1 . School had just started in August when Conner began throwing up for no reason. It wasn’t long before the boy also began suffering terrible headaches. In February a 1.7-inch tumor (肿瘤) was found in his brain and Conner was set to begin to receive radiation (放射疗法) treatments. Before treatments start, technicians make a white plastic mask to keep patients immovable and protect unaffected parts of the brain while radiation is directed at the tumor.
It’s an unpleasant experience and a frightening time. The doctor Cook decided that the masks could at least be made to look like something fun — maybe Batman or Mickey Mouse. “I started thinking these masks are white and not fun at all for kids,” she told The Greenville News. “I felt like if we could make it a little more fun for them, they might be a little more excited about coming in for the treatment. Because the kids are afraid. While the treatment itself isn’t physically painful, it can cause a lot of anxiety. And the treatment is required daily for up to six weeks.” And the masks really make a difference. “The kids really like them because they get to choose something themselves.” Cook said.
When new children come in for the treatment, Cook finds out what their favorite movies or cartoon characters are. Then she sets about creating the mask by drawing the image she wants onto paper, sticking it with glue, and once it’s dry, she applies the colors using paints. Each child can take the mask home once the treatment ends.
“Coming to the doctor always means fear and pain. I wanted to make it fun,” she said. “The kids really love it. It’s something they enjoy and can relate to. And it fills an interest I have. I get great pleasure from it.”
1. Why was the plastic mask used according to Paragraph 1?| A．To check the patient’s brain. |
| B．To reduce the patient’s headache. |
| C．To protect the patient’s brain during the treatment. |
| D．To prevent the patient from throwing up. |
| A．It can be received at home. |
| B．It may make the patients feel anxious. |
| C．It has to be finished in a month. |
| D．It will cause huge physical pain for patients. |
| A．Make the masks more interesting to kids. |
| B．Show them their favorite movies or TV shows. |
| C．Dress them up as cartoon characters. |
| D．Offer them some free masks as gifts. |
| A．Health matters to everyone. |
| B．Creativity leads to success. |
| C．Love can treat the terrible sickness. |
| D．Kindness can bring warmth and joy. |
2 . In an era when many parents make efforts to ensure that boys and girls have equal opportunities, a recent study found that boys are paid twice as much allowance (零花钱) as girls for doing weekly chores.
An analysis of 10,000 families across the US showed that boys earned an average of $13.80 (92 yuan) each week compared with $6.71 earned by girls, according to BusyKid, a web platform that allows kids to receive, spend, or invest their allowance.
“I think this is a wake-up call for parents to realize what they are paying, to make sure they are being as fair as possible,” said Gregg Murset, CEO of BusyKid.
According to the analysis, boys averaged more allowance than girls because they were more often assigned chores considered more physically difficult, including cutting the grass. Girls, meanwhile, were more often paid for jobs such as loading the dishwasher. Boys also earned more money because they were paid for things girls were not paid for at all, including showering and brushing their teeth.
In Illinois, Vaishali Patel tries hard to teach her two children that gender shouldn’t determine what chores they are assigned or what activities they choose. The parents don’t pay their children an allowance, and instead expect them to help with all jobs around the house.
But Patel said the children still pick up on old-fashioned gender stereotypes (刻板印象) from elsewhere, like when they tell their son to try dance classes in addition to the sports he plays.
“He’s like, ‘No way am I doing that’,” said Patel. “Some of that is really hard to influence.”
Barbara Risman, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said that while Americans have come a long way in terms of offering more equal opportunities for men and women, changing mindsets (心态) forever takes even more time.
