1 . 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 |
2 . Slowly but surely, we’re moving closer and closer to 5G world. From smart-home security to self-driving cars, all the internet-connected devices in our life will be able to talk to each other at lightning-fast speeds with reduced delay. Objectively speaking, the fastest 4G download speeds in the US top out at an average of 19.42Mbps. But by comparison 5G promises gigabit (千兆) speeds.
“5G is one of those heralds (使者),along with artificial intelligence, of this coming data age.” said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research for the Consumer Technology Association. The self-driving vehicle is a great emblem of this data age, and that is to say, it is a sign of time, because with one single task, driving, you have massive amounts of data coming from the vehicle itself, and a variety of sensors are collecting a lot of information to model its environment as it moves. It’s pulling in data from other vehicles about road conditions down the lane. It could be weather information, and also connected infrastructure (基础设施) construction. There’s lots of data behind that task, which is why we need the high speed.
And virtual reality glasses and headsets haven’t yet broken the mainstream, but tech companies are joyfully betting that these devices will eventually replace our smartphones. With 5G, that could actually happen. This is notable because companies such as Apple are reportedly developing AR glasses to assist — or even replace — smartphones.
Ericsson stated at February's Mobile World Congress how smart glasses could become faster and lighter with a 5G connection, because instead of being weighed down with components, the glasses could rely on hardware for processing power.
But don’t get too excited. There’s still a lot of work to be done in the meantime, including various trials to make sure the radios play nicely with hardware and infrastructure construction so 5G isn’t concentrated only in big cities.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The security of 5G. | B．The present world of 5G. |
| C．The future of 5G. | D．The super speed of 5G. |
| A．exhibition | B．symbol | C．sponsor | D．explanation |
| A．They will be heavier than present ones. | B．They will process power on their own. |
| C．They will bring a big fortune to tech companies. | D．They will take the place of smartphones. |
| A．How to fully expand 5G coverage. | B．How to effectively reduce 5G trials. |
| C．How to nicely operate 5G hardware. | D．How to widely construct 5G big cities. |
3 . Israeli company Watergen has produced an appliance that can generate clean,drinkable water out of air. The device,called GENNY, is small enough to be used in a home or office but can generate up to 30 liters of water a day.
GENNY takes air in and passes through a filter(过滤器)to remove dust and dirt. The filter is powerful enough to work with high air pollution. The air is directed through GENius,a heating and cooling process which causes water in the air to condense(凝结).This water is then passed through several more filters and minerals are added to improve the flavor of the water. Finally, the water is stored in a tank where it is continually circulated to keep it fresh. Therefore,the water produced by GENNY is often of a higher quality than water running through filtration systems attached to the city's water lines.
The technology of GENius is much better than other technologies that generate water from air. It produces four to five times more water per kilowatt-hour.Watergen has other products that use this same technology on a larger scale, the largest of which can produce up to 5,000 liters of water per day.
As an added bonus,during the water generation process, GENNY can emit clean air which is healthier for people to breathe.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, GENNY was named the Energy Efficient Product of the Year. The award series recognize the world's top high-tech home products.
Last year,Watergen's large-scale products were donated to authorities in Brazil,Vietnam and India. They also assisted rescue and recovery efforts during the 2018 California wildfires and provided clean,safe water for the residents of Texas and Florida in the aftermath of the devastation caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
Watergen also seeks to help protect the environment by reducing waste generated by plastic water bottles. People are called upon to put the water from GEENY into reusable bottles so that plastic ones don't get used and thrown away.
1. What does GENNY accomplish by adding minerals to the water?| A．It keeps the water fresh. |
| B．It helps kill harmful bacteria. |
| C．It satisfies local water regulations. |
| D．It makes the water taste better. |
| A．Energy-efficient. | B．Cost-saving. | C．Time-saving. | D．Environment-friendly. |
| A．Cut down. | B．Blow away. | C．Give off. | D．Use up. |
| A．Consume plastic waste. |
| B．Respond to natural disasters. |
| C．Test water quality globally. |
| D．Relieve drought in some countries. |
4 . Nowadays more and more people like to travel, especially when vacations come. A great number of people rush out of their homes or companies to travelling spots. They either drive or take a bus, a train, a ship and so on. Some even ride bikes.
