1 . When Adora Svitak was twelve years old, she spoke on the TED stage, saying she hates the word "childish" if it's being used to describe irrational （不合理的）demands or irresponsible behavior. She said she has seen enough of that in the adult world, so she knows irrational demands and irresponsible behavior aren't limited to children. In fact, she made the point that adults could learn a thing or two if they'd only open their mind to the possibility that kids have a lot to offer the world.
Even as a kid, Svitak often spoke to educators, making the point that there should be more of a reciprocal （互惠的）relationship between teachers and students. "It shouldn't just be teachers at the head of the classroom telling them to do this or that. The students should teach their teachers," she said.
But she wasn't naive（幼稚的）, and she knew that isn't how many classrooms and schools operate in that way. Her theory is that it's all about trust. Adults always seem to have a restrictive （约束的）attitude towards kids. "Kids have no or very little say in making the rules," Svitak joked.
As a young child, Svitak loved to write. When her mom gave her a computer she wrote over 300 short stories on it. She wanted to get them published, and she was lucky because her parents were on her side. Even though she was turned down by many publishers, eventually she did have a book of short stories published. She was only seven years old then.
After that first success, Svitak has gone on to do more impressive things, something she wishes more kids had the support to do. She says it's important for kids to be heard and contribute when they're young, so they grow up to become a better kind of adult. "The goal is not to turn kids into your kind of adults, but rather better adults than you guys have been. Progress happens because new generations and new eras grow and develop, and they become better than the previous ones. It's the reason we aren't in the Dark Ages anymore," she said.
1. What does Svitak think of using "childish" to describe irrational demands?| A．It is unfair for children. | B．It can lead to positive effects. |
| C．It takes no account of adults' needs. | D．It can result in irresponsible behavior. |
| A．Students get along with teachers. | B．Students teach instead of learning. |
| C．Teachers keep telling students what to do. | D．Teachers and students learn from each other. |
| A．They supported her. | B．They had doubt about it. |
| C．They were greatly shocked. | D．They hardly took it seriously. |
| A．Children need to stick to their dreams. |
| B．Parents should satisfy their children's needs. |
| C．Children are advised to imitate their parents. |
| D．Parents should support and expect more from children. |
2 . The vaccine (疫苗) news continues to seem very encouraging. Britain started its mass vaccination effort and the U.S. isn’t far behind.
But there is still one dark cloud hanging over the vaccines that many people don’t yet understand.
The vaccines will be much less effective at preventing death and illness in 2021 if they are introduced into a population where the coronavirus is still severe—as is now the case in the U.S.
A vaccine is like a fire hose (消防龙头). A vaccine that’s 95 percent effective, as Moderna’s and Pfizer’s versions appear to be, is a powerful fire hose. But the size of a fire is still a bigger determinant of how much destruction occurs.
At the current level of infection in the U.S. (about 200,000 confirmed new infections per day), a vaccine that is 95 percent effective—distributed at the expected pace—would still leave a terrible toll (伤亡人数) in the six months after it was introduced. Almost 10 million or so Americans would catch the virus, and more than 160,000 would die.
This is far worse than the toll in a different situation where the vaccine was only 50 percent effective but the U.S. had reduced the infection rate to its level in early September (about 35,000 new daily cases). In that case, the death toll in the next six months would be kept to about 60,000.
It’s worth pausing for a moment on this comparison. If the U.S. had maintained its infection rate from September and Moderna and Pfizer had announced this fall that their vaccines were only 50 percent effective, a lot of people would have panicked.
But the reality we have is actually worse.
How could this be? No vaccine can get rid of a pandemic immediately, just as .no fire hose can put out a forest fire. While the vaccine is being distributed, the virus continues to do damage.
There is one positive way to look at this: Measures that reduce the virus’s spread—like mask-wearing, social distancing and rapid-result testing—can still have great consequences. They can save more than 100,000 lives in coming months.
1. How does the author mainly present his argument?| A．By giving definitions. | B．By categorizing facts. |
| C．By drawing comparisons. | D．By appealing to emotions. |
| A．Improving the effectiveness of the vaccines. |
| B．Producing a greater variety of vaccines. |
| C．Looking at the situation in a positive way. |
| D．Wearing masks and practicing social distancing. |
| A．The vaccines are less effective than expected. |
| B．The US have controlled the spread of the coronavirus. |
| C．The death toll in the next six months will be about 60,000. |
| D．Fewer people will die if the infection rate is lower. |
| A．The vaccine is the hope of wiping out the pandemic. |
| B．The public are optimistic about the effects of the vaccine. |
| C．The public are concerned about the high infection rate. |
| D．The distribution of vaccine will end the pandemic quickly. |
3 . Here is a surprising and important fact: Mental work alone can't make us tired.It sounds funny. But a few years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue (疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue toxins (毒素) and fatigue products.But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.
So far as the brain is concerned， it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning.The brain is totally tireless.So what makes us tired?
Some scientists find that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional attitudes. One of England's most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin.In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare(罕见的).” Dr Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He says, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of a sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction?No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety, tenseness, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated-those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.
