1 . Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer (征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm－hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.
1. What does the author tell us in Paragraph 1?| A．How the Irish fought against the English. |
| B．How Ireland gained independence. |
| C．How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland. |
| D．How two “Irelands” came into being. |
| A．food shortages and a lack of work in the 1840s led to a decline in population |
| B．people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside |
| C．it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker |
| D．different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments |
| A．the Irish character | B．the Irish culture |
| C．Irish musical instruments | D．a famous Irish writer |
| A．Life in Ireland | B．A Very Difficult History |
| C．Ireland, Past and Present | D．The Independence of Ireland |
2 . Since the modern Olympics began in 1896, it has been held in more than 40 different cities. That gives Olympic fans quite a few possible travel destinations to choose from!
Beijing, China
Olympic fans should consider visiting the Beijing Olympic Park to check out the special buildings of the so—called “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube”—the national stadium and aquatics center built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Popular historic places in Beijing include the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and Tian’anmen Square.
Innsbruck, Austria
Located in the heart of the Alps, Innsbruck is known as a great winter destination—which explains why it has hosted not one but two Winter Olympics. Known for its mountainous views, Innsbruck is the perfect stop for outdoor adventurers.
Mexico City, Mexico
This wonderful travel destination offers a wide number of popular museums, historic buildings, and public parks. People will love shopping for fresh meat and produce at the markets, taking a cooking class, and generally eating their way through Mexico City, which is especially known for its culinary(烹饪的)experiences that include both globally well—known restaurants and locally favored street carts.
Melbourne, Australia
Nearly half a century before Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, Melbourne became the first Australian host city in 1956. Head to the “cultural capital of Australia”, located in Victoria on the southeastern coast, for an energetic cafe culture and art scene. Melbourne offers something for every type of traveler and everyone can enjoy an evening at one of the city’s many rooftop bars or a day of wine tasting.
1. Where will you go if you are fond of adventure?| A．Beijing, China. | B．Mexico City, Mexico. |
| C．Innsbruck, Austria. | D．Melbourne, Australia. |
| A．Enjoy wonderful culinary classes. |
| B．Get profit from making delicious food. |
| C．Admire beautiful mountainous views. |
| D．Visit special stadiums for the Olympics. |
| A．It is famous for all kinds of wine. |
| B．It has many world—famous hotels. |
| C．It hosted the Summer Olympics twice. |
| D．It can satisfy different travelers’ needs. |
“I hope your dad will be happy here,” Mom said. We were settling my father into his room at a new nursing home. .
It hadn’t been easy to find the right place for my father,
Now that we were in the new nursing home, we could only hope we had made the right
That night, I quarreled with my mother, and then rushed out of the house. While on the road, I remembered that I did not have any money in my pocket. I did not even take my cell phone with me to make a call home.
At the same time, I went through a noodle shop, and I suddenly felt very hungry. I wished for a bowl of noodles, but I had no money!
The seller saw me standing before the counter and asked, “Hey, girl, you want to have the noodles?”
“Oh, yes... but I don’t have money on me...” she replied. “That’s nothing. I’ll treat you today,” said the man, “Come in.”
A few minutes later the owner brought me a steaming bowl of noodles. I thanked the man and started to gobblle (狼吞虎咽) up the delicious food...then I cried silently.
“What is it?” asked the man kindly.
“Nothing. I am just touched by your kindness!” I said as I wiped my tears. “Even a stranger on the street gives me a bowl of noodles, while my mother, after a quarrel, chased me out of the house. She showed no care for me. She is so mean and cruel!”
Hearing the words, the seller smiled “Girl, do you really think so? I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you thanked me a lot. But it is your mother who has raised you since you were a baby. why were you not grateful and why did you hurt your mom? You should say sorry to your mom.“
I was really surprised after hearing that.
Why did I not think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel grateful, and my mother has been taking care of me since I was little and I have never felt so, not even a little.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为 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:
Just at that moment. many memories came back into my mind.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
When arriving home, I saw my mother sitting at the dinner table, worried and tired.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5 . Bullying (欺凌)can happen to anyone. A great many children around the world are bullied every year, but there are things that can be done to help.
What is bullying?
Bullying is when someone makes you feel bad of hurts you again and again. Bullying can happen at school, out of school and online. Bullying includes:
·calling people mean (恶意的)names
·laughing at people
·telling lies about people
·taking someone’s things without permission
·not telling someone play in a group
·hitting people
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying includes:
·sending bad messages online
·sharing photos online without permission
·not letting someone be part of an online group
·spreading lies online
What can you do?
If someone is not kind to you, tell an adult that you know and like. For example, talk to a parent or a teacher.
