1 . Have you ever heard about Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Surely, they are all about finding the best deals on holiday gifts for yourself and family members. And have you heard about GivingTuesday? Here is something about it!

GivingTuesday is observed annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which encourages people to help those in need by making financial donations or doing good in their local community. The “Global Day of Giving” was started in 2012 by New York City nonprofit 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation.

Unlike Black Friday, GivingTuesday serves a more altruistic purpose. In its first year, the movement brought in almost $10 million for charities, and things have only improved since. In 2019, many GivingTuesday social media campaigns worldwide helped raise an amazing $ 1.9 billion from 27 million donors! Over the past five years, many higher education institutions have also been using the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to ask alumni for donations. In 2019, the University of Michigan, which calls it Blueday, received 5887 gifts totaling over $4 million, while Pennsylvania State University raised $710 000 to benefit over 85 University programs.

Though donating money certainly helps, there are many other ways to support the great cause, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can video tutor kids struggling with online learning, or team up with an adult to get groceries or medications for an elderly neighbor. Alternatively, call on your peers to help you with a service project that addresses an issue close to your heart, or pick one from the several ideas suggested on the GivingTuesday website. You can also donate your gently-used clothes and toys to local shelters, or mail a handwritten note to a grandparent or a friend you miss seeing.

What are you going to do to make a positive difference in your community on GivingTuesday? Let us know by adding your comments below!

1. Why does the author mention Black Friday and Cyber Monday in Paragraph 1?

A．To make a comparison.	B．To lead to the topic.
C．To arouse readers’ interest.	D．To express his doubt.

2. What’s the aim of GivingTuesday?

A．To promote the development of economy.	B．To attract people to buy more holiday gifts.
C．To call on more universities to donate money.	D．To encourage people to help those in need.

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

A．Selfless.

B．General.

C．Specific.

D．Complex.

4. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Where people can offer their kind help.	B．What people can do on GivingTuesday.
C．How people can stay safe during COVID-19.	D．Why people need to support the great cause.

2 . The joy of giving is real, according to a study. Research presented in the Journal of the Association for Psychological Science shows that those who give gifts are happier — and happier for longer — than those who receive gifts.

Researchers conducted two studies last year. In one，participants were given $5 every day for five days and were required to spend the money on the same thing each day. Some participants were required to spend the money on themselves, while others were required to give to make a donation to charity. In a second experiment that was done online, participants played 10 rounds of a word puzzle game and each won 5 cents per round, which they could keep or donate.

In both experiments, participants reported their overall happiness. Those who donated their money showed that their happiness declined at a much slower rate than those who kept the money or spent it on themselves.

The researchers note that when people focus on an outcome, they can easily compare outcomes, which may diminish their sensitivity to each experience. When people focus on an action, they may focus less on comparison and instead experience each act of giving as a unique happiness-inducing event. Further analyses ruled out some potential alternative explanations, such as the possibility that participants who gave to others had to think longer and harder about what to give, which could promote higher happiness.

The results are especially interesting because according to one of the researchers, Ed O’Brien of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, they conflict with past research. “If you want to sustain happiness over time, past research tells us that we need to take a break from what were currently consuming and experience something new. Our research reveals that the kind of thing may matter more than assumed: Repeated giving, even in identical ways to identical other，may continue to feel relatively fresh and relatively pleasurable the more we do it,” O’Brien said.

So for all the holiday gifts you give this season, expect to feel happy and know that feeling is going to stick around for a while.

1. What’s the function of the first paragraph?

A．To lead to the topic.

B．To highlight the importance of the study.

C．To recommend a journal.

D．To persuade people to give gifts regularly.

2. Why did the researchers do two experiments?

A．To challenge the past research.

B．To rule out different experimental data.

C．To show the benefits of donation.

D．To make the conclusion more convincing.

3. What does the underlined word “diminish” probably mean in the fourth paragraph?

A．Develop.

B．Show.

C．Reduce.

D．Lack.

4. What’s the main finding of the new study?

A．Gift giving will result in longer happiness than receiving.

B．Thinking longer and harder on giving will promote higher happiness.

C．The feeling of happiness will disappear soon if people just give holiday gifts.

D．Taking a break from what were currently consuming will sustain happiness.

