1 . China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States plan to launch (发射) unpiloted spaceships in the next few weeks to fly to Mars. The operations are aimed at searching for signs of ancient, tiny life. Each country hopes the research will help them learn if astronauts could someday visit the red planet.
All the spaceships are expected to reach Mars next February after traveling about 485 million kilometers. Scientists want to find out what Mars was like billions of years ago, when it had rivers, lakes and Oceans, It is not by chance that the three launches are taking place soon. Mars and the earth are now in positions that favor such travel , permitting shorter travel time and less fuel use, The positioning happens about every two years.
The UAE spacecraft is named Amal, an Arabic word for hope. It is set to leave from Japan on Friday. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in the year that the UAE marks the 50th anniversary of its founding: Controlled from Dubai , the spaceship will study the upper atmosphere of Mars and follow changes in its climate.
China will launch a rover (月球车) and an orbiter sometime around July 23. Chinese officials haven' t released much information about the operation, which is called Tianwen,or Questions for Heaven.
The USA plans to launch on July 30 from Florida. Perseverance, the NASA spaceship, will land in Jezero Crater, the site of an ancient river and lake. The area is Tull of large rocks ,cliffs and sand dunes (沙丘) - all possible threats to Perseverance. It will look for rocks that show signs of past life in the area. It will also test some of the technology that will be needed to send humans to the red planet and bring them home safely.
1. Why have the countries chosen to launch spaceships in the same month?| A．They wish of search for signs of ancient life. |
| B．They can make full use of natural conditions. |
| C．They plan to get to Mars before February. |
| D．They want to test some of the high technology. |
| A．In 2020. | B．In 2021. | C．In 2022. | D．In 2023. |
| A．It aims to study changes in climate. | B．It will be sent to Mars on July 23rd. |
| C．It is to be launched in Jezero Crater. | D．It may face difficulty while landing. |
| A．Culture. | B．Education. | C．Technology. | D．Lifestyle. |
2 . Do you still remember Jurassic Park, an amazing movie where science brings dinosaurs back from extinction? Now some very smart scientists are working on a way to revive, not dinosaurs, but other extinct species like the woolly mammoth （长毛象）using the gene editing technology known as CRISPR.
As an evolutionary biologist, obviously, it would be amazing to bring back extinct creatures. But even if we can bring them back, we are not going to be able to control how they evolve in the future. No man is an island and neither is any other creature. We need an ecosystem in order to survive. So we can think a lot about the examples of reintroducing species into the environment, like the gray wolves into Yellowstone. Ecology is very complicated and it certainly wasn't important when we first introduce rabbits into Australia, which was a total disaster eventually.
All animals like birds and mammals have to learn from their parents. If we bring them back to life, who are going to be around to teach them? We have examples where in California we've had the reproduction of the condors （秃鹰）.What scientists tried to do is to feed the babies using a mother condor puppet. When these poor creatures were released into the wild, they had an unnatural liking for humans. They didn't behave the way they should have, for condors.
According to Performing Animal Welfare Society, a healthy elephant costs about $70,000 per year to care for and an elderly elephant costs a good deal more. Of course, we are not talking about one. We're talking about many creatures. I don't think these creatures will have a future.
1. Why does the author mention the film in the first paragraph?| A．To recall an amazing movie. |
| B．To promote some extinct species. |
| C．To introduce the topic to be discussed. |
| D．To get to know some intelligent scientists. |
| A．Humans need a balanced ecosystem to survive. |
| B．To bring back extinct creatures was an unwise idea. |
| C．Helping endangered species proves to be beneficial for humans. |
| D．There were all sorts of positive effects about reintroducing species. |
| A．Condor. | B．Gray wolf. | C．Rabbit. | D．Elephant. |
| A．Is Jurassic Park an Amazing Movie? |
| B．What do Creatures Need to Survive? |
| C．Should We Bring Extinct Animals Back to Life? |
| D．How does an Evolutionary Biologist Protect Animals? |
3 . It was Christmas Eve 1949. I was 15 and feeling sad because there was not enough money to buy the dress I wanted. After supper, I was still feeling sorry for myself. It was a cold, clear night, and Pa came in. "Come on, Elizabeth,” he said. "Get dressed. It's cold out. " Pa was dragging me out in the cold. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door.