1. According to the analysis, how much do girls earn on average every day in the US?| A．＄6.71. | B．＄0.96. | C．＄13.80. | D．＄1.97. |
| A．They do less work. |
| B．They have no gender stereotypes. |
| C．Most people think their task takes little effort. |
| D．They can do more physically difficult chores. |
| A．Changing mindsets all the time. |
| B．Updating attitudes over a short time. |
| C．Breaking old-fashioned gender stereotypes. |
| D．Providing different chances for different genders. |
| A．Paying equally. |
| B．The ways to get more allowance. |
| C．Differences between two different genders. |
| D．Boys should have more allowance than girls. |
3 . Recently, video clips of Zhang Jianna, a sanitation (环卫) worker, directing foreigners have gone viral online. Her
Behind the sensation
“My goal is quite simple. I just want to help whenever someone is in need, whether asking for directions, inquiring about visa
Thus, at the age of 40, Zhang has embarked on a personal
With no fixed study hours, she utilized every
When asked about the greatest
| A．self-taught | B．fluent | C．acceptable | D．broken |
| A．portrayal | B．figure | C．feature | D．accent |
| A．fueling | B．arising | C．enriched | D．fulfilled |
| A．applied | B．defeated | C．recognized | D．acquired |
| A．set | B．lies | C．finds | D．posed |
| A．treat | B．experiment | C．encounter | D．substance |
| A．cards | B．procedures | C．adaptation | D．exchange |
| A．track | B．schedule | C．journey | D．challenge |
| A．directions | B．permission | C．performance | D．interpretation |
| A．dieting | B．exercising | C．spare | D．overwork |
| A．distinguish | B．calculate | C．consult | D．review |
| A．memory | B．strategies | C．health | D．loneliness |
| A．Ambition | B．Perseverance | C．Recitation | D．Encouragement |
| A．struggle | B．motivation | C．attraction | D．reward |
| A．boaster | B．homelessness | C．passer-by | D．sick |
4 . Spain is a country that continues to surprise and let us tell you it’s not all sunbathing and shopping! We’re outlining our top 3 reasons to discover Spain along with our holiday suggestions to help you make up your mind.
Stunning sceneryFrom the dramatic, imposing mountains to the countless glistening beaches that dot its coastlines, Spain is a country full of natural beauty and inspiring landscapes. If breath-taking views and unique scenery captures your attention then our top suggestion is to experience a holiday to Tenerife where you can enjoy the inspiring its volcanic views and panoramic scenery. The largest of the Canary Islands, just south of Spain, Tenerife has a rugged, volcanic landscape as well as over 200 miles of coastline boasting a huge variety of flora and fauna.
Beautiful beachesDid you know that Spain has over 5,000 miles of coastline and thousands of beaches? Wherever you go, you are never far from a beach. From undiscovered, hidden alcoves to popular tourist resorts, there’s a beach for everyone and with over 300 days of sunshine each year you’re guaranteed the weather to enjoy them! This beautiful country also has the most blue flag beaches in the world so now you’ve no excuse! With thousands of beaches to choose from, where will you go?
Fabulous foodFor many people, one of the highlights of Spain is, of course, the amazing food on offer. The country’s vibrant cities offer up Michelin-starred restaurants and lively tapas bars, while small-town cafés and restaurants offer up traditional dishes such as paella, seafood stew, and chorizo, made with love from family recipes.
Spanish cuisine is known for being delicious, healthy, and full of flavour, so there are many unique dishes available that will tempt your taste buds. If we’ve made you hungry, then you should take a holiday to Costa Brava, a Spanish foodie destination that should not be missed!
1. What is the top suggestion for experiencing stunning scenery in Spain?| A．The beaches of Costa Brava. |
| B．The mountains in the northern region. |
| C．A holiday to Tenerife. |
| D．The hidden alcoves along the coastline. |
| A．Conventional cuisines and trendy bars. |
| B．Volcanic views and countless coastlines. |
| C．Sufficient sunshine and striking beaches. |
| D．Marine creatures and mouthwatering seafood. |
| A．To inform. | B．To report. | C．To review. | D．To entertain. |
In order to add variety to our lives, a tug- of-war (拔河) competition was held by our school recently. Before the game, we were quite unsure of ourselves, as we had no significant advantage over our competitors. We even joked, “we’ll be satisfied just as long as we don’t get last place.”
Though we had no great ambitions, everyone looked forward to the game and took it pretty seriously. Right before the games started, our participants gathered together to discuss the right strategy, while the rest of us formed a cheer leading team.
Finally, the first match began. Fortunately, neither of the two competing classes were particularly strong rivals. Despite being tired, our first victory came smoother than expected. After that first success, we all gained some confidence. A day later in the semi-finals, we were determined to make it into the top two—and we did it!
