2 . The idea of using a public bathroom with see through walls may sound like the stuff of nightmares. But a famous Japanese is hoping to change that view, using new technology to make restrooms in Tokyo parks more inviting.

“There are two things we worry about when entering a public restroom, especially those cated at a park,” according to architect Shigeru Ban’s firm. “The first is cleanliness, and the second is whether anyone is inside.”

The newly-invented transparent walls can turn off both of those worries, Ban says, by showing people what awaits them inside. After users enter the restroom and lock the door, the room’s walls turn a powdery paste) shade and are no longer see-through.

Ban’s are sure to make for great conversation among visitors to the park-and they’ll stand out even more after dark. “At night, the facility lights up the park like a beautiful lantern,” the architect’s website says.

The group is behind the Tokyo Toilet project, world-famous architects to create toilets “like you’ve never seen. The project’s eye catching toilets are part of a plan to put people ar ease when isiting a public bathroom. The project may seem silly, but the 16 architects who are reimagining public toilets are some of the brightest names in Japanese architecture. The list includes four Pritzker Prize winners-Ban, Toyo Ito, Tadao Ando and Fumihiko Maki-along with international stars such as Kengo Kuma and Sou Fujimoto. The fashion designer Nigo is also contributing.

Ban’s colorful public bathrooms opened to the public this month in two parks: Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park and Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park. Other bespoke commodes will be opening in coming months.

1. Why are people often worried before entering a public restroom?

A．Its lock is usually useless.

B．It’s usually at a huge distance.

C．It’s not always clean.

D．It’s always occupied.

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

A．Easy to see through.

B．Not easy to see through.

C．Full of bright colors.

D．Thick and strong.

3. What do we know about the project from the last two paragraphs?

A．It’s and silly.

B．It’s rewarding and.

C．It has won the Pritzker Prize.

D．It’s the fruit of colleqtive wisdom

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Should the public restrooms be upgraded?

B．The new high-tech walls of public restrooms are coming.

C．How do we live with see-through public facilities?

D．Some famous architects designed a silly project.

3 . In New York City, eating on the subway is controversial. No law bans the practice, but a Democratic state senator introduced one last week. The proposed law would ban eating on the subway system and fine first time violators $250, according to the New York Times. Supporters of the bill argue that eating on the subway attracts rates. Other say the broader target should be those who carelessly drop litter in public places, rather than those who carefully sip their coffee and eat their bread on the way to work. They also argue that “street food” is an important part of New York’s culture and history. Banning its consumption in public areas such as the subway would have negative effects.

Street food and eating in public places is along-established cultural practice in cities like New York, Beijing and Paris. But commonly, it has been traditionally thought of as what the lower classes would do. Eating in public was (and in some places, still is) associated with uncivilized, poorer people. In the 19th century, eating in public was seen as a threat to morality and public health. Putnam’s (a popular magazine at the time) stated, “Eating in public may lead to a certain freedom of manner in little ladies and gentlemen. It was something people in the Victorian era did not want to encourage. A recent New York Times article drew a link between this moral panic about street food and concern over the growing populations of Irish German, Italian and Jewish immigrants who ran food carts in the 1800s. “To Victorian society, immigrant street peddlers were called ‘hucksters’, a name that still has a bit of moral judgment to this day.”

In Australia, street food is not something you see every day. Carts selling tasty snacks only come out for festivals or market days. However, eating in public places such as parks is encouraged. Outdoor barbeques at the beach or picnics in the countryside are common. While eating on public transport is discourages, it would unlikely lead to any sort of conflict in Australia. From an Australian perspective, street food is an exciting and tasty new dining opportunity, and not one I would associate with being uncivilized.

China’s street food scene is similar to that of New York City’s: It is a culturally entrenched practice and one that adds a lot of color and flavor to the scene of streets. But whether you love eating street food, or have to eat your breakfast on the run, it’s best to be considerate when enjoying a bite in public.

