1 . Around the World

Here is big news from Around the World.

Science Fiction Museum opens
Chengdu, China

The Chengdu Science Fiction Museum has opened its doors to the public. China’s newest museum—a star-shaped building on a lake was built in 12 months. Technology sped up the design and construction of the 635,070-square-foot museum, which has galleries, educational spaces, and cafés.

Day of the Dead is celebrated
Mexico

Thousands of people lined the streets of Mexico City to watch its annual Day of the Dead parade. The holiday was observed from October 31 to November 2 to remember and celebrate loved ones who have died. During this time, the dead are believed to return to the world. Families welcome them back with offerings, such as their favorite food.

Modern art at ancient pyramids
Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

A modern art exhibit at the Pyramids of Giza, titled Forever Is Now, has returned for a third year. This year’s show is the biggest yet and features works by 14 artists. The free event aims to celebrate ancient Egyptian culture with modern skills. Artists were careful not to harm the 4,500-year-old World Heritage Site.

Schools close due to heavy air pollution
Delhi, India

Elementary schools in Delhi are closed for at least one week because of the city’s poor air quality. The amount of harmful materials in the air has reached nearly 100 times the acceptable limit. Delhi is often very polluted in November because that is when many farmers burn their remaining crops. To reduce the smog, officials in the city have banned polluting vehicles, construction work, and the use of fireworks.

1. Where can you visit a museum on the lake?

A．In Chengdu, China.	B．In Mexico City.
C．At the Pyramids of Giza.	D．In Delhi, India.

2. Why are elementary schools closed in Delhi?

A．To build the newest museum.	B．To hold a modern art exhibit.
C．To celebrate the Day of the Dead.	D．To avoid the harm caused by air pollution.

2 . As a 16-year-old student, Charlie has been a successful business owner. When he was in middle school, he ________ the idea of selling coffee. Then he made a lot of ________. He did research on the Internet, tested different kinds of coffee and improved his product. It all seemed ________ but he didn’t give up.

At the same time, he received great support from others in his community, who tried to help him succeed at such a young age. They were ________ by his creativity. And his good coffee became increasingly popular. ________, he set up his own company successfully and he also made a decision to ________ a part of his earnings to benefit others.

Now Charlie is helping to educate and inspire other kids in his community to start their own business. He has been sharing his story with ________ middle school and high school students. His advice is: “Never let your ________ stand in your way; do what you want to do.”

The key to his success is to ________ goals and keep going on. His growing faith also helps him over the course of his business adventure. “You can start a business out of anything. It is more about finding your ________.” Charlie said.

1.

A．made use of

B．turned down

C．came up with

D．asked about

2.

A．efforts

B．rules

C．decisions

D．choices

3.

A．easy

B．hard

C．important

D．necessary

4.

A．reminded

B．saved

C．helped

D．inspired

5.

A．Finally

B．Unbelievably

C．Thankfully

D．Hopefully

6.

A．reduce

B．keep

C．donate

D．increase

7.

A．national

B．lucky

C．brave

D．local

8.

A．character

B．age

C．pressure

D．impression.

9.

A．set

B．break

C．study

D．change

10.

A．talent

B．passion

C．opinion

D．surprise

3 . I always had a nice cup of tea every morning in my country in Indonesia.     1     When I arrived in the early morning for the first time at Sydney airport, the first thing that I looked for was a coffee shop.     2     I jumped into the queue. Then a very friendly girl asked me if she could help me. I said that I would like to have a cup of tea. Then she asked me, “Would you like black or white tea?” I thought she was making a morning joke with me. So I said, “Red tea, please.” With a very unfriendly face she asked me again, “Black or white tea, please?”     3     I didn't know what actually black or white tea was. I only knew that having tea is usually with or without sugar.

    4     I saw a lady drinking tea with milk in it. Then I asked her, “Can I say that you are having a white tea?” She smiled and said, “Yes, you can.” At that moment, I understood that black tea is no milk added and white tea is with milk. How big is the difference of having tea between Indonesian and Australian people!

