1 . “Be proud of what you do,” my father always told me, “whether you are a boss or a cleaner.” When I was 15, I got a summer job in a hospital. I was told that my duties would include sweeping floors. I smiled and remembered Dad's words. Even though my job was the lowest, it made me feel excited. I saw it as a challenge because it was my first job. I learned to be on time and tried to do everything well. In return, I was treated with respect by doctors, nurses and patients. Each morning I imagined that the dirty dishes would make patients more sick if I were not there to wash them clean. After breakfast was done, I started sweeping the floors of all patient rooms and cleaning the toilets. Though I was tired, I wanted the job to be done well. Hearing people say “That young boy really does a good job”, I was filled with pride.
Working in the hospital taught me that being proud of one's job is important. It does not matter whether the job is sweeping floors or managing a large business. Through every job I have ever had, my father's words have always stayed with me. I was a good cleaner, and now I'm a good manager. I think Dad would be proud of me all the time.
1. The writer's first job was a ________.| A．boss | B．manager |
| C．cleaner | D．doctor |
| A．Washing dishes. | B．Looking after patients. |
| C．Cleaning toilets. | D．Sweeping the floor. |
| A．worked hard | B．wasn't tired |
| C．made the patients sick | D．did everything |
| A．the writer's father always stayed with him |
| B．the father didn't like the writer's first job |
| C．the writer wasn't proud of his first job |
| D．the father's words encouraged the writer to do everything well |
2 . Years ago, my wife and I volunteered at a homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles, US, preparing meals for thousands of people. I got to talk with one of them in line, Albert. He said he liked my socks. “Want to see mine?” he asked, lifting his leg. He was barefoot (赤脚的). He said he had been meaning to buy a pair but he hadn’t got around to it. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.
The next day, after work I stopped at Ross and filled up my car with socks. That next morning, I drove over to Santa Monica’s Palisades Park, which is a common place for homeless people. I knew that when they woke up they would find a very meaningful present.
That was nine years ago. Every week I’ll hand out as many socks as I can. If I’m on vacation or on a business trip for more than a week, I bring a bag of socks with me and hand them out to the homeless on the streets in other states and countries.
It’s extremely satisfying to do “under the radar” things to help make some people’s lives a little bit easier. Part of me hopes to see Albert out there one of these days, but even if I don’t, I’d like to think one of the pairs will find him.
1. What caused the author to hand out socks to the homeless?| A．A homeless shelter’s request. |
| B．His wife’s volunteer work. |
| C．His talk with Albert. |
| D．A festival’s arrival. |
| A．He wondered about the reason behind it. |
| B．He expected to get more socks. |
| C．He refused to accept it. |
| D．He was afraid of it. |
| A．Spreading presents on trips |
| B．Looking for Albert all over the world |
| C．Giving the homeless a lifetime surprise |
| D．Helping the homeless in an unexpected way |
3 . I took one of the bags from my car. It was still dark out. I headed for a group of three men, standing around a tree, probably using it as a windbreaker. As I walked toward them, one of them watched me, perhaps questioning my motives. “I thought you all might need some fresh new socks,” I said, handing him a pair. He looked confused at first but took them and said, “Thank you.” I gave him two more pairs for his friends. I moved on. An hour later, I had given out all the socks. Most people were sleeping, and I felt like Santa. On her first day teaching students from poor families at an after-school program in New York City, Alyssa Kapasi noticed how many kids were lining up for free sandwiches and fruit in the school cafeteria. One of the workers explained that many of these students don’t get enough to eat at home, so a school lunch or an after-school meal might be the most food they would get all day.
Kapasi, who attends private school, was very surprised. What’s more, she made up her mind to help. “I want other kids to understand that if you see a problem, you don’t have to wait to grow up to fix it,” says Kapasi. She and a group of friends are now putting their programming skills to work to create an app called Food for Thought, which will allow parents, students, and even kind-hearted strangers to donate to a lunch account for a student in need at a nearby school.
About 20 million American kids receive free lunches. Two million more can have low-price meals, and those students’ families have to pay for part of their food. When they don’t have the money on any given day, the students might have to settle for an “alternative (可替代的) meal” such as a cheese sandwich.
The app — which is getting financial (财政的) support from a GoFundMe page — provides anonymity (匿名) to those who receive lunch and donors. To receive help, a family will need only a recommendation (推荐) from a school teacher, and no one else has to know.
“I want to make an app that all users feel no shame in using,” says Kapasi. She hopes to test the app in a school district this fall.
