1 . A number of companies have used the wind, the sun and the ground heat to produce energy. Now, the Ocean Renewable Power Company, or ORPC, is using the force of flowing rivers and ocean currents. The company recently presented the new technology at an energy conference. Christopher Sauer, the CEO and co－creator of ORPC says the technology was designed for small, rural communities that do not have easy access to power sources.
The ORPC technology is an energy generator which can be put under water, called RivGen. It works in a series of steps. First, the generator is put in the middle of a steel cage. The cage goes on top of a wide boat with a flat bottom. Wheels— or, turbines (涡轮机) — are attached to each side of the generator. Once the boat is fixed to one place, it is flooded with water. The boat, cage, and generator all sink to the bottom of the river. There, the river current turns the wheels and creates as much as 50 kilowatts of power.
CEO Christopher Sauer says RivGen is not very tall, so it can work in water areas that are not very deep. Other companies are not able to work in shallow water, he adds. Sauer says the turbines are safe for the animals that live in the river. Meanwhile, the turbines’ shape permits the generator to harvest power from tidal currents in the ocean. The company’s ocean turbine, called TidGen, can create up to 600 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power a small settlement.
Right now, the amount of power TidGen can harvest changes as the strength of the tide goes up and down. But ORPC workers are trying to make the power output steady. In time, they want TidGen power to be part of the main energy grid (电网). Sauer estimates ORPC’ s current price is about 50 cents per kilowatt－hour. That price does not make the ORPC system competitive with natural gas. However, for small rural communities, diesel (柴油) energy can cost more than $ 1 per hour. In these situations, energy from flowing water could be more economical.
1. What does ORPC use to produce electricity?| A．Wind. | B．Sun. | C．Water. | D．Ground heat. |
| A．The working principle of RivGen. | B．The design feature of RivGen. |
| C．The system composition of RivGen. | D．The main function of RivGen. |
| A．It can work in shallow water. | B．It can accelerate ocean currents. |
| C．It can power a large settlement. | D．It can increase the number of fish. |
| A．Pollution－free. | B．Money－saving. |
| C．Mass－production. | D．Resource－consuming. |
2 . Vietnam launched preparations for the Lunar New Year with a fish release on Thursday. The tradition involves releasing fish called carp into rivers and lakes in the country a week before the holiday known as Tet officially begins.
The tradition comes from an ancient story of three “Kitchen Gods”. The three, two males and a female, take a ride on the brightly colored carp at the end of the year. They go to Heaven to meet with the Jade Emperor, the God who rules there. The Kitchen Gods report news about the families they represent to ask for the emperor's care and protection. Their efforts help to keep the kitchen fires burning, and families happy and healthy.
Vietnamese believe the fish release brings good luck to their families. As the gods go to Heaven, families clean their houses in preparation to celebrate Tet. A clean house, Vietnamese believe, will bring luck in the new year. On Lunar New Year's Eve, the gods will return to earth and their duties in the kitchen of the house.
Releasing the fish makes me feel better about myself," said Nguyen Hong Nhung of Hanoi. "It's like I've done a good deed, so I'll be luckier in the new year.
Thursday's event, which takes place across Vietnam, was more restrained than in years past because of COVID - 19. It is spreading in several northern areas of the country. "Vietnamese will still follow the tradition of releasing the fish, but COVID-19 has made people keep a safe distance", said Tran Van Toi as he released carp from a plastic bag at Hanoi's West Lake.
The Lunar New Year is also celebrated in China, Korea, Laos and other Asian countries.
1. Why do Vietnamese set free carp at the Lunar New Year?| A．To honor the Jade Emperor. | B．To follow official rules. |
| C．To bring good fortune. | D．To protect wildlife. |
| A．Canceled. | B．Postponed. | C．Forbidden. | D．Restricted. |
| A．A tradition in Vietnam. | B．The Kitchen Gods. |
| C．A festival in Asian countries. | D．The fish called carp. |
| A．Opinion. | B．Culture. | C．Business. | D．Lifestyle. |
3 . In the second half of each year, many powerful storms are born in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean seas. Of these, only about half a dozen becomes the strong, circling winds of 75 miles per hour or more that are called hurricanes, and several usually make their way to the coast. There they cause millions of dollars of damage, and bring death to large numbers of people.
The great storms that hit the coast start as soft circling wind hundreds—even thousands—of miles out to sea. As they travel aimlessly over water warmed by the summer sun, they are carried westward by the southeast winds. When conditions are just right, warm, moist air flows in at the bottom of such a wind, moves upward through it and comes out at the top. In the process, the moisture in this warm air produces rain, and with it the heat is changed to energy in the form of strong winds. As the heat increases, the young hurricane begins to move in a counter－clockwise motion.
