1 . It’s amazing how one dollar can change the culture of a school.
We have a
On the first day of school we put a
People went
Now I actually expect to go to school to have the chance to
| A．small | B．large | C．lovely | D．terrible |
| A．confidence | B．competition | C．determination | D．difficulty |
| A．grades | B．books | C．results | D．teachers |
| A．interested | B．pressured | C．satisfied | D．embarrassed |
| A．others | B．yourself | C．nothing | D．himself |
| A．In return | B．In charge | C．In response | D．In anger |
| A．realize | B．enrich | C．exchange | D．change |
| A．deal with | B．live with | C．come up with | D．keep up with |
| A．paper | B．gift | C．dollar | D．ticket |
| A．wrote | B．said | C．told | D．printed |
| A．give up | B．give away | C．give in | D．give off |
| A．problem | B．opinion | C．effect | D．attitude |
| A．wild | B．sad | C．angry | D．peaceful |
| A．regretting | B．disagreeing | C．doubting | D．deciding |
| A．tears | B．pain | C．smiles | D．terror |
| A．happiness | B．selfishness | C．kindness | D．sadness |
| A．by accident | B．as usual | C．in surprise | D．on purpose |
| A．bring | B．cheer | C．speed | D．hold |
| A．spread | B．refer | C．react | D．take |
| A．ignored | B．concerned | C．confused | D．depressed |
2 . Rivers are the veins of the Earth, transporting the water and nutrients (营养物) needed to support the planet’s ecosystems, including human life. While many nutrients are essential to the survival of life, there is one element transported by water in rivers that holds the key to life and to the future of our planet — carbon.
Carbon is everywhere and understanding the way it moves and is either released or stored by the Earth system is a complex science in itself. Carbon starts its journey downstream when natural acid rain, which contains carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, melts minerals in rocks. This helps transform carbon dioxide to bicarbonate (碳酸氢盐) in the water that then flows in our rivers. This is a very long process, which is one of the main ways carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere. Carbon is transported by rivers to oceans and once that carbon reaches the ocean, it is stored naturally in deep sea sediments (沉淀物) for millions of years.
As carbon travels down a river, different processes may impact whether it continues to flow downstream or whether it is released into the atmosphere. For example, human engineering, like extensive dam construction, will result in dramatic changes to how water and sediments travel down the river. Some carbon that fails to reach the sea may return to the atmosphere in some way, which causes more warming.
Earth’s climate is closely related to the carbon cycle. We all know about the essential role of plants in consuming carbon dioxide, but do we know enough about rivers? Changing the chemistry and the course of rivers may have significant impacts on how they transport carbon. Remember: wherever we live, we all live downstream.
1. Where is the carbon in rivers originally from?| A．The atmosphere. | B．The rocks. |
| C．The acid rain. | D．The upstream areas. |
| A．To show how important to life carbon is. |
| B．To explain how necessary it is to build dams. |
| C．To show how a natural process is interrupted. |
| D．To explain how humans fight global warming. |
| A．We’d better move upstream to live. |
| B．We should protect plants along rivers. |
| C．We’d better seek more help from plants. |
| D．We should be cautious about river management. |
| A．What Humans Do with Rivers |
| B．How Rivers’ Transporting Carbon Counts |
| C．What the Carbon Cycle Means to Us |
| D．How Living Downstream Affects the Earth |
3 . Frederick Phiri is the junk-art king of Zambia: at just 22, he started to earn an international reputation for being able to make complex and elegant sculptures from scrap (废弃的) metal found in his community.
Phiri’s father died when he was starting primary school. Then his mother abandoned him and he had to stay with his grandfather. His grandfather paid for his schooling through primary school but when he entered secondary school, he had to get various jobs to pay for his fees. Yet even in school, he was always drawing and making things in class.
After graduating, he did what he could to support himself by making animal sculptures from wires and sold them to tourists. His work was so popular that it caught the eye of Karen Beattie, director of Project Luangwa, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and economic development in central Africa.
“I introduced him to a local welder (焊工),” Beattie told Newsweek.
In 2017, Phiri worked with welder Moses Mbewe during the rainy season, helping to make a complex set of doors for Project Luangwa. The piece sparked an idea in Beattie’s mind: “I handed him a bunch of scrap metal and said, ‘Make something with this.’ And he did. It was wonderful.”
