2 . A new study shows that the increased heat from Arctic (北极的)rivers is making sea ice in the Arctic Ocean gradually disappear. The study published this week in Science Advance was led by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, together with other scientists in the United States, United Arab Emi rates , Finland and Canada.

According to the research, the main Arctic rivers bring more heat to the Arctic Ocean than they did in 1980. River heat is one of the reasons that cause sea ice loss of the Arctic Ocean. That loss is equal to about 120,000 square miles of 1-mcter thick ice. "If Alaska were covered by 1-meter thick icc. 20% of Alaska would be gone," explained Igor Polyakov, a re- searcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' International Arctic Research Center.

Rivers have the greatest influence during spring. The wanning water pours into the ice covered Arctic Ocean and spreads below the ice， slowly destroying it. Once the sea ice melts(融化), the warm water makes the temperature go up. The research found that much more river heat energy entered the air. Since air is mobile, this means river heat can influence areas of the Arctic far from river deltas (三角洲).

The influence was the most prominent in the Siberian Arctic, where several large rivers go into the Arctic Ocean. Canada's Mackenzie River is the only river large enough to contribute to sea ice meh near Alaska, but the state's smaller rivers are also a source of heat.

Polyakov says that rising global air temperatures will continue to warm Arctic rivers in the future. As rivers heat up, more warm water will flow into the Arctic Ocean, melting more sea ice,

1. What does the increased heat from Arctic rivers cause?

A．Dry weather in the Arctic.

B．A strange disease in the Arctic.

C．The gradual loss of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean.

D．The death of fish in the Arctic Ocean.

2. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．Alaska will disappear.

B．There's more and more sea ice in the Arctic Ocean.

C．10% of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean melts each day.

D．Arctic rivers bring more heat to the Arctic Ocean.

3. What does the underlined word "prominent" in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Obvious.

B．Important.

C．Famous.

D．Generous.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Arctic Rivers Will Disappear

B．Arctic Rivers Are Melting Arctic Sea Ice

C．Arctic Rivers Will Create a New River Delta

D．Arctic Rivers Bring More Sea Animals to the Arctic Ocean

3 . The entire tech world is debating the consequences of artificial intelligence and the part AI is going to play in shaping our future. While we might think that artificial intelligence is at least a few years away from causing any considerable effects on our lives, the fact remains that it is already having a large impact on us. Artificial intelligence is affecting our decisions and our lifestyles every day.

Smartphones have become the most indispensable tech product that we own today and we use it almost all the time. Well, if you are using a smartphone, you are interacting with AI whether you know it or not. AI is impacting our lives every day. In fact, when we are only using a feature such as the portrait mode effect (美颜) while shooting a picture, we never consider that AI might be behind that too.

Talking about the AI, there is no better display of this technology than what smart cars are doing with it. Just a few years back, using a fully automatic car was a dream, however, now companies like Tesla have made so much progress that we have automatic cars on the road. Tesla cars are a good example of how the AI is impacting our daily life. Do you know that all the Tesla cars are connected and the things that your car learns are shared across all the cars? With autonomous cars running on our roads, you won’t be able to deny the impact of AI on our lives.

If you are thinking that smart cars don’t personally affect you as they are still not in your country or city, well, how about something you use on a daily basis. If you are using social media, most of your decisions are being impacted by artificial intelligence. The music and media streaming services that we are using on a daily basis are also another great example of how AI impacts our lives. Actually, AI is playing a big role in our life.

1. What influence does artificial intelligence have on daily life?

A．It makes a difference to the way of living.

B．It has increased the cost of living.

C．It has already helped slow down the life.

D．It makes no difference at all.

2. What does the underlined word “indispensable” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Disappointing.

B．Special.

C．Sensitive.

D．Necessary.

3. Which are good examples of how AI impacts lives?

A．Smartphones and cameras.

B．Smart cars and social media.

C．Automatic cars and public services.

D．Social media and musical instruments.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Artificial Intelligence in Theory

B．Artificial Intelligence in Daily Life

C．Artificial Intelligence in The Future

D．Artificial Intelligence in Industrial Development

4 . I have been receiving so much kindness. It was difficult for an independent girl like me to accept it at first. At times, my financial situation is not the best. But with that comes a great lesson in appreciation, budgeting, and deciding what is and what isn't important.