1. What did the scientists discover a few years ago?| A．We could hardly find fatigue toxins in a laborer’s blood. |
| B．Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn out after a day’s week. |
| C．A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue. |
| D．The brain could work for many hours without tiredness. |
| A．difficult work |
| B．endless tasks |
| C．unpleasant emotions |
| D．physical labor |
| A．Have some good food |
| B．Exercise regularly |
| C．Enjoy the work |
| D．Discover fatigue toxins |
| A．How to take away nervousness |
| B．How to work well and swiftly |
| C．How to deal with hard work |
| D．How to get much satisfaction |
4 . You probably have not heard of Lu Zikuan, but recently the 11-year-old boy deeply touched Chinese netizens for donating his bone marrow (骨髓) to save his sick father and has returned to school in his hometown.
Lu Zikuan is just an ordinary boy from Huixian county, Henan province. On hearing about his father’s illness, the boy had a strong feeling that he should do something to help. He gained 15 kilograms in three months in order to meet the weight (at least 45 kg) required for an operation to save his father, who suffered from leukemia（急性白血病）and was in need of a bone marrow transplant. By filling his stomach with five meals a day, he ballooned to 45 kg from his original 30 kg since March, when the bone marrow was found to match that of his father.
On Sept 9, the operation went smoothly at a Peking University People’s Hospital branch in Qinghe, Beijing. His father is recovering from the transplant, and the boy has been out of hospital and on a diet. After putting on weight, even very little exercise would exhaust him and his inner thighs often got red and swollen when he walked. Now the boy has lost 4 kilograms since the operation, and he hopes to eventually get back to about 30 kg.
According to his father, Lu Zikuan never bothered him with his studies. His grades have always been within the top five, and he’s still class monitor. His teachers and classmates also spoke highly of him, “He is really the kind of boy we can depend on. Whenever we are in trouble, he is ready to help.”
When interviewed, the boy told the reporter, “It’s nothing. I just did what I should. If anyone else were in my position, they would definitely do the same thing.”
1. What can we learn about Lu Zikuan?| A．He disappointed the Chinese netizens greatly. |
| B．He tried to lose some weight to save his father. |
| C．He suffered little after gaining weight. |
| D．He was found to match in bone marrow with his father. |
| A．Brave and reliable. | B．Selfish and generous. |
| C．Aggressive and ambitious. | D．Courageous and outgoing. |
| A．Sports. | B．News. |
| C．Culture. | D．Entertainment. |
| A．Leukemia—A Deadly disease | B．The Life Story of Lu Zikuan |
| C．A Successful Operation | D．Brave Boy Saved His Father |
5 . Working or learning in a foreign country can be a difficult experience. The hardest part of working abroad isn't finding a place to stay or learning the language. It's learning to overcome the culture shock.
These things are part of everyday life, and include many signs, gestures, facial expressions ,and customs. When we enter a new culture, these cues (提示)are usually not present or so different that they’re no longer understandable to us.
“When a person enters a foreign culture, ” wrote Oberg, “all or most of these familiar cues are eliminated. He or she is like a fish out of water. No matter how broad-minded he or she may be, lots of props(支柱) have been knocked out from the environment.”
This is what happened to Lara, a young IT consultant (顾问) from America moved last year to their company in southern Europe. Three weeks after she arrived in Europe. Lara sent a desperate e-mail begging to return home. “The people are so unfriendly, ”Lara wrote ,"They eat at strange hours and I'm starting to get allergic (过敏的)to the local food. I can't get anything done because their way of doing business is so disorganized and so inefficient and I have a terrible skin itch because of the water. I want to come home! ”
What Lara and other IT consultants meet on their first assignment abroad is a culture shock. While you can’t prevent the culture shock from happening, you can take some measures to cut down its effects.
1. What is the most difficult part for a foreign student?| A．Entering a famous school. |
| B．Finding a right place to live. |
| C．Adapting to the local culture. |
| D．Learning the foreign language. |
| A．solved | B．measured |
| C．observed | D．removed. |
| A．Her life got into a mess. |
| B．She worked more efficient than at home. |
| C．She couldn’t get on well with her colleagues. |
| D．She was out of condition because of the weather |
| A．To tell us how she manages to work well. |
| B．To explain to us what the culture shock is. |
| C．To show us how to adapt to the culture shock. |
| D．To show us where we'll meet with the culture shock. |
6 . It’s summer, and school-aged kids are finding all kinds of ways to have fun, from a trip to the pool or playground to playing games with smart phones. As a result, they are also forgetting some of what they learned in school, a phenomenon (现象) called “summer slide”. Fortunately, summer slide can be prevented with just a little regular practice of fun.
Encourage reading every day. Make a special event out of a trip to the public library, and let your kids pick out whatever interests them. Give your kids a special treat for every book they finish. Help them set up a reading corner in their room that’s quiet, comfortable and free of various electronic distractions. Best of all, give them the gift of your own example as an enthusiastic reader.
