1 . A group of swans (天鹅) flew down to a beach where a crow (乌鸦) was jumping around. The crow watched them with disdain (鄙视).
“You have no flying skills at all!” he said to the swans. “All you can do is to move your wings. Can you turn over in the air? No, that’s beyond you. Let’s have a flying competition. I’ll show you what real flying is!”
One of the swans, a strong young male, took up the challenge. The crow flew up and began to show his skills. He flew in circles, performed other flying tricks, and then came down and looked proudly at the swan.
Now it was the swan’s turn. He flew up, and he began flying over the sea. The crow flew after him, making all kinds of comments about his flying. They flew on and on till they couldn’t see the land and there was nothing but water on all sides. The crow was making fewer and fewer comments. He was now so exhausted that he found it hard to stay in the air, and had to struggle to keep himself from falling into the water.
The swan pretended not to notice, and said, “Why do you keep touching the water, brother? Is that another trick?”
“No,” said the crow. He knew that he had lost the competition. “I’m in trouble because of my pride! If you don’t help me, I’ll lose my life…”
The swan took pity on him, and took him on his shoulders and flew back to the beach.
1. What does the underlined word “exhausted” in Paragraph 4 mean?| A．Tired. | B．Angry. |
| C．Frightened. | D．Regretful. |
| A．It was showing another flying skill. |
| B．It was struggling to keep itself from falling into the water. |
| C．It was thirsty and wanted to drink some water. |
| D．It was enjoying itself by doing so. |
| A．The crow didn’t know flying. |
| B．Flying skills were useless. |
| C．The swan saved the crow because they were good friends. |
| D．The swan was better at long-distance flying than the crow |
| A．No pains, no gains. | B．The early bird catches the worm (虫子). |
| C．Pride goes before a fall. | D．Practice makes perfect. |
2 . When we sleep, our brains clear out the memories we've made while we're awake, deciding what to keep and what to discard. Forgetting is an active process, explained the authors of a study published in the journal Science. But less is known about this process during the different stages of sleep.
The team found that during the rapid eye movement （REM） sleep stage, when active sleep happens and we are thought to dream, special nerve（神经）cells appear to actively lead to forgetting. What are known as MCH neurons（神经元）sit in the hypothalamus ——a part of the brain which helps with a range of functions such as sleep, appetite and emotions. Past research has suggested these cells help to control REM sleep patterns.
The team looked at MCH neurons in mice, and found 52.8 percent were active during REM sleep, compared with 35 percent when the mice were awake. They also turned MCH neurons on and off during memory tests. MCH cells appeared to send messages to the part of the brain to stop the formation of memories.
Study co-author Thomas Kilduff said the team was surprised to find that mice performed better on learning and memory tasks when the MCH cells were inhibited（受抑制）.“This result suggests that stimulation of the MCH neurons may disturb memory strengthening - that is, MCH neurons may help forgetting," Kilduff explained.
Asked what motivated the study, Kilduff said, "There is research argument about the role of sleep-in learning and memory, specifically, whether REM sleep, slow-wave sleep or both types of sleep are important for memory strengthening."
Kilduff acknowledged the study was conducted only on mice, not on humans. Also, mice are animals that remain active at night, with periods of sleeping and being awake distributed throughout the day and night, whereas most humans have a single sleep period that usually occurs at night, he said.
1. What does the underlined word “discard" in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Get rid of. | B．Bring in. |
| C．Make use of. | D．Dream about. |
| A．All of them are active. |
| B．Over half of them are functioning. |
| C．Most of them can control emotions. |
| D．35 percent of them can refresh memories. |
| A．It was highly questioned. | B．It helps explain dreams. |
| C．It could apply to all people. | D．It was limited in some way. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Sports. |
| C．Tech and Science. | D．Culture. |
3 . Richard Ripley knows he wouldn’t be the man he is today without one special woman.
Richard and his brother, Kevin, were placed into disparate adoptive homes at a young age because of their parents’ deep drug addiction. Kevin was placed with the Ripley family while Richard went to live in four separate homes over the course of three years, suffering abuse along the way. Richard and Kevin only saw each other every few months, but during their visits, Mrs. Ripley grew to care for Richard, too.
“Mrs. Ripley would take us for lunch at McDonald’s as Kevin always liked the food, and when she first noticed the scars all over my body,” Richard wrote. “She immediately made arrangements for me to join their family.” Unfortunately, Mr. Ripley passed away from cancer shortly after Richard joined the family. But even in the face of hardship, Mrs. Ripley never once considered parting with Kevin or Richard.