If you get bad messages, don’t reply. You should save them and give them to your teacher, your family, or the police. Ask an adult for help. Don’t share something before you make sure it is true. That will help stop the cyberbullying.
Talk to your parent or teacher or an adult if you see bullying or if you are worried about a friend.
Say sorry if you are not kind to someone. You can write a message or talk to the person.
And always remember: think about how to be kind in the future.
For more information, visit our home page at www.kidsword.com.
1. According to the passage, the followings are bullying EXCEPT:| A．laughing with people | B．hitting people |
| C．telling lies about people | D．calling people mean names |
| A．at school | B．at home | C．on the Internet | D．on the street |
| A．share them with friends | B．keep them as your secrets |
| C．reply to them at once | D．give them to your teacher |
6 . Imagine a world without insects. It might sound good at first without creepy-crawly bugs and annoying flies in your apartment. However, the consequences would be disastrous.
The number of insects has dropped by more than half in the past decades, according to British biologist Dave Goulson, author of Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse. As insects make up most of the known species on this planet, this data is not good news.
Insects are indeed on the path to extinction, according to the first global scientific review of insect population decline, which was published in the journal Biological Conservation in January 2019. The researchers say intensive agriculture has been the main cause of the decline. Pesticides (杀虫剂), in particular, destroy insect habitats. Urbanization and climate change are also significant factors. “Unless we convert our ways of producing food, insects will go down the path of extinction in a few decades.”
What would happen to Earth without insects? It’s almost impossible to predict, but the consequences would be far—reaching. We need insects to pollinate (授粉) crops, recycle plant and animal material, keep the soil healthy and much more. Without insects, many animals would have nothing to eat, and the predators (捕食者) of those animals would go hungry as well. The ecosystem would be thrown off balance.
“If insect species losses cannot be halted, this will have catastrophic consequences for both the planet’s ecosystems and for the survival of mankind,” said Sanchez-Bayo, one of the authors of the review. The first step to halt this process is “to engender a society that values the natural world, both for what it does for us and for its own sake”, Sanchez—Bayo suggests. “The obvious place to start is with our children, encouraging environmental awareness from an early age.”
1. What’s people’s general impression of insects?| A．Quite unpleasant. | B．Very interesting. |
| C．Extremely helpful. | D．Unexpectedly disastrous. |
| A．Change. | B．Abandon. | C．Expand. | D．Simplify. |
| A．Insects ensure the earth’s diversity. |
| B．Insects maintain the earth ecosystem. |
| C．Insects make the soil dry and healthy. |
| D．Insects help slow down climate change. |
| A．Exploit nature in a gentle way. |
| B．Change our way of producing food. |
| C．Educate younger generation to be aware of it. |
| D．Provide insects with enough habitats and food. |
7 . When Arfel Condova-Rojas was biking to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last November, she planned to go bird-watching. Bingo! A mile into her walk, she saw a female
Her best
Staff members at the rehab center
It’s a (n)
| A．bird-watcher | B．passer-by | C．duck | D．swan |
| A．knew | B．guessed | C．claimed | D．admitted |
| A．continue | B．move | C．leave | D．wait |
| A．medical | B．constant | C．public | D．normal |
| A．quickly | B．bravely | C．carefully | D．proudly |
| A．stopped | B．passed | C．struck | D．reminded |
| A．result | B．support | C．solution | D．wish |
| A．back | B．seat | C．feet | D．bike |
| A．doctors | B．workers | C．friends | D．strangers |
| A．access | B．lift | C．call | D．invitation |
| A．assumed | B．determined | C．denied | D．examined |
| A．Sadly | B．Gradually | C．Accidentally | D．Finally |
| A．rescue | B．center | C．help | D．way |
| A．unexpected | B．natural | C．good | D．disappointing |
| A．raise | B．save | C．respect | D．change |
8 . Computers have become amazingly exact at translating spoken words to text messages and searching a large supply of valuable information for answers to difficult questions. At least, that is, so long as you speak English or other world's main languages. But try talking to your phone in Yoruba, Igbo or any number of widely spoken African languages and you'll find difficulty in accessing information, trade and other benefits of the global tech economy.
American tech giants don't have a long history of making their language technology work well outside the wealthiest markets, a problem that has also made it harder for them to discover dangerous misinformation on their platforms. Google, for instance, upset members of the Yoruba community when its language app mistranslated a nice African god as a devil. Part of the reason is that there's just not enough online data in those languages for the Al systems to effectively learn how to get better at understanding them.
