2 . Maybe you are familiar with scenes in movies where a pilot has got into an emergency mid-flight and you hear him shout "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!". But what does “Mayday" mean? Mayday is an internationally recognized distress call（求救信号）,mostly used by pilots and boat captains. The signal can be sent out on any channel by radio communication.

This emergency call originated in the 1920s. At that time, the standard distress call was "SOS" and was typically used by navy captains. The message was sent in Morse code by telegraph. In Morse code, “SOS” is three dots, three dashes and three dots. The signal was unmistakable. However, aircraft pilots use radio calls, so sending out “SOS” could be misheard as other letters, such as “F”.

Frederick Stanley Mockford, a radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, was asked to think of a word that would indicate distress. Because of the number of flights that flew between Croydon and Paris, he chose Mayday, as it sounds similar to the French word aider", which means “help me”.

Facing a threatening situation, pilots are required to repeat the signal three times in case of radio interference（干扰）or loud background noise. If the pilots don't get a reply within two minutes, they should repeat it. Once they receive a reply, more information including the code of the flight, their current situation and the number of people on board should be reported. Sometimes pilots are directed to a nearby airport or location where they can make an emergency landing. While Mayday signals indicate a life-threatening situation, they do not always end in deaths.

Despite dangers, air travel is still the safest means of transport.

1. How did navy captains call for help before the 1920s?

A．By sending "Mayday" by telegraph.	B．By calling "Mayday" by radio.
C．By sending “SOS” by telegraph.	D．By calling "SOS" by radio.

2. What does the text tell us about “Mayday"？

A．It is a signal mainly used in European countries.

B．It is only used by pilots and boat captains.

C．It was sent by telegraph in the beginning.

D．It was invented by a radio officer in the 1920s.

3. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．When to use Mayday signals.	B．How to use Mayday signals to call for help,
C．How Mayday signals were recognized.	D．What makes Mayday signals useful.

4. In which section of a newspaper can we find this article?

A．Sports.

B．Fashion.

C．Art.

D．Science.

3 . Answering the Community Needs of Our City

The Siver City Council recognizes that citizens have certain needs. To better meet your needs, we have made several changes to community facilities in 2020. The followings shows how we have tried to make your life better.

Transport

☆Three stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service.

☆20 new buses for the southern line were purchased in January.

☆50 per cent of city bus-stops have been upgraded.

Communication

☆Broadband cableis now available to ll parts of the city.

☆All of the new Government buildings are smart-wired for better computer service!

Medical Facilities

☆The new state-of-the-art Nightingale Hospital was opened in June.

☆To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff at Dover Hospital, 10 doctors have been employed from overseas.

☆Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgraded.

Education

☆Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2020!

☆Rental for private schools has been reduced.

Protection and Security

☆Extra police now patrol(巡逻)the tourist areas.

☆50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city area.

Entertainment/Recreation

☆The new Central Community Building opened in May.

☆5,000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library.

1. What’s the notice mainly about?

A．The work carried out by the people of Silver City.

B．The facilities available in Silver City.

C．Some improvements in Silver City.

D．Information for interested tourists.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Travel books are provided in the new library.

B．More bus lines and stops are bought in Silver City.

C．Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital.

D．There are more police officers on duty now.

3. The public notice is from ________.

A．the community	B．the local government
C．the Silver City Library	D．a travel agency

4 . With paper flowers and music hanging around in the air, Lyu Jun was hosting a small farewell ceremony at an industrial zone in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. It was a funeral for a pet dog. Lyu came up with the idea of becoming a pet mortician (殡葬师) four years ago when he was preparing to start a business.

“At that time, there was only one brick-and-mortar(实体的) business that provided funeral services for pets in Shenzhen, but hundreds of pets die every day in this city,” he said. According to Lyu, many pet owners used to bury the remains of their beloved animals near their homes , which had a harmful impact on the environment and created the risk of spreading disease.

He saw a gap in the market for someone able to properly handle the death of pets. “A pet funeral service provides treatment of the bodies that is harm-free, and it is the greatest comfort to pet owners,” Lyu said.

He takes good care of the remains of the pets and tidies up their appearance before the funeral. In addition, he prepares funeral addresses and selects suitable tombs for the pets. He also films funerals for owners who cannot attend the ceremonies, and provides paper and pens for those who want to write down their blessings and hang the notes on the wishing tree.

Over the past four years, Lyu has bid farewell to more than 2,000 dogs, cats and other kinds of animals. He also does volunteer work in his spare time to promote responsible dog raising. “The pet funeral service industry is still in its babyhood, and I hope there will be a set of strict standards for people who take on this job and a belter environment for the industry,” Lyu said.

