1 . No matter where you go around the globe, everybody loves to celebrate. And when it comes to celebration, festivals offer something for everyone.

Mardi Gras （New Orleans, Louisiana）

Also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a cultural event. Though the celebration

is held every year on the day before Ash Wednesday, the festivities last for months, banning in November throughout January and early February. And if you love music, check out the annual Galactic concert at the world-famous Tipitina’s on Lundi Gras (the day before Mardi Gras).

La Tomatina （Valencia, Spain）

Launched way back in 1945, La Tomatina is one of the oldest festivals on our list. It's also easily the happiest but the messiest, coming off like the world's biggest food fight.

Legend has it that the whole thing started when some local boys joined a parade alongside musicians. The boys made the performers so angry that they tried hit the boys, and a vendor's (小摊贩)vegetable stand fell victim to the incident.

If you go, please follow some simple rules: Don't throw hard objects, squash the tomato before throwing it, stay a safe distance away from tomato trucks, and stop in time.

Montreux Jazz Festival （Switzerland）

Founded back in 1967, Montreux is one of the oldest music festivals in the world. It's also the second largest jazz festival, after the Montreal International Jazz Festival. That Canadian concert may attract more visitors-around 2 million annually. But Montreux benefits from its pretty location on the attractive shores of Lake Geneva. The area is particularly beautiful in late June/early July, when the festival is held.

1. When is Galactic concert held?

A．On Mardi Gras.	B．On Lundi Gras.
C．On Montreux Jazz Festival.	D．On La Tomatina.

2. What do people do on La Tomatina?

A．Punish naughty boys.	B．Enjoy musicians' performance.
C．Throw tomatoes without hurting.	D．Catch people who destroy tomatoes.

3. Where can you read the passage probably?

A．News report.	B．Academic journal.
C．Conceit brochure.	D．Travel magazine.

2 . Experts are warning about the risks of extremely picky(挑剔的)eating after a teenager living on a diet of chips and crisps developed lasting sight loss. Eye doctors in Bristol cared for the 17-year-old after his sight had gone to the point of blindness. Tests showed he had serious vitamin deficiency(缺乏). Dr. Denize Atan, who treated him at the hospital, said, “His diet was basically a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day. He also used to snack on crisps and sometimes white bread and ham, and not really any fruit and vegetables.”

The teenager saw his doctor at the age of 14 because he had been feeling tired and unwell. At that time he suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency, but he did not stick with the treatment or improve his poor diet. Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eye Hospital because of progressive sight loss.

He was not overweight or underweight, but he had lost minerals from his bones, which was really quite shocking for a boy of his age. In terms of his sight loss, he met the standards of being blind. “He had blind spots right in the middle of his sight,” said Dr Denize Atan, “That means he can’t drive and would find it really arduous to read, watch TV or recognize faces.”

Dr Denize Atan said that parents should learn about the harm that can be caused by picky eating, and turn to experts for help. For those who are concerned , she advised, “It’s best not to be anxious about picky eating , and instead calmly introduce one or two new foods with every meal.” She said multivitamin tablets can supplement(补充) a diet, but cannot take the place of eating healthily. “It’s much better to take in vitamins through a varied and balanced diet,” she said, adding that too many certain vitamins , including vitamin A, can be harmful ,“so you don’t want to overdo it.”

1. What does Dr Denize Atan imply in paragraph 1?

A．The diet of the boy is not balanced.

B．Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins.

C．Picky eating is common among teenagers.

D．The cause of the boy’s disease is unknown.

2. Why did the boy go to see his doctor at the age of 14?

A．To improve his poor diet.

B．To get some help to lose weight.

C．To be treated for his discomfort.

D．To slow down his progressive sight loss.

3. What does the underlined word “arduous” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Important.

B．Easy.

C．Necessary.

D．Difficult.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Reasons why the boy is seriously ill.

B．Suggestions for the boy’s family to care for him.

C．Advice for parents worried about picky eating.

D．Ways of taking in enough vitamins and minerals.

