1 . The Adventures of Amilya Rose: The Lie
By Chavonne D. Stewart, Jasmine Mills, published in 2014
Enter for a chance to win a copy of the book.It is the first book in a surprising series of children’s books. That’s fun and exciting and teaches kids valuable lessons.
Chester and Gus
By Cammie McGoven, published in 2017
Chester has always wanted to become a service dog. When he fails his certification test, though, it seems that dream might never come true－until a family adopts him to be a companion for their ten-year-old son, Gus. But Gus acts so differently from anyone Chester has ever met. He never wants to pet Chester. Chester’s not sure how to help Gus, but he’s determined to figure it out and show he’s the right dog for the job.
Invisible Emmie
By Terri Libenson, published in 2017
The novel tells the story of two totally different little girls in a class — quiet, shy and artistic Emmie and popular, outgoing, athletic Katie — and how their lives unexpectedly connected one day, when an embarrassing note falls into the wrong hands. Emmie eventually learns to speak up for herself, realizing that being social isn’t as impossible as she thought.
Ocean Meets Sky
By Terry Fan, Eric Fan, published in 2018
“Young readers will be attracted.”— The Washington Post.
Finn lives by the sea and the sea lives by him. Every time he looks out of his window, it’s a constant reminder of the stories that his grandfather told him about the place where the ocean meets the sky. Finn’s grandfather has gone but Finn knows the perfect way to honor him. He’ll build his own ship and sail out to find this magical place himself! And when he arrives, maybe he’ll find something he didn’t know he was looking for.
1. What can we know about The Adventures of Amilya Rose: The Lie?| A．It’s the first children’s book in 2015. |
| B．It’s only for children’s fun. |
| C．It may be gained for free. |
| D．It’s mainly about teachers’ lessons. |
| A．The Adventures of Amilya Rose: The Lie | B．Ocean Meets Sky |
| C．Invisible Emmie | D．Chester and Gus |
| A．Chavonne D. Stewart and Jasmine Mills | B．Cammie McGovern |
| C．Terry Fan and Eric Fan | D．Terri Libenon |
2 . A simple mosquito bite can mean serious illness or death. So we spray large areas with chemicals to wipe out mosquitoes. But this has a bad influence on the whole ecosystem and your health. Now there’s a new device (装置), which claims to keep you and your loved ones mosquitofree：
What are we talking about?
Mosquitron, a brand new type of bug (虫子) catcher, designed by two German engineers, is perfect for clearing your home of all annoying and dangerous flying pests!
How does it work?
◆It is easy to set up; plug it in — and away you go!
◆It lures (引诱) the flying pests near using a safe, completely harmless UV light.
◆A reverse fan sucks the insects through a oneway trapdoor.
◆Once trapped in the drying basket, they are dried to death by the fan within 2 minutes.
◆You can simply empty the dead bugs into the trash, without even touching them.
◆No need for batteries or any chemicals.
How much does it cost?
It’s now ＄179.99. It may seem expensive at first, but when you consider most devices need regular, expensive refills and don’t work for more than 10 minutes, this is a pretty good deal. In fact, competitor products using the same UV technology are priced at over ＄250! Now you can buy it from the supplier’s website with 50% off and with free shipping for a limited time by clicking here. Note: The device can only be returned or exchanged if it arrives damaged, and you must pay in advance.
1. What is the characteristic of a Mosquitron?| A．It is easily recharged. |
| B．It is batterypowered. |
| C．It is almost silent when operating. |
| D．It kills mosquitoes with UV light. |
| A．A high discount. | B．A cheap delivery. |
| C．Return without reasons. | D．Cash on delivery. |
| A．A review. | B．An advertisement. |
| C．An instruction. | D．A report. |
3 . When Simon Cane was in the second grade, he began learning about all the ways humans have an impact on the environment and really took those classroom lessons to heart in a way that set him apart from his schoolmates at his elementary school, P. S. 81, in the Bronx. “He told me we drove too much and made too much pollution,” his dad, Jonathan Cane, told Runner’s World. So Simon convinced his parents to start hanging their clothes to dry, taking the stairs instead of elevators, and other “green” measures.
“For much of kindergarten and first grade I rode my bike to Simon’s school with him on the back,” Jonathan said. “We had a lot of fun being outdoors. We’d stop to give our dog treats and generally enjoyed it.” As Simon got bigger, though, it wasn’t practical for him to ride on his father’s back, but it also didn’t make sense to ride together — both because of safety concerns and because there was no place to put away Simon’s bike. So, most of the time they drove the 1. 5 miles to school.
But in 2019, when Simon was going into third grade, the 8-year-old came up with a new way to help the planet: running the 1. 5 miles to P. S. 81. And Jonathan promised his son he’d join him for as long as he wanted.