1. Why does Kapasi want to create an app?| A．To teach kids how to help others. | B．To practise her programming skills. |
| C．To introduce her school to the public. | D．To solve the problem of hunger in schools. |
| A．Buy. | B．Make. | C．Accept. | D．Offer. |
| A．Visit a GoFundMe page. | B．Get in touch with Kapasi. |
| C．Be recommended by teachers. | D．Donate something else instead. |
| A．They won’t lose face in using it. | B．They will make money by using it. |
| C．They will know who offers them help. | D．They won’t meet their donors until this |
4 . Every day, we have messages to give people through Post-it Notes. They have a special glue on the edge（边缘）of the paper. They are sticky so that you can leave them anywhere and they won’t fall off. You can reuse the notes because the special glue on the back doesn’t wear off easily.
Who invented Post-it Notes? Art Fry was a scientist who worked for the famous 3M Company. He needed a bookmark that stayed in place but didn’t tear（撕）the page when he wanted to remove it. So he took some of the weak glue a friend made and put it on the back of a yellow piece of paper. Then he wrote a report to his boss and put the yellow sticky paper on the top page. His boss took off the note, wrote an answer, stuck the paper back on, and sent it back. This was the beginning of Post-it Notes. It was a new and creative way to communicate.
Today, Post-it Notes are one of the most popular office products. Everyone uses them for many different purposes. One man used one to write a marriage proposal（求婚）and put it on his girlfriend’s front door. She wrote her answer and put the note back on his door. One mother put a note on the back of her son’s car before he left on a long trip. When he arrived, he found the note. After 3,000 miles, it was still on the car. One university student was waiting in the bus station and started to feel sleepy. She didn’t want to miss her bus so she put Post-it Notes all over herself. The notes asked people to wake her up in time for her bus. She did fall asleep but her plan worked. Someone saw the notes and woke her up.
There are Post-it Notes to please everyone’s tastes. You can buy Post-it Notes in fifty different colors, twenty-seven different sizes, and fifty-six different shapes. More than 400 Post-it products are sold in more than 100 countries around the world. Art Fry should be proud of his invention.
1. What do we know about Post-it Notes?| A．They use a strong glue to be sticky enough. | B．They are used to leave messages. |
| C．They are one-off products. | D．They fall off easily. |
| A．he was making some glue | B．he was discussing with his boss |
| C．he creatively glued a torn report | D．he accidentally created a bookmark |
| A．To ask someone to wake her up in time. |
| B．To prevent herself from falling asleep. |
| C．To find out what time the bus left. |
| D．To tell others to leave her alone. |
| A．They are popular in many places. |
| B．They require design improvement. |
| C．They have failed to meet everyone’s needs. |
| D．They would not satisfy Art Fry’s expectation. |
5 . It is natural that young people are often uncomfortable(不自在) when they are with their parents. They say that their parents don’t understand them. They often think that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are too serious and too strict with their children; and that they seldom give their children a free hand.
It is true that parents often find it difficult to win their children’s trust and they tend to forget how they themselves felt when young. They show that they have grown up and they can face any difficult situation. Older people worry more easily. Most of them plan things ahead, at least in the back of their minds, and do not like their plans to be upset(扰乱) by something unexpected.
When you want your parents to let you do something, you will have better success if you ask before you really start doing it.
Young people often make their parents angry with their choices in clothes, in entertainment and in music. But they do not mean to cause any trouble; it is just that they feel cut off from the older people’s world, into which they have not yet been accepted. That’s why young people want to make a new culture(文化) of their own. And if their parents do not like their music or entertainment or clothes or their way of speech, this will make the young people extremely happy.
Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to say “yes” to what you do. All you want is to be left alone and do what you like. It is natural enough, after being a child for so many years, when you were completely under your parents’ control.
If you plan to control your life, you’d better win your parents over and try to get them to understand you. If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility(责任), they will certainly give you the right to do what you want to do.
1. This article is particularly written for_____ .| A．parents | B．both parents and their children |
| C．young people | D．teachers |
| A．ask for advice before they really start to do anything |
| B．do things without thinking carefully ahead |
| C．be very strict with themselves |
| D．think in the same way as their parents do |
| A．they want to show they have grown up |
| B．they do not want to get into trouble |
| C．they feel they are cleverer than the older people |
| D．they don’t feel they belong to the world of the older people |
| A．do everything according to his own wish |
| B．do everything the way his parents do |
| C．do everything under his parents’ control |
| D．do everything with a high sense of responsibility |
6 . One argument for why robots will never fully measure up to people is because they lack human-like social skills. But researchers are experimenting with new methods to give robots social skills to better interact with humans. Two new studies provide evidence of progress in this kind of research.
One experiment was carried out by the researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT. The team developed a machine learning system for self- driving cars that is designed to learn the social characteristics of human drivers and how they act. The researchers studied driving situations to learn how human drivers on the road were likely to behave. Since not all human drivers act the same way, they meant to teach the driverless car to avoid dangerous situations.
