1 . The kitchen is not just where we prepare meals. In many places, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we connect with our family and friends. We have open talks about our pleasures and problems we met during the day while we make dinner or have a bite to eat. So, it can be a very busy room in the house.

Sometimes you need order in the kitchen for things to run smoothly. And sometimes you need one person to be in charge. Imagine you are cooking dinner for your friends. As you are making the soup, your friend Sara tastes it and says, “This needs more salt.” So, she adds more salt. Harlan comes to taste your soup and throws some fresh black pepper into the pot and some dried herbs. Cecilia tastes the soup and pours in some vinegar. What will the soup be like?

You are happy to spend time with your friends. But, quite frankly, all their opinions about your soup are becoming annoying. Worst of all, you taste the soup and it’s awful! And that is where we get the expression “too many cooks spoil the soup”.

This expression describes an age-old problem: If too many people help to complete a task, it may not go very well. But, you may think, “If many people are trying to get something done, the task will get done faster.” After all, American English also has the expression “many hands make light work”.

To answer that point, I will draw your attention to the word “cook”. Now, the cook is the leader in the kitchen. They may have assistants to help them. But the cook has the final say. So, what if a kitchen has many cooks? Who is the leader? Everyone! And that’s where the trouble comes.

1. What does the author think of the kitchen according to the first paragraph?

A．It is crowded in many houses.	B．It is where we feed our body and soul.
C．It helps to brighten up people’s day.	D．It serves as the most useful place in a home.

2. Why does the author take “your friends” as an example?

A．To describe a common phenomenon (现象).

B．To vividly introduce a saying.

C．To explain a way to be a good cook.

D．To stress the importance of teamwork.

3. Which situation agrees with “too many cooks spoil the soup”?

A．A group of students get a task done together.

B．Some volunteers discuss how to help others.

C．Five designers want their own idea to be accepted.

D．Many retired workers learn how to be a cook.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．What Happens with Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen?

B．Should a Cook Be Open to Suggestions?

C．What Could a Cook Do to Everyone’s Satisfaction?

D．Why Will Too Many Cooks Work in the Kitchen?

2 . Listed below are some nice family-friendly museums in Chicago, pick one that interests your kids most and take your little ones there to have fun.

Shedd Aquarium (水族馆)

It was open to the public on May 30th, 1930. Visitors with limited movement can use easy slopes (斜坡) to reach the exhibits, which are also explained to children through an app.Families can spend the night in the aquarium during the special event called Asleep with the Fishes.

Elmhurst History Museum

It’s a museum about history that has won awards and was created in 1957. It shows different exhibits about many history-related subjects, has a fun interactive exhibit about its own history, and offers various public programs, tours of exhibits, and special events for the community. The museum is a fantastic place for families to visit for a day or two, and it even has places for picnics and holiday train journeys.

Chicago Children’s Museum

Founded in 1982, the museum displays impressive exhibits for children, featuring dinosaur bones, a play area only for babies and a famous and fun climbing area for children.Moreover, the museum offers various exhibitions and daily art classes for children, which are free of charge. Visiting the museum on the weekend is a good choice for economical family amusement.

Field Museum of Natural History

With millions of things in its store, it was established in 1893. Disco ver more than 4billion years of life on Earth through interesting displays and interactive events, and discover protection campaigns worldwide.   It is now considered as famous as the Smithsonian Institution, established in 1846 in Washington, and the American Museum of Natural History, which originated in 1869 in New York.

1. What is special about the Shedd Aquarium for family visitors?

A．They can go on a picnic there.

B．They can sleep overnight there.

C．They can surf the Internet.

D．They can learn the history of Chicago.

2. What can kids do at the Chicago Children’s Museum?

A．Have discounts on holidays.	B．Watch dolphins’ exhibitions.
C．Take a fun climb.	D．Take free art classes on an app.

3. Which of the following has the longest history?

A．Shedd Aquarium.	B．ElmhurstHistoryMuseum.
C．Chicago Children’s Museum.	D．Field Museum of Natural History.

3 . How Can Teens Volunteer in the Communities?

Encouraging teens to volunteer in the community has lasting rewards, including increased self-confidence and a sense of belonging.    1    

● Community Service

Teens can volunteer at museums, parks and stations. They can also visit the elderly in nursing homes to provide companionship to people who might not have been visited by family or friends in a while. Organizations differ on their standards for teen volunteers.    2    

● Environmental Cleanup

    3    They can just get into their neighborhood and help clean it up. Teens can help beautify their neighborhood by picking up trash, planting flowers or starting a community garden. Teens can also start recycling projects, and encourage their neighbors to participate in efforts to clean up the environment and live a more sustainable lifestyle.

● Tutoring

Teens who want to help in their communities can volunteer by tutoring others. They can participate in peer tutoring at their school, or offer their services at a local library.    4    Language tutoring provided by companies usually charge a great deal for their services, so immigrants of the community will be especially grateful to receive free tutoring.    5    It also helps teens expand their mind, look good on college and job applications, and find potential career paths.

A．Many communities offer service programs.

