2 . An American company has developed a new technique (技术) to make bread stay fresh for 60 days.

Scientists found that a kind of mould (霉菌) caused bread to go bad. The new technique kills the mould and keeps the food for longer time. This means there will be less waste of food in the world in future.

Food waste is a big problem in most developed countries. In the US, an average (普通的) family throws away 40% of the food they buy, which adds up to $165bn every year, about 330 million tons in weight. Bread takes a larger part. In the UK, 32% of the bread they buy is thrown away as waste when they can still be eaten.

The bread usually goes mouldy (发的) in around 10 days, but the American company says the new technique will keep the bread free from mould for two months.

”We treated a piece of bread in a special machine. At 60 days it had the same amount of mould as it was first made,“ says Mr. Stull, the leader of the company.

Although there are a lot of bread makers interested in the new technique, few customers like the idea. They say they don’t think a piece of bread which lasts for 60 days tastes good.

”We’ll have to make our customers accept the idea. But it will take some time,“ says Mr. Stull.

1. What is the key point of the new technique?

A．It can prevent the world from wasting food.

B．It kills the mould and keeps bread fresh for longer time.

C．It keeps the same amount of mould.

D．It makes bread taste good.

2. How much of the bread is wasted in the UK?

A．Nearly half.

B．A quarter.

C．More than half.

D．About one-third.

3. What can we know from the passage?

A．Food waste can be reduced immediately (立刻) with the new technique.

B．We will buy bread that can last longer.

C．Few customers are sure about the technique.

D．Poor countries are in great need of food.

4. What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A．A new technique has been invented to keep bread fresh longer.

B．There is great waste of food in developed countries.

C．There is a kind of mould that causes food to go bad.

D．Customers don’t like food that lasts for two months.

3 . 假定你是李华，学校英语社要举行“用英语讲中国书法”演讲比赛，你作为社长写一则通知。内容包括：
1．比赛目的；
2．书法的意义；
3．报名时间：12月30日前；
报名地点：学校礼堂。
注意：1．词数100左右；2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Notice

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The English Club

4 . Born in California and representing the United States before switching to China, teenager Gu Ailing will be most likely to be one of the faces of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The 17-year-old is a freeskier (自由式滑雪运动员) and grade-A student with an American father and Chinese mother. She grew up and still lives in the United States, but in June 2019 she made the “quite difficult” decision to compete for China. She wrote on Instagram that she was “proud of my heritage and equally proud of my American upbringings (培养)”.

As for the decision to compete on behalf of China, she said it is a “valuable opportunity to help inspire millions of young people in China where my mom was born”.

Gu graduated from a San Francisco high school last year and is focusing on her Beijing 2022 training. It is reported that she scored 1,580 points out of a maximum 1,600 in the SAT (美国大学入学考试), and has been offered a place at Stanford.

Gu started on the snow at the age of 3, was competing in national competitions at 9 and won her first World Cup event at 15. She won two gold medals and a silver for China at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland. On Jan. 30th, 2021, Gu made her debut (首次亮相) at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado and won two golds and a bronze.

“My goal is to win Olympic gold,” she told the official Olympic website. “It’s the top achievement. And that would be rewarding for all the work that I’ve done to achieve greatness in the sport.”

1. In the first paragraph, the underlined part “switching to” means in Chinese ________ .

A．打开	B．关闭
C．突变	D．转变

2. What do we know about Gu Ailing?

A．She grew up in China.	B．She is an average student.
C．She will graduate from a high school.	D．She decided to compete for China.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Gu Ailing?

A．Helpful and knowledgeable.	B．Modest and hard-working.
C．Clever and ambitious.	D．Creative and confident.

4. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Gu Ailing—An American Freeskier	B．Gu Ailing—A Stanford Graduate
C．Gu Ailing—A talented Chinese Freeskier	D．Gu Ailing—An Olympic Champion

5 . Thirteen-year-old Kaylee has a lot of friends — 532, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.

But is it possible that Kaylee’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.

Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not Words With Friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.

Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platforms (平台).

In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger, “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.

Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual words, we will have little time for our real-world friendships.” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need someone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To summarize the text.	B．To tell about true friends.
C．To bring up a discussion.	D．To encourage online friendship.

2. What does the underlined part “in the flesh” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．In person.

B．In advance.

C．In any case.

D．In full measure.

3. What is Katie’s attitude towards online communication?

A．Worried.

B．Positive.

