1 . You Life is What You Make It
Zhang Tian graduated from university and got a teacher’s certificate last year. His parents wanted him to get a good job in Shanghai. But he was inspired by the idea of living independently away from home. So he applied for and became a volunteer teacher in a village school. Bringing with him lots of books, clothes, and two pairs of trainers, Zhang Tian travelled to the village with an eager heart. He imagined all sorts of exciting things about living and teaching in a village.
However, not everything lived up to Zhang Tian’s hopes. The school was much smaller than he expected, with only three classrooms. In front of the classrooms, there was a playground which got dusty on windy days and muddy on rainy days. Living In the village was also more challenging than he had thought. The power and water supplies were unstable, so he could only shower every three or four days, and he had to learn how to cook. The thought of leaving once flashed through his mind, but he quickly gave up the idea and found ways to deal with the challenges.
The school had just three teachers and Zhang Tian was the only English teacher. The other two local teachers were responsible for maths and Chinese. To make school life healthier and livelier for his students, Zhang Tian introduced more subjects to the school — music, art and PE. It is not surprising that PE is the kids’ favourite subject! Their school lives are now more attractive and interesting, and they enjoy playing football in the playground, as well as singing songs they’ve learnt. The school is now full of laughter and music. Zhang Tian is planning to organise the first ever school concert! Everyone is very excited.
1. Why did Zhang Tian choose to be a volunteer teacher?| A．He wanted to live independently. |
| B．His parents wanted him to be a teacher. |
| C．He wanted a new lifestyle and was inspired by teachers he met. |
| D．He needed the experience to get a teacher’s certificate. |
| A．PE was the kid’s favourite subject. |
| B．Students were short of books and desks. |
| C．The school even didn’t have a playground. |
| D．Living conditions were worse than he had expected. |
| A．Tough but meaningful. | B．Dull but interesting. |
| C．Easy and comfortable. | D．Lonely and hopeless. |
Communicating with the old can be challenging, especially when considering the fact
First of all, you are supposed to respect the old’s thoughts, backgrounds and life experience. Do not correct their opinions even when you can’t reach any
When you’re together with them, try to know if they would like
As communication with old people can be difficult, it is
3 . If you have ever been disappointed because you don’t have a good gardener, the clever robot may one day become the helper of the plants inside your house.
The Hexa Plant is a six-legged robot that has been specially made to care for the potted (盆栽的) plant that it carries on top of its head. Using light and heat sensors (传感器), the robot has the ability to carry its plant in and out of the daylight. If the houseplant needs more sun, the Hexa will walk into the sunlight; if the houseplant is getting too hot, the Hexa will go back into the area that blocks direct light. The Hexa Plant will even do a little dance when it senses that the plant needs to be watered to warn its owner.
The robot was developed by the Vincross engineer and founder Sun Tianqi after he saw a dead sunflower sitting in the darkness in a room back in 2014. “Plants only receive an action without responding,” Sun Tianqi wrote in a blog post. “Whether they are being cut, bitten, burned or pulled from the earth, or when they haven’t received enough sunshine, water, or are too hot or cold, they will hold still and take whatever is happening to them.”
According to Sun Tianqi, for billions of years, plants have never experienced movement of any kind, not even the simplest movement. In their whole lives, they stick to where they were born. Sun Tianqi continued, “Do they want to break their own settings or have a tendency towards this? I do not know the answer, but I would love to try to share some of this human tendency and technology with plants. With the help of the robot, plants can experience the move.”
The Hexa Plant model robots are not for sale, though Vincross does sell a Hexa robot model. It is said that in the near future the robots can open up a new market to watch over our household plants.
