1 . When NASA astronaut William Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev entered the International Space Station on November 2, 2000, they became the first of many to live in the orbiting laboratory 227 nautical miles (海里)above Earth.
Since that first 136-day stay for Expedition 1, the space station has served as a center for continuous human occupation, scientific research and a proving ground for future space exploration for 20 years.
Early in the space station program, the main focus was on building the space station. After that was completed in 2011, the focus has changed to science. More than 3,000scientific investigations have been conducted on the space station. This research has extended to a great many subjects.
While the research conducted on the space station throws light on how a range of things react to the lack of gravity，it has also been used to improve our lives on Earth. Through experiments on the station，we've learned better ways to purify air and water in our homes, developed advance rents in telemedicine，and found better treatments for diseases like cancer.
The space station is also being used as a proving ground as NASA prepares to return humans to the moon by 2024 through its Artemis program, as well as a future human task to Mars.
Going forward, Shepherd believes that a trip to Mars or other locations in the solar system will require large vehicles that will require construction in orbit, using spacewalks and robotics. It will also require the work, expense and cooperation(合作) of several countries.
“If you look at the International Space Station, it's really a blueprint (蓝图) for how to do this.”
1. Which of the following is NOT the function of the space station?| A．To conduct scientific experiments. | B．To send astronauts to Mars. |
| C．To serve as a proving ground. | D．To provide stay for astronauts. |
| A．To do scientific researches. | B．To conduct space explorations. |
| C．To construct the space station. | D．To send humans to the space station. |
| A．More space stations. | B．More spacewalks and robotics. |
| C．Larger orbiting laboratories. | D．Joint efforts of several countries. |
| A．The future exploration of the space station |
| B．The efforts humans put into the space station. |
| C．The construction and protection of the space station. |
| D．The development and potential of the space station. |
2 . Northeastern University in Northeast China's Liaoning Province said it will remove 52PhD students who failed to finish their studies within the permitted study period. One often has been studying for their PhD for 18 years and another two for 17 years, according to an announcement made by the university's College of Information Science and Engineering on Tuesday.
The students were admitted to the college from 2002 to 2012, a list on the college's official website showed. About 78 percent of them have been studying for their PhD at the college for over a decade. The study period for doctoral students in the university is three years, however, and the maximum length of schooling is six years with suspensions included, according to the management rules of the university.
Chinese universities have been seen clearing those postgraduate or PhD students who fail to graduate at the correct time in recent years. Xidian University in Xi'an of Northwest China, for example, removed 33 PhD students in August, some of whom had been studying for 15 years. Yanbian University in Northeast China's Jilin Province announced on November29, 2019, that it would delist 136 graduate students, including 14 PhD students.
A staff member of the university said that some of the students left without telling the school or going through the correct procedures. The difficulties in PhD study and the improving requirements for academic achievements have been found to be the main reasons resulting in students dropping out, experts said. Yang Liu, an associate professor who graduated with a PhD four years ago from a key university in Shanghai, told the Global Times that it is not strange for some PhD students to drop out under the strict academic review process. He also said that some may be scared off by the economic pressure of long-term schooling.
1. What is the permitted study period for a PhD at most?| A．A decade. | B．7 years or so. | C．6 years. | D．Within 3 years. |
| A．The long term of schooling. | B．The increasing requirements for study. |
| C．The economic pressure of schooling. | D．The mixed procedures for leaving universities. |
| A．The difficulties in PhD study scare off many students |
| B．Students fail to graduate from their universities |
| C．University in China's northeast delists over 50 PhD students |
| D．Chinese University is considering clearing some PhD students |
| A．Objective. | B．Worried. | C．Critical. | D．Hopeful. |
Douban rating: 7.3
IMDb rating: 7.0
Set in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the story happens between a farm boy Isa and his friend Kalbinur. Isa's mother, deaf and dumb, depends on her son to look after her. Kalbinur, though a smart Uyghur girl at school, finds the Chinese language hard to master at the village school. Isa reads a story called A First Farewell in school, and although he does not fully understand the idea of farewell, he will soon experience it himself.
The film won the Asian Future Best Film Award at Tokyo International Film Festival in2018 and a Crystal Bear at the 2019 Berlinale.
Sheep Without a Shepherd
Douban rating: 7.7
IMDb rating: 6.7
Li Weijie and his wife, A Yu, have lived in Thailand for 17 years and raised two daughters. At the age of 40, Li runs an internet company and is well liked by the townspeople. However, the family's peaceful life is suddenly interrupted by an unexpected guest. In this town filled with drug trafficking, fairness comes into a critical testing moment.