The researchers say the technology uses tools borrowed from the field of social psychology (心理学). In this experiment, scientists created a system that attempted to decide whether a person's driving style is more selfish or selfless. In road tests, self-driving cars equipped with the system improved their ability to predict what other drivers would do by up to 25 percent.
In one test, the self-driving car was observed making a left-hand turn. The study found the system could cause the car to wait before making the turn if it predicted the oncoming (迎面驶来的) driver acted selfishly and was dangerous. But when the oncoming car was judged to be selfless, the self-driving car could make the turn because it saw less risk of unsafe behavior.
The researchers say they believe the technology could also be used in cars with human drivers. It could act as a warning system against other drivers judged to be behaving badly. The research suggests that humanoid robots have the ability to affect people socially just as humans do. Fang says this ability could become more important in the future when machines and humans are expected to interact regularly.
1. What was the machine learning system designed to do?| A．Teach social psychology. | B．Increase driving pleasure. |
| C．Remind drivers to drive quickly. | D．Learn about human drivers' behaviour. |
| A．It found the car itself was broken. | B．It predicted the oncoming driver was selfish. |
| C．It realized the oncoming driver was selfless. | D．It observed the oncoming driver make a turn. |
| A．It is actually useless in the future. | B．It has the ability to control people. |
| C．It causes human drivers to behave badly. | D．It can warn other misbehaving human drivers. |
| A．Science. | B．Nature. | C．Diet. | D．Sport. |
7 . Plenty of animals hibernate (冬眠), but what do wild bees do? When it starts to get cold outside, we seldom see honeybees. That's for sure. But where exactly do they end up? Do they hibernate?
In climates that drop below 50 F in the wintertime, they can hibernate. If the climate stays warmer, they just carry on business as usual. In colder climates, the hibernation process can be a bit difficult, however.
In order to stay warm, bees will return to their home and form a winter group. The queen sits at the center of the group, while the outer shell is made up of the female worker bees. The group actively takes turns changing places, regularly allowing the outermost bees to cycle inside to stay warm.
The length of life of each kind of bee varies based on the season and their reproduction cycle. Worker bees usually survive five to six weeks, but in the winter time, they can survive for more than five months, as they 're less active and can store more of their energy for survival. The queen tends to live two to three years but has been known to live up to five years.
The temperature toward the center of the group hits up to 100 F，while the outermost temperature tends to around 50 F. If you meet a beehive (蜂巢) in the winter time, don't worry, as there will be almost no activity when it comes to the ins-and-outs of the hive. But don't disturb it with a stick, either.
Remember, bees are not looking at a calendar and waiting for the first day of winter. If you've had an warm winter with temperatures above 50 F, bees will just carry on their business as usual, and you should still be careful. And once spring rolls back around, you can plant some flowers that bees love to attract them.
1. How do bees keep each of them warm in winter?| A．By going out together. | B．By keeping turning nonstop. |
| C．By changing positions in their home. | D．By forming a line in the beehive center. |
| A．They exercise more. | B．They behave less actively. |
| C．They look after each other better. | D．They need more time to spend winter. |
| A．They can't carry on business above 50o F. | B．They may work as usual in warm winter. |
| C．They often hibernate on the first day of winter. | D．They can't attack people when disturbed in winter. |
| A．To introduce the types of wild bees. | B．To show the life of bees in warm climates. |
| C．To explain the reasons why bees hibernate. | D．To introduce how bees live through the winter. |
8 . One day while trying to print all the class worksheets we needed for the day, I found myself shouting at my printer in front of my son. “Why won’t this stupid thing print?” I shouted. My son came up to me quietly, saying, “Calm down, Mommy. Maybe if you don’t shout at the printer, it will work. You need to have patience.”
He was right. I needed patience-patience with this whole situation. I stopped myself, realizing this was not the behavior I wanted my son to see. He was also right that I needed to calm down. Just like what I told him to do, I took a few deep breaths and walked away from the collapsed printer. Later that day when we were outside, I tried to keep the sense of calm I had slightly achieved. Once I blocked out all the anxiety over the virus, school, and my work-I found the afternoon peaceful and pleasant. I played flying disc with my son, simply enjoying each other’s company while the birds sang. It was an everyday moment I’ll never take for granted again.
From then on, things got a little easier. I started to give myself, and everyone else, some favour. I stopped holding myself to my perfectionism standards with every little thing because they were truly impossible to keep to.
With that favour, I changed my focus. Getting every school worksheet done correctly is not important. Neither is cleaning the house. And, apart from getting fired, neither is my work. Spending time with my family, and staying healthy emotionally and physically, became my main concerns. We took walks. We danced our hearts out during the Disney Family Sing-Along. We got up early and walked secretly into our backyard with telescopes to bird watch. Who knows, birding may be the new hobby we’re never giving up.