B．Teens don’t have to join formal organizations.

C．Here are common ways for teens to help the communities.

D．So check with them first to find out different requirements.

E．Volunteering allows teens to have a positive influence on others.

F．They can persuade the immigrants to join in some volunteering activities.

G．Teens can also reach out to immigrants whose first language isn’t English.

4 . As the autumn colors fade over time, cold days are well underway. The Start of Winter or “Lidong” (立冬), the 19th solar term (节气) in China, begins this year on Nov. 7 and ends on Nov. 21.

    1     For the northern hemisphere, biting winds blow from the north, crops harvested in autumn have been stored up, and creatures begin to rest and hibernate (冬眠) for the coming winter.

Three phases (阶段) of Lidong

    2     in the first phase of Lidong, water begins to freeze. Ice often encrusts lakes in just one night in northern China, which reminds people of the coming cold winter. The second phase of Lidong brings frozen ground. The thin ice is easily broken if stepped on. The ice covers and protects crops and farmlands from pests and discases.     3     As migratory birds move south and resident birds store their food in the nest, the sky often seems lonely without its winged friends.

Traditional customs

On the day of Lidong, people would treat themselves with feasts, as a reward for their hard work during the busy months. Some brave swimming enthusiasts take a dive in cold rivers to celebrate the Beginning of Winter, and of course, to exercise their bodies.

    4     For people in southern China, high-caloric food such as beef, chicken, mutton, and fish is their favorites during the days of Lidong, and can provide enough energy and fat to help them see the winter out.

Turn of the year

Though for the northern hemisphere, the days are getting colder and nights longer, the year will soon pass by.     5    

A．Lidong is divided into three phases.

B．Birds are rarely seen in the third phase.

C．If winter comes, spring won’t be far behind.

D．As a matter of fact, Lidong is the beginning of the end.

E．Some living creatures begin to rest and store energy for the cold days.

F．“Li” (立) refers to the start of a season as well as the change of seasons.

G．In northern China, it is customary to eat dumplings during the winter days.

5 . When John Todd was a child, he loved to explore the woods around his house, observing how nature solved problems. A dirty stream, for example, often became clear after flowing through plants and along rocks where tiny creatures lived. When he got older, John started to wonder if this process could be used to clean up the messes people were making.

After studying agriculture, medicine, and fisheries in college, John went back to observing nature and asking questions. Why can certain plants trap harmful bacteria (细菌)? Which kinds of fish can eat cancer-causing chemicals? With the right combination of animals and plants, he figured, maybe he could clean up waste the way nature did. He decided to build what he would later call an eco-machine.

The task John set for himself was to remove harmful substances from some sludge (污泥). First, he constructed a series of clear fiberglass tanks connected to each other. Then he went around to local ponds and streams and brought back some plants and animals. He placed them in the tanks and waited. Little by little, these different kinds of life got used to one another and formed their own ecosystem. After a few weeks, John added the sludge.

He was amazed at the results. The plants and animals in the eco-machine took the sludge as food and began to eat it! Within weeks, it had all been digested, and all that was left was pure water.

Over the years, John has taken on many big jobs. He developed a greenhouse — like facility that treated sewage (污水) from 1,600 homes in South Burlington. He also designed an eco-machine to clean canal water in Fuzhou, a city in southeast China.

“Ecological design” is the name John gives to what he does. “Life on Earth is kind of a box of spare parts for the inventor,” he says. “You put organisms in new relationships and observe what’s happening. Then you let these new systems develop their own ways to self-repair.”

1. What can we learn about John from the first two paragraphs?

A．He was fond of traveling.	B．He enjoyed being alone.
C．He had an inquiring mind.	D．He longed to be a doctor.

2. Why did John put the sludge into the tanks?

A．To feed the animals.	B．To build an ecosystem.
C．To protect the plants.	D．To test the eco-machine.

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

A．To review John’s research plans.	B．To show an application of John’s idea.
C．To compare John’s different jobs.	D．To erase doubts about John’s invention.

4. What is the basis for John’s work?

A．Nature can repair itself.	B．Organisms need water to survive.
C．Life on Earth is diverse.	D．Most tiny creatures live in groups.

6 . 阅读下面材料, 根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段, 使之构成 一篇完整的短文。

I yawned (打哈欠)as I got off the last step of the bus. I had woken early that morning, and had not been able to sleep on the long ride from Riverside High, thinking about that day’s race, the Eye Opener. I had never raced in a state-wide race before. Over thirty high school teams ran, along with quite a few colleges. The rest of my team and I unloaded the bus, and we relaxed and waited for our race patiently.

“Start warming up,” our coach told us, roughly forty-five minutes after we arrived. After finishing our stretches, we headed over to the starting line, eager for the race to begin.

The starter walked to the middle of the field. “There will be two commands,” his voice boomed, ‘‘Runners set, then the gun. If you hear another shot, return to the starting line to start again. ” My heart raced as I got my legs ready to race.

