1 . One rainy afternoon, I was on a crosstown bus when a young woman jumped on. She had a child with her who must have been about 3 or 4 years old.
The bus was full, bumpy, and it soon got noisy as her kid began crying because he couldn’t sit next to his mother. There were a couple of open seats, but they weren’t together. She was flustered and looked embarrassed.
Then another woman, a little older, stood up and moved so that the mother and child could sit together. The mom smiled as a thank-you. And then three words came out of the older woman’s mouth that elevated the entire energy of that bus ride: “I’ve been there”.
Simple, undramatic and honest. In that moment, it seemed to unite people. Why? Because almost all experiences are shared human experiences. We forget that, as we forge (前进) through life, focused on our own troubles and needs—which are actually less unique than we think. How can these three words create more connection in your life? Ask yourself: “Where am I holding back?
One thing I know for sure is this: Healing others helps heal yourself. I noticed this recently with my friend, Tracy, who took a new friend who had suffered a miscarriage under her wing. Tracy had three of them before having her daughter two years ago. Our intellect needs a doctor to explain the medical side of things, yes. But our souls need human connection to help us along. No one can do that better than someone who has been exactly where you are.
Can the essence of these three words help you make a small difference right now? It can be as simple as volunteering your seat, sharing some helpful advice or even lightening the mood with a joke when you notice that someone’s uncomfortable—because we’re all in this together.
1. The underlined word “flustered” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.| A．angry | B．anxious | C．scared | D．upset |
| A．The woman was on the bus and saw what had happened to the boy. |
| B．The woman got to her destination and was ready to get off the bus. |
| C．The woman once had the similar experience with that mother. |
| D．The woman took the exact seat that the boy was on just now. |
| A．Everyone has his or her own unique problem that is difficult to solve. |
| B．Doctors can help us get through when we have mental or physical problems. |
| C．The author’s friend Tracy felt better after she was comforted by her new friend. |
| D．One can indeed make a difference to those in need of help by doing simple things. |
| A．show a harmonious world by telling some touching stories |
| B．praise those who are willing to help others in emergencies |
| C．appeal to readers to give timely help to those in need |
| D．illustrate some ways of helping others in detail |
2 . There's plenty of video evidence on social media about some urban wildlife during pandemic lockdown（疫情封锁）.And while it's been for tragic, costly reasons, we have to stop the human activity all over the world for a while.
On an increasingly crowded planet, wildlife scientists think that this will have some important effects.The only way to measure that, though, is with lots of bio-loggers.
Professor Christian Rutz, University of St Andrews said that a bio-logger is a small electronic device that can record, store and in some cases automatically send information, so that information could be positional information, from which we can find out through satellite（卫星） tracking where an animal goes and what it's up to.
Through using the labor-saving equipment, researchers can get much information.For example, the information about more than 1500 birds' movements and migrations （迁徙）was recorded by those bio-loggers over a decade effortlessly.
However, studying human absence is more tricky."One famous study in the Chernobyl exclusion zone that I visited with scientists last year, has shown how nature took over a landscape that was abandoned after the nuclear disaster." Professor Christian Rutz said.
Now, in dozens of ongoing studies, wildlife researchers have their bio-loggers on animals from African elephants to migrating birds, and some of that data has been automatically uploaded throughout lockdown.Scientists do the research by focusing on the behaviour of animals without the presence of human.
Professor Christian Rutz told BBC： "And so this is really a golden opportunity to research this relationship between humans and wildlife and we hope that this project will inspire us to make plans for the future and there are some very useful suggestions that could come out of this.”
This lockdown has been at huge human and economic cost, which is why scientists say it's important to maximize what we can learn from lockdown, about how to share the space we have with many other animals.
1. Which is not the function of bio-loggers?| A．storing information of animals |
| B．recording information of animals |
| C．tracking the position of animals |
| D．sharing information of animals on the public media |
| A．unique. | B．difficult. | C．shallow. | D．common. |
| A．To research how bio-logger is used on animals. |
| B．To prove that animals can not live without humans. |
| C．To research how the absence of human affects animals. |
| D．To prove that bio-logger is effective to send the information. |
| A．Protecting wildlife is a wise choice. |
| B．Wildlife might benefit from lockdown. |
| C．Bio-loggers are widely used during the lockdown. |
| D．It doesn't matter whether we stop human activity or not. |
3 . The Chinese word "Shanzhai" means a small mountain village, but it becomes an accepted name for fakes (假货), after "Shanzhai Cell-phones" produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years. Now besides "Shanzhai" electronic products, there are "Shanzhai" movies, "Shanzhai" stars and even a "Shanzhai" Sprin Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve.
