1 . There are about 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs in the world. They are also known as lady beetles or ladybird beetles. They come in many different colors and patterns, but the bestknown in North America is the sevenspotted ladybug, with its shiny, redandblack body.
In many cultures, ladybugs are thought to be good luck. Most people like them because they are pretty, lovely and do no harm to human beings. But farmers love them because they eat aphids and other planteating pests. One ladybug can eat up 5,000 insects in its lifetime!
Most ladybugs have domeshaped bodies with six short legs. Depending on the kind, they can have spots, stripes, or nothing at all. Sevenspotted ladybugs are red or orange with three spots on each side and one in the middle. They have a black head. Ladybugs are colorful for a reason. They tell the enemy: “Eat something else! I taste terrible.” When threatened, they may play dead. Birds are ladybugs' main predators, but they are also eaten by frogs, spiders, and dragonflies.
Ladybugs are happy in many different places, including grasslands, forests, cities, suburbs, and along rivers. Sevenspotted ladybugs are native to Europe but were brought to North America in the mid1900s.
Ladybugs are most active from spring until fall. When the weather turns cold, they look for a warm place to hibernate, such as in rotting logs, under rocks, or even inside houses. These hibernating places can have thousands of ladybugs.
The name “ladybug” was given by European farmers who prayed to the Virgin Mary when pests began eating their crops. After ladybugs came and wiped out the invading insects, the farmers named them “beetle of Our Lady”. This later was shortened to “lady beetle” and “ladybug”.
1. The underlined word “aphid” in Paragraph 2 is probably a kind of .| A．pest | B．bird | C．plant | D．tree |
| A．all ladybugs have spots | B．the colorful body can protect them |
| C．most ladybugs are red or orange | D．frogs are not one of the predators |
| A．Ladybugs can live along rivers. |
| B．Sevenspotted ladybugs were brought to Europe from North America. |
| C．Ladybugs are very active in autumn. |
| D．The name “ladybug” came from “beetle of Our Lady”. |
| A．Sevenspotted Ladybugs | B．The Development of Ladybugs |
| C．The History of Ladybugs | D．Ladybugs |
2 . Feel nervous on the first day of school? You are not alone! Here is some advice on how to make you feel comfortable.
Get ready the night before. Plan out what you’re going to wear and what you will need for class. Then get a nice, long sleep. There’s nothing worse than looking terrible on the first day of school. If you don’t want to oversleep, set an alarm on your phone, or alarm clock to wake you up on time.
Eat a good breakfast. You’d be surprised at how much happier and more focused you’ll be after eating a good breakfast. Have a healthy breakfast.A rich breakfast may make you feel lazy and sugar rich foods may affect your ability to stay focused.
Decide whether to take the bus, walk, or have a ride from your parents. It’s your call. If you want something familiar, take a bus ride and sit next to someone you already know. However, if you are really nervous, you can ask your mom or dad to drive you to school, but expect that there will be heavy traffic.
Smile and be friendly! You want to seem easy to get along with and that you had the best summer. Smile and be friendly. Instead of coming up as a boring person, compliment people. Everyone needs a little confidence and is happy when praised on the first day of school.
1. What is the worst thing on the first day of school?| A．Being late for school. | B．Not getting things ready. |
| C．Long sleep in class. | D．A terrible look. |
| A．Concentrated. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Lazier. | D．Popular. |
| A．Say good words to. | B．Say “hello” to. |
| C．Say goodbye to. | D．Say “no” to. |
3 . I have been receiving so much kindness. It was difficult for an independent girl like me to accept it at first. At times, my financial situation is not the best. But with that comes a great lesson in appreciation, budgeting, and deciding what is and what isn't important.
A few times I've had to put off or even give up things. Because of my scarcity on money, I had to give up a keep fit exercise, which is something I like to treat myself regularly. When my coach Lisa heard about this, she offered me training at a highly discounted price. At first this made me very uncomfortable. I feared that she would wrongly think that I was going to bargain (砍价) and of course I wasn't. ; Instead, I was just being honest about my situation being short of money. I finally accepted her offer, remembering that I deserve kindness, too.
Another time, I noticed a friend of mine selling his old exercise bike, which was perfect for me, as I was looking to replace my broken one. {I told him that I would take it when I had the money, but then life got in the way. When I finally got the time to pick it up, I realized my financial shortcomings again, I asked him if he could hold onto it for one more week, as then I'd have the funds again. He was happy to do this, but instead he insisted on offering me the bike as a gift. Another opportunity presents itself to teach me how to receive with dignity(尊严).
