1 . We all need to eat, and when we go to buy food at the supermarket, we’re offered many choice. But we often buy food that’s been produced in huge amounts and that’s traveled many miles before it ends up on our plate. So for some, growing their own food is a better choice – and it tastes good too!
From growing vegetables in little pots on your balcony to taking care of a small plot of land, there are many ways to produce home-grown food. It can be backbreaking work digging, weeding and watering the soil, but the result is fresh, home-grown fruits and vegetables, helping us keep a ‘five-a-day’ diet.
The recent Covid-19 pandemic lock-down means demand for homegrown food has seen a comeback in the UK. Miriam Dobson from the University of Sheffield, told the BBC that some people have been spending a lot of their time on their plots, growing plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables – which, at times, have been challenging to buy in supermarkets. She says “Coronavirus has reminded people of the weakness within our global food system. In such a difficult time, interest in self-support rises.”
But for those with limited space, a solution to grow your own vegetables lies closer to home – using pots. Sheila Brand lives in a third-floor flat in Rotterdam. She has managed to grow tomatoes and eggplants and is already harvesting raspberries. She told the BBC watching the plants grow “is very exciting: 'Oh it's got a new leaf!' ”
As well as the benefits of saving money and enjoying tasty food, growing your own from a balcony or window ledge not only improves your well-being and immediate environment, you can actually grow a lot of vegetables. So, maybe it’s time for us all to get planting and develop our green fingers!
1. A “five-a-day” diet (Para. 2) probably refers to a diet that include__________ every day.| A．Five meals | B．Enough fruits and vegetables |
| C．Five kinds of rice | D．Plenty of water |
| A．It’s more interesting, cheap and delicious. |
| B．our global food system is doing harm to us. |
| C．It saves the time and money on transportation. |
| D．it can be hard to buy fresh food during the pandemic. |
| A．In a pot. | B．On a plate. | C．In a garden. | D．On the roof. |
| A．Growing your own food can do good to your health. |
| B．Growing your own food can make your fingers green. |
| C．Growing your own food can improve your gardening skills. |
| D．Growing your own food can bring your family more happiness. |
2 . 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. |
3 . When most high school students complain about having to wake up extra early，they're usually referring to a swim practice before class or the last minute study before a test. But that was never the case for Corey Patrick，who woke up at 4：30 every morning last year in order to arrive on time at Tarrant High School in Alabama.
Patrick had attended Tarrant City Schools since his fourth grade，but things got difficult when his family moved to a town 14 miles away. Even though his family didn't have any forms of transportation，Patrick didn't want to miss out on his senior year with friends，so he woke up at 4：30 every morning in order to make it to a 5：41 a．m.bus that would help him get to Tarrant on time.And just as he had done every other school day of the year，Patrick got up one morning to start the journey from his home to his high school; the only obvious difference that morning was that he was wearing his graduation gown (毕业礼服)，which made that day's bus driver，DeJuanna Beasley, take some photos of him. She then shared them online with these words，“You tell me this isn't determination.He got on my bus to go to his graduation，and no one was with him.Sometimes it's all in what you want out of life.I was so proud of this young man.”
That was soon shared by many people online，and it caught the attention of radio host Rickey Smiley，who surprised Patrick by giving him a car later. Smiley confirmed that he would make sure that Patrick received help with getting his driver's license. A GoFundMe was also created for Patrick，which has raised over $20,000. And Patrick has got a scholarship (奖学金) to Jacksonville University，where he plans to study computer science.
1. Why was Patrick different from most students when it comes to rising early?| A．It had something to do with study. |
| B．It was a part of daily life for him. |
| C．He was unwilling to get up early. |
| D．He spent more time in studying. |
| A．Patrick dressed poorly on his graduation day. |
| B．It took Patrick an hour to get to the bus stop. |
| C．The driver was moved by Patrick's story. |
| D．There was no school in Patrick's town. |
| A．Patrick's request for help on the Internet. |
| B．The difficulties that Patrick experienced. |
| C．The information about Patrick's university. |
| D．The message published online by the driver. |
| A．GoFundMe. | B．Rickey Smiley. |
| C．Patrick's high school. | D．Jacksonville University. |
4 . Gardening is popular in many parts of the world. This outdoor activity gives us beautiful plants, pleasant smelling flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables. And it also does a lot of good to our health.
Gardening connects people. When you are gardening, you are outdoors. So it is a perfect chance to meet and spend time with your neighbors. Most people love to talk about their hobbies, and gardeners are no different. They usually enjoy showing people what they are growing. And most of them enjoy sharing advice and stories about their gardens almost as much as sharing flowers and vegetables from their gardens.
