1 . Wind turbines (涡轮) and solar panels that generate electricity are examples of “green” technology. A new study finds that such renewable energy might be green in another sense. Large collections of those turbines or solar panels appear capable of bringing rains to the desert and would allow more plants to grow.

Building large wind or solar farms just to study their question was not an option. It would be too costly. So experts Kalnay and Safa developed a model of North Africa’s Sahara Desert to find out how wind turbines and solar farms might alter the desert’s climate.

The team ran its model several times. In one run, it assumed that people would set up wind farms only. Another run assumed people would install just solar farms. A third assumed people would build both. They would affect the desert’s weather with temperature and average daily rain increased—but differently. Installing a mix of solar farms and wind turbines brought about a bigger change—not in temperature but in rainfall. In the Sahara, having both wind and solar farms more than doubled the amount of rain that fell, up to 215.4 millimeters per day.

The models predicted that the average rainfall would increase over time, as more plants grew. Plants move water from the ground to the air. Warmer air can carry more water. So as this air rises, it can ferry more water up to become clouds. Those clouds can release rain, relieving the thirst of plants below. Over time, this process repeats itself over and over. This positive feedback can greatly boost rains.

Such rainfall changes could lead to better agriculture, says Safa. “More rain also would help wild plants grow. We believe that the countries in the Sahara should seriously consider investing in wind and solar power”, he added.

1. What is the new finding of the research?

A．Deserts will be suitable for farming.

B．It costs much to get deserts greener.

C．Renewable energy can green a desert.

D．Clean energy helps plants grow better.

2. What discouraged experts from building energy farms?

A．High construction expenses.

B．A lack of suitable test sites.

C．Shortage of manpower.

D．Terrible climate.

3. What was the advantage of the third run?

A．Saving more energy with less cost.

B．Doubling global rainfall per year.

C．Raising daily rainfall in the desert.

D．Decreasing temperature in the desert.

4. What may Safa advise the countries in the Sahara to do?

A．Build more farms to grow crops.

B．Save more water for agriculture.

C．Invest in wind and solar power.

D．Consider moving to other places.

2 . In the future, when robots can be used both in homes and in other areas, they could improve the living standards of people.     1     When robots can complete such jobs, people can spend more time with their family and friends.

Experts believe robots can be used on certain jobs to avoid accidents caused by careless behavior of some people. When robots are used on such work, it does not risk any human life due to accidents at the workplace. Human resources can be efficiently used by performing tasks which demand human skills like critical thinking and problem solving.     2    

While some people talk about how robots can be useful to humans, others voice their concerns. When robots become cheaper to produce, employers may prefer to use more robots than humans. As the technology constantly improves the abilities of robots, it could weaken the value of humans.     3     Some may even develop the habit of using robots on tasks that they can easily do. This could create a lazy society.

    4     Without them, the nation’s health care system will break down. There will simply be too many elderly people to care for as the nation faces a decreasing birth rate, an aging population, and the loosening of family ties.     5     Above all, Japan needs its dreams of robots in the home to come true because its immigration policy is anti-immigration.

A．Robots have been widely used in Japan.

B．Many people may rely on robots heavily.

C．They can free people from such tasks as cooking.

D．Most people believe robots have changed their life.

E．Japan sees it as a must to build robots to take care of the elderly.

F．Robots can be also used on low-end jobs like moving heavy things.

G．However, many elderly people would prefer human helpers to robots.

3 . A team of global body language experts has come up with this list of the best body language courses.

1. Body Language For Businessmen

This course is particularly useful to businessmen. It will teach you how to use body language to increase your success, influence, and income. By the end of the course, you will understand the role of body language in business success and get a Certificate of Completion after completing the course.

2. Body Language Course

This beginner level course is useful to anyone eager to learn how to use body language to communicate effectively. The course discusses topics like the significance of communication and tips of improving body language. The course is delivered by award-winning instructors.

3. Digital Body Language

This course teaches how to improve your digital personal brand. It discusses a variety of topics like power of face, personality and confidence, drawing attention, and web page essentials. By the end of the course, you will perfect online presence, master body language online and level up your digital brand.

