1 . Then, just as we were beginning to lose hope, the storm stopped as suddenly as it had begun. The animals were safe, and the roof was still nailed on. “All’s well that ends well,” said my mother.

It can be inferred from what the mother said that ________.

A．they had no damage at all	B．everything went beyond their expectation
C．everything was under control	D．the family could have suffered a greater loss

2 . But Tom broke and ran and that’s the last thing you do with a cougar.

What do we know about cougars?

A．They are afraid of noises.	B．They hesitate before they hit.
C．They are bigger than we think.	D．They like to attack running people.

3 . When Spot and Stripe were four months old, they were learning how to open doors and jump fences, and we knew it really was time for them to go.
Why did the author decide to send Spot and Stripe back to the zoo?

A．They frightened the children.	B．They became difficult to contain.
C．They annoyed the neighbours.	D．They started fighting each other.

4 . South Korea has the highest rate of Internet addiction in the world and it is increasingly the country’s children who are spending every waking moment immersing themselves in fantasy role plays or gaming. In the remote mountains of South Korea, teenage Internet addicts are turning up for a 12-day boot camp.

Kyle Won’s addiction is out of control. He spends 10 hours a day on the Internet. Now Kyle’s smartphone is taken away. The teachers here do what they can to get them socializing again; for many, the only friends they have had are online. “I have relationships on the Internet and a real distance has grown with my real-life friends and I know it’s not good,” Kyle said. The teachers show them other possibilities and bring back dreams and hopes that have been buried by their addictions. “We teach them methods of managing their desire to use the Internet so that they can continue to use it when they go back home,” Shim Yong-chool, a teacher here, said. After just two days Kyle said it was helpful. He’s set a good example to others though he hasn’t reached the goal completely.

South Korean psychiatrists (精神病专家) are urging more action as they are finding evidence that too much screen time is a barrier to the developing minds. Professor Kang Seak Young from Dankook University said the addiction was damaging critical thinking. “It affects the frontal lobes (额叶) which are important to critical analysis,” Professor Kang said. “Reading a book and guessing what happens in the story next show activity in frontal lobes but playing popular computer games for a long time shows no activity.”

South Korea is one of the most wired nations on Earth, but it does have a cost. One in every ten kids is an addict, so the country is now learning how to manage its high-tech future to avoid more serious consequences.

1. Why does the author mention Kyle’s story?
2. Which saying can explain the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?

A．There are two sides to every coin.	B．No pain, no gain.
C．It’s good to learn at another man’s cost.	D．Prevention is better than cure.

5 . My Biggest Challenge

As a writer on an adventure sports magazine, I’d always fought shy of doing the adventurous stuff myself, preferring instead to observe the experts from a safe distance and relay their experiences to readers in the form of written language. Thus, when I was challenged to take part in a mountain climb in aid of raising money for charity — and to write about it afterwards — I was unwilling, to say the least.

I was lucky enough to have a brilliant climbing coach called Keith, who put me through my paces after my daily work. He gave me knowledge about everything from the importance of building muscle groups to how to avoid tiredness through nutrition. It quickly became apparent that the mechanics of climbing were more complex than I had imagined. There was the equipment and techniques I’d never even heard of, all of which would come in handy on the snow-capped peak I’d be climbing.

Aware of the challenge, Keith made a detailed action plan and I forced myself to stick to it, doing a daily workout at the gym and going on hikes with a heavy pack. I perfected my technique on the climbing wall and even went to climb the mountains to get vital experience. My self-belief increased alongside my muscle power and I became confident about finishing the climb.

All too soon I was on a plane to my destination. On that day, when I looked up at the mountain, I thought of abandoning it. But then I remembered all the hard work I’d done and how disappointed Keith would be if I gave up at the last minute-not to mention letting down the charity and the sense of failure I’d experience myself. With a deep breath I gathered my equipment and headed out into the sunshine to meet the rest of the group.

And as I sit here now, tapping away on my laptop, I’m amazed at the details in which I can recall every second of the climb: the burning muscles, the tiredness, the minor problems along the way. Could I have been better prepared? Possibly. Would I be back for another go? Thankfully not. The feeling of being excited when I stood on top of the world is a never-to-be-repeated experience but one I will enjoy forever nevertheless.

1. At the beginning of the activity, the author revealed his ______.

A．disappointment in the coming adventure.

B．expectation of writing about his experience.

C．lack of enthusiasm for the challenge he’d been offered.

D．curiosity about taking part in the mountain climb for charity.

