2 . Rocky was a 65-pound dog. Rita was his eleven-year old owner. When Rocky was given to her, Rita immediately liked him. Whenever she was not in school,the two were always together and within touching distance. The family would lovingly call the pair “R and R”.

But Rocky had one shortcoming. He feared water very much because of a terrible experience. When he was at the age of seven weeks long before he met Rita,he was nearly drowned by a naughty boy who had been blamed by his father.

One late afternoon, Rita's mother took R and R to a shopping area near a lake. Rita was running along the wooden bridge over the water,enjoying the beautiful scenery around. Suddenly a boy on a bicycle hit Rita. She let out a cry of pain and fell into the lake.

Rita's mother was at the entrance of a store not far away. She rushed to the lake shouting for help. Rocky seemed to forget his fear and jumped into the water to save his owner. Rocky immediately swam to Rita and held her by the shoulder's clothes with his mouth. Rita's face was quickly out of the water and she could cough.Luckily,the water was calm,they were not far from the bank,and Rocky finally reached a depth where his feet were on solid ground. He pulled Rita hard until her head was completely out of the water, and then he stood beside her, licking (舔) her face.

Rita and her family firmly believed that it was only the big dog's love for the little girl that caused him to take action that might be life-dangerous.

1. From the text, we know __________.

A．Rita was once blamed

B．Rocky was eleven years old

C．Rita spent her spare time with Rocky

D．Rocky lived in Rita's home since his birth

2. Which of the following best describes Rocky?

A．Brave.

B．Honest.

C．Unkind.

D．Dangerous.

3. When did the accident happen?

A．At noon.

B．At night.

C．In the morning.

D．In the afternoon.

4. According to the time, which of the following is the right order of the event?
① Rocky came into Rita's life.② Rocky was nearly drowned.
③They were playing near the lake. ④ Rocky saved Rita from the water.

A．①②④③

B．②①③④

C．③①②④

D．④③②①

3 . Despite the lack of new releases due to the outbreak of COVID-19, there was no shortage of good films in 2020. We've rounded out the top 4 films. Check them out!

Soul

In the first Pixar cartoon to have an African-American lead character. Jamie Foxx provides the voice of a music teacher who dreams of making it as a jazz pianist. But just after a successful interview, he falls down a manhole and finds himself in a soul world where human spirits are assigned their personalities. And things get even stranger from there.

Nomadland

When Fern loses her husband and can't afford to live in a house, she packs her few belongings into a camper and drives off into the Nevada desert. She encounters a large community of senior citizens who have also been forced to live on the road, supporting themselves with short-term- jobs along the way. What makes Nomadland unique is that while Fern is played by an Oscar-winning actress, nearly all she meets are real people who relate their own experiences. Written and directed by Chloe Zhao, the film is a combination of documentary and fiction.

The Croods: A New Age

The prehistoric family from 2013's hugely enjoyable cartoon, The Croods, directed by Joel Crawford, makes a welcome return, so we can expect more crazy adventures and unusual animals. In the much-delayed- sequel, they meet another family, the Bettermans, whose advanced lifestyle and technology make the Croods look even more primitive than they did already. There's conflict but they learn to appreciate each other's differences.

Wolfwalkers

The year's finest cartoon film comes from Cartoon Saloon, an Irish studio specialising in stylised hand-drawn 2D art. Its latest production is set in the mid-17th Century, when English soldiers are trying to occupy the wild woods. One hunter's daughter meets with a girl wolfwalker and they make joint efforts to rescue the forest. It's a heartwarming story of friendship and an inspiring adventure about two girls finding themselves Wolfwalkers stands proud as new classic.

1. What is the film Soul about?

A．pianist's dream coming true.	B．A musician's romantic journeys.
C．A music teacher's unusual experiences.	D．An African-American actor's success story.

2. Which movie will you go to if you are interested in the wandering life?

A．Soul.

B．Nomnadland.

C．The Croods: A New Age.

D．Wolfwalkers.

3. In which column of the website could we read this text?

A．Science.

B．History.

C．Entertainment.

D．Medicine.

4 . Ms. Blake wanted to leave the San Francisco Bay Area. Her parents had bought a house on a large plot of land near a gateway to Yosemite National Park. Benjamin could stay with them while she worked at a supermarket in town. He could run around in the hills. What she hadn’t quite accounted for, though, is how the hills are becoming hotter, drier and more dangerous.

