk at Victoria Gate Plaza. Our guides offer attractive seasonal themes including Autumn Colour and Winter Evergreens.
Expert-guided tours
Every Tuesday throughout the year at 11:30am and 2:30pm we’ll be holding an expert- guided tour. The tour will feature (以...... 为特色) a different plant each month and you’ll go behind the scenes and talk to Kew staff about their work. You’ll find out interesting facts about the featured plant or fungus (真菌), including why it’s grown at Kew and how it’s used and cared for.
Price
The cost is 60 dollars per guide (this doesn’t include your entry to the Gardens). Each guide can take up to 15 people. Group of more than 15 must book more than one guide. Smaller groups are also accepted but the cost remains 60 dollars.
Tours take about one hour and may be booked from 10am every day. Please note that no refunds (退款) can be given once tickets are booked.
1. What time can be chosen if you go to free daily walking tours?| A．11am | B．11:30am | C．12am | D．2:30pm |
| A．People can work with Kew staff. |
| B．People can have a taste of fungus. |
| C．People have no choice but to go on Tuesday. |
| D．People can get in touch with experts ahead of time. |
| A．60 dollars | B．120 dollars | C．180 dollars | D．200 dollars |
3 . It’s hard to turn down a tasty banana. They taste good and you don’t have to wash them before eating them. However, British scientists say that the fruit may disappear by 2050.
One reason for this is climate change. Scientists at the University of Exeter collected data from 27 countries and regions that produce 86 percent of the world’s bananas. They found that climate change has improved growing conditions in 21 of these countries. In the past 60 years the average yield has reached 1.37 tons of bananas per hectare.
However, if temperatures keep rising, this advantage will disappear. Ten of the countries, including India, the world’s biggest producer of bananas, will produce fewer bananas. By 2050, the fruit may die out.
Shouldn’t bananas grow more easily if it’s hotter outside? In fact, the perfect temperature range for growing bananas is between 24℃ and 32℃. If temperatures get too high, they will stop growing.
Another reason for this phenomenon is diseases. Unlike other crops, the bananas we grow come from shoot cuttings rather than seeds. This means that all banana plants have the same genotype. In other words, if a disease is able to kill one plants it could kill them all.
One serious disease is called Panama. Caused by fungus（真菌）in the soil, it spreads easily. It has spread across South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Australia. If one banana plantation suffers from the disease, it will take 30 years until it is able to grow bananas again. Scientists have not found a cure for this disease.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．People’s love for bananas. | B．The taste of bananas. |
| C．The future disappearance of bananas. | D．The convenience of eating bananas |
| A．More countries will start to grow bananas. |
| B．Bananas will not be able to grow any more. |
| C．Bananas will grow better in most countries. |
| D．Bananas won’t be as tasty as before. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．What diseases bananas may suffer from. | B．How bananas are grown. |
| C．How diseases can easily kill bananas. | D．Which diseases can kill bananas. |
4 . The moment you open your eyes in the morning, you can feel sweat running down your body, even if you’re barely moving at all. That’s what most people in China felt like this summer. In fact, the entire northern hemisphere (半球) saw high temperatures in July.
The Arctic Circle was no exception. Temperatures in the city of Norilsk, which is in the Arctic Circle, reached a record high of 32℃, the Atlantic reported. Temperatures there are usually just 10℃ at this time of the year.
The heat wave in the Arctic is mainly a long-term result of global warming, according to the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. Actually, while the whole world is getting warmer, the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. This is called the polar amplification effect (极地放大效应）.
The most direct impact of Arctic warming is the melting of Arctic ice. According to NASA, Arctic sea ice is now disappearing at a rate of 13.2 percent every 10 years. NASA said that if this continues, the Arctic will have no ice by the year 2040. This has put some Arctic animals, like polar bears, in danger. The ice that the bears live on has shrunk, the Toronto Star reported. Melting ice can also cause sea levels to rise in the long term. Since 1993, sea levels have risen at a rate of 3.2 cm every 10 years, the Guardian reported. Some countries, such as Tuvalu(图瓦卢)in the South Pacific Ocean and Maldives(马尔代夫)in the Indian Ocean, are at risk of disappearing into the sea.
1. What does the underlined word “This” in the third paragraph refer to?| A．The heat wave in the Arctic. | B．The result of global warming. |
| C．Getting warmer in the world. | D．The Arctic getting warm faster. |
| A．Sea levels rise in the long term. |
| B．The polar will become dangerous. |
| C．There will be an end of water shortage. |
| D．There will be no ice in the world by 2040. |
| A．They’ll not disappear in the future. | B．They’ll live on the land. |
| C．They’ll gradually have no habitat. | D．They’ll shrink. |
| A．Arctic animals are in danger. |
| B．Heat is hitting the Arctic. |
| C．The world is getting warmer than before. |
| D．Some countries may disappear into the sea. |
5 . Adam was an orphan. He worked in a factory and every day he got a little money. Hard work made him thin and weak. He wanted to borrow a lot of money to learn to paint pictures, but he did not think he could pay off the debts.