“We did a test run one day in August, and decided to give it a go. To be honest, I thought he’d blink (眨眼)after it got really cold or rainy, but he never did,” Jonathan said. He recalled one day when the weather was particularly bad. “It’s really raining out there today,” he told Simon. “And Simon said, ‘Well then we’re going to get wet!’ He took pride in toughing it out, and it became a really fun family routine.”
Since the start, Simon has run with his dad and their black dog, Lola, and has even inspired his mom, Nicole Sin Quee, to join in. They soon became known as “the family that runs to school”.
1. What makes Simon different from his classmates?| A．Washing his clothes by himself. | B．Taking many classes after school. |
| C．Raising strange questions in class. | D．Taking green measures to protect the environment. |
| A．By car. | B．By cycling. | C．By running. | D．By school bus. |
| A．Simon has trouble with his eyesight. | B．Simon is really stubborn and inflexible. |
| C．Simon is much tougher than expected. | D．Simon didn’t get support from his father. |
| A．The Best Way to Go to School |
| B．Father and Son Run for the Environment |
| C．A Teenager Keeps Running to Inspire Father |
| D．Three Inspiring Running Athletes to Protect the Environment |
4 . Madison Williams was studying in her bedroom when her mother, Leigh Williams, came in and shouted, “A little boy fell into a septic tank (化粪池)!” Then she asked her 13-year-old daughter if she could help.
Madison and Leigh ran to a neighbor’s yard, where they found the boy’s mad mother and other adults around the septic tank. Madison quickly examined the situation. She was the only one who could fit through the small hole. Without waiting a second, she got on her stomach next to the opening, placed her arms out in front of her, and told the adults, “Lower me in.”
Leigh and others held her waist and legs. Inside, the tank was dark, and the air was terrible. In the process, she stuck her left wrist (手腕) against a pole, hurting the muscles in her wrist and arm so seriously that the hand was useless. Rather than deal with her pain, Madison looked for the boy in the water with her eyes and right hand. Minutes went by before she saw his foot. Madison shot her right hand out and held the foot tightly. “Pull me up!” she shouted to the others above.
As they were pulled up, the boy’s free foot got stuck inside the hole. “Lower me down!” she shouted. Then, ten minutes after Madison had entered the tank, they were lifted out. But the boy wasn’t breathing for the lack of fresh air. He was placed on his side, and an adult gave him several hard hits on the back. It was only when Madison heard him cry that she knew he was all right.
1. How did Madison know what had happened?| A．She saw it herself. | B．She heard a cry for help. |
| C．Her mother told her about it. | D．Her mother asked her to help. |
| A．The boy’s cry of surprise. | B．People’s call. |
| C．Her mother’s bravery. | D．Her own willingness. |
| A．He was saved finally. | B．He was drowned to death. |
| C．He wasn’t breathing. | D．He was sent to hospital. |
| A．A girl and her brave mother. | B．A drowning boy in the water. |
| C．A boy falling into a septic tank. | D．A girl voluntarily saving a little boy. |
5 . For Stevens Point locals in the US, the city is flooded with delicious fried fish. Here are four top choices for the community to have a try.
Hilltop Pub&Grill
Hilltop Pub&Grill first opened in the 1980s and took the Stevens Point community by storm with its delicious food and unique decoration style. Its fried fish are beloved due to the use of “high-quality North Atlantic fish, with a light beer batter (面糊)”.
The Final Score Bar&Grill
The Final Score Bar&Grill aimed to become a local hot spot in 2001 when Jim Billings, the owner, took charge of the business. Billings feels that their five batter choices set them apart from their neighboring bars. Besides, various wines are available.
Point After Pub&Grill
Point After Pub&Grill started serving delicious food and cold beers in a welcoming environment in 2009. But its history runs much longer. “Before it was Point After Pub&Grill, it had been Northside Bar for 30 plus years,” explained Molski, the owner. Molski feels that the pub’s four special batter choices and other fish specials are what help make it an area landmark.
Two Harps Pub
This Irish pub opened its doors to the public in 2017 and has been drawing fans and locals ever since. “I had done my career for a long time and was kind of bored with it,” said Nick Moore, the owner. “And this opportunity fell into my lap, so I went with it. It really made sense to open up an Irish bar.” The growing pub advises guests to try a cold beer with their Friday fried fish.
1. What makes Hilltop Pub&Grill popular with customers?| A．The convenient location. | B．The special food. |
| C．The high-quality service. | D．The unique wine. |
| A．They are both run by the same company. | B．They are both famous for great wines. |
| C．They both feature some particular batter. | D．They were both founded ten years ago. |
| A．It is the newest among the four pubs. | B．It offers free cold beers to customers. |
| C．It only provides fried fish on Fridays. | D．It has a unique decoration style. |
6 . One Sunday night, a high school student, Rory Campbell, heard noises next door to his home in Bonita Mews, off St Asaph Road, Brockley. When he went outside, he saw his neighbor climbing out of a front window of his second floor flat, which was on fire. He then saw the man covered in black soot(黑灰), shouting for help.