The Pursuit of Happiness
Douban rating: 9.1
IMDb rating: 8.0
This film is based on a true story about a man named Christopher Gardner. Gardner has invested heavily in a device known as a “bone density scanner”. However, the devices do not sell. As Gardner works to make ends meet, his wife leaves him and he loses his apartment. Forced to live out on the streets with his son, Gardner takes on an unpaid internship as a stockbroker, with few chances for advancement to a paid position. Before he can receive pay, he needs to survive in the competition through six months of training, and to sell his devices to pay off debts.
Ne Zha
Douban rating: 8.5
IMDb rating: 7.5
The Primus(天尊) makes a Mixed Yuan Bead(珠) into a spirit bead and a demon bead. The spirit bead can be re-incarnated in a human to help King Zhou set up a new dynasty, the demon bead will create a devil and harm humans. Ne Zha is the one who should be the spirit bead hero but he becomes a devil incarnate, because the spirit bead and the demon bead are switched.
1. Which film is best received by viewers?| A．A First Fareveell. | B．Sheep Without a Shepherd. |
| C．The Pursuit of Happiness. | D．Ne Zha. |
| A．It won a Future Best Film Award in 2019. | B．It was highly recognized. |
| C．It tells of a story about a businessman. | D．It was first shown in Xinjiang province. |
| A．A First Farewell. | B．Sheep Without a Shepherd. |
| C．The Pursuit of Happiness. | D．Ne Zha. |
4 . If you want to explore European towns, here is a look at the most beautiful small towns in Europe.
Manarola
Manarola, Italy, is filled with rainbow-colored homes along the Mediterranean (地中海) coast. This attractive fishing town is famous for its wine and paintings. There are no cars here, no traffic lights, and no traffic noise. You can drive to it, but you have to park outside the town and then take a shuttle bus or walk in on foot.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, is a fascinating mountain town. Once two separated towns, Roman and Teutonic, were forced to become one because of the 1936 Winter Olympics, though the two sides still have different features. The town dates back to 15 AD, filled with narrow, cobble- stoned streets lined with historic buildings painted with religious scenes.
Marsaxlokk
The energetic trading port of Marsaxlokk, Malta, was built in 900 BC. Today, this picture-like town is the main supplier of fish to the island nation that sits in the Mediterranean Sea. It has no modern buildings to ruin its attractiveness. With such quiet surroundings, including the traditional fishing boats, it’s a particularly charming place to visit.
Portmagee, Ireland
In a country filled with beautiful towns, Portmagee sits on the southwest coast of Ireland. This postcard-perfect seaside fishing town has brightly colored buildings with a rich and colorful history. At the Bridge Bar, you’ll find live music along with nice food and a fine glass of beer.
1. In which town are tourists not allowed to go sightseeing by car?| A．Manarola. | B．Garmisch-Partenkirchen. |
| C．Marsaxlokk. | D．Portmagee. |
| A．wine and paintings | B．religious scenes |
| C．fish and old buildings | D．rich history and live music |
| A．have special interest in traditional fishing boats |
| B．prefer enjoyment in an old coastal fishing town |
| C．want to stay on a Mediterranean island |
| D．need to be refreshed in a mountain town |
5 . Calling all book lovers! Support your reading habit without paying a cent or even taking a trip to the library.
The Library of Congress
If you’re looking for classics online, the Library of Congress has got you covered. With more than 60 classic books available, this is the perfect website if you have a specific classic you’re looking to read. It also includes children’s classics like Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella.
Project Gutenberg
Founded in 1971, Project Gutenberg is the oldest eBook collection online. While the website asks for donations (捐赠), no fees are required for reading the free online books they offer. There are more than 56,000 eBooks to choose from, and they are Kindle-compatible and easy to download.
BookBub
If you’re a book lover who's always looking for something new to read, BookBub is a site you need in your life. To access this site and its thousands of available eBooks you need to create an account (账户), but it’s totally free. Once you’ve created an account, the site asks you to pick your favorite genres so that it can provide the best reading recommendations (推荐). If you want to learn more about BookBub, click here.
BookRix
BookRix allows readers to download free ebooks onto their iPads? tablets? eReaders, and smartphones. The site offers books from self-published authors as well as books that are part of the public domain. The homepage group books into different types including fiction, fantasy, romance, thrillers, so you can easily find a new book to read.