3 . Accompanied by her father, using a combination of aid and free climbing and taking advantage of some special equipment and ropes for protection, 10-year-old Selah made it to the top of El Capitan on June 12 after five days of big wall climbing.

Climbing the challenging and adventurous Nose route of El Capitan was a labor of love for Selah in more than one way. Her parents , Mike and Joy Schneiter, fell in love on this 3,000- plus-foot huge rock and she has always wanted to feel the way that her parents felt when they were up there together. Selah showed great interest in rock climbing at an early age. She wore her first rock-climbing equipment shortly after she learned to walk. She first dreamed of climbing El Capitan when she was 6 or 7.

El Capitan is a famous mountain-sized rock in Yosemite National Park. Getting to its top is no easy task. It's taller, as reported, than the tallest building in the world-Dubai^’s Buri Khalifa. El Capitan and its difficult Nose route, which runs more than 3,000 feet high up the center of the rock's face, is considered one of the world's hardest big wall climbs and has attracted the best climbers over time. But never before had a youngster accomplished it.

Selah's achievement caught national attention. Outside Magazine called her the youngest documented person to climb the Nose. Ken Yager, president of the Yosemite Climbing Association, said he also couldn't think of anyone younger who has done it.

Selah is humble about her El Capitan accomplishment. "I'm not necessarily a special kid or anything like that, she said. "There were a few times when I would be so worn that it would kind of discourage me from holding on. But overall, it was just great to keep plugging away.”

Selah shared this advice for other young climbers dreaming of big walls, "It doesn't take necessarily a super special person to do something like that. You just have to put your mind to it.”

1. What do we learn about Selah climbing El Capitan?

A．She began her climbing on June 5.

B．She got inspired by her family history.

C．She managed without any external help.

D．She was the first female to reach the top.

2. What is the purpose of paragraph 3?

A．To state El Capitan's height.

B．To prove El Capitan's popularity.

C．To introduce El Capitan's location.

D．To stress the challenge of climbing El Capitan.

3. Which of the following best describes Selah?

A．Determined.	B．Generous.
C．Warm-hearted.	D．Fortunate.

4. What may be Selah's advice for other young climbers?

A．Dream big and aim high.

B．Be committed to your ambition.

C．Chance favors the prepared mind.

D．Nothing is impossible for a genius.

4 . A KFC in North Platte, Nebraska received a letter like on other in their mailbox last week. Owner Rocky said he was shocked to see someone had written his store to apologize for stealing chicken! Along with the note were two $1 bills in order to repay for the chicken this “thief” took from the buffet(自助餐) line! Wow! Talk about an honest cheat!

There was no return address on the envelop and Rocky says he wishes he knew who this fried chicken snatcher (小偷) was! Not so he could catch her and bring her to justice but rather because he’d like to give her some free food! Rocky said, “It seems as if her conscience got the best of her. I really wish I knew who it was. I would buy her a few meals.”

The unknown moral letter writer explained just what went down while she was visiting the fast food restaurant, admitting, “This $2 is for the piece of chicken I brought home with me on Tuesday. That’s stealing. Sorry! I took more on my plate than I could eat and I knew it would get thrown away there because it couldn’t get put back on the buffet, so I put it in my purse and brought it home. I do love your chicken!”

She then asked for the restaurant’s forgiveness, since she felt someone else had already forgiven her. She said, “Anyway, God has forgiven me and I hope you will too. I will not be so quick to take so much next time. ” Lady, you are MORE than forgiven! You are on your way to being great!

1. How did the “thief” apologize to Rocky?

A．She sent him an email.	B．She wrote a letter to him.
C．She visited him in person.	D．She made a call to him

2. What did Rocky expect to do?

A．Bring the lady to justice.	B．Find out who the lady was.
C．Reward the lady with money.	D．Give the two dollars back to the lady.

