1 . Who says inventions are only made by grown-ups and professionals? Over the years, children have also succeeded in making their useful contributions to the world. Here are a few inventions that came to life from the minds of young children.
Hero Helmet
Seven-year-old Samuel Meyer's invention is aimed at stopping people from riding their bikes or skateboards without using a helmet. The Hero Helmet features an inbuilt remote that controls a lock on the wheels which unlocks when the Helmet is being worn by the rider. Samuel says: no helmet, no bike.
Robotic Earthworm
The first thought that comes to mind is, why a robotic earthworm? Well, ten-year-old David Cohen had some useful applications in mind. He believed it could be used to find victims after a flood, earthquake or fire. The robot could get into small and dangerous places where search dogs and humans could not go.
B. E. A. C. O. N.
Fifteen-year-old Hannah Herbst's invention, which stands for Bringing Electricity Access to Countries through Ocean Energy, was inspired by her pen pal who lives in Ethiopia and did not have access to lights. So she came up with B. E. A. C. O. N, which absorbs energy directly from ocean waves. Her invention won the “Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge” in 2015 and other numerous awards.
Portable Wheelchair Controller
At only eight years old, Amelia Fox created the invention to help lift people in and out of their wheelchair. This invention was not just born out of the desire to create something. Amelia developed this controller for her brother, who had just got hip surgery and needed the wheelchair to move around.
1. Who is the youngest inventor?| A．Samuel Meyer. |
| B．David Cohen. |
| C．Amelia Fox. |
| D．Hannah Herbst. |
| A．Hero Helmet |
| B．B. E. A. C. O. N. |
| C．Robotic Earthworm. |
| D．Portable Wheelchair Controller. |
| A．To give her brother assistance. |
| B．To benefit the earthquake victims. |
| C．To generate electricity effectively. |
| D．To protect bike riders from injuries. |
2 . We moved to Elmont in 1956. I was 4 years old. Elmont was a wonderful place to grow up. There were lots of kids，great schools and we had a big yard. Having grown up a city kid, my father, Nicholas Denaro, believed that grass was not just to look at, but that children were meant to play on it. We played games and badminton there. A white fence separated our backyard from a small wood. My friends and I jumped the fence and climbed trees.
My father had the most amazing hands. He could fix anything. He gave those amazing hands to his son, my younger brother, Frank, who also became handy around the house. But my father saved his green fingers for me. He grew flowers, tomatoes, strawberries and figs and he shared his love of gardening with me.
Fourteen years ago, I went to a local nursery and purchased a fig tree for Dad for Father’s Day. My mother, Bridget Denaro, called it the best gift I could have given him. He planted it exactly in the middle of the front yard.
He loved that tree and enjoyed delicious figs every year, except just after Sandy hit in 2012. He was so disappointed when cold weather just after the superstorm froze all the remaining figs.
In 2015，my father died of aspirating pneumonia (呼吸性肺炎) at 97. We sold our family home of 61years last year. We left behind Dad's tree, full of figs waiting to ripen. We briefly-considered taking it with us, but decided that his Father's Day fig tree belonged in Elmont. The new owners generously allowed me to take some branches so that I could have a precious reminder of my much-loved father and the Elmont home.
1. What can we learn about the author from the first paragraph?| A．She grew up in a city. | B．She only liked climbing trees. |
| C．She had a happy childhood. | D．She was naughty and stubborn. |
| A．How to garden well. | B．How to play games. |
| C．How to color fingers. | D．How to fix everything. |
| A．He was ill in hospital. | B．The cold hit the fig tree. |
| C．The tree didn’t bear figs. | D．He moved to another city. |
| A．To show her love of figs. | B．To share her childhood. |
| C．To remember her father. | D．To introduce her experience. |
3 . Being a college student during a pandemic （流行病）means you're probably working from home internship （实习）.Working remotely has become a positive trend （趋势）and more people are realizing that it's not only easy to do, but is also environmentally and economically （经济上）friendly.
Although, there are some challenges and difficulties to overcome when you work from home internship. Interns doesn't have interacting（互动）with the workmates and don't get as much hands-on experience, which can be disappointing at times.
It's important to make connections with your workmates while serving your internship. Normally, this is done by being in the office every day and gathering near the water cooler to chat or in meetings. Making connections and building relationships with coworkers while working from home is a major challenge. This can be done in a couple of different ways.