1. Supporters of “street food” are against the bill, because ________.

A．eating on the subway may attract undesirable pests like mice

B．consuming food on the way to work proves their carefulness

C．banning litter-dropping is more important for the environment

D．enjoying a bite in public areas is a part of the city’s culture

2. According to paragraph 2, what can be inferred?

A．Only the uncivilized, poorer people were allowed to eat in public places.

B．Street food was seen as a threat in the 19th century because they were not heathy.

C．Eating in public was considered impolite for children in the Victorian era.

D．Immigrant street peddlers were encouraged and thus welcomed in the 1800s.

3. According to paragraph 3, what is true in Australia?

A．Eating in public like parks may be seen as ill-mannered.

B．Having food on the subway system may cause serious conflicts.

C．People may feel excited about being allowed to eat in public.

D．Tasting street food may bring much enjoyment whenever possible.

4. The word “entrenched” in paragraph 4 maybe closest in meaning to ________.

A．deep-rooted

B．eye-catching

C．well-known

D．far-reaching

4 . It can be easy to brush off certain events as small matters that don’t require attention— but when the safety of dozens of airplane passengers was on the tine, this NASA engineer decided to speak up.

Rumaasha Maasha was preparing to fly from Huntsville to Colorado back in January when he spotted a liquid leak from his window seat on the wing.

“Normally, if it’s a wet day, you’ll see vortices (旋涡) off the wing. About 1,000 feet off the ground, I started seeing something white and thought, ‘maybe we’re just hitting some humidity (湿气).’ Well, after a while it was still doing it, and that’s when I knew something was up. I looked closer and immediately realized that we were losing fuel.” Maasha also knew that as the plane increased in altitude, the situation would got worse.

“I gestured the flight attendant to come over and fortunately she was very attentive,” he said. “She called the crew and the key thing is that she did this as we were still climbing out. Within a minute or two, they reduced speed and leveled off. The fuel leak diminished immediately when they slowed down.”

Much to the anger of the passengers, the plane returned to the Huntsville airport, but upon finding out the reason for the return—and the hero behind it—some of the passengers made friends with Maasha.

Maasha’s experience with NASA wasn’t the only thing that came in handy that day, the engineer first fell in love with aviation (航空) as a teenager growing up near an airport in Monrovia, Liberia. “Looking back, I guess I had the perfect sets of circumstances to recognize the issue that day,” he said. “Since I was a kid, I’ve always tried to sit in a window seat near the wing, and as I grew up, I am determined to run after my dream during my university years. That’s not the first time I’ve noticed something. I’m sure it won’t be the last.”

1. When did Maasha realize something went wrong?

A．Before the plane started to fly.

B．When the white thing continued to leak.

C．After he settled on his window seat.

D．When he first noticed the liquid.

2. What does the underlined word “diminished” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Worsened.

B．Decreased.

C．Occurred.

D．Continued.

3. What played a major role in Maasha’s brave action?

A．His birth place and home location.

B．His university years and honesty.

C．His childhood education and seat choice.

D．His working experience and personal interest.

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

A．A Childhood Dream Has Come True

B．Fluid Leaking Happened to a Jet

C．A NASA Engineer Saved Passengers

D．Passengers Feel Grateful to an Engineer

5 . A 15-year-old Indian girl, Kumari, who pedalled her injured father more than a thousand kilometres across India, has been invited to try out for the national cycling team.

In January, a motor-bike driver, Mohan Paswan, who made a living by carrying passengers in New Delhi, was injured in a traffic accident. After the accident, Paswan couldn't drive. So his daughter, Kumari took a train across the country to take care of him. But without income, Paswan could no longer afford the rent and they were running out of food. They decided to go home. With the last $20, the 15-year-old girl bought an old bicycle, and planned to take her father to their home village across India --- in a heroic, life-saving ride.