Outside, I asked, "Pa, what are you doing?” Have you met Mrs. Clark lately?" he asked. Mrs. Clark lived about two miles down the road from us. Her husband had died the year before, leaving her with three children to raise on her own." Yeah, " I said. "Why?” "I rode by just today, " Pa said. Little Jake was trying to find a few woodchips. They're out of wood. " That was all he said. Pa then loaded the truck with a big ham, a sack of flour and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the smaller sack?" I asked. "Shoes. They're out of shoes. I got the children a little candy too."
We rode the two miles to the Clarks' place in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. I knew we didn't have much money. The Clarks had closer neighbors than us. Why was it our concern?
When Mrs. Clark realized what was happening, she bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling as tears ran down her cheeks. She looked at Pa as if she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out. I wasn't the same person when I got the wood unloaded. We gave each of the kids a hug and said goodbye. Thank you, Brother Cotton," Mrs. Clark said.
On the way back, Pa explained that he and Ma had saved all year long to buy me a dress for Christmas. 441 spent that money on some shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand, he said. I understood very well. My father had given me a gift much greater than a dress.
1. I felt sorry for myself because ______| A．I didn't get the present I desired |
| B．Pa forced me to go out in the cold |
| C．Pa didn't have money for Christmas |
| D．I did a lot of housework after supper |
| A．She lived on others' help. |
| B．She was our closest neighbor. |
| C．She led a hard life that winter. |
| D．She was a warm-hearted woman. |
| A．I understood what Pa was doing then. |
| B．I helped with unloading the wood. |
| C．Mrs. Clark didn't recognize me. |
| D．Mrs. Clark noticed my change. |
| A．Christmas Gifts from Heart | B．A Cold Christmas Eve |
| C．Helping Our Neighbors | D．Clark and Her Children |
4 . The Austrian capital, Vienna, has beaten Australia’s Melbourne to be named the world’s most livable city of 2018.It’s the first time a European city has topped the first of the Economist Intelligence Unit(EIU)annual survey.
The worldwide league table ranks 140 cities on a range of factors, including political and social stability, crime, education and access to healthcare.
In the survey, Manchester saw the biggest improvement of any. European city, rising by 16 places to rank 35th. Manchester’s rise puts it ahead of London in the rank by 13 places, the widest gap between the two cities since the survey began two decades ago. The EIU said Manchester’s jump in the rankings was due to an improved security score.
The survey was criticized last year for demoting(降级)Manchester after the Manchester Arena attack which killed 22 victims. This year, survey editor Roxana Slavcheva said Manchester had shown resilience(恢复力)in the city’s recovery from a recent terrorist attack, which previously shook up stability.
Ms.Slavcheva said security had also improved in several western European cities and Vienna’s top place in the rankings reflected a relative return to stability across much of Europe, According to the survey, nearly half of the cities have seen their livability ranking improve over the past year.
Melbourne, ranked second in this year’s global rankings, had previously come top for seven years running. Two other Australian cities also made this year’s top ten: Sydney and Adelaide.
At the other end of the scale, war-torn Damascus in Syria was ranked the least livable city, closely followed by Dhaka in Bangladesh and Lagos in Nigeria. The EIU said that crime, civil unrest, terrorism or war played a “strong role” in the ten-lowest scoring cities.
