2 . A Teacher’s Lifesaving Call

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Julia Koch began what was only her second year as a first grade teacher in a virtual classroom.

One September afternoon a few weeks into the school year, she received a call from Cynthia Phillips, who was having technical difficulties with her granddaughter’s tools for online learning.

Koch immediately knew something was wrong with Phillips. The two women had spoken numerous times before, but Koch had never heard the grandmother sound quite like this. Her words were so jumbled that Koch could barely understand her, though she was able to make out that Phillips had fallen four times that day.

Koch called her principal, Charlie Lovelady, who assured her that he would call and check on Phillips himself.

Just like Koch, Lovelady could barely understand Phillips. He suspected she might be having a stroke—he recognized the signs from when his own father had suffered one. Lovelady was able to make out the word “kids” and immediately became concerned that Phillips’s two grandchildren, aged six and eight, were probably home alone with her—she   is   their primary guardian—and scared. Lovelady asked his office manager to send an ambulance to the grandmother’s home. Then Lovelady called two deans in the school district, to tell them what was going on, both of whom dropped everything and drove to the family’s home.

When they pulled up less than ten minutes later, the EMTs(急救人员)were treating Phillips while the two girls, looking visibly shaken, were outside with a neighbor.

The quick response from Koch and Lovelady saved Phillips’s life. She arrived at the hospital in time to get treatment and before chronic damage occurred.

“If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here,” said Phillips from her hospital bed about a month after her stroke.

Thanks to an extended stay in the hospital, she has regained most of the movement throughout her body except for one hand and a portion of her mouth, which affects her speech.

1. When did the story happen?

A．When Koch was in her first grade.

B．When the grandchildren were having online classes.

C．When Lovelady was with his own father.

D．When the EMTs were giving medical help to Phillips.

2. Why did Koch know that Phillips was in trouble?

A．Because Phillips’s voice sounded strange.

B．Because Phillips had seldom called Koch.

C．Because Phillips spoke a strange language.

D．Because Koch could not hear very clearly.

3. How did Lovelady know that Phillips might be having a stroke?

A．By calling the hospital for advice.

B．By visiting Phillips in person.

C．By recognizing the signs he knew.

D．By asking the office workers for help.

4. The underlined word “chronic” in Paragraph 7 may best be replaced by ____.

A．minor.

B．unknown.

C．obvious.

D．serious.

5. What is one of the bad effects the stroke left on Phillips?

A．She could not move about properly.

B．She could not speak clearly.

C．She could not have meals properly.

D．She could not use her hands as before.

3 . When you think of the Himalayas, you may picture tall, rocky, snow-covered peaks. But that’s not true.

The subnival (亚冰雪的) region is the zone between the treeline and the snowline. It is 5 to 5 times as large as the areas of glaciers and permanent snow, which means studying it is vital to understanding the Himalayas as a whole.

The treeline is the edge of an ecosystem where trees are able to grow, and beyond the treeline environmental conditions become too tough to allow tree growth. Meanwhile, snowlines are the boundaries on mountains that separate areas with permanent snow (where snow is present for the majority of the year) from areas with seasonal or no snow.

Researchers used satellite data from 1993 to 2018 to measure plant cover between 4,150 meters and 6,000 meters above sea level. The scientists discovered that the greatest increase in plant cover was between an altitude of 5,000 meters and 5,500 meters. Subnival plants mostly include small shrubs and grasses.

Even areas once completely occupied by glaciers now hold rocks covered with mosses, lichen, and sometimes even flowers. In addition, the snowline seems to be retreating, while the treeline is expanding. This shows that the region is becoming warmer, causing more melting of snow and allowing vegetation to move up in height.

In the past 40 years, 25% of all Himalayan ice has been lost due to global warming. Himalayan glaciers are reducing by about 0.5 meters each year. The rate of glacier melting has doubled in this decade. The melting of glaciers increases water in the region, making it wetter. Receding snow also forces the snowline to move up, providing a greater amount of area for the warm and moist conditions, which are perfect for vegetation growth.

As of now, we do not know whether vegetation will accelerate or slow down the rate of glacier melting.