4. How To Make A Great First Impression

This course will make you realize how eye contact, a smile and handshake can increase your chances of improving the first impression you make on the other person, which is quite useful for anyone starting a new job. By the end of the course you will pick up the skills and confidence you need to make a good first impression.

1. Which of the following courses may best suit a senior manager?

A．Digital Body Language

B．Body Language Course

C．Body Language For Businessmen

D．How To Make A Great First Impression

2. What can you learn if you take Digital Body Language?

A．How to change your characters.

B．How to protect yourself online.

C．How to build up a successful company.

D．How to improve personal influence online.

3. Who is more likely to attend How To Make A Great First Impression?

A．A news reporter.	B．A job seeker.
C．A lab researcher.	D．An interviewer.

4 . In July 1954 Richard Baker, who died aged 93, became the first announcer to introduce a news bulletin (新闻快报) on BBC television. His debut (处女秀) was limited and urged the BBC to put aside any fears that seeing facial expressions might be distracting for viewers, and make their newsreaders visible.

Baker’s first newsflash outside a scheduled bulletin came in October 1955, when Princess Margaret declared the break-up with Peter Townsend, and from 1957 he was joined by Robert Dougall as the regular faces of BBC TV news.

Baker had started with the corporation in 1950, first as a studio manager and then an announcer on the Third Programme, now Radio 3, and returned to his love for classical music, introducing concerts from the Royal Albert Hall for TV (1960-95), and presenting programmes with enthusiasm on Radio 2, including Friday Night Is Music Night (1998-2005). He also broadcast on Radio 3 and Classic FM. Besides, he had become the nearest the BBC had found to a successor for Richard Dimbleby as a reporter for outside broadcasts of great occasions.

His sense of composure-thinking quickly on his feet without betraying the fact-served him well in broadcasting. He liked to give the impression that he was rather a muddler who could forget where he should be at any given moment, but in reality he was in complete control.

He was declared TV newsreader of the year three times in the 1970s, and won a Sony Gold award for lifetime achievement in radio. As a member of the Broadcasting Standards Council, he did much to lessen complaints against his industry.

1. Why was BBC cautious about making newsreaders visible?

A．Facial expressions were hard to read.	B．Audience’s attention might be divided.
C．Technological support was not reliable.	D．Viewers were uninterested in newsreaders.

2. What does Para 3 mainly talk about?

A．Baker made a career in BBC.	B．Music programs were popular.
C．A suitable job was hard to find.	D．Baker had a deep love for music.

3. What contributed to Baker’s success in career?

A．His good sense of humor.	B．His rich work experience.
C．His calm personality.	D．His good education.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Journalism was a promising industry.	B．Baker was the most successful newsreader.
C．Broadcasting received some criticism.	D．Baker had a talent for management.

5 . 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。

It’s funny that you can always tell when somebody’s laughing behind your back. Jodie hadn’t really heard anything, maybe a whisper, but when she turned around, the girls in the back row of the class were looking at her, trying to hide smiles and laughs. She looked back at her teacher. Mr Swales was talking about what people do all day. He also wanted to find out what his students wanted to be when they grew up.

He called on Billy Miter first. “My daddy works in a bank,” Billy Miter said. “I guess I want to work in a bank too. There’s lots of money in the bank.” My parents have a grocery store,” Emmy Disal said. “Papa’s behind the counter and Mama keeps the cash register. But I want to be an airline pilot.”

Jodie liked it when Mr Swales asked them questions like this. He was about to call on Jodie when the girls in the back row burst out laughing.

Shirley Danes yelled, “Jodie’s daddy is a garbage man!”

Everybody in the class laughed out loud. Everybody except Jodie, that is. She felt her face turn bright red. She looked around the whole classroom. Everyone was laughing. Some kids were even holding their noses.

Jodie looked at Mr Swales. He was angry. He almost never raised his voice, but now he did.

“Silence! I want everybody to quiet down this instant.”

The laughter stopped immediately. The sound of cars and people going by out on the street came through the windows.” You should be ashamed of yourselves,” Mr Swales said. “Being a garbage man… I mean, is a difficult and enormously useful job. We should all be grateful to Mr Harris. Where would we be without him? Up to our cars in garbage, that’s where. How would you like that?”