1. Which city was named the world’s most livable city in 2017?| A．Manchester. |
| B．Vienna. |
| C．Melbourne. |
| D．Dhaka. |
| A．Education. |
| B．Social stability. |
| C．Political stability. |
| D．Access to healthcare. |
| A．High crime rate. |
| B．Education. |
| C．Civil equality. |
| D．Wars. |
| A．To introduce the latest rank of cities based on their livable standard. |
| B．To explain different ways to measure a livable city. |
| C．To propose possible means to make a livable city. |
| D．To present what the cities are like globally. |
5 . Dave Wardell’s breath came thick and fast as he struggled to keep up. In the dark alley ahead, he could make out the shape of the fleeing suspect(嫌疑人),with his police dog, Finn. The 16-year-old boy they were chasing was suspected of armed robbery, but Dave wasn’t too worried. He and Finn had been in similar situations dozens of times, and they knew exactly what to do. They were a brilliant team. Police dogs like Finn follow a lengthy training program, learning skills such as how to trace a suspect’s scent(气味)for up to four miles and how to chase and catch a suspect. In seven years, Finn had helped bring more than 200 criminals. He was brave, bold and curious, and would do anything to protect his master.
Dave thought that night would be no different. Up ahead, he saw the suspect throw himself over a fence. Finn was on him in a second, pulling him back down. In a moment of absolute horror, Dave saw him pull a long piece of bloody metal from Finn’s chest, Dave realized it was a 10-inch hunting knife. Finn was in pain, but didn’t let go of the boy’s leg.
Dave just had time to hit an emergency button on his radio. The suspect, on the fence, pulled the knife up high and aimed at Dave’s neck. In an instant, Finn jumped between them, and the knife came crashing down on Finn’s head and Dave’s hand. Straight away, Finn got hold of the boy again. Dave caught the attacker and threw him on the ground so he let go of the knife.
In time, officers surrounded the attacker, pinning him to the floor. Dave gave Finn the signal to let go, and only then did Finn drop his head to the ground.
1. Why did Dave run after the 16-year-old boy?| A．The boy hurt his beloved dog, Finn. |
| B．The boy was a suspect who robbed. |
| C．The boy robbed him and was fleeing. |
| D．The boy had a hunting knife with him. |
| A．It is a loyal pet dog to Dave. |
| B．It is a homeless dog adopted by Dave. |
| C．It is a fierce dog that can not follow orders. |
| D．It is an experienced police dog as a helper to Dave. |
| A．He didn’t feel nervous. |
| B．He felt alarmed at the boy. |
| C．He didn’t think it that easy. |
| D．He felt mad at the armed boy. |
| A．Curious. |
| B．Devoted. |
| C．Cute. |
| D．Clumsy. |
6 . A Japanese school near Tokyo is conducting a pilot program allowing sick students to attend classes using a robotic avatar (替身)called Ori Hime and developed by Ory Laboratory. The program is being conducted at the Tomobe-Higashi special support school in Kasama, a city 60 miles north of Tokyo.
The Ori Hime robot is a small bust-sized robot designed to be placed on a counter top or desk. It has two flap-like arms and a camera mounted in its head, all of which can be controlled remotely via a touchscreen tablet interface.
Since October 31, sick students at Tomobe-Higashi school have each been assigned their own Ori Hime stand in, which is placed on their desk, giving them a live feed of the classroom through the head-mounted camera . Remote students will be able to speak into a mic and the Ori Hime will broadcast their voice through built-in speakers.
Students will also be able to rotate the robots head to look at different areas of the class room, as well as command it to perform simple emotive gestures like waving, pointing, and clapping.
“It's fun to turn the robot in directions I want to look in,” Kanae Sudo, an eleven-year-old student who's used the Ori Hime to attend a science fair from a nearby hospital room, told the Asahi Shimbun.
School administrators had previously allowed remote study with stationary (固定的)camera feed, but the ability to directly control the view and make the robot gesture has greatly improved the results according to school administrators .
“The robot can easily be operated, and students feel like they are actually attending class,” assistant principal Noboru Tachi said.
1. What is the main purpose of conducting the pilot program?| A．Replacing sick students to attend class. | B．Improving school's teaching quality. |
| C．Testing the functions of a robot. | D．Adding much fun to students' school life. |
| A．Touch. | B．Press. | C．Turn. | D．Force. |
| A．Sick students operate it by taking pictures. |
| B．It speaks into a microphone and broadcast the voice. |
| C．Students rotate its head and command it to wave, point and clap directly. |
| D．It is controlled remotely to broadcast students' voice and perform simple gestures. |
| A．Ori Hime has its own emotions. |
| B．Ori Hime may be used to more schools in Japan. |
| C．Students should give the robot something to feed it. |
| D．Students can command the robot to finish their homework. |
7 . I shall always recall the autumn and the girl playing the violin. She made me realize true friendship. I know she will always be my best friend .
