1 . Vinegar is great. It makes salad, fries and dumplings taste better, and you can even clean your windows with it. And now, according to scientists，it may even help the planet's population survive climate change. Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science （CSRS） in Japan proved that. They found growing plants in vinegar makes them more resistant to droughts. This could mean that in the future, worries about climate change affecting the world's supply of food will be much lower．
The discovery was made after the researchers studied the Arabidopsis, a plant known for its ability to survive in dry weather. It was found that when the plant was placed in drought-like conditions, it produced a chemical called acetate （醋酸盐）-the main component of vinegar．
After discovering this, the scientists experimented further by adding acetate to the soil of other plants before they stopped giving them water completely. After leaving the plants for 14 days, they found that the ones treated with acetate had survived, while the untreated plants had dried up and died．
It's hoped that this simple method of survival could soon be used to help farmers in dry countries keep their crops alive, "In the experiment, we targeted the staple foods of the world-rice, wheat and maize…and proved successful" Jong Myong Kim, co-author of the study, told Popular Science magazine．
Kim has already been in touch with people around the world who are interested in trying this simple and cost-effective method out for themselves from farmers to companies and amateur gardeners. "Now we are trying to cooperate with them to make a method to apply this system, and make the process as simple as possible," he said. Hopefully this means the end of hunger caused by bad weather in the future．
1. What did the researchers from the RIKEN Center prove?| A．Vinegar may help creatures survive bad weather. |
| B．Vinegar is found in plants by Japanese scientists． |
| C．Vinegar is very useful for cooking a good meal． |
| D．Vinegar is mainly used by people to clean houses． |
| A．By studying the soil. | B．By studying the data. |
| C．By observing the plants. | D．By doing the experiment. |
| A．The method has a bright future especially in agriculture． |
| B．Keeping plants alive means a lot for scientists． |
| C．How to decrease the cost is the main issue. |
| D．It’s too difficult for farmers to accept the method． |
| A．Vinegar and Food | B．Vinegar Could End Hunger |
| C．Japanese Scientists Find a Plant | D．Plants Need Water |
2 . Darrell Blatchley, a marine biologist and environmentalist based in the Philippine city of Davao, received a call from the Philippines, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (渔业与水产资源局) early Friday morning reporting a death of a young whale.
When the necropsy (尸检) was performed, Blatchley told NPR, he was not prepared for the amount of plastic they found in the whale’s stomach. “It was full of plastic nothing but nonstop plastic.” he said “It was filled to the point that its stomach was as hard as a baseball.” That means that this animal has been suffering not for days or weeks but for months or even a year or more,” Blatchley added.
Blatchley is the founder and owner of the D’Bone Collector Museum, a natural history museum in Davao. In the coming days, the museum will display all the items found in the whale’s system. Blatchley and his team work with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and other organizations to assist in rescue and recovery of marine animals.
“Within the last 10 years, we have recovered 61 whales and dolphins just within the Davao Gulf,” he said. “Of them, 57 have died due to man whether they took plastic or fishing nets or other waste, or gotten caught in pollution — and four were pregnant.”
Blatchley said he hoped that the latest incident would launch the issue of plastic pollution in the Philippines and across the globe. “If we keep going this way, it will be more uncommon to see an animal die of natural causes than it is to see an animal die of plastic,” he said.
1. What can be inferred from the second paragraph?| A．The whale was starved to death. |
| B．The dead whale must have swallowed a baseball. |
| C．Blatchley was very shocked at what he found. |
| D．Blatchley didn’t make preparations for the necropsy. |
| A．Waste collected from the ocean. |
| B．Things found in the whale’s body. |
| C．The whole system of the whale. |
| D．Many different tools of whaling. |
| A．Worrying. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Inspiring. | D．Mild. |
| A．A Whale Found Dead of Plastic | B．Stand Up for Protecting Whales |
| C．Plastic Threatening Our Existence | D．Natural Death or Merciless Murder |
3 . Most human beings are kind, good-natured beings who will help someone out in need if they are able to, especially if that someone is a little kid. Travis Sattler is one of those human beings.