1. How does the writer develop the third paragraph?

A．By explaining concepts.	B．By providing some examples.
C．By analyzing causes and effects.	D．By listing specific data.

2. What does the underlined word “retreating” mean in Paragraph 5?

A．Disappearing.

B．Lengthening.

C．Withdrawing.

D．Widening.

3. What is the direct effect of global warming on the Himalayas?

A．The snowline moves up.	B．Glaciers are melting faster.
C．The subnival area is wetter.	D．Plants grow much better.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The climate of the Himalayas is changing.	B．Icebergs in the Himalayas have disappeared.
C．Plants are diverse in the Himalayas.	D．Plant life spreads in the Himalayas.

5 . Joint Statement from the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Abe Shinzo, held a conference call this morning to discuss the constantly changing environment with regard to COVID-19 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

President Bach and Prime Minister Abe expressed their shared concern about the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and what it is doing to people’s lives and the significant effect it is having on global athletes’ preparations for the Games.

In a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and noted the great progress being made in Japan to fight against COVID-19.

The unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak has seen the situation in the rest of the world worsening. Yesterday, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating. There are more than 375,000 cases now recorded worldwide and in nearly every country, and their number is growing by the hour.

In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.

The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon (灯塔) of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

1. What is the purpose of the conference call between the President of IOC and the Prime Minister of Japan?

A．To talk about the ways of dealing with the spread of COVID-19.

B．To talk about the effect of COVID-19 on people’s lives around the world.

C．To praise Japan for the great progress they made to fight against COVID-19.

D．To talk about the situation of COVID-19 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

2. What is the possible meaning of the underlined word in the 4th paragraph?

A．Slowing down.	B．Developing fast.
C．Spreading gradually.	D．Causing concern.

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the conference call?

A．COVID-19 has a great effect on the athletes’ preparations for the Games.

B．The situation caused by COVID-19 is worsening in many countries around the world.

C．The Tokyo Olympic Games will be rescheduled to a date not later than summer 2021.

D．The Games to be held in Tokyo will be named the Olympic Tokyo 2021.

4. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．The Tokyo Olympic Games is put off only to protect the health of the athletes.

B．The world will see hope of pulling through brought by the Tokyo Olympic Games.

C．The Olympic flame will be used as a light at the end of a tunnel of Tokyo.

D．Both the Olympic Games Tokyo and Paralympic Games Tokyo will not be held in 2020.

6 . I first began to wonder what was doing on a college campus when my parents drove off, leaving me alone in a parking lot, wanting nothing more than to find my way safely to my dorm room. The fact was that no matter how mature I liked to consider myself, I was feeling just a bit first-gradish. Adding to my distress was the impression that everyone on campus was watching me. My plan was to keep my ears open and my mouth shut and hope no one would notice I was a freshman.

With that thought in mind, I raised my head, squared my shoulders, and set out in the direction of my dorm, glancing at the campus map in my hand. And then I spent the afternoon seeking out each of my classrooms so that I could make perfectly timed entrance before each lecture without having to ask silly questions about its whereabouts.

The next morning, I found my first class and marched in. I chose a seat in the first row and to the side. I was in the front, but out of the professor's direct line of vision. Then I opened my anthology（选集）of American literature and looked at the date at the top of a page. "Welcome to Biology 101," the professor began. Cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. I got out my schedule and checked the room number. I was in the right room. Just the wrong building!

So now what? Get up and leave in the middle of the lecture? Wouldn't the professor be angry? Wouldn't they all stare at me? Forget it, I settled into my chair.

1. What does the underlined word "that thought" in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．missing her parents	B．working hard in college
C．showing maturity	D．being first-gradish

2. What would the author do next at the end of the story?

A．She would do the same as the other students in the room.

B．She would leave the room in the middle of the lecture.

C．She would ask the professor for a leave.

D．She would explain the mistake to the professor.

3. Which of the following is the best title of this passage?

A．My college

B．A Mistake

C．Fresh Start

D．A Freshman

7 . The TV series, The Longest Day in Chang'an, which was shown on Chinese online platforms last summer became a hit soon. Since then, it has been shown on partnering streaming platforms and TV networks abroad. Some websites overseas also offered the program to their users paying for it — the first time a Chinese series was broadcast as paid content abroad.