Gardening is a great activity for children. It gets them outdoors and off computers, televisions and cell phones. Gardening is also a great teacher. It can teach a child about where food comes from and healthy eating. It also helps them to understand that the natural resources (资源) are not inexhaustible and the importance of using them carefully.
Then, when you garden, you must move around. All the different movements needed for gardening, like bending and lifting, work small muscles (肌肉) in the body. And you can easily get good exercise when you are digging holes or pulling grass.
In a study, researches looked at more than 2,800 people over the age of 60. They studied their life habits, activities and health over a 16-year period. They found that gardening could lower the risk of future dementia (痴呆) by 36%. Gardening requires people to do many repeated actions, such as picking off dying flowers. These actions have a calming influence on the brain. The brain is still active but not in the same way when we use computers.
You'll feel wonderful when what you grow in a garden looks, smells, feels and tastes good.
1. What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?| A．Gardeners don't feel lonely. | B．Gardeners are fond of sharing. |
| C．Gardeners have many hobbies. | D．Gardeners care about the environment. |
| A．Useless. | B．Special. | C．Endless. | D．Cheap. |
| A．To tell us gardening is popular with the old. |
| B．To tell us gardening is good for health. |
| C．To tell us gardening can be a tiring activity. |
| D．To tell us gardening is better than playing computers. |
| A．To show how to garden. | B．To encourage us to garden. |
| C．To show gardening is popular. | D．To encourage us to do outdoor activities. |
5 . Rainforests are home to a rich variety of medicinal plants, food, birds and animals. Can you believe that a single bush（灌木丛）in the Amazon may have more species of ants than the whole of Britain! About 480 varieties of trees may be found in just one hectare of rainforest.
Rainforests are the lungs of the planet-storing vast quantities of carbon dioxide and producing a significant amount of the world's oxygen. Rainforests have their own perfect system for ensuring their own survival; the tall trees make a canopy（树冠层）of branches and leaves which protect themselves, smaller plants, and the forest animals from heavy rain, intense dry heat from the sun and strong winds.
Amazingly, the trees grow in such a way that their leaves and branches, although close together, never actually touch those of another tree. Scientists think this is the plants' way to prevent the spread of any tree diseases and make life more difficult for leaf-eating insects like caterpillars. To survive in the forest, animals must climb, jump or fly across the gaps. The ground floor of the forest is not all tangled leaves and bushes, like in films, but is actually fairly clear. It is where dead leaves turn into food for the trees and other forest life.
They are not called rainforests for nothing! Rainforests can generate 75%of their own rain. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal-and in some areas there may be as much as 430 inches of rain annually. This is real rain-your umbrella may protect you in a shower, but it won't keep you dry if there is a full rainstorm. In just two hours, streams can rise ten to twenty feet. The humidity（湿气）of large rainforests contributes to the formation of rainclouds that may travel to other countries in need of rain.
1. What can we learn about rainforests from the first paragraph?| A．They produce oxygen. | B．They cover a vast area. |
| C．They are well managed. | D．They are rich in wildlife. |
| A．Heavy rains | B．Big trees. |
| C．Small plants. | D．Forest animals. |
| A．For more sunlight. | B．For more growing space. |
| C．For self-protection. | D．For the detection of insects. |
| A．Life-Giving Rainforests | B．The Law of the Jungle |
| C．Animals in the Amazon | D．Weather in Rainforests |
6 . Note-taking is a skill that can help you do well in all your schoolwork—everything from taking tests to researching a paper. But unfortunately, most schools don’t have classes that teach you how to take notes. So here are some tips.
Write down key facts. If you have a teacher who writes notes on the board, that’s good: You can copy them down. If not, write down the most important points from class. Does your history teacher mention the date of a key Civil War battle? Does your English teacher give examples of Shakespeare’s use of irony(讽刺)? Write them down!
Different teachers do things differently. For example, some teachers may mention lots of dates and facts in class but only write the key ones on the board. Other teachers may not write anything down, but they may repeat a certain date or a piece of information. After a while, you’ll get to know a teacher’s style.
Don’t overdo it. Don’t go crazy taking notes. You’ll be frantic(慌乱的) if you try to write down every word that’s said in class. And if you focus too much on getting your notes right, you might miss important points. Some people actually learn better by listening, writing down a few key points, and then going over the material after class.
