1 . The spot of red was what first caught Randy Heiss's attention on December 16. He was biking on his ranch in Patagonia, Arizona, a town near the U. S. -Mexico border. Heiss walked toward it, and found on the grassland was a broken balloon with its string attached to a piece of paper.
“Dayami,” it read on one side, in a child's writing. It was a Christmas wish list, all in Spanish He suspected that a child had tried to send Santa Claus a Christmas wish list by balloon, something he used to do himself when he was a kid. And he wondered whether he could find the child who had sent this one.
It would be difficult, but based on the prevailing wind, Heiss was pretty sure where it came from—just across the border, the city of Nogales, Mexico.
Heiss then posted about his quest on Facebook, attaching photos, hoping his friends in Nogales might know the girl's family.
A few days passed with no leads. Heiss worried that time was running out before Chirstmas. On December 19. he sent a private Facebook message to Radio XENY. a radio station based in Nogales The next morning. Heiss awoke to a message from Radio XENY: They had located Dayami, an eight-year-old girl, and her family, who indeed lived in Nogales. “It just changed my entire day.” said Heiss. Having bought just about everything on Dayami's list and a few other toys, as they had learned that Dayami had a younger sister, Heiss and his wife. at the Radio XENY. met the family.
“Their eves were wide open with wonder.” Heiss said of the two sisters' reactions. “Like. ‘Oh my gosh, this really did work!’”
Not wanting to disappoint the girls who still believed in Santa Claus, Heiss and his wife told them they were “Santa's helpers”.
“It was a beautiful and healing experience for us...” Heiss said, “Since our only son died ten years ago, being around children at Christmas time has been absent in our lives.” Heiss said. “We now have friends for life. And, for a day, that border fence with its wire melted away.”
1. What did Heiss find when hiking on his ranch.| A．A Christmas wish list from a child | B．A mass of grassland. |
| C．A letter addressed to him. | D．A beautiful red balloon. |
| A．Examples. | B．Clues. | C．Suggestions. | D．Plans. |
| A．He wanted to make up for his lost son. |
| B．He wanted to make friends with Dayami. |
| C．He wanted to realize his childhood dream. |
| D．He didn't want to spoil Santa Claus for the girls. |
| A．Love knows no borders. | B．A bold attempt is half success. |
| C．God helps those who help themselves. | D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
2 . Fou Ts'ong, a Chinese-born pianist known for his sensitive interpretations of Chopin, Debussy and Mozart.died on Monday at a hospital in London, where he had lived for many years. He was 86.
A lover of classical music from a young age, Mr. Fou began taking piano lessons when he was 7. Mr. Fou made his first stage appearance in 1952. The concert caught the attention of officials in Beijing, who selected him to compete and tour in Eastern Europe. Mr. Fou soon moved to Poland, where he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory(音乐学校)on a scholarship. To prepare for the fifth Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1955.he practiced so diligently that he hurt his fingers and was nearly cut from the first round of the competition.
Mr. Fou was one of the first Chinese pianists to achieve global prominence when he took the third place in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955. He also won a special prize for his performance of Chopin's mazurkas(马祖卜舞曲). Almost overnight, he became a national hero. To China, Mr. Fou's recognition in a well-known international competition was proof that the country could stand on its own artistically in the West. Chinese reporters flocked to interview Mr. Fou, while many others sought out his father, Fu Lei, for advice on child-rearing.
In 1981, a volume of letters written by his father, primarily to Mr. Fou, was published in China. Full of advice, encouragement, life teachings and strict paternal love, the book Fu Lei's Family, Letters became a best-seller in China. Besides influencing a generation of Chinese, Mr. Fu's words resonated(共鸣)long after his death with the person for whom they were intended.
"My father had a saying that 'First you must be a person, then an artist, and then a musician, and only then can you be a pianist.'" Mr. Fou once recalled in an interview. "Even now, I believe in this order-that it should be this way and that I am this way."
1. What can be learned from Paragraph 2?| A．Fou Ts'ong competed and toured in Beijing. |
| B．Fou Ts'ong first performed on the stage at 7. |
| C．Fou Ts'ong made great efforts for competitions. |
| D．Fou Ts'ong started learning music in Eastern Europe. |
| A．It earns Chinese art a place in the West. |
| B．It promotes the spread of Chinese culture. |
| C．It proves Chinese people's talent for music. |
| D．It enables Chinese art education to be recognized. |
| A．Mr. Fu's words. | B．Young Chinese. |
| C．Fou Ts'ong and his family. | D．Readers of Fu Lei's Family Letters. |
| A．Pursuing art is a long and painful process. |
| B．It requires various qualities to be a pianist. |
| C．Everyone should develop an interest in art. |
| D．Talent is of the greatest importance for a pianist. |
3 . While Charlotte Uhlenbroek loves the adventure, she is also glad to be back in civilization, at least for the moment.