"Shanzhai" has become a culture of its own, meaning anything that imitates something famous. In Chongqing, "Shanzhai" version "Bird's Nest（鸟巢）" and "Water Cube（水立方）" woven by farmers with bamboo attract(吸引) wide attention from tourists. Both are copies of the famous Olympic buildings in Beijing.
A literature critic said that taking the "Shanzhai" Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the "Shanzhai" version appears timely to attract people. "Although it is often connected with poor techniques and operation, 'Shanzhai' culture meets the psychological needs of common people and could be a comfort to their minds," he said.
To the mainstream（主流） culture, the rise of "Shanzhai" culture is a challenge and a motivation（推动）. People believe different kinds of cultures developing together is a perfect way and it is for the public to choose.
1. The Chinese word "Shanzhai" may have started with_______.| A．electronic products | B．fake(假的) cell-phones |
| C．Spring Festival Gala | D．Olympic buildings |
| A．anything that are copies of something famous |
| B．products with poor techniques and quality |
| C．the action that a person imitates famous people |
| D．those similar names to famous brands |
| A．is stopped by "Shanzhai" culture |
| B．is the challenge of"Shanzhai" culture |
| C．may develop faster because of the challenge of "Shanzhai" culture |
| D．will be replaced by "Shanzhai" culture |
| A．偷窃 | B．做广告 |
| C．仿造 | D．欺骗 |
4 . Recently, as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his school team, I was feeling sorry for myself and for him. His team was facing adversity (困境) on the court and he was playing in a hostile environment — it was the opponent’s home gym filled with their supporters, and Nathan’s team was trailing (落后) for three quarters of the game. As for me, I had just been dismissed (解雇) from my job earlier in that day.
During the drive home, I kept telling myself that I would find work again in a short time — I was always confident in my experience and abilities, but self-doubt was still sticking its foot in the door.
The basketball game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan’s team still trailing. I saw the determination on his face as well as his teammates’ as they fought back to not only tie the game, but then go ahead by three points. Then, a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to make the game tied again. With the tied scores and seconds on the clock, Nathan found himself with the ball and with skill and confidence, he made the basket with a defender hanging all over him. The other player was called for a foul (犯规).
As Nathan stood preparing for a shot that would put his team up by three points, I saw the focus and determination on his face, with no room for self-doubt. Nathan was able to tune out all the distractions and nail the free throw with such skill, as if he had done it a thousand times.
As I sat there, my heart bursting with pride, it dawned on me that I had taught him perseverance (毅力) in the face of adversity, and he had just taught me the same lesson. That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court. He will play in the finals, but it doesn’t matter if he wins or loses. At this moment, we both won.
1. What did the author estimate his son’s team would be like at first?| A．The team would finally win. |
| B．The team would lose at away court. |
| C．The team would lose at home court. |
| D．The team would tie with the opponents. |
| A．Avoid. | B．Focus. | C．Create. | D．Receive. |
| A．My son would win in the finals and I would find a job soon. |
| B．I had once taught my son face to face that we should never give up. |
| C．It was my encouragement and help that made my son win the game. |
| D．I would become more confident about my future after this experience. |
| A．Life Goes Just Like Playing Basketball |
| B．It Matters Whether to Win or Lose |
| C．A Lesson in Life and Basketball |
| D．A Moment of Self-doubt |
5 . School Clubs or Sports?
bha8102
Asked July 20, 2020
I am a high school freshman. Should I participate in high school clubs or sports? By clubs I mean clubs like Habitat for Humanity or Math Team. I have heard that taking up a sport in 9th grade can help you get into a better college. I am equally interested in both.
Replies
southernbelle16
Answered July 21, 2020
Get involved with extracurricular clubs. Sports don’t matter that much unless you:
a) play one continuously for years;
b) are going to college to play sports.
Clubs that involved academics, volunteer work and leadership are excellent. If you have time to play sports, then do that as well. Colleges want well-rounded people.
thinkingtoohard
Answered July 21, 2020
If you’re looking to get into a highly competitive college, yes! I wish someone had told me freshman year that by the time I was a senior, I should have founded at least one club, been a leader in two others, and done tons of volunteer work. I might be exaggerating a little bit but you get the idea ... check out what students have done to get accepted into their colleges. But make sure that your clubs/sports fit your interests. College admissions officers can easily tell when they’re just fillers.
bha8102
Asked July 22, 2020
I am interested in sports but not good at them. What if I involve myself in a club I am interested in but don’t become officer?