Kumari rode a bicycle with her father, sitting on the pillion(后座)and holding their belongings from Gurugram city, near New Delhi, to their village in the northeastern state of Bihar. They arrived home on May 16 after covering 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) in seven days.

The father and daughter's arduous journey on a second-hand bike bought with their remaining funds made headlines. It also caught the attention of the Cycling Federation of India, which offered Kumari the chance to try out for the country's team. "She covered this long and difficult distance in seven days with her father and some luggage too. I thought she has something in her endurance level. We can try her," chairman Onkar Singh told the journalist.

“She said she only wants to pursue her studies. We told her that we also take care of studies at our academies. Singh said the federation would test Kumari to see if she is suitable for competitive cycling.

There were also other people who praised Kumari's efforts, describing it as a "'beautiful model of endurance and love."

1. What made Kumari have to ride a bike back home?

A．That her father was injured.

B．That she could only afford a bike.

C．That her home village was far away.

D．That she wanted to join in the cycling race.

2. Which can best explain the underlined word "arduous " in paragraph 4?

A．dangerous

B．lovely

C．pleasant

D．tough

3. Why did Onkar Singh invite Kumari to try out for the national cycling team?

A．Because she has extraordinary physical ability.

B．Because he didn't have anyone better than her.

C．Because she only wants to pursue her studies.

D．Because she is suitable for competitive cycling.

4. What can best describe Kumari according to the passage?

A．strong and caring	B．positive and confident
C．warm-hearted and brave	D．hard-working and beautiful

6 . For the last six years, speed walking has now become part of my daily routine. I am always keen to do it regularly without a break. Even though I am neither a physician nor a specialist in medical science, I am fully aware that exercise, especially speed walking, helps maintain health and lowers the chance of falling ill.

I urge everybody to speed walk on a daily basis, with one day off a week, or at least to do it three times a week. I managed to burn around 17 kg of fat after taking up speed walking. This should also be accompanied with a change in diet. We need to reduce how much we eat and avoid junk food, sweets and carbonate drinks. Reducing the amount of food we eat in the evening by around 80 per cent and increasing how much water we drink are also good practice. Overeating should also be avoided.

I usually walk at a speed of 1 km per 8.5 minutes. It will initially make me tired. However, over time it will become a habit and an addiction.

This type of exercise will help you sleep and give you an appetite. It will make you physically fit and help burn fat and calories. Speed walking makes you healthy and everyone can find time to walk. The problem is that some people do not plan their days and do not, therefore, find time. We can gain health and social benefits from speed walking. It will help change our lifestyles, fight diabetes(糖尿病), and other illnesses.

Arguments such as “I am too old and obese to walk” do not hold water. People of any age who speed walk will see the benefits within a couple of months. Walking outdoors is ideal and it is best done in the company of friends.

1. Which sentence is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Speed walking helps patients recover from illness.

B．The author thinks everybody should speed walk every day.

C．The author suggests reducing the amount of food we eat by around 80 per cent.

D．The author walks at a speed of more than 100 metres per minute.

2. We can infer from the fourth paragraph that　　　　.

A．speed walking possibly leads to an eating disorder

B．many people are too busy to have a fast walk every day

C．more calories and fat will result in some serious illness

D．speed walking can effectively cure kinds of diseases

3. What does the underlined part “hold water” mean?

A．Make sense.

B．Work out.

C．Have a drink.

D．Build up.

7 . It was late one evening. I can’t remember what it was about, but my Dad and I had a very big argument when my mother was away. We both said things we didn’t mean, and in the end I said, “I’m leaving.” And he said, “Good. The sooner, the better.”

I threw a few things in the suitcase and closed the door violently behind me, not knowing where I was going. After walking aimlessly for 20 minutes, I stopped at a local supermarket. Then my phone rang. It was my mom calling. She said, “Hey, Mary. Where are you? Dad is worried about you.”