“Nobody would have blamed her for taking us back. But instead she took us to court and made it permanent,” Richard continued. “She must have been super stressed, but that’s not at all what I remember. I just remember the words that she gave me. It was always: ‘You’re smart.’ And ‘You’re handsome.’ And ‘You survived all bad things because you’re strong.’ There are very few forces as powerful as a mother’s love.”
Thanks to her unfailing love and guidance, Richard grew up to be the strong, successful man she always knew he could be. He joined the Marines (海军陆战队)... and graduated from law school! And, of course, his mom was always there by his side, celebrating right along with him.
Now, as a parent himself, Richard couldn’t be more grateful to the Ripleys for making his life worth living and giving him a future to look forward to.
1. What does the underlined word “disparate” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Wealthy. | B．Faraway. | C．Different. | D．Large. |
| A．The abuse he suffered. | B．Kevin’s sincere request. |
| C．The death of her husband. | D．The blame from others. |
| A．Demanding. | B．Encouraging. | C．Ambitious. | D．Creative. |
| A．Man must be strong. | B．Hard work pays off. |
| C．Where there is love, there is hope. | D．Kindness makes one’s soul noble. |
4 . Mauro Colagreco is the only Argentinean chef who has been awarded three Michelin stars, the highest distinction for international cuisine(烹饪). His restaurant on the French Riviera, Mirazur, is considered one of the best in the world, but when it was forced to close its doors temporarily, Colagreco found a way to use his cooking skills to serve the community.
During normal times, Mirazur does great business. But in March, Mirazur had to close its doors due to the coronavirus lockdown. Within days of the reopening in June, Mirazur had already filled up all its reservations for the rest of the year.
The months of closed doors were not a rest for Mirazur’s staff, however. Colagreco and part of Mirazur!s team, instead of standing by, used this time and their talents to aid in the fight against the virus. On April 2, Mirazur’s kitchen, so unique that its menu is a surprise every day, moved its headquarters to nearby La Palmosa Hospital to cook for the health care staff.
Twice a week for two months, the cooks prepared meals to honor those who were facing the pandemic on the front lines. They gave these hospital meals the same elegance and combination of flavors as their dishes at Mirazur. Everything was made with products from the restaurant’s garden, from which its menu is usually nourished, and donations from local suppliers.
A native of La Plata, and trained by Argentine chefs Beatriz Chomnalez and Carlos Alberto “Gato” Dumas, Colagreco has been living in France since 2001. As time went by, his name began to stand out and great new restaurants started to bear his signature. In addition to Mirazur, for example, he opened Grand Coeur in Paris, and L'Estivale by Mauro Colagreco at Nice Airport, Cote d'Azur.
Although he has been an expert in cooking, Colagreco’s work for good causes shows that, like the produce he grows, his roots are firmly in the ground.
1. What can we know about Mirazur?| A．It has enjoyed its popularity. | B．It set limits on reservation. |
| C．It was a non-profit restaurant. | D．It was only nationally famous. |
| A．They turned a restaurant into a care center. |
| B．They stood by and ran their own restaurant. |
| C．They sold hospital meals to the community. |
| D．They offered to cook for the health care staff. |
| A．Designed. | B．Consumed. |
| C．Supported. | D．Stored. |
| A．Imaginative and adventurous. | B．Easy-going and hard-working. |
| C．Remarkably successful and modest. | D．Professional and socially responsible. |
5 . Thanks to more than two decades of environmental recovery efforts, various species of wild birds have begun to gather at the mouth of the Yellow River. The Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve in Shandong province covers about 153, 000 hectares, with wetland making up over 70% of the total area.
Wang Andong, a researcher in the reserve, said 315 oriental storks, an endangered species, were born there this year. The species is under first-class national protection in China. Wang said that, decades ago, the oriental storks only made a brief stop at the reserve before they traveled to China's warm south, but an increasing number of the birds are choosing to live in the area throughout the year.
The reserve has seen the birth of 2, 000 oriental storks since 2003 when the birds first nested there. The increase in the number of wild birds in the reserve, especially endangered species, reflects the area's improved ecology.
Wang owed the improvement to a number of wetland recovery projects, such as water replenishment and turning farmland back into wetland. A total of 155 million cubic meters of water was supplied to the reserve in July to replenish groundwater. Water replenishment, started in 2008, helps bring back the wetland and creates a better environment for fish. It ensures enough food supplies for the birds.
The rising number of wild birds in the reserve has become a feast for the eyes for bird-watchers, who are able to spot oriental storks and other wild birds even outside the reserve.
