2 . Edmund Halley was an English scientist who lived over 200 years ago. Some scientists had already observed comets then, and Halley studied them carefully. The orbit (轨道) of one special comet was a very hard mathematical (数学的) problem. He couldn’t work it out. Neither could other scientists who dealt with such problems.

However, Halley had a friend named Newton, who was an excellent mathematician. Newton thought he had already worked out that problem, but he could not find the papers on which he had done it. He told Halley that the orbit of a comet had the shape of an ellipse (椭圆).

Now Halley set to work. He worked out the orbits of some of the comets that had been observed by scientists. He made a surprising discovery. The comets that had appeared in the years 1531, 1607, and 1682 all had the same orbit. Yet their appearances had been 75 to 76 years apart.

This seemed very strange to Halley. The different comets followed the same orbit. The more Halley thought about it, the more he thought that there had not been three different comets, as people thought. He decided that they had simply seen the same comet three times. The comet had gone away and had come back again.

It was an astonishing idea! Halley felt certain enough to make a prediction of what comet would happen in the future. He decided that this comet would appear in the year 1758. There were 53 years to go before Halley's prediction could be tested. In 1758 the comet appeared in the sky. Halley did not see it, for he has died some years before. Ever since then that comet has been called Halley's comet, in his honor.

1. Halley made his discovery ________.

A．by using the work of other scientists	B．through his own careful observation
C．by doing some experiments secretly	D．by figuring out some hard problems

2. Halley made an amazing, but right prediction in ________.

A．1607

B．1682

C．1705

D．1811

3. This passage in general is about ________.

A．Halley and other scientists	B．the orbit of a comet
C．Newton and Halley	D．Halley and his discovery

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The orbit of a comet was a round shape.

B．Halley did not live up to the year 1758.

C．Halley was an Australian mathematician.

D．Halley worked out the comet’s orbit first.

3 . Solothurn is a picturesque town in the northwest of Switzerland known primarily for its closest relation with the number eleven. It seems like everything in this place was designed around this magical number, from the fact that there are precisely eleven churches, as well as eleven historical fountains, eleven museums and eleven towers, to the unusual clock in the town square that features an eleven­hour dial and the number twelve missing.

Although nearly everyone in Solothurn knows about the town's obsession with the number eleven, the origin of that is covered in mystery. The first mention of eleven in Solothurn's history dates back to 1252, when eleven members were first elected for the town's council. Another great example of Solothurn's obsession with the number eleven is the magnificent Cathedral of St. Ursus. Designed by Italian architect Gaetano Matteo Pisoni, it was built in eleven years. It features three sets of steps, each numbering eleven rows, eleven doors, eleven bells and eleven altars, one of which is made out of eleven different types of marble. Interestingly, the altars can be viewed at the same time from only one place in the cathedral, the eleventh black stone in the long central part.

The people of Solothurn also show an intense interest in the number eleven in their daily life. There are special celebrations held on eleventh birthdays, and there are local products and businesses that include the special number. There is “Öufi­Bier” (Beer eleven), “eleven­i Schokolade” (eleven­Chocolate), and even “öufiyoga” (eleven o'clock yoga). The mysterious relationship between Solothurn and the number has become one of the town's primary tourist attractions, and there is even a themed tour about the number eleven.

1. What is mainly discussed about Solothurn in Paragraph 1?

A．Its unique designs.	B．Its cultural origin.
C．Its natural attractions.	D．Its connection with nature.

2. What does   the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The number eleven.	B．The city of Solothurn.
C．Solothurn's love for eleven.	D．The history of Switzerland.

3. What is the Cathedral of St. Ursus like?

A．Its steps contain 33 rows in all.	B．Its doors are made out of marble.
C．It has eleven bells on each step.	D．It has eleven altars in the center.

4. What do we know about the people of Solothurn?

A．They attach great importance to tourism.	B．They bring number eleven to daily life.
C．They lead a busy but comfortable life.	D．They are expert at designing products.

4 . By the year 2050, a fifth of the world’s cities will experience unprecedented climate conditions and environments that currently don’t exist in any major cities, according to new research. A team of scientists at the Crowther Lab in Switzerland produced the report, which described the climate for 520 major cities 30 years in the future.

The results showed that 77 percent of the world’s cities will experience a surprising change in climate conditions by 2050, and 22 percent of the 520 cities will see conditions that are not currently experienced by any existing major cities.

In China in 2050, the climate of Xi’an, in Shanxi province, will be similar to that of current day Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho in southern Africa, with the maximum temperature of the warmest month likely to increase by 4.59℃. Chongqing in southwest China will resemble the climate of Swaziland capital Mbabane, as the warmest temperature is predicted to rise by 5.1℃.

