1 . We know it can be hard to put your phone to bed before you sleep. However, if you’re trying to improve your sleep, you really should ditch your phone at least an hour before bedtime. Luckily, our experts can help.

Scientific evidence suggests that the blue light emitted from your phone, tablet, computer, and TV suppresses (抑制) your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone (荷尔蒙) that plays an important role in your sleep cycle. Melatonin release in the evening helps you relax before bedtime. A 2013 study that analyzed technology use and sleep patterns with data from a National Sleep Foundation poll found that using devices like phones was tied to more sleep disruption than electronics that aren’t interactive.

Many of us use the excuse that our mobile devices serve as our wake-up calls, or keep them nearby to use meditation apps. If you want to use your phone as an alarm, consider setting it a couple of hours before you turn in for the night, and then setting the phone itself to bedtime mode for the rest of the evening.

Here’s another groundbreaking idea: You could get a real alarm clock. After reviewing them at Reviewed, we recommend the Sharp Dream Caster. Not only is it easy to set a wake-up time, the clock includes white noises and rain noises to help you sleep, plus a number of volume settings to pick what works best for you.

But an alarm clock won’t help you avoid doom-scrolling through social media. Take things a step further by avoiding using electronic devices. You can try reading a book (one made of paper), taking a bath or drinking a cup of chamomile tea.

Finally, if you want to keep up your meditation practice screen-free, consider the Morphée. It looks like a little music box and comes with a variety of breathing exercises and soundscapes to help you get to sleep.

1. What does the underlined word “ditch” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Set aside.

B．Pick up.

C．Show off.

D．Turn to.

2. What may be caused by the suppression of melatonin?

A．Relaxing yourself before bedtime.

B．Sleeping less than you normally would.

C．Adapting to your sleep cycle more easily.

D．Reducing the pressure from screen use.

3. Why is the Sharp Dream Caster recommended?

A．It is sold at a lower price.	B．It can predict a heavy rain.
C．It is controlled by cellphone.	D．It helps put your eyes together.

4. What is suggested for better sleep according to paragraph 5?

A．Making the best of the eco-friendly products.

B．Making a change according to circumstances.

C．Establishing a bedtime routine without electronics.

D．Keeping a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.

2 . I started a Facebook page in July, and it’s steadily growing! The best part isn’t the number of its “followers” but its comments — I love reading about what people do, their ideas and views and get some feedback (反馈) on what I’m doing too.

In April of this year, I was invited by a friend to join her Social Change group. We were eight women from all walks of life, but we had one thing in common — we live in a fantastic country and yet we can see homeless people on the streets asking for money. We have a generous welfare system and a social housing scheme — but it’s a problem that is getting worse. We asked ourselves: What happens to homeless women?

Therefore, we volunteered at shelters. We met with social housing providers, shelter managers and social workers, and began to think what else we could do. We researched on which programs were having success. We had guest speakers at our meetings and began to get a clear picture about what we needed to do.

As luck would have it, we have been gifted a building in the city center. It’s old and needs a lot of work to bring it up to the standard. We want to provide more than just shelter to women in need. We aim to have six self-contained apartments providing full social services for women to stay in for up to two years. Thanks to the building provider, we have got our project off the ground.

I’m an ordinary person. If I can do this, anyone can. You can change the world. Look for the opportunity and just do it.

1. What can we learn about the Facebook page?

A．Its followers increase steadily.	B．It helps the author get feedback.
C．It was set up to advertise their service.	D．Its main content is people’s comments.

2. What does the author think of her country?

A．Its people are suffering.	B．Its system is getting worse.
C．It still has a long way to go.	D．It is a place full of inequality.

3. By volunteering at shelters, the eight women ______________.

A．acquired a few communication skills

B．discovered their ability to change the world

C．had a better understanding of social problems

D．were inspired to start a project to help the homeless women

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To share her story.	B．To introduce her job.
C．To thank housing providers for their help.	D．To encourage people to improve the world.

3 . In America, we have a thing called stand-up comedy. This popular form of entertainment consists of a comedian standing up at the front of a club, holding a microphone, and telling jokes. Of course, comedy is popular in Chinese culture as well, but the performances are quite different from the style in the US. In China, it’s called cross-talk, which usually involves two guys engaging in an entertaining dialogue.

