1 . Now many young people are traveling around the world on their own, not because they have no one to travel with, but because they prefer to go alone.
Kristina Wegscheider from California first traveled alone when she was at college and believes that it is something everyone should do at least once in their life. “It opens up your mind to things and pushes you out of your comfort zone.” Wegscheider has visited 46 countries covering all seven continents.
In foreign countries, with no one to help you read a map, look after you if you get ill, or lend you money if your wallet is stolen, it is challenging. This is what drives young people to travel alone. It is seen as character building and a chance to prove that they can make it on their own.
Chris Richardson decided to leave his sales job in Australia to go traveling last year. He set up a website, The Aussie Nomad, to document his adventures. He says he wished he had traveled alone earlier. “The people you meet, the places you visit, or the things you do, everything is up to you and it forces you to grow as a person.” said the 30-year-old man.
Richardson describes traveling alone like “a shot in the arm”, which “makes you a more confident person that is ready to deal with anything”. He said, “The feeling of having overcome something on my own is a major part of what drives me each day when I’m dealing with a difficult task. I walk around with my head up because I know deep down inside that nothing is impossible if you try.”
The great 19thcentury explorer John Muir once said. “Only by going alone in silence can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.
1. Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?| A．Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone. |
| B．It is more meaningful to travel in foreign countries. |
| C．It is comfortable to travel around without a friend. |
| D．Traveling abroad helps people to find new things. |
| A．you have to make things on your own. |
| B．it is hard for you to prove yourself to others. |
| C．you can only depend on yourself whatever happens. |
| D．it will finally build your character. |
| A．He started traveling alone at an early age. |
| B．He was once shot in the arm. |
| C．He used to work as a salesman. |
| D．His website will inspire others to travel alone. |
| A．Travel Abroad | B．Travel Alone |
| C．Travel Light | D．Travel Wide and Far |
2 . A man in a very splendid restaurant started to take off his jacket. Seeing this, the head waiter dashed to his table and said, “I’m afraid I must ask you to keep your jacket on, sir, for it is not good manners to do it in such a smart restaurant.”
“Now listen”, said the man, “I’ll let you know that the Queen of England gave me permission to remove my jacket here.”
“The Queen of England?” said the waiter in great surprise.
“Sure,” replied the man, “When I was in England last month, a friend of mine who had a very important position in high society took me to see the Queen. It was rather hot, so I started taking my coat off. The Queen looked over and said, “You may do that in the United States, but you may not do it here.” So I got the Queen’s permission, right?”
1. It is certain that the story happened _______.| A．in England | B．in the Queen’s party |
| C．in America | D．in an ordinary restaurant |
| A．people in the U. S. were less polite |
| B．he shouldn’t take off his coat in such a formal occasion in England |
| C．she permitted him to take off his jacket in America |
| D．the English and the Americans enjoyed different ways of life |
| A．one who didn’t have good understanding |
| B．such a man as used to make trouble |
| C．always ready to do what the Queen told him to |
| D．humorous and careless |
3 . Johnny Cash was born in 1932 in the southern state of Arkansas. His parents were poor cotton farmers. As a school boy, he began writing songs and he performed on radio programs. After high school, he joined the United States Air Force and served as a radio operator in Germany.
He returned to the United States in 1954 and formed a band with two friends and performed at local events. They began recording for Sun Records in Memphis. One of the songs Cash wrote became the first country music hit record for the company. It was “Cry, Cry, Cry.”
Johnny Cash performed all across the United States and Canada. By 1958, Johnny Cash was a successful recording artist, songwriter and singer. He was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Johnny Cash won many awards, including eleven Grammy Awards and the Kennedy Center Honors. He was elected to both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
He died on September 12, 2003, in Nashville at the age of seventy-one.
Fans say that Johnny Cash's music was important because it told simple stories about life and death. They say he cared about social issues and continued to express support for those who are poor and without political power. One of the last songs he recorded was one made popular by the rock and roll group Nine Inch Nails. It is called “Hurt.”
