1 . A 3-year-old boy who was lost in the forest for two days is now safe at home with his family. But Casey Hathaway told reporters that he was not alone in the rainy, freezing cold forest. He said he was with a friend — a bear.
The child went missing on January 22, 2019 while playing with friends at his grandmother’s house in the southern state of North Carolina. When the other children returned to the house and Casey did not, the family searched the area for almost an hour before calling the police. The police organized a search team to search the nearby forest for the little boy. But two days went by and Casey was still not found.
Then on January 24, someone called the police saying he heard a child crying in the forest. The police followed up the information and found Casey at about 9:30 that night. They pulled him out of some briar (荆棘). He was in good health.
Casey told the police that he had hung out with a black bear for two days, a bear he called his “friend.” The police told reporters that Casey did not say how he was able to survive (活下来，幸存) in the forest for two days in the cold, rainy weather. However, the police said, “He did say he had a friend in the forest that was a bear that was with him.”
Hundreds of people helped in the search, including some 600 volunteers, policemen and soldiers. An officer told reporters that at no point did he think Casey had been kidnapped (绑架). Casey’s mother Brittany Hathaway told reporters she thanked everyone who joined the search for her son. “We just want to tell everybody that we really thank you for taking the time out to come to search for Casey,” said his mother.
1. Casey said that he ________.| A．was hurt by a bear |
| B．was caught by the police |
| C．made friends with a bear |
| D．got lost with a friend together |
| A．organized a search team |
| B．called the police right away |
| C．received a call from a stranger |
| D．spent nearly an hour looking for him by themselves |
| A．He is brave enough to fight against a bear. |
| B．He was freezing in the forest when found. |
| C．He was protected well from animals by a bear. |
| D．How he survived in the forest is still unknown. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Worried. | C．Thankful. | D．Disappointed. |
2 . It can be hard to keep kids busy sometimes, especially when school is out. Whether your kid is in pre-school or high school, there are fun, educational, and even some free apps on this list for them.
ABCmouse. com
ABCmouse.com is available both as an app and a website. It uses fun storyline-based videos, quizzes, and activities—there’s even a virtual map outlining your child’s learning path to keep kids engaged.
Ages:4-8
Cost:One-month free trial, then $ 10/month subscription (订阅).
EPIC!
Epic! is an app for kids with an e-book library that contains over 35,000 children’s books. This app is a perfect way to take reading wherever your device goes, and it’s great for families with kids of various ages.
Ages: 2-12
Cost: one—month free trial, then $ 8/month.
QUIDK MATH
Kids know that math can be boring, but this app transforms numbers into something more creative and interactive (互动的). Quick Math Jr. is an app for kids with 12 different math games that feature fundamental math skills and concepts.
Ages: 4-8
Cost: free
BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week
For 20 years, BrainPOP has been providing kids all over the world with in-depth, yet easy to understand educational videos on everything ranging from Mozart to food allergies. BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week is an app that helps younger kids get these videos, plus short quizzes on them.
Ages :6-9
Cost: free, optional subscription(订阅)is $6.99/month
1. How much is it if you want to use EPIC! for the first year?| A．$ 120 | B．$96 | C．$110 | D．$ 88 |
| A．QUICK Math | B．EPIC! | C．ABCmouse. com | D．BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week |
| A．They are interactive. | B．They are educational. |
| C．Players have quizzes. | D．They are free of charge. |
3 . Here are some interesting online classes that you can take to learn something interesting.
Premiere Pro CC
Whether you want to become the next big YouTube star or the most popular TikTok creator, you'll need to learn how to edit(编辑)videos. Premiere Pro CC will bring all your ideas to life. You can master how to use all it offers with this course for $29. 99. It'll cover various topics including adding videos, adding titles, correcting and grading the color, and more.
Udemy's Mindfulness Practitioner Course
Udemy's Mindfulness Practitioner Course lasts 6-8 weeks but can end up changing your life forever. For just $15. 99, you will receive the tools and techniques that are necessary in order to apply mindful principles to your everyday life. With the help of videos, articles, and more, you’ll be taught how to be more self-aware, make better decisions, and take control of your emotions.
Master Class
If you can't practice your jump shot in the park, why not practice it with Golden State Warrior star Stephen Curry? That's the kind of mind-blowing experience Master Class offers. Within 12 video lessons, Curry will show you all he knows about ball handling, screens, and more. Individual (单独的)classes cost $90, but now you can get two year-long subscriptions for $180.
Skillshare
You don't necessarily need a professional camera to take professional-looking pictures. Skillshare is a platform made for creative people. Their photo-taking course will teach you the ins and outs of exposure control, shot composition, and more. You can make the cardboard of orange juice in your fridge look like the next cover of Vogue. Sign up now for $19 per month. Get started now!