3 . Some of the wonder buildings are known for their beautiful construction, while others track their history from ancient times. There are some buildings in the world which are attractive and look really amazing.

Shenzhen International Airport Terminal（航站楼）

Shenzhen International Airport Terminal is in China. This building is a wonder of Italian architects（建筑师）Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas. Thanks to these two architects who created the design of Terminal 3 of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport in a highly creative and wonderful way, the building reflects the sunlight from its inside during the daytime.

The La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science

The La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science is an eye-catching building. The design of this building was given by Architects of Lyons in France. The building was constructed in a hexagonal（六角形的）shape, having six floors. It is one of the best medical colleges of Melbourne, Australia.

De Rotterdam

De Rotterdam is one of the best constructed buildings of Netherland. The architect, Rem Koolhaas gave it an ideal and beautiful look. This is one of the largest buildings of Europe. It has three mix-style towers, beautiful accommodation（住宿）areas, the commercial center, the conference hall, restaurants and cafes for the visitors. It also has an indoor swimming pool where lots of people enjoy different water games in summer.

The Roof Gardens Kensington

You can give any name to this restaurant, but what it is known for is its special style of construction. The locals name “The Roof Gardens Kensington” a dreamy and romantic place for the visitors. It is much more expensive but the food served at this restaurant is indetective in terms of its taste and quality.

1. What can we learn about Terminal 3 of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport?

A．Sunlight can be reflected from its inside.

B．The design of the terminal once won a prize.

C．It offers many kinds of global special foods.

D．It was designed by a world famous architect.

2. Who may prefer to visit De Rotterdam more?

A．One who enjoys playing all kinds of water games.

B．One who prefers food with wonderful taste and quality.

C．One who studies different styles of doors and windows.

D．One who dreams enjoying a lovely and romantic dinner.

3. What does the underlined word “indefective” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Unaffordable.	B．Perfect.
C．Unnecessary.	D．Reasonable.

4 . A Bridge Linking Art and the Audience

According to a 2018 report, people aged between 16 and 24 make up about 15 percent of the population but only 10 percent of museum-goers. Similarly, people aged over 35 go half as much as you would expect from their population size. We have reached the point of recognising the disconnection between art and the audience but haven’t yet determined how to bridge the gap. Two answers to tackling this challenge lie in telling a greater diversity of art histories and communicating these stories in more accessible ways.

In 2018, a radio program called Art Matters was started with the aim of discussing art from a pop-culture viewpoint with topics that would engage younger and more diverse audience. It offers an accessible pathway to art history with conversations on different topics. Art history is about storytelling; art content shines when there is an effort to bring audience along for the discussion.

More traditional institutions are paying attention. Recently the Getty Museum issued a social-media challenge for people to recreate paintings using items they had at home. Users displayed incredible creativity, and the museum was flooded with submissions. This reaction proves that there is a potential desire for the audience to engage with art topics if the format is appealing. Since many people feel intimidated and think that there’s a base level of understanding required to join the conversation, the Getty initiative serves as a reminder that there are many pathways to engaging with it.

Another result of the Getty challenge was the exposure given to a diversity of artworks. The famous opera singer Peter Brathwaite, for example, made scores of attractive recreations highlighting centuries of black paintings. His efforts opposed the idea that there were not many historical paintings of black figures. It is extremely important that we do a better job of showing the complex and diverse stories that are represented in art.

Social media have offered a platform for people who have not traditionally had a seat at the table. Anyone can recognise a gap in the field and address it. Accounts have gathered tens of thousands of followers. They are the proof that there is hunger to hear these art histories, and these themes work brilliantly for museum programming.

But there is only so much that can be done without the museums and galleries changing meaningfully from within. We need to see a better balance of these stories represented in permanent collections. We also need a much wider diversity of people and interests represented on board. Ensuring that art-and writing and talking about art-is able to continue on the rising generation of storytellers, inside and outside of institutions, getting the funding and support they need to paint a brighter picture for the part.

1. What challenge is the author trying to tackle?

A．People doubt a great diversity of artworks.

B．Fewer and fewer young people go to museums.

C．Art appears too distant from common audience.

D．Adult audience has a different understanding of art.

2. What does the underlined word “intimidated” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Tired.

B．Worried.

C．Annoyed.

D．Surprised.

