1 . “Be proud of what you do,” my father always told me, “whether you are a boss or a cleaner.” When I was 15, I got a summer job in a hospital. I was told that my duties would include sweeping floors. I smiled and remembered Dad's words. Even though my job was the lowest, it made me feel excited. I saw it as a challenge because it was my first job. I learned to be on time and tried to do everything well. In return, I was treated with respect by doctors, nurses and patients. Each morning I imagined that the dirty dishes would make patients more sick if I were not there to wash them clean. After breakfast was done, I started sweeping the floors of all patient rooms and cleaning the toilets. Though I was tired, I wanted the job to be done well. Hearing people say “That young boy really does a good job”, I was filled with pride.
Working in the hospital taught me that being proud of one's job is important. It does not matter whether the job is sweeping floors or managing a large business. Through every job I have ever had, my father's words have always stayed with me. I was a good cleaner, and now I'm a good manager. I think Dad would be proud of me all the time.
1. The writer's first job was a ________.| A．boss | B．manager |
| C．cleaner | D．doctor |
| A．Washing dishes. | B．Looking after patients. |
| C．Cleaning toilets. | D．Sweeping the floor. |
| A．worked hard | B．wasn't tired |
| C．made the patients sick | D．did everything |
| A．the writer's father always stayed with him |
| B．the father didn't like the writer's first job |
| C．the writer wasn't proud of his first job |
| D．the father's words encouraged the writer to do everything well |
2 . Americans are now allowed to get a COVID-19 vaccine （疫苗）. But the process in America is not going as smoothly as some had hoped. Many people are still facing a wait for their first shot. Moreover, the vaccines aren't available to kids under 16 yet. That's because scientists have only tested if the vaccine works in adults.
The good news is that there are two companies, Moderna and Pfizer, making COVID-19 vaccines. They are now running clinical trials（临床实验）to test their vaccines in teens and kids. Volunteers are given a treatment plan and then evaluated after.
Clinical trials are designed with safety in mind and usually done in adults first. They work like this: volunteers get placed into one of two groups. One group receives the vaccine. The other group gets a placebo. This is a shot given in the same way as the vaccine but with no effect. Scientists can compare the effects of the real vaccine against the placebo to see if the vaccine works. Researchers want to know everything that a person experiences when they get the shot, so they can detect any harmful effects. If anything did happen, the trial would stop immediately.
Some teens are eager to volunteer because they want to help people. Maybe you're the right age to be part of a clinical trial for the COVID-19 vaccine. Why not volunteer For A Vaccine Trial? Interested kids should read about the trials because every trial has risks. They should talk to their doctor and weigh the benefits and risks. Every vaccine has rare side effects in a few patients.
If you want to participate in a trial, you can try to sign up online by just clicking here, clinicaltrials gov. which lists every clinical trial in the US, including COVID-19 vaccine trials.
1. Why kids under 16 can't get a COVID-19 vaccine?| A．Because the vaccine is too hard to get. |
| B．Because the vaccine is too expensive for them. |
| C．Because they are not at the risk of getting COVID-19. |
| D．Because the effectiveness of the vaccine for kids hasn't been tested . |
| A．A substance to comfort patients | B．A pill to treat patients |
| C．A prize to award patients | D．A way to cure patients |
| A．To tell American adults they can get a COVID-19 vaccine. |
| B．To inform that American children can't get a COVID-19 vaccine. |
| C．To give information about clinical trials of vaccines in teens and kids. |
| D．To provide information for potential volunteers on trials. |
| A．Newspapers. | B．Magazines. | C．Internet. | D．Textbooks. |
3 . I'm at Sony's New York headquarters, where the Japanese electronics company is showing the new version of its robot dog, Aibo. When I was a kid, I received a furry robot dog for Christmas one year, but quickly lost interest because it was way more fun to play with my real dog. Who would buy a $2900 fake dog when they could have a living one for far less?
“Aibo, sit,” I said. The robot's ears perked up, with its eyes fixed on me. But it did not sit. “Sit!” I tried again. Aibo just raised its head, with a look—that was not unlike the response you'd get from an untrained puppy. I made one last attempt to get the dog to sit before giving up. In response, it barked at me and wagged its tail. That simple gesture melted my doubt. I patted its head, and the robot responded slightly to my touch. As I played with it for the next half hour, I became more and more charmed by is playful personality. I even started to imagine what it would be like to take it home.
Aibo was first introduced in 1999, with new versions released every year or so. The older versions have a limited range of movement and little artificial intelligence. Some don't even have eyes. The sixth generation of Aibo, which Sony is launching in the United States after introducing it in Japan late last year, is the most lifelike one yet. It can walk, sit, lie down, and even play dead. There's a camera equipped with facial recognition on the dog's nose and a camera that maps the space around it at the base of its tail. In Japan, the new Aibo sold out right away, and Sony has sold 20,000 of the robots as of July.