The life of a hurricane is only about nine days, but it contains almost more power than we can imagine. The energy in the heat released by a hurricane’s rainfall in a single day would satisfy the entire electrical needs of the United States for more than six months. Water, not wind, is the main source of death and destruction in a hurricane. A typical hurricane brings 6 to 12 inch downpours, causing sudden floods. Worst of all is the powerful movement of the sea — the mountains of water moving toward the hurricane center. The water level rises as much as 15 feet above normal as it moves toward shore.
1. When is an ordinary tropical storm called a hurricane?| A．When it begins in the Atlantic and Caribbean seas. | B．When it hits the coastline. |
| C．When it is more than 75 miles wide. | D．When its winds reach 75 miles per hour. |
| A．The terrible effects of water. | B．The heat they give off. |
| C．That they last about nine days. | D．Their strong winds. |
| A．heavy rainfall | B．the progress of water to the hurricane center |
| C．dangerous waves | D．the increasing heat |
| A．It travels more than 75 miles per hour. |
| B．It usually stays about 9 days. |
| C．It usually causes 6 to 12 inch downpours. |
| D．It sometimes brings the sea water level to the height of 15 feet. |
4 . To stay safe during the COVID-19, we have had to sacrifice many things we enjoy, including physical contact with others. Gone are handshakes, kisses and hugs. Research has shown that humans need physical touch to stay mentally and physically healthy. Without it, many become lonely, sad and even sick. So, if you feel you need a hug, we know something you can safely put your arms around and hold close ： A tree!
Tree hugging may sound a little strange. But humans have practiced forms of nature therapy for years. The Japanese practice of shinrin-Yoko is an example. Shinrin means forest in Japanese, and yoku is the Japanese word for bath. But no soap or water is needed for shinrin-yoku. All that nature bathing requires is spending time in nature ： listening to its sounds, breathing in its scent, connecting to its life force.
Recently, Israel has been promoting tree hugging on social media. The country's nature and parks agency is behind the public health campaign. Orit Steinfeld is marketing director for Israel's Apollonia National Park. "In this unpleasant period, she said, we recommend to people around the world to go out to nature, take a deep breath, hug a tree, express your love and get love. ”
Israel's tree - hugging campaign is not the first one. Iceland's Forest Service launched a similar effort in April. They advised everyone in the country to hug a tree for at least five minutes every day. The story on Iceland's tree-hugging campaign was also reported on TreeHugger. com.
1. What's the main purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To show the findings of a research. |
| B．To state the cause of social distance. |
| C．To introduce the reason for tree hugging. |
| D．To explain the effect of physical contact. |
| A．Treatment. | B．Medicine. | C．Study. | D．Experience. |
| A．They were all started by the medical departments. |
| B．Nature plays a role in helping people keep healthy. |
| C．Tree hugging is the best way to deal with the disease. |
| D．Shinrin-Yoku is the first practice during the COVID-19. |
| A．A diary. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A novel. | D．A magazine. |
5 . We lived in a very quiet neighborhood. One evening I heard a loud crash in the street. Earlier that evening my wife had asked me to go to the store to get some soft drinks. It seemed that this would be a good time to let my teenage daughter Holly practice her driving, so I sent her to the store in my truck. At dinner my son talked about how much he liked my truck. I enjoyed having it, but I said: “Guy, my heart is not set on that truck. I like it but it is just metal and won' t last forever. Never set your heart on anything that won't last.” After hearing the loud noise, the whole family ran outside. My son shouted: “Dad! Dad, Holly crashed your truck.”
The accident had happened in my own driveway. Holly had crashed my truck into our other vehicle. In her inexperience, she had confused the brakes and the gas pedal . Holly was unhurt physically but when we reached her, she was crying and saying: “Oh, Dad, I'm sorry. I know how much you love this truck.” I held her in my arms as she cried.
Later that week a friend stopped by and asked what had happened to my truck. I told her the whole story. Her eyes moistened and she said : “That happened to me when I was a girl. I borrowed my dad' s car and ran into a tree that had fallen across the road. I ruined the car. When I got home, my Dad knocked me to the ground and began to kick me.” Over 40 years later, she still felt the pain of the night.
I remember how sad Holly was on the night she crashed our truck, and how I comforted her. One day, when Holly thinks back on her life, I want her to know that I love her a thousand times more than any piece of property.
1. What do we know about Holly?| A．She crashed her car. | B．She was badly injured. |
| C．She ran into a fallen tree in the truck. | D．She mistook the gas pedal for the brakes. |
| A．Her father comforted her. | B．She lost the courage to drive. |
| C．Her father was violent toward her. | D．She suffered physical pain for a long time. |
| A．Advice. | B．Experience. | C．Possession. | D．Relationship. |
| A．What Really Matters | B．How to Educate Children |
| C．Who Really Cares | D．How to Be a Father |
6 . It was the first time I watched him carefully. Before this, Jack had just been the friendly young man assigned by the hotel to help me on trips into the wildlife park nearby. But then he caught my attention by asking me to shut up.
