1 . China was a latecomer to space exploration, and in the movies, it has been a latecomer to science fiction. That has probably changed.
The country’s first blockbuster (大片) set in space, The Wandering Earth, opened in February amid high expectations that it would represent the beginning of a new era in Chinese filmmaking. Shown in 3D, The Wandering Earth takes place in a distant future in which the sun is about to expand into a red giant and devour (吞食) the Earth. The approaching danger forces the world’s engineers to work out a plan to move the planet to a new solar system. Things go very badly when Earth has to pass Jupiter, setting off a desperate fight to save humanity from being totally destroyed.
The Wandering Earth is adapted from a short novel by Liu Cixin, the writer who has led a renaissance in science fiction in China. His works are great epics (史诗) and deeply researched. Translating them into movies would challenge any filmmaker, as the director of The Wandering Earth, Guo Fan, admitted.
Guo noted that Chinese Studios had been cautious about investing the resources required to make convincing science-fiction. The budget for The Wandering Earth reportedly reached nearly $50 million— modest by Hollywood standards but still significant in China. “I really hope this movie will not lose money at least,” said Guo before the movie’s release. The popularity of Liu’s novels could help. So could the fact that China has reached a milestone in space: the landing of a probe (航天探测器) on the far side of the moon in January. Although decades behind Russia and the United States, China has now put astronauts in orbit and has ambitious plans to join---or even lead---a new age of space exploration.
Unlike some typical Hollywood movies, The Wandering Earth does not feature a world-saving hero. The fight to save Earth is fought instead by a group. A vision of international cooperation to cope with the threats facing the Earth is a theme that runs deeply through Liu’s fiction.
1. What message does the success of the movie The Wandering Earth convey?| A．It lives up to the audience’s high expectations. |
| B．It marks a new height of the Chinese filmmaking industry. |
| C．It displays China’s ambition to lead space exploration. |
| D．It sets new and higher standards for Chinese movies. |
| A．giant investment of Chinese studios | B．the high reputation of the film director |
| C．China’s advances in space exploration | D．the deep research and world-saving theme |
| A．A New Era for Space Exploration Begins |
| B．A Film Based on Liu Cixin’s Novel Enjoys Great Popularity |
| C．China’s First Space-Themed Film Features Cooperation |
| D．China’s Film Industry Eventually Joins the Space Race |
2 . Modern agriculture and its ability to feed billions of people may be one of humanity’s greatest achievements. However, it comes with hidden costs. For example, have you ever considered how much water is needed to provide you with a steak or a salad? It may surprise you.
In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients, scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), took a close look at the diets of 9,341 adult Australians – specifically, their “water-scarcity (缺少) footprints”.
The water-scarcity footprint is a widely recognized measurement of water consumption（消耗）. First, it counts the liters of water you used. Then, it looks at the place where the water was used. Using a liter of water in the desert is not the same as using a liter of water in a tropical (热带的) rainforest. The more scarce water is in your area, the larger your water-scarcity footprint.
The scientists found that the average Australian’s diet had a water-scarcity footprint of 362 liters per day. Snacks and beverages – cookies, cakes, sodas and alcohol – accounted for 25 percent of the water-scarcity footprint. The research also included a glass of wine (41 liters), a single serving of potato chips (23 liters), and a small bar of milk chocolate (21 liters). Not surprisingly, cutting out snacks would be the NO.1 priority if you wanted to lower your own water-scarcity footprint.
Climate change is causing droughts and extreme weather. In 2018, Cape Town, South Africa, nearly ran out of water due to a drought. Its freshwater reservoir(水库) stayed at just above 13.5 percent of full capacity. By 2030, a world of about 8.6 billion people will need 35 percent more water, and 50 percent more food, according to the United States National Intelligence Council.
So, we need to watch what we eat, not just for our personal health but for the health of our societies.
1. What do we know about water-scarcity footprints?| A．They are not related to places where we live. |
| B．They measure how much water one consumes. |
| C．They count the amount of water a family wastes. |
| D．They are used to measure water scarcity in the desert. |
| A．Stop eating snacks. | B．Go on a diet. |
| C．Drink less sodas and alcohol. | D．Eat more cookies or cakes. |
| A．To praise the efforts made by Cape Town. |
| B．To explain the reasons for water shortages. |
| C．To stress the serious situation in Cape Town. |
| D．To show the harmful effects of climate change. |
| A．It’s easy to feed all the people in the future. |
| B．We are facing a greater shortage of water than of food. |
| C．Water shortages may bring about many social problems. |
| D．Our eating habits could make a difference to water shortages. |
3 . I'm interested in the Renaissance, so I like visiting ancient Italian cities. Ferrara is called City of the Renaissance. When I learned about this city on the Internet, I decided to pay a visit to it.