However, there is another way of travelling — poorism. People have a tour in the poorest areas of the world. Some people may take a one-day poor tour, and some even pay to stay in very poor neighborhoods to experience the lowest living standards in the world. Poorism tours take place around the world, and not just in the third world countries. You can, for instance, tour New York neighborhoods in the Bronx, in the Bund of Shanghai. Such tours can take people into the heart of poor areas within some large and rich cities. These tours may awaken people to pay more attention to long-standing poverty, or the effects of war.
Some suggest that tours in the poor areas can raise social care. And the money from the tour can be donated to help the people there.
1. What's the meaning of the underlined word “poorism” in the second paragraph?| A．贫困 | B．穷人 | C．穷游 | D．可怜的人 |
| A．to show how rich they are |
| B．to experience the poor life |
| C．to enjoy the beautiful scenes |
| D．to see poor people |
| A．care for the poverty more |
| B．know about the countryside |
| C．go to big cities |
| D．go into the heart of rich cities |
5 . A team of conservationists (环境保护主义者)captured 14 Loa water frogs earlier this month in northern Chile, a wildlife group reported.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Loa water frog as "critically endangered''. The not-for-profit Global Wildlife Conservation group said the 14 frogs were in poor condition when they were discovered in late June. The animals were small and struggling because of a lack of food and water.
The Loa water frogs are known to live only in a single body of water near Calama, in Chile. The city sits in the middle of the Atacama Desert, where water is in great demand.
There was little water in the area where the frogs were found, the conservation group reported. The frogs' environment had mostly dried up because water is being taken away and used for human activities, the group said. The activities include mining, agriculture and land development. "All of the frogs had been pushed into a tiny pool of muddy water, the organization said. "The team collected the last 14 individuals and brought them to the National Zoo of Chile to start a conservation breeding program. "
Zoo specialists are closely watching the small creatures and trying to give them everything they need to survive and be healthy. Conservation groups have called on Chile's government to take steps to halt any illegal water usage that threatens the frogs' natural environment. They would also like to see creation of a government-supported shelter to protect the animals.
Jon Paul Rodriguez heads the IUCN's Species Survival Commission. He suggested that an emergency plan be developed to prepare the Calama area for the frogs' return.
"We need to work very hard to restore their environment because it's pointless to breed them if they don't have a home to go back to in the wild," Rodriguez said.
1. What do we know about the frogs when they were rescued?| A．They were looking for food. | B．They were in good condition. |
| C．They were approaching death. | D．They were moving for new water source. |
| A．Lack of water. | B．Water pollution. |
| C．Human hunting. | D．Extreme climate. |
| A．Improve. | B．Increase. |
| C．Change. | D．Stop. |
| A．Keep them healthy. |
| B．Recover their home. |
| C．Raise them in the shelter. |
| D．Prevent them living in the wild. |
6 . To develop one's taste in English, the most effective way is to read English books extensively. Yet one may be at a loss to choose the appropriate books, especially as a beginner. As a native Spanish, I would like to share some of my experience.
My first English novel was Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, recommended by many English teachers and professors as an ideal book for English learners. But my experience was somewhat disastrous. I had great difficulty in understanding the novel, let alone enjoying it. It's not the vocabulary that troubled me, but rather the way Austen constructs sentences, and her way of thinking, which seemed too remote to me at that time. My fading enthusiasm was much recovered after reading Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms. No long and complicated sentences. And I particularly liked his brief and straightforward (简洁的) style. So my first suggestion is, as a beginner, you'd better choose contemporary novels instead of classical ones.
However, if you restrict yourself to novels you will miss a lot of treasures. English essays can at once inform you, entertain you, and improve your taste in English. The best example is Bertrand Russell's work. Its language is plain, yet you cannot help feeling the elegance and the peculiar sense of humor. His simple language enables his philosophy within the reach of ordinary people. Here comes my second suggestion — essays are indispensable.
Never follow others' recommendations and opinions blindly, however famous or influential (有很大影响的) the person might be. We should be open to various ideas, but always think and determine for ourselves. As a saying goes, one man's meat is another man's poison. With that in mind, we are bound to find out our favorite writers through reading and develop our fine taste in English.
