1 . What is talent? Are you born with it? Or does it seem to develop over time? Before I start, I’d like to say that one thing everyone agrees on is that the most skilled musicians have worked hard to get there.

While it’s true that a few of us had enough “talent” to avoid extra practice to do just as well as those who did, those who worked hard easily beat us. It is, in fact, very likely that if some of us “talented ones” had actually been practicing and improving our skill, we would have achieved a whole different level.

Another aspect of talent seems to be heart and passion (酷爱). The people I see who are the most talented musicians are crazy about music. They eat, breathe, and live music and they make an extraordinary effort to make it part of their lives. As Remus Badea said, desire for the musician-to-be is significant for them to be successful. This desire is easily found in those considered to be talented. When you want and love something so bad, it drives you and your entire character can be shaped around it. Such determined passion seems to produce incredible skill and talent.

The third aspect (方面) of talent is having talent around you. When surrounded by talented musicians, it only seems natural that you start to catch up to their level Take a look at almost any group of musicians in history. The more talented people in the group the more talented the group is as a whole. A great example of this is the relationship between audio producer and artist. The artist turns up to the studio with their song, and as they work through recording it, the audio producer will often suggest various changes to the song to make it better.

1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?

A．Pride goes before a fall.

B．It’s never too old to learn.

C．Practice contributes to talent.

D．Talent determines achievements.

2. What is the key to success according to Remus Badea?

A．Passion.

B．Character .

C．Skill.

D．Talent.

3. Why is the example mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To introduce what real talents are.

B．To explain how a song is composed.

C．To prove talents need team spirit.

D．To show the benefits of being with talents.

4. What might the author probably agree with?

A．Music has no limits.

B．Musicians are born with talent.

C．Music favors the talented.

D．Musicians are created, not born.

2 . The use of AI (artificial intelligence) is becoming more common in many branches of industry and online shopping. Traditional lines of work, such as goods transport and driving, are developing in a similar direction although mainly out of public view. Scientists at the University of Göttingen have now investigated how efficient (高效的) the use of AI can be in the commercial management of trucks.

“Digital applications—as well as machine leaning, a kind of AI—are increasingly applied to operations and courses in the transport area,” explains Professor Matthias Klumpp from the Faculty of Economics. “The question in the commercial area, however, is whether or not this contributes to achieving goals.”

To answer this question, the researchers compared the work efficiency of truck drivers with their main use of AI applications. Looking at trade delivery by truck, they studied three groups: the first drove completely following human decision-making models; the second used a combination of human and machine; and the third depended completely on fully automated decisions.

The researchers found that an intelligent combination of human work and decision-making abilities with AI applications promises the highest transport and driving efficiency. “On average, the second group achieved the most efficient transport trips, with the fewest interventions (干预) and off-course from the best path.” one researcher said, “Clearly, neither a completely human decision-making structure nor a fully automated driving system can promise to meet current goods transport requirements.” The scientists therefore summarized that despite the progress of AI in the field of transportation by truck, human experience and decision-making abilities will still be necessary in the longer term. However, the challenge is that a wide range of training and qualification (资格) needs will come along by working with Al applications, especially for simple goods transport activities.

1. What does Matthias Klumpp focus on?

A．The efficiency of AI.

B．The advantages of AI.

C．The problems caused by AI.

D．The wide applications of AI.

2. How did the researchers get the finding?

A．By providing examples.

B．By making comparisons.

C．By using different trucks.

D．By listing three experiments.

3. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．Al is better at making decisions.

B．A balance is needed between human and AI.

C．Human will soon be replaced by AI in driving.

D．Al applications meet the current requirements.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The future of transport.

B．Artificial intelligence as a co-driver.

C．Artificial intelligence-a better choice in driving.

D．The strengths of artificial intelligence in transport.

3 . A recent study suggests there's nothing soft about pink, as it is revealed that the pinkest flamingos are the toughest. Published in the Journal Ethology, a recent study found that a pink color of feathers was a good indicator of how aggressive a bird was when feeding, as well as a sign of good health or a signal that the bird was ready to breed(繁育）.

For the study, researchers observed the behavior of flamingos in different feeding situations, ranging from small indoor spaces to large outdoor spaces, with or without a pool.

They found that compared to indoor birds competing for food from a bowl, the outdoor-raised flamingos spent twice as much as time searching for food, so they had less time to show aggressive behaviors. Interestingly, their findings also revealed that when the race for food turned hot, the birds most likely to appeal to arms were the pinkest, whether they were male or female.