“We are getting to the point where if a machine doesn't understand your language, it will be like it never existed,” said Vukosi Marivate, who has devoted some of his Al research to the southern African languages of Xitsonga and Setswana. “Considering our history, some of the bias (偏见) is intentional. The history of the African continent and in general in colonized (殖民化的) countries, is that when language had to be translated, it was translated in a very narrow way,” Marivate added.
However, Google and Microsoft are among the companies that say they are trying to improve technology for so-called "low-resource" languages that Al systems don't have enough data for. Computer scientists at Meta announced a breakthrough on the path to a "universal translator" that could translate multiple languages at once and work better with lower-resourced languages. Meanwhile, Marivate and other researchers have founded a research project across Africa. Increasingly, people are joining hands to develop a variety of language approaches.
1. What can we learn from Paragraphs 1 and 2?| A．Yoruba and Igbo are widely spoken in the world. |
| B．English speakers fail to access online information. |
| C．The online data of African languages is limited. |
| D．Computers can translate all text messages exactly. |
| A．To make a prediction. | B．To draw a comparison. |
| C．To reach a conclusion. | D．To give an example. |
| A．Friendly. | B．Unconcerned. | C．Dissatisfied. | D．Proud. |
| A．Joint Efforts to Improve AI in African Languages | B．Computers Good at Translating Spoken Language |
| C．US Tech Giants Misunderstand African Languages | D．African Researchers Exchange Ideas with Tech Giants |
9 . According to the World Economic Forum(WEF), eight million tons of plastic waste is being poured out into the oceans every year. That's the equivalent (相等物)of an entire garbage truck being dumped every three minutes, and the source of the problem—the world's cities. In Amsterdam, a simple solution has been found that could stop up to 86 percent of plastic waste ever reaching the oceans—a barrier made of bubbles (气泡).
The way the bubble barrier system works is basically that it is a tube placed diagonally (沿对角线地)on the bottom of the waterway. "The tube has a lot of tiny holes," according to Phillip Ehrhorn, Chief Technology Officer in The Great Bubble Barrier, "We pump air through it, and the air bubbles will rise towards the surface. The plastics are brought to the surface with the air bubbles and then, with the natural flow of the river, towards one side of the river." Then the other part of the bubble barrier system collects and removes the waste.
"Ship traffic is a key economic driver；we won't be able to stop that. So, we would have to find a solution which would not affect all the other existing activities and the ecosystem," Phillip added. The bubble barrier does exactly that. While it provides no block to water traffic and sea life can pass through freely, it also catches plastic waste of all sizes.
The Great Bubble Barrier is trying to work together with Amsterdam and local Non-governmental Organizations(NGOs)to evaluate what the bubble barrier system is catching so as to carry out new policies and additional measures on land. In this way, plastics entering the water could be reduced in the first place. "Our next step is a bubble barrier within Europe and we, of course, want to move to Asia because we think we can make a lot of influence there." said Francis Zoet, the founder of The Great Bubble Barrier.
1. What contributes to the invention of the bubble barrier?| A．Suggestions from the WEF. | B．Large amounts of sea waste. |
| C．Construction of the waterway. | D．Requests from the government. |
| A．Creating tiny holes on the tube. | B．Removing the waste in the water. |
| C．Sending plastics to the surface. | D．Changing the speed of the river flow. |
| A．The waste | B．Ship traffic. | C．Sea life. | D．The bubble. |
| A．Plastics entering the water will increase. | B．The city will evaluate the bubble barrier. |
| C．The NGOs will move to Europe and Asia | D．The bubble barrier will benefit more places. |
10 . Rosa liked making up stories. She was so
Rosa's parents were separated. Nine months out of the year, Rosa lived with her mother in an apartment on Anderson Street. But when summer
The farm was great! Rosa rode horses and
When summer came to a close, Rosa
Not long after
When the class began studying England, Mr. Thomas asked Rosa to tell all the things she could
| A．afraid | B．worried | C．sure | D．happy |
| A．joke | B．fun | C．turn | D．game |
| A．talk | B．teach | C．show | D．travel |
| A．passed | B．arrived | C．lasted | D．changed |
| A．made | B．played | C．helped | D．did |
| A．weak | B．pleased | C．busy | D．lonely |
| A．show | B．visit | C．meet | D．send |
| A．farm | B．city | C．family | D．school |
| A．wrote | B．called | C．moved | D．returned |
| A．family | B．school | C．teacher | D．farm |
| A．meeting | B．school | C．summer | D．talk |
| A．people | B．cities | C．languages | D．places |
| A．interesting | B．true | C．long | D．same |
| A．England | B．Germany | C．farm | D．home |
| A．think | B．see | C．remember | D．read |