3. In the author’s opinion, the museums and galleries should ________.

A．make the art history stories accessible in a traditional way.

B．change meaningfully for activities like the Getty challenge.

C．limit the number of storytellers both in and out of institutions.

D．improve the permanent collections by adding famous artworks.

4. We can conclude from the passage that common audience ________.

A．lacks the channels to understand and talk about art history.

B．prefers to view artworks and hear art stories on social media.

C．feels satisfied with people and interests represented on board.

D．refuses to engage with diverse art topics and art history stories.

5 . You might have heard about how honey bees are doing poorly these days. It’s different, though, from the situation many of the world’s vulnerable (脆弱的) animals find themselves in. We want them to live their lives and grow stronger, but are we willing to change our lifestyles to make it happen? The decrease in honey bees is a bit different, because if honey bees can’t live well, neither can people and, eventually people won’t eat as a result.

As happened in 2017, U.S. beekeepers lost 40 percent of their bees because of a disease. It’s really about the earnings of beekeepers and the reduced amount of bees. But it doesn’t stop there. Honey bees go around doing pollination (授粉). And do you know what need to be pollinated? That’s our crops. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates bees pollinate about $15 billion worth of apples and peaches each year in the United States alone.

So, we 21st-century humans not only take notice, but also start trying to fix the problem. It’s infeasible that we give every bee the treatment. We can’t imagine how huge the task is and how hard we carry on it! The most promising immediate solution seems to prevent the disease. That’s where the bee vaccine (疫苗) comes.

Scientists have long thought immunizing (使免疫) bees will be unworkable, but a 2015 study discovered that bees transfer immunity to their babies through protein. Vaccinating a bee won’t help that bee, but if you vaccinate the queen of bees, she can pass her immunity on to her later generations through her eggs.

The new vaccine will treat for American foulbrood (AFB), a serious disease that quickly destroys bees. It’s in the testing phases and most likely headed for bee boxes near you. And don’t worry, it doesn’t require a tiny doctor’s chair and needle to deliver the vaccine—the queen bee can drink the medicine in a little sugar water and pass it along to her later generations.

1. What does exactly the author intend to tell us through the 2017 beekeepers’ incident?

A．The beekeepers lead a terrible life.

B．The number of bees continues to decrease.

C．The decline of bees affects the production of grain.

D．The pollination work of bees is huge and complicated.

2. What does the underlined word “infeasible” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Practical

B．Impossible

C．harmful

D．Convenient

3. What does Paragraph 4 suggest?

A．The bee vaccine is hard to develop.

B．Bees will learn skills from the queen.

C．Bees can transfer immunity to each other.

D．The bee vaccine can take effect in the long run.

4. What can be inferred about the vaccine from the last paragraph?

A．It’s applied to all sick bees.

B．It will be delivered to bees by skilled doctors.

C．It works by allowing the queen of bees to take it.

D．It has been put into use and makes many bees survive.

6 . I woke up with drool (口水) on my pillow this morning. The alarm clock rang, and I reached over to turn it off. As I laid my face back down on the pillow, I felt the wet drool on my pillow case. I opened my eyes and saw a smiling, panting (喘气的), furry face gazing down at me. I tried to get up, but she was too fast. My face was suddenly covered in kisses with one going straight up my nose and another right in my ear. I laughed, reached out and picked up the eight-pound love machine and held her away from my wet face. It was just another morning in a life with dogs.

Why do we welcome them into our homes and our hearts? We know that most likely we are going to outlive them and have our hearts broken when they age quickly and pass away after ten to fifteen years.   We know that there will be vet bills, flea baths and enough fur to make a vacuum cleaner cry. We know that our ears will ring from the barking, that we will be picking up the animal waste every single day and that we will never get to finish a full sandwich again.

Yet, when we are feeling down or blue, there will always be a soft head on our lap needing to be pet. When we get home after a long day’s work, there will be a happy face at the door waiting for us. Our lives will be full of balls to throw, bellies to scratch, and love and loyalty that will warm our hearts and uplift our souls.

For thousands of years, dogs have been our best friends. They remain one of the greatest gifts life has ever given us. Even if they can’t love us for the rest of our lives, they will always love us for all of theirs.

1. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “outlive” in Paragraph 2?

A．Hate.

B．Survive.

C．Donate.

D．Kill.