The first is to stick to meetings with your supervisor （上级）.Plan a weekly, or daily if necessary, meeting to talk about your projects and to build a relationship together. Besides, join in your team meetings when you can contribute something important or meaningful. You can even master the art of small talk so you know that your voice is being heard by every workmate. Il's admirable for a young intern, especially one who works from home, to speak up. Lastly, you can join in any teambuilding exercises or social events. Since working remotely has become the new normal, companies are trying to come up with activities that help coworkers unite together even when they aren't face-to-face.
1. What's the author's attitude towards “working remotely”？| A．Pessimistic. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Questioning. |
| A．The difficulty in interacting with others. |
| B．Being unable to get working experience. |
| C．Feeling disappointed all the time. |
| D．Losing touch with your supervisor. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Communicating Much While Working from Home Internship |
| B．Getting the Most from Working from Home Internship |
| C．Combining Office Culture with Working from Home Internship |
| D．Experiencing Working from Home Internship when You Graduate |
4 . For several months, Cara has been working up the courage to ask her mother about what she saw on the Internet. Not long ago, the 11-year-old found out that her mother had been posting her photos in her blog, without her agreement, for much of her life. "There are pictures I don't like of myself. It would be an embarrassment(令人尴尬的事)if my friends see those photos online," she said. "Now I'm even worried anytime someone has a phone out around me. I'm afraid that my photos could be taken and posted somewhere."
Not all kids feel the same when finding out they've been living a life online. Some are happy. In the fourth grade, Nate searched his name and found that he was in a news report about his making a beautiful kite in his third-grade class. He was really happy with that and he decided to search online every few months, hoping to find other things about himself online.
"I was surprised, really surprised," he said. "It made me feel famous."
He even kept saying, "Oh, I'm in a news report online." Although his friends knew that, many of his friends refused to stay close to him.
Like most other kids, Cara and Nate grew up in a society rich with social media. While many kids may not yet have accounts(账户)themselves, their parents, schools, sports teams, and organizations have been building an online presence for them since their birth. According to a study from the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida, 92 percent of kids under the age of 2 already have their own life online.
"The blog posts are sure to follow the children into adulthood," says the study. "Therefore, we have to be careful about putting the children's personal information online."
1. Why does Cara want to stop her mother putting her pictures online?| A．She is not a very pretty girl. | B．Her friends keep laughing at her. |
| C．She does not like being photographed. | D．Some of the pictures are embarrassing. |
| A．They felt really happy for him. | B．Many of them stayed away from him. |
| C．Many of them did not believe him. | D．They also opened their own accounts. |
| A．parents should keep their kids away from the Internet |
| B．pictures should not be put online without kids' agreement |
| C．kids should not tell their stories of success to their friends |
| D．putting kids' information online might lead to some problems |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By reasoning. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By comparing. |
An unused parking space or garage can make money. If you live near a city center or an airport, you could make anything up to £200 or £300 a week. Put an advertisement for free on Letpark or Atmyhousepark.
Rent a room
Spare room? Not only will a lodger earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government-backed “rent a room” program, you won’t have to pay any tax on the first £4500 you make per year. Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy.
Make money during special events
Don’t want a full-time lodger? Then rent on a short-term basis. If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money. Grashpadder can advertise your space.
Live on set
Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed. A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free — but you will be charged if your home gets picked.
Use your roof
You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment (around £14,000) and let you use the energy produced for nothing. In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid. However, you have to sign a 25-year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof.
1. Where can you put an advertisement to rent out a room during a big event?| A．On Letpark. | B．On Roomspare. |
| C．On Grashpadder. | D．On Roommateeasy. |
| A．sign an agreement with the government | B．pay around £14,000 for the equipment |
| C．sell the roof to some energy companies | D．keep the roof unchanged within 25 years |
| A．Lodgers. | B．Advertisers. | C．House owners. | D．Online companies. |
6 . After the examination, the doctor told my parents my sight (视力) would get worse and that I would lose my sight finally. On the way home from hospital, no one said a word. One day, would I only imagine the scenery（景色）beyond the glass rather than see it?
That September, I entered middle school. Most nights I had homework that included a pile of books to read. To keep up with other children, I took great trouble to finish the task. With my nose a couple of inches from the page, I was tired easily.
However, then I did not have audio books and electronic devices (设备) like kids do now. Instead, Mom volunteered to read out loud. Mom worked part-time, cleaned the house, cooked and spent time with Grandma. In spite of being so busy, she showed up in my room like clockwork. She put on her reading glasses. Mom always thought those glasses made her look old. To me, she looked like a teacher.
