1 . Brent is a full-time designer who has been working for a company since 2002. He has come up with a way to inspire his son during his lunchtime break at school. The devoted dad does a special thing — drawing different cartoon characters alongside some words of wisdom for John each day.
Brent, who runs a blog called Designer Daddy, packs his son’s lunchbox a note every day, along with his sandwiches and snacks. His artistic behavior has quickly garnered thousands of people, which makes Brent very popular in his hometown.
Brent’s creations require nothing more than cartoon characters and inspiring messages. The characters come from various cartoons and movies, all of whom Brent has relied on to help deliver his meaningful messages. “My son started preschool last year. For the first day of school, I drew a soldier on a note and wrote ‘Be brave like him, John’. And then, I kept putting in notes for the first week. He really liked it. So I just kept doing it after that. It gives him comfort and happiness as well as me, which makes me know I’m with him in a way. We watch a lot of cartoons and movies together. There are so many different ways to introduce kids to characters, but my rules are that I never use one that he isn’t familiar with,” Brent said.
Besides, Brent also tries to keep up-to-date with new characters and does his own research to ensure he will know when it comes to popular culture and what characters his son might like to see. Brent had intended to stick with superheroes. However, as John was also attracted by other cartoons, he decided to broaden his idea and began to include Star Wars figures and Disney characters into the mix.
According to Brent, each drawing takes about half an hour to complete. Brent likes to keep the drawings topical (热门的) and often marks milestones including birthdays and holidays, with special artistic creations. He will also adjust the characters depending on the time of year. Brent says John loves to receive the notes, and the boy often shares them with teachers and classmates at school. But despite the attention his creative notes are receiving, he says he never loses sight of who they are for.
1. Why does Brent do the special thing?| A．To have his son encouraged. | B．To draw his son’s attention. |
| C．To design a blog for his son. | D．To accompany his son. |
| A．Brent’ s behavior was inspired by a blog. |
| B．Completing every drawing is a complex process. |
| C．The special creations benefit both John and Brent. |
| D．Brent prefers to create new cartoon characters for John. |
| A．Influenced. | B．Inspired. |
| C．Urged. | D．Gathered. |
| A．A Popular Designer | B．A Loving Father |
| C．A Precious Lunch Box | D．An Impressive Note |
2 . For many travelers, this holiday season includes a visit to New York City. Here are some more unusual things we’ll do during New York holiday visits:
Coney Island Polar Bear Club
It’s insanity(疯狂) in the near - freezing winter surf, as people in swimsuits walk out from the beach into the Atlantic Ocean. Every Sunday from November through April, club members do their dip at 1pm. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club was founded in 1903. Last year, 1 ,500 swimmers went into the surf, while more than 7 ,500 came out to watch.
Polarbearclub. org
Central Park historic walking tour
Take a trip back in time with a walking tour offering views from the past. The Central Park Conservancy is offering a free “Views from the Past Tour” . Walk through the park on an hour – long tour and imagine the land as it existed in the 19th century before the park was developed. The walk is easy and the group meets at 2:30 pm outside the Dairy Gift Shop at 65th Street on Saturday, December 24.
Centralparknye. org
Bronx Zoo Clydesdale horse carriage rides
Go for a trot(慢跑) around the zoo grounds with a team of Clydesdales, the biggest horses in the world. The cost is $3 for zoo members, $5 for non - members and the rides are available every day, from 11:30 am to 3 pm. There will be other fun activities at the zoo for families, including watching polar bears, gorillas and other animals, Local sculptors will compete in carving animal figures from blocks of ice.
Bronxzoo. com
1. Why does the author use “insanity” to describe the winter surf ?| A．The surfers walk a very long way. |
| B．The surfers don’t fear cold sea water. |
| C．The surfers neglect the great danger. |
| D．The surfers are watched by many people. |
| A．People can have the walking tour every Saturday. |
| B．People can see the area that hasn’t been developed. |
| C．People end their street walking trip at four in the afternoon. |
| D．People will get views of the past while walking through the park. |
| A．3 dollars. | B．5 dollars. | C．6 dollars. | D．10 dollars. |
3 . 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.
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 that are made by hand to show love, respect and appreciation.
1. What kind of gift would you bring to an Indian home?| A．Some chocolates in a green box. | B．Flowers wrapped in black paper. |
| C．Sixty dollars in a yellow envelope. | D．Seventy-five rupees wrapped in white paper. |
| A．To get another better gift. | B．To be more polite and thankful. |
| C．To refuse one’s kindness. | D．To be more outgoing and active. |
| A．To list some attractive festivals. | B．To compare some countries. |
| C．To recommend some formal gifts. | D．To introduce some gift-giving traditions. |
4 . Teaching is not an easy career (职业) to go into, yet it’s one of the most important careers in a culture. The future of a country depends on the quality of education that its next generation (代) receives and the character that the children develop. Even though educators are the most important part of our schools, the structure (结构) of the education system in the United States is not set up to fully support them. In fact, it often puts them in difficult situations.