Another way to make reading fun is to share a poem together. Poems by writers like Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein and Maurice Sendak are fun to read aloud, and often have a strong sense of humor that attracts children. Take turns reading them aloud to each other, talk about what they mean, and see if you can memorize your favorites. Then have a contest to see who can write the best poem.
Summer is a great time to visit a learning place together. Children’s museums are specially designed to make learning fun and enjoyable for kids and let them practice essential skills. Or just take a walk together on one of our many nature paths, where your children can use their reading skills to learn about the plants, animals and geology around them. And of course, don’t forget the special programs offered by many local public libraries, along with many other learning materials for kids of all ages.
1. Which of the following can be named “summer slide”?| A．Having no idea how to play computer games. |
| B．Forgetting how to organize a camping activity. |
| C．Failing to know how to go swimming in a pool. |
| D．Not remembering how to do a chemistry experiment in the lab. |
| A．Taking them to libraries often. |
| B．Being an enthusiastic reader yourself. |
| C．Setting a reading corner in their room. |
| D．Giving them a treat to encourage reading. |
| A．They are easy to read aloud. |
| B．They can be memorized by children. |
| C．They are suitable for both adults and children. |
| D．They attract children with their sense of humor. |
| A．The cause of summer slide. |
| B．Fun ways to prevent summer slide. |
| C．Ways to keep children active in summer. |
| D．The effects of summer slide on children. |
7 . Recently，as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his high school team，I was starting to feel sorry for myself and for him．His team was facing adversity（逆境）on the court and he was playing in a hostile environment-it was the opponent's home gym filled with their supporters，and Nathan's team was trailing（落后）for three quarters of the game．As for me，I had been dismissed from my job earlier in the day．
During my drive home，I kept telling myself that I will find work again in a short time-I am confident in my experience and abilities．This is the same belief that I tried to instill in my son．
The basketball game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan's team still trailing．I saw the determination on his，as well as his teammates'faces as they fought back to not only tie the game（平局），but then go ahead by three points．Then，a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to tie the game up again．With a tie game and seconds on the clock，Nathan found himself with the ball and with skill and confidence，he proceeded to make the basket with a defender hanging all over him．The other player was called for a foul（犯规）．
As Nathan stood at the foul line preparing for a shot that would put his team up by three points，I saw the focus and determination on his face，there was no room for self doubt．Nathan was able to tune out all the distractions and nail the free throw with such skill，it was as if he had done it a thousand times．
As I sat there，my heart bursting with pride，it dawned on me．I had taught him perseverance in the face of adversity，and he had just taught me the same lesson．That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court．He will play in the finals，but it doesn't matter if he wins or loses，at this moment，we both won．
1. What did the author estimate his son's team would be like at first？ ______| A．The team would lose at home court． |
| B．The team would finally win． |
| C．The team would win the championship． |
| D．The team would lose at visiting court． |
| A．Self-doubting and pessimistic． |
| B．Self-confident and optimistic． |
| C．Hardworking and intelligent． |
| D．Easy-going and warmhearted． |
| A．Avoid | B．Focus． |
| C．Create | D．Receive． |
| A．Life Goes Just Like Playing Basketball． |
| B．It Matters Whether to Win or Lose． |
| C．A Lesson in Life and Basketball． |
| D．Father And Son in Life． |
8 . Exercise helps to keep us in good health. Doctors at the American Heart Association suggest getting at least 150 minutes of proper physical activity every week. Many people exercise for a few minutes every day or every other day. So, getting 150 minutes every week is easy.
But what about those times when you are sick? If you do not feel well, should you keep following your exercise habit? Health experts answer these and other questions.
Edward R. Laskowski is a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. He and other experts have a general rule of yes about exercising when you are sick. It is usually fine to exercise, he explains, if your symptoms （症状）are all “above the neck". These signs may include a runny nose, a blocked nose, sneezing or a minor sore throat.
Geralyn Coopersmith is a physical fitness trainer who has written several books on exercise and nutrition. Both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest taking a break from exercising if signs of your illness appear "below the neck". Pay special attention to symptoms such as chest congestion, extreme cough or pain in the stomach.
There are other symptoms that can tell you to avoid exercise. They include: a higher than normal body temperature, a sense of feeling extremely tired, and widespread muscle pain.
Both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest listening to your body. If you feel really bad, take a break and let your body rest. If you don't feel too bad, these experts both suggest reducing the amount of exercise. For example, if you usually run, take a quick walk instead.
1. How long should people do exercise to keep healthy?| A．About 150 minutes per day. | B．Around 100 minutes per day. |
| C．At least 150 minutes per week. | D．No more than 100 minutes per week. |
| A．When your left leg is broken. | B．When you have a runny noses. |
| C．When you have a blocked nose. | D．When you have a minor sore throat. |
| A．Be careful with your cars. | B．Learn to take advice of others. |
| C．Pay attention to body signals. | D．Listen to music to keep healthy. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Nothing seek, nothing find. |
| C．Put your heart into exercise. | D．Act according to your abilities. |