2. What did the author realise during his climb training?

A．The knowledge about climbing was really confusing.

B．The equipment was the key factor to reach the peak.

C．Climbing was much more complicated than expected.

D．Hard training was far more important than making plans.

3. How did the author feel after he succeeded in climbing the mountain?

A．He was relieved that he wouldn’t have to do it again.

B．He was well satisfied that he had done his best for it.

C．He was surprised that he had managed to complete it.

D．He was regretful that it wasn’t as smooth as imagined.

6 . A small bowl bought at a yard sale in Connecticut for just $ 35 has been identified as a rare 15th-century Chinese antique.

The blue-and-white bowl was made by China's royal court during the Ming dynasty. It is now expected to sell for up to $500,000, according to Sotheby's auction(拍卖)house in New York, where the auction will take place next month.

The purchase was made last year near New Haven, Connecticut. “I was just hanging around there aimlessly. But when I saw this bowl, I didn't even bargain over the $35 asking price,” the owner said. Shortly after the purchase, he sent photos of the bowl to auction specialists, who identified it as an item of historical significance.

Upon closer inspection, the artifact was found to have originated from the period of Yongle Emperor, who ruled from 1403 to 1424 - a period noted for its distinctive porcelain (瓷器)techniques. It's now valued between $300,000 and $500,000, with the top estimate nearly 14,300 times the amount it was purchased for.

“I was deeply attracted by the techniques. You can see why this bowl is so highly-valued from the very smooth porcelain body, silky glaze(上釉)and special blue coloring, which were never reproduced in later dynasties,” McAteer, an auction specialist, said.

“The Yongle Emperor improved the porcelain techniques and elevated the importance of porcelain from being an ordinary bowl into a true work of art. This small bowl has both practical and artistic value, ”McAteer said.

1. What can we infer about the bowl's owner?

A．He found the bowl by accident.

B．He hesitated during the purchase.

C．He doubted whether the bowl was real.

D．He bought the bowl because it was cheap.

2. What makes the bowl so precious?

A．The blue color on it.	B．The long history it has.
C．The people who made it.	D．The unique techniques used.

3. What does the underlined word “elevated” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．Forsaw.	B．Promoted.
C．Assessed.	D．Acknowledged.

4. What's the best title of the text?

A．An Amazing Bowl	B．A Special Yard Sale
C．The Return of Porcelains	D．A Man Making Fortune

7 . The idea of billions of people going through a few masks a week during this pandemic definitely rings alarm bells, but a team of researchers in Melbourne may have the solution.

They’ve discovered that adding millions of discarded face masks to road-paving (铺路) mixtures would actually lower the cost of the road, while preventing billions of them from landfills. Just one kilometer of road would need three million masks, and the polypropylene (聚丙烯) plastic used to make single-use surgical face masks also increased the flexibility and durability of the road.

The new material is a mixture of about 2% torn masks, with recycled concrete aggregate (RCA)—a material obtained from waste concrete and other minerals from destroyed buildings. This recycled material was found in the study to be ideal for two of the four layers generally required to create roadways. Paving a kilometer of two-way road with the RCA and three million face masks would result in a change of 93 tons of waste from landfills.

The final product then is more resistant to wear than asphalt (沥青), as well as being cheaper too, provided there was a method for collecting masks. The research team did a cost-analysis and found that, at $26 per ton, the RCA was about half the cost of mining raw materials, and as much as a third of the cost of shipping the used masks to a landfill.

The widespread application would be ideal for large infrastructure (基础设施) projects. For example, Washington has the 11th worst roads in terms of unaddressed repairs in the U.S. If the damaged roads in Washington state were repaired with the RCA/mask mixture, it would reuse nearly 10 billion masks, sparing American landfills hundreds of millions of tons of trash.

It’s said that the team is looking for private industry partners or governments willing to give their plastic mask road an opportunity for a large-scale test.

1. What does the underlined word “discarded” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Recycled.	B．Produced.
C．Mixed.	D．Abandoned.

2. What is the new material used to pave ways made of?

A．2% torn masks, concrete and tons of trash.

B．Polypropylene plastic and building materials.

C．Single-use surgical masks and recycled concrete aggregate.

D．Waste concrete and other minerals from destroyed buildings.

3. Why are numbers mentioned in paragraph 5?

A．To tell us what the team has found.

B．To prove this material is cost-effective in paving roads.

C．To explain repairing roads costs a lot of materials.

D．To praise the hard work the team has done.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．The material used to pave roads is made of masks.