"It's just a garden spider, don't scream(尖叫)！ " he said, looking at the small thing with more love than I could find in others. I had indeed screamed, but a spider was on my clothes, and we were in the jeep in the middle of the wildlife park.
I wanted him to pick the thing up and throw it out of the jeep right at that moment. However, he did something quite else. He gently let the spider onto his own knee and drove on, as if nothing had happened. I sat there staring at the spider for any sudden movement --- if a tiger had walked by then, I would not have even looked at it.
I was frightened that the man was completely OK with a spider on his knee. About 15 minutes later, he pushed his knee forward to the dashboard (仪表盘)and the spider immediately climbed off his knee and onto the jeep. "The poor thing had been trying to get off me, " he said. " I only sensed that it was trying to reach the dashboard, so I helped him.
I wondered then about this man, who thought about the spider with such kindness. . Where and when did I lose my love towards the unfamiliar? Now, when faced with a row of ants in my way, my first thought is no longer to attack them. I just skip over them and we both carry on. The ants were already wise, but thanks to Jack, I learned to live with the not so beautiful bits of nature.
1. What does the underlined word “assigned” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Fired. | B．Sent. | C．Praised. | D．Interviewed. |
| A．She felt sick in the jeep. | B．She was afraid of visiting the park. |
| C．She had a spider on her clothes. | D．She wanted to catch Jack's attention. |
| A．Let it move onto his leg. | B．Throw it out of their jeep. |
| C．Feed it to the tiger walking by. | D．Put it on the jeep's dashboard. |
| A．A moving love story. |
| B．A wildlife park adventure. |
| C．A spider living in a nature park. |
| D．A love lesson learned from a young man. |
7 . When I was in college, a man named Henry worked as a custodian (看门人) in our student union building. White-haired, with a Pennsylvania Dutch accent, Henry could usually be seen in a baseball cap, a T-shirt and a pair of jeans.
He was the custodian, and he was the most respected and most well-known person in the building. Everyone loved Henry, and it was because of all the implicit ways he expressed his love for everyone around him. Henry didn’t have to say, “I love you.” He lived his love.
Henry was always excited when he met someone new, and he wanted to know everything about them. He felt it was important to do things for people he valued. And Henry seemed to value everyone he met. He brought in articles or cartoons for certain people, went out of his way to introduce people to each other, kept dozens of names and birthdays in his wallet so he could send cards, and helped students keep in touch with graduates who had written to him. He even assisted students who didn’t have enough money to buy their books.
Henry taught me --- and many others he supported --- how to live life to the fullest. Not by skydiving or exploring some foreign countries, but by appreciating where you are in life and valuing those around you.
The funny thing is that despite all he did and taught us, Henry truly believed that he was the lucky one --- that he was the one who was gaining so much by getting to know us. But all of us who remember Henry know that we were the ones who were truly blessed.
We will never forget the man who taught us that best way to say “I love you” often has little to do with the words.
1. What does the word “implicit” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?| A．silent. | B．proper. |
| C．attractive. | D．unbelievable. |
| A．made international travels to live a full life |
| B．was a role model of how to be a caring person |
| C．was busy organizing former students’ reunions |
| D．gathered plenty information about the needy students |
| A．it would make people think highly of him |
| B．he was the most popular person in the college |
| C．it was part of his responsibility as a custodian |
| D．he treasured everything around him in his life |
| A．Kind. | B．Adventurous. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Sympathetic |
8 . How do you study each day? You may answer it in one second: have classes at school, take notes and do homework. Feeling a little bored? There are other ways that can make learning interesting and varied. It’s called digital learning.
Digital learning is a way to help students learn by using the Internet. There are three important kinds of digital learning. Apps are computer software applications (应用). People can download them on their mobiles. The other two kinds are social networking services, including Weibo and WeChat and websites. Every one of them is like your teacher. They help you master what you learn at school.
Compared with traditional learning ways, digital learning has its advantages. Digital learning is also varied. It covers almost every school subject. More importantly, it always offers students the newest resources (资源) to learn from.
Digital learning is also personalised. You can choose what you like to learn. If you don’t master what you have learned at school, you can learn again through digital ways.
However, digital learning also has disadvantages. When you use digital ways to learn, you’ve got little chance of talking with teachers or classmates. As digital learning uses computers or smartphones, watching the screen too long may be bad for your eyes. It is better to take a rest every 20 minutes.