1. What can we do with Premiere Pro CC?| A．We can store more videos. | B．We can use it to upload videos. |
| C．We can edit videos by using it. | D．We can learn something about ball handling. |
| A．It can better our living conditions. | B．It can improve our way of thinking. |
| C．It can increase our physical activity. | D．It can teach us creative artistic skills. |
| A．Skillshare. | B．Master Class. |
| C．Premiere Pro CC. | D．Udemy's Mindfulness Practitioner Course. |
4 . Some students get so nervous before a test. They do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock, a professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois, has studied these highly anxious test-takers. The students start worrying about the results. And when we worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources（资源）.
Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test.
The researchers tested the idea on a group of twenty anxious college students. They gave them two short maths tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test.
Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored（得分） an average of 12% worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved（提高） their performance by an average of 5%. Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated（不相关的） to the test. Professor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B-for those who did not.
"What we showed is that for students who are highly test-anxious, and who'd done our writing intervention（干预）, all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and grades. They were performing just as well as their classmates who don't normally get nervous in these tests."
But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance.
1. What do the students start worrying about before an exam?| A．Whether they can pass the exams. |
| B．What other students do during the test. |
| C．Whether they have remembered the materials. |
| D．What kind of problems they will meet on the test paper. |
| A．Making the students focused on the test. |
| B．Asking the students to sit quietly before the test. |
| C．Having the students write about their worries about the test. |
| D．Asking the students to direct the attention away from the test. |
| A．became less nervous before the test |
| B．were better at controlling their feelings |
| C．did worse than those who wrote about their feelings |
| D．did better than those who wrote about their feelings |
| A．writing about our worries before an exam can work a bit |
| B．we can only write about our worries right before an exam |
| C．the best place to write about our worries is in the test room |
| D．it doesn't matter where we write about our worries before an exam |
5 . As prices drop and their functionality expands, you can expect to see humanoid(类人的)robots in more places, including schools, airports, and hospitals. Will they influence human behavior?
In a study published recently, scientists found that mean robots can help people concentrate. The experiment, published in Science Robotics, was based on something called the Stroop Task, which is widely used in psychology and described as the "gold standard" of attentional tests. It challenges participants to name the colors of words and ignore their meanings while calculating reaction time.
The researchers put a modern twist on the task, though-this time, there was a robot in the room. The goal was to see if the presence of a robot would affect cognition, and the researchers found it did, but only when the robot was mean.
How do you make a robot mean? In this case, a meter-tall toy robot called a Meccanoid G15KS was made to respond to seven questions. The good robots told jokes, spoke about friendship, and described test subjects as nice. The bad robots replied to questions with passive aggressive comebacks, such as "I enjoy doing analysis programs but you would not understand" and statements like "I do not value friendship."Then the participants rated the robots."The more participants thought the robot made them uncomfortable, the greater the improvement of their Stroop performance was," the researchers wrote."Not surprisingly, the bad robot was rated as less warm, friendly and pleasant than the good robot."
The study authors argue that robots are crossing the line in some situations from machines to social agents. That will change how humans interact with and behave around them.
“Similar to a human's presence, the presence of a robot might not be neutral(无倾向性的) in situations like school or in the office when you are working." Nicolas Spatola, one of the study authors said in an email, "So before your boss decides to introduce a robot in your office, it could be a good idea to evaluate how you feel about it and how it can positively or negatively impact your work, how comfortable you may feel with it or if you feel it to be a threat."
Just 58 students from University Clermont Auvergne in France participated in the experiment but the researchers found an increase in the speed of correct answers among those in the presence of a mean robot when compared to those who were with a nice robot or alone.
In the future, robots will almost certainly become more and more common in nursing homes, hotel check-in desks, behind the wheel, and elsewhere. “If we want to improve the use of robots in our daily life, there seems to be a need to first understand how Human Robot Interaction can impact human psychology,” Spatola said.
1. What was the finding of the new study?| A．The use of robots is rising. | B．Humanoid robots can be mean. |
| C．Unkind robots can sharpen our focus. | D．Robots are becoming more functional.,. |
| A．By their words. | B．By their actions. |
| C．By their appearance. | D．By the Stroop Task. |
| A．Be careful about using robots. | B．Leave the robot if it presents a threat. |
| C．Robots will have a good impact on offices. | D．Robots may replace humans in the workplace. |
| A．The participants were too young. | B．The study method wasn't scientific. |
| C．There was a slight difference in speed. | D．The number of the participants was too small. |
| A．Scientists have already developed humanoid robots. |
| B．Humanoid robots have already found its way into our daily life. |
| C．Humanoid robots will certainly come into our daily life sooner or later. |
| D．There is no difficulty we'll meet with before humanoid robots are widely used. |
6 . Cars could be able to "talk" to each other to warn about dangers on the roads using 5G technology in future, according to researchers.
Researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) believe 5G may enable driverless cars to send each other messages about dangers such as ice or deep holes.
And they believe the high-speed, low -delay (低延迟的) nature of 5G will improve driverless cars to the point where they will be safer than the cars being driven today. They predict the number of road traffic accidents which cause more than 1. 3 million deaths and up to 50 million people injured worldwide every year will drop greatly as a result.
Dr Dimitrios, a member of the research group, said, “To have a better idea of what the future will look like, think of having cars that not only use sensors (感应器) to find what's around them, but also can talk to each other about safety information nearby.”
“I'm sure anyone who has had a bad experience on frozen roads would have benefited from knowing about the dangerous conditions ahead of time so they could have changed their speed or, if possible, even avoided that route (路线) altogether.”
With the help of 5G, an early warning system in vehicles will come into use within the next few years. Cars that are close enough to the danger area will pass warning messages to other cars around them using communication technologies, but also to cars further away using 5G, fast and reliably. Then those cars will send the same information to cars near them and 80 on, forming a joined-up.
5G is an exciting mobile technology, which will give a great boost to smart cities and autonomous (全自动的) vehicles among many other things.
1. Which of the following will Dr Dimitrios agree?| A．Cars can talk with drivers using 5G. |
| B．5G will improve the safety of car driving. |
| C．Massages sent by 5G will never be delayed. |
| D．Over 1.3 million deaths are caused by driverless cars. |
| A．changing their speed | B．turning to another route |
| C．getting closer to the danger area | D．sending warnings to nearby cars |
| A．Recovery. | B．Push. | C．Danger. | D．Fame. |
| A．Science and Technology. | B．Entertainment. | C．Life. | D．Transport. |
7 . We've seen a worldwide health crisis (危机) bring out the worst in some people, but fortunately, we've also been able to see it bring out the best in others.
A taxi driver in Spain has been providing COVID-19 (新冠肺炎) patients with free rides to and from the hospitals. Doctors and nurses wanted to surprise him with their thanks for helping out.
They tricked him down to the hospital under the pretense of needing to pick up a sick patient, but in reality, doctors and nurses lined the hall waiting to applaud (鼓掌) him.
“This is a surprise that has been given to a taxi driver who takes patients to the hospitals without charge,” wrote the taxi company that first shared the video.
The man seemed completely taken aback by the gesture, stopping in the middle of the doors as the whole room cheered for him.
He was also given an envelope full of money and the satisfying results of his own COVID-19 test.
The video has since been shared tens of thousands of times across the world, because kind gestures break the language barrier (障碍).
“When the crisis is finished, there will have been two types of people... the good and the bad,” one user wrote. “With workmates like him, I am proud to be a taxi driver, son of a taxi driver, and father of a taxi driver.”
With the word in hard times, just knowing good people are there doing good deeds is something we can all appreciate.
1. We can learn from the story that____________.| A．the driver took doctors to and from the hospitals |
| B．the taxi company ticked the driver to pick up a patient |
| C．the patients lined the hall to thank the driver |
| D．the driver stayed safe from COVID-19 |
| A．Worried. | B．Amazed. | C．Frightened. | D．Excited. |
| A．It moves people of different nations. |
| B．It encourages more people to be a taxi driver. |
| C．It shows there will have been two types of people. |
| D．It calls for doctors and nurses to fight COVID-19. |
| A．There is always kindness around us. |
| B．We should be proud of our own jobs. |
| C．Helping others is the biggest happiness. |
| D．Taxi drivers play an important part in this crisis. |
8 . It's so relaxing to take a bath in a hot spring while looking at beautiful scenery. If you travel in the U.S., plan to visit one of these hot springs:
Travertine Hot Springs
At the edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California are the Travertine Hot Springs. The orange, green and red rocks create beautiful views for you to enjoy while you bathe. Each pool is a different temperature, so you can find one that you like.
These springs are easy to get to by car. Go south from Bridgeport and turn left onto Jack Sawyer Road. In about a mile you’ll arrive at the springs. If you like to camp, you can camp along the road. While you are there, try visiting Mono Lake and Yosemite National Park.
Bagby Hot Springs
The Bagby Hot Springs are located in an old forest. At the springs there are bathhouses, with private and shared baths. Spring water in the baths is at 136°F. If that's too hot, you can add cold water until it is suitable for you.
The Bagby Springs are about 45 minutes from Oregon. To get to the bathhouse there is a 1.5-mile walk through the Mt. Hood National Forest. Make sure to also visit Portland, which is known for its coffee, local beer and music.
Conundrum Hot Springs
If you like to hike, the Conundrum Hot Springs in Colorado are a great choice. There is an 8.5-mile hike to the springs. You can walk out and camp nearby the springs. After the hike, rest your muscles in the water and enjoy the mountain views.
