3 . Anxious thinker. Loner. Wallflower. These are some negative comments for “introvert” (内向者), showing a common mind-set in America. Actually they just interact differently; they do well when given time alone to think and prefer close conversations.

American society is ruled by the “Extrovert Ideal (外向理想型)”: successful people take risks and always voice their opinion, whether or not they know what they’re doing. The problem is that people value this ideal so much that they often ignore meaningful opinions from the quieter introverts. Isn’t there something problematic about having to get our thoughts out before we finish thinking about them?

Over-stressing the Extrovert Ideal can lead to unwise decisions. In one case, several introverts, who tend to be more careful and think more, pointed out warning signals before the economic downturn of 2008. But the decision makers — often the bold, risk-taking types —ignored their opinion. People say introverts often overthink every decision. Yes, maybe we think before we speak. But is that really so bad?

Of course, social skills are important for everyone. But the misunderstanding about how introverts work creates a cultural bias (偏见). Required class participation at school often leads to students shouting out whatever thoughts come to their mind, too pressured by their participation grade to take the time and think of a meaningful response. During the Covid-19quarantine, some of my classes started using Parlay, a website that allows for discussions through anonymous (匿名的) written comments. I saw that many of my classes were able to have deeper conversations this way, freed from the pressures of having to speak up on the spot. So encouraging a balanced variety of learning methods can reduce the existing bias.

Society seems to think only the loud and outgoing ones can make a difference. But Rosa Parks was known for being “soft spoken” and “timid.” Gandhi said, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” So please, give us introverts a chance to change the world in our own quiet way!

1. What is the author’s attitude towards the “Extrovert Ideal”?

A．Objective.

B．Doubtful.

C．Favorable.

D．Unclear.

2. What is the main idea of paragraph 3?

A．The benefit of the Extrovert Ideal.	B．The introverts’ poor social skills.
C．The harm of over-valuing extroverts.	D．The extroverts’ ways of decision-making.

3. According to the author, teachers can improve the situation of introverted students by ______.

A．requiring no class participation	B．providing online learning platforms
C．allowing different learning styles	D．conducting free classroom discussions

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

A．Brave.

B．Lazy.

C．Easygoing.

D．Shy.

4 . If there was to be a praise to the frog, it would have to contain one new piece of information: its ability to predict earthquakes. A scientific study has suggested that they escape an area just before such disaster strikes.

The evidence, published yesterday in the Journal of Zoology, centers on a population of breeding (繁殖) frogs in Italy. It seems that, a few years ago, these creatures had suddenly escaped from their home five days before an earthquake struck their breeding ground.

The frogs’ ability to sense the earthquake is not fully understood, but 96 percent of male frogs escaped and returned a day after the danger had passed. This discovery baffled Dr. Rachel Grant, who hadn’t set out to learn about frogs’ reactions to earthquakes, but to study the effect of the lunar cycle on them. She now believes that frogs may be able to sense some signs and use them as an early-warning system for earthquakes.

Frogs are not the only creatures born with an unusual power to predict natural disasters. In 2004, elephants in Thailand made loud noises before the tsunami hit, while bats in Sri Lanka flew around in anxiety before the disaster.

While most of these animal warnings have been ignored, there are times when they have been noticed. In 1975, scientists in Haicheng, China, noticed unusual behavior in the city’s dogs and cats. They demanded the evacuation of the city, expecting a major disaster. Their warning came five-and-a-half hours before an earthquake struck, resulting in 2,000 deaths. Without the evacuation, another 150,000 people could have been killed.

“There are things we can’t see and sounds we can’t hear. But many animals can. There is a sense called electro-perception that fish and sharks use to form a picture around them, while dolphins and bats use sonar to find their way around,” says Professor Daniel Mills, an expert in animal behavior at Lincoln University.

1. According to paragraph 3, Dr Rachel Grant was ______ about the frogs’ unusual behavior

A．worried

B．confused

C．disappointed

D．anxious

2. How does the author develop paragraph 4?

A．By giving examples.	B．By listing numbers.
C．By explaining causes.	D．By presenting contrasts.

3. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning the earthquake in Haicheng?

A．To stress the seriousness of the disaster.	B．To praise the government’s timely action.
C．To describe a successful evacuation in history.	D．To show the benefit of noticing animal warnings.

4. What are Prof. Daniel Mills’s words mainly about?

A．Why animals can sense disasters.	B．What his study will focus on next.
C．How humans learn about the world.	D．How animals behave before disasters.

5 . Street art is always something I look out for when I travel. At the very beginning, street art was a means to share social comments or political ideas, but now it’s increasingly used in many places around the world to beautify the environment, sometimes becoming popular tourist attractions. Here’s my collection of street art around the world.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

My hometown has plenty of fantastic street art. You can find some cool pieces in the Jordaan neighborhood and in the North and West parts of the city. One place you absolutely have to visit in Amsterdam is the STRAAT Museum in Amsterdam North. This museum houses huge murals created by artists from around the world in an old industrial warehouse, and is a rich addition to the Amsterdam street art scene.

Bristol, United Kingdom

The birthplace of Banksy, one of the world’s most famous street artists, Bristol is another of the world’s great street art cities. You can find street art across the city on buildings, streets and bridges. The annual Upfest, in the Bedminster suburb, during which artists from around the world are invited to create street art on houses and buildings, is a popular attraction.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro also has a fantastic street art scene. For the 2016 Olympic Games, the city invited famous Brazilian street artist, Kobra, to create the world’s biggest mural along the Olympic Boulevard. The result is simply amazing! Click here to see street art in Rio de Janeiro, or my photos of Rio de Janeiro.

1. Why did people create street art at first?

A．To practise painting skills.	B．To show social or political opinions.
C．To beautify the environment.	D．To draw tourists at home and abroad.

2. What is a must-see street art attraction in the author’s hometown?

A．The Olympic Boulevard in Rio.	B．The birthplace of Banksy in Bristol.
C．The annual Upfest in Bedminster.	D．The STRAAT Museum in Amsterdam.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．An art website.

B．A research paper.

C．A travel magazine.

D．A history textbook.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why doesn’t the man like watching basketball games?

A．There are few talented players.

B．There are lots of advertisements.

C．There are few basketball games in his city.

2. What can we say about the man?

A．Hard-working.

B．Confident.

C．Anxious.

10 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

Ryan picked up a snowball and began to polish it so that soon it was hard as a cricket ball. He smiled to himself. Now, all that he needed was a target. He walked down the High Street.

Paul was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was a skinny boy whose legs were so thin that they looked as if you could break them. He was so skinny that the other kids used to joke about him getting blown away when it was windy. He was helping old Mrs McTell by sweeping the snow off the path and putting salt down to melt the ice. He liked Mrs McTell.

Paul had his head down and was sweeping a piece of ice when the snowball struck him full in the face. He staggered(踉跄) back, put his hand to his lip and wiped off the dirt. He heard Ryan laughing and shouting names. But Paul ignored it. He had had problems with Ryan at school and did not want to stir up more trouble. He ducked down and made his way round to the back of Mrs McTell’s to see if she wanted any shopping.

Bored by the silence, Ryan soon gave up and walked down to the park. It was a short-cut to home and by now his fingers were aching with the cold. The park pond was frozen over and Ryan laughed at a couple of ducks, waddling(摇摆着走) on the ice. They were finding it hard to keep balance. Quickly, Ryan picked up a stick and without thinking made his way onto the ice. In his mind’s eye, he could see the feathers flying as he hit one of the ducks.

Ryan was a few yards out when the ice cracked. It sounded like gun shot across the frozen park. The ice broke into pieces before his eyes. Screaming, he fell straight down into the icy water. The ducks flew off.

1. 所续写短文的词数应为100左右。
2. 续写部分为一段，开头语已为你写好。

Paul heard Ryan’s voice as he entered the park.

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