Replies
@intparent
Answered July 22, 2020
One of my kids got accepted to every place she had applied to two years ago, and she had no “named” leadership positions. However, she was a very strong contributor in some team activities. Leadership isn’t always about standing in front of the room with a title. It can be about leading your team in terms of performance, for example, or in helping younger teammates make progress.
I think the leadership title positions are overrated in the college admissions process. Colleges don’t want “lone wolves” who can’t get along with others. They want students who are sincere, try the best to do the things that are important to them, and perform at a high level in the things that they set their minds to. Pick the things that you love and put a lot of effort into them. If you have good grades and test scores, the rest will follow.
1. The user bha8102 asked the question on the forum mainly to ______.| A．share his/her feelings about becoming a high school freshman |
| B．get information on what it takes to get into a competitive college |
| C．express his/her opinions on extracurricular activities in high school |
| D．ask for advice about how to choose between school clubs and sports |
| A．volunteer work | B．activities that you’re not really interested in |
| C．advice from upperclassmen | D．leadership in a club |
| A．every high school freshman should join in school clubs |
| B．college admissions officers often favor a club leader or team captain |
| C．high school students should put all their energy into grades and test scores |
| D．the experience you get from participating in school clubs is far more important than a leadership title |
6 . Although I had wanted to quit smoking, I never made up my mind until New Year's Day last year. I was having a terrible headache. I knew it was time to quit.
Searching for methods to quit smoking on the Internet is like searching for weight loss tips — there are thousands of different ways that are said to be the best, but not all are right for you. One approach that did draw my interest was apps. Along with cigarettes, my phone was the only other thing I couldn't leave my apartment without.
There are hundreds of apps for quitting smoking. I downloaded an app called Quit It because it was said to be good. It was free and didn't cost much time as some others. You input the amount of cigarettes you smoke, the cost per pack and the time you decide to quit smoking. The app does the math and then gives you information based on the information given by you. It tracks the amount of time since you decided to quit, the money you've saved, and the danger you've avoided. The app also includes a number of health goals.
Quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Like most stories of quitting, I did get a little sick and I felt terrible, but the most difficult part was the empty feeling I was left with. Any time I felt like a cigarette, I would open the app and track the progress I had made. If I wanted to smoke while I was on the computer, I'd immediately go to stop smoking to read a success story, or to offer support to someone else having a harder time than me.
I quit smoking 1 year 2 months and 27 days ago. I did not smoke 6,771 cigarettes and saved $4,062.84.
1. What did the author realize when suffering the terrible headache?| A．He should turn to an app. | B．He should go to see a doctor. |
| C．It was time to make a new plan. | D．It was about time he quit smoking. |
| A．Method. | B．Result. | C．Place. | D．Suggestion. |
| A．played a big role in the author's quitting smoking | B．made the author's time much harder |
| C．was questioned by many people | D．could be used on the computer |
| A．To show us the harm of smoking. | B．To encourage readers to use an app. |
| C．To explain why he chose to quit smoking. | D．To tell us how he managed to quit smoking. |
7 . Facebook is an American online social media and social networking service. The Facebook website was launched on February 4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg, along with fellow Harvard College students and roommates.
The founders had limited the website’s membership to Harvard students at first; however, later they expanded it to various other universities, and eventually to high school students as well. Since 2006, anyone who claims to be at least 13 years old has been allowed to become a registered（注册了的）user of Facebook, though differences exist in the youngest age requirement, depending on local laws. Facebook has more than 2 billion monthly active users as of June 2017. As of April 2016, Facebook was the most popular social networking site in the world, based on the number of active user accounts.
Facebook may be accessed by a large range of desktops, smartphones over the Internet and mobile networks. After registering to use the site, users can create a user profile showing their names and so on. Users can add other users as “friends”, exchange messages, post photos and so on.
Facebook makes most of its income from advertisements which appear on screen, marketing access for its customers to its users.
1. What does the underlined word “launched” in Paragraph 1 mean？| A．Prevented. | B．Started | C．Permitted. | D．Supplied. |
| A．Harvard students. | B．High school students. |
| C．Students in all universities. | D．Old people. |
| A．How to become a Facebook member. | B．How Americans communicate today. |
| C．A brief story of Mark Zuckerberg. | D．A brief introduction to Facebook. |
8 . The situation of the world’s plants is not good. One fifth of the kinds of plants are in danger of disappearing, according to a report.