1. Why did Lyu start the business on pet funeral service?

A．Because he could earn a lot of money from it.

B．Because he thought it met the market requirement.

C．Because he thought it would be a unique and challenging business.

D．Because he could help owners bury their dead pets near their homes.

2. What does Lyu often do as a pet mortician?

A．He delivers speeches to mourn the pets.

B．He gives best wishes to the pets' owners.

C．He makes films of the pets for their birth.

D．He nurses and cares for the pets carefully.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Lyu volunteers to raise pets on his own.

B．The pet funeral service has got a big success.

C．More strict standards should be set for pets' owners.

D．There remains a potential in the pet funeral industry.

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A research report.	B．An advertisement.
C．A novel.	D．A magazine.

5 . Do you like running enough to make it a habit? Tierney Wolfgram does; she has made running a lifelong career and isn't stopping.

In February, the 16-year-old from a high school, US, competed at the 2020 US Olympic Trials. She finished the marathon(42.195 km)with a time of 2:42:47 as the youngest competitor in the race and ranked 76th out of 390 runners. However, the cross-country(越野的)season was postponed to winter because of the COVID-19. So she jumped at the opportunity to train for another race-the Parkway Marathon in California. In November, Wolfgram broke the Women's American Junior marathon record with her time of 2:31:49. The old record was 2:34:32, which had stood since 1984.

“I'm completely stunned, ”said Wolfgram's coach.   “I knew she was going to break it, but she really showed out！”

During the run, Wolfgram once hit a wall pretty hard, but she overcame it to finish. “I guess I can say I gave it my all, ”she told Runner's World. “When I finished, all I was thinking was I felt super happy,” Wolfgram said This was only her third marathon. In 2018, when Wolfgram was 15 years old, she ran her first marathon just because she wanted to see if she had the ability to do it. “I believed that I would get faster as the distances got longer. . . I'm still glad that I did it. ”

When preparing for that first marathon, she ran up to 120 miles per week. Although her parents didn't have any background in running, they helped Wolfgram train. At first, her dad would take her out in the morning and run about 13 miles. The distance would gradually increase each day. On top of her runs in the morning, she would do cross-country practice after school.

Now Wolfgram will consider attending the Olympics Games in 2024 after it's scheduled.

1. What can we learn about Wolfgram from Paragraph 2?

A．She was the champion at the 2020 US Olympic Trials.

B．She put off the cross-country season for the COVID-19.

C．She broke an Olympic marathon record in November.

D．She prepared for the Parkway Marathon in California.

2. What does the underlined word “stunned”in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Doubtful

B．Worried.

C．Shocked.

D．Interested

3. What inspired Wolfgram to run her first marathon?

A．Her parents' encouragement.	B．Her desire to prove she could do it.
C．Her coach's support and help.	D．Her hope to break the national record

4. Which section of a newspaper does the passage probably come from?

A．Sports.

B．Lifestyle

C．Culture.

D．Opinion

6 . Welcome to our full-hotel hotel for dogs and cats. Here your cats can rest easy in comfortable quarters (住处)and dogs can enjoy playtime, salon services, training classes and more!

Accommodations Standard Guest Rom An open space that's cleaned daily and furnished with comfortable bedding Private Suite Large suits (套房) separated from the standard rooms for a more peaceful, private environment and they are perfect for multiple family pets. Rooms are cleaned daily and feature a raised cot (小床) and TV tuned to pet-themed shows. Kitty Cottage Cat cottages are kept separate from dog guest accommodation and they are cleaned daily. Boarding two cats? Cottages with connecting doors are available. Meals We serve meals for free. If you're bringing meals from home, please portion (分配) them into disposable (一次性的) sealed bags marked with your pet's name. Want to surprise your pet with a tasty snack? We also have treats and doggie ice cream available for purchase. Comforts Our cozy rooms and private suites are stocked with comfortable bedding but please feel free to bring your pet's bed, blanket and toys to make them feel even more at home.

Boarding requirements Vaccinations Vaccinations (疫苗) must be administered at least 48 hours prior to arrival under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian (持证兽医). However, we prefer that vaccinations should be administered 10 to 14 days before check-in to make sure maximum efficiency. Witten proof is required. Fleas & Ticks In addition to vaccinations, all pets should be flea and tick (虱子) free. Overnight "guests" with signs of fleas And/or ticks will not be allowed to check in.

Additional Requirements All PetsHotel guests must be over four months old before we can offer hospitality.