In my room, Mom's voice competed with the ticking of the clock. Being forced to focus on (集中) listening, I found a way to keep my marks up and compete with the other kids. When the teacher asked a question, I raised my hand with confidence. Teachers praised me for having a good memory. Reading removed (消除) my fear for my failing sight, reading also made me curious about other people's challenges and how they managed. Though I could not use my eyes to fix on each passage, my mind lit up with every new book.
True to what the doctor said, the worst came, but thanks to Mom, my sense of hearing now allows me to “see”. This was the most precious（珍贵的）gift from a mother to her child.
1. The author and his parents keep silent on their way home from hospital because_________.| A．what the doctor said was worrying |
| B．the author failed in the exam |
| C．they were tired |
| D．they focused on the scenery along the road |
| A．being confident |
| B．getting help from his teacher |
| C．listening attentively |
| D．competing with his classmates |
| A．The author's eyes recovered finally. |
| B．Reading helped the author a lot. |
| C．The author's mother quitted her job to look after him. |
| D．Reading made the author more sensitive. |
| A．My eyesight trouble |
| B．An unforgettable experience |
| C．My good hearing |
| D．A precious gift from mother |
7 . Tom walked into a shop . It is a sign outside: "Second-hand (旧的) clothes bought and sold ." He was carrying an old pair of trousers and asked the owner（店主）of the shop, "How much will you give me for these?" The man looked at them and then said: "Two dollars."
" What !" said Tom. "I had guessed they were worth(值) at least five dollars."
"No," said the man, "they aren't worth a cent more than two dollars."
"Well," said Tom, taking two dollars out of his pocket. "Here's your money. These trousers were hanging outside your shop. The list price (标价)of them was six dollars and a half. But I thought that was too much money, so I wanted to find out how much they were really worth."
Then he walked out of the shop with the pair of trousers and disappeared before the shop owner could think of anything to say .
1. At first the owner of the shop thought that Tom __________ .| A．wanted to steal the trousers |
| B．wanted to buy the trousers |
| C．wanted to fool him |
| D．wanted to sell the trousers |
| A．would pay five dollars |
| B．would pay three dollars |
| C．would give Tom two dollars |
| D．would give Tom six dollars and a half |
only two dollars because ____ .
| A．he wanted to sell them cheaply (廉价地) |
| B．he wanted to buy them cheaply |
| C．he didn't like the trousers |
| D．they were old and dirty |
| A．the owner sold the trousers two dollars |
| B．Tom sold the trousers one dollar and a half |
| C．the owner bought the trousers three dollars |
| D．Tom bought the trousers four dollars and a half |
8 . On your journey, there are some healthy active transport options, for example cycling.
Active transport benefits
* It’s a convenient and practical way to incorporate (并入) regular exercise into your day.
* Cycling to your stop or station helps to reduce your carbon footprint.
* The cost of buying and maintaining a bicycle is around 1% of the cost of buying and maintaining a car.
* It provides an opportunity to socialize with people in your local community.
* Cycling provides commuters (通勤者) with economical and efficient access to public transport services. On average, 10 times more households are within cycling distance of public transport than they are within walking distance.
Taking your bike on the train
You can take your bike on the train on weekdays, except during the following peak times:
* 7 a.m.-9:30 a.m. towards the CBD (Central Business District);
* 3 p.m.-6:30 p. m. outwards from the CBD;
* at any time during weekends and public holidays.
Note: You can travel in the opposite direction during the specified peak times above.
To avoid travelling during peak times, you must complete your morning journey by 7 a.m. towards the CBD and afternoon journey by 3 p.m. outwards from the CBD.
During peak hours, bikes cannot be brought through Fortitude Valley, Central or Roma Street stations. If you travel with a bike during peak times, you may be asked to leave the train until peak time ends.
Bike storage facilities
Bike facilities offer greater flexibility as you can cycle to a station and securely park your bike before continuing your journey on public transport. Queensland Rail and the City of Gold Coast also offer a number of bicycle storage facilities across our network. You can book a bike locker by emailing us at bikelockerqueries@ translink. com. au.