A few times I've had to put off or even give up things. Because of my scarcity on money, I had to give up a keep-fit exercise, which is something I like to treat myself regularly. When my coach Lisa heard about this, she offered me training at a highly discounted price. At first this made me very uncomfortable. I feared that she would wrongly think that I was going to bargain and of course I wasn't. Instead, I was just being honest about my situation— being short of money. I finally accepted her offer, remembering that I deserve kindness, too.

Another time, I noticed a friend of mine selling his old exercise bike, which was perfect for me, as I was looking to replace my broken one. I told him that I would take it when I had the money, but then life got in the way. When I finally got the time to pick it up, I realized my financial shortcomings again. I asked him if he could hold onto it for one more week, as then I'd have the funds again. He was happy to do this, but instead he insisted on offering me the bike as a gift. Another opportunity presents itself to teach me how to receive with dignity.

I continue to slowly learn how to accept the kindness from others. In fact, the relationship between giving and receiving is closely linked. When you accept the kindness from others with joy, they will feel happy, too.

1. How did the author feel at first when she received kindness from others?

A．Happy.

B．Unfair.

C．Proud.

D．Unacceptable.

2. What does the underlined word "scarcity" in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Scare.

B．Independence.

C．Lack.

D．Principle.

3. What was the author afraid of when Lisa did her a favor?

A．Being punished.	B．Being misunderstood.
C．Accepting her coach's strict training.	D．Giving away the secret of her being short of money.

4. How did the author get the second-hand exercise bike?

A．She got it for free.	B．She paid much money for it.
C．She bought it from her coach.	D．She borrowed it from her friend.

5 . Like you and your pet dog, plants are living things: they eat, drink, and grow. Unlike you and your dog, they can't run away, use fists or teeth, or hide under the covers when they're threatened. But they can fight back.

Why would a plant need to fight back? To avoid being eaten, of course! Plants have several ways of protecting themselves. A plant can grow in a hidden or hard-to-get-to place. Think of plants you've seen growing on steep, rocky cliff (悬崖). Or, a plant could make only some parts of itself attractive to hungry insects and animals. For instance, if a plant produced really tasty leaves, herbivores (creatures that eat only plants) might eat the leaves instead of the seeds, which the plant needs for making more plants. Some plants have sharp or slippery (滑的) parts that discourage insects and other animals from getting too close, like the thorns(刺) on a rosebush.

But the most interesting way that plants fight back is by using chemicals. Plants take minerals from the soil and combine them into chemicals that do a lot of work. For example, plants produce chlorophyll(叶绿素), which helps convert sunshine and water into the sugars that plants eat.

They also produce chemicals to help protect themselves. One kind of tobacco plant releases a chemical into the air whenever small bugs begin to eat it. The chemical signals large bugs, saying "Dinner's ready!" The big bugs come to eat the little ones and save the plant.

Most plants use chemicals in a more direct way against their enemies. In other words, plants make poison.

1. What does the underlined word "convert" mean?

A．Change	B．Separate
C．Form	D．Produce

2. What do we know from the passage?

A．Some plants hide under the covers when faced with threat.

B．A plant grows in a hard-to-get-to place to draw people's attention.

C．Some plants produce tasty leaves to protect their seeds.

D．Plants produce chemicals to meet the needs of big bugs.

3. What may be talked about following the last paragraph?

A．Different effects that different plant poisons cause on plant eaters.

B．Different kinds of plants in the world.

C．Why plants make poison?

D．How to protect plants?

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Plant information.	B．Plant enemies.
C．Plant poisons.	D．Plant protection.

6 . A bunch of strangers showed up at the gym in the early morning of the last Sunday of April. A few athletes were already stretching their arms, but most of us could barely focus. As I was burning off last night's wrong decision—a big meal, I spotted a poster about a gym's 21-day workout challenge, and I immediately signed up. I always wanted to train for a marathon, so I considered this as my warm-up. Besides, I needed to stop being lazy and this was my chance to make a change.

It was easy to promise on paper, but three weeks of recommended exercise routines and diet restrictions wouldn't be easy. I stuck to working out 30 minutes a day, and I didn't disturb my normal routine. Instead, I had to be faced with the tough work of being more creative in my spare time, thus breaking some bad habits.