“The color of flamingos comes from their food, more specifically, from the algae(藻类）that they absorb from water. So the more food they have, the pinker the birds are,” said Dr. Paul Rose, from the University of Exeter, in a statement. “Flamingos live in large groups with complex structures, in which color plays an important role.”

Flamingos don't have a breeding season. Instead, they breed when they are healthy enough to do so. Their health is indicated by the color of the feathers, which is pinker in their prime and paler when they weak. So, the signal that a bird is ready to breed is described as a pink flush in its feathers, which goes away when the bird parents a chick or already passes its best reproductive time.

A healthy pink flamingo will have more time and energy to be aggressive and dominant when feeding. When birds have to crowd together to get their food, they fight more and therefore spend less time feeding, leading to the fading color of flamingos that are already weak. “And this definitely is unfavorable for their reproduction,” Rose said.

The research provides a direction for zoos to feed their flamingos and keep them content and colorful. That is, ensure captive birds are fed in a wide space, as crowded conditions are more likely to result in fights. “Based on my observations, I suggested some changes. And the keepers were willing to try them out. As a result, we've got pinker, more relaxed flamingos," said Dr. Rose.

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

A．To propose an example.

B．To make an argument.

C．To make a comparison.

D．To introduce the topic.

2. Which aspect of flamingos did the researchers focus on?

A．Health condition.

B．Social structures.

C．Feeding activities.

D．Breeding activities.

3. What can we infer about the flamingos' group?

A．Body size determines status.

B．Family is taken as a basic unit.

C．Healthy flamingos control the whole group.

D．Pinker flamingos enjoy a breeding advantage.

4. Which measure of raising flamingos will Dr. Rose support?

A．Enlarging the raising space.

B．Raising all flamingos indoors.

C．Limiting the population of a group.

D．Increasing the frequency of providing food.

4 . There you are, looking through your WeChat moments or your Weibo feed, and you come across a post saying something like this: “I just got accepted to Harvard and 0xford! Are they sure they didn’t mix my applications up with somebody else’s?”

This person is clearly humblebragging. The term “humblebrag” was first coined back in 2010 by the late US comedian Harris Wittels, and it describes when someone makes a seemingly modest statement, but the actual purpose is to bring attention to something they are proud of.

The example above is a modesty-based humblebrag. The person wants to tell others: “I got accepted to Harvard and Oxford!” However, they don't want to seem too proud of their accomplishments. So, instead, they word it in a way to be more modest and bring down the importance of their achievements.

Although people who humblebrag think it will make them more likeable because they aren’t talking proudly about their victories, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology showed that humblebragging actually has the opposite effect.

“Humblebragging doesn’t have the intended result because it seems insincere. That ‘poor me’ attitude combined with self-promotion does not lead to a favorable impression,” said Ovul Sezer, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of organizational behavior at the University of North Carolina, US. “ Even simply bragging or complaining (抱怨) is better, because at least those messages are seen as more sincere.”

Sezer’s study also found that nearly 60% of humblebrags were complaint-based humblebragging, with most people humblebragging about their looks, followed by their money or wealth, and finally about their performance at work. “It’s such a common phenomenon. All of us know some people in our lives, whether in the social media or in the workplace, who do this annoying thing,” commented Sezer, adding that we all do it to some extent.

So, if you want to share your achievements with others, what’s the best way to do it then? Sezer suggests that people admit their self-promotion and harvest the rewards of being sincere. She also suggests finding a go-between, adding, “If someone brags for you, that’s the best thing that can happen to you, because then you don’t seem like you’re bragging.”

1. The underlined word “coined” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”.

A．recognized	B．invented
C．bought	D．copied

2. Which of the following can be considered as humblebragging?

A．Hesitating to talk about your achievements.

B．Bringing people’s attention to your achievements.

C．Talking proudly about your achievements in the social media.

D．Pretending to be modest when talking about your achievements.

3. What is Sezer’s attitude towards humblebragging?

A．Cautious.	B．Ambiguous.
C．Supportive.	D．Disapproving.

4. What does Sezer suggest people do when it comes to sharing achievements?

A．Share their achievements with their best friends.

B．Bring down the importance of their achievements.

C．Find someone else to talk about their achievements.

D．Talk about their achievements after someone else does.

5 . The door of a small cage opens up and a bird flies into a large enclosure (围场). The bird lands on a tree and moves its red head to the side, as if it is surprised. “That’s what it feels like to be free,” said Juan Camilo Panqueba, who works at a wildlife center in the Colombian city of Bogota, far from the Caribbean coast, where the bird usually lives.