Today, Phiri continues his art, using pieces of junk people bring him—keys, broken bike chains, old metal plugs and whatever scrap metal is lying around. He then turns the junk into abstract animals—elephants, cranes, giraffes, chameleons—and sells them at Project Luangwa headquarters. The community has recognized his talents.
“My dream is to earn enough to study art at the Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka and be able to make a living from it,” Phiri said “and then to make very large sculptures.”
1. What is Phiri known for?| A．Serving his community. | B．Collecting works of art. |
| C．Being the king of Zambia. | D．Turning trash into treasure. |
| A．He had an unhappy childhood. | B．He paid for his primary school. |
| C．He had to support his grandfather. | D．He missed school to do part-time jobs. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Confident. |
| C．Depressed. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．A Successful Path of Art. | B．The Junk-art King of Zambia. |
| C．A Young Man’s Wildest Dream. | D．The Modern Junk Works of Art. |
4 . Recently，as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his high school team，I was starting to feel sorry for myself and for him．His team was facing adversity（逆境）on the court and he was playing in a hostile environment-it was the opponent's home gym filled with their supporters，and Nathan's team was trailing（落后）for three quarters of the game．As for me，I had been dismissed from my job earlier in the day．
During my drive home，I kept telling myself that I will find work again in a short time-I am confident in my experience and abilities．This is the same belief that I tried to instill in my son．
The basketball game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan's team still trailing．I saw the determination on his，as well as his teammates'faces as they fought back to not only tie the game（平局），but then go ahead by three points．Then，a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to tie the game up again．With a tie game and seconds on the clock，Nathan found himself with the ball and with skill and confidence，he proceeded to make the basket with a defender hanging all over him．The other player was called for a foul（犯规）．
As Nathan stood at the foul line preparing for a shot that would put his team up by three points，I saw the focus and determination on his face，there was no room for self doubt．Nathan was able to tune out all the distractions and nail the free throw with such skill，it was as if he had done it a thousand times．
As I sat there，my heart bursting with pride，it dawned on me．I had taught him perseverance in the face of adversity，and he had just taught me the same lesson．That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court．He will play in the finals，but it doesn't matter if he wins or loses，at this moment，we both won．
1. What did the author estimate his son's team would be like at first？ ______| A．The team would lose at home court． |
| B．The team would finally win． |
| C．The team would win the championship． |
| D．The team would lose at visiting court． |
| A．Self-doubting and pessimistic． |
| B．Self-confident and optimistic． |
| C．Hardworking and intelligent． |
| D．Easy-going and warmhearted． |
| A．Avoid | B．Focus． |
| C．Create | D．Receive． |
| A．Life Goes Just Like Playing Basketball． |
| B．It Matters Whether to Win or Lose． |
| C．A Lesson in Life and Basketball． |
| D．Father And Son in Life． |
5 . The first World Friendship Day was proposed for July 30, 1958 by the World Friendship Crusade, an international civil organization to foster a culture of peace through friendship.
Days before the festival, card and gift companies launch a large campaign(活动) to attract people into buying cards and gifts for their friends. Streets and stores are filled with advertising programs aimed at young people.
Since its beginning in 1935, Friendship Day celebrations have come a long way.
| A．The popular customs of Friendship Day include handing over roses, |
| B．The idea of honoring friendship was adopted by a few countries in Asia. |
| C．Restaurants offer special discounts to make the most of the time as well. |
| D．These days, however, it is celebrated with a lot of showing off and expenses. |
| E．These are new ways of celebration of this day that have grown in popularity. |
| F．The original idea for a day of friendship came from Hallmark cards in the 1930s. |
| G．But however much the ways of celebration have changed, the basic idea behind the occasion remains the same. |
6 . There was a time in the 1960’s and 1970’s when some people believed that coffee would replace tea as Britain’s favourite drink, but that did not happen, and today, tea remains Britain’s favourite drink.
To say that the British are fond of tea is something of an understatement(轻描淡写). From the Royal(皇室的) Family down to the homeless and the out-of-work, tea is more than just a pleasure. It is an important part of life!
The popularity of tea in the United Kingdom has a long history. It was in 1657 that Thomas Garway, the owner of a coffee house, sold the first tea in London. The drink soon became popular as another choice besides coffee.
In those days, however, tea was not something for anyone. For a century and a half, it remained an expensive drink. Many bosses served a cup of it to their workers in the middle of the morning, thus inventing a lasting British institution, the “tea break”. But as a social drink outside the workplace, tea was served for the nobility(贵族) and for the growing middle classes. Among those who had the money for tea, it became very popular as a drink to be enjoyed in cafés and “tea gardens”.