3. The lady took the chicken from the restaurant because she________.

A．loved it very much	B．preferred to eat it home
C．didn’t want it wasted	D．didn’t want to pay for it

4. It can be inferred from the text that the writer ________.

A．disliked the lady	B．didn’t forgive the lady
C．appreciated the lady a lot	D．had deep pity on the lady

5 . Ministers are being urged to do more to encourage children to speak two languages from a young age. Edinburgh University and the Royal Society of Arts say research points to bilingual (双语) children being better at learning a lot of subjects.

A new study by the university suggests children speaking two languages make no more grammatical mistakes in English than those speaking one language. Professor Antonella Sorace tested a number of school-age bilingual children. Her study showed that children learning two languages may begin to talk later.

Professor Sorace said bilingualism made children generally better at learning in their lives. She believes parents often put off bringing their children up bilingually because they feel it may hinder(阻碍) their intellectual(智力的) development.

“My parents don’t know how good bilingualism can be and they think that bilingualism can cause confusion（迷惑) and intellectual delay in the child,” Professor Sorace said. “They purposely refuse to speak one of the languages they could be speaking.”

“By bringing them up bilingually they can give them much more than two languages.” Professor Socrace said. She hoped her findings would encourage parents to send their children to Gaelic schools.

1. According to the new study by Edinburgh University, bilingual children ________.

A．do better in lessons at school

B．have more interests

C．read more books

D．make more grammar mistakes in English

2. One disadvantage of being bilingual children is that they may ________.

A．behave worse at school

B．begin to talk later

C．be more likely to hate study

D．remember things more slowly

3. What do many parents think of bilingualism?

A．It will broaden children’s vision.

B．It will improve children’s memory.

C．It will cause confusion in children’s study.

D．It will decrease children’s study interest.

4. What’s Professor Sorace’s attitude towards children’s being bilingual?

A．Uncertain.

B．Doubtful.

C．Objective.

D．Positive.

7 . Humans have little difficulty recognizing one another. And we know that no two faces are exactly alike. Even identical twins have slightly different faces. Each human face is truly unique, and now we've invented machines that are able to recognize faces for numerous purposes.

Governments, employers and security and police services are increasingly using facial recognition technology. This allows them to quickly confirm an individual's identity. Systems are becoming so advanced that a wanted criminal can instantly be picked out of a crowd of thousands of people. All that's required is an image in a database to compare with the image of any number of people in a crowd. Ordinary people, too, are using facial recognition to unlock their phones, their computers and other devices.

Personal facial recognition protection has several benefits. It is instantaneous, and it relieves us of the need to memorize passwords. However, a device will require a password in the rare event that it doesn't, for whatever reason, recognize the user's face.

There are numerous concerns about the use of facial recognition. Primarily, the concern is that it threatens privacy. The installation of more and more cameras in public and private places is now part of everyday life. This means people can be observed and recognized wherever they go. Cameras may make public spaces safer, but keeping law-abiding(守法的) citizens under constant watch is disturbing to many.

In the age of the coronavirus and the widespread wearing of masks, facial recognition systems are having some difficulty. A mask covers many of the facial data points used by recognition software to confirm a person's identity. In response, facial recognition systems are being trained to use less facial data. That could affect how dependable it is as a method of identity detection.

1. What's the author's purpose of writing Paragraph 2?

A．To further explain the importance of facial recognition.

B．To describe the powerful functions of facial recognition.

C．To list in detail various advantages of facial recognition.

D．To state the unique advanced features of facial recognition.

2. Why are some people worried about the cameras?

A．The cameras may be occasionally out of order.

B．Too many cameras disturb people's daily life.

C．People's personal life might be exposed to others.

D．The cameras make law-abiding citizens feel stressful.

3. In what aspect will facial recognition systems be improved?

A．Getting more accurate with less information.

B．Becoming faster with more facial data.

C．Protecting personal information if necessary.

D．Responding more quickly to unexpected events.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The wide popularity of facial recognition.

B．The rapid development of facial recognition.

C．The benefits of facial recognition.

D．The introduction to facial recognition.

