1 . When most high school students complain about having to wake up extra early，they're usually referring to a swim practice before class or the last minute study before a test. But that was never the case for Corey Patrick，who woke up at 4：30 every morning last year in order to arrive on time at Tarrant High School in Alabama.

Patrick had attended Tarrant City Schools since his fourth grade，but things got difficult when his family moved to a town 14 miles away. Even though his family didn't have any forms of transportation，Patrick didn't want to miss out on his senior year with friends，so he woke up at 4：30 every morning in order to make it to a 5：41 a．m.bus that would help him get to Tarrant on time.And just as he had done every other school day of the year，Patrick got up one morning to start the journey from his home to his high school; the only obvious difference that morning was that he was wearing his graduation gown (毕业礼服)，which made that day's bus driver，DeJuanna Beasley, take some photos of him. She then shared them online with these words，“You tell me this isn't determination.He got on my bus to go to his graduation，and no one was with him.Sometimes it's all in what you want out of life.I was so proud of this young man.”

That was soon shared by many people online，and it caught the attention of radio host Rickey Smiley，who surprised Patrick by giving him a car later. Smiley confirmed that he would make sure that Patrick received help with getting his driver's license. A GoFundMe was also created for Patrick，which has raised over $20,000. And Patrick has got a scholarship (奖学金) to Jacksonville University，where he plans to study computer science.

1. Why was Patrick different from most students when it comes to rising early?

A．It had something to do with study.

B．It was a part of daily life for him.

C．He was unwilling to get up early.

D．He spent more time in studying.

2. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?

A．Patrick dressed poorly on his graduation day.

B．It took Patrick an hour to get to the bus stop.

C．The driver was moved by Patrick's story.

D．There was no school in Patrick's town.

3. What does the underlined word “That” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Patrick's request for help on the Internet.

B．The difficulties that Patrick experienced.

C．The information about Patrick's university.

D．The message published online by the driver.

4. Who gave Patrick practical support rather than money?

A．GoFundMe.	B．Rickey Smiley.
C．Patrick's high school.	D．Jacksonville University.

2 . At 12 years old, Braeden Mannering is already well on his way to running an empire! A 2016 win of Delaware's Healthy Lunchtime Challenge brought Braeden to the White House, where the president asked the children at the event to think about how they could pay the experience forward.

A few days later, on the drive back home, Braeden saw a homeless man in the rain. He had his parents stop so that he cold give the man a bag of snacks. Braeden knew at that moment that this was how he wanted to pay it forward. He knew what he wanted to do in the future. He felt that it was his duty to help people in trouble.

Since that day in July,2016,Braeden has handed out over 8,000 bags to the homeless through his organization Brae's Brown Bags, also known as 3B.These bags vary (各不相同) in contents, and include food, toiletries (化妆品) and even books for the kids 'bags.

In addition to packing and distributing (分发) bags, Braeden travels the country, giving talks in schools to inspire other young people to help their communities. On his travel, he's raised$60,000 to expand his program. He also is a leader at the annual Delaware Hunger Conference, where he encourages kids to write to lawmakers and help pack bags, showing them how to make a difference.

This is a huge accomplishment, especially for someone of his age. But, as he says, “Anyone can change the world, as long as you dream big."

1. What does the underlined word "it" in Para.2 refer to?

A．The bag.	B．The experience.
C．The event.	D．The moment.

2. What does the boy's organization try to do?

A．Provide children with clothes.

B．Help homeless women with make-up.

C．Hand out bags for people to do shopping.

D．Donate things in bags to people losing their homes.

3. Which of the following is NOT the reason why Braeden travels the country?

A．To raise some money.

B．To give talks in schools.

C．To pay a visit to some lawmakers.

D．To inspire young people to help their communities.

4. How does the author like the boy's career?

A．It is great considering his young age.

B．It is not a little boy's task to do so.

C．The government should give him more help.

D．He sets a good example for other children.

3 . My name is Lwazi Nzimande. I started my schooling at Thukeyana Primary Farm School in Underberg, KwaZulu­Natal.

I had a favourite teacher in primary school. Her name was Miss Dube. She taught me natural science and human social sciences in grade six and seven, and had a way of pushing learners to be able to think for themselves. She made sure that each and every learner took part in every lesson. She used pictures, diagrams (图表) and other things to make learning easier and more unforgettable, moving at a pace that was suitable for all students. As a teacher, she showed patience, respect, open-mindedness, and reliability (可靠性). Now you see why she was my favourite teacher in primary school, don't you?