A．I didn't say anything.

B．One day I had a cup of tea at the university tea room.

C．It gave me a great feeling in the morning.

D．Finally, I found a nice coffee shop with many people queuing (排队) to order.

4 . Replacing some things in your house at the right time can make you healthier. Some researches show us when and why the following things should be replaced.

Word Box: wool羊毛 dry-clean 干洗  bacteria 细菌
1. According to the form above, _________ of the four items is (are) mainly made of wood.

A．one

B．two

C．three

D．four

2. Your _____ needs replacing every three months because it may cause you to have a toothache.

A．toothbrush

B．cutting board

C．chopsticks

D．blanket

3. You should clean ___ with boiling water.

A．chopsticks and blankets	B．toothbrushes and cutting boards
C．cutting boards and chopsticks	D．cutting boards and blankets

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the form above?

A．Your cutting board should be dry-cleaned hot water.

B．Being worn out is the reason for replacing your blanket.

C．Warm water prevents your chopsticks from producing bacteria.

D．The material of toothbrush is the same as that of the chopsticks.

5 . Wei Guangming lives a double life. By day, he is a garbage man, but by night he is a self-taught oil painter whose work is featured on online art work trading platforms.

There’s a sharp contrast between a worker who collects cardboard boxes and recycles them and a painter who practices his techniques by copying masterpieces and has risen to fame on Douyin, with floods of orders for his paintings.

The 48-year-old has lived in Shaoxing. He never received any form of formal art training, but has liked painting since his childhood.

Most of his paintings are impressionist works. He sold his first painting at an online artwork trading platform for 200 yuan in 2016. Excited about the first successful sale, he posted the sale on Douyin, attracting a large number of followers and more orders. Wei accepts 25—30 orders each month, the most he can handle while still being able to maintain quality. “Painting is not inkjet(喷墨) on a computer. You have to paint each stroke(笔画) carefully. If I take too many orders, I can’t guarantee the quality,” he said. He won’t give up his day job as it provides financial stability, so he can focus on painting in his spare time in his rented room of only 15 square meters.

Wei earns around 4,000—5,000 yuan collecting garbage and another 6,000—7,000 yuan selling paintings each month. Being extremely plain with his needs, he spends only a few hundred yuan each month on daily expenses and sends the rest back to his home in Anhui Province. Although he has become famous, he is perfectly clear that he is only an amateur. His long-term goal is to create instead of copying and become a professional painter.

1. What can we learn about Wei Guangming from the passage?

A．He practices painting by copying masterpieces.

B．He focuses on creating his own paintings.

C．He relies mainly on the earnings from paintings.

D．He collected self-created paintings online.

2. Why does Wei Guangming accept no more than 30 orders monthly?

A．Because he is not financially stable.

B．Because he wants to guarantee the quality.

C．Because he can’t sell so many paintings.

D．Because he can’t paint during the day.

3. What does the underlined part “an amateur” mean in the last Paragraph?

A．A greedy man.	B．A speedy man.
C．A non-professional man.	D．A special man.

4. What is the aim of the passage?

A．To introduce a painter.

B．To show respect for someone aiming high.

C．To encourage hard work and creativity.

D．To share an inspiring story of an ordinary person.

6 . 假定你是李华，是阳光中学学生会主席。学生会准备开展一次爱心进社区活动。请你写一则英语通知发布到学校英文网站上，号召同学们积极参加。内容包括：
1.活动时间和地点；
2.活动内容：清洁社区、看望孤寡老人等。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.通知格式已给出，所给内容不计入总词数。

Notice

Community Service

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student Union

8 June 2023

7 . He leaves his briefcase (公文包) beside the driver and finds a seat in the middle of a group of bored teenagers. He sits forward, looks at the driver, sits back, and repeats the process. The teenagers stare at him. They don’t realize Porter’s afraid someone will steal his briefcase.

