1 . The Colombian researchers are not the only ones working on creating a slower-melting ice cream. In 2015, scientists at the University of Dundee in Scotland found that a natural protein called BsIA was very effective in keeping the treat frozen for longer periods of time. With both teams fighting to be the first to get to the market, the future of everyone’s favorite dessert certainly looks bright.
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?| A．BsIA is popular in the market. |
| B．CNFs are more useful and expensive than BsIA． |
| C．Ice creams with CNFs have been on sale at the market. |
| D．Slowly enjoying an ice cream will soon become a reality. |
2 . I have a special place in my heart for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader, sometimes reading up to three books a day as a child. Stories were like air to me and while other kids played ball or went to parties, I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.
My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old .It was a dream job and I did everything from shelving books to reading to the children for story time.
As I grew older and became a mother, the library took on a new place and an added meaning in my life. I had several children and books were our main source(来源) of entertainment. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library, where my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.
I always read ,using different voices ,as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it !It was a special time to bond with my children and it filled them with the wonderment of books .
Now, I see my children taking their children to the library and I love that the excitement of going to the library lives on form generation to generation.
As a novelist, I’ve found a new relationship with libraries. I encourage readers to go to their local library when they can’t afford to purchase a book. I see libraries as a safe haven(避风港) for readers and writers, a bridge that helps put together a reader with a book. Libraries, in their own way, help fight book piracy(盗版行为) and 1 think all writers should support libraries in a significant way when they can. Encourage readers to use the library. Share library announcements on your social media. Frequent them and talk about them when you can.
Which word best describes the author’s relationship with books as a child?| A．Cooperative. | B．Uneasy. |
| C．Inseparable. | D．Casual. |
3 . I was about 13 when an uncle gave me a copy of Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World. It was full of ideas that were new to me, so I spent the summer with my head in and out of that book. It spoke to me and brought me into a world of philosophy (哲学).
That love for philosophy lasted until I got to college. Nothing kills the love for philosophy faster than people who think they understand Foucault, Baudrillard, or Confucius better than you — and then try to explain them.
Eric Weiner’s The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers reawakened my love for philosophy. It is not an explanation, but an invitation to think and experience philosophy.
Weiner starts each chapter with a scene on a train ride between cities and then frames each philosopher’s work in the context (背景) of one thing they can help us do better. The end result is a read in which we learn to wonder like Socrates, see like Thoreau, listen like Schopenhauer, and have no regrets like Nietzsche. This, more than a book about understanding philosophy, is a book about learning to use philosophy to improve a life.
He makes philosophical thought an appealing exercise that improves the quality of our experiences, and he does so with plenty of humor. Weiner enters into conversation with some of the most important philosophers in history, and he becomes part of that crowd in the process by decoding (解读) their messages and adding his own interpretation.
The Socrates Express is a fun, sharp book that draws readers in with its apparent simplicity and gradually pulls them in deeper thoughts on desire, loneliness, and aging. The invitation is clear: Weiner wants you to pick up a coffee or tea and sit down with this book. I encourage you to take his offer. It’s worth your time, even if time is something we don’t have a lot of.
What does the author think of Weiner’s book?
| A．Objective and plain. |
| B．Daring and ambitious. |
| C．Serious and hard to follow. |
| D．Humorous and straightforward. |
4 . 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 |
5 . Inside the World's Largest Flower Show
The RI IS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is the largest annual garden and flower show in the world. The showground covers 33 acres and most visitors stay for about 5 hours. It takes place in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace each July and is organized by the Royal Horticultural Society（RHS）.
Getting There
The nearest train station is Hampton Court. Full information of all travel options can be seen on the Getting to Hampton Court Palace page.
Tickets
Ticket prices start from £21.50.
Prices vary depending on the time and date of your visit.
Each full paying adult may bring two children aged 16 and under free of charge to the show.
Tickets are available on the door.
Opening Times
10a.m. until 7:30p.m.. It closes at 5:30p.m. on Sunday.
Tuesday and Wednesday: RHS Members only.
Official Website:www.rhs.org.uk
Tips for Visiting
● You could visit Hampton Court Palace on the same day but allow plenty of time as it takes 3-5 hours to visit the flower show and 1-3 hours to visit the palace.
● This is a temporary outdoor event on open parkland and is subject to varying weather and ground conditions. A temporary walkway is laid but it can still get pretty muddy if there's been heavy rain. Open-toed shoes and high heels are not usually appropriate footwear.
● Left Luggage and a drugstore service are both available on the show site.
● The Advisory Service offers free gardening advice to visitors. Check the information boards for locations.
● Plant and Product Deposit: There is a plant and product deposit service available where you leave your purchases while you enjoy the rest of your day out.
