2 . A 15-year-old scientist and inventor has been named as Time's first ever Kid of the Year.

Rao is a high school student from Colorado. She was chosen from 5,000 U.S.-based nominees ( 提 名 ). Time said in a statement that Rao stood out for her ability to apply scientific ideas to real-world problems and her efforts to motivate other kids to take up their own causes. Rao told the Associated Press that the prize is “nothing that I could have ever imagined. And I'm so grateful and just so excited that we're really taking a look at the upcoming generation and our generation, since the future is in our hands.” She insists that starting out small doesn't matter, as long as you're enthusiastic about it.

It's just the latest recognition for the teenager, who was named last year to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Rao won praise in 2017 after she developed a portable device（设备） to detect lead (铅) in water. She went on to cooperate with scientists in the water industry to try to get the device on the market.

The young scientist has also developed an app called Kindly that uses artificial intelligence to help prevent cyberbullying (网络欺凌). It allows teens to type in a word or phrase to find out if the words they're using are hurtful and amount to（等于）bullying, and thus should be avoided.

In an interview with Time, Rao said that her pursuits（追求） in science started early as a way to improve conditions in society. In a world where science is increasingly questioned or challenged, Rao insists that its pursuit is an important act of kindness. It is the best way that a younger generation can better the world. Science and technology are being employed as never before to handle various issues, such as global warming, the outbreak of disease and so on, she noted.

“We have science in everything we're involved in, and I think that's the biggest thing to put out there, that science is cool, invention is cool, and anybody can be an inventor," Rao said.“ Anybody can do science.

1. What is one of the reasons for Rao being honored by Time?

A．The up-to-date ideas she had come up with.

B．The large amounts of time she had devoted.

C．The influence she has on young generations.

D．The optimistic attitude she holds to the future.

2. Rao's inventions mentioned in the passage can be described as _______.

A．functional	B．environment-friendly
C．efficient	D．money-saving

3. What contributes to Rao's enthusiasm for science?

A．Her tolerance for problems.	B．Her amazing brain power.
C．Her exposure to challenges.	D．Her concern about society.

4. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．High School Student Struggling for Big Dream

B．Young Scientist Named TIME's Kid of the Year

C．Scientific Achievements Applied to Our Real Life

D．Advanced Inventions Used in Bettering the World

3 . 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．

4 . Since I graduated from high school, I’ve worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer. However, making the transition (转变) between school and full-time blue-collar work during the break never gets any easier. For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be uncivilized, getting to a factory by 6 o'clock each morning is a torture.

There’re few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world. People of my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge. In fact, all the classes did not prepare me for my battles with the machine I ran in the plant, which would jam whenever I absent-mindedly put in a part backward or upside down.

The most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job could disappear overnight. Issues like downsizing (裁员) and overseas relocation always seemed distant to me until my co-worker told me that the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico, where people would work for 60 cents an hour.

After working 12-hour shifts in a factory, the other options have become only too clear. When I’m back at the university, skipping classes and turning in lazy rewrites seem too irresponsible after seeing what I would be doing without school. All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound stale (out of date) now ring true.

These lessons I’m learning, however valuable, are always tinged (带有) with a sense of guilt. Many people pass their lives in the places I briefly work, spending 30 years where I spend only two months at a time. “The job pays well, but it is very hard,” said one co-worker. “Study hard and keep reading,” she added.

My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.

1. The underlined word “torture” in Paragraph 1 most probably means__________.

A．Misery

B．Fortune

C．Anxiety

D．Acceptance

2. What does the author say about college students?

A．They expect too much from the real world.

B．They think too highly of themselves.

C．They have little interest in blue-collar life.

D．They are confident of their future.

3. What, according to the author, is the most frustrating for blue-collar workers?

A．They do not get good pay.

B．They have to work 12-hour shifts.

C．They do not have job security.

D．They have to move from place to place.

4. In what important way has the author’s work experience changed him?

A．He learned to be more practical.

B．He came to respect blue-collar workers.

C．He acquired a sense of urgency.

D．He came to appreciate his college education.

5 . Claire Wyatt, a 24-year-old British volunteer, led eight Cambodians living with disabilities on a 155-mile bike ride from Phnom Penh, the nation’s capital, to Siem Reap to raise money and deliver supplies to those in need in the coronavirus pandemic(新冠病毒大流行).