One day a lawyer came and said to him, “One thousand dollars, and here is the money.” As Adam took the huge package of notes, he was very shocked. He didn’t know where the money came from and how to spend so much of it. Later he thought to himself, “What could I do with it? If it were a little less money, I would buy a new coat, or give a dinner to my friends. If it were more, I could give up the work and pay for painting pictures. But it’s too much for the first and too little for the second.”
“Here is the reading of your uncle’s will,” said the lawyer, “telling what is to be done with this money after his death. I must ask you to remember one point. Your uncle has said you must bring me a paper showing exactly what you did with his money, as soon as you have spent it.”
“Yes, I see. I’ll do that.” said the young man.
1. Which one of the statements is true? ________| A．Adam was in debt. | B．Adam worked abroad. |
| C．Adam paid off the debts. | D．Adam wanted to learn something. |
| A．the money was too much | B．the money was too little |
| C．he would be dismissed | D．the lawyer meant to cheat him. |
| A．planned to have a happy life for a few days | B．decided to give up his work in the office |
| C．was to give a dinner to his friends | D．had no idea what to do |
| A．working in the factory | B．painting pictures |
| C．living in a fine hotel | D．saving the money |
Helping Seniors | |
 | Posted 5 / 15 /20 4：53PM |
| I created Teens Helping Seniors with my friends. The group has about 200 volunteers. The volunteers deliver food or other supplies for the elderly in town. I spend six to eight hours a week buying food and making deliveries. By now we have completed 350 deliveries. | |
 | Posted 5/ 15 /20 6：25PM |
| I organized Mittler Senior Technology, a program to help the elderly learn how to use computers and smartphones. Now there are 50 Local seniors in the weekly technology classes. I want to make sure that the seniors could stay connected to the world. | |
 | Posted 5 /16 /20 , 5： 20PM |
| I came up with a way to help lonely seniors with my friends. We call it the Joy 4 All Project. By dialing 569-4255, the elderly can hear pre-recorded jokes and poems. The hotline has received more than 1, 800 phone calls. | |
 | Posted 5 / 16 /20 7：46PM |
| I heard that the seniors in the nursing home couldn’t see their families and friends very often, so my friends and I've decided to cheer up the elderly by writing them letters. We want them to know that nobody is being forgotten. By now more than 100 students in my school have joined us. | |
1. Who created Teens Helping Seniors?
| A．Kathy. | B．Linda. | C．Matt. | D．Jordan. |
| A．50. | B．100. | C．200. | D．350. |
| A．Teaching them computer knowledge. |
| B．Recording jokes and poem. |
| C．Delivering food for them. |
| D．Writing them letters. |
7 . In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources, the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decade has seen more and more forests disappearing and the globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable（可持续的）ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the earth healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a proper trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decade. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy revolution. It is now trying hard to make full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil（棕榈油）, which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown by more than 50%.
Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from traditional model to a sustainable one.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.
1. The traditional business model is harmful because of all the following EXCEPT that ______.| A．it makes the world warmer |
| B．it consumes natural resources |
| C．it makes growth hard to continue |
| D．it brings severe damage to forests |
| A．cut public expenses | B．forbid carbon emission |
| C．develop public resources | D．encourage energy conservation |
| A．develop sustainable products | B．explore new natural resources |
| C．make full use of natural resources | D．deal with the major challenge |
| A．To compare two business models. |
| B．To introduce a new business model. |
| C．To advocate sustainable development. |
| D．To predict a change of the global markets. |
8 . The earliest newspapers started in ancient Rome. They were handwritten news sheets. The first printed newspapers appeared in China during the Tang dynasty, which were printed from carved wooden blocks. Modern papers first appeared in Venice, Italy in the middle of the 14th century. The newspapers of today, with advertising and a mixture of political, economic, and social news and comments, were started in Britain in the mid-18th century.
The main function of newspapers is to report news. Many newspapers also provide special information to readers, such as weather reports and television timetables. They also provide comments on politics, economics, arts and culture. Almost all newspapers depend on advertising to make money. Nearly six out of ten adults in the United States and Canada read a newspaper every day. Seven out of ten read a paper each weekend. Readers search newspapers for detailed background information and analysis. This is what television and radio news reports seldom offer. Newspapers tell readers what happened, and they also help readers understand what caused an event and how it will affect the world around them.