The 15-year-old boy called the fire service and tried to calm the neighbor, who is in his thirties, until firefighters arrived. Rory said, “He was shouting ‘Help me, help me! Get a ladder, get a ladder!’ He was a bit hysterical(歇斯底里的). I didn’t have time to think. I just tried to calm him by telling him the firefighters were on the way.”
Rory was told by the man that the fire had been caused by a candle falling over. Firefighters from New Cross, Peckham, Lewisham and Forest Hill rescued the man by ladder and got the fire under control within minutes of arriving. The man was taken to a south London hospital where he is still recovering from smoke inhalation(吸入).
25% of the flat was damaged by the fire.
Rory, studying music, added, “As the man walked past me, he said ‘Thanks’ and that meant a lot to me. I do feel good because I helped save his life.”
Another neighbor said, “I heard a lot of noise but thought it was coming from the railway opposite. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the man hanging there. The boy next door really did save his life by calling the firefighters.”
1. According to the passage, what caused the fire?| A．Rory’s smoking. |
| B．Careless cooking. |
| C．The gas fire. |
| D．A lighted candle. |
| A．He lighted the candle. |
| B．He calmed his neighbor. |
| C．He closed doors to stop the fire. |
| D．He held a ladder. |
| A．He was rescued by ladder. |
| B．The boy carried him out. |
| C．He was carried by a firefighter who got into the room. |
| D．He got out himself. |
| A．much of the flat was destroyed |
| B．Rory was sent to hospital for injuries |
| C．Rory studied music |
| D．Rory led an important part in saving the man’s life |
7 . Do you want to live another 100 years or more? Some experts say that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last tens of years beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span.
“I think we are knocking at the door of immortality(永生),” said Michael Zey, a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. “I think by 2075 we will see it and that’s a conservative estimate(保守的估计).”
At the conference in San Francisco, Donald Louria, a professor at New Jersey Medical School in Newark said advances in using genes as well as nanotechnology(纳米技术) make it likely that humans will live in the future beyond what was possible in the past. “There is a great effort so that people can live from 120 to 180 years,” he said. “Some have suggested that there is no limit and that people could live to 200 or 300 or 500 years.”
However, many scientists who specialize in aging are doubtful about it and say the human body is just not designed to last past about 120 years. Even with healthier lifestyles and less disease, they say failure of the brain and organs will finally lead all humans to death.
Scientists also differ on what kind of life the super aged might live. “It remains to be seen if you pass 120, you know; could you be healthy enough to have good quality of life?” said Leonard Poon, director of the University of Georgia Gerontology Centre. “At present people who could get to that point are not in good health at all.”
1. By saying“we are knocking at the door of immortality”,Michael Zey means_________.| A．they have got some ideas about living forever |
| B．they believe that there is no limit of living |
| C．they are able to make people live past the present life span |
| D．they are sure to find the truth about long living |
| A．the human body is designed to last past about 120 years |
| B．it is possible for humans to live longer in the future |
| C．it is still doubtful how long humans can live |
| D．people can live from 120 to 180 |
| A．a great effort |
| B．the conservative estimate |
| C．the idea of living from 200 to 300 years |
| D．the idea of living beyond the present life span |
| A．No Limit for Human Life |
| B．Living Longer or not |
| C．Science,Technology and Long Living |
| D．Healthy Lifestyle and Long Living |
8 . I am an active playgoer and play-reader, and perhaps my best reason for editing this book is a hope of sharing my enthusiasm for the theater with others. To do this I have searched through dozens of plays to find the ones that I think best show the power and purpose of the short play.
Each play has a theme or central idea which the playwright(剧作家) hopes to get across through dialogue and action. A few characters are used to create a single impression growing out of the theme. It is not my intention to point out the central theme of each of the plays in this collection, for that would, indeed, ruin the pleasure of reading, discussing, and thinking about the plays and the effectiveness of the playwright. However, a variety of types is represented here. These include comedy, satire, poignant drama, historical and regional drama. To show the versatility(多面性) of the short play, I have included a guidance play, a radio play and a television play.
Among the writers of the plays in this collection, Paul Green, Susan Glaspell, Maxwell Anderson, Thornton Wilder, William Saroyan, and Tennessee Williams have all received Pulitzer Prizes for their contributions to the theater. More information about the playwrights will be found at the end of this book.