2. What can infer from the passage?

A．The dog slept in the writer’s bed last night.

B．The dog wakes up the writer every morning.

C．The writer will keep the dog company for about 50 years.

D．The writer enjoys the dog’s company despite the trouble.

3. What is the writer’s attitude to keeping pets?

A．Neutral.

B．Negative.

C．Favourable.

D．Indifferent.

7 . Cybercrime refers to any criminal offence related to the Internet. Internet crimes have been classified into four categories. First, they can be related to a lack of proper Internet security, such as downloading or deleting other people’s files without permission, and spreading computer viruses. The second are crimes usually committed without a computer, but can occur over the Internet. For some criminals use the Internet to cheat others of their money. Third, websites which offense information or encourage hatred and violence are named. Last, there are related to intellectual property (intellectual property is a design, patent, book, etc. law prevents other people from copying).

All Internet users are affected by cybercrime in one way or another. However, crime against a private organization in the USA, showed that 45.6 percent of the 351 biggest company government agencies had had their security systems broken into in the previous year. Security consultants tell us that cybercrime is costing firms worldwide hundreds of billions of dollars every.

Considering how bad the situation with cybercrime against companies has become, many people wonder why so little is known about this. The main reason is that most cybercrime is not reported. Until now, most companies have been unwilling to report cases of cybercrime. They fear that by doing so, they will lose customers, who may think that the company cannot protect their confidential information or their money.

All of this is made more difficult by the legal situation regarding cybercrime. Cybercrime is so new that many governments have not yet passed laws against it, and there are many holes in the legal systems. In addition, most countries do not have arrangements for dealing with suspects from other countries who may have committed cybercrime. Thus, it is difficult to catch criminals of cybercrime.

The only answer to this problem is international cooperation. Governments must join forces to keep up with the advances in technology used by the criminals. It is also important to draft new laws and negotiate international standards for fighting cybercrime.

1. Which of the following can be considered as cybercrime?

A．Copying others’ public files.	B．Creating computer virus.
C．Sending hatred words to a friend.	D．Stealing from online banks.

2. How does the author prove that cybercrime is worse to large companies?

A．By comparing the changing numbers.	B．By listing the survey data.
C．By analyzing the heavy loss.	D．By adding background information.

3. Which of the following best explains “confidential” underlined in Paragraph 3?

A．Legal.

B．Valuable.

C．Private.

D．Correct.

4. What is the author’s advice to prevent cybercrime

A．Countries work together following the same law.

B．Abroad cybercriminals should be sent back.

C．The lawyers should learn more about laws.

D．The government should flow the law.

8 . Facebook is a habit forming activity， but users who spend a lot of time on the site say they feel less happy with their lives.

Researchers from University of Gothenburg say that many users log in as soon as they turn their PCs on and that the behavior can develop into an“addiction”. People in low income groups and the poorly educated are particularly at risk. Up to 85% of users say that they use Facebook daily and half say they start up Facebook as soon as they open their web users. Half fear that they are not“on top of things”if they are not logged into the site, and 25% say they feel”ill at ease”if they can't log in regularly.

The Swedish survey showed the network had its dark side.“Face-booking may become an unconscious habit. A majority of the respondents(受访者) log in every time they start their web browser(浏览器). This may even develop into an addiction,” says Leif Denti, doctoral student of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg.

People with low income and low-educated individuals spend more time on Facebook. Women are generally more active than men on Facebook. Users with low income and low education use Facebook more than other groups. Within these groups，users who spend more time on Facebook also report feeling less happy and less content with their lives.

The other surprise about the network is that although a huge amount of personal “ news”is traded through the site,it tends to focus on the positive.“ Most of the content they share has something to do with major events, positive events and when feeling good,”says Leif Denti.

1. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Using Facebook may become an addiction.

B．Positive events are more welcome on Facebook.

C．Women spend more time on Facebook than men.

D．Spending more time on Facebook leads to less happiness.

2. What does the underlined phrase ”ill at ease” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Pleased.

B．Tired.

C．Annoyed.

D．Interested.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．Half of the users use Facebook daily.

B．People tend to share good things on Facebook.

C．Men are more active than women on Facebook.

D．Well-educated people spend more time on Facebook.

4. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A diary.

B．A novel.

C．A magazine.

D．A travel guide.