The18-year-old didn’t think twice about helping a little boy who walked up to the counter at Freddy’s Frozen Custard where he’d been working for a year. The little boy named Johnny Smith had just finished eating with his mother when he walked up to the counter where Travis was working as the cashier. He ordered an ice cream. “once I told him the total, he was counting his change and all of his money, and then he handed everything to me. But he didn’t have enough money to pay for it. He was maybe $2 short.” Travis said.
But Travis wasn’t about to let this boy walk out of the restaurant without his ice cream. So, he pulled out his credit card and told the boy to take the ice cream away. “He had a big smile and the widest eyes when he ran back to his mom and told her what happened.” Travis said.
About 30 minutes later, the little boy walked up to Travis and handed him a note before walking out of the restaurant with his mom. It says, “Thank you for being so nice and paying for my ice cream. We need more people like you.” The note also had a $100 bill folded in it.
“I think I brightened up their day,” Travis said. And Travis’s boss couldn’t be more proud of him. He gave him an extra $100 bill as well and sent him some goodies.
1. How did Johnny feel when Travis paid for the ice cream?| A．Worried | B．Nervous | C．Happy | D．Confused |
| A．Curious | B．Humorous | C．Hard-working | D．Kind-hearted |
| A．Johnny’s mother couldn’t afford the ice cream. |
| B．Travis has helped many people in the restaurant. |
| C．Travis Sattler’s boss praised him for his behavior. |
| D．Johnny’s mother wrote to Travis and sent him a $2 bill. |
| A．All Roads Lead to Rome. | B．Kindness does need to be rewarded. |
| C．Do well and have well. | D．Doing is better than saying. |
4 . What will restaurants look like in the future? What would your dinner taste like if a robot cooked it? A robot restaurant in Tianjin may give you the answers. Covering an area of over 400 square meters with a total of 112 seats, the X Future Restaurant is a robot restaurant opened in November 2018. The restaurant has amazed customers with its fully automated(全自动的) technology, which covers every step of the dining experience, from ordering to cooking to serving the dishes and even taking payment.
Entering the restaurant, one can order dishes by simply scanning(扫描)the QR codes on the table. There are over 40 choices of dishes. After taking the order, “robot cooks” prepare dishes using fixed time, temperature and ingredients designed by famous Chinese cooks.
“As the cooking is controlled by a computer system, the taste and quality of dishes can be good,” said Li Xiaokui, manager of the X Future Restaurant.
Robots also complete the delivery of dishes. Without following any designed route, the robot waiters serve meals thanks to automated driving technology, which helps each robot timely change its route when something is in the way.
These eye-catching technologies have received wide praise from customers. “The dishes taste surprisingly good. I couldn't believe that they were made by robots, especially dishes that were difficult to cook.” one customer said. “The application of robots has increased our efficiency(效率)and cut down our costs,” Li said, “I think robot restaurants will develop fast and have a bright future.”
1. What do we know about the X Future Restaurant?| A．It covers over 112 square meters with 400 seats. |
| B．Robot waiters deliver dishes following fixed routes. |
| C．Customers could enjoy fully-automated services. |
| D．Robot cooks design dishes by themselves. |
| A．prepared by human cooks | B．ordered by scanning QR codes |
| C．not accepted by customers | D．not easy for robots to prepare |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Puzzled. | D．Worried. |
5 . Columbus College, 241 Queen Elizabeth Drive, Kowloon City
Memo
To, All Staff
From: Jakie Mok, Secretary; Sports Development Committee
Date: May 20, 2010
A week ago, “Sports for Life” programme was sent to parents, requiring them to select a sport they wanted their child to play. Since then, our staff have received lots of calls from parents asking for more information about it. Here is a memo (备忘录) for your reference when you answer the phones.
Sport1: Basketball
We expect that this will be the most popular of the four sports. Therefore, students should be advised to sign up as soon as possible. Students will take a private bus to and from Kwun Tong Sports Park. To cover the cost of hiring a bus, each student will have to pay $10 each time. There will be four basketball courts available for our use with one teacher watching over each game.