I continue to slowly learn how to accept the kindness from others. In fact, the relationship between giving and receiving is closely linked. When you accept the kindness from others with joy, they will feel happy, too.
1. How did the author feel at first when she received kindness from others?| A．Happy. | B．Unfair. | C．Proud. | D．Uncomfortable. |
| A．Request. | B．Independence. | C．Principle. | D．Lack. |
| A．Being punished. | B．Being misunderstood. |
| C．Accepting her coach's strict training. | D．Giving away the secret of her being short of money. |
| A．She paid much money for it. | B．She got it for free. |
| C．She bought it from her coach. | D．She borrowed it from her friend. |
4 . Mirroring body language is a way to bond and to build understanding. It is a powerful tool that we use without even knowing it.
The most obvious forms of mirroring are yawning and smiling. When you see someone yawn, you are likely to yawn immediately. Smiling is also pretty contagious-seeing a smiling person makes you want to smile too.
Mirroring body language is a nonverbal way to say “I am like you, I feel the same”. Research shows that people who experience the same feelings are likely to trust, understand and accept each other.
Women have the natural ability to pick up and understand body signals. Therefore, it is not surprising that a woman is more likely to mirror another woman than a man is to mirror another man. That's why women are regarded as better talkers, even if they might not really have more close friends.
It is interesting that when a man tries to mirror a woman's body language while she is talking, he may seem to her as caring, intelligent and attractive.
Mirroring body language is an excellent way to build trust and understanding quickly. If you want to set up a connection with a new person, mirror his or her gestures, sitting position, tone of voice and talking pace. This will make them feel that there is something about you that they like.
While mirroring body language gains you acceptance, you still need to take into consideration your relationship with the person you are mirroring. If you are in a lower social position and are mirroring the body language of your boss, he will view you as arrogant. However, if you want to defeat those who are trying to prove superior to you, mirroring their body language will help defeat them and change their position.
1. What does the underlined word “contagious” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Affecting each other. | B．Powerful to show one's feelings. |
| C．Attractive to the others. | D．Being gentle to people around. |
| A．send wrong messages | B．hide true feelings |
| C．win others' acceptance | D．avoid misunderstanding |
| A．You will appear very attractive. | B．It will help to soften his position. |
| C．You will seem unacceptably proud. | D．It will be a good way to build trust. |
| A．It is important to copy the others' gestures. |
| B．Why women are regarded as better talkers. |
| C．Men is not good at nonverbal communication. |
| D．Mirroring body language can be a useful tool. |
5 . About eight years ago, Mary Grace Henry of Harrison, New York, asked for a sewing machine for her birthday. She wanted to design and sell headbands (头巾) to pay for just one African girl’s schooling.
Now, 11,000 headbands later, Mary Grace has sold enough to give 45 girls living in poverty the gift of an education.
Henry is the founder of Reverse The Course — a headband-making business that gives 100 percent of the money it makes toward educational chances for girls, primarily in Uganda and Kenya. Henry had the idea to start her business after learning about early marriage in some developing countries—a practice that greatly reduces the likelihood of a girl receiving education.
There are about 67 million child brides (新娘) worldwide, according to the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). Girls in poor communities in the developing world are greatly affected by the practice, which “repeats the cycle of poverty,” according to the organization.
On November 6, Henry won a World of Children Award for her work to fight against the practice through educational chances. According to the organization, $35,000 will be given to support Reverse The Course’s work by providing money for student workshops and programs for girls in poor Africa.
“The greatest difficulty of education faced by both girls and boys is poverty,” Henry told the awards organization. “Girls, though, face a second hurdle that is far more difficult to address: their culture. In many countries throughout the world, girls are viewed as having not just less value than boys, but often little or no value.”
“When you see a need, act,” Henry said of the advice she’d give to others who want to make change. “Dream big, but start small, taking little steps. Set a goal and don’t frighten yourself by thinking about the ‘what-ifs.’ Each step taken will present both new chances and new difficulties. Face each one as it comes and then keep going. All those little steps, done with love, will lead you to places impossible to imagine.”