In my opinion, patience, respect, open-mindedness, and reliability are some of the things that all teachers should have and show. A patient teacher is one who understands that some learners need more explanation than others to understand something in class. He or she should always be willing to help learners. An open-minded teacher will go beyond what is found in the textbook. A teacher who is respected will find it easy to control a class. Respect is earned through what a teacher says to learners or how he or she deals with them in general.

Miss Dube often told us not to bad­mouth or make fun of others. She also did so. She never bad­mouthed other teachers in front of us. Also, Miss Dube never made fun of her learners. She thought making fun of learners in front of others would hurt them and damage their confidence.

Miss Dube was also very honest. From my point of view, that's also what a good teacher should be like. If she didn't have an answer to a question, she would let her learners know. This set a good example to the learners.

1. Why was Miss Dube the author's favourite teacher?

A．Because of her rich knowledge.

B．Because of her good appearance.

C．Because of her teaching style and character.

D．Because of her lifestyle and attitude to students.

2. What does the author think an open-minded teacher should do?

A．Pay close attention to every student's improvement.

B．Tell about something outside the textbook.

C．Avoid believing everything in the textbook.

D．Show great respect for her students.

3. What can we learn about Miss Dube from Paragraph 4?

A．She liked praising her students.	B．She was very confident in class.
C．She got along well with other teachers.	D．She set a good example to her students.

4. What does the underlined word “This” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Being a very patient teacher.	B．Answering students' questions.
C．Being honest in front of students.	D．Teaching students very difficult things.

4 . Sharon Okpoe has lived her entire 17 years in Makoko, known as the world’s largest “floating slum (贫民窟)”, built on a lake in Lagos, Nigeria. Okpoe’s father is a fisherman, and her mother sells smoked fish.

As many as two-thirds of the city’s 21 million residents live in slums. “Most girls are trapped in a terrible cycle of poverty. Many of them are not thinking of education, a plan for the future,” Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin, a computer programmer in Lagos, recalls. But several times a week, girls like Okpoe get a glimpse of another world when they attend GirlsCoding, a free program run by the Pearls Africa Foundation that seeks to educate and excite girls about computer programming. Since 2012, the group has helped more than 400 disadvantaged girls gain the technical skills and confidence they need to transform their lives.

It’s the vision of Ajayi-Akinfolarin, who left a successful career to devote herself to this work. She'd noticed how few women worked in this growing field-a 2013 government survey found that less than 8% of Nigerian women were employed in technology jobs. She wanted to fix the gender gap. “Technology is a space that’s dominated by men. Why should we leave that to guys?” she said. “I believe girls need opportunities.”

Now, dozens of girls aged 10 to 17 get trained in computer programming technology. “I believe you can still find diamonds in these places,” Ajayi-Akinfolarin said. “They need to be shown another life.” One way her program does this is by taking the students to visit tech companies — not only showing them what technology can do, but also helping them visualize themselves joining the industry.

Okpoe, for one, has taken this to heart. She helped create an app called Makoko Fresh that went live this summer, enabling fishermen like her father to sell seafood directly to customers. She even wants to become a software engineer and hopes to study computer science at Harvard. “One thing I want my girls to hold onto is, regardless of where they are coming from, that they can make it,” Ajayi said. “They are coders. They are thinkers. Their future is bright.”

1. What can we learn about GirlsCoding?

A．It encourages girls to land a job in education.

B．It offers Nigerian girls in need part-time jobs.

C．It helps girls working in Lagos to fight poverty.

D．It teaches girls in Makoko computer programming.

2. What did Ajayi-Akinfolarin say about the growing field in Paragraph 3?

A．Men could do far better in technology jobs.

B．Girls should get equal work opportunities.

C．Men normally got paid more than women.

D．Girls tended to devote themselves to work.

3. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Rebuilding the girls’ confidence.

B．Training the girls to find diamonds.

C．Presenting a different life to the girls.

D．Taking the girls to technology companies.

4. What can we infer about Okpoe from the last paragraph?

A．She got fishermen to benefit from her app.

B．She was admitted to Harvard University.

C．She took her father’s suggestion to heart.

D．She made some changes to computer science.