1. According to the passage PetsHotel offers________.
①clean and comfortable quarters
②salon services and training classes
③free meals for pets
④tick and flea clean-up service

A．①②③

B．①③④

C．①②④

D．②③④

2. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Private suites in PetsHotel are only for guests with many pets

B．PetsHotel offers delicious snacks for pet guests for free.

C．Toys are not allowed into PetsHotel.

D．PetsHotel only accommodates pets aged four months and above.

3. Where can you probably find this passage?

A．On the website of an animal protection group.	B．In the Life section of a newspaper.
C．On the leaflet of a hotel for pets.	D．On the announcement board of a pet clinic.

7 . Nurses have saved almost 800 lives in just one year by using iPads, iPods and mobile phones to record patients' vital (至关重要的) signs instead of paper charts.

Death rates at two major hospitals dropped by more than 15% after the nursing stall started using hand-held devices instead of paper notes to monitor (监督) the condition of patients, according to the research published recently.

Nurses recorded patients' blood pressure, pulse, oxygen levels and other indicators on tablets and mobiles. Specialist software, called VitalPAC, automatically told them if the patient was deteriorating. If this is happened the nurse was warned to increase the frequency of their monitoring of the patient and, in some cases, to warn a doctor or a response team.

The introduction of the new system led to a fall of almost 400 patient deaths in just 12 months at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, and a drop of more than 370 in the same period at University Hospital, Coventry, according to the study in BMJ Quality & Safety. An editorial in the journal described the research as "an important milestone" in improving patient safety and said the lowering of mortality (死亡率) at these two hospitals "represents a truly dramatic improvement".

Data recorded on the hand-held devices is automatically uploaded to a hospital-wide system allowing nurses, doctors and managers to monitor the health of patients across all wards. Staff on ward rounds have instant access to information from any device connected to the hospital network.

The system is now installed in 40 hospitals across England and could eventually be rolled out across the whole of the NHS. The system was developed by doctors and nurses at Portsmouth working together with health improvement company The Learning Clinic.

Dr. Paul Schmidt, of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, one of the leaders of the project, said: "Observing patients and making accurate records provides a safety net to guard against their deterioration. We believed traditional paper charts were not doing the job well enough so we designed an electronic system to support staff. This study shows its introduction was followed by a significant drop in deaths."

1. What can be learned about VitalPAC?

A．It was designed by The Learning Clinic independently.

B．It works with the hand-held devices.

C．It can replace the nurses to take care of patients.

D．It was applied by all the members of the NHS.

2. The underlined word "this" in Paragraph 3 refers to the situation where         .

A．the specialist software is out of order.

B．the patient's condition is getting worse.

C．the patient's vital signs are uploaded.

D．the patient's indicators are difficult to record.

3. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The significance of VitalPAC.	B．The improvement of Vita1PAC.
C．The rules of operating VitalPAC.	D．The brief introduction of VitalPAC.

4. Where does the text probably come from?

A．A fashion magazine.	B．A story book.
C．A news report.	D．A science fiction.

8 . Only 48% of school age children in the United States get 9 hours of sleep most weeknights, according to a new research being presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics ( AAP) 2019 National Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans. An abstract of the study, "Sounding the Alarm on the Importance of Sleep” , will be presented on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

“Long-term sleep loss is a serious public health problem among children,” said abstract author Hoi See Tsao, MD, FAAP. "Insufficient sleep among adolescent, for example, is associated with physical and mental health consequences including increased risk of depression and obesity and negative effects on mood, attention and academic performance.”

Dr. Tsao said, "Our research shows that children who get enough sleep are more likely to flourish(健康成长)in comparison to children with insufficient sleep."

Researchers analyzed responses from parents and caregivers of 49,050 children ranging in age from 6-17 years old in the combined 2016-2017 National Survey of Children's Health. They answered questions on how many hours of sleep a randomly selected child in their household slept on an average weeknight. For the study, sufficient sleep was defined as sleeping greater than or equal to 9 hours on an average weeknight.

The researchers found that sufficient sleep, was positively associated with several individual flourishing markers, as well as the combined childhood flourishing measure. The researchers also identified risk factors associated with insufficient sleep, which included lower levels of parental or caregiver education, the presence of mental health conditions and so on.

Dr. Tsao said the study strengthened the importance of increasing efforts to help children get the recommended amount of sleep for their age. “Interventions like these may help children demonstrate more measures of childhood flourishing, enhance their development and give them brighter futures, " she said.

1. What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?

A．The harm of long-term lack of sleep.