Overcoming weaknesses with willpower was my goal for the next part of the journey. But the difficult part about making a challenge is realizing that “wanting" and “doing" are two very different things. Just like a career, you have to physically work for it rather than just wait for it to happen. But that's hard. Throughout the 21 days, I often told myself that the challenge was meaningless and tried to sabotage myself from exercising. However, finally I overcame that negative thought and kept working out.

At the end of the challenge, I learned something even more important: Feeling the results is better than seeing them. I had fewer headaches and more energy, and was simply happier. I even felt a little smarter as I researched which foods were better for my body, and learned how to make healthier meals. I felt a sense of accomplishment, too, because even though I wanted to give up dozens of times, I didn't. I felt my waist got smaller and my arms got stronger, and I no longer felt guilty after having a piece of cake or a drink.

1. What was the author's wrong decision?

A．Going to the gym early.

B．Training for a marathon.

C．Eating a lot the previous night.

D．Stopping being lazy for a change.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．Some of the author's bad habits.

B．Some ways of the author's killing his spare time.

C．The importance of sticking to the normal daily routine.

D．The difficulty of the author's keeping on with the workout plan.

3. What does the underlined word “sabotage" in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Prevent.	B．Hear.
C．Improve.	D．Distinguish.

4. What did the author learn from the workout challenge?

A．Eating healthy food is more important than exercising.

B．Overcoming a challenge could bring good feelings to him.

C．It's more important to see what he likes than just feel it.

D．There was no need to feel guilty about things he disliked to do.

7 . Since the very year I was born, South Jersey has been a part of me. Since both of my grandparents have lived in the area for many decades, my family has visited South Jersey yearly since 2014. Its warm and lively feel is very appealing to many families that are looking for an easy and fun getaway.

Every summer we pile into the car and drive four hours away to the Seaview Hotel and Club, a wonderful place which is located in Galloway, 20 minutes from the beach and boardwalk (木板人行道). The Seaview is enticing and quite inexpensive as well, which is perfect for any family. The rooms are neat, and the breakfasts are a real attraction, even to adults. I have always loved going down to their lovely outdoor swimming pool in the mornings and then ordering a lunch from The Coastal Grille, the hotel’s main restaurant. The Seaview is really great，and somewhere else is even more exciting.

At the end of every day in South Jersey, my family always makes it an important goal to drive to the local beach and boardwalk, Ocean City. Ocean City is wonderful with great swimming, lots of pizza places, ice cream stands, and excellent rides and games.

After dinner, we always check out “Gillian’s Pier,” the impressive and exciting, yet small amusement area located on the boardwalk. It is lots of fun to ride on bumper car (碰碰车) and rollercoaster and to taste soft serve ice creams and cotton candy. Next door, there is even a video arcade (游戏厅), so overall South Jersey is your classic family summer vacation. I would definitely recommend visiting, even just for a weekend, someday.

1. Why has the author visited South Jersey every year since 2014?

A．Because it is by the sea.

B．Because he was born there.

C．Because it has beautiful scenery.

D．Because it is his grandparents’ hometown.

2. What does the underlined word “enticing” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Crowded.

B．Attractive.

C．Remote.

D．Developed.

3. What is the author’s aim to describe his yearly tour to South Jersey?

A．To show the attraction of South Jersey.

B．To show his living conditions.

C．To show it’s convenient to go to South Jersey.

D．To show his preference for tourism.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Fun in South Jersey

B．My traveling life

C．A famous tourism spot

D．My hometown, South Jersey

8 . Maybe you have one neighbor who just looks out of the window, looking angry at everyone and everything that crosses the path. And though you think you know what is going on in his head, sometimes you could be wrong.

I have such a neighbor. First you see this bad-tempered old man looking out of his window, taking in everything that is happening on his block. To be exact, he looks angry over just everything, so most neighbors think he is rude. But his heart is gold. When he saw one woman neighbor shouting angrily at her son after he broke her coffee maker, this ill-tempered old man went and bought her a new one. But he didn't want the mother to know so. Instead, he made it look like he was just throwing it away. And that one secret good deed was just the tip of the iceberg （冰山）. When he saw another neighbor with a crying baby because of the heat, he got a fan, took it to the neighbor's room and made it look like it had been sitting there all the time. He thought he was being strange and no one would know all

the kindness he had shared. But a little girl next door knew this ill-tempered neighbor's secrets. She carefully drew a picture of the old man dressed as Father Christmas and put it on the wall.