1. How do students usually study every day according to the passage?| A．Having classes at school and using online tools at home. |
| B．Having classes at school, taking notes and doing homework. |
| C．Learning through digital ways and having classes in the classroom. |
| D．Having classes, taking notes and doing homework at school. |
| A．复习 | B．主人 | C．掌握 | D．归纳 |
| A．You can’t communicate with your classmates or teachers. |
| B．You have to use both computers and smartphones. |
| C．You can’t decide what you want to learn by yourself. |
| D．It’s impossible to learn from the newest resources. |
| A．Try to take a rest for 20 minutes when watching the screen. |
| B．Try to use traditional ways to learn as often as possible. |
| C．Try to take a break every 20 minutes if possible. |
| D．Try to learn through digital ways less than 2 hours a day. |
9 . Reducing, reusing, and recycling is a way of life in Sweden. Recycling is required by law and garbage is sorted at home before if goes to a recycling center. Recyclables are sorted into seven categories and recycling stations are within just 300 meters of all residential areas. " Recycling almost everything is a must in Sweden now. It actually feels very uncomfortable when you visit another country and cant find easy ways to recycle, " said Owen Gaffney, an expert at Stockholm Resilience Centre and Future Earth.
But not all of its garbage is recycled. Sweden uses alternatives that include incineratinggarbage to make electricity instead of using fossil fuels（化石燃料）to heat 1.2 million homes. About half of household garbage is sent to one of the 33 waste﹣to﹣heat plants. Sweden is importing garbage from other countries to keep these plants running. Sweden is also a world leader in turning food waste into eco﹣friendly biogas（沼气）. It has made food waste collection compulsory beginning in 2021. There is a food waste biogas plant, which allows biogas to be used to run public buses and to heat apartment buildings.
Sweden now wants to deal with those remaining items that cannot be recycled by using a circular（循环论证的）economy approach. It means that products can be reused and only recycled when absolutely necessary. The Swedish government formed an advisory group to find a way of making this part of its environmental policy.
This will not work effectively unless people are taught to change their behavior. Now the government is reforming its tax code so that people could get cheaper repairs or buy used things. The large Swedish clothing retailer（零售商）H&M operates a recycling program that gives customers discounts when they bring back old clothing.
Sweden is fighting climate change by doing all the right stuff. Waste recycling and the plans to switch to a circular economy will go a long way in reducing its carbon footprint and will help stop global warming.
1. What do we know about Sweden？| A．Sweden imports household garbage for biogas. |
| B．It is convenient to recycle things in Sweden. |
| C．Half of garbage in Sweden is used to produce heat. |
| D．Everything is recycled after being used in Sweden. |
| A．Burning. |
| B．Treating. |
| C．Throwing. |
| D．Reusing. |
| A．Teach people how to save fossil fuels. |
| B．Conduct a survey about the local economy. |
| C．Offer advice on environmental policy. |
| D．Make sure the citizens recycle wisely. |
| A．It provides various recycling programs. |
| B．It cuts down taxes on new products. |
| C．It gives discounts to regular buyers. |
| D．It offers lower prices for repairs. |
10 . Former NBA great Tracy McGrady has called for the league to call off the regular season in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic(流行病).
On March 11, the NBA became the first major U.S. league to suspend its season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert became the first player to test positive for the novel coronavirus. Since then, the COVID-19 outbreak has swept across the U.S.
NBA commissioner(委员) Adam Silver has indicated all options remain on the table, including playing games behind closed doors and isolating players to postponing the start of next season to allow the current campaign to be completed.
McGrady, who spent 16 seasons in the NBA, said: "As a former player, I would be in favor of calling the season off，for I don't have the facilities I need to stay in tip-top shape that I need to be in because everything is closed." Also, he added that even once training facilities re-opened and players could train as usual again, it was going to take them some time to get back to what he described as "basketball shape”.
The only feasible(可行的) solution to get players to be back to full fitness was to allow them to train and then ensure their fitness in a series of exhibition games.
"You just can't jump back into the regular season," McGrady added.
Last week, Silver admitted "there was no clear path ahead" for the NBA to return.
"Based on the reports that we got from varied outside officials, current public health officials ... we are not in a position to make any decisions," the NBA commissioner said in a conference, which followed a video conference meeting with the NBA's board of governors.
"And it's unclear when we will be…”
1. What does the underlined word “suspend” in the second paragraph mean?| A．怀疑. | B．预测. | C．暂停. | D．花费. |
| A．Play games indoors. |
| B．Go on playing as usual. |
| C．Exercise themselves on a regular basis. |
| D．separate themselves physically from others. |
| A．Tracy McGrady did not support calling the season off. |
| B．The COVID-19 has not influenced most places of the U.S. |
| C．The NBA commission will soon make a decision. |
| D．"basketball shape” is essential to NBA players. |