A year after they moved came the first of an annual series of wildfires, and an asthma diagnosis (哮喘诊断) for Benjamin. One year, they had to leave from their home for a few days. Another year, they bought air-conditioners so they could keep the windows shut when the air got thick and smoky. This year, just as it seemed like Benjamin’s asthma was relieving, came the Creek Fire in the hills nearby. The air turned white with smoke. The boy had what appeared to be a mild asthma attack.

Ms. Blake struggles to explain to him why he can't be outside exploring. She worries when he goes to school. She wonders how much longer the family will be able to insure their home if rates climb higher — and what they’ll do if insurance becomes unavailable at any price. “It seems every year there’s some major fire,” Ms. Blake said. “We're smoked out. It's hard to breathe. It's always a worry that you' re going to have to flee or you1 re going to lose your home.” She said she had spent in the neighborhood of $1,000 this year to equip her home. “To protect my son of course I’m going to do that,” she said. “But it' s fundamentally unfair.”

1. What can be learned from Paragraph 1-2?

A．Benjamin likes living in San Francisco Bay Area

B．Benjamin didn’t have an asthma before moving.

C．Ms. Blake stayed with her son while working.

D．Ms. Blake could explain how the hills are becoming drier.

2. Why did Ms. Blake buy air-conditioners?

A．To help cure Benjamin’s asthma.

B．To keep the air cool in hot summer.

C．To keep the air drier in the house.

D．To keep the windows shut when necessary.

3. What is the direct factor to Benjamin’s asthma?

A．Some dry brush and dead trees caused fire.

B．Series of wildfires attacked his living area.

C．The weather became hotter and drier.

D．The air got thick and smoky in the San Francisco Bay Area.

4. How did Ms. Blake feel about the series of wildfires?

A．Anxious and angry.

B．Concerned and confused.

C．Unconcerned and uninterested.

D．Positive and hopeful.

5 . According to a survey, the waste of food on the dining table occupies 10% of the total grain output. Last week Meituan co-published a proposal with a number of business organizations, calling on restaurants to stop food waste and help develop new eating habits for customers. “Restaurants should use official accounts on social media and live-streaming to promote and advocate food-saving actions,” the proposal said.

Meituan and the organizations are advocating that merchants offer guidance for consumers, including reminding them during the ordering process about the taste of the ingredients, portion sizes and other information about the dishes, to help them avoid food waste due to misleading information.

Catering associations in more than 18 provinces have also joined the campaign to remove food waste. The Wuhan Catering Association proposed an “N-1” ordering code for restaurants in which a group of 10 diners would only order enough for nine people. More food is only brought to the table if required. It has inspired people to rethink their relationship with food and waste.

On Friday, the China Cuisine Association announced that it had teamed up with Ele. me, a food delivery platform, to launch a “ half-dish plan", encouraging restaurants to provide customers with the option to order smaller portions. Besides, customers are encouraged to take their leftovers home.

To reduce food waste on social media platforms, some popular video platforms have stepped up content reviews of food-related live streams and implemented regulation of online eating shows. Now, if users search certain keywords, such as “eating show" or “competitive eaters", a cautionary message pops up to remind them to cherish food and keep a reasonable diet.

1. What is the purpose of the proposal mentioned in the passage?

A．To monitor food sales on social media and live-streaming.

B．To expand the business and competitive ability of Meituan.

C．To encourage restaurants to take measures to reduce food waste.

D．To promote cooperation between Meituan and other organizations.

2. How is Paragraph 3 developed?

A．By doing a survey.	B．By offering analysis.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By giving an example.

3. What is the suggestion for consumers in the passage?

A．Purchasing their favorite food.	B．Buying proper amounts of food.
C．Following some competitive eaters.	D．Leaving their leftovers in the restaurant.

4. What does the underlined phrase “pops up” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Appears unexpectedly.	B．Spreads widely.
C．Moves quickly.	D．Fades slowly.

6 . To improve a high schoolers chance of getting into a top university, the summer programs allow young students to explore fields of interest and get a taste of college life.

Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP)

TASP is a six-week program allowing high school freshman from around the world to grow their sense of interpersonal awareness and community responsibility. It's completely free, including the cost of tuition, books and even travel.

Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)

This week-long program aimed at all US high school students can help them develop the skills necessary for future job in engineering while learning about the value and reward of acquiring advanced technical degrees. MITES is free—the only expense is the transportation to and from MIT.

Clark Scholar Program (CSP)

High school students coming from across the globe are offered the unique opportunity to gain hands-on research experience in mathematics field while working one on one with teaching staff over four intense weeks. Everything is free for chosen applicants except their meals.