“Runners set!” the starter shouted Bam! The gun fired, and he rushed out of our way. Adrenaline (肾上腺素)rushed through my body as I raced through the mass of runners. As I rounded the first turn, my schoolmates greeted me with heartening shouts. Then, in what felt like only one minute, I arrived at the one mile mark.

“6’10”, a man declared as I ran by. I tried to ignore him, but my legs began to burn as I realized I had run a mile and still had two to go. I slowed down my pace, for I knew the second mile was the worst of all three. Minutes later, I felt horrible. My legs ached, feeling like lead blocks. My vision was clouded as sweat dropped down into my eyes, and my arms felt as if they would fall off if I swung them one more time. Just as I almost reached my limit, a boy passed me. He also seemed to have lost strength but soon he was a little ahead of me.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

I gathered up my strength to speed up but suddenly fell to the ground.

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In the last mile, seeing the athletes passing us one by one, I asked the boy to run without me.

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7 . Madison stared through the window and watched a puffy white cloud pass over the woods across from the school. It must be wonderful to be a bird, she thought. Total freedom. No math class to sit in, and her days would be spent on horseback. She thought of her horse, Star.

“Madison. Could you please join us again?” Mrs. Smith said. “I was just asking the class if anyone had any problems with the homework assignment.”

“Well, I didn’t have any problems doing it, but I had problems remembering to put it in my school bag after I did it.” Some giggling spread through the room.

“Madison. I don’t know what I am going to do with you. You’re such a smart girl but you just don’t apply yourself. Class, clear your desks. Our guest is here and welcome Doctor Landon. He is a veterinarian (兽医). He came here today as part of our continued Career Explorations Program.”

Madison tried to focus as Doctor Landon talked about how important grades were and how he struggled with math when he was a kid. Doctor Landon was still talking but she lost track of what he was saying. Then a word caught her attention. Horse. Was he talking about horses?

Gradually, Madison knew Doctor Landon had come to her town and house when her horse, Star, needed care. She liked it that he even knew her horse’s name. “So, you just travel around and take care of horses all day long?”

Doctor Landon nodded. “I travel with my truck to take care of horses and ponies across the county. It is a lot of work, but I love it.”

Madison’s mouth fell open. What a life that must be, she thought. At that moment, sitting in class, Madison could see her future and her life suddenly seemed bigger. By the time she got off the bus that afternoon, her plans for the afternoon had changed. She was still going to ride Star, but first she was going to spend an hour studying math. Then tomorrow she’d spend an hour studying science.

1. Why was Madison called by Mrs. Smith in class?

A．Because she had problems with math.

B．Because she was absent-minded in class.

C．Because she was distracted by the birds outside.

D．Because she forgot to bring her homework back.

2. Why was Doctor Landon invited to the class?

A．To call for care for animals.

B．To enrich students’ outdoor activities.

C．To emphasize the importance of study.

D．To help students with their career choices.

3. What can be inferred about Madison from the last paragraph?

A．She was greatly inspired.	B．She preferred math to science.
C．She didn’t believe Landon’s story.	D．She changed her hobby completely.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．An Exciting Horse Riding	B．An Interesting Math Class
C．Madison Dreams Big	D．Madison Pursues Freedom

8 . A new study has found that braving the cold maybe a good way to help burn off some fat.

The research was carried out by scientists at Canada’s Laurentian University and focused on high-intensity interval training(HIIT). This format has grown in popularity of late due to the fat-burning benefits it brings, and the team set out to explore how temperature might influence its effects.

The study involved 11 overweight adults who took part in two HIIT sessions a week apart. One of these was carried out in a “thermoneutral” environment with temperatures of around 70 °F(21℃),and the other at a cold 32 °F(0℃). The sessions consisted of 10 separate cycling race at 90 percent effort lasting one minute, followed by 90-second “recovery” periods of cycling at30 percent intensity.

After each session, the participants cooled down by gently cycling or walking, ate a nutrition bar before going to sleep and enjoyed a high-fat breakfast the morning after. During these sessions, the scientists monitored skin temperature, core body temperature, heart rate and the amount of oxygen. Blood samples were also drawn to help calculate fat burning rates following the breakfast the next day.

“The present study found that high-intensity exercise in the cold increased lipid oxidation (脂质氧化) by 358 percent in comparison to high-intensity exercise in a thermoneutral environment,”the team writes.

The authors also note that the idea that cold temperatures help us burn more fat during exercise will need further investigation (调查), though the first-of-a-kind study does indicate it’s a possibility worth pursuing.

1. What is good for burning off fat according to the study?

A．Cold food.	B．Low temperature.
C．Hard workout.	D．Cycling race.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Introduction to the study.

B．Some data in the study.

C．The participants in the study.

D．The process of the study.

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Further study needs to be done.

B．Doing exercise burns more fat.

C．The efforts of scientists are in vain.

D．The study result is unreasonable.

4. What of the following could be the best title for the text?

A．High-intensity Workouts Help Burn off Extra Calories

B．Cycling in the Cold Is a Great Way to Build upYour Body

C．Study Shows Fat-burning Potential of Exercising in the Cold

D．Researchers Have Found More Fat-burning Workouts