Sport 2: Gym
We will be using St Peter’s Memorial Park. There are two reasons for choosing this park. First, it is not very busy and crowded before 6:00pm.Second, it has a lot of trees with plenty of shade. Students must bring along two bottles of water to prevent thirst. Three activities, skipping, jogging, outdoor aerobics (有氧运动), all of which are free of charge, will be arranged. And there will be a teacher on duty for each of the activities.
Sport 3: Hiking
Hiking (远足) will take place at Kowloon Peak. The activity will start at 2:30 pm and finish 90 minutes later. Three teachers will accompany the students, and a hiking instructor will accompany each group of 15 hikers. Each instructor will cost $75/hr. Students are advised to bring plenty of water and sunscreen.
Sport 4: Swimming
The Kowloon City Aquatic Centre is a 10-minute walk from our school.Four teachers will go to the pool and conduct the goings-on from the poolside. We will only be able to reserve the pool for one hour (i.e.2:45pm to 3: 45 pm). Only students skilful at swimming can take up this activity. The pool will have two lifeguards present. Girls must wear a swimming suit. The cost is $10 per visit.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?| A．Students participating in gym should arrive at 6:00 pm. |
| B．Students selecting basketball had better register early. |
| C．Hiking usually begins at 2:30 pm and lasts two hours. |
| D．Students having swimming suits can take up swimming. |
| A．each sport will take only one hour | B．students will be charged for the four sports |
| C．teachers will accompany students on each sport | D．all the sports will take place at Kowloon Peak |
| A．attract students’ interest in the programme |
| B．require the parents to select a sport for their child |
| C．help the staff explain the programme to the parents |
| D．remind teachers and lifeguards to be present on time |
6 . When most people hear the words “Big Ben” they immediately think of the attractive Victorian Gothic structure of the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. Let’s clear up a common misunderstanding first; technically speaking, the name “Big Ben” does not refer to the famous tower, nor to the four huge clock faces of this London landmark; instead, it refers to the largest one of the five bells inside the clock tower.
Construction of the tower was begun following the disastrous fire which destroyed the old Palace of Westminster in 1834. Charles Barry was responsible for rebuilding the Palace, and his designs included a clock tower.
It took 16 years to build the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster and it was completed in 1859. The tower is 316 feet high. The spire of the tower is built with an iron frame, and it is this frame which supports the weight of the bells. Several small rooms are built into the lower part of the tower, including a small prison cell.
The iron frame of the clock face was designed by AW Pugin, who was responsible for many of the Gothic decorative elements of the Palace of Westminster. The dials are 23 feet in diameter and the faces themselves are not solid, but are made up of many small pieces of opal glass, like a glass window. Several of the central pieces of glass can be removed to make it easier for people to check the hands of the clock from inside.
At the time of its construction the clock movement was easily the largest in the world, and it is still among the largest today. The clock, designed by Edmund Beckett Denison, has proven to be very accurate over the years.
Big Ben — the hour bell — is said to have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who was known for his great size, as is the bell! The first Big Ben hour bell was completed before the tower, so the bell was hung in New Palace Yard. After repeated public ringing the bell cracked and had to be replaced by the current bell.
1. The name “Big Ben” actually refers to ____.| A．the famous tower | B．the huge clock faces |
| C．the biggest bell inside | D．the designer of the tower |
| A．was designed by Edmund Beckett Denison | B．was built in 1844 |
| C．is more than 300 feet high | D．has no rooms in it |
| A．Opal glass is cheaper than solid materials. | B．The huge body makes it much easier to see. |
| C．The glass is solid enough. | D．Pieces of glass can be removed to check the hands. |
| A．Sir Benjamin Hall was a famous architect | B．the first hour bell has worked till now |
| C．the bells are hung inside the spire of the tower | D．the clock is not accurate now |
7 . Craig Blackburn, a father and car fan, built a Batmobile for his son’s hope for using the vehicle to brighten the lives of sick children. And now he hopes to use it for more than just his sons hope after seeing the childrens reaction to the Batmobile.
Based on the number of failures he had seen in car groups, he estimated that only about one in 50 attempted constructions was actually finished and he realized what an incredible opportunity he had.