Ask. Don’t be afraid to ask the teacher to repeat something you miss. If the teacher is going too fast, your classmates will also be happy to hear the information again. If you don’t want to ask in class, see your teacher afterwards. It’s much easier than wondering if you got the notes right as you study.
Compare. Keep your notes handy when you’re doing your reading homework. Compare what you wrote with what the reading says—you may even want to add to your notes as you read.
1. What’s an advantage of note-taking according to the writer?| A．It helps you to get good marks in tests. | B．It’s a basic skill in researching a paper. |
| C．It helps fix your mind on what the teacher says. | D．It gives you a better understanding of key facts. |
| A．To introduce the topic of note-taking. | B．To compare writing styles in different times. |
| C．To give an example of forming good habits. | D．To explain what a key fact is in a teacher’s class. |
| A．Teachers encourage their students to be active in class. |
| B．It’s helpful for teachers to learn from each other in styles. |
| C．It’s not always possible to note down all information in class. |
| D．A teacher’s style should be taken into consideration when taking notes. |
| A．Students must try to take correct and detailed notes in class. |
| B．Students should put down only key points while listening carefully. |
| C．Students must not interrupt the teacher by asking questions in class. |
| D．Students should put down as much information as possible in class. |
7 . Volunteering abroad is a great way to help others，improve your skills and become a more confident，independent person. If you are interested in volunteering abroad，here are some places to go.
Australia
If you seek a life on the beach，in a great climate with friendly people，Australia might be your best bet. With thousands of volunteers already signing up to leave for Australia during the holidays，it will be a very popular option.
Brazil
This vast country has some great opportunities on offer and is especially popular this year. A lot of volunteer work is available in Brazil centers on conservation and ecological projects. With the world's largest rainforest in Brazil，of which huge part is in danger，there are lots of different jobs you can do.
Kenya
Kenya is the destination for those seeking an African experience. Generally volunteers in Kenya work in orphanages (孤儿院) or with local children living in slums. There is a great demand for volunteers in Africa because many people live in poverty，so if you truly feel like making a difference to a community，Kenya should be at the top of your list.
Costa Rica
Golden sandy beaches，clear coastlines and beautiful cities are what Costa Rica is all about. Because of its small size，you can see a lot of the country in just a short time. You can really make the most of your time as a volunteer. A lot of work is needed with wildlife and ecological work，so if you want to look after turtles on the beach，Costa Rica could be just the place for you.
1. If you are interested in protecting the environment，you will probably go to .| A．Australia | B．Brazil | C．Kenya | D．Costa Rica |
| A．animals | B．plants | C．the elderly | D．children |
| A．take care of trees in the forests | B．surf with children in the water |
| C．work with animals on the beach | D．look after children who have lost their parents |
8 . Every man wants his son to be somewhat of a clone, not in features but in footsteps. As he grows you also age, and your ambitions become more unachievable. You begin to realize that your boy, in your footsteps, could probably accomplish what you hoped for. But footsteps can be muddied and they can go off in different directions.
My son Jody has hated school since day one in kindergarten. Science projects waited until the last moment. Book reports weren’t written until the final threat.
I’ve been a newspaperman all my adult life. My daughter is a university graduate working towards her master’s degree in English. But Jody? When he entered the tenth grade he became a “vo-tech” student (技校学生). They’re called “motorheads” by the rest of the student body.
When a secretary in my office first called him “motorhead”, I was shocked. “Hey, he’s a good kid, ” I wanted to say. “And smart, really.”
I learned later that motorheads are, indeed, different. They usually have dirty hands and wear dirty work clothes. And they don’t often make school honor rolls (光荣榜).
But being the parent of a motorhead is itself an experience in education. We who labor in clean shirts in offices don’t have the abilities that motorheads have. I began to learn this when I had my car crashed. The cost to repair it was estimated at $800. “Hey, I can fix it,” said Jody. I doubted it, but let him go ahead, for I had nothing to lose.
My son, with other motorheads, fixed the car. They got parts from a junkyard, and ability from vo-tech classes. The cost was $25 instead of $800.
Since that first repair job, a broken air-conditioner, a non-functioning washer and a non-toasting toaster have been fixed. Neighbours and co-workers trust their car repairs to him.
These kids are happiest when doing repairs. They joke and laugh and are living in their own relaxed world. And their minds are bright despite their dirty hands and clothes.
I have learned a lot from my motorhead: publishers need printers, engineers need mechanics, and architects need builders. Most important, I have learned that fathers don’t need clones in footsteps or anywhere else.
My son may never make the school honor roll. But he made mine.