In most careers, salaries (工资) are based on education, experience, and performance. Not so with teaching. In many schools, teachers aren’t paid based on their level of education or experience. Though many go into the career because of their love of teaching and working with children, being fairly rewarded for their work is a problem.
Add to the fact that many teachers have to spend their summers making enough money to support their family, so many teachers are leaving the field. A 2019 study reported that about 8% of teachers gave up the career each year. The result will soon be that there won’t be enough educators.
One of the reasons why teachers are leaving the field is that they don’t get respect in the classroom. Disrespect, in my view, is the biggest problem that our teachers face and it has got worse in recent years.
How to improve this situation? Schools should take care of teachers in them, and our teachers need more of us to support them. They need us to raise our voices for a stronger education system that supports them. They should be offered better salaries and more chances of career improvement. These will encourage more people to be teachers.
1. How does the author like the structure of the American education system?| A．It is unsatisfying. | B．It is full of risks. |
| C．It fully supports teachers. | D．It puts teachers in good situations. |
| A．They need some training in teaching. |
| B．They have to visit students' parents. |
| C．They have to look after students. |
| D．They need to make extra money. |
| A．Enough respect. | B．Increase in salaries. |
| C．Rights to control students. | D．Teaching methods. |
| A．Requiring kids to work hard at school. |
| B．Calling for a better education system. |
| C．Encouraging more people to be teachers. |
| D．Having a better understanding of books. |
5 . Japanese businessman Katsuo Inoue chose Italy for his summer vacation this year. He enjoyed the views of Florence and Rome-without ever leaving Japan.
Inoue and his wife “flew” to Italy on First Airlines, a company known for entertainment （娱乐），not transportation. The Tokyo-based new company entered the fast growing online tourism early this year as many countries have stopped accepting foreign tourists.
“I often go to other countries on business, but I haven't been to Italy,” Inoue said. "My impression was really good because I got a sense of actually seeing things there. First Airlines even gave us life jackets and oxygen masks（氧气罩）！”
The “passengers” on First Airlines sit in the first — or business-class areas of an airplane model. Workers serve meals and drinks as large screens show passing clouds and other views outside the airplane. The “travelers“ then receive glasses that provide virtual reality（虚拟现实 的）tours of places like Paris, New York, Hawaii and Rome.
The country's biggest airline, ANA Holdings, said that the numbers of passengers flying to foreign countries fell by 96 percent since June when Japan has stopped most travel in and out of the country. The International Air Transport Association （lAIA ） and The International Tourism Association （ITA） said last month that international travels wouldn't be able to recover until 2024. But they said the online travels have been growing very fast.
The president, Hiroaki Abe, said, “Since we started our online tour this year, our business has been increasing by 50 percent each month. Most of our customers usually travel to other countries every year and they can now experience some of that here when they are unable to go to the real attractions.”
1. What can we learn about First Airlines?| A．It provides transportation to tourists. |
| B．It is an Italy-based company. |
| C．It has been in business for many years. |
| D．It is a new online tourism company. |
| A．It is very cool. | B．It is boring. |
| C．It is dangerous. | D．It is frightening. |
| A．Customers can have more choices. |
| B．It is able to provide much better services. |
| C．It is much cheaper than the traditional travels. |
| D．People cannot actually travel around this year. |
| A．IATA. | B．ITA. |
| C．First Airlines. | D．ANA Holdings. |
6 . iPhone 12
Outlook
Featuring the same 6.1-inch display size as the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR before it, iPhone 12 is making the transition from an LCD screen to OLED. With flat aluminum sides for an overall look, it more closely matches the iPad Pro and iPad Air. Aside from the flat sides, iPhone 12 still largely resembles the iPhone 11. Around back, it has two cameras housed in a glass circle, which makes for a nice contrast with the rest of the smooth back panel. To avoid being broken or cracked when dropped, iPhone 12 is covered with what Apple describes as a “ceramic shield”.
Camera
The iPhone 12 has a 12-megapixel f/1.6 main camera-the fastest aperture(光圈) in any iPhone yet. The low-light performance has improved, and its advancements in computational photography to maximize detail and dynamic range has also been achieved. The front camera on the iPhone 12 is gaining Night Mode, as well.
Processor
iPhone 12 is powered by the company’s new A14 Bionic processor, which is the first smartphone chip built on a 5nm process, leading to improved performance and efficiency. It’s claimed that the processor is up to 50 percent faster than the leading chips in Android smartphones.