9 . An international group of electronic music composers is taking beats from the dance club to jungles and forests and back, all to help save nature's greatest singers. A Guide to the Birdsong of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean is a new album that includes the sounds of endangered birds. The album will come out next month, whose proceeds will go directly towards efforts to save birds.

The whole project was born out of this idea of trying to combine birdsong, electronic music and conservation. A Guide to the Birdsong of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean was organized by activist, music producer, Robin Perkins. He invited artists from each of the endangered birds 'homelands to build their own songs around the birds’ songs. There are contributions from ten artists in eight different countries.

First single Black Catbird was created by The Garifuna Collective, from Belize. Al Obando, guitarist and producer of the group, always took in national parks and viewed birds when on the road with the band. “There are no trails, and there are no signs there to tell you about what you reseeing,” Obando says. “So we're trying to do something for the birds and nature tourism.”

Another musician who responded to Robin's call is Tamara Montenegro, an artist from Nicaragua. She was shocked to hear of the serious situation of the Guardabarranco after being approached: “This beautiful creature I grew up adoring also faced the influence of the systematic human activities”. In response, she created a song inspired by this bird and the challenges it faces to live naturally.

The new album is the second edition, following on from A Guide to the Birdsong of South America, produced by Robin in 2015. That first album has raised, to date, over $15,000 benefitting conservation projects in South America. As with the first album, all of the money from the sales of the new album will support specific organizations, including Birds Caribbean.

1. What does the underlined word “proceeds” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Profits.

B．Budgets.

C．Challenges.

D．Effects.

2. What do we know about Al Obando?

A．He created a hit single himself.

B．He was fond of observing birds.

C．He was the organizer of the new album.

D．He did a lot for birds in South America.

3. Why was Tamara astonished to learn of the Guardabarranco?

A．It was friendly to humans.

B．It was beautiful in appearance.

C．It was losing its living environment.

D．It was facing challenges from other birds.

4. What is the author's purpose in writing the text?

A．To collect money for a project.

B．To popularize electronic music.

C．To recommend some famous artists.

D．To introduce a new album of electronic music.

10 . While flatmates can bring about stress and difficulty, they can also be great company and develop into wonderful, lifelong friends. Before making the decision to live with a flatmate or to live alone, consider carefully all the accompanying advantages and disadvantages.

Most people join forces with a flatmate primarily due to financial problem. A shared living space also means you're responsible for only half of the rent or shared bills. Additionally, when you're splitting costs, you can afford a better apartment than you could alone. However, money can become a point of argument for flatmates as well. If your flatmate gets laid off or quits his job, you may have to pick up his bill until he's back on his feet. Your flatmate may also insist he owe less because he doesn't use the shower too often.

In addition to bills and the rent, flatmates also typically share responsibility for unpleasant tasks, such as cleaning or doing the dishes. Without a flatmate, cleaning and tidying responsibilities are yours alone. However, flatmates also frequently end up sharing plenty of other things many people would rather not: use of the TV, the bathroom, food and even clothing, for example. You may have to wake up earlier than you'd like to get a hot shower before work or give up watching your favorite show because your flatmate beat you to it.

When you live alone,   you get to determine the terms of your social life, and you go home to an empty house or apartment at the end of the day. That can be preferable if you're a serious student or professional, someone who needs to work and rest in the quiet of an apartment. With a flatmate, there are unexpected guests and your social options can expand sharply. Keep in mind, however, that having a flatmate means that he may feel social when you do not, and you may have to deal with wanted house guests.

1. What's the main reason for most people to share a flat?

A．Ensuring safety.	B．Saving money.
C．Sharing housework.	D．Reducing loneliness.

2. What does the author say about a serious flatmate?

A．He likes a peaceful life.

B．He has excellent social manners.

C．He keeps everything in the room tidy.

D．He often turns away unexpected guests.

3. How does the author express his opinions?

A．By describing the process.	B．By stating an argument.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By analyzing the outcome.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Buying a Flat or Sharing One?

B．The Reasons for Sharing a Flat.

C．How to Share a Flat with a Flatmate?

D．The Advantages and Disadvantages of Flatsharing.