1 . Nothing succeeds like success, as every parent of a straight-A student knows, but trying to stress academic excellence by telling your child, “You’re so smart!” may be counterproductive. Why? According to a 2017 study, children who think their intelligence is fixed are less likely to pay attention to and bounce back（重新振作）from mistakes than children who think intelligence can grow and change.

In the study, researchers looked at 123 children. The team assessed the children to determine whether they had a “growth mindset”(believing that you can work harder to get smarter), or a “fixed mindset” (believing that your intelligence is unable to change). They then asked the children to complete a fast-paced computer accuracy task while their brain activity was recorded. During the recording, researchers noted that brain activity stopped within a half-second after making a mistake, as children became aware of their mistake and paid closer attention to what went wrong. The larger the brain response was, the more the child focused on the mistake. Based on the data, they concluded that children with a “growth mindset” were much more likely to have a larger brain response after making a mistake. While children with a “fixed mindset” were able to “bounce back”, only if they gave their full attention to the mistake.

For parents, the lessons are clear. Don’t pay your children compliments that suggest that intelligence is fixed. If your child hands you an A+ score, don’t say, “You’re so smart!” Instead, say, “Wow, that studying really paid off!” or “You clearly mastered this material-way to go!” Note the effort, not the intelligence.

Besides, many parent shy away from addressing a child’s mistakes, telling them “It’s OK. ”You’ll get it next time. ” without offering them the chances to figure out what goes wrong. Instead, it’s better to reassure your children that mistakes happen, and work to figure out where and how they make the mistake.

1. Which of the following best explains “counterproductive” underlined in paragraph 1?

A．Opposite	B．Competitive
C．Successful	D．Unknown

2. How did the children with a “growth mindset” react in the study?

A．They made fewer mistakes.	B．They tried to avoid mistakes
C．They had smaller brain response	D．They focused more on the mistake.

3. What should parents say when children make a mistake according to the text?

A．You are so careless

B．Paying compliments to children

C．You’ll get it the next time

D．Let’s find out how you made it.

4. What should be avoided according to the study?

A．Overstressing the intelligence.

B．Pay compliment to children.

C．Addressing children’s mistakes.

D．Offering chances to find mistakes.

4 . It's easy to understand why early humans domesticated (驯养)dogs as their new best friends, domesticated dogs can guard against fierce animals and provide warmth during cold nights. But those benefits only come following domestication. Despite more than a century of study, scientists have struggled to understand what caused the domestication process in the first place.

A new theory given by Maria Lahtinen, a senior researcher, might be able to explain this puzzle. She made this theory when studying die diet of late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers in Arctic and sub — Arctic. At that time, around 20,000 to 15,000 years ago, the world was buried in the coldest period of the last ice age. In cold environments then, as today, humans tended to gain the majority of their food from animals. Nutritional deficiencies (缺失) came from the absence of fat and carbohydrates (碳水化合物), not necessarily protein. Indeed, if humans cat too much meat, they can develop protein poisoning and even die. "Because we humans are not fully adapted to an all-meat diet, we simply cannot digest protein very well," Lahtinen says.

During the coldest years of the last ice age — and especially in lough Arctic and sub-Arctic winters — reindeer, wild horses and other animals that humans killed for food would have been struggling to live. Using previously published early fossil records, Lahtinen and her colleagues calculated that the game captured by people in the Arctic and sub-Arctic during this time would have provided much more protein than they could have safely consumed.

1. What has been confusing scientists in the past century?

A．How domesticated dogs benefited humans.

B．When humans began to domesticate dogs.

C．What led to dog domestication originally.

D．Why early humans made friends with clogs.

2. What will happen if one eats too much meat?

A．It can be fatal in a short period of time.

B．He will probably digest it very well.

C．He can develop carbohydrates poisoning.

D．He will survive the cold environment.

3. What does the underlined word "game” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．The fierce contests.	B．The hunting activities.
C．Wild animals or birds.	D．Some tricks or schemes.

4. What can be learned about the late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from the last paragraph?

A．They struggled with wild horses.

B．They shared extra meat with dogs.

C．They struggled to live a good life.

D．They had trouble adapting to the cold environment.

6 . What should we get for our kids this holiday? As children get older, giving them something they can experience instead of material things makes them happier, according to a new research led by Chaplin.

The research compared the level of happiness children get from material things with that from experiences. The results showed that children aged 3-12 get more happiness from material things than from experiences. However, older children get more happiness from experiences than from their possessions.

“It means experiences are highly preferred by adolescents, not just expensive material things, like some might think,”Chaplin says. She goes on to explain,”Don’t get me wrong. Young children do love experiences. And given this concept, theme parks such as Disneyland are being built everywhere. In fact, young children are excited throughout the experience. However, for experiences to provide lasting happiness, children must be able to recall details of the events.”

Long after they have unwrapped their Legos and stuffed animals, there will still be a physical reminder to give them happiness. However, young children can’t see or touch experiences after they are over, making it harder for them to appreciate experiences after a long time. There’s an easy fix, though, according to Chaplin.