Scientists predict summers in Europe will get warmer by an average of 3.5℃ and European winters will see temperature rises of 4.7℃. London’s climate will be more similar lo Barcelona, and Madrid’s to Marrakech.

The Crowther Lab hopes the analysis will motivate decision-makers to take necessary steps to prevent or address some of the climate effects due to the threat of climate change. The report also found that cities in tropical regions will experience smaller changes in average temperature but will be controlled by shifts in rainfall regimes. This may lead to a noticeable increase in unexpected events, and severe droughts.

“Across all scientific fields, the greatest challenge in climate science is no longer the precise measurement of climate change impacts, but inspiring people to picture is actual effects in order to motivate action,” said Tom Crowther, senior scientist und founder of the Crowther Lab.

1. According to the research, among the 520 cities by 2050, about ________ cities will experience the climate conditions that no major cities currently have experienced.

A．400

B．114

C．260

D．104

2. How did the scientists prove their result?

A．By listing figures.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By doing experiments.	D．By explaining theory.

3. What is the Crowther Lab intended for?

A．To compare the climate change of the major cities of the world.

B．To inspire people to picture its actual effects in order to motivate action.

C．To inspire decision-makers to take necessary steps to prevent some climate effects.

D．To show most word’s cities will experience a striking change in climate conditions.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．World Temperature	B．Current Climate Change
C．Big Titles in the World	D．Future Climate Change in Most Big Cities

5 . Yellow Rose (2019)

lh 34min | Drama, Music | 9 October 2020 (USA)
Storyline: A Filipina teen from a small Texas town fights to pursue her dreams as a country music performer while having to decide between staying with her family or leaving the only home she has known.
Ticket Price: children (ages 2-12) $8, adults (ages 13&up) $15
2 Hearts (2020)

lh 40min | Drama, Romance | 16 October 2020 (USA)
Storyline: For two couples the future unfolds in different decades and different places, but a hidden connection will bring them together in a way no one could have predicted. Based on an inspirational true story, 2 Hearts is a romantic journey that celebrates life, love and generosity of spirit, and challenges audiences to believe miracles are possible.
Ticket Price: children (ages 2-12) $8, adults (ages 13&up) $12
The War with Grandpa (2020)
lh 34min | Comedy, Drama, Family | 9 October 2020 (USA)

Storyline ： Peter is thrilled that Grandpa is coming to live with his family. That is, until Grandpa moves into Peter's room, forcing him upstairs into the creepy attic. And though he loves his grandpa, he wants his room back - so he has no choice but to declare war. With the help of his friends, Peter devises outrageous plans to make Grandpa surrender the room. But Grandpa is tougher than he looks. Rather than give in, Grandpa plans to get even.
Ticket Price: children (ages 2-12) $13, adults (ages 13&up) $18
Honest Thief (2020)

1h 39min | Action, Crime, Drama | 16 October 2020 (USA)
Storyline： They call him the In-and-Out-Bandit because he has stolen $9 million from small-town banks while managing to keep his identity a secret. But after he falls in love with the bubbly Annie (Kate Walsh), Tom decides to be honest, only to be cheated by two ruthless FBI agents.
Ticket Price: children (ages 2-12) $6, adults (ages 13&up) $14 More information, please click here.
1. Which might interest Lily who enjoys music?

A．Yellow Rose.

B．2 hearts.

C．The War with Grandpa.

D．Honest Thief.

2. How much will it cost to see The War with Grandpa for a family with 2 kids under 12 and 2 adults?

A．$50

B．$62

C．$40

D．$46

3. What is special about Honest Thief!

A．It falls in the category of “drama."	B．It is based on a true story.
C．It is a crime movie.	D．Its tickets are free of charge.

6 . Best Tours in Auckland

Waiheke Island

With the best of the island’s two selling points — nature and wine — this tour will have you cross through the island’s bushland, and drink award-winning wines. You’ll see New Zealand’s famously shy wildlife and native plants.

Tour: Waiheke Island Vineyards and Bush Walk

Money: $ 130 for a family of three

Coromandel

This day tour allows you to get to some of the area’s places far away. Your guide will drop you off at Stony Bay where you will begin the 10-kilometre hike to Fletcher Bay, where you will be collected. You can enjoy its natural beauty, with the shining ocean alongside you. Don’t forget your bathing suit to make the most of the place at the end of the route.

Tour: Coromandel Coastal Walkway Day Tour

Money: $ 45 per person

Hamilton

Explore endangered species of flora and fauna at Sanctuary Mountain. It’s a place where at-risk species can grow without human nearing them. Your guide will explain the species and the reasons they’re endangered to you.

Tour: Guided Forest Tour of Sanctuary Mountain

Money: $ 42 per person

Waitomo

Put on your boots and helmet, and prepare to go down underground, hiking among rocks and streams. The tour is limited to six people, allowing you a much more comfortable and personalized experience.