1. What can we learn about the Hexa Plant?| A．It helps people plant some flowers. | B．It waters the plants through dancing. |
| C．It helps indoor plants get proper sunlight. | D．It carries the potted plant with its hands. |
| A．The way plants spend their whole lives. | B．The common way people deal with plants. |
| C．The difference between plants and humans. | D．The cause of making the indoor plants’ helper. |
| A．To develop gardening skills. | B．To draw people’s attention to plants. |
| C．To make plants experience the move. | D．To study the living conditions of plants. |
| A．A New Market for Robots | B．An Indoor Plants’ Helper |
| C．An Important Development in Gardening | D．The Tendency of Gardening in the Future |
For example, there are public advertisements, which
5 . While the rest of us are sleeping, freshwater turtles (龟) from Central America to Asia are getting out of the water and basking (月光浴) at night. There have been reports of this behavior before, but now a new study is the first to document the widespread occurrence. The findings suggest this may be a common and almost entirely overlooked aspect of many species’ ecology.
Dr. Donald McKnight, one of the researchers, said he and a colleague first observed freshwater turtles night basking at the Ross River in Townsville, Australia. “We think it’s related to temperature. The water is staying so warm at night that it’s actually warmer than the turtles like to be and they can cool down by coming out of the water,” says McKnight.
For the study, researchers put cameras to watch the night activity of as many freshwater turtle species as possible. The cameras were set up in 25 locations. They were programmed to take a photo every two minutes. They collected data on 29 species of freshwater turtles.
It would be lovely to think the turtles are just enjoying some leisure time when things are quiet. But the researchers note that in most cases, the turtles got out of water when the water was too warm and the air was cooler. Given the warming planet, that’s admittedly a bit depressing. However, not all of the nighttime baskers were escaping too-warm water. According to the study, turtles in India exhibited more basking on cooler nights, rather than warmer nights, and those in Africa spent more time basking at night in winter than in summer. The reasons for these differences are unclear. It may be that at some sites or seasons, turtles are escaping unfavourably warm water temperatures, while at others, they are taking advantage of the warm air to increase their body temperature and escape unfavourably cold water.
Regardless of the “why” behind different species’ reasons for midnight basking, it’s a fascinating look at behaviors not previously documented by scientists. And it is at least encouraging to know that turtles are figuring out important behaviors tied to climate change.
1. Why do the freshwater turtles from Australia get out of water at night?| A．To search for extra food. |
| B．To avoid natural enemies. |
| C．To cool themselves down. |
| D．To enjoy the quietness outside. |
| A．How the study was conducted. |
| B．What the study brought about. |
| C．Why the study was carried out. |
| D．Where the study was made. |
| A．Turtles in Africa flee water often on summer nights. |
| B．The water is unfavorable for turtles to survive in India |
| C．The reasons for turtles’ different behaviors are obvious. |
| D．Night basking is caused by the change of water temperature. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Positive. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Desperate. |
Despite its rapid industrialization, there are still some corners in China that have maintained its original color.
Ancient towns and villages in China are places
Black soybean is often added to its local food to create an
It usually takes a day or two to tour around the old town due to its small size, but you can always stay
7 . Do you ever hear a friend speak on a topic with the belief that “everyone”thinks the same way? Do you often find yourself surrounded in a social media feed that is completely tailored to you and your beliefs, reading along without the immediate realization?
A social media echo chamber (回声壁) is when one experiences a tailored media experience that leave out opposing viewpoints and differing voices. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube connect groups of like-minded users together based on shared content preferences. As a result, people see and take in information according to our preexisting beliefs and opinions. Social media companies therefore rely on algorithms (算法) to assess our interests and flood us with information that will keep our attention. The algorithms focus on what we “like”, and “share” to keep feeding content that makes us comfortable.
In order to truly get access to all information and to evaluate our media, we must give ourselves the opportunity to step out of our comfort zone. While this becomes increasingly challenging, there are things we can do. The first step is to beef up your media consumption sources. Adding in a few media sources with differing opinions will allow you to at least understand what people are saying outside of your echo chamber. Next, read each thing you see with a critical eye. Make sure that each thing you accept as truth is truly fact. Lastly, attempt to search out reliable new sources that are known for trying their best to leave out false information. By accepting that our media buffet on social media is a product of our present beliefs and opinions, we can work to make sure we are not simply stuck in a social media echo chamber.