C．Confused.

D．Unconcerned.

4. What view does Rosen hold?

A．It’s wise to turn to friends online.

B．It’s easier to develop friendships in reality.

C．Social media help people stay closely connected.

D．Teenagers need focus on real-world friendships.

6 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In elementary school, George wasn’t     1    (exact) popular, but he always had a couple of really good friends. In middle school, he was really good at science and math. While most kids were going to     2     movies on weekends, George     3    (prefer) to design his own special projects. He dreamed of owning his own technology company someday. When George got to senior high school, some of the other students made fun of him for being into books and computers. This made George very upset,     4     he tried not to let anything keep his dream from     5    (achieve). George got excellent grades and was admitted     6     both Harvard and Yale, but he decided to go to Stanford because there were lots of     7    (opportunity) for people     8     wanted to work in Silicon Valley. This was the first time George had felt accepted by the people around him. He took many computer classes, and kept designing his own projects on weekends. During the summer months, he would take extra classes, and he ended up     9    (graduate) a year early. He took a job     10     a computer programmer at Apple. After five more years there, George left to start his own company, finally realizing his childhood dream.

7 . Jim Dwyer was once in the United States Air Force. Although he is retired, he is still _______ his country. This time it’s through _______ meals to those who truly need it.

Every Thursday, Dwyer starts his day at Meals on Wheels in Westminster, _______ eight hot plates and sending the nutritious meals to older adults.

“It’s _______ to help those in need because it offers us inner joy. You know it’s just the ability to help people that are _______ and not able to get out on their own. It’s something I get _______ from. And who knows? Maybe someday I might need this service too,” said Dwyer.

Dwyer was _______ to join Meals on Wheels when he _______ to make sure his elderly parents had hot meals to eat. “I saw on TV here in Westminster that they were looking for _______ for Meals on Wheels, and I said I could do that,” said Dwyer.

His ________ to work for his fellow Americans, as he did in the military, is ________. It is true that the meals bring ________ to those getting a plate.

“Jim is great. He has been one of our committed ________ for a long time,” said Darla Olson of Meals on Wheels.

As the saying goes, “It’s never too late to learn.” ________, Dwyer’s story tells us that it is also never too late to make ________ efforts to work for the good of the community.

1.

A．serving

B．building

C．promoting

D．missing

2.

A．introducing

B．selling

C．delivering

D．returning

3.

A．picking up

B．coming out

C．looking for

D．leaving aside

4.

A．responsible

B．wonderful

C．awkward

D．suitable

5.

A．given up

B．turned down

C．laid off

D．shut in

6.

A．impression

B．confidence

C．satisfaction

D．adventure

7.

A．required

B．allowed

C．inspired

D．scheduled

8.

A．demanded

B．pretended

C．happened

D．attempted

9.

A．organizers

B．drivers

C．cooks

D．designers

10.

A．refusing

B．continuing

C．learning

D．failing

11.

A．recommended

B．challenged

C．admired

D．doubted

12.

A．smiles

B．curiosity

C．pride

D．honour

13.

A．graduates

B．generations

C．advisers

D．volunteers

14.

A．Actually

B．Hopefully

C．Occasionally

D．Gradually

15.

A．formal

B．constant

C．advanced

D．obvious

8 . I used to think my life was perfect. My mom had her dream job and a beautiful office and I had my own room with a computer and a garden to look after. But one Sunday, everything changed. A hurricane _______ our neighborhood while we were visiting my grandparents in Raleigh. Our kitchen was ________, and our clean and comfortable home was in ruins.

But something ________ happened. Our neighbors, the Flores family, came to our ________. They helped clear broken pieces and offered us a place to stay. Their ________ was most impressive. We had never ________ spoken to them before, but they ________ their home to us and made us feel like family.

We started a new ________ of having weekend dinner together. We invited other families from the neighborhood to join us, and our ________ were filled with laughter and delicious food. It was a beautiful thing to see our ________ come together in the wake of a disaster.

I ________ knew Rosica, their daughter, before the hurricane. But she quickly became my friend. She had a gift for ________ and our evenings together were filled with adventure and laughter.

Looking back, I realize that the hurricane ________ unexpected benefit. It brought us closer to our neighbors and ________ our lives in ways we never could have imagined. Sometimes, it takes a(n) ________ to bring out the best in people.

1.

A．visited

B．exchanged

C．approached

D．swept

2.

A．affected

B．changed

C．destroyed

D．cleaned

3.