Tour: Glow-worm Caving Adventure

Money: $55 per adult &. $ 25 per child

1. Where can a person go for swimming according to the passage?

A．Waiheke Island.	B．Coromandel.
C．Hamilton.	D．Waitomo.

2. Which tour is the cheapest for a couple with a child?

A．Waiheke Island Vineyards and Bush Walk.

B．Coromandel Coastal Walkway Day Tour.

C．Guided Forest Tour of Sanctuary Mountain.

D．Glow-worm Caving Adventure.

3. What is special about Glow-worm Caving Adventure?

A．People can hike a long distance.

B．Endangered animals can be seen.

C．The number of tourists is limited.

D．Tourists can drink award winning wines.

7 . On Monday, about 270 pilot whales got into difficulty on a sandbank at Macquarie Heads, near Strahan on Tasmania’s west coast, about 190 kilometres from Hobart. Another 200 of the animals were found early on Wednesday, making it Tasmania’s largest recorded stranding event. The Department of Primary Industry, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) said that about a third had died.

Marine biologists arrived in the area to carry out rescue operations. They planned to use specialized equipment such as special tarpaulins to push the whales back into the deep water. The local police also assisted in the rescue.

The whales that were stranded are Pilot Whales, and they are found in almost all the oceans of the world, according to the Marine conservation group. Pilot whales are in fact one of the largest members of the dolphin family, but they are treated as whales for the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations issued in 1992.They were named pilot whales because it was thought that each pod followed a ‘pilot’ in the group.

Cetacean stranding, commonly known as beaching, is a phenomenon in which whales and dolphins strand themselves on land, usually on a beach. Several explanations for why cetaceans strand themselves have been proposed, including changes in water temperatures, unusual features of whales’ echo location in certain surroundings, and geomagnetic disturbances, but none have so far been universally accepted as a definitive reason for the behavior.

In recent years, whale strandings have become more frequent around the world. In November 2018, a dead sperm whale that had washed ashore in eastern Indonesia consumed a horrifying collection of plastic trash, including 115 drinking cups, 25 plastic bags, plastic bottles, two flip-flops and a bag containing more than 1,000 pieces of string. In all, the plastic contents of the whale’s stomach weighed 13.2 pound (six kilograms). The bags are black due to a reaction with the creature’s stomach acids, according to Thai Whales organization. A person, on average, breathes or swallows at least 74,000 microscopic particles of plastic each year.

1. How many whales died according to DPIPWE?

A．About 160.

B．About 200.

C．About 270.

D．About 470.

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

A．Being put into danger.

B．Being trapped in trouble.

C．Being found in extinction.

D．Being left or driven ashore.

3. What does the author want to tell us by the numbers in Paragraph 5?

A．Whales mistake plastics for food.

B．Whales need the ability of self-protection.

C．Whales’ living conditions are worsening.

D．Whales have an excellent digestive system.

4. What will be discussed probably following the last paragraph?

A．Protective measures for whales.

B．The reasons for whale stranding.

C．Studying whales’ stomach deeply.

D．Researching the oceans’ ecosystem.

8 . Did you know that Albert Einstein could not speak until he was four years old, and could not read until he was seven? His parents and teachers worried about his mental (大脑的) ability.

Beethoven’s music teacher said about him, “As a composer (作曲家) he is hopeless.” What if this young boy had believed it?

When Thomas Edison was a young boy, his teachers said he was so stupid that he could never learn anything. He once said, “I remember I used to never be able to get along at school. I was always at the foot of my class ... My father thought I was stupid, and I almost decided that I was a stupid person.” What if young Thomas had believed what they said about him?

When the sculptor (雕刻家) Auguste Rodin was young, he had difficulty learning to read and write. Today, we may say he had a learning disability. His father said of him, “I have an idiot (白痴) for a son.” His uncle agreed. “He’s uneducable,” he said. What if Rodin had doubted his ability?

Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper editor because he was thought to have no “good ideas”. Enrico Caruso was told by one music teacher, “You can’t sing. You have no voice at all.” And an editor told Louisa May Alcott that she was unable to write anything that would have popular attraction.

What if these people had listened and become discouraged? Where would our world be without the music of Beethoven, the art of Rodin or the ideas of Albert Einstein and Walt Disney? As Oscar Levant once said, “It’s not what you are but what you don’t become that hurts.”

You have great potential (潜力). When you believe in all you can be, rather than all you cannot become, you will find your place on earth.

1. How many successful people are mentioned as examples in the passage?

A．Six.

B．Seven.

C．Eight.

D．Nine.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．When he was young, Thomas Edison always got good grades at school.

B．Levant thought Louisa May Alcott couldn’t write any popular works.