It was a golden season. I could see the yellow leaves falling on the cool wind. In such a season, I liked walking alone on the leaves in the woods, listening to the sound of them.
Autumn is a lonely season and everything is still. Such surroundings always get me down. But one day, the sound of a violin flowed into my ears like a stream flowing in the mountains. I was so surprised that I jumped to see what it was. A young girl, standing in the wind, was lost in playing her violin.
I had never seen her before. The music was so nice that I listened quietly. Lost in the music, I didn't know that I had been standing there for so long but my existence did not seem to disturb her.
Leaves were still falling. Every day she played the violin at the same time and the same place and I went to watch her performance . I was the only listener. The autumn seemed no longer lonely and life became interesting. Though we didn't know each other, I thought we were already good friends. I believe she also had the same feeling.
Autumn was nearly over. One day, when I was listening carefully, the sound suddenly stopped. To my astonishment, the girl came over to me.
“You must like the violin.” she said.
“Yes, and you play very well. Why did you stop?” I asked.
Suddenly, a sad expression appeared on her face and I could feel something unusual.
“I came here to see my grandmother, but now I must leave. I once played badly. It was your appreciation and listening every day that encouraged me.” she said.
“In fact, it was your playing that gave me a meaningful autumn,” I answered, “let's be friends. The girl smiled and so did I.
During the rest days left, I had never heard her play again. Only thick leaves were left on the ground. But I will not forget the girl. She is just like a dream, so short, so bright, like a shooting star giving off all its light that it makes the autumn sky shining.
1. What did the writer like doing in autumn?| A．Enjoying the fresh air in the woods. |
| B．Seeking for surprises. |
| C．Walking alone on the leaves and listening to the sound of the woods. |
| D．Walking by himself on the leaves and listening to the sound of the falling leaves. |
| A．He is in high spirits. | B．He is surprised. |
| C．He feels blue. | D．He is calm. |
| A．Appreciation and listening benefit others as well as ourselves. |
| B．The violin is powerful. |
| C．The girl would miss her grandmother. |
| D．Their meeting was expected. |
| A．Beauty and love are the unchangeable themes. |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．Persistence is important for us to succeed. |
| D．Many people may step in your life, but only true friends leave beautiful footprints on your heart. |
8 . Four Bookstores Worth Visiting Around the World
◆ Word on the Water
London, England
This floating bookstore in the Regent's Canal is known as "The London Bookbarge". Formerly mobile, it has now found a permanent home where visitors can browse all year round, warm themselves up by a wood-burning fire in the winter and enjoy the performances of music and poetry on the rooftop stage in the summer.
+44 7976886982, https://www.atlasobscura.com
◆ EL Ateneo Grand Splendid
Buenos Aires, Argentina
This theater-turned-cinema-turned-bookstore is an example of the connection between the performing arts and books. It preserves the traditional ceiling and special curtains of the former theater and books line the walls, including where the audience once sat in box seats.
+54 1148136052, https://www.atlasobscura.com
◆Kay Craddock Antiquarian Bookseller
Melbourne, Australia
This shop sells only antique and second-hand books. Visitors can search for the strange collection of owl figurines (猫头鹰雕像) scattered throughout or they can check out the shelves to find classics，such as a collection by Jane Austen printed in 1833 selling for ＄15, 000.
+61 (0)396548506, https://www.kaycraddock.com
◆ Zhongshuge Bookstore
Hangzhou, China
Each location of this Chinese bookstore chain is architecturally unique, but the location in Hangzhou stands out. Stairs and seats built into round bookshelves combined with mirrored ceilings give the optical illusion (视觉幻象) of countless books. Other optical illusions include a tunnel of books and what appears to be a long roller coaster of books in the children's book room.