So when Christmas came, this little girl had a surprise for the block's secret Father Christmas. This valuable poster is such an important reminder （提不）that the holiday season is about giving out of love, even if no one else knows. How sweet it is!

1. What does the underlined word “bad-tempered" in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Extremely dependent.

B．Very interesting.

C．Totally bored.

D．Often angry.

2. What do most neighbors think of the old man?

A．Kind.

B．Unfriendly.

C．Healthy.

D．Unlucky.

3. Why did the old man pretend to throw away his coffee maker?

A．To frighten the son.

B．To show his anger to the mother.

C．To help the mother and her son secretly.

D．To remind the mother of buying a new one.

4. Why did the little girl draw the old man as Father Christmas?

A．To please kids.

B．To show his kindness.

C．To make fun of him.

D．To blame the neighbors.

9 . For some years，my mother worked for a charity as President and Secretary.Selling raffle tickets(兑奖券) was her main means of bringing in the charity’s much­needed funds.We girls would accompany her，selling tickets with great success.My father made and donated beautiful wooden toys，jewellery boxes and other lovely items as prizes.

Now my sister was always coming up with “good ideas”，most of which didn’t work out to plan.But that didn’t deter her.She had many just waiting to be tested.When she was eight and I was just five，we had a wonderful idea for a business adventure.We decided we would sell raffle tickets for charity，and that charity was us!

So one afternoon，we told our mother we were going to play in the park with our cousins as we did most days after school.But instead，we walked around the streets armed with a raffle book，a pen and a large cloth bag to carry the money.

We’d accompanied our mother many times when she sold tickets，so people were familiar with us when we appeared at their doors.Despite the blank looks they received when asking about the prizes on offer，they were very generous.Although there were no actual prizes，our mother’s previous track record enabled us to sell nearly the whole book of raffle tickets.

Like a little pair of lottery(彩票) winners，we walked home and proudly showed off our takings.But our enjoyment of this sudden wealth was short­lived，and our plans for spending it quickly failed.Our angry mother took us back to every ticket buyer，making us apologise and give the money back.Thankfully，our sweet neighbours didn’t make a big deal of our “clever” misbehavior and thus my mother’s

fundraising career could continue safely.We were taught a good lesson by our mother that day.Also I remember my sister’s entrepreneurial(企业家的) spirit dried up a bit after that.
1. What did the author’s father do?

A．He got prizes ready.	B．He sold hand­made items.
C．He was in charge of a charity.	D．He helped design raffle tickets.

2. What does the underlined word “deter” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Embarrass.	B．Shock.
C．Discourage.	D．Mislead.

3. What can be learned about the author and her sister while selling raffle tickets?

A．They ran into their mother.

B．They met some generous strangers.

C．They got lost while walking around the streets.

D．They took advantage of people’s trust in their mother.

4. What lesson did the author and her sister learn?

A．Honesty is the best policy.	B．What’s done can’t be undone.
C．Misfortune never comes alone.	D．Good advice is beyond all price.

10 . Have you ever thought of taking a train and having an adventure(奇遇)？Riding the train can be a real adventure. That is how I feel every time I take Amtrak. I often take a four－hour trip to visit my children. Every time I take this trip I never know what will happen.
Last week when I was on the train and over an hour into the train ride，there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation－in another language. It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train. I think it was annoying.
Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two－day trip by train. She said her two daughters were distraught at the thought of her driving for three days to reach her home，although she had no trouble driving. The train ride was the only choice for her. She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.
She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents. That is a very good question. Both of us are old and have children. She asked that same question from time to time.
There are always many people on the train from all walks of life，different countries，and many   languages. Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and take in all kinds of cultures. If you get hungry，you can buy food in the food car at any time. If you need to use the restroom there is always one available.
It sure beats driving the car，which has to stop for food and restrooms. And it is better than taking the bus.
1. According to the passage，the purpose of the author’s train ride was .

A．to do business	B．to see her children
C．to visit places of interest	D．to see her old friends

2. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “distraught” in Paragraph 3?

A．Disappointed.

B．Satisfied.

C．Worried.

D．Pleased.

3. Which of the following is TRUE about the old lady sitting next to the author?

A．She is too old to drive now.

B．She does not like to take trains.

C．Although she is old，she has a good memory.

D．Her daughters live far away from her home.

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．Train ride－a cultural experience	B．A painful experience on the train
C．The history of Amtrak	D．A wonderful lady