1. Which should one choose if they want to read classical fairy tale books?| A．The Library of Congress. | B．Project Gutenberg. |
| C．BookBub. | D．BookRix. |
| A．All the eBooks are totally free. |
| B．Some of the ebooks are classics. |
| C．It recommends books for readers. |
| D．Thousands of eBooks are available. |
| A．A newspaper. | B．The Internet. |
| C．A magazine. | D．A notice board. |
6 . Welcome to your Music City vacation planning center, where you can make online reservations for various activities. You can catch today's hottest stars and country music legends at the Grand Ole Opry and cruise the Cumberland aboard the General Jackson Showboat.
The Redneck Comedy Bus Tour Nashville
Reviews:★★★★★Based on 491 Guest Review
Description: If you're looking for a trip that will show you all of Nashville's most famous and historic sites without being a bore, the Redneck Comedy Tour is for you. Morning tours are 2 hours. Afternoon tours are 90 minutes. The Christmas adventure lasts about 2 hours. Suitable for All Ages.
Grand Ole Opry
Reviews:★★★★★Based on 2798 Guest Review
Description: Due to COVID-19, masks must be worn inside the music show venue at all times.
Details: The show lasts about 2 hours. Suitable for All Ages.
Dancing Lights of Christmas Nashville Christmas Drive Thru
Reviews:★★★★★ Based on 257 Guest Reviews
Description: Bring the entire family along and celebrate the Christmas season with an unforgettable Music City Christmas tour. The drive-thru lasts about 30 minutes and most people spend about an hour at Santa's Village. Suitable for All Ages. Handicap Accessible.
Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theater
Reviews:★★★★Based on 162 Guest Reviews
Description: Mix together cool country music and hot home cooking, add a dash of Nashville flair, and you' I1 have the fantastic Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theater dinner show! The show lasts about 2. 5 hours. Show, buffet, and drinks all included in price. Suitable for All Ages. Handicap Accessible. Cameras are Permitted.
1. According to the tourists' reviews, which activity is the least popular one?| A．Grand Ole Opry. |
| B．Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theater. |
| C．The Redneck Comedy Bus Tour Nashville. |
| D．Dancing Lights of Christmas Nashville Christmas Drive Thru. |
| A．People who are crazy about historic sites. |
| B．People who want to catch today's hottest stars. |
| C．People who want to spend Christmas with family. |
| D．People who want to enjoy food and music meanwhile. |
| A．Lecture. | B．Textbook. | C．Website. | D．Report. |
7 . Stephane Borie, Sarah Francis and Kathryn Francis, owners of the Checkers restaurant in Wales, announced they had returned the desirable star rating — regarded as the peak for any restaurant — before publication of the 2019 edition of the Michelin Guide on 1 October.
Sarah Francis and her partner, Stephane Borie, have three young children while Kathryn Francis has two.
“I don’t know how we’ve done it for all these years, juggling (同时处理) the kids with working split shifts and late hours,” said Sarah Francis. “It has been a joy to have the star and the most amazing news when we got it. It was great for trade and brilliant for the town. But more for us, it’s about taking the business in a new direction and putting our family first. It means we can work in the day and have our evenings to ourselves.
The restaurant will relaunch in November as Checkers Pantry, and will open for breakfast and lunch with drinks and cakes available throughout the day. Borie will continue to cook at the Checkers but also plans to add more dishes to his menu for private customers across Europe.
A top French restaurant, Le Suquet, stepped away from the listings last year, having held a three-star rating for nearly two decades. The chef Sebastien Bras said he no longer wanted to cook at his restaurant under the "huge pressure” of being judged by the inspectors. Michelin said it was the first time a French chef had asked to be dropped from its restaurant guide in this way.
Simon Wright, restaurateur, food writer and former AA food guide editor, said decisions such as that by the Checkers were “often a reflection of the enormous pressure and additional expectation that comes with a Michelin star".