“Leading this trip was an incredibly special experience for me,” said Claire. “Not only was I encouraged by the determination of each and every rider, but also the team taught me every day not to focus on their disability.”

When she was first asked to lead the trip, Claire admitted, she was feeling nervous about her team traveling such a distance in just a few days because cycling with a disability can come with added physical and emotional challenges.

One team member named Dy, who lost an arm in an accident, biked using just one arm to balance. Another named Vulta could only pedal on one side due to polio(小儿麻痹). Despite all the difficulties, Claire realized quickly that she didn’t have to worry about her team. She saw them deal with rough area that she had seen abled cyclists give up on before.

The volunteers covered the distance in just four days, not only helping so many people across the country, but also overcoming huge difficulties to get there.

“The best thing about this ride is that the riders have all volunteered their time to do this. They are so enthusiastic about Cambodia and raising money for others in need,” said Claire. “The money raised will feed 99 families in Siem Reap.”

Claire recalled her favorite moment of the experience, when one of the cyclists pushed an exhausted teammate up a hill for 2 miles. “One moment that stood out for me was when Naret, our only female rider, was feeling tired,” she said. “Her fellow rider gently put his hand on her back and pushed her for 2 miles! They were encouraging each other to push through the tiredness.”

1. Why did Claire and eight Cambodians cycle 155 miles?

A．To challenge themselves.	B．To help out needy people.
C．To take part in a competition.	D．To raise money for the disabled.

2. What worried Claire before the ride?

A．She might be injured on the road.	B．She would be unable to lead the team.
C．Her team might be looked down on.	D．Her team couldn’t finish the route.

3. Which of the following can best describe the team?

A．Confident, calm and friendly.	B．Honest, patient and open-minded.
C．Strong-minded, brave and caring.	D．Curious, creative and experienced.

4. What did Claire think of the journey?

A．It could have taken less time.

B．It was amazing and inspiring.

C．It changed her idea about human nature.

D．It was more difficult than she had expected.

6 . One day, when I was working as a psychologist(心理学家) in England, a young boy showed up in my office.

It was David. He kept walking up and down restlessly, his face pale, and his hands shaking slightly. His head teacher had introduced him to me before. “This boy has lost his family,” he wrote. “He is understandably very sad and refuses to talk to others, and I’m very worried about him. Can you help?”

I looked at David and showed him to a chair. How could I help him? There are problems which psychology doesn’t have answers to, and which no words can describe. Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and silently. And I would do in this way.

The first two times we met, David didn’t say a word. He sat there, only looking up to look at the children’s drawings on the wall behind me. I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that he played chess with me every Wednesday afternoon — in complete silence and without looking at me. It’s not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit I made sure David won once or twice.

Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed, took the chess board and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me?

“Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with,” I thought. “Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering. ” Some months later, when we were playing chess, he looked up at me suddenly.

“It’s your turn,” he said.

After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times, about his biking with some friends, and about his plan to get into university. Now he really started to live his own life.

Maybe I gave David something. But I have also learned that one — without any words — can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch, and an ear that listens.

1. What was David like when the writer first met him?

A．He was very nervous.	B．He was in deep sorrow.
C．He was mentally troubled.	D．He was frightened by the writer.

2. What do we know from the third paragraph?

A．The writer didn’t know what to do.	B．The writer had a plan to help David.
C．The writer decided to keep silent.	D．The writer couldn’t solve the problem.

3. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The writer cheated when playing chess.	B．David never looked at the writer.
C．Chess healed David’s wounded heart.	D．The writer gave his chess to David.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．A boy fixed his mental problem by playing chess.	B．A psychologist should be good at listening.
C．A calm mind helps solve problems.	D．A listening ear matters in helping others.

7 . For centuries, people have moved to and lived in cities. These urban centres are places to find work, friends and fun. It's no surprise that they continue to grow as more and more people flood in hoping to make the most of the chances they offer but adding to the congestion and pollution that already exist.

According to a report by the United Nations, 54 percent of the world's population lives in urban areas and it predicts that by 2050,this figure will have increased to around 70 percent. But as more and more people move from the countryside to the city to get better chances, they can end up with nowhere to live.