It’s believed that cross-talk came into being in the Qing Dynasty as a bit of a by-product of the imitation shows that were a popular form of entertainment in the Song Dynasty. After the PRC was established in 1949, this comedic art became more and more popular. Today, it’s still heavily featured in the CCTV New Year’s Gala programmes in China. The 1990s was the golden age of cross-talk; even foreigners studied the art of cross-talk. Mark Roswell, a Canadian named Da Shan in Chinese was relatively unknown in his native land but was a superstar in China. At the turn of the century, cross-talk began to decline, and many well-known actors left the stage.

There are four skills that are essential in cross-talk: speaking, imitating, teasing, and singing. Most of the time, it is performed with two actors—one serves as the lead actor while the other plays a support role. However, sometimes it is performed simply as a one-man show, and at other times there are several actors. In order to criticize something, the humor involved in cross-talk is satirical.

1. What’s the difference between American stand-up comedy and Chinese cross-talk?

A．Chinese cross-talk actors don’t use a microphone.

B．American stand-up comedy actors are all men.

C．Chinese cross-talk is more liked by Canadians.

D．American stand-up comedy is only a one-man show.

2. Which word can best summarize Paragraph 2?

A．History.

B．Future.

C．Features.

D．Difference.

3. What can we know about Mark Roswell?

A．He was an American stand-up comedian.

B．He was very popular with Canadians.

C．He was a famous cross-talker in China.

D．He left the stage in the early 1990s.

4. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “satirical” in Paragraph 3?

A．Acid-tongued.	B．Good-tempered.
C．Warm-hearted.	D．Smooth-tongued.

4 . Rescuers in Washington are praising the cleverness of a 10-ycar-old girl. She _________ on her own for more than 24 hours in the tough Cascade mountains after getting _________ while out with her family.

Shunghla was at a gathering with her _________ family in the Cle Elum River Valley on Sunday when she became _________ from the group as they crossed a bridge over the river to eat lunch near the Cathedral Pass Trailhead.

When the family _________ Shunghla hadn’t crossed the bridge with them, about 20 adults in the group went back and started _________. There is no _________ service in the area and the family had been looking for Shunghla for about two hours when a passerby _________ to call police from a satellite phone at their nearby cabin around 2 p. m.

Policemen, _________ ground search teams and crews from nearby law enforcement agencies __________ to the area. Drones and helicopters were also __________ to help find Shunghla. The office had the girl’s father record words of __________ in their native language that was __________ over the search area. The message told Shunghla that there were people looking for her and trying to __________.

She was __________ around 3 p. m. Monday by two ground search volunteers about 1.5 miles south of where she was last __________. She had minor scrapes (擦伤).

“I was trying to go to __________ in the night and then wake up early in the morning, and then I`ll find my dad and mom in the forest,” Shunghla told CNN of her night in the wildnss.

“She __________ downstream through the dense forest and spent the cold night between some trees. She said she knew it was the __________ thing to follow the river. She proved a(n) __________ resourceful and adaptable 10-year-old,” the office said.

1.

A．suffered

B．described

C．explored

D．survived

2.

A．hurt

B．lost

C．broken

D．cheated

3.

A．learned

B．simple

C．extended

D．balanced

4.

A．tired

B．separated

C．distinguished

D．hidden

5.

A．explained

B．announced

C．noticed

D．concluded

6.

A．discussing

B．searching

C．researching

D．touching

7.

A．cell

B．law

C．rescue

D．traffic

8.

A．offered

B．turned

C．hoped

D．agreed

9.

A．amateur

B．distant

C．volunteer

D．flexible

10.

A．kept

B．preferred

C．flocked

D．led

11.

A．given away

B．got about

C．brought in

D．made out

12.

A．wisdom

B．emergency

C．convenience

D．comfort

13.

A．instructed

B．spread

C．broadcast

D．circulated

14.

A．warn

B．help

C．disclose

D．train

15.

A．caught

B．spotted

C．followed

D．cured

16.

A．recognized

B．heard

C．understood

D．seen

17.