1. Why did the oriental storks fly to the reserve decades ago?| A．To lay eggs there. | B．To have a short stop there. |
| C．To live there forever. | D．To make nests there. |
| A．Enough food supplies. | B．The increase of wild birds. |
| C．Many wetland recovery projects. | D．The increased area of the reserve. |
| A．Condition. | B．Shortage. | C．Pollution. | D．Supply. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Unconcerned. | C．Doubtful. | D．Worried. |
6 . Twenty-five years ago, most young Britons wanted a career in law, to be a doctor, or, if they were creatively minded, to take up singing. But today, things stand differently.
According to a survey by Tesco Mobile, a UK telecoms company, the “dream job” of young people aged between 16 and 25 in the UK is a video blogger, or “vlogger”. The survey, carried out among 1 , 002 people, found that as much as 40 percent of them put vlogger as their number one choice on a list of ideal jobs.
The only reason for this change is undoubtedly the Internet and social media. They have made it so much easier to reach a global user, without having to get a job in show business in the traditional way.
“In years gone by, the biggest stars were shaped and trained by the Hollywood studios； now, anyone with a computer camera can become an icon (偶像)，" a Tesco Mobile spokesperson said in a news release(发布会).“These self-made stars record their hobbies to an admiring fan-base. Vloggers are the big stars of today because they are normal people interacting with their fans about everyday life.”
However, what people see is only the great side of being a vlogger and they ignore the fact that only those who are successful get fame and fortune. There are the dreams that come true and the dreams that still remain dreams.
This is why although vloggers are popular, some young people choose jobs that don't necessarily earn them fame, but allow them to make good use of the Internet to share their hobbies. Young Israeli David Leshaw, for example, runs a business called the Finishers Club. It's an online platform(平台)for runners to keep a record of their races. He told the website Zippia that his job allows him to express his thought, and is always a learning experience. And that's enough for him.
1. What's the most popular job among British young people nowadays?| A．A lawyer. | B．A doctor. | C．A vlogger. | D．A singer. |
| A．Because of the popularity of the computers. |
| B．Because the traditional show business has disappeared. |
| C．Because there are computer cameras for everyone to use. |
| D．Because Internet and social media made it easy to reach a global user. |
| A．To discuss. | B．To force. |
| C．To communicate. | D．To take part in. |
| A．All vloggers can't be successful. | B．Vloggers should be supported. |
| C．Vloggers should be encouraged. | D．Vloggers are very helpful to society. |
7 . What does being happy have to do with luck? To answer the question, a team of researchers from the UK and Hong Kong gave surveys to 844 English-speaking university students in Hong Kong. The survey questions measured their thoughts about luck and their happiness levels.
The researchers observed that less happy people believed in external (外在的) luck—the “Good luck with that!” variety that controls our good or bad. The authors point out that blaming “luck” for events and experiences makes people lose personal self-determination, which diminishes their sense of purpose and, in turn, their happiness. Believing we need luck to be successful may make us less determined to reach goals and take risks.
On the other hand, happier people believed themselves to be personally lucky. Viewing yourself as lucky, the researchers suggest, shows an active and positive attitude that develops hope and self-acceptance. Personally lucky people may feel more confident to try new things or act in ways that help others.
How does luck influence those people? Next, the research team asked those people to fill another survey. They found that people who believed in external luck were more likely to be less active, and in turn were less happy. Those who believe they’re especially lucky suffer less of a hit to happiness.
This study has its value. However, the data all come from surveys filled out by those surveyed, which means the responses may be too personal. Moreover, the use of a one-time survey means we cannot say that one thing causes another.
Although there are some limits, this study stresses the value of thinking about luck as something that benefits us. Moreover, this study helps explain why we call people “happy go lucky”—because happy is how we feel when we focus on how personally lucky we are.
1. What does the underlined word “diminishes” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Explains. | B．Reduces. | C．Develops. | D．Balances. |
| A．They are always helped by others. | B．They have a preference for the past. |
| C．They have confidence in themselves. | D．They like changing their own goals. |
| A．Its findings are unreliable. | B．It has space for improvement. |
| C．It is actually of little value. | D．Its research method is perfect. |
| A．The Connection Between Happiness and Luck |
| B．Being Happy Has Nothing to Do With Luck |
| C．How Less Happy People Can Become Luckier |
| D．The Latest Study on People’s Happiness Levels |
8 . The CCU (Charity Cycling UK) recently called on to raise awareness (觉察，意识)of dooring after discovering that many people don’t know what it is. Dooring is when a driver or passenger opens the door into another road user (typically cyclist) without looking for other road users.
The CCU chief officer Paul told Glou Live: Some people seem to see car dooring as a bit of a joke, but it’s not and can have serious results. We want to see great awareness made about the dangers of opening your car door carelessly, and people to be encouraged to look before they open. w Among the 3,000 injuries, 2,009 were cyclists, resulting in five deaths but this might not be the whole of the danger. Not all car dooring incidents will be attended by police, so the CCU has written to call for a public awareness campaign urging(敦促)all car users, not just drivers, to look before opening vehicle doors.