She's just finished filming a TV series called jungle-a 19-week job that involved her exploring the dense jungles of the Congo, the Amazon and Borneo. She says that it was fascinating, but daunting as well. So what was her most challenging experience? “Definitely climbing an 80-metre-high tree in Borneo, when I'm scared of heights! I had to keep going up and up, when a voice inside me was saying, ‘Down! Down!’ I kept thinking the ropes were going to break and send me down below.”
And “down below” was where the bugs were — clinging, stinging, sucking beasts. Apart from the usual mosquitoes, in the Amazon rainforest she was troubled by sand-fly bites. “I've had some horrible bites but these really are the itchiest bites I've ever had. At one stage, I counted 70 bites on one arm,” she says. “Just as annoying were the sweat bees in the Congo. They try to drink the sweat on your face and even the tears from your eyes. The most disgusting thing, though, was try to pull the leeches off your skin. The more I pulled, the more they stretched and the tighter their jaws clung to my leg. I kept shouting, ‘Get them off!’ and the film crew kept saying, ‘Just one minute...this makes a really good shot!’”
Back in London, what has she been enjoying since her return to “civilization”? “I've been having lots of nice, long showers,” she says. “In the Congo, the possibility of using up our water supplies was always a worrying thought. And I find that when I've been in hot, uncomfortable conditions for a while, the things I look forward to more than anything else are being with my family and enjoying my favourite meal.”
1. Why does Charlotte explore the jungles?| A．She enjoys taking adventures. |
| B．She takes part in shooting a TV series. |
| C．She wants to challenge herself. |
| D．She is interested in the jungle bugs. |
| A．Inspiring | B．Frightening |
| C．Exhausting | D．Rewarding |
| A．She climbed tall trees with the help of ropes. |
| B．The film crew helped her to get the leeches from her leg. |
| C．The mosquito bites she had were the worst bites she'd ever had. |
| D．when she gets home, she loves doing the cooking for her family. |
| A．Bitten By The Jungle Bug |
| B．Exploring The Amazon Jungle |
| C．Return To “Civilization” |
| D．What A Jungle Journey! |
4 . It is good news that you didn't get hit by China's Tiangong-1 space station when it fell to Earth on April 1. The not-so-good news is that there's a lot more space debris (碎片) where that came from.All the same, you can take off your hard hat, because your chances of getting struck are extremely small.
At any moment, there are more than 500,000 pieces of space debris orbiting(沿轨道运行) Earth. Some are no bigger than a millimeter or two; others—like Tiangong-1, which was the size of a school bus—are a potential threat. But the reason why none of these presents a danger is that when satellites reach the end of their useful lives, they can be controlled and sent on dives to the middle of the ocean. It's when something goes wrong—when communications are lost or fuel is exhausted—that re-entry becomes a crapshoot (运气). That's what happened when NASA's Skylab space station fell to Earth in 1979. Even in those situations, the odds are very much on safety's side. Roughly 70% of Earth's surface is water, and much of its landmass is unpopulated.
If you're still worried, take comfort in some numbers: in the long history of spaceflight, only one person has ever gotten on the wrong side of a piece of falling space junk.That was Lottie Williams of Tulsa, Okla, who was conked on the shoulder by a piece of a Delta II rocket in 1997. She was unhurt.
According to the Aerospace Corp, a nonprofit group that tracked Tiangong-1's fall, the likelihood of an individual being hit by space debris is less than 1 in 1 trillion.The European Space Agency says getting struck by lightning is 10 million times as likely as the 1-in-300 trillion odds of being hit by space debris.
1. What does the second paragraph talk about?| A．Different sizes of space debris and where they land |
| B．Causes of the space debris orbiting the earth |
| C．reasons for not fearing being hit by space debris. |
| D．Effects of space debris not diving to the ocean |
| A．struck | B．cooked | C．hurt | D．fell |
| A．Doubtful | B．Uncaring | C．worried | D．relaxed |
| A．Falling space debris: a threat to our life |
| B．Falling space debris: stop fearing being hit |
| C．Falling space debris: put on your hard hat |
| D．Falling space debris: get on the right side |
5 . As the effects of climate change become more disastrous, well-known research institutions and government agencies are focusing new money and attention on an idea: artificially cooling the planet, in the hopes of buying humanity more time to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
That strategy, called solar climate intervention (干预) or solar geoengineering, involves reflecting more of the sun’s energy back into space — abruptly reducing global temperatures in a way that imitates the effects of ash clouds flowing out from the volcanic eruptions. The idea has been considered as a dangerous and fancied solution, one that would encourage people to keep burning fossil fuels while exposing the planet to unexpected and potentially threatening side effects, producing more destructive hurricanes, wildfires floods and other disasters.