1. What used to be the author’s hope for his son?| A．To avoid becoming his clone. | B．To resemble him in appearance. |
| C．To develop in a different direction. | D．To reach the author’s unachieved goals. |
| A．His daughter does better in school. |
| B．His daughter has got a master’s degree. |
| C．His son tried hard to finish homework. |
| D．His son couldn’t write his book reports. |
| A．his son had the ability to fix it | B．it would save him much time |
| C．it wouldn’t cause him any more loss | D．other motorheads would come to help |
| A．It is unwise to expect your child to follow your path. |
| B．It is important for one to make the honor roll. |
| C．Architects play a more important role than builders. |
| D．Motorheads have greater ability than office workers. |
9 . Bill Bowerman was a track coach. He wanted to help athletes run faster. So he had learnt how to make running shoes. He had also started a shoe company with a friend. It was 1971.Running shoes at the time were heavy. They had spikes(鞋钉)on the sole(鞋底). The spikes tore up the track and slowed down runners.
To make a lighter shoe, Bill tried the skins of fish. To make a better sole, he wanted to replace the spikes. Bill dug through his wife Barbara's jewelry box. He hoped to find a piece of jewelry with an interesting pattern. He would then copy the pattern onto the new soles. Nothing worked. Bill was defeated.
Then, one Sunday morning, Barbara made Bill waffles(华夫饼)for breakfast. Bill watched her cook.
He studied the criss-cross pattern on a waffle iron.
Inspiration struck. The pattern on the waffle iron was just what Bill was looking for. The squares were flatter and wider than sharp spikes. The pattern would help the shoes hold any surface without tearing into it.
When Barbara left the house, Bill ran to his lab. He took the liquid chemicals that, when mixed, would harden into the sole of a shoe. He poured the mixture into the waffle iron---and the Waffle Trainer was born.
Bill’s company put the Waffle Trainer on market in 1974.It was a huge hit. Maybe you’ve heard of that company---it’s called Nike. And today it’s worth around $100 billion.
It was the waffle iron that had changed the course of Bill’s life---and helped turn Nike into a well-known name. Today, the waffle iron is kept at Nike headquarters. It serves as a reminder that if we keep trying, we can find a solution to even the most difficult problems. And those solutions can come from unlikely places, even the breakfast table.
1. What shortcomings did the old-style running shoes have?| A．They were hard to wear. | B．They were too large. |
| C．They were impractical. | D．They were easy to break. |
| A．From the skins of the fish. | B．From his wife’s jewelry. |
| C．From the colour of the iron. | D．From his wife’s cooking tools. |
| A．A cheerful wife is the joy of life. |
| B．Two heads are better than one. |
| C．Where there’s a will, there’s a way. |
| D．A bad workman quarrels with his tools. |
| A．Waffles and Nike | B．Inspiration and Invention |
| C．A Great Inventor | D．A Well-Known Company |
10 . Camille Napier Bernstein
English Teacher
Natick Public Schools, MA
I was excited to discover CourseSites for my work as a public school teacher. I'm happy that my students also like your product. I need it even more this coming school year because I am required to teach different courses.
William Jackson
Assistant Professor
Pierce College, WA
I am most impressed with the flexibility（灵活性）of the Blog feature on CourseSites. This tool has enabled me to design group exercises, and will really support my students to have discussions. While I have not been able to test it for a live class, I have been able to design and review the process and I am confident that the Blogs will be a very valuable tool for my students.
Louis Tharp
Professor
Long Beach City College, CA
I have been using CourseSites for over 10 years, even while traveling all over the USA and halfway around the world. I have had students take my class from different places. During this time I had over 300 live chats, even in the middle of a typhoon （台风）！ So far CourseSites has always been online — up and running・
Nancy Mayer
Language Arts Teacher
Long Beach City College, CA
I want to thank you and your team for creating such a fine website and for providing it for K-12 teachers and students for free. I especially appreciate the flexibility the site has. I also love the test building area. I can use “correct" answers to further explain answers and "incorrect" answers to further teach students. I am very thankful for your work.
1. Who loves to use the Blog feature on CourseSites?| A．Camille Napier Bernstein. | B．William Jackson. |
| C．Louis Tharp. | D．Nancy Mayer. |
| A．He can use it any time. | B．It provides different products. |
| C．He can test his students online. | D．It allows 300 people to chat live. |
| A．They come from the same school. |
| B．They are workers of CourseSites. |
| C．They prefer CourseSites to a live class. |
| D．They are using CourseSites in their teaching. |