It was the 7th Duchess of Bedford who, in around 1800, started the popular “afternoon tea”, which took place at about four o'clock. At about the same time, the Earl of Sandwich popularised a new way of eating bread with something (e. g. jam) between them, and before long, a small meal at the end of the afternoon with tea and sandwiches had become part of a way of life.
As tea became much cheaper during the nineteenth century, its popularity spread right through British society. In working-class households, it was served with the main meal of the day, eaten when workers returned home after a day’s labour. This meal has become known as “high tea”.
Today, tea can be drunk at any time of day. Most people in Britain drink tea for breakfast. The mid-morning “tea break” is an institution in British offices and factories. Later in the day, “afternoon tea” is still a way of life in the south of England and among the middle classes, while “high tea” has remained a tradition in the north of Britain.
1. Who played an important part in the beginning of tea time in England?| A．Thomas Garway. | B．The Royal Family. |
| C．The Earl of Sandwich. | D．The Duchess of Bedford. |
| A．drink | B．workplace |
| C．tradition | D．order |
| A．The “tea break” kept the workers from being sleepy after lunch. |
| B．Workers could enjoy a cup of tea in “tea gardens” at their workplace. |
| C．“High tea” was usually served with the main meal for the middle classes. |
| D．The “afternoon tea” together with sandwiches became popular in around 1800. |
| A．The Popularity of Tea | B．Tea and the British |
| C．Tea and the Middle Class | D．The History of Tea |
7 . Scientists think that growing garden grass could be the secret to solving our energy needs, and we may soon be able to replace our gasoline with “grassoline”.
The team, including experts from Cardiff University in Wales, has shown that hydrogen can be taken from grass in useful amounts with the help of sunlight and a cheap catalyst (催化剂) — something that speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up.
It is the first time that this has been shown and it could lead to a sustainable (可持续的) way of making hydrogen, reported Asian News International. This could be an important kind of renewable energy because it is high in energy and it does not give out harmful gases when it is burned.
Study co-author Michael Bowker said, “This is really a green source of energy. Hydrogen is seen as an important future energy carrier as the world moves from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and our research has shown that even garden grass could be a good way of getting it.”
Cellulose (纤维素), which is a key part of plants and the biopolymer (生物聚合物) found in the largest numbers on the earth, could be a great source of hydrogen.
In its study, the team looked at the possibility of getting hydrogen from cellulose using sunlight and a simple catalyst.
This is called photocatalysis (光催化作用) and in it, the sunlight starts the catalyst, which then makes cellulose and water into hydrogen. The researchers studied the effectiveness of three metal-based catalysts, of which nickel (镍) especially interested the researchers, as it is a much more common metal than gold and palladium (钯) and it saves more money.
According to Bowker, producing hydrogen from cellulose using photocatalysis has not been studied in detail. The team’s research shows that large amounts of hydrogen can be produced using this method with the help of a bit of sunlight and a cheap catalyst.
The study shows that it is effective to use real grass taken from a garden. “This is important as it avoids the need to separate and clean up cellulose, which can be both difficult and costly,” said Bowker.
1. What are needed to get hydrogen from grass?| A．A catalyst and palladium. | B．Water and cellulose. |
| C．Sunlight and a biopolymer. | D．Sunlight and a catalyst. |
| A．It is cheap, green and sustainable. |
| B．It is the best to produce the renewable energy. |
| C．It is more productive and efficient than other methods. |
| D．It can replace the way to make fossil fuels completely. |
| A．It can produce the largest amount of hydrogen. |
| B．It can avoid separating and cleaning up cellulose. |
| C．It is more common than other metals and costs less. |
| D．It works quicker than other metals during photocatalysis. |
| A．Catalysts that could be taken from grass. |
| B．A new way of making hydrogen from cellulose. |
| C．The potential of hydrogen as a renewable energy. |
| D．The connection between hydrogen and photocatalysis. |
8 . Preparing Cities for Robot Cars
The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream, years away from materializing in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn’t leading the way here. Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country. It’s hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is regulated.
While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars(and rightfully so), policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions(排放) and offer more convenient, affordable mobility options. The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.
Do we want to copy — or even worsen — the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own individual self-driving vehicles. They tolerate long, slow journeys to and from work on packed highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride, which encourages urban spread. They take their driverless car to an appointment and set the empty vehicle to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport — an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing(叫车) services.