This is true in places such as Rio de Janeiro, where the people from the countryside can't rent or buy a home,and they end up building their own communities and houses on unoccupied land. These are called shanty towns— poor communities where the houses are built out of cheap materials—and often don't have any electricity or water supply.

These are, of course, not the future cities we want to see. Some serious urban planning is needed to make our cities of the future good, safe and modern places to live in. This involves improving the housing conditions, the chances for education and employment and so on.

Something urban planners are looking at now is the creation of“smart cities”. According to John Rossant, founder and chairman of the non-profit organisation New Cities Foundation, technology is the way forward. He thinks that it's generally accepted that “cloud computing, ubiquitous Internet, robust 5G networks etc, will change our cities”. He says technology is really “a game changer” in urbanization (城市化). It would collect large amounts of data about how a city is working and may improve how a city functions.

1. Why will a larger population be living in a city by 2050?

A．Because the government encourages the development of cities.

B．Because more people will have more children.

C．Because the countryside will disappear.

D．Because more people will move into the city to get more good opportunities

2. What can we know about shanty towns?

A．They have good quality housing built for poor people.

B．They are filled with people living under poverty.

C．They are built by the government.

D．They are developed and modern.

3. What name is given to a city that uses technology to help it function properly?

A．Traditional cities.	B．Future cities.
C．Smart cities.	D．Developing cities

8 . The rapid growth in skyscrapers worldwide has led to a high demand for window washers since most of these buildings feature large glass panes (窗格) to highlight their breathtaking views.

Though the job offers a handsome salary, dangling alongside multi-story structures is dangerous, and accidents are not uncommon. However, if Israel-based company Skyline Technologieshas its way, the dangerous chore may soon be taken care of by Ozmo, an intelligent window cleaning robot.

"As a society, we've become too comfortable watching people hanging off the sides of 30-story buildings," says Yaron Schwarez, co-founder and CEO of Skyline Robotics. "No salary could justify allowing people to put their lives in the hands of a system of ropes."

Much like humans, Ozmo is placed on platforms suspended from the buildings and uses its arms and brushes to clean the dirt on the glass panes. A 3D map of the building's surface programmed into its system allows the robot to skillfully handle obstacles as it moves up and down the structure. Computer vision and touch sensors enable it to move out of the way in case of unexpected events, such as the sudden opening of a window.

Unlike current window washers, the robot cleaner does not require soap to clean the glass. Instead, it uses distilled water (蒸馏水) and a process called dirt absorption to do the job. Schwarez explains, "We use pure water to absorb and remove the salts, the minerals, the oils, and the dirt from the building. We are environmentally-friendly."

Ozmo is also expected to be much more efficient than humans. While it currently takes three cleaners 480 hours each to clean the windows of a 40-story glass building, the robot will single-handedly complete the task in just 80 hours. However, unlike other robots, Ozmo will not replace human workers. It will only make their jobs safer by lifting them to the role of supervisors, who will be remotely controlling the operation from below.

Whether Ozmo, which is still undergoing testing, does as good a job as human remains to be seen.

1. Which of the following can best replace the phrase "has its way" in paragraph 2?

A．Succeeds.	B．Hesitates.
C．Struggles.	D．Exists.

2. What can we learn about Ozmo from the passage?

A．It requires chemicals to clean.

B．It has trouble crossing obstacles.

C．It operates with great efficiency.

D．It works without human helpers.

3. What is the author's attitude towards the future application of Ozmo?

A．Optimistic.

B．Doubtful

C．Unconceded.

D．Objective.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Ozmo: a Double-edged Sword.

B．Ozmo: a Smart Window Cleaner.

C．Window Washing: a Dangerous Job.

D．Window Washing: a Blessing in Disguise.

9 . Are people happier in nature with blue skies overhead and fresh green grass underfoot? Could noisy streets, crowded with cars and people, make us unhappy?

The possible mental health problems of city living affect a lot of people. The World Health Organization estimates(估计)that 56 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas in 2019. The WHO adds that that amount will increase to 66 percent by 2050. People often move to cities for better jobs and more cultural activities. But are they putting themselves at risk? Maybe. Experts at the American Psychiatry Association say that “natural environments or green spaces” do much good to our mental health.