B．Generally speaking, it requires two layers to create roadways.

C．It remains to be tested whether the solution is practical.

D．The damaged roads in Washington were repaired with the RCA.

8 . The sudden death of the 23-year-old female emplovee of Pinduoduo has sparked a heated debate, with many criticizing the overwork culture. Three experis share their views. Excerpis (节选) follow:

Labor laws compatible (兼容的) with digital era needed

This case should inspire society to reflect on how to better protect employees’ rights in the digital era. The relevant clauses in the Labor Law cannot be specifically applied to charge internet companies suspected of violating laborers' rights and interests.

The blurring (模糊) of the line between social and economic activities in the digital era makes it difficult to define fixed working hours.

Lawmakers should find out the new factors affecting labor relations due to the rapid development of internet and communications technology. This can pave the way for law-making on working hours in the digital era. “996” working schedule is against labor laws.

More than one year ago, it was shocking to hear e-commerce tycoons (巨头) Liu Qiangdong and Jack Ma publicly support the "996" working schedule to push their employees to work harder. A growing number of companies have been using different methods to exercise ever-increasing control over their employees.

To correct the situation, it is vital that the country bring in specific law on internet enterprises, especially in terms of labor contracts and work schedules, and make it clear that the “996” working schedule is illegal.

Death due to overwork needs legally definition

Work pressure and long working hours can seriously affect workers' physical and mental health, making. them more easily hurt by occupational and stress-related diseases.

But it is difficult to prove that a person dies of overwork. Only a person who dies at the workplace or of a sudden illness within 48 hours of getting off work is considered a victim of work.

China should issue guidelines explaining in detail what leads to death due to overwork.

1. What do the three experts agree on?

A．The Labor Law in China is non-effective.

B．It is difficult to define fixed working hours.

C．Supervision on companies should be tightened.

D．Improvement should be made to the current laws.

2. Why does the expert mention Liu Qiangdong?

A．To highlight the models of e-commerce.

B．To introduce tycoons' attitudes to overwork.

C．To confirm their efforts to protect employees.

D．To express disagreement on “996” working schedule.

3. What does the underlined exercise mean in the text?

A．To make somebody anxious.	B．To do sports or other physical activities.
C．To use your power to achieve something.	D．To test or make experimental use of something.

4. Who can be considered a victim of work?

A．Someone dies on his way to office.	B．Someone dies of a heart attack in his office.
C．Someone dies three days after work.	D．Someone dies after work without symptoms.

9 . Have you ever loved a destination but couldn’t figure out why — or even a way ——to express your feelings? That’s my dilemma with Morocco.

In August, I traveled in a country that had long been, on my wish list. I rode a camel, got lost in Medinas, and ate more couscous (粗麦粉) than was humanly possible.

I loved the trip. Our friendly guide introduced us to the helpful locals. I made friends with my tour mates and my roommate (which, on a tour, is a huge blessing). I loved being lost in the smell of different spices, and the chaos of millions of people and the dark red of the Sahara were all I wanted them to be.

There were many moments when I felt like a fish out of water and things didn’t go my way. But I take pleasure in those moments because it’s when you are pushed out of your comfort zone that you grow. Morocco lived up to all my expectations, but for some reason, my experience has been hard to express. Why?

One constant in my travels is that of a touchstone, one defining point where the trip all comes together and acts as a prism (三棱镜) for everything the journey represented . In Costa Rica，it was getting lost in a jungle. In Thailand, it was meeting those five people who changed my life.

I’m so inconsistent about Morocco because I lack that touchstone. There’s no “whoa” moment. But I have thousands of little ones - staring at a million stars in the blackness of the desert, discovering new foods with some amazing Australians on my tour, and befriending the fish sellers.

1. What does the author regard as a huge blessing?

A．Going on a guided trip.

B．Having a helpful guide.

C．Being warmly received by the local people.

D．Getting along well with the fellow travelers.

2. What’s the purpose of the fifth paragraph?.

A．To prove Morocco lacks the touchstone.

B．To show his reliance on the touchstone.

C．To compare Morocco with Costa Rica and Thailand.

D．To share his experience in Costa Rica and Thailand.

3. What made the author think the journey amazing?

A．The lack of big moments.

B．The little “whoa” moments.

C．Meeting with five Thai people.

D．Making friends with Australians.

4. What does the author mainly talk about?

A．Unpleasant travel in Morocco.

B．Finding a touchstone on travel.

C．Reflection on traveling in Morocco.

D．Lack of special moments in Morocco.