1. Johnny Cash returned to the United States after ________.| A．he finished high school | B．he formed a band |
| C．he served in US Air Force in Germany | D．his song Cry, Cry, Cry became famous |
| A．Johnny Cash performed his famous song Cry, Cry, Cry at the Grand Ole Opry |
| B．Johnny Cash didn't care about social problems |
| C．Johnny Cash's music was only loved by his fans |
| D．the Grand Ole Opry is a place where famous singers hold their concerts. |
| A．Beat | B．Failure | C．Strike | D．Success |
| A．he won many awards in his lifetime |
| B．he often performed in the Grand Ole Opry |
| C．his songs expressed support for the poor people with no political power |
| D．his songs were sung by the rock and roll group Nine Inch Nails |
4 . Somewhere in the warm, clear waters off the coast of Australia, a mature bottlenose dolphin is swimming with her daughter. It's dinnertime. But, instead of chasing down a fish in open waters like she usually does, mom swims over to a basket sponge (海绵)growing on the ocean floor. In a quick move, she breaks off a piece of the sponge, then fits it closely over her mouth. It's hard not to wonder what that watchful youngster might be thinking about all this. Are you going to eat that sponge? Are we playing?
With the sponge secured on her beak, the older dolphin starts sweeping her head back and forth across the ocean floor. She's looking for fish like the sand perch （沙鲈），which hide themselves on the floor of the sea under the sand. As for the sponge stuck onto her mouth, it allows her to clear away the sand without injuring herself on broken pieces of coral, or maybe even suffering the sting （刺痛）of the scorpion fish. The extra work it takes to catch a fish like the sand perch is worth it because they tend to be fattier. And for a dolphin, fattier means more nutritious.
Sure enough, after a few minutes, a sand perch comes out. The fish dashes off for a few yards and then hesitates, waiting for a moment before burying itself in the sand again. In that brief pause, the elder dolphin shakes off the sponge, surfaces for a breath, and then comes down and catches the sand perch before it can rebury itself. She then passes it to her daughter. And with that, the younger dolphin hasn't just gotten a good meal ； more importantly, she's learned a powerful hunting technique - one that years from now, she'll pass along to her own children.
1. Which word best describes the young dolphin's feeling in the first paragraph?| A．Anxious. | B．Curious. |
| C．Scared. | D．Relaxed. |
| A．To chase down fattier fish. | B．To play with her children. |
| C．To protect herself from being hurt. | D．To hide herself under the sand. |
| A．She waits for the right time. | B．She hides under the sand. |
| C．She sets a trap for it. | D．She makes use of space. |
| A．Guidance of an experienced elder. | B．Reliance of a young dolphinonher mom. |
| C．Theprocess of catching fat fish. | D．The powerful hunting technique. |
5 . Since 2007, the American Psychological Association (APA) has conducted a survey of different aspects of stress in America. This year's analysis focused on teens, and on a 10 point scale, adolescents ranked their stress at 5.8, compared with a score of 5.1 reported by adults.
“What is even more disturbing,” says Norman Anderson, CEO and executive vice president of the APA, “is the fact that most teens knew their stress levels weren't healthy—they said 3.9 was probably more desirable—but did little about it.” In fact, the survey revealed that 42% of teens aren't doing enough to manage their stress.
The researchers were concerned about it, since unaddressed stress can lead to both short-term mental-health issues such as depression, as well as lay the seeds for long-lasting conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure in adulthood.
What’s causing teens to feel so anxious? Eighty three percent cited school as a source of stress, including concerns about their future after high school and worries about college. For some, family financial issues also caused anxiety, which wasn’t surprising since previous studies found that parental stress can pass down onto children, even at very young ages.
“This branch of population is not taken seriously sometimes,” said Katherine Nordal, of the APA, “we wanted to shine light on some of the problems we know teens are having and whether they are successful at coping with them or not.”
“Clearly,” said Anderson, “we have work to do to manage stress overall. Stress levels among Americans continue to be high, but coping mechanisms(机制) remain ineffective,” Teens reported doing everything that they probably shouldn't in order to relieve stress—they aren't getting enough sleep, which can add to anxious feelings, and they're less physically active. Exercise is among the best ways to reduce stress, but the survey found that teens were beginning to rely on sitting activities, such as surfing the internet, engaging in social media or watching videos, to relieve stress.
1. From paragraph one, we can learn that___________.| A．no survey has been carried out among teens before |
| B．different aspects of stress mainly existed in adults |
| C．10 percent of the teens are involved in the survey |
| D．compared with the adults, teens are suffering more stress in different aspects |
| A．The government took some measures to reduce teens' stress. |
| B．Most teens took it for granted and did nothing about it. |
| C．42% of teens thought it natural to some stress. |
| D．Most teens were worrying about their stress levels. |
| A．sorrow | B．surprise | C．unhappiness | D．depth |
| A．America's Teens Outscore Adults on Stress |
| B．America Teens' Education in High School |
| C．American Adolescents' Mental and Physical Health Issues |
| D．Modern Psychology Teaching among America's Teens |
6 . As children grow, so does their desire to become independent. As parents, we need to recognize this desire, and encourage it in the right way. When our children grow up and become more independent, we will see many changes in them. Their self-confidence will increase as they are now able to do things that were once beyond their ability. Often they will become more willing to take risks and try new things. Our job is to find the right balance between children’s desire for independence and the need to keep our kids safe.