1. What made the first English novel that the author read hard to understand?| A．Complicated conversations. |
| B．Sentences and Austen's thinking pattern. |
| C．The old-fashioned vocabulary. |
| D．Not knowing the social background. |
| A．Necessary | B．Challenging | C．Relevant | D．Inspirational |
| A．Choose books that challenge us most. |
| B．Read books that are instructive. |
| C．Don't be affected by others' choices. |
| D．Compare books before buying. |
| A．Give comments on literature works. |
| B．Tell beginners how to choose English books. |
| C．Encourage people to read more English books. |
| D．Recommend first class books to English learners. |
7 . Jack was born without eyes. He was very lucky as he grew up having other kittens(young cats) to socialize with, and was used to people from the moment he was born. However, when it came time to find the kittens homes, no one knew where Jack would end up.
That's when I got an email from my friend. All she asked was “Do you still want one of the kittens? There's one here with no eyes and no one would like to take him.” Without thinking, I told her that I did want the kitten.
When we first brought him home, Jack stayed mostly in my room. After about a day he had no issues running around and climbing on everything. At times he gets lost in the house, he'll stop. But we just call him and talk to him and it isn't long before he finds his way back to us.
A few weeks after getting Jack, we got a new farm cat named Bear. Jack and Bear have become best friends. It doesn't matter that he can't see. He always knows when Bear is around. He'll run across the yard straight to Bear and wrap his front legs around his neck in a big hug. They run after each other around and wrestle. They'll lie down in the grass together when tired.
Jack is truly an inspiration. I've owned lots of kittens in my life, but Jack is the happiest and most playful. He doesn't feel sorry for himself. He doesn't need pity. I think Jean, owner of Gumbo, another eyeless cat, said it best when she told me that cats don't have disabilities, they have adaptability.
1. Why did Jack come to our home?| A．I liked an eyeless cat. | B．I didn't mind whether he was blind. |
| C．No other young cats kept him company. | D．My friend ordered me to take him home. |
| A．Difficulty. | B．Fun. | C．Luck. | D．Business. |
| A．Jack likes to play with a new eyeless cat. |
| B．Jack is good at talking and playing with people. |
| C．Jack quickly adapts to the new environment. |
| D．Jack and Bear lie down on the sofa together when tired. |
| A．A cat has nine lives. | B．All is well that ends well. |
| C．God helps those who help themselves. | D．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
8 . It's good to share, right? Growing up as kids we are told to share our toys and not be selfish. We also live in an age where discussing our feelings is encouraged. But when does it all become too much? With new fashion trending all the time, such as dance challenges and wearing a pillow as a dress, the question is: when can sharing become oversharing on social media?
What is oversharing? The term has become associated with social media, but it doesn't only belong to this platform. Imagine you head to a party and you meet someone. Within five minutes they have given away details about their personal life. While some of us may try to escape these people, according to marriage therapist Carolyn Cole, this form of oversharing could come from a strong desire to connect with someone. But how does this translate to social media?
Dr. Christopher Hand, a lecturer in internet psychology, says the more details people disclose, the less sympathy we express when things go wrong. This could be due to a belief that we attract our own negative experiences the more we share them. It seems that the idea of searching for sympathy by oversharing, is generally viewed as negative rather than the cry for help it could actually be.
However, Dr Hand's research also seems to suggest that the more positive posts we share on a platform, the more socially attractive we become. Even back in 2015, Gwendolyn Seidman PhD, said that we should avoid complaining and being negative online. We are supposed not to show off, as it's now known—especially about our love lives. It makes sense—if your date is going 'that well', would you really have time to share a photo with text?
So, how can you know if you are oversharing? Well, why not ask your friends in real life. They would probably be more than happy to tell you if your posts about your breakfast or your complaint about your lack of money really are too much.
1. Why do some people try to overshare at parties?| A．Because they want to catch others' attention. |
| B．Because they just want to show off something. |
| C．Because they have a strong desire to pour out their emotions. |
| D．Because they may expect to make a connection with someone. |
| A．explore | B．expose | C．display | D．discuss |
| A．We will become more socially attractive if we post more on a platform. |
| B．We tend to show sympathy when things go wrong. |
| C．We may be considered negative when seeking for sympathy by oversharing. |
| D．We can show off something positive especially about our love lives. |
| A．To inform. | B．To inspire. | C．To advertise. | D．To condemn. |
9 . A music talent show launched by Mango TV has caught the attention of domestic TV channel viewers recently. This entertainment program, whose Chinese name translates to “Sisters Who Brave Winds and Waves”, invited 30 established actresses in their thirties, put them up in an apartment where they competed against each other and then selected five among them to form a new star group.