Birdsong contests have taken place all over the Caribbean for hundreds of years. Although catching any wildlife is not permitted by the law, wildlife trafficking (非法交易) still happens a lot in Colombia, as the officials were too busy fighting with the drug trade, nongovernment fighters and other dangerous groups. Until recently, they did not enforce (强制实施) the law. Now, as dangerous groups have fallen and with the drug trade mostly destroyed, officials are taking another look.

Three weeks ago, Colombian officials saved birds from a group. The group was mostly people who had recently moved to Bogota from the Caribbean and Venezuela. Officials accuse (控告) the group of setting up a songbird competition on social media. In a closed Facebook group, crowds cheered and recorded the loudness and the number of calls from each bird. The owner of the winning bird received＄100, and people who correctly predicted the winner could also win money. Environmental officials say the birds were badly hurt, because they were kept in the small cages and forced to listen to loud music all day long to make sure they can sing. In the wild, the birds sing to protect themselves or find a mate. “For them, it was like cruel harm,” noted Juan Camilo Panqueba, who works at Bogota’s wildlife center. There, he and others care for birds and more than 1, 000 animals.

Colombians have grown to understand the importance of wildlife, and officials are working to end animal trafficking.

1. Colombia has lots of wildlife trafficking because ________.

A．there was no law to protect wildlife

B．people from other countries kept coming

C．Colombians are people that like birds very much

D．the government didn’t have enough time to carry out the law strictly

2. What can we know about the songbird contest?

A．It’s a new form of entertainment.

B．The birds were badly treated during the contest.

C．Finding their mates was what birds sang for.

D．All the owners of the birds can win a prize.

3. What might the future be like about wildlife in Colombia?

A．There will be less and less harm to wildlife.

B．Government officials will keep the wild animals.

C．Birdsong contests will be more and more popular.

D．Many wild animals will die out because of the trafficking.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The bird training methods are important.

B．There are many kinds of wildlife in Colombia.

C．Colombia has introduced laws to stop the harm to wildlife.

D．Birdsong contests did a lot of harm to birds and Colombia is trying to stop it.

6 . The world has seen many inventions. While most people are proud of those associate with their names, there are things making inventors feel the other way.

The pop-up (弹出) advert, by Ethan Zuckerman

Pop-up ads are convenient for those who are interested, but most people get annoyed when they are on computers. They may contain computer viruses. Just as we would blame the inventor, the man humbly accepted his invention isn’t one of the best. In his essay, Zuckerman wrote about the most hateful thing, “I wrote the code to launch the window and run an ad in it.”

The emoticon, by Scott E. Fahlman

Emoticons began to occupy screens crazily in 2011 and gained great popularity, especially with young men. It had been four years since Fahlman first used a “smiley face” in a computer message. He created the emoticon as a joke marker. But things are different. “It has gone to places I don’t approve of,” he complained to The Wall Street Journal in 2013. “It shouldn’t have been created.”

The office cubicle (隔间), by Bob Propst

In 1968, Bob Propst came up with the idea office cubicles, something that “would build a futuristic and tidy office style with no real walls or doors and provide a more comfortable environment”. But the man has come to hate what he has invented, as Propst recalled to Fortune at age 80, “They’ve changed and just become cubicles”.

The K-Cup, by John Sylvan

It seems everyone has a Keurig coffee maker for K-Cups. John Sylvan invented the K-Cup, aimed at facilitating office life of white-collar workers. Now it’s common in houses and companies. However, the single-serve plastic coffee cups aren’t eco-friendly. “I feel bad sometimes that I ever did it”, Sylvan admits. But! Good news for Mr. Sylvan: Keuring now offers varieties of recyclable K-Cups.

1. When was the emoticon invented?

A．In 2007.

B．In 2009.

C．In 2011.

D．In 2013.

2. Which one was created for office workers’ convenience?

A．The pop-up advert.

B．The emoticon.

C．The office cubicle.

D．The K-Cup.

3. What do the above inventions have in common?

A．They benefit human life greatly.

B．Their creators are blamed by the public.

C．Their inventors feel regretful.

D．They are very popular with young people.

7 . You might have heard about how honey bees are doing poorly these days. It’s different, though, from the situation many of the world’s vulnerable (脆弱的) animals find themselves in. We want them to live their lives and grow stronger, but are we willing to change our lifestyles to make it happen? The decrease in honey bees is a bit different, because if honey bees can’t live well, neither can people and, eventually people won’t eat as a result.