"I was amazed by the overseas audience's love for this show," Cao Dun, director of The Longest Day in Chang'an, told Bejing Review. "I was worried that they wouldn't understand the complex political structure of the Tang dynasty. But in reality the show is prompting foreign audiences to research Tang dynasty's history to better understand the plot. "

The unique culture in ancient China is not a barrier but a bridge to connect with foreign audiences. In the TV series, every figure is given enough space to flesh out his or her character. Telling stories of ordinary Chinese people that resonate (引起共鸣) with the audience might be the way to communicate with the world. "The success of the TV series shows that beauty is a universal language crossing borders," he told Beijing Review.

His ambition is to distinguish Chinese dramas from the TV shows in the rest of the world. "The TV series is a step in my plan to tell Chinese stories to the world," Cao said. "After describing the impressive beauty of the Tang dynasty, I am looking for several plays that tell stories of today's China. I don’t want to copy any country's production. Chinese dramas have to be built on our rich culture and Chinese people's everyday life," Cao added.

1. What do we know about the TV series?

A．It was first put on overseas.

B．It can be appreciated for free.

C．It is about the development of the Tang dynasty.

D．It was very popular once it was shown.

2. What does the underlined word "prompting" in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Requiring.	B．Reminding.
C．Encouraging.	D．Informing.

3. What made the TV series a success?

A．Stories of ordinary people.	B．Recognition of beauty.
C．Diversity of Chinese culture.	D．Personalities of every figure.

4. What is Cao Dun’s ambition?

A．To tell Chinese stories to the world.	B．To make a successful TV series.
C．To show China’s different nationalities.	D．To learn the ancient political structure.

8 . Feeding bread to the ducks is a fond pastime for many of us, reminding us of our happy childhood trips to the local park. But did you know that bread actually poses a danger to birds, as well as the environment? Eating it can cause our feathered friends to develop a condition called Angel Wing, which is when too much bread makes birds’ feathers grow too quickly. This additional weight puts a strain on their muscles, causing their wings to twist and drop open, and if not treated fast, they can lose the ability to fly.

“Angel Wing can be remedied if we reach birds before it has developed too severely,” says Caroline Simpson, a trustee of UK charity Swan Lifeline, which has rescued and treated more than 30,000 birds over the last 20 years. “Otherwise the consequence can be awful—such as amputations of the wing.” Adult swans can also develop gut and heart disease, so it’s important we do our bit to prevent this by feeding wild birds with the right kind of food.

Bread can also cause harmful changes to the natural ecosystem. Rotting bread at the bottom of rivers and lakes allows bacteria to breed, spreading disease and attracting rats and other vermin to our waterways. It can result in algal blooms and the presence of a mould called Aspergillus too, which has the potential to kill waterfowl and other wildlife if it gets into their lungs.

But this doesn’t mean we have to stop fun trips to feed the ducks. Giving birds the right food—like frozen peas, sweetcorn and lettuce leaves—is good for both them and the environment. So, next time you visit your local park, take a healthier alternative with you and do your bit to protect our precious wildlife.

1. The underlined word “remedied” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.

A．reduced

B．expected

C．caused

D．corrected

2. Which of the following is NOT a consequence of feeding waterfowl with bread?

A．Harmful creatures will be drawn to waterways.

B．Water birds will be overfed and risk losing their bodily functions.

C．The water will be enriched thanks to the nutrients in bread.

D．The eco-balance at the bottom of rivers or lakes will be disturbed.

3. The purpose of writing this passage is to ________.

A．stop people from feeding waterfowl.

B．instruct people how to raise waterfowl.

C．warn people of the danger threatening waterfowl.

D．promote a safe and healthy way to feed waterfowl.

9 . The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates( 种植园). The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to   90 centimetres high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender shoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best tea is got.

Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates prefer to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.

Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill. There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required. For black tea, the young green leaves are first spread out on shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this, the leaves are passed through heavy rollers. This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste. Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment（发酵）under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea. The fermented leaves are then dried with a hot-air blower until they become rolled-up black leaves. The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.