1. Why did Henry found Reverse The Course?| A．To develop girls’ sewing skills. | B．To raise money for the homeless. |
| C．To teach girls to design headbands. | D．To help African girls receive education. |
| A．Girls having less value than boys. | B．Child marriage in some countries. |
| C．Health problems in poor Africa. | D．Unfair schooling in some countries. |
| A．Mistake. | B．Choice. |
| C．Need. | D．Problem. |
| A．Treasure what they have. |
| B．Put themselves in others’ shoes. |
| C．Take small steps towards achieving their goal. |
| D．Bring happiness to others with time and patience. |
6 . Listening to music is considered a good thing for adults. Indeed it is. Scientific studies have proved it. Music has so many good effects on our body, mind and mood that this world will certainly not be a good place without music. Then, is music good for children? Some parents think so and let their children learn or listen to music. But some parents don't know the importance of music to children. Here are some reasons why music is important to children.
First, music is good for children’s intelligence. Studies have proved that children who learn music are likely to have higher intelligence than those who have no interest in or dislike music. This is because the brain gets stimulated (刺激) by the rhythm and tone of music.
Music also has soothing (抚慰的) effect on children and helps remove their stress. Today’s children are under a lot of stress from schoolwork. Being under too much stress impairs children’s health. Luckily，listening to music can help them feel better.
Music can improve children’s moods. Some children are sad by nature. They seem to be lost in their own thoughts and don’t take interest in their surroundings. In such cases，a method known as “music therapy” comes to their rescue. It changes their moods and places a new kind of spirit in them.
Music is also a universal language that children ought to learn. Our world has become a global village. People are getting more and more interested in other cultures and countries. Music can help them in understanding foreign cultures.
Now we can say that music is very important not only to adults but also to children. So children should be encouraged to learn music or listen to music.
1. By mentioning scientific studies in Paragraph 1, the author wants to show .| A．Children should listen to music |
| B．Why adults should listen to music |
| C．Listening to music is only good for adults |
| D．Why scientists are interested in music |
| A．shows. | B．changes. |
| C．improves. | D．harms. |
| A．Understanding foreign cultures better |
| B．Learning languages better |
| C．Accepting the fast developing world easily |
| D．Showing greater interest in other cultures |
| A．Why do Children Love Music? |
| B．How to Choose Music for Children |
| C．Why is Music Important to Children? |
| D．How to Teach Children Music Easily |
7 . Cruz Genet, 11, and Anthony Skopick, 10, couldn’t agree. Were the birds out on the ice ducks or geese? So on a cold January evening last year, the two friends ventured (冒险) onto the frozen pond near their homes in Frankfort, Illinois, to get a better look. First, they threw a rock onto the ice to test it, Cruz told NBC 5 Chicago. “Then we stepped on it.” Convinced the ice would hold their weight, Anthony took a few steps, but then he fell through the seemingly frozen surface.
Cruz rushed to help his panicked friend. However, the pond swallowed him, too. Cruz managed to lift himself out of the extremely cold water and onto a more solid section. He then gingerly worked his way toward Anthony. But the ice didn’t hold, and he fell in again. This ime, he couldn’t get out.
The boys were up to their necks in icy water and quickly losing feeling. Any chance of their freeing themselves was slipping away. Cruz was sure that he was going to die.
Anthony’s older sister had seen the boys fall through the ice and started screaming, wishing someone to save them.
John Lavin, a neighbor driving nearby on his way to the grocery store, heard her. He quickly pulled over. Seeing the boys, he grabbed (抓住) a nearby buoy (救生圈), kicked off his shoes, and ran into the cold water, struggling his way through the ice. Lavin made his way to Cruz and Anthony and pulled them back to land.
The boys were taken to the hospital, where doctors discovered that their five- minute stay in the water had lowered their body temperature nearly ten degrees. Fortunately, they have fully recovered, though they are still a little amazed by their fearless neighbor. “Just to think,” says Cruz, “if he hadn’t been there, I could have died.”
1. Why did the boys venture onto the frozen pond?| A．To have a better look at the frozen pond. |
| B．To catch the birds in the pond with rocks. |
| C．To find out what the birds on the ice were. |
| D．To test the thickness of the ice in the pond. |
| A．Casually. | B．Proudly. |
| C．Firmly. | D．Cautiously. |
| A．Anthony’s older sister’s cry for help. | B．Cruz’s loud and frightening scream. |
| C．Their shoes along the nearby pond. | D．Their neighbors’ pulling them back. |
| A．Hard-working and helpful. | B．Warm-hearted and courageous. |
| C．Curious and selfless. | D．Active and generous. |
8 . Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.
1. Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?| A．Start the car the moment everyone is seated. |
| B．Leave the room for a minute with the iron working. |
| C．Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better. |
| D．Move an object out of the way before it trips someone. |
| A．keep her appointment with the eye doctor |
| B．meet her father who was already an old man |
| C．join in the holiday celebration of the company |
| D．finish her work before the deadline approached |
| A．abandoned | B．lacked |
| C．avoided | D．taken |
| A．To Keep Emotional Well-being | B．To Prevent “If Only” Moments |
| C．To Follow the Most Useful Rule | D．To Achieve the Peace of Mind |
9 . Now in 2019, jazz music is an important part of Indianapolis’ art culture. Jazz clubs around the city still host concerts with local jazz musicians like Rob Dixon and Joel Tucker. One of these clubs, the Chatterbox Jazz Club, still has live jazz seven nights a week.
But the real history of jazz in Indy is much less simple. Along with the Avenue’s culture, jazz music was gone from the streets for many years.
Indiana Avenue was the heart of a neighborhood along the White River. It was a center for black music and live street music.The wealthy avoided this area. So it became a place that poorer families, including many African-American and immigrant (移民) families, moved to.
Jazz prospered in the mix of American cultures around the Avenue in the 1930s and 1940s. But in the 1950s, things changed. After the war, there were projects to make the city beautiful and build a university nearby. Both of these seemed like good changes. However, the new university and buildings caused poorer families to have to leave the area. This destroyed the Indiana Avenue community - and with it, its jazz culture.
After many years, Indianapolis remembered the value of its arts and music culture. It began to bring back lost cultures such as live music on the Avenue. To do so, it began to make new changes. The changes included repairing historic areas like the Avenue. Once again, the high living costs in these historic arts areas pushed low-income families out.
Today there are several old-style jazz clubs where friends can meet up to remember the past or just enjoy a summer evening. It might seem at first that jazz is alive again, but there is a sad reality behind these jazz clubs: Modern Indy jazz is only a shadow (影子) of the lively culture that was once on Indiana Avenue.
1. What does the author mainly want to say in Paragraph 1?| A．Jazz clubs can make big money. |
| B．Jazz musicians often hold concerts. |
| C．Jazz music is popular in Indianapolis. |
| D．Jazz culture is just part of Indianapolis' culture. |
| A．Disappeared quickly. | B．Arrived soon. |
| C．Recovered soon. | D．Developed well. |
| A．It rebuilt some old important areas. |
| B．It invited old jazz musicians to sing in the city. |
| C．It educated people about the value of music culture. |
| D．It settled low-income families in the Indiana Avenue community, |
| A．Its home culture is gone. |
| B．Its styles are too traditional. |
| C．It shows the sadness of the poor. |
| D．It is no longer a favorite of the young. |
10 . The words “protect animals” appear everywhere in books and on screens, because some animals are even 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 in the state since 1994. Local officers explained that the black bear population (族群) 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.
Months ago, the Swiss government allowed the locals to kill a wolf. This was because the wolf killed 38 sheep, and it was a great loss to some local farmers. Days ago in China, three old men were caught by the police for killing a sorrow (鬣羚), a kind of protected animal. They said they killed the animal because it ate the plants they grew.
However, these stories don’t always mean that animal protection stops because of human interests especially when it is related to economic (经济的) development. A man named Zhou Weisen set up a wild animal base in Guilin, Guangxi. He saved over 170 tigers and about 300 bears. 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 expert at Oxford University. “But we shouldn’t put either one to one side, as the future is uncertain.”
1. What does the underlined word “menace” in the second paragraph mean?| A．Chance. | B．Challenge. |
| C．Gift. | D．Danger. |
| A．3,500 black bears were killed in Florida. |
| B．The wolf can’t be killed in Switzerland. |
| C．The sorrow is protected in China. |
| D．Three old Chinese men’s loss was made up for. |
| 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．Humans can kill animals when their interests are harmed. |
| B．We should pay more attention to the future than the present. |
| C．We should consider both the environmental and human interests. |
| D．It’s easy to find proper ways to solve environmental problems. |