Mr. Blackburn started the project at the beginning of 2018 after hearing a friend in the US was doing the same thing. It started with importing an outer shell overseas, before picking brains of a friend who had a background as a worker in a car factory to gain knowledge of how to build the car. With the help of his friend, Mr. Blackburn built the Batmobile in 18 months with the cost reaching six figures.
Mr.Blackburn hoped to add a flamethrower(喷火器)onto the back of the vehicle and said he had thought about building the more recent Batman Tumbler from the series film Dark Knight. Though Mr. Blackburn encountered plenty of difficulties to get over during the construction, in September 2019, the car made its first show at the Carnival of Flowers in Toowoomba, before being used by Blackburn’s son for his hope.
“It was great. It was so good to see the kids’ and adults’ excitement at seeing the Batmobile.” Mr. Blackburn said. As a result, the car lovers hope to make the car work on the roads as soon as possible, so he can visit sick children and take them out with his son.
1. What is Craig Blackburn’s initial purpose of making the Batmobile?| A．To realize his son’s dream. |
| B．To donate it to sick children. |
| C．To pay his respects to the film Dark Knight. |
| D．To show off at the Carnival of Flowers in Toowoomba. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Confused. | C．Impossible. | D．Unsure. |
| A．By making an outer shell for him. |
| B．By offering him financial support. |
| C．By sharing the knowledge of building cars. |
| D．By telling him the background of the car factory. |
| A．It will be driven soon on the roads. |
| B．It can be displayed around the world. |
| C．It can change the lives of sick children. |
| D．It will appear in the next film about Batman. |
8 . On Tuesday night, September 11, 2018, Jews will begin celebrating one of their most important religious holidays, Rosh Hashanah(犹太新年), during which apples covered with honey are a sign of a sweet new year. Many Jews eat honey cakes or carrots cooked in honey to start the new year.
It takes up to two million flowers and 556 bees to make one pound of honey. A hive(蜂房) of bees have to fly over 55,000 miles, gathering nectar(花蜜) from all kinds of flowers, to produce a pound of honey: that’s over twice around the world! A worker bee visits between 50 and 100 flowers on each nectar-gathering trip. In total, a worker bee makes about 1/12 of a teaspoon in his lifetime.
Honey is the only food widely used by humans that’s made by animals. Honey is one of the two products produced by animals that are clean and contain neither milk nor meat. The other is human milk for babies. However, modern doctors alert mothers against feeding babies on honey because it can lead very young children to illness, which probably does much harm to them.
In Israel’s northern region, archeologists(考古学家) found the oldest beehives, dating from the 10th century BC, over 3,000 years ago. Made up of about 100 beehives, they seemed to have produced about half a ton of honey every year. Israel is called “a land that flows with milk and honey” in the Bible. Today, Israel produces about 3,500 tons of honey every year. Israelis eat about 1,600 tons of honey each year on Rosh Hashanah. That’s nearly half of their total honey for the entire year. That isn’t too much compared with Americans; an American eats about 1.31 pounds of honey each year.
Honey is central to a beautiful Jewish tradition carried out in many communities on the first day of preschool. As children prepare to learn letters, they are shown the letters covered with a block of honey. As the children lick off the honey, they learn their first valuable lesson that studying is sweet.
1. What’s the second paragraph mainly about?| A．How hard it is for honey to be produced. |
| B．How many bees make one pound of honey. |
| C．How much honey a worker bee makes in its life. |
| D．How far a hive of bees have to fly to gather nectar. |
| A．applaud | B．undertake | C．warn | D．adapt |
| A．Israel was a great country in ancient time. | B．Israelis have enjoyed honey for a long time. |
| C．Israelis were those who tried honey first. | D．Israel produced much honey in the past. |
| A．On their new year. | B．When they gather honey. |
| C．On the first day of preschool. | D．When they celebrate the birth of a child. |
| A．A traditional food of honey. | B．The history of producing honey. |
| C．Some difficulties in producing honey. | D．Some interesting facts about honey. |
9 . Ten-year-old Laura and her mother, Lynn, were sitting in front of the family computer, checking out models and prices of bikes. “Let’s pick one out for Dad’s birthday,” Lynn suggested.