Aibo isn't meant to be an assistant that performs tasks like calling your family and friends on your behalf and it's not tracking your behavior for the express purpose of monitoring your health. It's meant to copy the kind of companionship a real-life dog offers.
1. What was the author's attitude to Aibo at first?| A．Positive. | B．Neutral. | C．Negative. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．It has a camera on its ear. | B．It is popular with customers in Japan. |
| C．It was first produced in the United States. | D．It needs improvements in artificial intelligence. |
| A．To keep people company. | B．To monitor people's health. |
| C．To do some simple work. | D．To make life more intelligent. |
| A．An assistant robot dog | B．A most lifelike robot dog |
| C．A real-life dog | D．A playful dog |
4 . You should see the photo. I'm sitting in red dirt, wearing an ugly purple T-shirt. My hair is wet with sweat. Flies buzz around my head. I'm on a school trip with 20 parents and 20 kids.
It was an odd choice for a holiday. I like sitting by the pool with a cola, not flies and frogs. I like being alone and quiet, not a busload of kids. I like freshly washed sheets, not dry-looking blankets.
But here's the thing about that photo: I am smiling!
The trip sounded good when I signed up. Guides would take us into the heart of the place, and I would see a new part of Australia, learn about local culture and bond with my youngest daughter. I would also bond with 40 strangers.
In Darwin, we got onto a bus. The kids were loud and I hated making small talk. But later, when I looked out at the vast, empty land, I was surprised at and moved by its beauty. At a national park, we enjoyed a natural swimming hole. Kids and parents had a great time. Then we got to the outback. The cabin(小屋) I shared with my daughter was a brick cell, full of geckos and crickets, but too dark to see them. On our last night, a water pipe broke. We awoke to a mess. Usually, I would have complained and asked for a refund, but it just seemed normal to be dirty It didn't matter. Indeed, it was impossible to say clean. We were hiking in red dirt with temperatures of 35 degree. Sill, I felt a kind of energy I hadn't experienced in years.
I love that photo of me in the dirt. I look messy, but also happy. Sometimes, it's another way of traveling .There is beautiful scenery .There is dirt. There is always someone to talk to, someone to laugh with.
1. What were the author's usual trips like according to the article ?| A．Cheap. | B．Adventurous. | C．Comfortable. | D．Crowded. |
| A．Their living conditions were fairly poor during the whole trip. |
| B．Their journey was relaxing without too much sightseeing. |
| C．The scenery on the trip disappointed them to some degree. |
| D．The parents seemed to enjoy themselves more than their children. |
| A．Impatient. | B．Delighted. | C．. Disappointed. | D．Exhausted. |
| A．It's important to choose your trip wisely. | B．It's beneficial to travel with your children. |
| C．It's worthwhile to step out of your usual experience. | D．It's advantageous to travel different places. |
5 . The world's best-selling cookies were celebrating their 100th birthday in 2012. More than one century ago, America's National Biscuit Company, also known as Nabisco, sold its first Oreo sandwich cookies lo a Hoboken grocer. Today, Oreos are popular all over the world. We twist（旋转）them. we dip them in milk, and we love them. But just how much do we know about them?
The name is a mystery. No one knows the origin of the word“Oreo”until now. Some believe it comes from the French word for gold, because the original packaging was mostly gold. Others have offered the guess that it comes from the Greek word for mountain, because the test version of the cookie had a hill-like design on it.
The Oreo became kosher in 1998. All Oreo packing now bears a symbol, just above the package weight, indicating it is a kosher food. Hydrox cookies had long been a common kosher choice, but because this type of cookies didn't make much profit, it was discontinued in 2003.
Two versions appeared at first. The options include original and lemon meringue（蛋白酥）. The original was far more popular, and Nabisco discontinued lemon meringue in the 1920s.
They're sold in more than 100 countries. In terms of sales, the top five markets are the U.S., China, Venezuela, Canada and Indonesia. In some countries, like China, Nabisco's parent company, Kraft, changed the recipe to attract more consumers.
450 billion. That's how many Oreo cookies have been sold worldwide since they hit the market.