But. as global warming continues, producing more destructive hurricanes, wildfires floods and other disasters, some researchers and policy experts say that concerns about geoengineering should be outweighed by the imperative to better understand it, in case the consequence of climate change become so terrible that the world can’t wait for better solutions.
One way to cool the earth is by injecting aerosols (气溶胶) into the upper layer of the atmosphere. where those particles reflect sunlight away from the earth. That process works, according to Douglas MacMartin, a researcher at Cornell University.
“We know with 100% certainty that we can cool the planet,” he said in an interview. What’s still unclear, he added, is what happens next. Temperature, MacMartin said, is an indicator for a lot of climate effects. “What does it do to the strength of hurricanes?” he asked, “What does it do to agriculture production? What does it do to the risk of forest fires?”
Another institution funded by the National Science Foundation will analyze hundreds of simulations of aerosol injection, testing the effects on weather extremes around the world. One goal of the research is to look for a sweet spot: the amount of artificial cooling that can reduce extreme weather events without causing broader changes in regional rainfall patterns or similar impacts.
1. Why do researchers and government agencies work on cooling the earth?| A．To prevent natural disasters. | B．To win more time to reduce gas emissions. |
| C．To imitate volcanic eruptions. | D．To encourage more people to bur fossil fuels. |
| A．More volcanoes will throw out. |
| B．More solar energy will go into space. |
| C．More disasters will endanger the future of the world. |
| D．People will keep burning fossil fuels to keep warm. |
| A．He thinks more research remains to be done. |
| B．He is optimistic about the effect of cooling the earth. |
| C．He is concerned about the reduction in agriculture production. |
| D．He disapproves of the practice of solar climate intervention. |
| A．The rainfall pattern of a region. |
| B．The modest drop in temperature. |
| C．The number of extreme weather events. |
| D．The injection amount of aerosol. |
6 . A Journey to China
10 days from just A$1,590
Fully inclusive from Australia
Price covers: international airfares, departure taxes, fuel charges, local transportation, accommodation, all meals, entrance fees, guides, daily tours and visas for Australian citizens.
◆Days 1-3: Australia—Beijing
Fly to Beijing for three nights stay and try Peking Duck. During the stay, stroll through Tian’anmen Square to the Forbidden City, the largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China, and visit the Summer Palace. Next day take a walk on the Great Wall, tour the unique Temple of Heaven and enjoy an attractive Chinese Acrobatic show.
◆Days 4-8: Beijing—Yangtze River Tour—Chengdu
Fly to Yichang and change (approx: one hour) to board your Yangtze River ship for the next four nights. Enjoy a tour of the Three Gorges Dam (三峡大坝) before sailing on the grand Yangtze River, passing through the impressive Three Gorges. Take a side trip to the Lesser Three Gorges or travel up the Shennong Stream in a peapod boat and enjoy various shore trips along the way. Get off in Chongqing and drive to Chengdu for an overnight stay.
◆Day 9-l0: Chengdu—Shanghai
Fly to the great city of Shanghai and in the evening sample traditional Shanghai food. Visit the beautiful Yu Garden, Old Town, cross the Great Nanpu Bridge and tour the Pudong area. Also explore Xintiandi with its 1920’s style Shikumen buildings and end your stay in Shanghai with an amazing Huangpu river evening tour.
◆Day11: Shanghai—Australia
Fly back to Australia, arriving home later the same day filled with happy memories.
Por more information:www.traveltochina.org
1. The underlined word “sample” in the text probably means “________”.| A．book | B．sell | C．taste | D．make |
| A．take a side trip to the Three Gorges Dam | B．visit the Great Nampu Bridge in Chengdu |
| C．have to pay extra for accommodation and meals | D．arrive in Australia on the eleventh day of the trip |
| A．encourage the Australians to travel in China |
| B．offer service of booking air tickets to tourists |
| C．attract the Australians to traditional Chinese food |
| D．provide Australians with a better understanding of China |
7 . You may probably meet most of the powerful graduation speakers, here who are well-known people in their fields. I think the schools couldn’t have picked better speakers than them, because they set good examples, deeply inspiring us in our daily life.
Steve Jobs, Stanford University:
“Remembering you’re going to die, and the best way I know is to avoid the trap of thinking that you have something to lose. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice...”
Oprah Winfrey, Stanford University:
“I consider the world, this Earth, to be like a school... And the secret I’ve learned to get ahead is being open to the lessons from the grandest universe of all. Don’t react against a bad situation. And the solution will arise from the challenge. So don’t give up easily, acting with responsibility... ”
Bono, University of Pennsylvania:
“For four years you’ve been buying, trading, and selling everything you’ve got in this marketplace of ideas. Your pockets are full, even if your parents’ are empty, and now you’ve got to figure out what to spend it on... The world is more flexible than you think and it’s waiting for you to hammer it into shape...”