“It’s not funny,” Mr Swales went on. “Garbage is a serious matter. I think you all owe Jodie an apology. And after that, you’re all going to write Jodie’s father, Mr Harris, a nice letter to tell him how much you appreciate what he does for all of us. In other words, keeping our city clear.”

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。

Everyone said “Sorry, Jodie”, but Jodie could tell they didn’t really mean it.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jodie’s father came to walk her home from school as usual.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填写适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式

I feel so     1     (bless) to be alive in such a beautiful and wide place. Nothing can be     2     (good) than breathing the fresh air and enjoying the adventure of     3     (hike) over the difficult land to the other side of the valley.

Body language     4     (vary) from culture to culture. For example, making eye contact is a way to display interest while in other countries, it is not always approved     5    . On the other hand, some gestures seem     6     (have) the same meaning everywhere.     7    , a good knowledge of body language is a must for better communication.

    8     impresses people most about Yuan Longping is his ongoing ability to fulfill his dream. He succeed in producing a rice     9     could feed more people at home and abroad. His latest vision for “seawater rice” has also become a     10     (real). Everyone is waiting to see what he will dream up next.

7 . When the first visitors to Yellowstone tried to report what they saw, news magazines responded, “Thank you, but we do not print fiction.” Established in 1872 and located primarily in Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park (YNP) was famous for its natural scenery and biodiversity. As America’s first national park, it remains one of the most popular tourist attractions.

This year, YNP has reported that it had the most-ever September visitors. The increase contrasts sharply with May, when visitation rates were 90% lower compared to the same month last year. The park recorded about 837,000 visits in September, a rate 21% higher than September 2019 and 15.6% higher than the park’s second-busiest September on record in 2018, when it hosted 724,000 people.

Yellowstone was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic from March 24 to May 18, when its two Wyoming entrances reopened. In June, the park opened its three other entrances and visitation rates improved slightly. The park reported a 32% decline in visitors compared to the same month last year. Visitation rates through June were down 49% compared to numbers from the first six months of 2019. However, a rapid uptick saw an increase of 2% in visitation rates in July compared to the same month last year. The park hosted 955, 645 visitors in July compared to 534,000 people in June.

The national park’s peak season is typically from May through September. Most lodges, restaurants, stores and other services close for the year in October, followed by all park roads in early November.

Sara Fleming, a spokesperson for the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce, said the increase in tourists could be caused by an increase in the amount of young people who have visited the park in recent months. She said more young people between 20 and 50 have visited the park than in previous summers.

1. In which of the following months visitation rates dropped most?

A．May.

B．June.

C．July.

D．September.

2. What does the underlined word “uptick” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Rise.

B．Decline.

C．Close.

D．Reopen.

3. Why is the number of visitors to YNP increasing?

A．The government encourages people to visit it.	B．YNP is the best destination for holiday takers.
C．The number of young visitors is on the rise.	D．The admission fee has declined greatly.

4. What may the best title for the text?

A．America’s first national park	B．YNP got its busiest September
C．The best season to visit YNP	D．Visitors lost interest in YNP

8 . Thanksgiving Day was near. One day, the first-grade teacher, Miss White, let her students draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.

Most students would ______ the holiday with turkey and other traditional foods of the season. These, the teacher ______, would be the subjects of most of her students’ art. Miss White was ______. but Douglas made a different kind of ______. When he was asked to draw a picture of something for which he was ______, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand. His picture brought ______ to his classmates. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, ______ farmers raised turkeys. Another suggested it was a police officer’s hand, because the police ______ and cared for people.

While the children were ______ with each other, Miss White stood at Douglas’______, bent down and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy ______ and whispered, “It’s yours, Miss White.” What Douglas had said ______ Miss White of the time she had taken his hand and walked with him here and there. How often had she said, “Take my ______, Douglas, we’ll go outside.” Or, “Let me show you how to hold your pencil.”

The ______ speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching, parents parenting, friends showing friendship, and how much Miss White’s hand ______ to Douglas. He might not always say thanks, but he’ll remember the hand that Miss White reaches out.

1.

A．celebrate

B．spend

C．decorate

D．recommend

2.

A．remembered

B．heard

C．thought

D．doubted

3.

