1 . My work started in 2003 at my local animal shelter’s Adoption Department. It seems like such a long time ago. In the 13 years that have passed, more than 50,000 animals have passed the doors of the shelter. Most of them, I do not remember. But occasionally there are animals who stand out. Tabby was one such animal.
Tabby was one of the many homeless dogs. What’s more, she was blind and deaf. Tabby’s chances at adoption seemed remote at best. But one day a woman named Loretta came to the shelter. Her son, Gary, who suffered from epilepsy (癫痫) had seen Tabby’s picture on the shelter’s website. They were interested in meeting her! Most boys would want a puppy, a dog who could grow with him and run through grassy fields on summer days. Tabby would never be able to do that. But as they say, "love is blind". After meeting her, they decided to adopt Tabby!
If Tabby’s story had simply ended with her successful adoption, it would still have been something very special indeed but it was what happened after her adoption that some might label as "magical" or perhaps even miraculous. As Gary and Tabby did everything together, they became so "in tune" with one another that Tabby began to telegraph Gary’s seizures (疾病发作) before they occurred, giving his family a warning that one was about to strike. What’s more, Gary seemed to be having fewer and fewer seizures since Tabby’s arrival.
How could it be? There are some things that happen in this world that challenge all logic and understanding. Sometimes, the best that we can do is to accept a miraculous thing, which we didn’t attempt to explain. Because when you try to explain it, you lose the beauty and wonder of it all.
1. Which sentence can be used to describe Tabby?| A．She was so lovely that she could be easily adopted. |
| B．She suffered a lot from the disease-epilepsy. |
| C．She was so strong that she could run very fast. |
| D．She was homeless and couldn’t see or hear. |
| A．Amazing. | B．Typical. | C．Interesting. | D．Special. |
| A．Gary learnt about Tabby from a magazine. |
| B．Gary was cured in the company of Tabby. |
| C．Tabby could indicate a seizure before it struck. |
| D．Most boys would have the same decision as Gary. |
| A．Love is Blind: a Miraculous Dog | B．Give Me Food: My Dear Master |
| C．Love is Everywhere: a Poor Dog | D．Take Me Home: My Dear Boy |
2 . A group of swans (天鹅) flew down to a beach where a crow (乌鸦) was jumping around. The crow watched them with disdain (鄙视).
“You have no flying skills at all!” he said to the swans. “All you can do is to move your wings. Can you turn over in the air? No, that’s beyond you. Let’s have a flying competition. I’ll show you what real flying is!”
One of the swans, a strong young male, took up the challenge. The crow flew up and began to show his skills. He flew in circles, performed other flying tricks, and then came down and looked proudly at the swan.
Now it was the swan’s turn. He flew up, and he began flying over the sea. The crow flew after him, making all kinds of comments about his flying. They flew on and on till they couldn’t see the land and there was nothing but water on all sides. The crow was making fewer and fewer comments. He was now so exhausted that he found it hard to stay in the air, and had to struggle to keep himself from falling into the water.
The swan pretended not to notice, and said, “Why do you keep touching the water, brother? Is that another trick?”
“No,” said the crow. He knew that he had lost the competition. “I’m in trouble because of my pride! If you don’t help me, I’ll lose my life…”
The swan took pity on him, and took him on his shoulders and flew back to the beach.
1. What does the underlined word “exhausted” in Paragraph 4 mean?| A．Tired. | B．Angry. |
| C．Frightened. | D．Regretful. |
| A．It was showing another flying skill. |
| B．It was struggling to keep itself from falling into the water. |
| C．It was thirsty and wanted to drink some water. |
| D．It was enjoying itself by doing so. |
| A．The crow didn’t know flying. |
| B．Flying skills were useless. |
| C．The swan saved the crow because they were good friends. |
| D．The swan was better at long-distance flying than the crow |
| A．No pains, no gains. | B．The early bird catches the worm (虫子). |
| C．Pride goes before a fall. | D．Practice makes perfect. |
3 . When we sleep, our brains clear out the memories we've made while we're awake, deciding what to keep and what to discard. Forgetting is an active process, explained the authors of a study published in the journal Science. But less is known about this process during the different stages of sleep.
The team found that during the rapid eye movement （REM） sleep stage, when active sleep happens and we are thought to dream, special nerve（神经）cells appear to actively lead to forgetting. What are known as MCH neurons（神经元）sit in the hypothalamus ——a part of the brain which helps with a range of functions such as sleep, appetite and emotions. Past research has suggested these cells help to control REM sleep patterns.
The team looked at MCH neurons in mice, and found 52.8 percent were active during REM sleep, compared with 35 percent when the mice were awake. They also turned MCH neurons on and off during memory tests. MCH cells appeared to send messages to the part of the brain to stop the formation of memories.