The city has a certain charm and calmness, but I find it isn't as great as other Italian cities like Verona, let alone Venice or Rome. The Michelin Green Guide gives it two stars, which is right.
I first visited the city centre. The Cathedral and Castello Estense are at the heart of the city. Both have striking appearances. I visited the Cathedral first. Castello Estense is also worth visiting, which owns its name to the powerful family Este family. It was built with bricks and surrounded by a moat（护城河）. At the lower levels, the history of the city and the Este family are told through displays, and in another part the ceilings are shown through mirrors on the ground.
In the north, we can appreciate the Renaissance extension of the town, with straight streets and monumental houses. The famous Palazzo dei Diamanti lies here. When I was visiting it, it started to rain, so after taking a few photos quickly, I cut my visit there short. It had been raining for a few days. When the rain ceased, I went to visit the historical centre and the Renaissance buildings.
After leaving there, I visited several other interesting places such as palaces, churches and the narrow streets of the downtown. After four hours in Ferrara I left by train to Mantua. There I had much better time.
1. Why did the author pay a visit to Ferrara?| A．Because it is related to the Renaissance. |
| B．Because it is full of charm and calmness. |
| C．Because it is a very famous city in Europe. |
| D．Because it is strongly recommended by a website. |
| A．Unbelievable. | B．Reasonable. | C．Unacceptable. | D．Ridiculous. |
| A．The writer thought Ferrara was as great as Venice. |
| B．The writer visited Palazzo dei Diamanti for a long time. |
| C．The writer was much more satisfied with the tour in Mantua than in Ferrara. |
| D．The writer was disappointed with the visit to the Cathedral and Castello Estense. |
4 . There are many American expressions about insects - like bees, for example.
You might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house. In fact, you also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn.
Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee's knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. If fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!
If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet. If someone asks you a personal question, you might say "that is none of your beeswax." This means none of your business.
Hornets are bee-like insects that sometimes attack people. If you are really angry, you might say you are mad as a hornet. And if you stir up a hornet's nest, you create trouble or problems.
Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your pants. That is, to be restless and unable to sit still.
Here are some expressions about plain old bugs, another word for insects. If a friend keeps asking you to do something you do not want to do, you might ask him to leave you alone or "stop bugging me." A friend also might tell you again and again to do something. If so, you might say he put a bug in your ear.
If you were reading a book in your warm bed on a cold winter's day, you might say you were snug as a bug in a rug. And, if you wish someone good night, you might say, "sleep tight — don't let the bed bugs bite."
1. If you are going to give a speech before a big audience, you would probably______.| A．have ants in your pants |
| B．have a bug in your ear |
| C．have a bee in your bonnet |
| D．have a butterfly in your stomach |
| A．bees are popular insects |
| B．bees fly to a place directly |
| C．bees actually have no knees |
| D．bees sometimes refer to babies |
| A．The various insects commonly seen in America. |
| B．The interesting expressions concerning bugs in America. |
| C．The different explanations for particular idioms in America. |
| D．The amazing richness of English expressions in America. |
5 . I woke up with drool (口水) on my pillow this morning. The alarm clock rang, and I reached over to turn it off. As I laid my face back down on the pillow, I felt the wet drool on my pillow case. I opened my eyes and saw a smiling, panting (喘气的), furry face gazing down at me. I tried to get up, but she was too fast. My face was suddenly covered in kisses with one going straight up my nose and another right in my ear. I laughed, reached out and picked up the eight-pound love machine and held her away from my wet face. It was just another morning in a life with dogs.
Why do we welcome them into our homes and our hearts? We know that most likely we are going to outlive them and have our hearts broken when they age quickly and pass away after ten to fifteen years. We know that there will be vet bills, flea baths and enough fur to make a vacuum cleaner cry. We know that our ears will ring from the barking, that we will be picking up the animal waste every single day and that we will never get to finish a full sandwich again.
Yet, when we are feeling down or blue, there will always be a soft head on our lap needing to be pet. When we get home after a long day’s work, there will be a happy face at the door waiting for us. Our lives will be full of balls to throw, bellies to scratch, and love and loyalty that will warm our hearts and uplift our souls.
For thousands of years, dogs have been our best friends. They remain one of the greatest gifts life has ever given us. Even if they can’t love us for the rest of our lives, they will always love us for all of theirs.
1. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “outlive” in Paragraph 2?| A．Hate. | B．Survive. | C．Donate. | D．Kill. |
| A．The dog slept in the writer’s bed last night. |
| B．The dog wakes up the writer every morning. |
| C．The writer will keep the dog company for about 50 years. |
| D．The writer enjoys the dog’s company despite the trouble. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Negative. | C．Favourable. | D．Indifferent. |
6 . Last Sunday I made a visit to some new neighbors down the block. No specific in mind, just an opportunity to sit at the kitchen table, have some tea and chat. As I did so, it occurred to me how rare the Sunday visit has become.