“Plants are very vital to human beings,” said Kathy Willis, who led the new report. “Plants provide us with everything—food, fuel, and medicine, and they are very important for our climate controlling. Without plants we would not be here.”
The good news is that deforestation rates around the world have dropped largely since the 1950s. However, this report on the health of plants around the world shows that there is much more to be done.
The report predicts that there are now 390,900 kinds of plants. And about 21 percent of those plants are in danger of disappearing. “The good side is that we’re still discovering lots of new plants, about 2,000 each year,” said Dr. Willis. “The bad side is that we’ve seen a huge change in land cover, mainly caused by cultural activity, with a little bit of climate change in there as well.”
Human activity has a great effect on the danger of plants disappearing. As humans cut down forests to make room for agriculture, towns and cities, biodiversity is lost. This could not only affect our own food supply directly, but also affect the food web.
1. What does the underlined word “vital” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Useless. | B．Friendly. | C．Equal. | D．Important. |
| A．New plants are more than ever before. | B．About half the plants will disappear soon. |
| C．Many new plants are found every year. | D．Plants mustn’t be used to produce medicine. |
| A．We have made little progress. | B．There is a long way for us to go. |
| C．We have achieved our goal. | D．There will be nothing we can do. |
| A．Biodiversity Being Lost | B．Human Social Activity |
| C．Environment Protection | D．Nature Climate Change |
9 . The words “protect animals” appear everywhere in books and on screens because some animals are in danger of dying out. But sometimes the reality can be a little different from what people read or watch.
About 300 black bears were killed in Florida, the US, in October, 2015. It’s been the first bear hunt since 1994.
Animal protection groups protested this decision. But local officials explained that the black bear population had grown to 3,500 and become a menace to local people. In the past two years, bears have hurt at least four people in Florida.
This brings an old question back into the spotlight — which is more important, protecting animals or protecting people’s interests?
This question is asked in other countries too. In Switzerland, a wolf was sentenced to death by the Swiss government months ago. This is because the wolf killed 38 sheep and local people lost a lot of money. Days ago in China, three old men were arrested for killing a serow (鬣羚), a protected species. But they insisted they didn’t know about this and killed the animal because it ruined their crops.
However, these stories don’t always mean that animal protection stops due to human interests, especially involving economic development. A man named Zhou Weisen set up a wild animal base in Guilin, Guangxi. He saved over 170 tigers and 300 bears. But his base also offered jobs to local people.
“There may never be a standard answer to the question of whether we should give more attention to the environment or human development,” said Robert May, a British biologist at Oxford University. “But we shouldn’t push either one to the side, as the future is hanging in the balance.”
1. In October 2015, Florida held its first bear hunt after about________.| A．five years | B．ten years |
| C．fourteen years | D．twenty-one years |
| A．Danger. | B．Chance. | C．Relief. | D．Treasure. |
| A．Protecting animals needs hard work. |
| B．Zhou was good at feeding wild animals. |
| C．Zhou had a good relationship with local people. |
| D．Protecting animals can bring economic development. |
| A．Human development should be considered first. |
| B．We should pay more attention to animal protection. |
| C．We should consider both the environment and human interests. |
| D．It’s difficult to find proper ways to solve environmental problems. |
10 . One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation(森林砍伐) is a blank stare(迷惑的眼神) that asks the question, “Since I don’t live there, what does it have to do with me?”
The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics(热带地区) in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.
Biologically, we are losing the richest regions on earth when, each minute, a piece of tropical forest, the size of ten city blocks, disappears. As many as five million species of plants, animals, and insects (40 to 50 percent of all living things) live there, and are being lost faster than they can be found and described. Their loss is immeasurable(不可估量的).
Take rubber for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world’s commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon’s rubber industry produces much of the world’s four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear(鞋类) and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.
Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect―or heat of the earth from increased carbon dioxide(二氧化碳) in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realize the serious effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.
Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.
1. The underlined word “synthetics” in Paragraph 4 probably means________.| A．natural rubber materials | B．man-made materials |
| C．tropical materials | D．commercial rubber materials |
| A．tell people how to avoid tropical deforestation |
| B．warn people of the disastrous results of tropical deforestation |
| C．let people understand what tropical deforestation is |
| D．persuade people to buy something synthetic |
| A．puzzled | B．approving |
| C．doubtful | D．against |
| A．Tropical Forests and Our life. | B．Tropical Forests. |
| C．Saving the Tropical Forests. | D．The Greenhouse Effects. |