Study co-author Thomas Kilduff said the team was surprised to find that mice performed better on learning and memory tasks when the MCH cells were inhibited（受抑制）.“This result suggests that stimulation of the MCH neurons may disturb memory strengthening - that is, MCH neurons may help forgetting," Kilduff explained.
Asked what motivated the study, Kilduff said, "There is research argument about the role of sleep-in learning and memory, specifically, whether REM sleep, slow-wave sleep or both types of sleep are important for memory strengthening."
Kilduff acknowledged the study was conducted only on mice, not on humans. Also, mice are animals that remain active at night, with periods of sleeping and being awake distributed throughout the day and night, whereas most humans have a single sleep period that usually occurs at night, he said.
1. What does the underlined word “discard" in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Get rid of. | B．Bring in. |
| C．Make use of. | D．Dream about. |
| A．All of them are active. |
| B．Over half of them are functioning. |
| C．Most of them can control emotions. |
| D．35 percent of them can refresh memories. |
| A．It was highly questioned. | B．It helps explain dreams. |
| C．It could apply to all people. | D．It was limited in some way. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Sports. |
| C．Tech and Science. | D．Culture. |
4 . Richard Ripley knows he wouldn’t be the man he is today without one special woman.
Richard and his brother, Kevin, were placed into disparate adoptive homes at a young age because of their parents’ deep drug addiction. Kevin was placed with the Ripley family while Richard went to live in four separate homes over the course of three years, suffering abuse along the way. Richard and Kevin only saw each other every few months, but during their visits, Mrs. Ripley grew to care for Richard, too.
“Mrs. Ripley would take us for lunch at McDonald’s as Kevin always liked the food, and when she first noticed the scars all over my body,” Richard wrote. “She immediately made arrangements for me to join their family.” Unfortunately, Mr. Ripley passed away from cancer shortly after Richard joined the family. But even in the face of hardship, Mrs. Ripley never once considered parting with Kevin or Richard.
“Nobody would have blamed her for taking us back. But instead she took us to court and made it permanent,” Richard continued. “She must have been super stressed, but that’s not at all what I remember. I just remember the words that she gave me. It was always: ‘You’re smart.’ And ‘You’re handsome.’ And ‘You survived all bad things because you’re strong.’ There are very few forces as powerful as a mother’s love.”
Thanks to her unfailing love and guidance, Richard grew up to be the strong, successful man she always knew he could be. He joined the Marines (海军陆战队)... and graduated from law school! And, of course, his mom was always there by his side, celebrating right along with him.
Now, as a parent himself, Richard couldn’t be more grateful to the Ripleys for making his life worth living and giving him a future to look forward to.
1. What does the underlined word “disparate” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Wealthy. | B．Faraway. | C．Different. | D．Large. |
| A．The abuse he suffered. | B．Kevin’s sincere request. |
| C．The death of her husband. | D．The blame from others. |
| A．Demanding. | B．Encouraging. | C．Ambitious. | D．Creative. |
| A．Man must be strong. | B．Hard work pays off. |
| C．Where there is love, there is hope. | D．Kindness makes one’s soul noble. |
5 . Starman, the dummy(仿真人) riding a cherry-red Tesla Roadster(特斯拉敞篷车) through space, has made his closest approach ever to Mars. The electric roadster and its passenger were attached to the top of a Falcon Heavy rocket during the SpaceX rocket’s first test launch on 6 February 2018.
Two years later, the Falcon Heavy rocket and the vehicle at its tip are making their second trip around the Sun. Mr. McDowell, a Harvard astrophysicist, found that Starman passed 7.4 million kilometers from Mars at 06:25 GMT 7 October, 2020.
The closest recent approach between the Earth and Mars was 56 million kilometers in 2003, though the planets are often hundreds of millions of miles apart depending on where they are in their orbits. No one can see the Falcon Heavy rocket at its current distance, but orbits over periods of a few years are fairly straightforward to predict, and Mr. McDowell used data about how the rocket was moving when it left the Earth’s gravity behind to locate its recent movements exactly.
Last time Starman circled the Sun, McDowell said, it crossed Mars’ orbit while the Red Planet was quite far away. But this time the crossing lined up with a fairly close approach, though still not close enough to feel a strong tug from Mars.
At this point in time, if you were able to go look at the Roadster, it would probably look pretty different. The strong solar radiation environment between the planets would probably have destroyed all the exposed organic materials.
Without the Earth’s atmospheric and magnetic(磁场的) protection, even the plastics and carbon-fibre materials would start to break up. Over the course of decades or centuries, the car will end up with its aluminium(铝) frame and hard glass parts----that’s assuming that none of them get destroyed in impacts with passing space rocks.