C．Only Auguste Rodin’s uncle regarded him a boy of learning ability.

D．Both Enrico Caruso and Beethoven achieved their dreams in music.

3. What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence “He’s uneducable”?

A．He is too stupid to be taught.	B．He is very clever.
C．He is different.	D．He is a late success.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Working Hard for Success	B．Having Dreams
C．Believing in Yourself	D．Self-challenging

9 . Birthdays at the Canadian Children’s Museum

The perfect place for a memorable birthday party!

Celebrate at the Canadian Children’s Museum with creative and fun-filled activities designed to excite the interest of children aged 3 to 12.

The party includes:

●One hour in a private party room;

●Admission to the museum;

●Unlimited time in the Children’s Museum (until closing);

●One hour animation(动画片)(Only with the “scene-Stealers” and “round the World” themed party. ) Payment is due(到期的)in full upon registration. Registration is required at least two weeks in advance.

Scene-Stealers (Ages 3 to 8)

Step into the spotlight (聚光灯)with a behind-the-scenes trip to the Canadian Children’s Museum Theatre. The Director will help you warm up with some theatre games, and teach you some stage skills to get you ready for the audience!

Cost: $190 for up to 10 kids and 2 adults; $10 for each extra child.

Around the World (Ages 4 to 7)

Take an unforgettable trip around the world to learn a traditional Mexican dance! This unforgettable journey through the International Village is packed with fun and creative activities for young adventurers.

Cost: $190 for up to 10 kids, and 2 adults; $10 for each extra child.

DIY Party (Ages 5 to 12)

DIY Party includes Museum admission, and one hour of free time in one of the Museum’s party rooms. A great choice for parents looking to plan their own activities!

Cost: $100 for up to 10 kids and 2 adults; $8 for each extra child.

1. What should you know about celebrating birthdays at the Canadian Children’s Museum?

A．It is for kids aged 3 to 7.

B．It provides animation in all parties.

C．It should be booked ahead of time.

D．It is required to be within one hour in the museum.

2. What can you do at a Scene-Stealers party?

A．Make a new movie.	B．Learn some stage skills.
C．Visit the International Village.	D．Practice traditional paper-making art.

3. How much should a couple pay if they bring 12 kids to a DIY Party?

A．$100.

B．$116.

C．$190.

D．$210.

10 . On the evening of April 8, Dunhuang Academy and Huawei jointly launched a brand-new technology-driven tour experience at the Mogao Grottoes. Using Huawei's newly-released Hetu artificial intelligence platform, coupled with the output of the Digital Dunhuang project, visitors to the Mogao Grottoes can enjoy a fantasy experience prior to entering the attraction.

Zhao Shengliang, director of the Dunhuang Academy, said that it has been cooperating with Huawei since March 2019. Using Huawei's latest Hetu technology, visitors are able to see the detailed contents of the Dunhuang Art Murals(壁画) outside the caves, through their Huawei mobile phones. This will reduce the time tourists spend inside the cave, aiding the protection of the cultural relics, while at the same time helping to increase the amount of information visitors can obtain. It is also considered to be a new way of promoting Dunhuang Art.

The Dunhuang Academy has used digital technology to preserve the research and exploration of Dunhuang Grottoes since the early 1990s. It has collected a wealth of data and has realized the goal of sharing of digital Dunhuang globally. It has played an important role in the protection and research of cultural site, as well as promoting the development and progress of related work.

The Huawei Hetu platform unites Dunhuang's study findings, high—resolution images of the site's murals and virtual, three-dimensional models with the real Mogao Grottoes. It has not only re-created the real tour of the scenic spot, but also developed a new way of digitally experiencing the grottoes. When people visit the site, they not only have the experience of seeing the real grottoes, but they can appreciate the admirable artworks more clearly and in greater detail.

In the future, Dunhuang Academy will continue to cooperate with Huawei to create more colorful virtual content to enrich the experience of Mogao Art on the platform, helping people around the world get to know Dunhuang Art better.

1. Which is NOT the advantage of the Hetu technology?

A．Decrease the cost of the visitors.	B．Reduce the time visitors spend inside the cave.
C．Help to protect the cultural relics.	D．Provide more information for tourists.

2. How long has the Dunhuang Academy used digital technology?

A．About a year.

B．90 years.

C．Nearly 30 years.

D．10 years.

3. What^‘s the author^‘s attitude towards the cooperation between Dunhuang and Huawei?

A．Doubtful.

B．Opposed.

C．Indifferent.

D．Hopeful.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Dunhuang Academy Preserves Grottoes Well	B．AI Tech Helps Tourists Enjoy Dunhuang's Art
C．Huawei Newly Released Hetu AI	D．Dunhuang Grottoes Attract Tourists