A．work

B．sleep

C．jog

D．bed

18.

A．jogged

B．hiked

C．swam

D．played

19.

A．right

B．possible

C．lucky

D．easy

20.

A．frequently

B．consequently

C．accidentally

D．extraordinarily

5 . Chris Smith looked like any other young boy in his class: thick hair, a wide smile, and playing sports. By all appearances, life for Chris was the same as it was for a hundred other boys in the small town where he grew up, except for the constant evictions (驱赶), and eventually being homeless.

Chris’ father was reckless (鲁莽的) with finances and dishonest in business. His mother tried her best to run the home until Chris’ little brother drowned (溺亡), then his father went to prison, and finally the family fell apart.

“My mom shut down emotionally. Everything got worse,” Chris remembers. Then she was gone and ran away from home without telling Chris. He did the best he could, sleeping on his newly married sister’s sofa. “They didn’t have much money, and I know it was a burden to take me in at 17 years old, I was going to drop out from high school and make it on my own.”

But Chris’ history teacher had different ideas. When Chris’ study began to go down, she cornered him. “You’re the smartest kid in the class,” she told him. “If you don’t graduate, you’re going to regret it.”

“School was my safe place,” Chris says. School also offered him heat and food. It became the closest thing to home he could find, compared to his father’s old truck that became his bed and his study space. He remembers his hair freezing onto the window in the winter.

When graduation came, Chris earned a full scholarship to college and graduated in the top 10 of his class. When it’s time to apply for medical residencies, Chris set his sights high. He applied for residencies around the country and included the No. 1 program in the nation: Johns Hopkins. And then the letter came. Chris was in.

“I didn’t really think I had a chance. But I had learned to give everything my best shot. Life is never fair. But if you don’t give up, you will give yourself a better chance to make it,” Chris says.

1. Why did Chris’ mother leave home?

A．Because of failure in business.	B．Because of financial restrictions.
C．Because of her husband’s dishonesty.	D．Because of heartbroken family events.

2. How’s Chris’ life and study during senior high school?

A．Lazy and average.	B．Comfortable and carefree.
C．Tough and hardworking.	D．Happy and undemanding.

3. What s Chris’ philosophy?

A．Never lose heart.	B．Always be well-prepared.
C．Never judge a book by its cover.	D．Always be humble and cautious.

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

A．Doing Is Better than Saying	B．There Is No End to Learning
C．From Homeless to Medical Resident	D．Great Hopes Make Great Man

6 . Here are some charities for you. It’s a good time for you to give people love. If you are a loving person, go ahead.

Family Promise of NewRock

It is in need of household supplies including paper products, cleaning products, laundry detergent (洗衣粉), and dryer sheets. For more information on how you can donate, please call 770-262-7816. If you would like to make a financial donation please visit www.familypromiseofnewrock.org.

Rockdale Emergency Relief (RER) Community Food Bank

It needs your help in donating food items to help those in need within the community. The most needed items are: canned meat. Hamburger Helper, instant mashed potatoes, pork & beans, and canned tomato products.

The RER Community Food Bank

It is also looking for part-time volunteers who can help this summer when some of our regular volunteers will be on vacation. If you have time available to work in the warehouse area where you would receive donations of food, we could use your help! Volunteers need to be at least 18 years of age and able to lift 20-25 pounds on occasion. Please call Susan Clark at 770-922-9210 for more information. We would love to have you help us serve our community this summer!

Refuge Pregnancy Center

It is a non-profit organization here in Old Town Conyers. Currently they are in need of baby car seats with base, baby food, diapers (尿布) and baby clothes.

If you are a part of a local charity and wish your immediate needs to be published on our website at www.emetrotimes.com/share-the-love, please email info@emetrotimes.com. We will update this list monthly.

1. If you want to donate money, you should ________.

A．call 770-262-7816

B．email info@emetrotimes.com

C．call Susan Clark at 770-922-9210

D．visit www. familypromiseofnewrock. org

2. Which charity needs donations of baby supplies?

A．Refuge Pregnancy Center.

B．Family Promise of NewRock.

C．The RER Community Food Bank.