1. Why do some people think the word“Oreo”comes from the Greek word?| A．The cookies are made in a mountain. | B．The symbol on the cookie is like a hill. |
| C．The cookies for testing look like a mountain. | D．The word sounds like“mountain”in Greek. |
| A．The company lacked raw materials. | B．The cookies were neither healthy nor safe. |
| C．The taste was not popular with young people. | D．The company didn't make much money from them. |
| A．To attract more people to buy Oreo cookies. |
| B．To celebrate the 100th birthday of Oreo cookies. |
| C．To compare the sales of Oreos in different countries. |
| D．To introduce some information about Oreo cookies. |
6 . The Tokyo Olympics have been postponed until 2021. That delay offers a chance for reflection. The International Olympic Committee wants to make the games more popular with young people. To that end, it is introducing new events, such as skateboarding, surfing and climbing. Why not go further and let national teams compete at video games? Electronic sports such as "Fortnite", are vastly more popular than strange Olympic sports like curling（冰壶）. In fact, they are more appealing than most mainstream sports. Only 28% of British boys aged 16-19 watch any traditional live sports; 57% play video games.
Some may complain that e-sports are not proper sports. Many parents, observing their teenagers sitting on the sofa all day shouting "Quick, pass me the shotgun!" at a screen, would agree. Yet video games are highly competitive, with professional teams that play to packed stadiums. There are perhaps only 200 tennis stars in the world who can make a living from playing in major competitions. By contrast, "League of Legends", a fantasy game played by teams of five, supports over 1,000 on good wages. Its World Championship final last year was watched by 44 million people.
Those against e-sports offer moral objections, too. They are addictive. Prince Harry has called for "Fortnite" to be banned for this reason. They are violent. At a time of global disharmony, it is bad idea to make virtual（虚拟的）killing an Olympic sport. The Olympics aim to promote peace.
Neither of these arguments is convincing. The idea that an activity, rather than material, can be addictive is controversial among doctors, as is the existence of a causal（因果的）link between gaming and violence. And the belief that warlike sports have no place in the Olympics is hard to agree with history. Wrestling was introduced in 708 BC. It is still there.
1. Why is the International Olympic Committee bringing in new events?| A．To replace mainstream sports. | B．To attract more young people. |
| C．To make up for the delay. | D．To show innovations. |
| A．E-sports are proper games. | B．Tennis has declined greatly. |
| C．Tennis players' salary is lower. | D．E-sport players have achieved a lot. |
| A．Positive. | B．Skeptical. |
| C．Unconcerned. | D．Discouraged. |
| A．To introduce how e-sports develop. |
| B．To show what benefits e-sports can bring. |
| C．To explain why young people like playing e-sports. |
| D．To argue e-sports can be included in the Olympics. |
7 . By now, most of us have picked up at least one pandemic hobby. And there's a seemingly common pandemic hobby trend: People who haven't been able to go anywhere are making imaginary travel plans. Maybe you're among those who have spent hours researching locations-even though you're not actually planning to travel.
It turns out that you aren't alone. People who seem to be sticking to public safety recommendations are still planning trips they don't intend to book. And, when I suddenly found myself addicted to an imaginary girls' trip to Joshua Tree, I wondered whether this was a healthy distraction.
"It's an escapist imagination," said Regine Galanti, a psychologist, adding that there's nothing wrong with escapism during a global pandemic.
On the one hand, distractions are often beneficial right now. We are a full year into living with COVID-19 as a pandemic, and that means you've probably had to navigate a range of emotions like discomfort, sadness, or even boredom. So any hobby that doesn't harm anyone or endanger your well-being is probably a worthy attempt.
Even if vacation planning is your happy place, Dr. Galanti suggests you "actually think about what you're trying to achieve." Why? "Maybe what you're saying is, I need a vacation from work," Dr. Galanti explains. "Then take three days off even if you are not going anywhere. "When you figure out what you're looking for, you might be able to find a small socially distanced adventure in your backyard or a quiet place. Vacation planning is a good way to spend some time, but there might be an even better way to get what you're desiring.
Anyway, when uncertainty is all around us, creating things to look forward to isn't a terrible idea. And when things are safer, you'll have all your plans in place.
1. Why do people make imaginary travel plans during the pandemic?| A．To develop a new hobby. | B．To stay safe and sound. |
| C．To be distracted from reality. | D．To get ready for future travel. |
| A．Express. | B．Balance. | C．Adapt to. | D．Deal with. |
| A．Objective. | B．Negative. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Figures. | B．Lifestyle. |
| C．Food and recipe. | D．Science and technology. |
8 . Regardless of whether or not you are young, there are particular habits that give away your true age. Like falling asleep on the very thought of a second glass of wine, some issues simply sign to the world that you are just over 40. Now, a brand-new study reveals that there is one factor you do along with your smartphone that reveals your age: turning to a PIN(personal identification number) to unlock your telephone rather than a fingerprint or facial recognition means you are of an older technology.
The study, carried out by researchers on the University of British Columbia, explored the links between age and smartphone use by remotely monitoring smartphone customers' habits. “As researchers working to protect smartphones from illegal access, we need to first understand how users use their devices,” defined Konstantin Beznosov, a professor involved in the research.