Porter came to Portland when he was 13. He attended a school for the disabled and then Lincoln High School, where he was placed in a class for slow kids. But he wasn’t slow. He wanted to be a salesman and his mother was certain that he could one day make it. With her encouragement, he applied for different jobs only to be turned down. He began reading help-wanted ads in the newspaper and read about Watkins, a company that sold household products. His mother set up a meeting with a representative (代表). The man said no, but Porter wouldn’t listen. He just wanted a chance. The man gave in and offered Porter an area of the city that no salesman wanted.

That night Porter discovered the products of the company were guaranteed (保障) . He would sell that promise.

On the first day, people told him to go away. However, if a customer turned him down, Porter kept coming back until they heard him. And he sold.

For several years he was Watkins’ top salesman. Now he is the only salesman of the company that sells door-to-door.

1. Why does Porter keep sitting forward, looking at the driver and sitting back?

A．To keep an eye on his briefcase.	B．To attract the driver’s attention.
C．To make himself feel comfortable.	D．To avoid the teenagers’ attention.

2. How did Porter’s mother help him get the offer?

A．By teaching him the sales skills in person.

B．By arranging a meeting with a representative.

C．By sending him to a school for market training.

D．By telling him some information about the employer.

3. What’s special about Watkins’ products?

A．They are guaranteed.	B．They are famous all over the world.
C．They are sold door-to-door.	D．They are designed by a disabled man.

4. Which of the following could best describe Porter as a salesman?

A．Brave.

B．Shy.

C．Confident.

D．Determined.

8 . If you’re a parent, you know how important it is to develop a child’s creativity.

Joe Whale’s mom and dad have always seen the _________ in their son. _________, at 6 years old, Joe began drawing and fell in love with it. Since then, his family has _________ the creative outlet (释放)—even after he started getting into trouble for it.

When _________ about Joe’s doodling (涂鸦) began coming in from teachers at his school in Shrewsbury, England, the 9-year-old’s parents weren’t upset. They _________ that doodling was Joe’s way to express himself. So rather than _________ him for not paying attention, they sent him to an after-school art class.

_________ his artwork, his after-school teacher began sharing it on Instagram, where Joe’s _________ caught the attention of local restaurant Number Four. The staff thought his style was a perfect _________ for the cafe, so they reached out to see if Joe wanted to help __________ their dining room. When Joe heard about the __________, he leapt at the __________ to do it.

The __________ became Joe’s new after-school activity—and his first __________! He spent a couple of hours every weekday filling the restaurant’s walls with his art. Joe’s dad Greg said it took him about 12 hours to __________.

“Joe loves doodling, and we’re so __________ of everything he’s achieving,” Greg said. “The fact that a completely independent __________ has asked our 9-year-old son to do a professional piece of work for them is __________.”

__________, Joe has a bright future ahead of him! This job is just the first of many __________ more and more people can commission (正式委托创作) pieces through his website, and we can’t wait to see them!

1.

A．artist

B．weakness

C．honesty

D．inventor

2.

A．In all

B．On purpose

C．After all

D．As usual

3.

A．observed

B．provided

C．challenged

D．encouraged

4.

A．discussions

B．complaints

C．examples

D．articles

5.

A．reported

B．continued

C．realized

D．promised

6.

A．blame

B．comfort

C．examine

D．attract

7.

A．Confused about

B．Surprised at

C．Worried about

D．Relieved at

8.

A．nature

B．idea

C．dream

D．talent

9.

A．answer

B．honor

C．fit

D．topic

10.

A．design

B．decorate

C．repair

D．draw

11.

A．news

B．case

C．service

D．discovery

12.

A．guide

B．plan

C．choice

D．chance

13.

A．show

B．travel

C．project

D．lesson

14.

A．aim

B．job

C．test

D．act

15.