As happened in 2017, U.S. beekeepers lost 40 percent of their bees because of a disease. It’s really about the earnings of beekeepers and the reduced amount of bees. But it doesn’t stop there. Honey bees go around doing pollination (授粉). And do you know what need to be pollinated? That’s our crops. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates bees pollinate about $15 billion worth of apples and peaches each year in the United States alone.

So, we 21st-century humans not only take notice, but also start trying to fix the problem. It’s infeasible that we give every bee the treatment. We can’t imagine how huge the task is and how hard we carry on it! The most promising immediate solution seems to prevent the disease. That’s where the bee vaccine (疫苗) comes.

Scientists have long thought immunizing (使免疫) bees will be unworkable, but a 2015 study discovered that bees transfer immunity to their babies through protein. Vaccinating a bee won’t help that bee, but if you vaccinate the queen of bees, she can pass her immunity on to her later generations through her eggs.

The new vaccine will treat for American foulbrood (AFB), a serious disease that quickly destroys bees. It’s in the testing phases and most likely headed for bee boxes near you. And don’t worry, it doesn’t require a tiny doctor’s chair and needle to deliver the vaccine—the queen bee can drink the medicine in a little sugar water and pass it along to her later generations.

1. What does exactly the author intend to tell us through the 2017 beekeepers’ incident?

A．The beekeepers lead a terrible life.

B．The number of bees continues to decrease.

C．The decline of bees affects the production of grain.

D．The pollination work of bees is huge and complicated.

2. What does the underlined word “infeasible” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Practical

B．Impossible

C．harmful

D．Convenient

3. What does Paragraph 4 suggest?

A．The bee vaccine is hard to develop.

B．Bees will learn skills from the queen.

C．Bees can transfer immunity to each other.

D．The bee vaccine can take effect in the long run.

4. What can be inferred about the vaccine from the last paragraph?

A．It’s applied to all sick bees.

B．It will be delivered to bees by skilled doctors.

C．It works by allowing the queen of bees to take it.

D．It has been put into use and makes many bees survive.

8 . For British people, the word karaoke caused foggy and unpleasant memories at the office Christmas party. The less-talent performers faced the karaoke machine instead of listeners. They totally enjoyed themselves and didn’t care about what people thought even though it sounded like they tried singing their worst. Many people thought such singing was more like a stupid show. But recently the sing-along activity has been popular again. Karaoke nights have come out around the UK.

Iain Irving, the founder of Supercube, a karaoke gathering place in Edinburgh, said the COVID-19 made karaoke totally different this time. What people used to think of karaoke had become the real past. Irving said, “It is almost like that a suffering man had to go through, about sadness and worry in front of his friends. But karaoke is supposed to be about relaxing oneself in music.” According to Irving, Let It Go from Frozen is the most popular song in Supercube. And letting go is exactly what karaoke is all about. “When you sing, it does make you feel good,” said Irving.

It’s no surprise that karaoke finds its voice again. Singing is known to be bonding (粘合). However, how long has it been since you and your friends sat together to sing songs to your heart’s content? Social media has almost replaced most people’s real social life. Rob Pursey, the founder of Hip Hop Karaoke, said, “Social media can separate us a bit, but karaoke differs. I think people are looking for and they fall in love with those exciting feelings of getting together.”

The COVID-19 has been going on for several months in the UK. Everyone is tired of the news on the Internet, so it’s nice for people to come out to sing their favorite songs to a cheering crowd. “With boring news ruling the headlines, we are all eager to escape, and karaoke provides it. You just feel like you’re on a different planet for a couple of hours,” said Irving.

1. What was the British people’s attitude to the karaoke activity in the past?

A．Positive

B．Negative

C．Uninterested

D．Doubtful

2. According to Irving, what’s the feature of people singing karaoke under the influence of the COVID-19?

A．They intend to release feelings through karaoke.

B．They like to sing different kinds of pleasant songs.

C．They expect to find strength in songs to fight the virus.

D．They listen to others singing instead of singing together.

3. What do Rob Pursey’s words in Paragraph3 suggest?

A．Karaoke should include various games.

B．Social media will cost people much time.

C．Social media make communication more effective.

D．Karaoke brings people the pleasure of close communication.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Karaoke’s return to the UK.

B．The benefits of singing karaoke.

C．British people’s debate over karaoke.

D．The development of karaoke in the UK.

9 . Imagine driving down a country road past a huge, open field where goats are eating grass. Suddenly a truck breaks down and makes a loud noise. Just as suddenly, the goats fall to the ground.