5 . The origin of coffee? I never really thought about it. When I was a kid, coffee was always around. My parents drank coffee, my grandparents drank coffee, and all the adults I knew drank coffee. I thought I would drink it too when I was older, and of course. I did.

But there must have been a time before coffee. I don't remember coffee making an appearance in any of the Bible(圣经)stories I learned. Jesus changed water into wine, not coffee. Maybe if coffee had been around, he would have changed some of the water into coffee. Maybe that's what “B. C." in those timelines meant: "before coffee."

According to popular legend, the origin of coffee can be traced to a thousand years ago, when an Abyssinian(Ethiopian)goatherd(牧羊人)named Kaidi observed his goats dancing and jumping. When Kaidi investigated, he saw that the goats were happily eating the red berries（浆果)of an unfamiliar tree. Kaidi decided to try some, and when he did he joined the dancing goats and became “the happiest herder in happy Arabia''.

Some time later, a passing monk(和尚)observed Kaidi and the goats. When Kaidi told him about the berries, the monk thought they might be the answer to his prayers(祈祷). It seems that the monk was always falling asleep in the middle of prayers. When he ate the berries, he stayed awake. The unnamed monk came up with the idea of drying and boiling the berries. It came into the world. His fellow monks loved the new drink because it encouraged them to pray and it tasted good too.

So now that I know about Kaidi and his goats, if someday-in the far, far future, of course someone calls me an "old goat", I'll just smile, take another sip of coffee, and maybe do a little dance.

1. Why didn't Jesus change water into coffee?

A．Because Jesus didn't like coffee.

B．Because coffee didn't appear at that time.

C．Because it was not the right time to have coffee.

D．Because Jesus was better at changing water into wine.

2. What is the tone of the author when writing the text?

A．Serious.	B．Objective.
C．Scientific.	D．Humorous.

3. The underlined word “it" in paragraph 4 refers to ________.

A．a kind of new drink

B．a kind of food made by monks

C．a kind of soup needed to be boiled

D．a kind of drug encouraging people to keep awake

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Origin of Coffee.

B．The Development of Coffee.

C．The Popularity of Coffee in the World.

D．The Coffee-drinking Tradition in My Family.

6 . Few people can refuse a delicious ice cream, especially on a hot day. The only thing that stops the fun is that the treat is hard to enjoy slowly, ending up with a sticky, melted mess. Now, researchers from Colombia’s Pontifical Bolivarian University may have found an unlikely thing to help solve this age-old problem — a kind of fibre from banana plant waste.

Bananas, as you probably know, grow in groups on a tree-like plant. Each group is connected to a central rachis (叶轴), which is thrown once the fruit has been gathered. The team, which was led by Dr. Robin Zuluaga Gallego, began by abstracting /drawing out cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) from the powdered rachis. The tasteless fiber, thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, was then added to 100 grams of ice cream mix.

With the right amount of CNFs mixed in, the dessert lasted longer in its frozen state than the traditional ice cream, extending the amount of time that the treat can be enjoyed. What was even more exciting was that the fibre increased the stickiness of the low-fat ice cream to levels higher than the full-fat one. Since this is what determines the frozen treat’s creaminess and taste, CNFs could help create the healthier ice cream without influencing the taste of it.

The researchers, who presented their findings at the American Chemical Society( ACS) meeting in New Orleans in March, 2018, next plan to study how different types of fat, such as coconut oil, influence the behaviour of CNFs in other frozen treats.

The Colombian researchers are not the only ones working on creating a slower-melting ice cream. In 2015, scientists at the University of Dundee in Scotland found that a natural protein called BsIA was very effective in keeping the treat frozen for longer periods of time. With both teams fighting to be the first to get to the market, the future of everyone’s favorite dessert certainly looks bright.

1. What prevents people enjoying an ice cream slowly?

A．A kind of fibre from bananas.

B．The ice cream’s quick melting.

C．The ice cream’s stickiness.

D．The fat in the ice cream.

2. Why were CNFs added to ice cream mix?

A．To improve its taste.

B．To increase its stickiness.

C．To reduce its fat content.

D．To make it melt more slowly.

3. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The ice cream.	B．The fiber.
C．The fat.	D．The stickiness.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．BsIA is popular in the market.

B．CNFs are more useful and expensive than BsIA.

C．Ice creams with CNFs have been on sale at the market.

D．Slowly enjoying an ice cream will soon become a reality.