D．Rockdale Emergency Relief (RER) Community Food Bank.

3. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To advertise products.

B．To show what the community needs.

C．To introduce some food and clothes to people.

D．To provide some charities for people to give love.

7 . Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change.

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and _________ us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I rose to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m 87 years old. Can I give you a _________?” I laughed and _________ responded “Why not!”

“Why are you in college at such a(n) _________, innocent age?” I asked. She _________ replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get _________, and have a couple of kids…” “No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have _________ her to be taking on this challenge at her age. “I always _________ having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me. After class we walked to the student union building and _________ a chocolate milkshake. We became __________ friends. Every day for the next three months, we would __________ together after class and talk __________. I was always listening to this “time machine” as she shared her __________ and experience with me. Over the __________ of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she __________ made friends wherever she went.

At the year’s end Rose finished the college __________ she had begun all those years ago. One week after __________ Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute (致敬) to the wonderful woman who taught __________ that it’s never too __________ to be all you can possibly be. When you finish reading this, please remember, growing older is mandatory (强制性的). Growing up is __________.

1.

A．persuaded

B．challenged

C．questioned

D．required

2.

A．laugh

B．book

C．hand

D．hug

3.

A．actively

B．reluctantly

C．enthusiastically

D．passionately

4.

A．retired

B．old

C．young

D．senior

5.

A．jokingly

B．seriously

C．hurriedly

D．happily

6.

A．involved

B．engaged

C．married

D．touched

7.

A．forced

B．motivated

C．cheated

D．caught

8.

A．lacked of

B．thought of

C．consisted of

D．dreamed of

9.

A．made

B．bought

C．found

D．shared

10.

A．instant

B．strong

C．permanent

D．loyal

11.

A．join

B．have

C．leave

D．quiz

12.

A．nonstop

B．frankly

C．merrily

D．first

13.

A．lesson

B．memory

C．snack

D．wisdom

14.

A．course

B．school

C．state

D．exam

15.

A．secretly

B．shyly

C．closely

D．easily

16.

A．period

B．degree

C．campus

D．tour

17.

A．dinner

B．graduation

C．ceremony

D．congratulation

18.

A．at risk

B．in person

C．by example

D．with joy

19.

A．late

B．early

C．much

D．little

20.

A．efficient

B．natural

C．difficult

D．optional

8 . Here is the information about the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series.

Annual Pass

Cost: $80 annual pass Available for: Everyone How to purchase:

In person: Purchase at a local federal recreation site. Online: Buy from the USGS store.

By phone: Call 1-888-275-8747. Additional Information:

This pass is non-transferable to another person.

Senior Pass

Cost: $80 Lifetime Senior Pass;$20 Annual Senior Pass

Available for: U. S. citizens or permanent residents ages 62 or over. How to purchase:

In person: Purchase at a local federal recreation site. Online:Buy from the USGS store.

Additional Information:

The Senior Pass may provide a 50 percent discount on some fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch, and special services.

Volunteer Pass

Cost: Free annual pass

Available for: Volunteers with 250 service hours with federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program

How to get: Volunteers should contact their volunteer coordinator (协调员) for more information.

Additional Information:

The Volunteer Pass is available for 12 months from the date of issue.

Access Pass

Cost: Free lifetime pass

Available for: U. S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. Applicants must provide documentation of permanent disability and residency or citizenship.

How to get:

In person: Purchase at a local federal recreation site. Online: Buy from the USGS store.

Mail: Purchase using an application form that can be exchanged through mail. Note: Processing and shipping fees will be charged for online and mail orders. Additional Information:

The Access Pass generally does not cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessioners.

Golden Access Passports are no longer sold. However, these passes are still honored according to the provisions of the pass.

Passes may not be purchased as gifts.

1. Which pass can be ordered by phone?

A．Annual Pass.

B．Senior Pass.

C．Volunteer Pass.

D．Access Pass.

2. How many dollars does an Annual Senior Pass cost?

A．$0.

B．$20.

C．$40.

D．$80.

3. What can we learn about Access Pass?

A．It can be bought and given to others as a present.

B．All forms of purchase don’t charge processing fee.

C．It has replaced Golden Access Passport completely.