“How can he worry about me? I’ve been away for nearly half an hour, but he didn’t call.” I said with annoyance. My anger returned and I remembered all the hateful things he’d shouted to me. “Listen, Mom. You can tell Dad that I’m fine. I’ll call you tomorrow.” I said and hung up.

I walked around the supermarket, trying to get my thoughts together. By the time I paid for my purchases, it had been much later than I used to be out alone. When I left the supermarket, a large piece of white paper was in front of me. On the piece of white paper were these words: “Please come home! I miss you and I’m worried about you!”

Then a car pulled up beside me. Hanging out of the window was my Dad. Besides him, smiling gently, sat my mom. And that’s when I started laughing. I laughed so hard that I cried. Despite(尽管) my best effort to run away from home, my father finally managed to track me down. I couldn’t leave now, not with him sitting there with caring eyes.

1. Why does Mary leave home ?

A．had to make her own living	B．had a bad performance at school
C．had an argument with her mother	D．had a big argument with her father

2. What does Mary do, after her mother called her,?

A．tried to calm down	B．forgave her father
C．became angrier than before	D．agreed to go home

3. What does the underlined word “purchases” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．goods Mary bought	B．actions Mary regretted (后悔)
C．telephone calls Mary made	D．lessons Mary learned

4. What probably happened at the end of the story?

A．Mary still refused to go home.	B．Mary returned home happily.
C．Mary’s father became angry again.	D．Mary’s mother was angry with her father.

8 . Plenty of science fiction (sci-f) movies over the decades have shown us different versions of Mars. The truth about the Martian surface might be exciting because it's real. And with NASA' s Mars 2020 mission set to launch this summer, we're facing more discovery.

So far, thanks to a decade of research enabled by NASA's Curiosity rover, we've learned that lakes, rivers streams and likely oceans used to appear on Mars. While its water disappeared over three billion years ago, it tells us that Mars used to be habitable. This knowledge confuses us because so far, we've seen no clear evidence of life there, not even a virus. But if Mars was once habitable, wouldn't it have life?

NASA is now prepared to take the next step to answer this question with the launch of another rover, Perseverance. Every time a rover goes to Mars, it just stays there, with no way to fly back home. So we have never brought rock or soil samples back from Mars.

Perseverance rover will change this. Its primary and unique purpose is to collect samples that a future spacecraft can return to Earth. These samples will tell us more about the geologic history of Mars than anything we've learned, which is already a lot. Since 2012. the Curiosity rover has traveled more than a dozen miles, making observations along the way with its 10 instruments.

Thanks to data from the Curiosity rovers Sample Analysis at Mars instrument, we know that Mars does indeed have organic materials. That’s more complex than we expected to find on the surface of Mars. And that's exactly why we want to gather the most interesting samples and bring them back to Earth. We expect to find out much more about Mars once we get samples back from the Mars 2020 mission.

1. What is the purpose of Mars 2020 Mission?

A．To explore the Martian surface.	B．To travel around the universe.
C．To show the power of NASA.	D．To study the life on Mars.

2. What does the underlined word "habitable" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Enjoyable to visit.	B．Suitable for living.
C．Ready for changes.	D．Convenient to travel.

3. What was the problem with Mars exploration before Perseverance?

A．The rovers could not reach Mars.

B．Observations were hard to make.

C．Samples on Mars couldn't be brought back.

D．Study instruments got lost in the space station.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

A．New Mars rover to be launched	B．Sei-fi movies on Mars to be made
C．Curiosity to bring back Mars samples	D．NASA to send manned rover to Mars

9 . Scientist， conservation organizations and government trying to stop the trend of extinction （灭绝） often focus on protected areas such as national parks and wildlife preserves. But with as many as million species（物种） at risk， this plan of action may not be enough to conserve wildlife.

Slowing the mass extinction that now appears to be underway will require more creative means of coexisting alongside wild plants and animals. A new study indicates the effectiveness of some such approaches by examining some lands managed by indigenous groups.