7 . People often talk about cultural differences between western and eastern countries, but how about the western world itself? Surprisingly, a closer look at it can reveal a good many curious details.

The most obvious characteristic of the majority of Americans is that they smile a lot. It does not matter whether they have a strong reason to smile; they do it, sometimes simply because they have to. A smile is not just a powerful marketing tool but also a way to show that someone is friendly, and that life in general is fine. Europeans, on the contrary, prefer to keep a more neutral   (不露声色的) facial expression. They smile mostly when they are in a good mood, or feel amused; if not, a European’s face will remain neutral, or even dull. In Russia, for example, there is a proverb saying that laughing for no reason is a sign of a fool. It does not mean that Europeans are serious, or that they do not have a sense of humor.

The same refers to communication in general. Americans are extremely communicative; small talk and chats are common. Europeans talk mostly when there is something to say, and rarely enter communication just for the purpose of talking to other people. American people prefer to express what they think carefully, considering how it might affect surrounding people. Europeans are more straightforward, even with unfamiliar people. A European friend will almost always voice their opinion on different occasions, and will not hesitate to remind you that you need to lose some weight or take a shower.

It can be said that Americans are people of contrasts. They are open-minded, flexible, and ready to accept everything new enthusiastically; but at the same time, American society manages to bring up unbelievable conservatives. Americans are extremely politically correct, which, in most cases, is indeed a secure and beneficial practice, but it can also mess up daily or even private communication, sometimes preventing having close relationships. Europeans, on the contrary, are more straightforward, preferring to tell the truth in direct ways. Each way of communication is different — neither is correct or incorrect.

1. What does the author say about smiling?

A．It is culture-related within western countries.

B．It is a powerful marketing tool across cultures.

C．It is thought of as a sign of a fool in America.

D．It is regarded as being socially necessary in Europe.

2. What is typical of Europeans’ communication?

A．Beating around the bush.	B．Having small talk and chats.
C．Hiding their feelings carefully.	D．Expressing themselves openly.

3. What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Being straightforward.	B．Being politically correct.
C．Accepting everything new.	D．Raising unbelievable conservatives.

4. How is the text mainly developed?

A．By analyzing cause and effect.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By classifying body language.	D．By discussing research findings.

8 . Technology offers conveniences such as opening the garage door from your car or changing the television station without touching the TV.

Now one American company is offering its employees a new convenience: a microchip implanted (植入) in their hands. Employees who have these chips can do all kinds of things just by waving their hands. Three Square Market is offering to implant microchips in all of their employees for free. Each chip costs $300 and Three Square Market will pay for the chip. Employees can volunteer to have the chips implanted in their hands. About 50 out of 80 employees have chosen to do so. The president of the company, his wife and their children are also getting chips implanted in their hands.

The chip is about the size of a grain of rice. Implanting the chip only takes about a second and is said to hurt only very briefly. The chips go under the skin between the thumb and forefinger. With a chip in the hand, a person can enter the office building, buy food, sign into computers and more, simply by waving that hand near a scanner. The chips will be also used to identify employees. Employees who want convenience, but do not want to have a microchip implanted under their skin, can wear a wristband (腕带) or a ring with a chip instead. They can perform the same tasks with a wave of their hands as if they had an implanted chip.

Three Square Market is the first company in the United States to offer to implant chips in its employees. Epicenter, a company in Sweden, has been implanting chips in its employees for a while.

Three Square Market says the chip cannot track the employees. The company says scanners can read the chips only when they are within a few inches of them. “The chips protect against identity theft, similar, to credit cards.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the chips back in 2004, so they should be safe for humans, according to the company.

In the future, people with the chips may be able to do more with them, even outside the office. Todd Westby is Chief Executive Officer of Three Square Market. He says, “Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities, etc.”

1. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The substitutes of the chips.

B．The advantages of the chips.

C．The places to implant the chips.

D．The potential risks of implanting the chips.

2. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．the hands

B．the employees

C．the credit cards

D．the scanners

3. We can infer that ________.

A．the chips are very popular among the employees

B．the chips have magic powers

C．the price of the chips is reasonable

D．most people suspect the application of the chips

4. Which of the following best describes Todd Westby’s attitude towards the chips?

A．Defensive.

B．Disappointing.

C．Optimistic.

D．Casual.