The final game was the toughest. We faced off with the champions from the last game: Class 5. By the time we arrived at the playground, we were excited to discover, unlike the other classes, almost all of our teachers were there to cheer us on!
However, that excitement didn’t last very long. As we went up to compete with the class that had won with a score of 2:0, we were once more full of doubt - how could we possibly beat them?
The cheers of the crowd were deafening. The instant we heard the whistle, we fell back with all of our might and held onto the rope as tightly as we could. At first, it was unclear who had the advantage. It seemed like centuries, and we were suddenly amazed to find that the marker was slowly moving towards our side.
注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1
Encouraged, we pulled harder and harder.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2
As the competition was over, the result was announced.
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6 . “Mayday! We got Mayday!” Frank Pisano screamed over the micro-phone to the air control tower at John Wayne Airport last June. One of the two engines on his 1975 Cessna had failed, and he was now on a collision course with one of the busiest highways in America—Interstate 405, just south of Los Angeles—and there was no stopping it.
Driving south on the 405, near the airport’s runway, was John Meffert. A fire department captain, Meffert, 47, was heading home from his shift. Then a low-flying plane caught his eye. After he took a second glance, a thought crossed his mind: “This plane’s going to hit me,” Meffert told Fox 8.
He was right. The plane knocked into the center highway, popped up a few feet, and then hit the front of Meffert’s SUV. It finally stopped after hitting the divider on the southbound side. Meffert pulled over. He was unhurt, so he turned his attention to the plane. He ran toward the smoke billowing from it—and then he saw Frank’s wife, Janan Pisano, pop her head up on the passenger side.
By the time Meffert reached the aircraft, part of the fuselage (机身) was on fire and Janan, who was covered in blood, was on the wing trying to pull her husband from the wreck. Meffert, afraid the plane would explode, guided her to safety behind it. At this point, traffic had come to a stop, and two nurses jumped out of their cars to help lead Janan farther away as Meffert ran back for the pilot.
“I’m going to get you out,” Meffert said as he positioned himself under the pilot’s arms and carefully lifted him from the seat. He dragged the pilot off the wing and carried him to the side of the freeway to safety, where they watched flames swallow the plane.
Remarkably, Meffert’s car was the only one hit by the plane. Had Meffert been a second or two faster, Frank told the Orange County Register, the left propeller (螺旋桨) would have torn the top off his SUV and killed him.
“I play all the what-ifs—going slower, going faster. It could have been in a very different situation,” Meffert told Fox 8. “We just had a lot of angels.”
1. What was the reason for the accident?| A．The plane hit a SUV. | B．Frank was not a good pilot. |
| C．One of the engines didn’t work. | D．The plane landed at a wrong place. |
| A．It hit part of Meffert’s car. | B．It set Meffert’s car on fire. |
| C．It caused Meffert covered in blood. | D．It threw Meffert into the air. |
| A．Because he knew how to perform first aid. |
| B．Because the plane couldn’t fly any more. |
| C．Because he didn’t want to cause a traffic jam. |
| D．Because the plane might explode. |
| A．Nervous. | B．Lucky. | C．Sad | D．Excited |
7 . Will a purpose-driven life help you five longer?
Do you get joy out of volunteering or learning new skills in the class you’ve been taking?
A 2019 JAMA Network Open study found that among a group of nearly 7.000 adults over age 50, those who scored highest on a scale that measured “life purpose” were less likely to die during the four-year study period.
“There have been a number of studies suggesting that a higher sense of purpose in life is associated with reduced risk of early death,” says Eric S. Kim, Ph. D., a visiting scientist in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. “
So, what exactly is life purpose? Life purpose is defined differently by different people.
“I define it as the extent to which people experience their lives as being directed and motivated by valued life goals,” says Kim.
| A．People made a long list. |
| B．If you said yes, it could help you live longer. |
| C．Many factors contribute to their physical health. |
| D．The study showed the role a sense of purpose plays in life. |
| E．They were also less likely to die from heart or blood conditions. |
| F．But in general it indicates that you have an aim in life and goals. |
| G．But this study for the first time showed a purposeful life is linked with specific causes of death. |
Fortune favors the brave!