9 . Experts are warning about the risks of extremely picky(挑剔的)eating after a teenager living on a diet of chips and crisps developed lasting sight loss. Eye doctors in Bristol cared for the 17-year-old after his sight had gone to the point of blindness. Tests showed he had serious vitamin deficiency(缺乏). Dr. Denize Atan, who treated him at the hospital, said, “His diet was basically a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day. He also used to snack on crisps and sometimes white bread and ham, and not really any fruit and vegetables.”

The teenager saw his doctor at the age of 14 because he had been feeling tired and unwell. At that time he suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency, but he did not stick with the treatment or improve his poor diet. Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eye Hospital because of progressive sight loss.

He was not overweight or underweight, but he had lost minerals from his bones, which was really quite shocking for a boy of his age. In terms of his sight loss, he met the standards of being blind. “He had blind spots right in the middle of his sight,” said Dr Denize Atan, “That means he can’t drive and would find it really arduous to read, watch TV or recognize faces.”

Dr Denize Atan said that parents should learn about the harm that can be caused by picky eating, and turn to experts for help. For those who are concerned , she advised, “It’s best not to be anxious about picky eating , and instead calmly introduce one or two new foods with every meal.” She said multivitamin tablets can supplement(补充) a diet, but cannot take the place of eating healthily. “It’s much better to take in vitamins through a varied and balanced diet,” she said, adding that too many certain vitamins , including vitamin A, can be harmful ,“so you don’t want to overdo it.”

1. What does Dr Denize Atan imply in paragraph 1?

A．The diet of the boy is not balanced.

B．Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins.

C．Picky eating is common among teenagers.

D．The cause of the boy’s disease is unknown.

2. Why did the boy go to see his doctor at the age of 14?

A．To improve his poor diet.

B．To get some help to lose weight.

C．To be treated for his discomfort.

D．To slow down his progressive sight loss.

3. What does the underlined word “arduous” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Important.

B．Easy.

C．Necessary.

D．Difficult.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Reasons why the boy is seriously ill.

B．Suggestions for the boy’s family to care for him.

C．Advice for parents worried about picky eating.

D．Ways of taking in enough vitamins and minerals.

10 . Avi Loeb, a scientist, believes that we are not alone in the universe. The belief fits with Loeb’s alien (外星的) spaceship theory that at least one alien spaceship might be flying over the orbit (轨道) of Jupiter, which won the international attention last year.

Astronomers in Hawaii found the first known interstellar (星际的) object in late 2017. It was a bit of light moving so fast past the sun that it could only have come from another star. Almost every astronomer on the planet was trying to figure out how the object, called “Oumuamua” got to our far-away, part of the Milky way galaxy. “One possibility is that ‘Oumuamua’ is debris (碎片) from an advanced technological equipment,” Loeb said. “Technology comes from another solar system just showed up at our door.”

“‘Oumuamua’ is not an alien spaceship,” Paul Sutter, another scientist wrote. He suggested Loeb was seeking publicity. Most scientists think “Oumuamua” is some sort of rock. They think it could be an icy wandering comet.

Loeb says that “Oumuamua’s” behavior, means it can’t be a block of rock shaped like a long photo. He thinks it's more likely an object that’s very long and thin, perhaps like a long pancake or a ship’s sail. Loeb says that if someone shows him evidence that contradicts his beliefs, he will immediately give in.

Loeb believes himself a truth-teller and risk- taker in an age of very safe, too-quiet scientists. “The worst thing that can happen to me is that I would be relieved of my management duties, and that would give me even more time to focus on science,” Loeb says. He said he wouldn’t mind giving up all the titles he had and returning to the Israeli farming village where he grew up.

1. What does Loeb say about “Oumuamua”?

A．It is an icy comet.

B．It looks like a long photo.

C．It is actually some sort of rock.

D．It may come from another alien civilization.

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

A．Searches for.	B．Depends on.
C．Turns to.	D．Goes against.

3. What do you think of Loeb?

A．He is foolish.

B．He is unsatisfied with his titles.

C．He is a firm believer in scientific truth.

D．He is uncertain about his career future.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Have Aliens Paid a Visit in Spaceships?

B．Do We Really Know about Space Theory?

C．Scientists Are Working on High Technology

D．Astronomers Are Encouraging Space Travel