1. What can we infer from the first two paragraphs?| A．Starman is now circling around the Earth in its orbit. |
| B．Starman has set out on its second trip around the Sun. |
| C．Starman has traveled 7.4 million kilometers after launch. |
| D．Starman still has a long way to go before getting to Mars. |
| A．By keeping Starman under visual observation. |
| B．By predicting its future orbit around the earth. |
| C．By seeking professional help from SpaceX. |
| D．By analyzing data about the rocket’s movement. |
| A．pull | B．drive | C．resistance | D．pressure |
| A．It is circling around Mars and will finally crash onto it. |
| B．It will finish its mission and return to SpaceX on earth. |
| C．Starman is likely reduced to at most its frame and glass. |
| D．SpaceX will try to recover it during its next space mission. |
6 . When you choose a friend, you should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair weather (晴天) friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability (可靠).
Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person’s place, and he tries, to think of ways to be helpful. He is, also a good listener.
At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults in others. He notices their good points. In short, good friends will be honest to each other and accept each other.
Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on a good friend If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time? I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favour, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble > he will not run away from me.
There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special, A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humour, too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I’ve found a friend!
1. If you have fair weather friends, what will happen to you?| A．You will become rich |
| B．You can be sure that you get real friends |
| C．You will be refused when you get into trouble |
| D．They will give you all that they have when you need help |
| A．Honesty. | B．Reliability. |
| C．Understanding. | D．A sense of humour. |
| A．Cloudy. | B．Unusual. | C．Unhappy. | D．Pleased. |
| A．the qualities of a friend | B．where to choose friends |
| C．how to get along with friends | D．the importance of having a friend |
7 . In the 1994 film Forrest Gump, there's a famous saying, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. The surprise is part of the fun. Now blind box toys（盲盒)are bringing the magic of surprise to online shopping.
A blind box toy is hidden inside similar boxes but invisible from the outside. You don't know what will be inside, although the toys typically come from pop culture, ranging from movies to comics and cartoons.
Blind boxes have become popular since they were first introduced from Japan to China in 2014. According to a 2019 Tmall report, the mini-series of Labubu blind box designed by Hong Kong-born Kasing Lung, was named Champion of Unit Sales with 55, 000 sold in just 9 seconds during the Singles Day shopping event. Most customers for blind boxes are young people aged 18 to 35.
According to The Paper, blind box toys are popular in part because of their cute appearances. The typically cute cartoon figures(人物)come in small sizes, making them suitable for display almost anywhere.
Even if blind boxes are not their top choice for decorations, the mystery and uncertainty of the process also attracts people. It's the main reason why people buy blind boxes one after another.
"Expecting the unknown is always a part of the box-opening process," said Miss Cao, 24, who lives and works in Shenyang. Speaking to Sina News, she said: "Until you open all the boxes, you cannot know what it is inside."
Opening a blind box is a delightful little surprise for our mundane daily lives, something small but fun to wait for each day, week or month. When people open this simple little box, they may be disappointed, but the uncertainty is part of the fun. People will open more blind boxes and hope for a better outcome.
When someone re-makes Forrest Gump, don't be surprised if he says, "Life is like a blind box."
1. What do we know about blind boxes?| A．They may bring surprise to our life. | B．They are visible from the outside. |
| C．They are popular among all ages. | D．They were first designed in 2014. |
| A．Because blind boxes are fashionable gifts. |
| B．Because blind boxes are educational gifts. |
| C．Because people enjoy box-opening process. |
| D．Because people prefer the colorful boxes. |
| A．Wonderful | B．Interesting | C．Amazing. | D．Boring. |
| A．A diary. | B．A magazine. | C．A novel. | D．A guidebook. |
8 . Mauro Colagreco is the only Argentinean chef who has been awarded three Michelin stars, the highest distinction for international cuisine(烹饪). His restaurant on the French Riviera, Mirazur, is considered one of the best in the world, but when it was forced to close its doors temporarily, Colagreco found a way to use his cooking skills to serve the community.
During normal times, Mirazur does great business. But in March, Mirazur had to close its doors due to the coronavirus lockdown. Within days of the reopening in June, Mirazur had already filled up all its reservations for the rest of the year.
The months of closed doors were not a rest for Mirazur’s staff, however. Colagreco and part of Mirazur!s team, instead of standing by, used this time and their talents to aid in the fight against the virus. On April 2, Mirazur’s kitchen, so unique that its menu is a surprise every day, moved its headquarters to nearby La Palmosa Hospital to cook for the health care staff.
Twice a week for two months, the cooks prepared meals to honor those who were facing the pandemic on the front lines. They gave these hospital meals the same elegance and combination of flavors as their dishes at Mirazur. Everything was made with products from the restaurant’s garden, from which its menu is usually nourished, and donations from local suppliers.