To get the most out of reading these plays, try to picture the play on stage, with you, the reader, in the audience. The houselights dim(变暗). The curtains are about to open, and in a few minutes the action and dialogue will tell you the story.
1. What do we know about the author from the first paragraph?| A．He has written dozens of plays. | B．He has a deep love for the theater. |
| C．He is a professional stage actor. | D．He likes reading short plays to others. |
| A．Stating the plays’ central ideas. | B．Selecting works by famous playwrights. |
| C．Including various types of plays. | D．Offering information on the playwrights. |
| A．Control their feelings. | B．Apply their acting skills. |
| C．Use their imagination. | D．Keep their audience in mind. |
| A．A short story. | B．An introduction to a book. |
| C．A play review. | D．An advertisement for a theater. |
9 . “The price of books for our students is just getting higher and higher and，combined with the rising cost of tuition，it’s killing these students，”said Peter Jason，a college professor. “Remember，students are one of the poorest groups of people in America. Almost half of them have at least one part-time job. In fact，one of my students has three jobs. And she still manages to have high scores and go to school full-time. ”
Textbook prices are traditionally high. Adding to that problem, many college teachers change textbooks year after year; they either upgrade to a new edition or switch to an entirely different textbook. This further hurts students because if an instructor no longer uses a particular textbook，that book has no resale value.
Dr. Jason decided to make reading a little easier and a lot cheaper for his students by writing his own book on public speaking. “Many books have an increased price because of CD-ROMs，lots of color photographs and pictures. I talked to my students，and many of them，like me，prefer to keep things simple! So，a few years ago，I wrote my own textbook. Compared to most other public speaking books，mine is half the number of pages，and one-third the price. That is，$30 instead of $90. When I wrote a second edition last year，students only had to buy the 35 new pages, For only $7. 00，they had almost a new book. Now my loose-leaf textbook enjoys great popularity among the students. Maybe in the future more writers and publishers will try it. ”
1. What did Dr. Jason say about students at college?| A．They are short of money. |
| B．They need better textbooks. |
| C．They should do part-time jobs. |
| D．They are trying to get high scores. |
| A．To choose cheaper textbooks. |
| B．To write a textbook himself. |
| C．To speak to his students. |
| D．To use old textbooks. |
| A．About 7 dollars. | B．About 30 dollars. |
| C．About 37 dollars. | D．About 90 dollars. |
| A．Dr. Jason’s textbook has CD-ROMs and nice pictures. |
| B．More writers and publishers will write simpler textbooks. |
| C．Dr. Jason teaches public speaking at a college. |
| D．Dr. Jason’s textbook is not well received. |
10 . Self-driving cars have been backed by the hope that they will save lives by getting involved in fewer crashes with fewer injuries and deaths than human-driven cars. But so far, most comparisons between human drivers and automated vehicles have been unfair.
Crash statistics for human-driven cars are gathered from all sorts of driving situations, and on all types of roads. However, most of the data on self-driving cars' safety have been recorded often in good weather and on highways, where the most important tasks are staying in the car's own lane and not getting too close to the vehicle-ahead. Automated cars are good at those tasks, but so are humans.
It is true that self-driving cars don't get tired, angry, frustrated or drunk .But neither can they yet react to uncertain situations with the same skill or anticipation of an attentive human driver, nor do they possess the foresight to avoid potential perils. They largely drive from moment to moment, rather than think ahead to possible events literally down the road.
To a self-driving car, a bus full of people might appear quite similar to an uninhabited corn field. Indeed, deciding what action to take in an emergency is difficult for humans, but drivers have sacrificed themselves for the greater good of others. An automated system's limited understanding of the world means it will almost never evaluate ( 评估) a situation the same way a human would. And machines can't be programmed in advance to handle every imaginable set of events.
Some people may argue that the promise of simply reducing the number of injuries and deaths is enough to support driverless cars. But experience from aviation (航空) shows that as new automated systems are introduced, there is often an increase in the rate of disasters.
Therefore, comparisons between humans and automated vehicles have to be performed carefully. To fairly evaluate driverless cars on how well they fulfill their promise of improved safety, it's important to ensure the data being presented actually provide a true comparison. After all, choosing to replace humans with automation has more effects than simply a one-for-one exchange.
1. What makes the comparison between self-driving cars and human-driven cars unfair?| A．Self-driving cars never get tired. | B．Statistics are collected differently. |
| C．Machines can make decisions faster. | D．Self-driving cars know the world better. |
| A．Dangers. | B．Self-driving cars. | C．Pedestrians. | D．Human-driven cars. |
| A．Driving steadily. | B．Climbing steep slopes. |
| C．Evaluating the cost of loss. | D．Making complex decisions. |
| A．A poster. | B．A novel. | C．A brochure. | D．A magazine. |