1. Where can you get the tickets?| A．On the website. | B．At the station. |
| C．At the entrance. | D．In the garden. |
| A．Drugs. | B．Flowers. |
| C．Gardening advice. | D．Transportation. |
| A．Sparing sufficient time. | B．Consulting the information desk. |
| C．Wearing whatever shoes they like. | D．Making good use of deposit service. |
6 . I was 12 years old, and my mum had just died from cancer. My dad had a drinking problem that mum had been managing all these years - suddenly he had a good reason to drink, and no one to stop him any more. He hit the bottle hard.
I went from being quite a high achieving student to being in the bottom quarter for English. But among all this, there was my English teacher. Miss Ward, who was so supportive. She changed my world. She listened to me and engaged with me. She had me talking in front of the English class, and was always reminding me to write something for the school magazine. She’d always find the good in the stuff I wrote.
I started the #FindMissWard action after going to a class reunion. Nobody knew what had happened to her. I’d just written a book about my journey on foot around the edge of the UK to highlight the stigmas (伤痕) surrounding mental health - and I thought it would be fantastic if she came to the launch (发布会). I think about 1.3 million people saw the post asking for help finding her, and tens of thousands of people
The lovely thing was that so many people came out and said they had a “Miss Ward” too. One person on Twitter sent a message about their own Miss Ward and about five tweets later this woman said,“Here I am!” They were reunited almost instantly - it was amazing. I’m certain there’ll be lots of people who have never got round to looking for the teacher who made a lasting impact on their lives, but maybe wish they had. Luckily, we're going to be meeting up in a couple of weeks. I just want to say thank you. I feel very lucky to have had her in my life.
1. What does the underline sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Drank heavily. | B．Put the bottle away. |
| C．Struck bottles strongly. | D．Hurt himself on purpose. |
| A．Honest and helpful. |
| B．Caring and humorous. |
| C．Responsible and encouraging. |
| D．Strong-willed and out-going. |
| A．Because he wanted to know what happened to Miss Ward. |
| B．Because he and his classmates missed Miss Ward so much. |
| C．Because he hoped Miss Ward could come to his book launch. |
| D．Because he suffered mental problems and Miss Ward could help him. |
| A．The author has found his Miss Ward. |
| B．Few people took part in #FindMissWard action. |
| C．Miss Ward had a lasting impact on many people. |
| D．The author's Miss Ward commented on his message. |
7 . First of all, students should respect their teachers. They should pay attention in class. That means saluting (向……致敬) the teacher, standing from your chair when the teacher enters the classroom, attending any lesson attentively, etc. In the class of a certain subject or a teacher you don't like very much, if it’s total anarchy (混乱), how can we talk about respect?
Play by the rules
If your teacher wants you to use wide-lined paper, do it! If he/she tells you to sharpen your pencils only before class starts, listen to him/her. If he/she doesn't accept late homework, do yours on time. Sometimes classroom rules seem strict or even silly, but most teachers know what's necessary to make things run smoothly and what it takes to let the learning begin. And the better the learning environment is, the smarter you’ll be!
Expect him/her to like you
Teachers are teachers because they like kids. Given the chance, most teachers want to be your friends too. Respect your teacher, but don’t be afraid of him/her. He/She wants you to have a great school year just as much as you want to have!
Put first things first
Friends are a fun part of school. But sometimes they’re not the most important part. When your teacher is teaching, give him/her your full attention. Even when it’s hard to do — recess will come soon, and that’s the time for playing with your friends.
1. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?| A．Advice Before You Go to School |
| B．What You Should Do at School |
| C．How to Get Along with Your Teacher |
| D．How to Plan Your Time at School |
| A．Don’t play if you haven’t completed your homework. |
| B．Follow what the teacher says. |
| C．Work is work and play is play. |
| D．Make the learning environment as good as possible. |
| A．The teacher. | B．The teacher’s lecture. | C．The students. | D．Friends. |
8 . On Nov 2,Williams-Cole, a senior interdisciplinary(跨学科的)major, sworn in (宣誓就职) as the mayor of Camp Hill, Alabama, US, making him the youngest person in history to hold the office, according to WVTM 13, an NBC affiliate(分支机构).
Williams-Cole was prompted(促使) to run for mayor because he wanted to bring changes to his hometown, a town of less than 1000 people. The citizens of Camp Hill have seen a sad decline of their town with many empty storefronts, trees growing inside what used to be businesses and weeds sprouting(发芽) from sidewalks, according to WSFA 12 News, Alabama’s source.
“My main things is to create a foundation and clear up any debts we have to get our town financially stable.” Williams-Cole told Auburn University. “ While doing that, I want to carry out things that will increase unity in the town, like doing quarterly town hall meetings that are more informal and that celebrate the community. We need to open up the floor for people to complain if they want, because they have the right to do that as taxpayers.”
Williams-Cole has designed a detailed schedule so that he would have enough time for both his studies and his duties as a mayor. He hopes to use his education and his position as mayor to help other people, especially children. He said he would want to become an administrator at a boarding school, which gives children holistic(全面的) learning that is essential to contemporary society.