Kids need to be allowed, in fact encouraged, to take some risks. The goal for parents is to determine how much risk is appropriate (适当的). The right risk level for your child will depend on their age, developmental level, and character. It will change over time, and there are few fast rules that can be used for every child.
It is impossible for any of us to live completely risk-free. So what should parents do? We must encourage them to explore their world, while setting clear limits where safety is an issue; we should let them make their own choices, while pointing out the consequences (后果) that may arise from those choices; we cannot take their steps for them. We can only point out the path.
It’s hard to imagine when they are small. But someday they will be walking, riding a bike, and even driving! However, if we are overprotective, they are likely to grow up ill-prepared to meet the challenges they must face.
1. According to the author, what should parents do when their children want to take risks?| A．Encourage them to try bravely. | B．Give as much advice as they need. |
| C．Persuade their children to give up. | D．Judge how much risk is appropriate. |
| A．they are not satisfied with their lives |
| B．they think they can become a hero |
| C．they become more confident in themselves |
| D．they want to do something against their parents |
| A．ask children to set clear limits | B．allow children to choose their risks |
| C．accept the consequences of the risk | D．prepare children well for life challenges |
| A．make friends with their children | B．build up their children’s confidence |
| C．protect their children from any danger | D．encourage their children to be independent |
7 . Rising numbers of older adults are unable to care for themselves, often leading to serious health problems and even death, according to state and local government agencies. So-called self-neglect cases generally involve the inability to perform basic self-care, such as providing oneself with food, personal health, medication and safety.
Seniors who no longer drive, for instance, are often unable to get to medical appointments, worsening health problems that can make them unable to care for themselves. A fall can result in body injuries leaving one bedridden and unable to care for oneself. Failure to pay bills for public services could lead to service cutoffs. Forgetting to pay rent could lead to the loss of a home.
Mr. Mc-Cormack, 75 years old, and his wife, 71, both had mental illness and stayed in hospitals from time to time, unable to care for their possessions. Despite repeated visits to their home by local officials, the Mc-Cormacks refused assistance. But after they were found living in their car parked outside their house in December 2017, officials removed them from their home and helped them settle in a nursing home.
Self-neglect cases, like above, involved 144, 296 people across the country in 2018, according to a report. The federal government doesn't have comparable data for previous years, but several state and local service providers say they are seeing the self-neglect problem rise.
The reasons seniors stop caring for themselves vary, including illness, depression and poverty. The loss of the spouse or a neighbor who previously kept an eye on an individual often starts a decline into self-neglect, experts say. And the key to reducing self-neglect cases is providing services to enable seniors to remain in their homes safely, such as reliable transportation for medical appointments and shopping, as well as affordable home help.
1. What is the function of Paragraph 2?| A．Give examples of self-neglect cases. | B．Introduce a new topic for discussion. |
| C．Arouse readers' interest. | D．Summarize the previous paragraph. |
| A．They accepted help from others. | B．They took good care of themselves. |
| C．They ended up living in the nursing house. | D．They couldn't afford to go to hospital. |
| A．Self-care benefits greatly the seniors. |
| B．Investigations are conducted on self-neglect. |
| C．Self-neglect rises among the elderly. |
| D．The government promotes self-care of the seniors. |
| A．In a guidebook. | B．In a newspaper. |
| C．In a fairy tale. | D．In a science fiction. |
8 . The M3 Challenge is a contest that gives high schoolers the chance to experience working as a team to deal with a practical problem within limited time. The challenge is meant to give high schoolers a sense of the kinds of problems faced by professional mathematicians working in the real world. Students who are gifted at coding (编程) might consider this competition since extra credit awards are available for teams who include outstanding code as part of their solution.
High school juniors and seniors from anywhere in the U. S. are welcome to participate in the M3 Challenge. Teams of students must consist of three to five people and at least one teacher-coach. Another cool thing? The M3 Challenge is. entirely online until the final round, and there are no participation fees !.