“ We show really strongly that， from a biodiversity standpoint in terms of species richness，indigenous － managed lands are at least comparable to protected areas， ” says biologist Richard Schuster of Carleton University. And in some places， they are better than parks and preserves －even though indigenous communities may use their lands’ resources by hunting or searching for food.

Schuster and his team analyzed more than 15，000 areas in Australia， Brazil and Canada. They found that the total diversity of wildlife was highest on lands either managed or co － managed by indigenous groups， while randomly selected areas with no formal protection were the least bio－diverse. For threatened species in particular， indigenous lands scored slightly higher than protected lands on overall species richness in Brazil and Canada， as well as higher for threatened animals in Australia.

Each country has a different geography， climate and history. Yet remarkably， Schuster says， the best indicator for species diversity is whether a given area was managed by an indigenous community. He pointed out that practices such as sustainable（可持续的） hunting， fishing and searching， as well as burning， are more likely to occur in such areas. Don Hankins， an ecologist at California State University，agrees. “ there’ s probably going to be more of a connection to the land， ” he says， “ and a use of the land for the things that are there， compared to a national park. ”

“ It’ s really important to listen to the people who live on the land and have them drive the stewardship efforts going forward， ” Schuster says， adding that partnering with indigenous communities may enable the world’ s countries to better meet a wide range of conservation goals： “ We really need all the help we can get as a global community to prevent species extinction that we’ re facing right now. ”

1. What does the underlined word “ indigenous” probably mean in Paragraph 2？

A．Social.	B．Native.
C．Protected.	D．Threatened.

2. What did Richard Schuster find in his study？

A．National parks are even higher in species diversity.

B．Indigenous communities overhunted on their lands.

C．Some preserves almost have no formal protection.

D．Indigenous lands do better in keeping bio－diversity.

3. Which of the following statements may Don Hankins agree with？

A．Species diversity depends on geographical positions.

B．Humans’ everyday activities are no longer sustainable.

C．Indigenous groups have a close bond with their lands.

D．Protected areas work perfectly in wildlife protection.

4. What is the text mainly about？

A．Beating back extinction.	B．Dealing with environmental problems.
C．Setting up nature reserves.	D．Fighting against unsustainable behaviors.

10 . Creativity is the process of taking an idea and applying it in real life, if we aren’t creative, we can't think outside the box and question what we can do.

Asking questions is a good way of sparking creativity.

First, we can ask learners questions that have more than one possible answer.

In science: “How many ways can you find to empty a glass of water without touching it? ”

In any subject:   “What else would you like to know? How do you know that is true? Is there another way of doing this?”

Second, we can encourage learners to invent their own questions, We can do this for a topic that students are familiar with in their study. Firstly, discuss what makes a good question Secondly, create questions by grouping questions into different types--open, closed, or one that challenges the imagination. Finally, put those questions in order according to their importance.

Our teachers encourage us to ask questions and not accept the standard answers without Reasoning（推理）. Our school has some activities annually to inspire creativity in every student. Our teachers encourage us to be creative and think of solutions for real-world problems. On the whole, the freedom of being allowed to be ourselves is what brings out the best in our creativity.

1. What does the underlined word “sparking” mean in the second paragraph?

A．questioning	B．knowing
C．causing	D．learning

2. The third paragraph is developed by                  .

A．telling facts	B．showing evidence
C．expressing an opinion	D．giving some examples

3. How many ways does the author mention in inventing questions?

A．Two	B．Three
C．Four	D．Five

4. According to the last paragraph, the teachers encourage their students to            .

A．have some activities with their parents

B．take more opportunities to think carefully

C．think of solutions to problems in the real world

D．accept standard answers provided by their teachers

5. What is the best title of the passage?

A．Definition of Creativity	B．Problems on Students’ Certainty
C．The Meaning of Certainty to Students	D．Ways of Developing Students’ Certainty