JCamp

The seven-week one brings high school freshman and sophomores from various backgrounds together for participating in sessions and workshops led by notable journalists where students can get hands-on training in journalism. JCamp is free if selected-participants only need to pay for the board.

1. What can be expected of MITES?

A．It is accessible to worldwide students.	B．It lays a foundation for career prospect.
C．It makes no extra charge for transportation.	D．It awards students advanced technical degrees.

2. Which program is suitable for a UK high schooler with up to 5 spare weeks?

A．TASP.

B．MITES.

C．CSP.

D．JCamp.

3. What is the shared goal of the programs?

A．To seek for one-on-one instruction.	B．To develop a sense of social duty.
C．To get participants better prepared for college.	D．To advertise some majors of the top universities.

7 . Like fine food, good writing is something we approach with pleasure and enjoy from the first taste to the last. And good writers, like good cooks, do not suddenly appear full-blown. Quite the opposite, just as the cook has to undergo a particular training, mastering the skills of his trade, the writer must sit at his desk and devote long hours to achieving a style in his writing, whatever its purpose is — schoolwork, matters of business, or purely social communication.

You may be sure that the more painstaking the effort, the more effective the writing, and the more rewarding.

There are still some faraway places in the world where you might find a public scribe to do your business or social writing for you, for money. There are a few managers who are lucky enough to have the service of that rare kind of secretary who can take care of all sorts of letter writing with no more than a quick note to work from. But for most of us, if there is any writing to be done, we have to do it ourselves.

We have to write school papers, business papers or home papers. We are constantly called on to put words to papers. It would be difficult to count the number of such words, messages, letters, and reports put into mails or delivered by hand, but the daily figures must be extremely large. What is more, everyone who writes expects, or at least hopes whatever he writes will be read, from first word to last, not just thrown into some “letters-to-be-read” files or into a wastepaper basket. This is the reason we bend our efforts toward learning and practicing the skills of interesting, effective writing.

1. In this passage, good writing is compared to fine food because ______.

A．both are enjoyable

B．both are hard to learn

C．both are necessary to life

D．both take a long time to prepare

2. According to the passage, some managers don't have to do any letter writing because ______.

A．they rely on quick notes	B．they have excellent secretaries
C．they have a computer to do it	D．they prefer making phone calls

3. According to the author, if your letter is thrown into some "letter-to-be-read" file ______.

A．it will receive immediate attention	B．it will be dealt with by the secretary
C．it is likely to be neglected	D．it is meant to be delivered soon

4. The purpose of the author in writing this passage is ______.

A．to explain and persuade	B．to comment and criticize
C．to interest and entertain	D．to argue and demonstrate

8 . That morning, I dropped our eldest at kindergarten and returned home to let our two younger children play while I worked on my medical report. It was a wonderful chance to work from home, but it hit me that my career in hospital wasn't making a difference in anyone's life. I needed something that would stretch my limits and push me to grow. My career enabled me to work from home. I could work from home, and become a foster mother, providing safety for a child who needed it desperately.

On Monday morning. I picked up the phone and dialed the number I had Googled for the nearest Department of Children's Services. The man on the other end was receptive to my questions and explained the next step of training, involving eight weeks of classes designed to prepare and educate foster parents. We continued through all the classes, the home visits, background checks, and seemingly endless steps.

Five long months after we were approved, the phone rang. In the middle of the night, I woke my husband and rushed to East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Our placement was waiting for us in the emergency room, sick and lack of nutrition. It didn't take long for us to realize the full depth of her suffering. Six months later, her half-brother came to us by our request. We now had five children under our care.

On August 12, 2016, our family of seven walked into a small courtroom. The children's lawyer and social worker were there. With just a few words, our adoption was finalized. These two amazing children weren't going home, because they were already home. We are their forever family, and they are our forever children. We may not be able to change the entire world, but we have changed the world entirely for our new children.

1. How did the author feel about her hospital work?

A．Lacking of motivation.	B．Filled with challenge.
C．Highly motivating.	D．Unusually Demanding.

2. What led the author to decide to adopt children?

A．She felt sympathetic for abused children she knew.

B．She wanted to make a difference in other people.

C．She felt confident about her ability to raise children.

D．She experienced training to raise children properly.

3. What does the underlined word "placement" in Para 3 refer to?

A．The child to be adopted.	B．The need to get trained.
C．The approval of adoption.	D．The official at the hospital.

4. Why did the author appear at the courtroom?

A．To put the adopted kids elsewhere.	B．To receive another adopted child.
C．To make the adoption officially legal.	D．To begin the kids' adoption in her home.