1. What did the author’s son ask his mother to do?| A．Print later. | B．Stop printing. |
| C．Change another printer. | D．Stay calm. |
| A．Sensitive. | B．Stubborn. |
| C．Broken-down. | D．Unfriendly. |
| A．By giving up dreams. |
| B．By focusing on others. |
| C．By stopping pursuing perfection. |
| D．By paying little attention to work. |
| A．Watching birds. | B．Doing house cleaning. |
| C．Seeking after her career. | D．Finishing school worksheets. |
9 . Basel is often referred to as the cultural capital of Switzerland, but what exactly can you do in this Swiss city?
●The Rhein
In summer, it is common for locals and tourists alike to go for a refreshing swim in the river which runs through this beautiful city. When autumn and winter come along, swimming is replaced by walking along the river banks. I did see a very brave man take a dip in the dropping temperatures of late October, so anything is possible!
●The museums
Basel has a lot to offer in terms of museums, from the mechanical art in the Tinguely Museum to exploring the world of writing and printing in the Paper Museum, the skeletons of the Natural History Museum and discovering the city’s past in the History Center.
●The Old Town
This city is still a beautiful place with a long history, lots of cute cobbled streets, a bright red town hall and a great cathedral. In contrast, the city is also proud of Switzerland’s tallest building: the Roche tower.
●Go on a hike
If you’re more of a nature fan. Basel-Landschaft has many beautiful hiking trails to choose from such as hills, forests and beautiful rivers. And of course you deserve a treat of Swiss chocolate afterwards!
●Eat
If you’re in Switzerland, don’t forget to let your tongue experience the bubbling cheese, toasty raclette and foamy drinks or chocolate kisses! You won’t go hungry here. Of course, the rest of Switzerland also has much to offer, and thanks to great rail services, it can all be yours within an hour or two. Greetings from Basel! Hope to see you here soon.
1. What can tourists do when touring the Rhein?| A．Go skating with friends. | B．Go for a train tour around it. |
| C．Go swimming in the river. | D．Enrich knowledge of history. |
| A．The Rhein. | B．Basel-Landschaft. |
| C．The Roche tower. | D．The Natural History Museum. |
| A．To encourage visitors to visit a city. | B．To introduce the benefits of traveling. |
| C．To show off Swiss cultural traditions. | D．To attract visitors to museums in Switzerland. |
10 . A new deadly virus is threatening rabbits in North America. It’s a particular disease of rabbits that has recently appeared in some parts of the Western US. If it continues to spread unchecked, it could harm all species of rabbits in the US and the ecosystems they belong to.
It is thought to have spilled over from one species to another—in the case of the novel coronavirus (新型冠状病毒), likely a bat to humans; in the rabbit disease, from domestic to wild rabbits—and both arose so quickly that health officials had a limited window to act.
“The disease likely originated around a decade ago in European rabbits, which contain most domestic rabbits sold in the US,” said Matt Gompper, a disease ecologist. Then, in early March, another virus was discovered in wild rabbits in southern New Mexico. A few days later, dead rabbits were spotted nearby in El Paso, Texas. More sightings followed in Arizona, Colorado and, in May, in California. Ecologists aren’t sure how virus type 2 arrived in the US. Gompper said he predicted the disease worked its way through rabbit meat or the domestic rabbit trade. It also might have been circulating in northern Mexico, which shares a border with New Mexico and Texas.
Because the disease is so new, there’s virtually no data on deaths. So while it’s still concerning, ecologists aren’t sure if the illness will cause concentrated outbreaks in local areas or widespread deaths across the US. Either way, it’s a loss for conservation. Several rabbit species, including California’s Riparian brush rabbit are endangered, and they’re already up against habitat loss. A potential disease could prevent their recovery.
“Rabbits aren’t the only ones who’d suffer, though. If rabbit population decreases, then the predators (捕食者) who prey on them would lose a valuable food source, and the plants they eat may overgrow, shaking the whole ecosystem,” Gompper said.
1. What does the underlined phrase “spilled over” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Appeared. | B．Changed. |
| C．Spread. | D．Connected. |
| A．To tell how the disease came to the US. |
| B．To warn of the serious danger of the virus. |
| C．To tell us how to deal with the disease. |
| D．To provide some advice for the readers. |
| A．The disease has spread around the world. |
| B．The disease is not dangerous until recently. |
| C．The disease has little impact on environment. |
| D．The disease could harm the whole ecosystem. |
| A．Rabbits are facing a deadly virus. |
| B．A deadly virus is threatening the world. |
| C．Rabbits are important to the ecosystem. |
| D．Rabbits are easily infected with the virus. |