A．clear

B．right

C．curious

D．smart

4.

A．picture

B．choice

C．effort

D．food

5.

A．delightful

B．careful

C．pitiful

D．grateful

6.

A．conflicts

B．imagination

C．trouble

D．fear

7.

A．if

B．because

C．unless

D．though

8.

A．protect

B．catch

C．trust

D．encourage

9.

A．discussing

B．quarreling

C．communicating

D．greeting

10.

A．position

B．car

C．desk

D．bed

11.

A．turned back

B．sat down

C．leaned backward

D．looked up

12.

A．convinced

B．informed

C．reminded

D．warned

13.

A．hand

B．advice

C．coat

D．book

14.

A．news

B．story

C．lesson

D．holiday

15.

A．makes

B．discovers

C．means

D．offers

9 . I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was rather organized. Each of her objects had its _______, but mine always hid somewhere. Over time, Kate got _______ and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got _______ of each other.

One evening _______ broke out. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her shouting, “Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I started shouting. She shouted back louder.

The room was filled with _______. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From the end of her conversation, I could _______ right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly hid under her covers, sobbing(呜咽). _______, that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden, a feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.

Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, _______ my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I was so buried in my work _______I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, and her tears dried. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, “Thanks.”

Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always __________, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.

1.

A．room

B．place

C．seat

D．space

2.

A．uglier

B．lazier

C．cleaner

D．brighter

3.

A．fond

B．proud

C．tired

D．afraid

4.

A．war

B．fire

C．game

D．disease

5.

A．worries

B．concerns

C．sadness

D．anger

6.

A．tell

B．express

C．forecast

D．show

7.

A．Surprisingly

B．Clearly

C．Fortunately

D．Excitedly

8.

A．brought

B．caught

C．made

D．changed

9.

A．which

B．that

C．why

D．what

10.

A．hurt

B．play

C．refuse

D．agree

10 . I think that I always knew I wanted to become an artist. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing or painting pictures. My oldest sister and my brother were artistic, and watching them draw fascinated me. They had many different art supplies around the house. Boxes of pastels, little ink bottles and pens were very appealing.

My parents and friends soon saw that I had more than a passing interest in art. It came to define much of my image. Relatives gave me art-related birthday gifts. At school I became “the kid who could draw,” a unique distinction, like “brainiest” or “best athlete”.

As I got a little older, I began copying pictures: cartoons, comic books, and magazine illustrations.

My third-grade class wrote essays on what we wanted to be when we grew up. To me it was obvious. We read them aloud, and I told about the types of paintings I would some day try. I’d have turtles with paintbrushes tied to their backs walking around on a big sheet of paper. Or I’d fill squirt guns with different colored paints and shoot at the canvas. I actually tried this with friends! Well, it sounded like a good idea.

One of the only discouraging childhood experiences about my artwork happened in the fourth grade. During study time I was drawing a picture. My teacher took it away and wrote an angry note home to my mother. “David would rather be drawing pictures than doing his work!!!” I couldn’t believe it, three exclamation points. School “art classes” were pretty uninspiring. Art never seemed to be taken as seriously as other subjects.

In the eighth grade, a big career day was held. Months before, we wrote suggestions for careers we wanted to hear about. On the big day, guest speakers from many fields came to talk, but there wasn’t one that came close to an art-related field.

In high school it actually sank in that I was going to be an artist. I already knew. I’d always known. My parents were excited about my choice, too. As I looked into art schools, I felt like doors were being thrown wide open. Until then my art was a private thing, but at art school I found a place where everyone as “the kid who could draw.”

1. The author became interested in art because of _________.

A．his parents’ wish

B．some schools’ appeal

C．his family members’ influence

D．some experts’ suggestion

2. In the fourth grade, the author _________.

A．began copying pictures

B．drew with squirt guns

C．was discouraged by the teacher

D．got suggestions from guest speakers

3. From the last paragraph, we can learn that the author _________.

A．thanked his parents very much

B．went into a new world of art

C．was still the only kid who could draw

D．stopped learning art finally

4. The story inspires people to _________.

A．stick to their dreams

B．treasure what they have

C．obey the natural rules

D．choose their career earlier