While young hopefuls are commonly considered to be the protagonists of music talent show, “Sisters Who Brave Winds and Waves” turns out to be an outlier. Apart from showcasing female stars musical talent, this show tries to deliver a positive message that age should not be the barrier for female entertainers to chase their dreams. The reality that most female entertainers have a short “shelf life” needs to be changed.
Attracted by the unique theme of Mango TV’s new show, many Chinese viewers were desperate for the show’s debut. The first episode aired last week received 10 million views within the first 20 minutes. Following the initial success, Mango Excellent Media’s stock rose by nearly 9% on Friday and another 7% on Monday. The company’s market value has now surpassed 100 billion yuan ($ 14 billion).
The value of this show was not only recognized by the market, but also the majority of Chinese viewers. Many netizens made good comments on the new show as it encouraged them to explore their inner potential no matter how old they are. One wrote, “Of course, young stars in their late teens and early 20s are beautiful. But I feel more impressed by these celebrities over the age of 30.” She went on to say that their confidence and ambition make them shine, and that age is just a number.
The Mango TV’s new show comes as a welcome relief, which demonstrates that charm and ambition is not limited to the young age. In fact, such age equality should extend to all professions to ensure that people with all ages could be treated equally in pursuit of their career goals.
1. What does the underlined word “outlier” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Surprise. | B．Success. |
| C．Failure. | D．Exception. |
| A．The company’s market value has now exceeded 14 billion dollars. |
| B．Mango Excellent Media’s stock rose by nearly 16% over the weekend. |
| C．Nearly 10 million viewers watched the first episode within the first hour. |
| D．The debut of the new show did not affect the company's market value. |
| A．She thinks young celebrities are not attractive to the audience. |
| B．She holds the view that Mango TV’s new show is conventional. |
| C．She believes charm could make the celebrities shine no matter their age. |
| D．She complains about age discrimination in the entertainment industry,. |
| A．He/She aims to purse gender equality. |
| B．He/She protests against age discrimination. |
| C．He/She is a fan of musical shows. |
| D．He/She dreams about being an actor/actress. |
10 . Losing a baby tooth can be fun for a kid. You can put it under your pillow and look forward to finding some money there in the morning. And then you can watch your new permanent(永恒的）tooth grow in its place.
But if a permanent tooth falls out, that's a problem. There isn't another one under the gum（齿龈）that can replace it. Unfortunately, this happens to some older people. And if permanent teeth fall out or need to be pulled, an older person might need dentures.
Dentures,known as false teeth, are a set of replacement teeth for any teeth that are missing.
There are partial dentures, which take the place of only a few teeth and prevent the others from changing position. If all the teeth are gone, the person would need complete dentures,which replace every tooth in the mouth.
Dentures can cause pains at first but take little time to get used to.They also need special care. They should be brushed daily with a special denture brush and cleanser and soaked(浸泡） in denture solution when not in the mouth.
Dentures are important for the old because, without teeth, it's hard to smile, talk, and eat properly. But it can be a little weird if you see someone take out his or her dentures. It can also be strange to see someone, like a grandparent, without dentures in because he or she won't have any teeth. Try not to make fun of the person because this could cause hurt feelings.
People usually lose their permanent teeth due to periodontal disease (牙周炎）， or gum disease, which is caused by bacteria that attack the gums. Diseased gums aren't strong and healthy, so teeth can get loose and fall out. Older people often have many cavities (洞） that have been filled over the years, and these fillings can weaken over time, leading to more tooth problems.
1. If one of your baby teeth falls out, you_______| A．should have a false tooth fixed in its place |
| B．will gain a permanent tooth in future. |
| C．have to put it under your pillow at once |
| D．can exchange it for some money |
| A．will experience unpleasant feelings at the beginning |
| B．will spend a very long time adjusting himself or herself to them |
| C．should brush them with a special denture brush every few days |
| D．should use denture solution to soak them in his or her mouth |
| A．Partial dentures can prevent the remaining teeth from changing position. |
| B．Old people will find it hard to smile, talk, and eat properly without teeth. |
| C．A person's teeth will possibly get loose if diseases strike his gums. |
| D．It is hard for a person to wear dentures if all his teeth have fallen out. |
| A．inconvenient | B．excited | C．strange | D．impolite |