The workers at large newspaper companies work under a lot of pressure to bring news to readers as soon as possible. Reporters, photographers, artists, and editors collect articles in just a few hours. Page designers select articles, photos, advertisements, and eye-catching headlines to make the pages, and then rush their work to the printer. Printing workers may work overnight around printing presses to churn out more than 60,000 copies per hour.
1. Modern newspapers were first made in ________.| A．China | B．Ancient Rome | C．Italy | D．Britain |
| A．Various jobs related to newspapers. | B．Contents in each page of a newspaper. |
| C．The production levels of newspaper. | D．The fast pace of newspaper production. |
| A．few newspapers have no advertising |
| B．many adults in America read newspapers every day |
| C．people can read about different issues in newspapers |
| D．newspapers will become less popular as TV develops |
| A．press | B．produce | C．publish | D．sell |
9 . Chicago Botanic Garden Events
• Midwest Fruit Explorers
March 31-April 10, 1-4 pm
The Midwest Fruit Explorers presents this hands-on workshop with step-by-step instructions on how to grow fruit trees.
• Midwest Daffodil Society Show
April 22-28, 10 am-4:30 pm
The Midwest Daffodil Society Show features hundreds of daffodils on display that will be judged by the society. The show includes floral(花卉的) design and photography competitions.
• Ikebana International Show
May 11-19, 9 am-3: 30 pm (Saturday & Sunday only)
The Ikebana International Society presents an exhibition of traditional Japanese flower arranging.
• Gardeners of the North Shore Show & Sale
The Gardeners of the North Shore host this annual show.
June 27-30, 9 am-4:30 pm
This show includes a judged exhibition with more than 500 entries of anything a home gardener can grow, including flowers, vegetables, herbs, and houseplants.
Service animals
Service animals are welcome. No pets please.
Electronic Convenience Vehicles(ECVs)
They are available for rent in the Visitor Center on an unreserved, first-come-first-served basis. The following fees apply: members: $15, 1 nonmembers $20. ECVs will not be rented for indoor use.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs are available free at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center.
Daily Hours: 8 am-7 pm
Garden View Cafe: 8 am-4 pm
Garden Shop: 10 am-4 pm
1. What can you do at Midwest Fruit Explorers?| A．Design flower patterns. |
| B．Learn about fruit tree planting. |
| C．Take part in its photography competition. |
| D．Buy some fruit at a good price. |
| A．Midwest Fruit Explorers. |
| B．Midwest Daffodil Society Show. |
| C．Ikebana International Show. |
| D．Gardeners of the North Shore Show Sale. |
| A．They can rent ECVs for indoor use. |
| B．They can visit the garden with their pets. |
| C．They can have free coffee from 8 am to 4 pm. |
| D．They can use free wheelchairs if they need to. |
10 . If you are looking for something fun and educational to do in Maryland, why not visit the Maryland Science Center? It is located at 601 Light Street, Baltimore, MD 2. The ticket prices vary depending on ages, groups and the exhibits you choose.
IntroductionThe Maryland Science Center is basically a museum, but it gives everyone a chance to learn through experience and play, rather than just glance at an exhibit.
ActivitiesYou can learn about various topics, including outer space, the human body, dinosaurs, electricity, marine(海洋的) biology, energy, and much more. You can also take part in the interactive activities, such as racing bubbles, digging for dinosaur fossils, using puzzle pieces to construct cars, and so much more.
The Davis Planetarium(天文馆)At the Davis Planetarium, you can lie back in a chair and look at the stars while still inside the Science Center. The stars will appear on the ceiling of the theatre as you watch them.
There are different shows to catch at the Davis Planetarium. You can learn about the galaxy and astronomy during the Dark Matters show. Learn about the stars and planets during the Sky Live show. The One World One Sky show allows children to explore the stars. The Live from the Sun show will teach you all about the hot sun.
The Kids RoomFor children, they can’t miss the Kids Room. They will be able to play in a water area, construct dams and water towers, push buttons, ring doorbells, build with blocks, and more, and definitely they will learn a lot. In addition, there is also an area for kids of two years old and under, where they can crawl, walk and explore safely with soft toys.
1. What do we know about the Maryland Science Center?| A．It charges different prices for parents and Children. |
| B．It is regarded as the most popular museum in Maryland. |
| C．It is a museum where there are many famous exhibitions. |
| D．It is mainly designed for children and their families to play together. |
| A．Dark Matters. | B．Live from the Sun. |
| C．One World One Sky. | D．Sky Live. |
| A．It is designed for parents who have children. |
| B．It provides a good opportunity for parents to relax. |
| C．Children there need to be accompanied by their parents. |
| D．It is a good place for children to learn and play at the same time. |