D．A discount in other related fees can be enjoyed with it.

9 . More people than ever are interested in learning to speak Chinese. The challenge that many face is finding the best resources to learn this new language. Fortunately, there are 4 amazing tools that can make learning Chinese much easier.

HelloTalk

This is an app that connects anyone interested in learning a foreign language to a native speaker who is willing to engage in conversation with learners, and help them practice and master their new language. It includes a voice-to-text feature that is perfect if you cannot understand your conversation partner. The text- to-voice feature that is included helps you to learn the proper pronunciations.

iTalki

No tool is going to take the place of one-on-one interaction(互动) with a real person. This is why iTalki is one of the most popular online language learning systems. If you join the iTalki community, you will be connected with an instructor who is a native speaker. They will work with you one on one to improve your vocabulary and conversational language skills.

FluentU

FluentU has made a wide variety of videos for your viewing pleasure. Each one is in Chinese and is a real-world movie or video. With FluentU, you can interact with the videos, pause and get pronunciation and definition information. In addition to this, there are quizzes(小测验) added to the videos to help you evaluate your own progress.

Pleco

This mobile app was designed specifically to help users learn Chinese. It includes an OCR reader that can be used to scan(扫描) Chinese language characters for translation, the ability to translate Chinese words from other apps and web pages, a document reader and an audio translator. It also comes with several dictionaries and the ability to create flashcards.

1. What’s the advantage of iTalki over other tools?

A．Providing one-on-one instruction.	B．Providing various learning videos.
C．Providing the text-to-voice feature.	D．Providing interesting playing games.

2. What do HelloTalk and FluentU have in common?

A．They offer the most famous learning tools.	B．They record your learning process directly.
C．They help you improve your pronunciation.	D．They provide you with various funny videos.

3. Which tool can translate Chinese words from web pages?

A．HelloTalk.

B．iTalki.

C．FluentU.

D．Pleco.

10 . Ever since the 2012 publication of Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling book, Wild, which records her 1100-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Washington state all by herself, many more people have been preparing their hiking shoes.

Hiking is now the fourth most-popular outdoor activity in the U.S., after running, fishing and biking, according to The Outdoor Foundation’s 2018 Outdoor Participation Report. The report noted that 44.9 million people hit the trails (步道) in 2017, up from 30 million in 2006. The biggest jump in participation came between 2015 and 2016.

Trimble, a government official, says in addition to the “Wild” effect, he believes hiking is increasing in popularity because more people are discovering the nation’s various trail systems and learning about the concept of long-distance hiking. “I also think the Millennials, and even Generation Z, are putting a lot more value on experiences than on money and career advancement,” he says. “Cultural changes have played a role in the number of people getting out on the trails.”

Mike Wollmer is a director of the Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA), which protects, keeps and advocates for the Ice Age Trail, another one of the 11 National Scenic Trails. Wollmer believes social media has also helped to improve hiking numbers, as it is being used to show the beauty and diversity of U.S. hiking trails, construction projects and more. This is especially true for less famous paths such as the Ice Age Trail, which winds 1150 miles around Wisconsin, presenting the state’s Ice Age landscapes (风景).

The IATA recorded 76 trail completions between the path’s birth in the 1970s and 2012. During the next six years, another 114 people reported trail finishes. The hiking community also created the IATA-specific “Thousand Miler Wanna Bes” Facebook page, aimed at helping people achieve their dream of becoming a “thousand-miler”, a special title the IATA gives to those who have completed the entire trail.

1. Why was the book Wild mentioned in the beginning?

A．To lead to the topic of the text.	B．To recommend an influential book.
C．To analyze the popularity of the book.	D．To introduce the beautiful wild of the US.

2. What is less influential in helping people step into the trails?

A．The book Wild.	B．The social media.
C．The desire to get experiences.	D．The state’s Ice Age landscapes.

3. What can the hiker get when finishing the Ice Age Trail?

A．An honor.	B．A Facebook page.
C．A sum of money.	D．A landscape picture.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Hiking, Hiking, Hiking	B．Why Hiking Is Increasing in the USA?
C．American Outdoor Activities Are Improving	D．Do You Know American Trails?