“Cole is different.” Mike Fellows, Lee County Circuit Court Judge, told Auburn University.” “He’s obviously willing to do a lot of extra work to serve his community. He cares enough to do it, and I think that says a lot about him.” The young man is set to graduate in May 2021. He plans to attend either grad school or law school, news outlet CBS reported.
1. Why did Williams-Cole run for mayor?| A．He wants to get some work experience |
| B．The town’s environment is suffering badly |
| C．He wants to contribute to his hometown |
| D．It’s a part of his graduation project. |
| A．Create opportunities for people to be heard. |
| B．Hire more teachers at boarding schools. |
| C．Hold regular meetings with local business. |
| D．Set up new companies to promote economic development. |
| A．Demanding |
| B．Patient |
| C．Responsible |
| D．Humorous |
9 . Forty-nine years ago, on April 22,1970, twenty million Americans took to the streets to voice their concern about the deteriorating environment. The movement led to Earth Day.
Unfortunately, our planet is in worse shape now than it was when Earth Day was first celebrated. The good news is that it’s still not too late to reverse (转变) climate change if we all do our part. This Earth Day, take the first step towards helping our planet by participating in one of these fun activities.
NASA is putting our planet up for adoption so you and your friend can claim a portion of the planet as your own. The space agency has divided the globe into 64,000 sections, each about 55 miles wide. All you have to do is type your name into NASA’s “Adopt the Planet” site to claim a certificate that will give you the location of your slice of paradise (天堂) complete with details of its environment. NASA hopes that this exercise will stimulate interest and care in our planet.
Search giant Google is also trying to engage the public with an updated Google Earth focused around Earth Day events. Through a new Voyager feature, users will be able to discover stories from around the world, learn about new places by reading “Knowledge Cards” and send postcards.
If you happen to be anywhere near the nation’s capital on April 22, join the millions that are expected to participate in the Earth Day March at the National Mall. The mission of the event that will feature guest speakers and musical performances is to mobilize (动员) citizens into taking action by promoting this year’s Earth Day theme: climate and environmental science literacy.
While participating in the above-mentioned activities is a great idea, it is just the beginning. All that is required are small lifestyle changes. Planting a tree or two, going meatless just one day a week, or switching your plastic water bottle for a reusable one will go a long way to help reverse the damage we have caused.
1. The underlined word “deteriorating” is the closest in meaning to ________.| A．cleaner | B．better |
| C．worse | D．colder |
| A．air quality | B．ancient history |
| C．local customs | D．tourist attractions |
| A．They can create “Knowledge Cards” online. |
| B．They can discover stories from around the world. |
| C．They can receive postcards coming from Google. |
| D．They can adopt a slice of paradise in the world. |
| A．dream big | B．fly high |
| C．go meatless | D．start small |
10 . If you’re worried about your receding hairline (后退的发际线) and you live in a city, you might want to consider moving, as scientists have found exposure to high levels of air pollution may be linked to retention.
New research presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Madrid found particulate matter (PM) (颗粒物), which is present in polluted air, could impact both hair growth and retention.
The team took cells from the base of hair follicles (毛囊) and then exposed them to the polluted air. They used various concentrations of PM10, and 24 hours later, they tested the samples to detect whether specific hair-growth proteins in the cells had changed at all.
Researchers found that the presence of PM10 decreased levels of the protein responsible for hair growth — beta-catenin — and morphogenesis, the biological process that causes an organism to develop its shape. According to the study, the levels of three other proteins which are responsible for hair growth and hair retention — cyclin D1, cyclin E and CDK2 — were also decreased.
This meant that the greater the level of pollutant, the greater the decrease in proteins was found.
This is one of the first studies to look at the link between pollution and baldness (秃头).
Hyuk Chul Kwon from the Future Science Research Centre in South Korea said: “While the link between air pollution and serious diseases, such as cancer, are well established, there is little to no research on the effect of particulate matter exposure on the human skin, and hair in particular. And our research explains the mode (模式) of action of air pollutants on human hair follicle cells, showing how the most common air pollutants lead to hair loss.”
1. What does the underlined word “retention” in Para 1 refer to?| A．Hair cells. | B．Hair loss. |
| C．Hair growth. | D．Hair-growth proteins. |
| A．Air pollution can increase levels of hair-growth proteins. |
| B．There’s only one protein that is responsible for hair growth. |
| C．Polluted air has no direct impact on hair growth or retention. |
| D．The more serious air pollution, the more likely you’re to lose your hair. |
| A．Meaningful. | B．Negative. |
| C．Unimportant. | D．Objective. |
| A．The solutions to air pollution. |
| B．The growth mechanism of hair. |
| C．The impact of air pollution on health. |
| D．The close link between air pollution and hair loss. |