As Laura got to the home page of the Bike Rack, a video link to Project Mobility caught her eye. She watched it out of curiosity. The video told how Bike Rack co-owner Hal Honeyman had created an organization to provide specially engineered bikes for people with disabilities. It showed the happy faces of those who were riding them.
“I’m going to buy a bike for one of those kids,” Laura told her mother. Two days later, she showed Lynn a letter she had written asking for donations. “I think it’s amazing for a guy to make bikes for kids who can’t walk,” the letter said. “I saw how happy a boy was when he got one… I’m writing to ask for your help.”
Lynn was surprised by her daughter’s effort, but doubts quickly appeared. The cost of just one of those special bikes could be $4,000. “She could never raise the money,” Lynn thought. But Laura’s letter went out to 75 relatives and friends. Within three days, money began arriving. The girl finally raised more than $12,000.
Last Christmas Eve, Laura wore a Santa hat and delivered the bikes to three of the lucky kids: Ava, Jenny, and Rose. Ever since then she and Ava have ridden bikes together. “When I ride a bike, I like to go fast and feel the light wind,” Laura said. “So does Ava. She rides with her arms, not her feet, but she really flies.”
Laura is determined to keep her campaign going every holiday season. “I want kids to feel the wind on their faces,” she says.
1. What does Project Mobility do?| A．It makes bikes for kids to donate. | B．It collects bikes for the disabled. |
| C．It offers special bikes to the disabled. | D．It catches the happy faces of cyclists. |
| A．Whether Laura’s effort could get noticed. | B．Whether Laura should ask for donations. |
| C．Whether Laura could bring down the cost. | D．Whether Laura could get enough money. |
| A．Laura’s father was moved by what she did. |
| B．Laura got a lot of support from many people. |
| C．Laura donated all her money to Hal Honeyman’s organization. |
| D．Laura helped to make every child ride happily. |
| A．Laura will continue helping the disabled. | B．Laura worked with Ava to deliver the bikes. |
| C．Laura got support from Bike Rack co-owner. | D．Laura will donate three bikes every holiday. |
| A．A love for riding bikes | B．A birthday gift for Dad |
| C．Special delivery on Christmas Eve | D．Project Mobility of Hal Honeyman |
10 . Ms. Mota is one of the first teachers, especially art teachers, who have kept her word. A student was disruptive (制造混乱的) for many days. She actually got him out of the class. She’s not one of the teachers who are unfair saying “You’re going to get kicked out of my class if you keep up with this behavior”, and then don’t do anything about it. She makes sure if others want to be here, they are here without students who want to be disruptive.
She helps everyone at any time. I don’t know how she does it, but Ms. Mota will answer a student’s question at any time of the day. She never ignores any of her students. If we need help, Ms. Mota is always there.
We need paper, pencils, paints, clay, etc. in art classes, but the school doesn’t provide us with enough materials. Ms. Mota stands up for us. She wants her students to enjoy art, so she fights for materials. Of course not fighting with hands, but by using strong words. Besides, she brings so many materials for us. Any donations people give her, she brings in for her students. She wants us to know how to use these materials, and grow as artists. She wants us to grow as young adults who have fun with art but not to make art seem like a chore (讨厌的工作).
Ms. Mota is such an inspiration to me. I want to go into the field of teaching little kids art, and she helps bring that into my life more. I feel encouraged that I can learn more, and teach kindergarteners how to draw because Ms. Mota has taught me to this point.
1. How does Ms. Mota deal with badly-behaved students?| A．She abuses them. | B．She ignores them. |
| C．She forgives them. | D．She punishes them. |
| A．She is active and creative. | B．She is strict but kind. |
| C．She is curious but impatient. | D．She is devoted and confident. |
| A．She asks the students to buy themselves. | B．She attracts people’s donations. |
| C．She appeals to the school for materials. | D．She fights against the school with hands. |
| A．A student. | B．An artist | C．A teacher. | D．A researcher. |
| A．To show his great love for art. | B．To express his admiration for Ms. Mota. |
| C．To offer encouragement to Ms. Mota. | D．To tell the stories of Ms. Mota. |