A few moments pass. The goats are back on their feet. What just happened? Well, the goats were very frightened and dropped to the ground, but not all goats act like this. There is only one kind of goat that behaves this way when it is surprised. It is called a Tennessee Fainting Goat.

In the 1800s, a farmer arrived in Marshall County, Tennessee, with a few goats and a cow. People say he   came from Nova Scotia, Canada. Since the man did not talk much, no one knew where he got these goats. When he left, he took the cow, but he sold the goats.

The behavior of one of the goats was different from most others. Being frightened caused the goat’s body to go stiff and sometimes fall over. No one had seen goats do this before. They began to call this new goat a Tennessee Fainting Goat.

This special kind of goat does not actually faint. They just look like they do. The fainting goats stay awake. The baby goats, however, usually do fall over, but the good thing is that they do not have far to fall. Some older ones learn to stand near something like a fence or a tree, just in case they are frightened.

Now there are about three thousand fainting goats in the United States. People enjoy raising them, because goats of this kind are gentle, smart, and playful. They just get scared stiff now and then. The moment of stiffness only lasts about ten or fifteen seconds. Then the goats walk and act like any other goat.

1. What happens to the goats that fall to the ground a few moments later?

A．They fall asleep.	B．They eat much more.
C．They stand up again.	D．They are taken away by the truck.

2. Which of the following would most likely cause a fainting goat to fall?

A．Green fields.

B．A light wind.

C．Loud thunder.

D．Pleasant smells.

3. What do we know about the fainting goats?

A．No one likes to raise them.	B．Not all of them really fall over.
C．Their stiffness lasts a long time.	D．Not all of them stay awake when they faint.

4. This text is about an animal that________.

A．likes eating outside	B．sleeps during the day
C．comes from Canada	D．acts in a strange way

10 . Was your school noisy or peaceful? It might not seem important, but a growing body of research suggests that sounds can have an impact on learning, performance and creativity.

Whether background sounds are beneficial or not seems to depend on what kind of noise it is—and the volume. In a series of studies published last year, Ravi Mehta from the College of Business at Illinois and his colleagues tested people's creativity while exposed to a soundtrack made up of background noises—such as coffee-shop chatter and construction-site drilling—at different volumes. They found that people were more creative when the background noises were played at a medium level than when volume was low. Loud background noise, however, damaged their creativity.

This makes sense for a couple of reasons, says psychologist Dr Nick Perham, at Cardiff Metropolitan University in the UK, who studies the effect of sounds on learning but was not involved in the study. Firstly, he says, sounds that are most disturbing tend to be very variable. A general hum(嗡嗡声)in the background suggests a steady-state sound with not much variation. "So there's not much there to capture your attention- nothing disturbing the subjects," he says. At the same time, the background noise might cause the subjects to be in a slightly heightened state of arousal(觉醒), says Perham. "Medium arousal is best for good performance. So it might be that a general hum in the background gives an ideal level of arousal. " With that in mind, Perham suggests there may be some benefits to playing music or other sounds in an art class or other situations where creativity is key.

Many teachers all over the world already play music to students in class. Many are inspired by the belief that hearing music can improve IQ in tasks, the so-called Mozart effect. While the evidence actually suggests it's a stretch to say classical music improves brainpower, researchers do think pleasant sounds before a task can sometimes lift your mood and help you perform well, says Perham, who has done his own studies on the phenomenon. The key appears to be that you enjoy what you're hearing. "If you like the music or you like the sound—even listening to a Stephen King novel -then you did better. It didn't matter about the music," he says.

1. Which of the following is true according to the studies by Ravi Mehta and Nick Perham?

A．It's better not to expose people to any background noise while at work.

B．Construction-site drilling should be forbidden where there is a school.

C．Noises will harm people's health however low their volumes are.

D．A certain level of noise may do good to people's creativity.

2. According to Dr Nick Perham, it can be inferred that in an art class, teachers had better________.

A．keep the classroom quiet

B．play music at a steady and medium volume

C．broadcast classical music

D．vary the volume of the music constantly

3. In the last paragraph, the underlined part "it's a stretch" is used to________.

A．prove the usefulness of pleasing sounds

B．confirm the belief of Mozart effect

C．challenge the importance of soft music

D．cast doubt on the power of music in raising IQ

4. Which of the following might be the best title for this passage?

A．Learning Power: Noise and Music Work

B．Noise Meeting Music: A Blessing?

C．Noise or Music: Creativity in Danger

D．Brainpower: More Music and Less Noise