Wireless charging
To improve wireless charging on the iPhone 12, it contains a “MagSafe” system with built-in magnets to guarantee that the iPhone 12 properly lines up with the MagSafe accessories.
1. What is the size of iPhone 12?| A．About 6.1-inch as that of iPhone Max. | B．The same size as iPad Pro. |
| C．Bigger than that of iPhone 11. | D．As big as iPhone XR. |
| A．To carry out the wired charging of iPhone 12. |
| B．To perfectly match the iPad Pro and iPad Air. |
| C．To make sure the iPhone 12 is right for the MagSafe accessories. |
| D．To process the information in a more rapid way. |
| A．There are only two cameras placed separately in front and back. |
| B．It is powered by A14 Bionic processor used in Android smartphones. |
| C．All cameras of iPhone 12 have the Night Mode. |
| D．A ceramic shield helps protect against breaking and cracking. |
7 . On account of the government shutdown, many of the city’s best attractions, such as the national museums, are closed. It may affect your social plans. That’s especially true if you have out-of-town visitors coming to the District. Don’t worry! For every closed museum, we’ve offered up a suitable substitute that is privately run, thus not subject to the shutdown. Here’s where you can go instead.
Banneker-Douglass Museum or Alexandria Black History Museum
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is one of the hottest draws on the National Mall, with free tickets taken weeks in advance. Its sister museum, the Anacostia Community Museum, takes a community-focused look at African American history. So does the Banneker- Douglass Museum in Annapolis, which traces the African American experience in Maryland, and the Alexandria Black History Museum, where exhibitions honor local activists and explore the influence of slavery in the area. And unlike the African American Museum, neither requires you to plan ahead.
Glenstone
Wandering through the galleries at Glenstone, you’ll come across some of the biggest names in 20th century art—Jackson Pollock, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Robert Rauschenberg. Glenstone sits on a 230-acre estate (土地) that doubles as an outdoor sculpture garden. Free tickets for Glenstone are often reserved weeks in advance, but 72 free tickets are available every day for anyone who takes a Montgomery County Ride—On Bus from Rockville Metro Station to the museum.
The African Art Museum of Maryland
Masks, musical instruments and jewelry can be found in Fulton, where the African Art Museum of Maryland houses a collection of traditional and contemporary African artworks and objects. And the best part, for visitors on a budget? Admission is free.
1. Where can visitors go to explore the history of African Americans during the shutdown?| A．The galleries at Glenstone | B．The African Art Museum of Maryland |
| C．The African American Museum. | D．Banneker-Douglass Museum. |
| A．Make sculptures in the outdoor garden. |
| B．Take a Montgomery County Ride on bus. |
| C．Get access to works of famous artists. |
| D．Enjoy a collection of contemporary African artworks. |
| A．To introduce different kinds of art exhibitions. |
| B．To provide an alternative to museums during the government shutdown. |
| C．To compare public museums with private ones. |
| D．To advertise some private museums in the area. |
8 . I took a deep breath and walked through the front door, my arms full of groceries. A challenge lay ahead of me, someone who could hardly boil water: cooking the Easter Sunday dinner. What if I made everyone sick? It could truly be our family’s last super meal.
Making the holiday meal was my brother’s job, not mine. I could never fill his shoes. Peter had died in September at the age of 45 from a heart attack, but he’d been a natural in the kitchen all his life. He planned every course in detail, from the crescent rolls to the Dutch apple pie.
My family was lost without him, and we went out to dinner for Thanksgiving and ordered pizza for Christmas. By the time Easter rolled around, though, I couldn’t bear the idea of another holiday surrounded by takeout (外卖食品) boxes. Peter would have hated that. To him, there was nothing more important than a meal made with love. So I convinced Mom that we should cook Easter dinner together. But we were terrible cooks.
I had been thinking what to cook for Easter dinner. I’d bitten off more than I could chew. No one could do this half as well as Peter.
I stepped into the family room. Mom was still at church, but her newspaper was opened on the coffee table, to the sports section, as usual. She was a huge Notre Dame women’s basketball fan, and the featured story was about the forward Devereaux Peters. I read the headline and nearly dropped my grocery bags, Filling Peters’ Shoes.
That afternoon, cooking in the kitchen, I didn’t feel so alone. Mom and I pulled together and the Easter feast was not that bad. The ham may have been a little dry, but it was all made with love— just like Peter would have wanted.