1. In the first paragraph, the word “pruning” means ________ .

A．regular cutting of the plants

B．frequent watering

C．regular use of chemicals

D．growing the plants high in the mountain

2. One of the reasons why women are employed to do the picking is that ________.

A．they work harder than men do in the picking

B．they can throw their pickings more easily into the baskets

C．their fingers fit them better for the job

D．they can more easily find the twin leaves

3. How many processing steps are mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

4. What is the writer’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To introduce various methods of tea processing.

B．To persuade readers to buy tea from Sri Lanka.

C．To tell a story that had happened in the tea gardens.

D．To inform readers of tea growing, picking and processing.

10 . Round and Round They Go

Space is becoming more crowded. On December 3, a Falcon 9 rocket made by Space X thundered into the sky. On board were 64 small satellites, more than any American company had launched before in one go. They have a variety of uses, from space-based- radar to the monitoring of radio-frequency- emissions.

These objects are part of the latest breed of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. This launch is just taste of what is planned. Space X and One Web, a communications firm, plan to launch satellites in their thousands, not hundreds. The pair are set to double the total number of satellites in orbit by 2027.

That promises to change things dramatically on Earth. LEO satellites can bring internet connectivity to places where it is still unavailable or unaffordable. This will also be a lasting source of new demand for the space economy. Morgan Stanley, a bank, projects that the space industry will grow from $350 billion in 2016 to more than $1. I trillion by 2040. New internet satellites will account for a half this increase.

For that to happen, however, three worries must be overcome. Debris(碎片)is the most familiar concern. As long ago as 1978, Donald Kessler, a scientist at NASA, proposed situation in which, when enough satellites were packed into low-Earth orbits, any collision could cause a chain reaction which would eventually destroy all space craft in its orbital plane(平面). The syndrome which bears Mr. Kessler's name weighs heavily on the minds of executives at the new satellite firms. Debris could cause entire tracts(广阔的一片) of space to be unusable for decades.

Solutions exist. One is to grab malfunction satellites and pull them down into Earth's atmosphere. Another is to monitor space more intensively for debris; a US Air Force program me called Space Fence is due to start in 2019. But technology is only part of the answer. Rules are needed to govern the safe disposal(清除) of old satellites from low-Earth orbit. The United States' Federal Communications Commission is revising its regulations with this in mind. Other countries should follow suit.

Cyber-security is a second, long-standing worry. Hackers could take control of a satellite and seal intellectual property, redirect data flows or cause a collision. The satellite industry has been slow to respond to such concerns. But as more of the world's population comes to rely on the infrastructure of space for access to the internet, the need for action intensifies.

The third issue follows from the first two. If a simple mistake or a cyber-attack can cause a chain reaction which wipes out hundreds of billions of dollars of investment, who is liable? Underwriters(保险商) are studying the plans of firms that wish to operate large numbers of satellites. But there is a long way to go before the risks are well understood, let alone priced.

As space becomes more commercialized mind-bending prospects open up: packages moved across the planet in minutes by rocket rather than by plane, equipment sent to other small planets, passengers launched into orbit and beyond. All that and more may come, one day. But such activities would raise the same questions as LEO satellites do. They must be answered before the space economy can truly develop.

1. What can we learn about LEO satellites from the passage?

A．They are supposed to limit the space economy.

B．They are expected to increase in large numbers.

C．They are designed to move beyond the Earth as far as possible.

D．They are mainly intended to bring internet connectivity to remote areas.

2. To deal with debris in space, the author suggests________.

A．depending entirely on the modern technology

B．monitoring the movement of spaceships carefully

C．strengthening rules to remove old satellites safely

D．destroying all the satellites with problems instantly

3. What does the underlined word “intensify” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Measure.

B．Increase.

C．Spread.

D．Repeat.

4. Which of the following can be classified as the third worry?

A．Lack of satellite regulations.

B．Loss of intellectual property.

C．Crisis of confidence in the field.

D．Slow response of satellite industry.

5. What is the author's attitude toward the launch of LEO satellites?

A．It should be further confirmed for its ownership.

B．It should be continued because of its advantages.

C．It should be done carefully to avoid potential risks.

D．It should be stopped in face of the space economy.