1. From the passage, we can know the Checkers _________.| A．changed its partnership |
| B．came back to the Michelin Guide |
| C．came out among the top restaurants |
| D．first appeared in the 2019 Michelin guide |
| A．To make more profits. |
| B．To travel across Europe. |
| C．To rebuild the restaurant. |
| D．To spend more time with their families. |
| A．The chef didn’t cook well. |
| B．It gave up its Michelin star rating. |
| C．It was opened about twenty years ago. |
| D．It refused Michelin guide inspectors’ visit. |
| A．quality food and service |
| B．a privilege for a restaurant |
| C．a guarantee for better business |
| D．huge pressure and greater expectations |
8 . Every year on my birthday, from the time I turned 12, a white gardenia was delivered to my house. No card came with it. Calls to the flower-shop were not helpful at all. After a while I stopped trying to discover the sender’s name and just delighted in the beautiful white flower in soft pink paper.
But I never stopped imagining who the giver might be. Some of my happiest moments were spent daydreaming about the sender. My mother contributed to these imaginings. She’d ask me if there was someone for whom I had done special kindness. Perhaps it was the old man across the street whose mail I’d delivered during the winter. As a girl of seventeen, though, I had more fun imagining that it might be a boy whom I had met.
One month before my graduation, my father died of a heart attack. I felt so sad that I became completely uninterested in my upcoming graduation party.
The day before my father died, my mother and I had gone shopping for a party dress. We’d found an impressive one, but it was the wrong size. When my father died, I forgot about my dress.
But my mother didn’t. The day before the party I found that dress—in the right size—over the living room sofa. I didn’t care whether I had a new dress or not. But my mother wanted me to have one. She wanted her children to feel loved and lovable. In truth, my mother wanted her children to see themselves much like the gardenia—lovely, strong and perfect with perhaps a bit of mystery. My mother died ten days after I was married. I was 22. That was the year the gardenia stopped coming.
1. Why did the writer stopped trying to know who the sender was?| A．In no way could she find the sender. | B．The shop didn’t answer the phone. |
| C．There was no card with the flower. | D．She was only interested in the flower. |
| A．Her father. | B．Her mother. | C．An old man. | D．A boy. |
| A．12 times. | B．22 times. | C．10 times. | D．9 times. |
| A．A Party Dress | B．My Gardenia |
| C．A Mysterious Boy | D．The Death of My Parents |
9 . Avoiding a handshake may have been considered impolite a couple of years ago, but it is now getting more and more common, especially because of the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus( COVID-19) .
Health officials have expressed the importance of completely washing our hands and maintaining proper hand hygiene. As a result, people around the world are creating alternatives for handshakes such as fist bumps and “elbow-bumps.”
Let’s take a look at some of the common greetings that are used around the world in place of the famous handshake and more of the alternatives people are using instead of shaking each others’ hands.
If you have ever traveled to Asian countries like China, India, or Cambodia, you may notice that it is common to see people bowing to greet each other. Bowing is a traditional sign of respect in many Asian cultures and has been a custom for centuries.
Meanwhile, in parts of Europe like France, Italy, and Spain; countries in Latin/South America like Mexico, Peru, and Brazil, the air kiss is more common. Various rules regarding gender, relationship, and form also exist within these different countries. Officials in countries including France are recommending people avoid direct kisses.
Some other unique greetings include sniffing one another’s faces in native cultures in the island nations of Greenland and Tuvalu, sticking out one’s tongue in Tibet (a region of China), and clapping one’s hands in the African countries of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
With the spread of COVID-19, people are getting creative with the ways they greet each other. A trend that has gained advantage is the “Wuhan Shake,” a greeting where two people gently bump each other’s feet with each foot.
Additionally, people, including famous figures like Prince Harry, US Vice President Mike Pence, and celebrities and athletes, have been giving up the formal handshake for elbow bumps.
Although officials have not clearly issued warnings against shaking hands, many doctors and health specialists have praised the handshake alternatives as a way to continue maintaining proper hygiene.
1. How do people commonly greet each other in India according to this passage ?| A．By hugging each other. | B．By formally shaking hands. |
| C．By bowing to greet each other. | D．By touching noses. |
| A．Sniffing one another’ s faces. | B．Sticking out one’s tongue. |
| C．Bowing with one’s hands. | D．Clapping one’s hands. |
| A．It is a greeting of tapping each other' s feet. | B．It is a greeting in which people do elbow bumps. |
| C．It is a greeting where social isolation happens. | D．It is a greeting where air kisses are recommended. |
| A．The Impact Of COVID-19 On Living | B．Good News On COVID-19 Vaccines |
| C．Formal Greeting Ways around the world | D．No Handshake? No Problem! |
10 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．On 31 May. | B．On 30 May. |
| C．On 30 March. | D．On 31 March. |
| 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. |