Many studies have shown that nature can calm us and make us feel happy. Nature, experts say, can also help us learn better. And experiencing nature helps people recover from the mental tiredness that comes from day-to-day work. On the other hand, mental health experts say some research suggests that city living might hurt our mental health. But they cannot say exactly why.

What are the specific aspects of the urban environment which causes some people to develop mental illness? Andrea Mechelli, a doctor at Kings College, London, states, “There have been studies where people were literally taken out of an urban environment into a rural (乡村的) environment and their symptoms would improve. And we also see that the greater the city is, the greater the risk is.” Mechelli say that someone who lives in a city is three times more likely to develop psychological problem than someone living in the country.

Kings College researchers, along with city planners, land and building designers and others wanted to learn more about city living and mental illness. So, they created a smartphone app called Urban Mind. They say they wanted to understand how different parts of the urban environment affect mental wellbeing(健康).

The researchers found that being outdoors, seeing trees, hearing birdsong, seeing the sky, and feeling in contact with nature were associated with higher levels of mental well-being. They also found that these seeming effects of nature were especially strong in those individuals at greater risk of mental health problems. The Urban Mind Project team says it hopes “the results will inform future urban planning and social policy aimed at improving design and health.”

1. Why is the question raised in the first paragraph?

A．To introduce the topic of the text.

B．To show the background of the text.

C．To ask the readers to learn the study.

D．To raise the readers' interest in happiness.

2. What does Mechelli find during his study?

A．People are attracted by the blue skies and green grass.

B．People are more content with their city life.

C．More and more people are interested in taking risks in cities,

D．City people are more likely to develop mental problems than country people.

3. What is expected of the Urban Mind research result?

A．More people will choose to live in the countryside.

B．It will bring more concern about people s mental health.

C．It will contribute to future urban planning and social policies.

D．People will be helped to improve their mental illness.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Urban Mind measures the level of mental wellbeing.

B．City living may be harmful to people’s mental health.

C．Living in the countryside is better than in the city.

D．Different scientists hold different opinions on the effects of city living.

10 . Staying connected

When Central Bucks South became one of the first Philadelphia-area high schools to close because of the fear of novel coronavirus exposure in early March, 16-year-old sophomore Andrew Chen knew that things were not going to return to normal as quickly as some of his peers hoped.

But still, the change from seeing his friends on the swim team during daily practices to learning alone at home was jarring.

“I only have three years here at South, and it pains me to see one of them being wasted,” Chen said.

The coronavirus has changed everyone’s lives, but for students, the disruption feels particularly serious. Schools closed and graduation ceremonies were put off. Summer plans, such as camps, are up in the air.

But right now, many students are trying to stay connected, struggling with false information, and finding out the best ways they can help – through online method.

For Josh Harycki, 17, a senior student at the Shipley School in Philadelphia, the best way to help was to create a “social distancing promise” for young people.

“I saw a lot of young people not paying attention,” he said. “They were … still going out, hanging out with others. I thought that there had to be a way to reach younger people, who were possibly not watching the news.”

Harycki started a call to action on social media and then built a website with a map that followed and kept the locations of people who’d signed the promise. The site also shares links to accurate sources of information like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Harycki knows that his peers are worried they can’t connected with their friends in the same way, so he created the social distancing promise to strengthen that although everyone might be physically distant, they’re still connected.

“Part of what we’re showing is that you might feel like you’re the only one taking this seriously, but our map shows that you’re not alone,” he said.

1. What does the underlined word “jarring” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．natural

B．necessary

C．worrying

D．reasonable

2. Who does Harycki mainly want to reach?

A．Friends who are worried and bored.

B．Young people not aware of the situation.

C．Younger students trying to help.

D．People taking the coronavirus seriously.

3. What’s Harycki’s purpose in creating the “social distancing promise”?

A．To order young people to stay at home.

B．To follow those infected with the coronavirus.

C．To tell young folks of latest news about the coronavirus.

D．To show young people that they are still connected.

4. Why does the author describe Andrew Chen’s experience in the text?

A．To explain what worried students most when schools closed.

B．To show the different views of students toward the coronavirus.

C．To show how the coronavirus affected students’ lives.

D．To explain the proper reaction to the close of school.