B．The cause of long-term lack of sleep.

C．The way to improve sleep quality.

D．The advice against sleep loss.

2. Who were questioned in the study according to the passage?

A．Children and parents.	B．Researchers and caregivers.
C．Parents and researchers.	D．Parents and caregivers.

3. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．Dr.Tsao denies the efforts

B．Dr. Tsao thinks highly the study.

C．New interventions can help children sleep

D．New interventions are of little importance.

4. Where can we most probably read this test?   .

A．In a science report.	B．In a personal diary
C．In a travel magazine.	D．In a geography textbook.

9 . Researchers in Singapore found that eating mushrooms over twice per week could help prevent memory and language problems later in life.

According to the study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, there is a unique antioxidant (抗氧化物质) present in mushrooms that helps protect certain brain functions.

Researchers observed 663 Chinese adults aged over 60 whose diets and lifestyles were tracked from 2011 to 2017. In the study, the participants were asked how often they ate six different types of mushrooms: oyster, shiitake, white button, dried, golden and tinned. The findings showed that eating more than two shares of mushrooms per week somehow lowered the chances of mild cognitive impairment (MCi) by 50% against those who ate fewer than one share.

MCI is a condition that can make people forgetful, affect their memory and cause problems with language, attention and finding the exact position of objects in space. Changes in behavior can be not very noticeable and not serious enough to be known as dementia (痴呆).

Participants who ate more mushrooms were found to perform better in thinking and processing exams and also exhibited a faster processing speed. The advantage was reportedly more apparent in those who ate more than two shares a week or more than 300 grams.

The scientists pointed out, however, that they have yet to put up a direct link between the fungi and brain function.

The researchers also acknowledged that since this study mainly relied on self-reported information on mushroom intake and other dietary factors (因素), further studies may be required.

Still, the lead study author Lei Feng is encouraged by their findings.

“This correlation is surprising and encouraging,” Lei said.

Mushrooms are one of the richest dietary sources of ergothioneine — a matter which humans can’t make on our own.

1. What are the findings in paragraph 3 about?

A．Diets and lifestyles.	B．The percent of MCI.
C．The types of mushrooms.	D．The benefit of eating mushrooms.

2. What can we know about MCI?

A．It can strengthen memory.	B．It can result in language problems.
C．It can make people get lost.	D．It can lessen the chance of forgetfulness.

3. What is the result if students often eat more mushrooms?

A．They will take the exams much more easily

B．Their academic performance improves greatly

C．Their thinking ability is better than the majority

D．They will love communicating with others.

4. Where does the text most probably appear?

A．Scientific fiction.	B．An advertisement.
C．A science report.	D．Adult literature.

10 . Dreaming of summer picnics filled with family and fun? We’ve come up with 4 of the top picnic areas across the US.

Cumberland Islands, Georgia

Just a few hours south of Savannah, this national seashore is a wonderful picnic place. It’s an unspoiled place in the Deep South with over 50 miles of hiking trails (小径). Covered in Spanish moss, the trails are lined with trees and since it’s still a rural area, the stars line up for a grand show at night and create the perfect evening starlit picnic opportunity.

Grant Park, Chicago

If you are looking for delicious food in Chicago, go for a taste of a 20-day, lake-front, foodie festival that happens in October each year. Grab a spot near the fountain to enjoy your picnic, appreciate the city scenery and lake views and relax with family and friends. If you are there on July 4th, be sure to plan the day to include the fireworks display at the Navy Pier.

Cranberry Islands, Maine

Here, you’ll enjoy natural picnics with island views. The islands are a delightful group of islands about 20 minutes offshore from Acadia National Park. You can visit the islands by private boat or ferry service. Bring a picnic basket along for the ride as it’s a romantic picnic area to take your special someone or go for a family outing to visit the islands.

Big Sur, California

The Point Lobos State Reserve is a small gem. Besides the coastal wildlife there are rare plant communities, and unique geological formations. It’s good to have a picnic there. We recommend bringing a telescope, because much of the wildlife can be seen only at a distance.

1. Why does the writer advise us to go to Cumberland Islands?

A．Because they are just next to Savannah.

B．Because they have a grand show every night.

C．Because they are almost covered in Spanish moss.

D．Because they keep their original ecology (生态).

2. Where can you enjoy observing wildlife with a telescope?

A．At the Navy Pier.	B．At the Point Lobos State Reserve
C．At Acadia National Park.	D．In the Deep South.

3. Where can we most probably read this passage?

A．In a personal dairy.	B．In a science report.
C．In a geography textbook.	D．In a travel magazine.