One of the ways the CCU suggests is the “Dutch reach”, where people leaving a vehicle reach over and use the non-door side hand to open the door. In the Netherlands they are known for practicing a method, known sometimes as the “Dutch reach”, which we think could be successfully encouraged in the UK. If you're really concerned about opening a door into the path of a cyclist coming behind you, consider using what’s known as the “Dutch reach” to open the door. That will naturally turn you in your seat and give you a much better view of what's coming up alongside in the car.
1. Which of the following behaviors belongs to dooring?| A．Two cyclists bump into each other. |
| B．Two cars crashed into each other. |
| C．A cyclist was knocked down by an open car door. |
| D．A roader user was run over by a careless car driver. |
| A．public concern |
| B．the present serious situation of dooring |
| C．the report on the terrible accidents |
| D．the importance of traffic safety |
| A．To deal with. | B．To work for. |
| C．To accompany. | D．To look after. |
| A．It helps drivers to see more clearly. |
| B．It raises people's concern of accidents. |
| C．It makes you uncomfortable while opening the door. |
| D．It allows the openers to have a wider view of the situation outside. |
9 . The personal computer has overtaken (赶上)the family dog as man's best friend, according to a study.
Researchers found that just 6 per cent of us believe that" most people rely more on their dog than they do on their PC", while 67 percent think the opposite to be true.
Even 38 percent of dog owners admitted to relying more on their PC than on their dog, although 36 percent disagreed. And 71 percent of 18 to 24-year-old dog owners said they relied more on their computer.
Paul Allen, editor of Computer-active magazine said, "These days you can even take your PC lor a walk, if you have a laptop or tablet." "It's only a matter of time until the first PC that fetches your slippers."
Researchers questioned 2,000 British adults to find out the change modern technology has brought to their home life. They found that male dog owners are almost twice as likely as female owners to rely on their computer than acaninecompanion.
Mr Allen said, "With broadband bringing them global news and newspaper sales falling, the family dog even misses out on the pleasure of taking the paper to his owner. " But it's not all had news for obedient（顺从的）dogs. "The family PC has given dog owners access to a wealth of resources and information that can help with the long-term care that a dog needs, " Mr Allen said.
1. Who are most likely to rely on computers?| A．Teenagers | B．People in their early twenties. |
| C．People in their early thirties. | D．People in their early forties. |
| A．The personal computer has replaced the dog as man's best friend. |
| B．The computer and the dog are man's best friends. |
| C．Modem technology has brought changes to people's home life. |
| D．The dog as a pet will disappear completely from people's life. |
| A．The dog can go out for a walk with people. | B．The dog can bring people more pleasure. |
| C．The dog can help people fetch something. | D．The dog is more likely to follow its owner's orders. |
| A．Human. | B．Pet. | C．Family. | D．Dog. |
10 . Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge, the double-deck suspension (悬浮) bridge with the longest span in the world, opened to traffic on Tuesday after five years’ construction, according to a statement from the constructor.
It is reported that the bridge is 4. 13 kilometers long, with 12 lanes in both directions on the main I bridge. It is a long-span suspension bridge with the largest volume in the world, China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group said. The bridge connects the Hanyang and Wuchang and its opening will ameliorate the urban expressway system, relieve traffic pressure across the river, and drive development in the area, according to the company.
On both sides of the upper deck of the bridge, there is a two-meter-wide footpath, with eight rest and sightseeing areas, where people can enjoy the river scenery. The lower level is designed with two non-motorized lanes, each 2. 5 meters wide. A 1. 5-meter wide walkway is also a feature of each side of the floor so pedestrians (行人) can walk on the lower level without getting caught in the rain.
Chief designer of the bridge, Xu Gongyi, said, “Considering navigation and traffic volume, the main span of the bridge is 1, 700 meters, which is the second-largest in the world and also the largest in bridges of double-deck structure.”
According to Luo Ruihua, project manager of the bridge, the Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge has set several records in the process of its construction. The designed tension of each of the two main cables (钢索) is 65, 000 tons.
From 2014 to 2019, builders have shown the world the speed of China. The bridge not only enhances Wuhan’s reputation as a “bridge museum”, but also represents a super project of a new era.
1. What does the underlined word “ameliorate” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Keep. | B．Start. | C．Improve. | D．Show. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By describing its principles. | D．By using data. |
| A．It will attract many foreigners to Wuhan. |
| B．It is friendly to pedestrians. |
| C．The cost of its construction is low. |
| D．It is the longest bridge of the world. |
| A．Negative. | B．Admiring. | C．Uncertain. | D．Grateful. |