At the end of the M3 Challenge, six teams are identified and invited to present their work in New York City. The finalist teams are also eligible to receive cash awards, which are as follows:
◆ M3 Challenge Champions (Summa Cum Laude Team Prize) $ 20,000
◆ M3 Challenge Runner Up (Magna Cum Laude Team Prize) $ 15,000
◆ M3 Challenge Third Place (Cum Laude Team Prize) $ 10,000
◆ M3 Challenge Finalist (Meritorious Team Prize) $ 5,000 (3 teams)
In addition to these top prizes, there are also awards in the amount of $ 1,500 and $ 1,000 for semi-finalist and honorable mention teams respectively. Finally, Challenge finalists, semi-finalists, and honorable mention teams may be invited to submit applications for summer internships in STEM.
1. What's the purpose of the M3 Challenge?| A．To promote coding. |
| B．To select math professionals. |
| C．To solve difficult math problems. |
| D．To enrich high schoolers' knowledge. |
| A．Having only one coach in a team. |
| B．Coming from a remote U. S. state. |
| C．Including eight students in a team. |
| D．Failing to pay the participation fees. |
| A．$ 1,000. | B．$ 1,500. | C．$ 5,000. | D．$ 10,000. |
9 . The very wealthy English Baron Fitzgerald had only one child, a son, who understandably was the apple of his eye. His wife died when the child was in his early teens. So Fitzgerald devoted himself to fathering the kid. Unluckily the son died in his late teens.
Meanwhile, Fitzgerald’s wealth greatly increased. He spent a lot on art works of the masters.
Later Fitzgerald himself became seriously ill. Before his death, he had carefully prepared his will as to how his wealth would be settled—to sell his entire collection at an auction.
Because of the large quantity and high quality of his collection, a huge crowd of possible buyers gathered for the auction. Many of them were museum directors and private collectors eager to bid. Before the auction, the art works were shown, among which was a painting of Fitzgerald’s son by an unknown artist. Because of its poor quality, it received little attention.
When it was time for the auction, the auctioneer gaveled the crowd to attention. First the lawyer read from Fitzgerald’s will that the first art work to be auctioned was the painting of his son.
The poor-quality painting didn’t receive any bidders... except one — the old servant who had served the son and loved him, and who for emotional reasons offered the only bid.
As soon as the servant bought the painting for less than one English pound, the auctioneer stopped the bidding and asked the lawyer to read again from the will. The crowd became quiet, and the lawyer read from the will, “Whoever buys the painting of my son gets all my collection.” Then the auction was over.
1. The English Baron Fitzgerald was________.| A．a museum director | B．a master of art |
| C．an art collector | D．an artist |
| A．He served Fitzgerald’s son and loved him. | B．He saw that no one bid for it. |
| C．He knew the content of the will. | D．He found it cheap for him to buy |
| A．Proud. | B．Kind. | C．Foolish. | D．Clever. |
| A．The Auction | B．The Painting of the Son |
| C．The Servant at the Auction | D．One Painting for All |
10 . There is nothing like travel when it comes to gaining perspectives and exposing yourself to other cultures. Here is a list of books that transport readers to another time and place.
ITALY: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
This book is written by the popular author Jess Walter. It is a love story that begins on the Italian Coast in the early 60s and eventually appears on the screen in Hollywood. As the settings shift from Italy to Edinburgh to Los Angeles, you will find yourself longing to go as well.
SEATTLE: Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Maria Semple’s first novel is not exactly a love story to Seattle, but if you read it, you just might want to come here to see if people are really as self-involved as the characters in her book. What really shines through is the strange storytelling and the laugh.
ENGLAND: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
You can’t travel to Thomas Cromwell’s England without a time machine, but reading Mantel’s prize-winning novel is the next best thing. It will make you long to see the ancient buildings and green grass of the English countryside, much of which is still there.
NANTUCKER: Here’s to Us Elin Hildebrand
Elin Hilderbrand has built a writing career about her hometown island of Nantucker. Her latest is Here’s to Us, which, perhaps not surprisingly, is a great beach read that will spice up your vacation. You won’t be able to put the page down and desire to get there.
1. Which book has been adapted for a film？| A．Here’s to Us. |
| B．Wolf Hall. |
| C．Beautiful Ruins. |
| D．Where’d You Go, Bernadette. |
| A．Its low price. |
| B．Its interesting characters. |
| C．Its content about love. |
| D．Its way of telling stories. |
| A．They inspire you to travel. |
| B．They are all about love stories. |
| C．They show the joy and sadness |
| D．They help you to be self-involved. |