When I was a kid in New Jersey of the 1960s, Sunday visits were routine (惯例). Most stores were closed, almost nobody worked, and the highways, as a result, were not so crowded as they have become today. My family normally traveled eight city blocks to the home of my grandmother, where adults would sit on the front porch and chat while we children played hide-and-seek.
The Sunday visit was something to desire strongly, because everyone seemed to be on the same schedule, which means that there was one day when everyone seemed to have time for everybody else.
Sunday as a day of rest is, or was, so deeply rooted in the culture that it’s surprising to find that, in a short span of time, it has almost entirely lost this association. In my childhood, it was assumed that everyone would either be home or visiting someone else’s home on Sunday. But now the question is, “What do you plan to do this Sunday?” The answer can range from going to the mall, to participating in a road race, to Montreal for lunch. If one were to respond, “I’m making a Sunday visit to family,” such an answer would feel strange, which seems like something from ages ago.
1. The writer’s general impression of the Sunday in the past was a day when________.| A．everyone seemed to be free for others |
| B．everyone was paying a visit to some relatives far away |
| C．adults would go to church and children weren’t at school |
| D．Dad was not at work while Mom was busy cleaning the house |
| A．visiting someone on Sunday was only a routine |
| B．people nowadays prefer staying at home on Sunday |
| C．such answers are hardly heard in our modern society |
| D．people in the city dislike being disturbed on Sunday |
| A．Thankful. | B．Confused. | C．Respectful. | D．Unsatisfied. |
7 . Experts are warning about the risks of extremely picky(挑剔的)eating after a teenager living on a diet of chips and crisps developed lasting sight loss. Eye doctors in Bristol cared for the 17-year-old after his sight had gone to the point of blindness. Tests showed he had serious vitamin deficiency(缺乏). Dr. Denize Atan, who treated him at the hospital, said, “His diet was basically a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day. He also used to snack on crisps and sometimes white bread and ham, and not really any fruit and vegetables.”
The teenager saw his doctor at the age of 14 because he had been feeling tired and unwell. At that time he suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency, but he did not stick with the treatment or improve his poor diet. Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eye Hospital because of progressive sight loss.
He was not overweight or underweight, but he had lost minerals from his bones, which was really quite shocking for a boy of his age. In terms of his sight loss, he met the standards of being blind. “He had blind spots right in the middle of his sight,” said Dr Denize Atan, “That means he can’t drive and would find it really arduous to read, watch TV or recognize faces.”
Dr Denize Atan said that parents should learn about the harm that can be caused by picky eating, and turn to experts for help. For those who are concerned , she advised, “It’s best not to be anxious about picky eating , and instead calmly introduce one or two new foods with every meal.” She said multivitamin tablets can supplement(补充) a diet, but cannot take the place of eating healthily. “It’s much better to take in vitamins through a varied and balanced diet,” she said, adding that too many certain vitamins , including vitamin A, can be harmful ,“so you don’t want to overdo it.”
1. What does Dr Denize Atan imply in paragraph 1?| A．The diet of the boy is not balanced. |
| B．Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins. |
| C．Picky eating is common among teenagers. |
| D．The cause of the boy’s disease is unknown. |
| A．To improve his poor diet. |
| B．To get some help to lose weight. |
| C．To be treated for his discomfort. |
| D．To slow down his progressive sight loss. |
| A．Important. | B．Easy. | C．Necessary. | D．Difficult. |
| A．Reasons why the boy is seriously ill. |
| B．Suggestions for the boy’s family to care for him. |
| C．Advice for parents worried about picky eating. |
| D．Ways of taking in enough vitamins and minerals. |
8 . My daughter Elena got arthritis (关节炎) at age 2. Arthritis? That was an elderly person’s disease, I thought.
At first, she started experiencing redness in her knees. I took her into the doctor’s office and I was told it was growing pains. After another couple of weeks it got worse. One day she was not able to walk at all. I took her back into the doctor’s office and luckily there was a different doctor on duty and she recognized the symptoms (症状). She told me to see a specialist at the hospital.
We got to the hospital. Everything seemed to be blurry (模糊的) to me that day. I also had a nine-month-old baby girl and due to the nervousness I lost my milk. I would lie awake at night wondering if my little girl would end up in a wheelchair. We knew we would have to use strong drugs to keep her walking.
Like anyone, I feared what the strong drugs could do to my little girl. I spoke with lots of specialists. We decided it was the best treatment. It worked. Our little girl is symptom-free.
I still don’t sleep well though. A mother’s worry can take over your whole life. I’ve had to become a nurse overnight. Learning about different drugs, how to give needles (注射). On top of that, there are so many comments from friends. Some say that I should go the “natural way”. What does that even mean? Do you honestly think I would choose this for my child if it weren’t the best choice for her?