1. What would Peter have preferred to do if holidays had come?| A．To go out to have dinner. | B．To order pizza. |
| C．To show off his cooking skills. | D．To cook a big dinner for his family. |
| A．the Easter dinner was the family’s last dinner |
| B．Mom persuaded the author to cook the Easter dinner |
| C．Peter enjoyed cooking a dinner with love |
| D．their Easter dinner this year was a complete failure |
| A．she wasn’t confident in cooking the Easter dinner |
| B．she was not able to eat a lot of food |
| C．the Easter dinner made her sick |
| D．she couldn’t cook the dinner alone |
| A．Cooking in the Kitchen | B．Filling Peter’s Shoes |
| C．Happy Easter Day | D．Terrible Cooks |
9 . COMMON TYPES OF DRUGS
Cocaine
A white powdery drug obtained from the leaves of coca plant.In general, abusers may experience sleeplessness, loss of appetite,aggressive behavior,depression,illusion(幻觉） as well as high blood pressure and racing heartbeat.Repeated intakes will severely damage the immune system and result in death.
Morphine
As an extract(提取物）of opium, Morphine is widely used as a painkiller by doctors. However, it is highly addictive and abusers may experience paranoia,illusion and mental disorders.Excessive doses may cause death of breath failure.
Heroin
A highly addictive drug made from morphine. It rapidly causes addiction, damages the immune system, and causes itchy skin, reduced appetite,irregular heartbeat and blood pressure. Repeated injection at the same site causes veins to collapse.Death can occur from overdoses and diseases such as AIDS can be acquired from sharing needles.
Marijuana
Coming from the cannabis sativa plant, Marijuana goes by a variety of nicknames such as: dope, grass,pot, weed and Mary Jane. Abusers will experience hunger, increased talkativeness, mild illusion and slow reactions after consumption. Long-term abusers commonly suffer from hormonal disorder and smoking-related diseases.
Cough medicine
Commercially produced cough medicines contain varying amounts of Codeine. Small doses of codeine effectively relieve cough symptoms but abuse of Codeine can lead to addiction.Cough Medicine abusers may suffer from sleepiness, dry mouth, difficulty to urinate(排尿），light-headedness, loss of appetite and itchiness of the skin. Depression and confusion are also common side effects.
Drugs destroy lives and families and cost society dearly. Cherish your life and stay away from drugs!
1. How many drugs mentioned above can kill people?| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
| A．They are both deadly. |
| B．They may cause great depression. |
| C．They can be used to treat diseases. |
| D．They will damage our immune system. |
| A．To introduce to us different kinds of drugs. |
| B．To call on us to keep away from drugs. |
| C．To warn us of the great harm of drugs. |
| D．To tell us some stories about drugs. |
10 . Humans are no strangers to widespread viruses,and each time a vaccine(疫苗）is developed, it gives us hope for the future. Now, the world is waiting for a vaccine to fight COVID-19.
Scientists worldwide have been rolling up their sleeves to work toward an effective novel coronavirus vaccine.
Under the coordination(协调）of the World Health Organization (WHO),up to 172 countries have been engaging with the "largest and most diverse COVID-19 vaccine portfolio",a plan known as the COVAX Global Vaccines Facility.
COVAX is a system for joint purchasing and balancing the risks of multiple vaccines. When a vaccine proves to be safe and effective, all countries within the facility will be able to access it, according to Xinhua.
The plan is aimed to ensure that all countries, no matter their economic status, can get the vaccine in a timely manner when one is available. It also makes sure that prices will be kept as low as possible.
＂A number of vaccines are now in the final stage of clinical trials," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Aug 24,adding that the goal of COVAX is to deliver at least 2 billion doses of a vaccine by the end of 2021.
According to the WHO, at present, nine potential vaccines are part of the portfolio.
To guarantee the equal access and fair assignment of COVID-19 vaccines,the WHO has said that the world needs to prevent vaccine nationalism-countries putting their own interests ahead of others in trying to secure supplies of a possible vaccine.
＂Vaccine nationalism only helps the virus,"Tedros said, warning that it would lead to a prolonged pandemic(疫情） if only a small number of countries got most of the supply.
＂Like an orchestra,we need all instruments to be played in harmony to create music that everyone enjoys," he said.
Vaccine development looks promising,as several countries have made great progress. Russia began production of its first batch of a COVID-19 vaccine on Aug 15, according to its health ministry. It's the world's first registered vaccine. Four Chinese vaccine candidates have started international stage-3 clinical trials.
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．Russia is the first country to have made progress in fighting COVID-19. |
| B．COVAX ensures all the countries get the vaccine at the same time. |
| C．WHO plays an important role in fighting COVID-19. |
| D．Scientist have produced 2 billion doses of vaccines. |
| A．Supportive. |
| B．Critical. |
| C．Optimistic. |
| D．Sympathetic. |
| A．show his deep love for music |
| B．make the passage more interesting |
| C．illustrate the similarities in between |
| D．stress the importance of cooperation |
| A．United for vaccine |
| B．Vaccine on the way |
| C．Fighting against COVID-19 |
| D．Say goodbye to COVID-19 |