“Take pictures or videos of family walks, playing in the snow, and birthday parties,”she said.“Children are likely to appreciate those experiences more if there is something to remind them of the event. Additionally, they’ll be able to learn the social value of shared experiences.”

Children will remember and appreciate not only the birthday gifts they received, but also the time spent with family and friends as they recall the experience through concrete reminders such as photos and videos.

Since memory is developed over time, it’s likely that children, especially young ones, may not get as much happiness from past experiences as from possessions. But with age, creating new memories and exploring new interests may be far more valuable than getting possessions.

1. Why are theme parks springing up according to Chaplin?

A．They can offer children lasting happiness.

B．Events in them are centered on specific themes.

C．Direct involvement in events there caters to children.

D．Kids have an affection for the atmosphere they offer.

2. The underlined word “fix” in Paragraph4 can be replaced be________.

A．solution	B．arrangement
C．preparation	D．focus

3. Which of the following would Chaplin probably agree with?

A．Videos appeal to children more than gifts.

B．Legos and stuffed animals are not kid’s cup of tea.

C．Older children value family time more than younger ones.

D．Physical reminders help remember past experiences better.

4. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Experiences are better gifts for older children.

B．Social values should be put in the first place.

C．New interests are most precious for children.

D．Material possessions bring more happiness to children.

7 . They say everything is bigger in Texas. While that may be true, some of the best things in Texas are quite small. Case in point: tiny Mount Vernon, a town of just under 3,000 people. But if you do come across Mount Vernon, you might just get an intention to stay. That happens a lot around here, and it’s worth noting how remarkable that is.

Tom Wilkinson was born in Mount Vernon 87 years ago and moved back after he retired from his career as a college English professor in Dallas. Like many of his neighbors, Wilkinson can track his ancestors back to the pioneers who settled here in the 1870s. And like many, he values the simple life you can’t easily find in big cities. “People are still polite. They hold the door open for you.” he says, “We grow strong roots here!”

Preserving and honoring the past has been key to helping Mount Vernon survive. The residents have restored and reopened some of the empty stores, including the old barbershop, built more than 100 years ago. An old general store was turned into a combination space. Wander in on any given day and you might find a book club discussion, a Coffee Ladies meet-up, or a work session for the local genealogy(家谱) group among the tables of people chatting over cups of coffee and plates of food.

Mount Vernon has the kind of big hearts you tend to find in a small town. For instance, when a local policeman was diagnosed with cancer last year, ten-year-old Lola McKellar set up a lemonade stand to raise money for his treatments. In 2015, when a 350-year flood sent water rushing into local homes, an army of volunteers showed up to get a wheelchair-bound neighbor and his wife to higher ground, and then came back to help rebuild.

1. What does the author think of Mount Vernon?

A．Remote.	B．Wealthy.
C．Primitive.	D．Attractive.

2. Why did Tom Wilkinson come back to Mount Vernon?

A．He preferred the simple and natural life.	B．He could continue his language teaching.
C．He could live together with his ancestors.	D．He could meet more neighbors of his age.

3. What can we infer about people’s way of life in Mount Vernon from Paragraph 3?

A．It is in danger of extinction.	B．It is quickly changing over time.
C．It is conservative but harmonious.	D．It is being disturbed by the outside world.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The history of Mount Vernon.	B．The humanity of Mount Vernon.
C．The volunteers of Mount Vernon.	D．The reconstruction of Mount Vernon.

8 . The scientists who re-engineered the plastic-eating enzyme(酶) PETase have now created a new enzyme called “cocktail” , which can digest plastic up to six times faster.

PETase breaks down PET back into its building blocks, creating an opportunity to recycle plastic and reduce plastic pollution. PET is the most common thermoplastic(热塑性塑料) used to make single-use drinks bottles, which takes hundreds of years to break down in the environment, but PETase can shorten this time to days. The initial discovery set up the prospect of a revolution in plastic recycling, creating a potential low-energy solution to tackle plastic waste.

Now, the same trans-Atlantic team have combined PETase and its “partner”, a second enzyme called MHETase, to generate much bigger improvements: simply mixing PETase with MHETase doubled the speed of PET breakdown, and engineering a connection between the two enzymes to create a “super-enzyme”, increased this activity by a further three times.

The team was co-led by the scientists who engineered PETase, Professor John McGeehan and Dr Gregg Beckham. Professor McGeehan said: “Gregg and I were chatting about how PETase attacks the surface of the plastics and MHETase chops things up further, so it seemed natural to see if we could use them together. Our first experiments showed that they did work better together, so we decided to physically link them. It took a great deal of work, but it was worth the effort — we were delighted to see that our new enzyme is up to three times faster than the separate enzymes.”

The original PETase enzyme discovery indicated the first hope that a solution to the global plastic pollution problem might be within grasp, though PETase alone is not yet fast enough to handle the tons of PET bottles. Combining it with a second enzyme, and finding together they work even faster, means another leap forward has been taken towards finding a solution to plastic waste. PETase and the new combined MHETase-PETase both work by digesting PET plastic. This allows for plastics to be made and reused endlessly, reducing our reliance on fossil(化石) resources.