1. What is mentioned about cycling in the text?| A．It is environmentally-friendly. | B．It is convenient to get around. |
| C．It is helpful to reduce your weight. | D．It is much faster than walking. |
| A．7 a.m. on Christmas. | B．3 p.m. towards CBD. |
| C．6 p.m. during weekends. | D．4 p.m. outwards from CBD. |
| A．A guide book. | B．A health journal. |
| C．A sports magazine. | D．A Travel website. |
9 . Nobody likes to fail. It makes people feel embarrassed and discouraged. What's worse, it may cause major professional or personal trouble and lead to negativity. Basically, failure is no fun for most people. However, a vast body of research tells us that failure provides us with a chance to grow and develop, increases adaptability, and helps protect against anxiety.
It's hard to change the mindset (心态) of a lifetime. But even if we still can't get over the broken marriage or the failed College Entrance Examination or the work presentation that went fearfully wrong, it might not be too late for our kids.
Christy Pennison, a professional consultant, says she works with an increasing number of kids and teens who show significant anxiety around a fear of failure. She said, "We want to protect our children, and we want them to live happy and meaningful lives, so we frequently tell them the harm of failure and ask them to avoid failure. The children experiencing internal and sometimes extenal pressure think they shouldn't fail. Meanwhile, we always have high expectations of them. So when they don't live up to a certain standard, or things don't go according to the plans, they will feel upset and anxious."
Pennison argues that failures, are often the hidden learning chances that can help people develop positive qualities, like persistence, focus, flexibility, patience, and positive self-image.
So what can parents do to help their children embrace (拥抱) failure instead of avoiding it at all costs? Pennison suggests directing praise towards the effort, not the result. "This allows children to build confidence in themselves, "she explains." Acknowledging the effort can give children permission to try new things without a fear of failure. And the bigger picture is that the development of the mindset —'I'd rather try and fail than not try at all.'—helps them keep a belief in themselves, and expands their world of possibilities." As Pennison points out, we all fail, but how we get up after we fail is what matters.
1. What aspect do most people focus on when thinking of failure?| A．The great courage to face it. |
| B．The efforts made to handle it. |
| C．Unexpected benefits it brings. |
| D．Unpleasant side effects it brings. |
| A．Bring up the main topic. |
| B．List the challenges in our life. |
| C．Add some background information. |
| D．Stress the importance of the mindset |
| A．The causes of children's anxiety. |
| B．Christy Pennison's comments on adolescents. |
| C．The consequences of overprotecting children. |
| D．Christy Pennison's experience in educating children. |
① Praise kids' every achievement.
② Make kids embrace a bright mindset.
③ Focus on the process of kids' effort
④ Expand kids' knowledge about the world.
⑤ Encourage kids to make new attempts.
| A．①②④ | B．②③④ | C．②③⑤ | D．①③⑤ |
10 . When I was younger, I was addicted to reading. I could get through a whole book in a day, and used to beg my parents every night to let me stay up late so that I could just finish my chapter. From fairy-tales to thrillers, non-fiction to plays, I enjoyed reading any literature that I could get my hands on.
However, while there are many books for younger children,once you reach your mid-teens the choices become limited. I found myself choosing between books for children that were simple and not that interesting, and adult books that I couldn’t quite understand.
This lack of choice eventually led me to read less and less.When I was in secondary school,the only books I read were ones we were assigned in English class,and I was never very enthusiastic about my teacher’s choices.I thought too much discussion of symbolism and themes ruined the book.Maybe the sky being blue didn’t represent anything;maybe it was just a description!
Fortunately, I realized quickly that deciding to go to university meant I had signed up for four years of reading books. I chose a French literature module in my first year. I started out, thinking I wouldn’t enjoy any of the works we were studying over the course of the year.However,I soon realized that at a university level,the discussion was more fruitful and I found I had a lot to say!And being able to discuss my thoughts with others meant I could better understand the subtle aspects of the plot:yes,even the symbolism and themes.
I began reading again for pleasure, starting with Malcolm X’s autobiography and never looking back. Now, during my year abroad,I spend a lot of my spare time in bookshops and reading in cafes. I’m so happy that I rediscovered my love of books.
1. What does the author intend to say in Paragraph 1?| A．She used to stay up late at night. | B．She read very fast as a young girl. |
| C．She loved reading very much in her childhood. | D．She once bought many different kinds of books. |
| A．She was really tired of reading books. | B．She was too busy with her schoolwork. |
| C．She had no right to choose books herself. | D．She found very few suitable books to read. |
| A．Her reading experiences at university. | B．Her professor of French literature. |
| C．A special bookstore abroad. | D．A book by Malcolm X. |
| A．The importance of discussing a book’s theme. | B．The process of the author picking up reading. |
| C．The ways to form good reading habits. | D．The author’s desire to read widely. |