I can only hope my words can touch and help someone else going through this same thing right now. Know that you are not alone and there are others that feel your pain. Stay strong and try not to let this disease run your life.
1. How was the first doctor visit?| A．It took very long. |
| B．It resulted in getting wrong information. |
| C．It brought the author lots of worries. |
| D．It was generally satisfactory. |
| A．She learned how to give needles. |
| B．She asked her friends for comments. |
| C．She got in touch with some drug takers. |
| D．She considered advice from different people. |
| A．To ask for help. | B．To express thanks. |
| C．To give encouragement. | D．To give a warning. |
I expect you may be slightly surprised to receive a letter from someone living as near as your next-door neighbor, but I have to raise a subject that it will be easier for me to discuss in writing.
You may have noticed that I have a line of apple trees running alongside the fence that separates our two gardens. You may also have taken pleasure in the frequent sight of your two children sitting on your lawn directly by the fence. And you may also have noticed that my apple trees, so to speak, bend over the fence and seem to look down at your children with interest.
It is only natural that your children should sometimes seem to return that interest. And it is not only natural, but, I acknowledge, quite legal, for them occasionally to show that interest by picking all the apples that hang over on your side of the fence.
But to be plain with you, Mr. Jones, I am tired of seeing your children, day after day, tear the branches off the side of every one of my apple trees, and leave my trees looking as though a battle had been fought on one side of them. I am, if anything, even more tired of waking up these fine autumn mornings, to find even the apples on my side of the fence much less in number. I know this is the work of your children, since last night I was woken up midnight by the noise they were making climbing one of my trees, and (as they may have told you) chased them home.
While I am on the subject, I am at least grateful to you for keeping your bonfire on the far side of your garden this year. Last year neither I nor your children had any apples, because the smoke from your bonfire destroyed all the flowers before the apples had time to form. I very much hope that next year—for the first time since I came to this village—I shall have my apples, and your children will have theirs and that the sight of the line of apple trees will be a pride to us both.
Otherwise, I shall not express my displeasure simply in writing to you, but shall have to refer the matter to those capable of taking stronger action.
Yours sincerely,
J. Smith
1. Why does J. Smith write the letter to Mr Jones?| A．To make an apology. | B．To express his displeasure. |
| C．To develop a friendship. | D．To convey his appreciation. |
| A．He never expected to be woken up by the children at night. |
| B．He is heartbroken at the sight of the apples being stolen. |
| C．He is tired of what the children has done to the apple trees. |
| D．He is concerned about the children’s disappointing behavior. |
| A．He is obviously fault-finding. | B．He is probably aggressive. |
| C．He is rather bad-tempered. | D．He is actually quite reasonable. |
10 . My family and I never talked about school as the ticket to a future. I was in the classrooms, but I wasn’t there to learn to write, read or even speak. When it was my turn to read, I wanted to hide. I was 13 years old, but I already hated being who I was.
I had an English teacher, Mr. Creech, who knew I couldn’t read. In one of my first lessons the teacher said that anyone who had a reading age below six had to stand up. I felt so embarrassed. But at the same time, it made me realize that I needed to change the situation. I was determined it wouldn’t happen again. Later that day, Mr. Creech encouraged me and promised he would try his best to help me learn to read. From then on, I never gave up practicing reading.
Then when I was 41 years old, one day, I planned to fly back to Texas to visit my friends and family. On my way from the airport, I saw Mr. Creech buying himself a drink. I rushed over and reached into my pocket to pay for him. “Do I know you?” he asked. “Yes, sir, you do know me,” I answered excitedly. “My name is Anthony Hamilton. You taught me English.” The look on his face told me that he remembered the boy he’d once encouraged.
“I’m so glad I had a chance to see you,” I said. “And Mr. Creech, I have great news to share.” I told him I had learned to read. But that wasn’t all. I had become a published author and an active speaker. “The next time you get another Anthony Hamilton in your classroom, please encourage him to read as well,” I added.
The experts say what once worried me has a name: dyslexia (诵读困难症). But I can tell you it was a lack of desire for education.
1. Why did the author want to hide?| A．Because he couldn’t read. | B．Because he didn’t want to show himself. |
| C．Because he felt sorry for himself. | D．Because he didn’t have a ticket. |
| A．Because his reading age was not long enough. |
| B．Because his parents didn’t teach him how to read. |
| C．Because he didn’t have inner driving force to learn to read. |
| D．Because he was afraid of reading before the class. |
| A．Mr. Creech looked down upon the author. |
| B．The author was grateful to Mr. Creech. |
| C．Dyslexia was the real reason that made the author unable to read. |
| D．Mr. Creech taught two students called Anthony Hamilton. |