At the age of three Jenny had trouble in hearing what others said. Unfortunately, after several surgeries, Jenny was found having a severe foot disease at seven. She could not put pressure on the back parts of her feet, so she walked on tiptoe (脚尖), and when the pain became unbearable, someone had to carry her. Once when she suddenly experienced sharp pain, her friends got her up and carried her from class to class.
All through her primary school, and on into high school, Jenny suffered, yet never complained. She took her medicine and wrapped her feet in steaming towels until the pain was reduced. As soon as she could bear the pain Jenny immediately carried on, as though she was free of pain. She always wore a smile on her face and expressed her love for others.
Jenny had never been a cheerleader or competed in a sport. She could not even take part in a gym class, though she took the same health class four years in a row, through which she could pass with a substitute credit each year.
Jenny continued to have one surgery after another on her ears all through school. Her hearing improved and she taught herself to read lips. She also carried a pillow(枕头)to school so that she could relieve the pain when she sat down. Gradually, Jenny began attending every football game, cheering the team on.
Then came her senior year. She saw documents about scholarships on the school website when visiting it one day. According to the statement, she would be considered for scholarships; however, school activities, especially sports, could often mean the difference between receiving an award and losing out. She continued to read other notices and found an ad from the football team, which stated that the football manager was seeking for an assistant, who would take on ancillary( 辅助的)services like taking charge of the team’s belongings, handing out water and towels and cheering them up.
Jenny decided to seize the chance.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
When asked why the team did so well that year, a player spoke of Jenny.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9 . China is determined to land its astronauts on the moon and set up a scientific station there,according to a project leader.
Zhou Yanfei,deputy chief designer of China's manned space program,said on Friday that China wishes to use the manned lunar missions to carry out scientific surveys and technology demonstrations,explore ways to develop lunar resources and strengthen the nation's space capabilities.
＂A new wave of lunar explorations has been emerging in the world,with participants aiming to make sustainable missions to deepen knowledge of the moon and exploit resources there,"he said in a report delivered at the 2020 China Space Conference in Fuzhou,Fujian province."Unlike other nations,China must depend on its own science and technology to realize our goals."
The country is independently able to land its astronauts on the moon because it has the technologies,a group of well-trained,innovative professionals and high-efficiency research and management systems,Zhou said."However,our existing carrier rockets can't perform landing missions to the moon because they are not powerful enough.The Shenzhou- series manned spaceships are not suitable for lunar expeditions.We don't have a lunar landing capsule,"he said."Our ground support system was designed for operations in low-Earth orbit rather than on the lunar surface.
To solve the problem, we set out to produce a powerful launch vehicle. Zhou said researchers thought about two approaches-making a new heavy-lift rocket,or adjusting the next-generation rocket designed to carry astronauts,which is under development.Researchers prefer the latter approach because it would be easier to design and make and would become operational earlier.
The new rocket is being designed at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.Its main body will be 87 meters tall,with a diameter of 5 meters,which would make it almost twice as tall as the Long March 5,currently the biggest of China's rockets.
1. Which is NOT the goal of the manned lunar mission?| A．To explore lunar resources. |
| B．To perform scientific experiments. |
| C．To set up a scientific station. |
| D．To strengthen the national space power. |
| A．China is not capable of pursuing the manned lunar program. |
| B．There are still difficulties in pursuing the manned lunar program. |
| C．There are a series of steps in the Manned Lunar program. |
| D．It is manageable to carry out the Manned Lunar program. |
| A．Nations must depend on themselves to explore the moon. |
| B．The Long March 5 is the biggest of China's rocket. |
| C．The newly-designed rocket will not carry astronauts. |
| D．Producing a powerful launch vehicle is the most difficult part in the program. |
| A．The new rocket is big enough to perform landing missions. |
| B．The new rocket is being made to launch lunar spaceship. |
| C．China's scientific power has improved. |
| D．The new rocket will be put into use soon. |
The trade routes are of great importance. In march, the Suez Canal, one of the world's most important sea trade routes,
In early history, The Silk Road was the most important trade route,
Though the Silk Road was mainly a trading route, it was