1. What is a result of the social media echo chamber?| A．People contact like-minded online users effectively. |
| B．People keep reading for more differing viewpoints. |
| C．People rely on algorithms to evaluate their interests. |
| D．People only get information confirming their beliefs. |
| A．Track. | B．Improve. |
| C．Provide. | D．Identify. |
| A．Criticizing fake news on social media. |
| B．Exposing ourselves to opposing voices. |
| C．Researching primary sources of information. |
| D．Accepting our present beliefs and opinions. |
| A．To call on people to use algorithms frequently. |
| B．To ask people not to take in information blindly. |
| C．To promote the use of various social media sites. |
| D．To inform people of new technology developments. |
8 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Catherine’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 platform.
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 world, 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 anyone 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 tell about true friends. | B．To start a discussion. |
| C．To encourage online friendships. | D．To summarize(总结) the text. |
| A．In any case. | B．In public. | C．In person. | D．In advance. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Positive. | C．Worried. | D．Confused. |
| A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships. | B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life. |
| C．It’s wise to turn to friends online. | D．Social media help people stay closely connected. |
9 . It’s no secret now that the more time we spend on social media, the more we feel dissatisfied with ourselves. We tend to compare ourselves to influences and celebrities- so it’s easy to understand how that can affect our confidence.
But, how often have you found yourself comparing your life to your friends? Engaging with social media shared by our friends can be more damaging than looking at content shared by celebrities, new research has found.
The study looking at how social media affects body image found that any social media engagement was significantly associated with lower “appearance satisfaction”. Additionally, it found that engaging with content posted by people the participants knew was more than twice as damaging as looking at content posted by strangers, including celebrities.
Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University, believes this is partly because we know it’s hard to attain the lives of celebrities or influences, but when we’re comparing ourselves to our friends, it feels like we should- or could-live the way they do.
“One possible explanation is that people may perceive a post showing appearance as being much more attainable if it comes from someone they know, adding expectation or pressure on the person engaging in the post, ” he said. “At the same time, people may be more critically engaged with posts by the likes of models and celebrities, and therefore perceive the images they share to be more unrealistic."
This is not just confined to body image though. We all have one area in our lives that triggers(触 发)us. Maybe you’ve been searching for a new job for months and you find yourself on social media, envying your school friend who just landed their dream role. Maybe. . .
All this is to say the obvious: we only see part of people’s lives -and if it’s getting you down, you’re probably comparing your insides to other people’s outsides. Everyone has their struggles and life is indeed not perfect for anyone. So, put down your phone, get offline, be thankful and try to live your own life.
1. What did the new study find?| A．Social media invites unfavorable comments. |
| B．Friends’ posts affect us more than celebrities’. |
| C．Celebrities have a negative influence on our life. |
| D．Body image causes more concern than social life. |
| A．They serve as role models. |
| B．We know the way they live. , |
| C．Their lifestyles are accessible. |
| D．We are curious about their life. |
| A．Restricted. |
| B．Related. |
| C．Devoted. |
| D．Exposed. |
| A．Find your dream and fight for it. |
| B．Stop comparing and be yourself. |
| C．Be grateful and lead a perfect life. |
| D．Stop complaining and get down to work. |
10 . Derek Paravicini is lucky to be alive. Born three and a half months early, he weighed only 0.6 kilograms and almost
Yet Derek is a
Derek was two years old before his family discovered his
By the age of nine, Derek had
| A．smiled | B．cried | C．died | D．survived |
| A．Strangely | B．Quickly | C．Secretly | D．Unluckily |
| A．almost | B．hardly | C．still | D．even |
| A．math | B．future | C．musical | D．natural |
| A．words | B．numbers | C．mistakes | D．sounds |
| A．read | B．improve | C．create | D．hear |
| A．head | B．hands | C．eyes | D．mouth |
| A．bank | B．hospital | C．community | D．computer |
| A．count | B．send | C．recognize | D．leave |
| A．voice | B．talent | C．book | D．illness |
| A．moved | B．confused | C．shocked | D．annoyed |
| A．blind | B．poor | C．needy | D．sick |
| A．discover | B．turn | C．end | D．develop |
| A．hosted | B．lectured | C．served | D．performed |
| A．recording | B．giving | C．improving | D．supplying |