A．finish

B．wait

C．digest

D．study

16.

A．careful

B．proud

C．shy

D．nervous

17.

A．community

B．website

C．school

D．business

18.

A．unreasonable

B．unsuitable

C．unbelievable

D．unacceptable

19.

A．Clearly

B．Luckily

C．Similarly

D．Strangely

20.

A．though

B．until

C．if

D．because

9 . A giant 18-wheel transport truck is moving very quickly down a Texas highway (公路) , and there is no one behind the wheel.

The futuristic idea is being tested in Texas, which has become the center of a rapidly developing self-driving vehicle industry.

Self-driving technology companies didn’t land in Texas by chance. The state has the largest number of truck drivers and engineers. Its sunny climate is great for the trucks’ sensors, and neighboring Mexico exports 85 percent of its goods to Texas by road. But most of all, Texas passed a law that gave autonomous cars the same position as traditional vehicles in 2018.

With the United States so vast (辽阔的) and trucking such an important part of its economy, companies see self-driving as a way to cut costs and reduce risk, since unlike human drivers, autonomous vehicles don’t get tired. While it will take a person three days to drive a truck from Los Angeles to Dallas, a self-driving truck will complete the journey in 24 hours. And it will be nearly twice as cheap. The per-mile cost would drop from $1.76 to $0.96 if the truck drives itself.

Alex Rodrigues, CEO and co-founder of Embark Technology, insists self-driving trucks will play a key role in dealing with the current shortage of long-distance truck drivers in the US, some of whom are unwilling to be away from their families for weeks at a time. And Rodrigues promises that the self-driving truck industry will create “attractive” jobs for local drivers, who will take over the autonomous trucks at transfer (中转) points and drive them to their final destination points.

Still, about 294,000 trucking jobs would be threatened by the industry’s automation, according to a 2018 study.

For Julio Moscoso, a 56-year-old driver in Texas, the arrival of driverless trucks is “not good news”. He still remembers a time not long ago when “there wasn’t as much work”. And most importantly, Moscoso says he wouldn’t trust driverless trucks. “It’s dangerous. What happens if the sensors fail?” he asks.

1. What contributes most to the position of Texas in the self-driving truck industry?

A．Its special law.	B．Its bright weather.
C．Its attraction to talents.	D．Its unique geographical location.

2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The future of driverless trucks.

B．The influences of driverless trucks.

C．The production of driverless trucks.

D．The advantages of driverless trucks.

3. What does Rodrigues think of the self-driving truck industry?

A．It will make transport safer.

B．It will have fewer transport costs.

C．It will offer good job opportunities.

D．It will lift drivers’ competitive spirit.

4. What is Moscoso’s attitude to driverless trucks?

A．He is against them.

B．He appreciates them.

C．He is doubtful about them.

D．He pays little attention to them.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Mr Bolton had a big house with a beautiful lawn and a garden. His neighbor often came to visit his garden and Mr Bolton enjoyed    1    (hold) parties in his house. Sometimes, even visitors to the town came to his house to look    2    the lawn and garden.

Because of this, Mr Bolton was very proud of his lawn and garden and he spend all his time and energy taking care of them. But there was still one thing    3    bothered him -- the sidewalk. Some of the sidewalk’s tiles(地砖) were stained(沾了污渍的). Some showed    4    (difference) levels of wear and some just looked old. One day, Mr Bolton had    5    brilliant idea. “Why not paint the sidewalk?” he said to    6    (he). So he went to a hardware store and found some light grey paint. He bought the paint, rushed home and    7    (get) out a paint roller. And in a short time he had    8    (complete) painted the sidewalk. After the paint dried, the sidewalk looked as though it was brand new.

Mr Bolton thought the project was a great    9    (succeed). But there was one unexpected result that troubled him: His neighbors and visitors all walk on his lawn now because they don’t want    10    (make) the sidewalk dirty.