9 . Nowadays technologies benefit us a lot in our daily life, but if not properly used, they can affect our health．The bed is supposed to be reserved as a place for sleep, but people tend to read an iPad a lot in bed before they go to sleep．

Charles Czeisler, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues got a small group of people for an experiment．For five days in a row, the people read either a paper book or an iPad for four hours before sleep．Their sleep patterns were monitored all night．Before and after each trial period, the people took hourly blood tests to paint a day-long picture of just how much melatonin（褪黑激素） was in their blood at any given time．

When subjects read on the iPad as compared to the paper books, they reported feeling less sleepy at night and less active the following morning．People also took longer to fall asleep on the iPad nights, and the blood tests showed that their melatonin secretion（分泌） was delayed by an hour and a half．

The researchers conclude in today's journal article that given the rise of e-readers and the increasingly widespread use of e-things among children and adolescents, more research into the long-term consequences of these devices on health and safety is urgently needed．Czeisler and colleagues go on, in the research paper, to note "Reading an iPad in bed may increase cancer risk"．

However, software has been developed that can reduce some of the blue light from the screens of phones and computers according to time of day, and there are also glasses that are made to filter（过滤） short wavelengths．While they seem like a logical solution for the nighttime tech users, it needs more research．

1. In Charles Czeisler's experiment, what were all the subjects asked to do?

A．Sit in a row and receive the strict tests．

B．Have their sleep patterns observed all night．

C．Read a paper book and an iPad at the same time．

D．Have their blood tested per hour during the trial．

2. What were the iPad readers likely to do according to the third paragraph?

A．They felt less sleepy and tired in the day．

B．They fell asleep more easily after reading．

C．They became less energetic the next morning．

D．They had a lot more melatonin secretions．

3. What can the special software recently developed do for e-readers?

A．It can remove the blue light from your devices completely．

B．It can help prevent eyes being harmed by short wavelengths．

C．It can weaken the harm done by doing nighttime e-reading．

D．It can be used in all the e-things widely and safely．

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

A．Wrong behaviors before bedtime．	B．New software for night e-readers．
C．No games on the iPad in bed．	D．No e-reading in bed before sleep．

10 . The signs appeared practically overnight. They’d been planted everywhere—in front of homes, along sidewalks, around the local high school. Each featured just a few uplifting words in simple black type: “Don’t Give Up,” “You Are Worthy of Love,” “Your Mistakes Do Not Define You.” The high school in Newberg, Oregon, had lost four students and three former graduates to kill themselves that year, so the town of 25, 000 instantly understood the messages.

Amy Wolff had done so, in part, because she’d lost her own teenage brother in an accident about 20 years earlier. It was compassion (同情) for compassion’s sake.

Yet as Wolff saw the deep emotion her sign inspired in her neighbors, she decided to step forward to share her message publicly. Instantly, her inbox was flooded with requests for more signs. Since then, the Don’t Give Up Movement has spread from Newberg to the hearts and yards of people in every state. Wolff charges only the cost of materials and shipping. “It’s a terrible business decision if we wanted to function like a business,” she says.

Chrisanne Moger commented on one of the movement’s posts about the need for one particular sign, “We’re All in This Together.” She thought it would really speak to a world huddling together under the cloud of COVID-19. Wolff agreed, and she received 750 orders within a week of its creation. A mother in Colorado, unable to travel during the quarantine (隔离), contacted the organization after her stepson’s sudden death. “I saw one of your signs recently and it was a touching message from above to hang on.” she wrote.

Aware of the added emotional challenges isolation brings, the Don’t Give Up Movement has since offered to send handwritten letters of support to anyone in quarantine who needs it.

1. Why did the signs suddenly appear everywhere in Newberg?

A．They featured some inspiring words.

B．The high school had lost several students.

C．They conveyed simple messages.

D．The outbreak of COVID-19 scared people.

2. What do you know about the Don’t Give Up Movement?

A．It is a non-profit organization.

B．It met all requests of neighbors.

C．It gradually won the hearts of people.

D．It was started in honor of Amy’s brother.

3. What effect do the messages from the posts have?

A．They bring emotional challenges.

B．They offer great encouragement.

C．They provide information for COVID-19.

D．They improve interpersonal relationships.

4. What do you think of Amy Wolff?

A．She’s active and open-minded.	B．She’s talkative and sociable.
C．She’s decisive and ambitious.	D．She’s selfless and devoted.