+86 057188003279, https://weibo.com/67661899
1. To appreciate poetry shows, you'll dial___________.| A．+54 1148136052 | B．+44 7976886982 |
| C．+61 (0)396548506 | D．+86 057188003279 |
| A．Word on the Water. | B．Zhongshuge Bookstore. |
| C．EL Ateneo Grand Splendid. | D．Kay Craddock Antiquarian Bookseller. |
| A．Its special designs. | B．Its floating locations. |
| C．Its performing arts. | D．Its second-hand classics. |
I remember the moment— it truly hit me that your autism (自闭症) lasted forever. I had already mentally planned our trips up north with the boys. I was going to spend endless hours playing baseball with you— like Grandpa did with me.
When we said goodbye to kindergarten I knew it was real. I spent some time being sad. Now you are 8. You still have no words. We have never had one of those father-son moments I pictured when you were a baby. But I'm learning that's OK. I still have unbelievable things to offer as your dad, even if they weren't the things I originally expected.
You have taught me to be patient. You have taught me that it's OK to be different and to be sad when life doesn't go as planned. You have taught me that it is OK to talk about those feelings and fight for what is right. Stand up and say this is wrong, and encourage others to stand up for you and say the same.
My job on this earth is to create a world for you and other kids like you. Be the voice you don't have, and build the kind of community which I want to see you grow up in. I used to shy away from contacting people with disabilities or just not consider them. Before you were born, I was so caught up in my own world that I probably wouldn't have even noticed. Now, I see things differently. I notice. You did that for me. And hope my example will do that for others.
Your mom and I have spent 8 years trying to find your voice. And honestly, we don't know if we ever will. I promise you I will spend my life keeping you safe and making this world better for you.
1. To whom is the text written?| A．The author's son. | B．The author's wife. |
| C．The author's father. | D．The author's friend. |
| A．He's at a loss what to do to help Jack. |
| B．He's to blame for Jack s present condition. |
| C．He has changed his attitude to the disabled. |
| D．He hasn't accepted the reality up to now. |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Caring. |
| C．Regretful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Science. | B．Entertainment. |
| C．Sports. | D．Relationship. |
10 . A survey said the average Asian dad spent one minute a day with his children. I was shocked. I mean, a whole minute? Every day? Get real. Once a week maybe. The fact is, many Asian males are terrible at kid—related things. In fact, I am one of them.
Child—rearing (养育) doesn’t come naturally to guys. My mother knew the names of our teachers, best friends and crushes. My dad was only vaguely aware there were short people sharing the apartment. My mother bought healthy fresh food at the market every day. My dad would only go shopping when there was nothing in the fridge except a jar of capers and a bay leaf. Then he’d buy beer. My mother always knew the right questions to ask our teachers. My dad would ask my English teacher if she could get us a discount on school fees. My mother served kid food to kids. My dad added chili sauce to everything, including our baby food.
The truth is, mothers have superpowers. My son fell off a wall once and hurt himself all over. I demanded someone bring me a computer so I could google what to do. My wife ignored me and did some sort of chanting phrase such as “Mummy kiss it better,” and cured l7 separate injuries in less than 15 seconds.
Yes, mothers are incredible people, but they are not always right. Yet honesty forces me to record the fact that mothers only know best 99.99 percent of the time.Here are some famous slip-ups.
The mother of Bill Gates: “If you’re going to drop out of college and hang out with your nerdy friends, don’t come running to me when you find yourself penniless.” The mother of Albert Einstein: “When you grow up, you’ll find that sitting around thinking about the nature of time and space won’t pay the grocery bills.” The mother of George W. Bush: “You’ll never be like your dad, who became President of the United States and started his own war.”
1. The tone for the writer to write the passage is ___.| A．cruel | B．humorous | C．disapproving | D．critical(批评的) |
| A．females love kids more than males | B．males are not good at child—rearing |
| C．Males are not interested in child-rearing | D．child-rearing is difficult both for females and males |
| A．stories | B．shortcomings | C．mistakes | D．advantages |
| A．providing different examples | B．following the order of space |
| C．making comparisons | D．analyzing causes |