While you are in the area, check out the Curecanti National Recreation Area. There, you can enjoy boating, fishing and bird watching,
1. What do Travertine Hot Springs and Bagby Hot Springs have in common?| A．You can camp along the road. |
| B．You can choose private or shared baths, |
| C．You will walk through a forest to get to the springs. |
| D．You can enjoy the springs with the temperature you like. |
| A．Colorful rocks. | B．Coffee and local beer. |
| C．Hiking to the springs. | D．Forest views. |
| A．Mono Lake. | B．Yosemite National Park. |
| C．Portland. | D．Curecanti National Recreation Area. |
9 . When faced with the decision to get out of bed or have a few more minutes of sleep, which do you choose? Believe it or not, that decision could make a world of difference in the rest of your day.
About 85 percent of Americans use an alarm clock to wake up in the mornings, according to sleep researcher Till Roennenber. And while there are no official numbers on snoozing (打盹), a quick survey of social media makes it clear that hitting the snooze button is a popular pastime.
As to how the snooze button will affect your day, scientists have mixed opinions. Some scientists think people who hit the snooze button in the mornings are actually clever, creative and happy while some said that hitting the snooze button will ruin your life, or at the very least your day. "I feel that hitting the snooze button has got to be one of the worst things that ever happened to human sleep,” researcher Jonathan Horowitz said. "The chances of you ‘snoozing’ and actually experiencing a meaningful rest are close to zero.”
According to some sleep experts, when hitting the snooze button，you are in fact confusing your body and mind, and throwing yourself into a deep state of being sleepy. The body needs some time to wake up, so, when returning to what will be a light sleep for a brief period of time, you are putting your body back into a sleep mode before waking it again. At that point your body won’t know what it wants, resulting in a sort of half awaken state.
If you really want to take advantage of an alarm clock, the key is to form a healthy sleep cycle. Focus your efforts on getting enough sleep each night and waking up at the same time each day so that when your alarm goes off you feel rested.
1. What can we infer about hitting the snooze button from Paragraph 2?| A．People do it just for fun. | B．It is a common practice. |
| C．People take it seriously. | D．It is a bit childish. |
| A．It is meaningful in the long term. |
| B．It makes people become lazy. |
| C．It brings us a sense of satisfaction. |
| D．It affects our body and mind. |
| A．Forming a good sleep habit. | B．Trying to relax ourselves. |
| C．Making use of willpower. | D．Using an extra alarm. |
| A．Ways to keep refreshed in the morning. |
| B．The snooze button and people's character. |
| C．Should you rely on the snooze button? |
| D．How to avoid the light sleep mode? |
10 . Najib is an Afghan who grew up in Iran. He led a tough life. When he found his children would be in the same situation, his family initially returned to Afghanistan. But with the country filled with conflicts, they decided to leave for Indonesia.
“When we first came here, we were in a bad situation. Its language, culture and even weather were different. We had moved away from friends and family,” says Najib. “I was in a tough position but I acted strong because there were no other choices.”
Refugees (难民) cannot work in Indonesia and there are limited choices for refugee children to attend local schools. Determined to avoid such a fate, a group of refugees in Puncak took action and scraped together (东拼西凑) their resources to set up a school—the Refugee Learning Center (RLC).
“Our only goal and task is to provide basic education, and prepare the refugee children for their future,” says Abdullah Sarwari. “We’re also trying to provide a normal life as much as possible for them.”
The RLC has also started offering Bahasa Indonesia classes to the refugee community. “Between the refugee and the local community, I feel like there’s a language barrier which stops the refugee from having an honest and open interaction with Indonesians,” says Abdullah.
“If you try your best, to learn the language of a particular place or country, it really helps make things easier,” says Najib. He is among those who signed up for classes, although he admits progress has been slow. But life has improved in some ways for him and his family.
Najib says, “The centre is an opportunity for refugee to show that they are not a burden. If they have the opportunity, they can accomplish big and great things like this.”
1. Why did Najib decide to leave for Indonesia?| A．To escape the conflict in Afghanistan. |
| B．To experience Indonesian culture. |
| C．To help refugees in Indonesia. |
| D．To get equal rights to vote. |
| A．To help them learn English. |
| B．To make them stay away from bad luck. |
| C．To provide them with chances to live in Indonesia. |
| D．To make them have access to receiving basic education. |
| A．He is the leader of refugees. |
| B．He founded the RLC himself. |
| C．He studies Indonesian in the RLC. |
| D．He lives a wealthy life in Indonesia. |
| A．The Goal of Founding a School |
| B．A School for Refugees by Refugees |
| C．A Reason for Leaving for Indonesia |
| D．The Benefit of Learning a New Language |