To get more information, the researchers selected 134 volunteers, ranging in age from 19 to 63, and had them set up a tailored app to their Android telephones for two months. The app recorded all of their lock and unlock occasions, together with whether or not they choose auto or guide lock, and the actions of the telephone on the time of unlocking. This is how they found the generational variations in unlocking habits.
The researchers additionally collected information on the size of consumer periods. The staff discovered that along with an individual's most popular technique for unlocking their telephones, the period of time spent on the telephone additionally related with age.
As one report on the study explains “Study showed that older users used their phone less frequently than younger users. For every10-year- interval in age, accordingly there was a 25 per cent decrease in the number of user sessions. In other words, a 25-year-old might use their phone 20 times a day, but a 35-year-old might use it only 15 times.”
So, in case you unlock your smartphone by hand, you may chalk it as much as a generational desire.
1. What will a man in his sixties probably use to unlock his phone?| A．Passwords. | B．Fingerprint. | C．Facial recognition. | D．Voice control. |
| A．Gaining illegal access. | B．Checking their phones. |
| C．Using special app. | D．Recording with cameras. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．four. |
| A．Unlocking says your age | B．Secrets to smartphones safe |
| C．Smartphones change our lives | D．Ways to unlock your smartphones |
9 . Many adults rely on caffeine to get them through the day. But that’s the last thing kids need, according to the governments of England and South Korea.
England woke up to the news that the government is preparing to ban the sale of energy drinks like Red Bull to children.
The ban only applies to England, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can all follow suit if their administrations wish. In March, several major supermarket chains announced they would ban the sale of energy drinks to children under 16. Meanwhile, South Korea announced plans to ban the sale of coffee in schools by September 14.
The first reason for the ban is the high level of caffeine in the energy drinks, which has been linked to health problems for children, including head and stomach aches, as well as sleep problems.
A 250ml can of Red Bull contains about 80mg of caffeine, roughly the same as a similarly sized cup of coffee, but three times the level of CocaCola.Monster Energy, which is often sold in larger cans of 500ml, contains 160mg of caffeine.
Energy drinks often also have higher levels of sugar than soft drinks.Sugared energy drinks have 60% more calories and 65% more sugar than normal soft drinks and sugar is one of the largest causes of obesity.
British national official for education, Darren Northcott, described the drinks as “legal highs” that helped to fuel bad behavior in schools.
In addition to limiting kids’ access to caffeine and energy drinks, the South Korean government has also banned TV commercials for fast food, sugary snacks and highcaffeine beverages during times when most children’ s programs air.
South Koreans drink an average of 181 cups of coffee a year, by far the most in Asia.That is more than the 151 consumed per person in the UK but less than the average of 266 cups in the US.
1. Which part of the UK will be the first to ban the sale of energy drinks to children under 16?| A．England. |
| B．Scotland. |
| C．Wales. |
| D．Northern Ireland. |
| A．Paragraph 5 provides numbers for Paragraph 4. |
| B．They are parallel. |
| C．Paragraph 4 presents an argument. |
| D．Paragraph 4 provides reasons for Paragraph 5. |
| A．Reduce. | B．Settle. | C．Encourage. | D．Ignore. |
| A．Caffeine in Energy Drinks |
| B．Reasons for the Ban on the Sale of Energy Drinks |
| C．Coffee Sales in the UK and South Korea |
| D．England and South Korea Ban Caffeine for Kids |
10 . This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. As I searched the name, I found that there were two famous people having the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts(花生), while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice; let the coin decide. I flipped(掷) a coin and Ah! Tails (背面)! My report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.
Weeks later, I stood in front of the classroom and proudly read my homework. But things started to get strange. I looked around the room, only to find my classmates with big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes and my stone-faced teacher. I was completely lost. “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”
Oh well, I dropped the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American War of Independence.” The whole world became quiet! How could I know that my teacher meant that George Washington?
Of course, my subject result was awful. Sad but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to the headmaster Miss Lancelot, but she said firmly: No re-dos; no new score. I felt that it was not fair, and I believed I deserved a second chance. So I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, I sat in the headmaster’s office again, but this time a completely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the terrible moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster told me I was good enough to skip(跳过) the 6th grade and started the 7th grade next term.
1. The task I received was to find information about ________.| A．uses for peanuts |
| B．American War of Independence |
| C．George Washington |
| D．my headmaster Miss Lancelot |
| A．I was too proud of my homework |
| B．I mistook what the homework was about |
| C．the whole world suddenly became quiet |
| D．the teacher’s face turned to a stone |
| A．the headmaster didn’t like the writer at all |
| B．the writer’s classmates felt sad at his mistake |
| C．the writer knew little about American history |
| D．the writer’s grandpa was a very wise man |
| A．Seeing is believing. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．One is never too old to learn. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