A study from the University of California at Davis suggested that replacing petrol-powered private cars worldwide with electric, self-driving and shared systems could reduce carbon emissions from transportation 80% and cut the cost of transportation infrastructure(基础设施) and operations 40% by 2050. Fewer emissions and cheaper travel sound pretty appealing. The first commercially available driverless cars will almost certainly be fielded by ride-hailing services, considering the cost of self-driving technology as well as liability and maintenance issues(责任与维护问题). But driverless car ownership could increase as the prices drop and more people become comfortable with the technology.
Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless vehicles doesn’t extend the worst aspects of the car-controlled transportation system we have today. The coming technological advancement presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.
1. According to the author, attention should be paid to how driverless cars can __________.| A．help deal with transportation-related problems |
| B．provide better services to customers |
| C．cause damage to our environment |
| D．make some people lose jobs |
| A．Safety. | B．Side effects. |
| C．Affordability. | D．Management. |
| A．Employed. | B．Replaced. |
| C．Shared. | D．Reduced. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
9 . In modem times, many teenagers have idols of their own who are always some stars on TV on the Internet, etc. These stars always think that a slimmer figure may be perfect for themselves. However, does size really matter? Are teenage fans trying hard to become like their idols? Do famous stars really have the power to influence people especially teenagers?
For the longest time, many parents blame (责备) teen idols for influencing the way their kids act. Have you noticed how teens idolize the stars these days? Even, their personal affairs are being followed by kids these days. Take for example the case of Lindsay Lohan or Mary Kate Ashley, They are definitely famous teen stars. However, since they are trying to project an image to satisfy a lot of people in show business their health and body suffer. Many kids are aware of this problem. But they are easily influenced by these stars to exercise and eat less.
It is a fact that the media and especially famous teen stars can influence people powerfully. But teenagers are easily influenced because teenage years are the period when our personality and identity developments take place. Teens watching TV shows and reading magazines are easily pulled into the dieting and harmful eating habits because the media have some ways to pull these acts. They use thin models and stars to endorse (宣传) products or to star in an up-and-coming shows or movies. With fierce competition, stars are forced to eat less and do extreme exercise routines to get the roles or offers that come their way.
Living in today’s time and generation is a bit disturbing to a lot of parents. Media, especially as well as the stars, have a very powerful influence to drive teenagers to good or bad. It’s good that we can control ourselves to avoid bad things from happening. If not, parents should really be aware and guide their teens to determine what’s in and what’s out.
1. According to the passage, we can learn that Lindsay Lohan .| A．lives a rich and happy life | B．lives an unhealthy lifestyle |
| C．doesn’t get any exercise | D．sets a good example for teenagers |
| A．to keep healthy to face competition | B．to keep a slim size |
| C．to survive under pressure | D．to satisfy their teenage fans |
| A．They are in their development period. | B．They are tired of school. |
| C．Their idols often appear in many TV shows. | D．They have nothing to do in their spare time. |
| A．Parent’s Responsibilities | B．Advice on Self-control |
| C．Media’s Bad Influences | D．Bad Influences of idols |
10 . Many people write to newspaper and magazines to express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the information is not necessary for publication. This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that writers are held responsible for what they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the name of the game.
“People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate because they refuse to accept responsibility for the relationship,” said social worker Ken Yip, “and this is what is causing a lot of family problems.” When we sign a paper, for example, a business contract or a bank document, the signature is a seal of consent, an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations will not process written complaints if they do not bear the writer’s signature. The absence of a signature, they explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply.
There are people who wish to remain anonymous (匿名的) for various reasons. Multi-billionaire Mr. King donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the publicity his donations may bring, and he does not want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of revealing their identity. Crime witnesses may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime.
Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have a name. It is a matter of responsibility to use it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want to honor our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our own name that we honor what we say.
1. What does the writer mean by saying “Responsibility is the name of the game”?| A．Writers need to provide their personal information in the game. |
| B．Publication must bear the writer’s full name, address and phone number. |
| C．Writers should be responsible for their names. |
| D．Names are required to indicate writers’ responsibility for what they say. |
| A．not get a reply |
| B．help to end a relationship |
| C．be accepted all the same |
| D．become a family problem |
| A．hesitant to make a donation |
| B．unwilling to draw public attention |
| C．afraid of an accusation |
| D．ready for involvement |
| A．honor and writers |
| B．identity and signature |
| C．signature and responsibility |
| D．anonymity and signature |