A native of La Plata, and trained by Argentine chefs Beatriz Chomnalez and Carlos Alberto “Gato” Dumas, Colagreco has been living in France since 2001. As time went by, his name began to stand out and great new restaurants started to bear his signature. In addition to Mirazur, for example, he opened Grand Coeur in Paris, and L'Estivale by Mauro Colagreco at Nice Airport, Cote d'Azur.
Although he has been an expert in cooking, Colagreco’s work for good causes shows that, like the produce he grows, his roots are firmly in the ground.
1. What can we know about Mirazur?| A．It has enjoyed its popularity. | B．It set limits on reservation. |
| C．It was a non-profit restaurant. | D．It was only nationally famous. |
| A．They turned a restaurant into a care center. |
| B．They stood by and ran their own restaurant. |
| C．They sold hospital meals to the community. |
| D．They offered to cook for the health care staff. |
| A．Designed. | B．Consumed. |
| C．Supported. | D．Stored. |
| A．Imaginative and adventurous. | B．Easy-going and hard-working. |
| C．Remarkably successful and modest. | D．Professional and socially responsible. |
9 . Thanks to more than two decades of environmental recovery efforts, various species of wild birds have begun to gather at the mouth of the Yellow River. The Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve in Shandong province covers about 153, 000 hectares, with wetland making up over 70% of the total area.
Wang Andong, a researcher in the reserve, said 315 oriental storks, an endangered species, were born there this year. The species is under first-class national protection in China. Wang said that, decades ago, the oriental storks only made a brief stop at the reserve before they traveled to China's warm south, but an increasing number of the birds are choosing to live in the area throughout the year.
The reserve has seen the birth of 2, 000 oriental storks since 2003 when the birds first nested there. The increase in the number of wild birds in the reserve, especially endangered species, reflects the area's improved ecology.
Wang owed the improvement to a number of wetland recovery projects, such as water replenishment and turning farmland back into wetland. A total of 155 million cubic meters of water was supplied to the reserve in July to replenish groundwater. Water replenishment, started in 2008, helps bring back the wetland and creates a better environment for fish. It ensures enough food supplies for the birds.
The rising number of wild birds in the reserve has become a feast for the eyes for bird-watchers, who are able to spot oriental storks and other wild birds even outside the reserve.
1. Why did the oriental storks fly to the reserve decades ago?| A．To lay eggs there. | B．To have a short stop there. |
| C．To live there forever. | D．To make nests there. |
| A．Enough food supplies. | B．The increase of wild birds. |
| C．Many wetland recovery projects. | D．The increased area of the reserve. |
| A．Condition. | B．Shortage. | C．Pollution. | D．Supply. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Unconcerned. | C．Doubtful. | D．Worried. |
10 . Twenty-five years ago, most young Britons wanted a career in law, to be a doctor, or, if they were creatively minded, to take up singing. But today, things stand differently.
According to a survey by Tesco Mobile, a UK telecoms company, the “dream job” of young people aged between 16 and 25 in the UK is a video blogger, or “vlogger”. The survey, carried out among 1 , 002 people, found that as much as 40 percent of them put vlogger as their number one choice on a list of ideal jobs.
The only reason for this change is undoubtedly the Internet and social media. They have made it so much easier to reach a global user, without having to get a job in show business in the traditional way.
“In years gone by, the biggest stars were shaped and trained by the Hollywood studios； now, anyone with a computer camera can become an icon (偶像)，" a Tesco Mobile spokesperson said in a news release(发布会).“These self-made stars record their hobbies to an admiring fan-base. Vloggers are the big stars of today because they are normal people interacting with their fans about everyday life.”
However, what people see is only the great side of being a vlogger and they ignore the fact that only those who are successful get fame and fortune. There are the dreams that come true and the dreams that still remain dreams.
This is why although vloggers are popular, some young people choose jobs that don't necessarily earn them fame, but allow them to make good use of the Internet to share their hobbies. Young Israeli David Leshaw, for example, runs a business called the Finishers Club. It's an online platform(平台)for runners to keep a record of their races. He told the website Zippia that his job allows him to express his thought, and is always a learning experience. And that's enough for him.
1. What's the most popular job among British young people nowadays?| A．A lawyer. | B．A doctor. | C．A vlogger. | D．A singer. |
| A．Because of the popularity of the computers. |
| B．Because the traditional show business has disappeared. |
| C．Because there are computer cameras for everyone to use. |
| D．Because Internet and social media made it easy to reach a global user. |
| A．To discuss. | B．To force. |
| C．To communicate. | D．To take part in. |
| A．All vloggers can't be successful. | B．Vloggers should be supported. |
| C．Vloggers should be encouraged. | D．Vloggers are very helpful to society. |