9 . Have you ever noticed that your fingertips are wrinkled (起皱的) when you’ve just finished swimming or washing dishes? It seems as if your hands have aged 30 years in a second. But is this an accident? Or is it something that nature has built into our bodies?

“If your finger’s wrinkling up had no use at all, it wouldn’t need to.” Professor Tom Smulders from Newcastle University UK told BBC News. By studying wet fingers closely, Smulders and his partners found that the wrinkles looked a bit like the patterns on the car tire or the bottom of the running shoes. So they made a guess that wrinkles on fingers might be able to help the hand hold things more tightly.

To test this, researchers asked 20 people to pick up marbles (大理石) from water with their hands. But before they started, some of the people had to keep their hands in water for half an hour. The researchers found that the people with wrinkled fingers completed the task faster than those with dry hands. But when they were asked to move dry marbles, all the people performed equally well no matter they had the wrinkled fingers or not. Researchers said our ancestors might not have played with marbles but wrinkled fingers could have made it easier for them to climb around in the wet forests and catch fish from rivers. Similarly, our toes also get wrinkled in water. This may have developed from our ancestors need to run on wet ground.

But the question is if wrinkled fingers are so helpful, why don’t our hands just stay that way all the time? Researchers explained that wrinkling had its disadvantage: wet fingertips are far less sensitive than smooth ones, reducing our sense of touch.

1. What does the underlined word “this” in the third paragraph refer to?

A．Whether fingers have wrinkles after they are put in water.

B．Whether wrinkled fingers can hold things more tightly.

C．Why keeping things in water makes them wrinkled.

D．Why wrinkles help hands hold things more tightly.

2. The test shows that _________.

A．wrinkled hands hold dry things more tightly than dry hands do

B．dry hands hold dry things more tightly than wrinkled hands do

C．wrinkled hands hold wet things more tightly than dry hands do

D．dry hands hold wet things more tightly than wrinkled hands do

3. What might be the disadvantage of wrinkled fingers?

A．They are too sensitive to be touched.

B．They might be more likely to get hurt.

C．They cannot hold things tightly enough.

D．They are not so sensitive as dry fingers.

10 . As much as we may want to protect children from all the terrible, horrible and very had things in life, too often we don’t get a choice. These four new kids’ books serve as guides for a variety of difficulties and as important reminders that we have a choice in how we react to such trails__These stories introduce young readers to relatable characters who are processing and recovering from hardships and sorrows. Each book, in its own way, offers a guide for young readers who are facing their won struggles. Together, they teach a lesson for us all in resilience   （还原能力）and hope.

The Secret Horses Of Briar Hill By Megan Shepherd Twelve-year-old Emmaline has a secret: she can see winged horses in the mirrors at Briar Hili hospital, a British hospital for children during World War Ⅱ. The magical adventures of the horses come to life as Emmaline recovers from her illness and must face the sickness of those she loves.	Goodbye Days By JeffZentner Carver Briggs blames himself for the deaths of his three best friends(he sent the text message that likely caused the car accident resulting in their deaths). What’s more, he could face a criminal investigation into his role. The novel follows his journey as he tries his best to make peace with his loss and guilt.
StefSoto, Taco Queen	Why Can’t Grangma Remember My Name?
By Jennifer Torres Now in middle school, Estefania Stef Soto has become embarrassed by her Mexican-American family’s food truck and is tired of being joked at school as the “taco（墨西哥煎玉米卷）queen.” But when the family business is threatened, she becomes one of its biggest protectors and learns to accept her identity.	By Kent L Karosen, Illustrated by Chana Sticfel Driven by questions from Ashley, a child whose grandmother has Alzhelmer’s （早老性痴呆病）, this book offers an outline for families dealing with the illness. Drawings in this book are done by children and by Alzheimer’s patients

1. “Such trials” in paragraph 1 most probably refers to ______.

A．creative processes	B．lovable characters
C．painful reminders	D．difficult experiences

2. Suppose you have just moved from Asia to America and your kids have trouble getting along with others at school, which of the following books are you going to pick for your children?

A．The Secret Horses Of Briar Hill

B．Goodbye Days

C．Stef Soto, Taco Queen

D．Why Can’t Grandma Remember My Name?

3. The author writes this passage to ______.

A．share some new parental skills with parents

B．teach kids how to write some dramatic stories

C．start a discussion on the topics of the new books

D．introduce some newly published books for kids