A．invisible

B．unexpected

C．impossible

D．awkward

4.

A．mind

B．contact

C．aid

D．sense

5.

A．belief

B．request

C．wealth

D．kindness

6.

A．really

B．obviously

C．naturally

D．clearly

7.

A．sold

B．rented

C．showed

D．opened

8.

A．business

B．project

C．tradition

D．life

9.

A．destinations

B．gatherings

C．journeys

D．memories

10.

A．family

B．survivors

C．community

D．supporters

11.

A．soon

B．never

C．already

D．also

12.

A．fortune telling

B．story telling

C．mind reading

D．house keeping

13.

A．brought about

B．resulted from

C．made up

D．gave out

14.

A．rescued

B．unearthed

C．enriched

D．recorded

15.

A．legend

B．effort

C．party

D．disaster

9 . In 2020, Pink launched the world Regret Survey, the largest survey on the topic ever undertaken. With his research team, Pink asked more than 15, 000 people in 105 countries, “How often do you look back on your life and wish you had done things differently?” Most of them said regret was at least an occasional part of their life. Roughly 21 percent said they felt regretful all the time. Only 1 percent said they never felt regretful.

If you are of the “no regrets” school of life, you may think that all this regret is a recipe for unhappiness. But that isn’t the case. Letting yourself be overwhelmed by regret is indeed bad for you. But going to the other extreme maybe even worse. To extinguish your regrets doesn’t free you from shame or sadness but causes you to make the same mistakes again and again. To truly get over our guilt requires that we put regret in its proper place.

Uncomfortable as it is, regret is an amazing cognitive (认知的) feat. It requires that you go back to a past scene. Imagine that you acted differently to change it, and with that new scene in mind, arrive at a different present — and then, compare that fictional present with the one you are experiencing in reality. Not all regrets are the same, of course. Pink says they come in four basic varieties, and an instance of regret may involve just one combination.

Many connection regrets overlap (重叠) with moral regrets, which can come about after you go against your own values. For example, you may pride yourself on being a loving person, and thus regret not living up to this image in the relationship you harmed. Moral regrets can also involve (涉及) just yourself. Maybe you regret not living up to your commitment (承诺、保证) to your health when you ate a whole pizza or skipped the gym.

If not analyzed and managed, any variety of regret can be harmful to your health. Regret is linked to depression and anxiety, and excessive regret can have a bad effect on your immune system. But regret doesn’t have to be put aside and ignored.

1. What could be concluded from Pink’s research ?

A．Half of the people felt regretful.

B．Most people lived without regrets.

C．None could live a life without regrets.

D．The majority of the people had regrets.

2. What does the underlined word “extinguish” in paragraph 2 mean ?

A．Admit.

B．Destroy.

C．Treasure.

D．Advance.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about ?

A．The harm of moral regrets.

B．The importance of commitment.

C．The relationship between regrets and values.

D．The connection between reality and imagination.

4. What might the author continue talking about ?

A．Types of regrets.	B．Causes of regrets.
C．Benefits of experiencing regrets.	D．Ways of dealing with regrets.

10 . If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?

According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter density (灰质密度). This is the area of the brain which processes (加工) information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles. The study also found the younger people learn a second language, the greater the effect is.

A team led by Dr. Andrea Mechelli, from University College London (UCL), took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.

Scans showed that grey matter density in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference was.

“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists. It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.

Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible.” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”

The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learnt English as a second language between the ages of two and thirty-four. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.

1. Why does the writer mention “exercise” in the second paragraph?

A．To make people believe language learning is helpful for their health.

B．To suggest language learning is also a kind of physical labor.

C．To prove that one needs more resources when he/she is learning a language.

D．To tell us that learning a language can train your brain effectively.

2. What can we know from the scientific findings?

A．The ability of learning a second language is changing all the time.

B．The earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is.

C．The experience of learning a second language has a bad effect on brain.

D．There is no difference between a later second language learner and one without a second language.

3. In the last two paragraphs, the author tries to tell us that ________.

A．early learning of a second language helps in studying other subjects

B．learning a second language is the same as studying maths

C．Italian is the best choice for you as a second language

D．you’d better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language

4. What is mainly talked about in this passage?

A．Language learning is closely connected with maths study.

B．Man has a great ability of learning a second language.

C．Studying a foreign language can improve man’s ability to think.

D．The study done by the researchers from UCL is failed finally.