Michael Dell, University of Texas at Austin:F
“Now it’s time for you to move on to what’s next and obtain your desire. But you must not let anything prevent you from taking those first steps. Don’t spend so much time trying to choose the perfect opportunity, or sometimes you’ll miss the right opportunity. Recognize that there will be failures and obstacles(障碍).But you will learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others. ”
1. Which of the following can best describe what Steve Jobs says?| A．Never give up. | B．Don’t live your life in regret. |
| C．To go all out to achieve our goals. | D．True knowledge comes from practice. |
| A．Michael Dell. | B．Bono. |
| C．Steve Jobs. | D．Oprah Winfrey. |
| A．acceptable | B．reasonable |
| C．changeable | D．suitable |
| A．Some social skills. | B．Some life lessons. |
| C．Some well-known people. | D．Some effective solutions. |
8 . Many of us have read stories or seen films about space creatures(生物). They come to the Earth in spaceships that look like flying saucers. These spacecreatures do not look like human beings at all, but they are usually very intelligent(聪明). In one film, they were tiny little men with large heads. When they landed on the Earth, they knew exactly what to do. They went straight to the President's palace and made him their prisoner!
The stories about space creatures are, of course, not true. Spacecreatures exist only in story books and films, just like giants and fairies. But many scientists are asking this question--“Is there life on other planets?” There are millions of planets in the universe, and the Earth is just one of them. Could there be living things on other planets? Many people believe that the other planets in the universe are most suitable for living things.
Are scientists sure that there is no life on other planets?
At this stage we still cannot be sure. All the planets, except the moon and Mars, are so far away that it will take hundreds of years for our spaceships to reach them.
1. The BEST title for the passage is“________”.| A．Scientific Wonders- Spacecreatures | B．Is There Life on Other Planets? |
| C．Are Scientists Sure? | D．Stories about Spacecreatures |
| A．all the planets, except the moon, are so far away that it will take hundreds of years for our spaceships to reach them |
| B．all the planets are too far to reach |
| C．all the planets,except the moon and Mars, are so far away that it will take hundreds of years for our spaceships to reach them |
| D．all the planets are only too far to reach |
| A．The stories about spacecreatures are true. | B．Spacecreatures are in stories. |
| C．Spacecreatures are in films. | D．Many scientists are asking if there is life on other planets. |
| A．upright (直立的) | B．level |
| C．directly | D．honest |
9 . Laura Sides was a psychology major at the University of Nottingham in 2004. She first noticed signs of her dad’s developing dementia(痴呆) when she moved to Nottingham. She said, "Dad was a doctor, so he knew exactly what had happened to him, but people try to hide it when they are ill. Then, I came home for my 21st birthday and arranged to meet him, but he never showed up as he’d forgotten. That’s when I knew something serious had happened."
So, aged 21, she decided to leave university and look after him herself. She lived close by, popping in every day to make sure he was eating, and that the house was tidy, before heading off to her work.
Besides challenging moments, there was a time when looking after her dad was a pure joy. "We’d wake up, I’d ask what he wanted to do that day, and however ridiculous the adventure is, off we’d go."
Sadly, in 2009, 5 years later, Laura lost her father. Before he died, Laura went to a hospital appointment with him, where doctors mentioned that his form of Alzheimer’s disease was genetic meaning there was a fifty-fifty chance that she had inherited it. For several years Laura agonised over whether to be tested, finally finding out in August 2017 that she has the APP gene, meaning that, like him, she will develop the condition within a decade.
At first, she struggled, feeling as if her life lacked purpose. Then, during a sleepless night in the summer of 2018, she decided at around 2 a.m. to enter the 2019 London Marathon sponsored by the charities Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.
She hoped to start the conversation around early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and to encourage people to talk about it more openly. "I remember when Dad was ill, people wouldn’t know how to react, but I want to be honest and open," she added. "The more information we can get, the less of a taboo(忌讳) we will feel. That said, the support I’ve received so far after going public has been amazing — that’s what is carrying me through."
1. Laura noticed her father’s dementia when .| A．her father told her his condition in person |
| B．people nearby informed her of his father’s condition |
| C．her father forgot his own birthday party |
| D．her father forgot to attend her 21-year-old birthday party |
| A．excited | B．struggled |
| C．shocked | D．delighted |
| A．getting people to talk about Alzheimer’s disease openly |
| B．earning some money to help treat her Alzheimer’s disease |
| C．making herself stronger to fight against Alzheimer’s disease |
| D．raising funds for charities Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s disease Research UK |
| A．Caring and positive. | B．Careful and honest. |
| C．Patient and cautious. | D．Devoted and modest. |