1. What can we learn about “cocktail” from the text?

A．It doubles the breakdown of plastics.

B．It takes hundreds of years to break down.

C．It contributes to breaking down plastic quickly.

D．It deals with the plastic waste three times faster.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．A new study of PET.	B．The breakdown of PET.
C．The discovery of PETase.	D．The functions of PETase.

3. What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Co-leading the trans-Atlantic team.	B．Combining PETase and MHETase.
C．Attacking the surface of the plastics.	D．Talking about conducting experiments.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．PET pollution is no longer a difficult problem to deal with.

B．New enzyme is speeding up our reliance on fossil resources.

C．MHETase-PETase makes the world free from plastic pollution.

D．Plastic-eating enzyme “cocktail” promises new hope for plastic waste.

9 . Regardless of whether or not you are young, there are particular habits that give away your true age. Like falling asleep on the very thought of a second glass of wine, some issues simply sign to the world that you are just over 40. Now, a brand-new study reveals that there is one factor you do along with your smartphone that reveals your age: turning to a PIN(personal identification number) to unlock your telephone rather than a fingerprint or facial recognition means you are of an older technology.

The study, carried out by researchers on the University of British Columbia, explored the links between age and smartphone use by remotely monitoring smartphone customers' habits. “As researchers working to protect smartphones from illegal access, we need to first understand how users use their devices,” defined Konstantin Beznosov, a professor involved in the research.

To get more information, the researchers selected 134 volunteers, ranging in age from 19 to 63, and had them set up a tailored app to their Android telephones for two months. The app recorded all of their lock and unlock occasions, together with whether or not they choose auto or guide lock, and the actions of the telephone on the time of unlocking. This is how they found the generational variations in unlocking habits.

The researchers additionally collected information on the size of consumer periods. The staff discovered that along with an individual's most popular technique for unlocking their telephones, the period of time spent on the telephone additionally related with age.

As one report on the study explains “Study showed that older users used their phone less frequently than younger users. For every10-year- interval in age, accordingly there was a 25 per cent decrease in the number of user sessions. In other words, a 25-year-old might use their phone 20 times a day, but a 35-year-old might use it only 15 times.”

So, in case you unlock your smartphone by hand, you may chalk it as much as a generational desire.

1. What will a man in his sixties probably use to unlock his phone?

A．Passwords.

B．Fingerprint.

C．Facial recognition.

D．Voice control.

2. How did the researchers monitor volunteers' unlock habits?

A．Gaining illegal access.	B．Checking their phones.
C．Using special app.	D．Recording with cameras.

3. How many habits related with age are mentioned in the research?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．four.

4. Which could be the best title of the text?

A．Unlocking says your age	B．Secrets to smartphones safe
C．Smartphones change our lives	D．Ways to unlock your smartphones

10 . Queen Bey is now the most-winning female artist, and the most-winning singer, in the 63-year history of the Grammy Awards. She earned 28 trophies including this Sunday's wins for best music video for "Brown Skin Girl" and best rap performance for her "Savage" cooperation with Megan Thee Stallion. She walked into the show with nine nominations, more than anyone else this year.

“As an artist, I believe it's my job, and all of our jobs, to picture the era. It's been such a difficult time,” she said in her acceptance speech “So I wanted to sing high praise for all the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world. This is so overwhelming.” she continued.

Beyonce's Grammy-grabbing music career has continued more than 20 years. Her new title puts her among the ranks of artists such as classical music conductor Sir Georg Solti, who has won 31 Grammy trophies and producer Quincy Jones, who also has 28 trophies. She behaved better than previous female record-holder bluegrass singer Alison Krauss, who holds 27 awards. While Beyonce doesn't even need two names to be recognized, she has many names and identities taking her to Grammy glory. As a young superstar with girl group Destiny's Child, she scored awards for "Say My Name" and "Survivor." She played the legendary Etta James in the film "Cadillac Records," landing her best traditional R&B performance for "At Last".

She is the activist and historian telling the stories of Black people through her award-winning "Formation" music video and visual album "Lemonade". She, with her husband Mr. Carter, put their love story on display with the album "Everything is Love," and she is the director, producer, star of "Homecoming." The combination of all these things makes her today's Grammy legend.

1. How many trophies did Beyonce win in this year's Grammy Awards?

A．Two.

B．Nine.

C．Twenty-eight.

D．Sixty-three.

2. What do Beyonce's words tell us?

A．Support for her work.	B．One of her work goals.
C．Reasons for her winning.	D．Comments on her music.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly focus on about Beyonce?

A．Her influence on others.	B．Her roles in making music.
C．The achievements in her career.	D．The comparison with other artists.

4. Which words can best describe Beyonce?

A．Great and generous.	B．Successful and responsible.
C．Energetic and romantic.	D．Humorous and professional.