1 . When my kids were young, we bought them two pet parrots. These beautiful, white birds would whistle all through the day. We had a big cage for them with toys, and a mirror, plus food and water dishes. We couldn’t let them fly in the house because of our cats, but they didn’t seem to be content in their cage or so, I thought.
One day when the air had turned warm, I opened the window to let the wind in. The songs of lots of different birds filled the air and our two parrots sang with excitement. I went over to their cage to replace their water, but as soon as I opened the door, one of them flew out and headed for the window. He crashed into the glass, fell over onto the sofa, fell back up and then started to fly around the living room. The cats ran after him, hoping for a quick meal. The kids screamed (尖叫) and I rushed to save him. It took several minutes to stop the cats from catching the bird, and get him safely back in his cage. After that day, however, I always felt a bit sorry for my parrots. I knew that no matter how comfortable their cage was, they still wanted to fly.
Many of us live in cages of our own making. We close our minds, lock away our hearts, and limit our lives. We refuse to see the love that lies within us. We sit in our cages day after day and never dare to once open the door.
I don’t want to waste my days sitting bored in a cage. I want to go fast through the sky on wings of kindness and joy. I want to ride on the winds of love and help everyone to do the same. Don’t stay stuck in your own cage then. Let yourself fly!
1. Why did the writer put parrots into the cage?| A．Because they could be eaten by the cats. |
| B．Because they were too young to fly in the air. |
| C．Because they could see themselves in the mirror. |
| D．Because they would get enough food and water. |
| A．couldn’t stand up after crashing into the glass |
| B．attempted to fly out of the window |
| C．played a hide-and-seek game with eats |
| D．frightened the kids to scream loudly |
| A．Because they liked living in a cage. |
| B．Because their cage wasn’t comfortable for them. |
| C．Because they couldn’t fly freely like other birds. |
| D．Because their enemies were waiting to kill them. |
| A．We try to protect ourselves from danger. |
| B．We like to make a living all by ourselves. |
| C．We do not dare to speak out our love. |
| D．We often put ourselves in a life cage. |
2 . Here’s a review of some excellent red movies and TV programs in 2021.
1921. Released nationwide on July 1, 1921 tightly narrates a historical event, where the Communist Party of China held its first National Congress in Shanghai and Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, in the summer of 1921. As an attempt to seek a breakthrough, the patriotic (爱国的) tale creatively uses several different perspectives (视角) to retell the historical moments of CPC’s first national congress.
Shanhe Suiyue. The 100-episode documentary Shanhe Suiyue serves as a reminder of the sacrifices and struggles of the Chinese people on the revolutionary path to glory. With a total length of more than 41 hours, it is the largest documentary production on the Chinese revolution, which selects 100 key scenes, highlight moments and typical characters, narrating 100 vivid stories.
The Age of Awakening. The 43-episode TV series The Age of Awakening narrates how Chinese intellectuals (知识分子) and young people in the early 1900s, including key CPC founders Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao, tried hard to save a nation with corruption, foreign aggression, and other problems, to form a communist party against all odds.
The Battle at Lake Changjin. Set during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea
(1950-1953), the film centers on a heroic company of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) army. By Nov 24, its overall box office has reached 5.69 billion yuan, replacing Wolf Warrior 2 at the top of China’s all-time box office charts.
1. What can audiences see in 1921?| A．CPC’s first national congress. |
| B．People’s struggle in the early 1900s. |
| C．The same perspective of historical moments. |
| D．The national Congress held only in Shanghai. |
| A．It shows how communist party was formed. |
| B．It selects 100 stories of Chinese intellectuals. |
| C．It has 43-episode series and a length of 41 hours. |
| D．It is the largest documentary on the Chinese revolution. |
| A．Shanhe Suiyue. | B．The Age of Awakening. |
| C．Wolf Warrior 2. | D．The Battle at Lake Changjin. |
It was bright and sunny on May 26, 1997. It was also a special day for me. Friends came over, along with their parents who were holding gifts of all sizes. Even though I wanted to open them right away, my parents would not let me. To pass the time my friends suggested we play hide-and-seek.Everyone agreed. I had great fun playing with them.
After what seemed like only a few minutes, we were called inside to continue the celebration. Everyone started singing “Happy Birthday” to me and I joined in. I blew out my candles and made a wish. Then we went on to eat the wonderful food, like the chocolate cake and jerk chicken, which my mom had made. We had a wonderful time eating and talking together. Finally, the time was here. I quickly walked to the pile of presents and eagerly opened them one by one. Among them were Spiderman action figures, some video games, and a remote controlled car with working light.
After I had opened all the presents, I realized that I received nothing from my parents. Feeling a little sad, I asked them why. They led my away to the backyard. I thought I was going to get an excuse about why they couldn’t get me a present, but I was wrong. Waiting for me in our backyard was a large yellow truck! I was so excited that I immediately drove it around my backyard until it got too dark. That truck made my 4th birthday one of the best forever.
Paragraph 1：
The next day, my parents and I went to the park.
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Paragraph 2：
For the next couple of days my parents and I looked around the neighborhood for the truck.
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4 . Competitive video gaming, known as e-sports, should be included in the Olympic Games, the creator of World of Warcraft has told the BBC.
Rob Pardo, who until July, 2014 was chief creative officer at Blizzard Entertainment, a famous game company, said that “sport” now had a broad definition. “Video games are well positioned to be a spectator sport (观赏性体育运动).“ he told Afternoon Edition on BBC S Live.
Professional e-sports events currently attract audiences of millions. A recent major final held in Seoul, South Korea, filled a stadium of 40,000 people, with many more watching online around the world.
”There’s a very good argument for e-sports being in the Olympics,“ said Mr. Pardo, who was also lead designer on Starcraft: Brood War, a game often credited with promoting the e-sports phenomenon.
”I think the way that you look at e-sports is that it is a very competitive skill and you look at these professional gamers and the reflexes are lightning quick and they’re having to make very quick decisions on the fly.
“When you look at their ‘actions per minute’, they’re clearing over 300.”
However, he admitted that video gaming faced a cultural battle to win over those who followed more physical sports.
“That starts getting into how you define sport,” he said. “If you want to define sport as something that takes a lot of physical exertion (用力气), then it’s hard to argue that video games should be a sport, but at the same time, when I’m looking at things that are already in the Olympics, I start questioning the definition.”
Having new sports admitted into the Olympic is a long-winded process and, since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) limited the number of sports allowed in the Games, has become increasingly difficult.
Even if e-sports were to be recognized as an Olympic sport, that doesn’t mean they would be included in the Games — it merely means a case can be presented to the IOC.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about Rob Pardo?| A．He works for BBC now. |
| B．He held the e-sports final in Seoul. |
| C．He was in charge of the game Starcraft: Brood War. |
| D．He is the chief creative officer at Blizzard Entertainment now. |
| A．reaction | B．challenge | C．creation | D．ability |
| A．very slow | B．very quick |
| C．as quick as ordinary people | D．as quick as other sports players |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．An advertisement. |
| C．A textbook. | D．A news report. |
When Gloria Estefan started primary school, she could not read, write nor speak English. She felt lost, unhappy and completely frightened. However, someone changed her life—her English teacher, Mrs Collins. Her family had left Cuba in 1959 when she was only a year old in the hope of finding a better life in America. Initially they moved to Miami where the family settled in a set of apartments with other Cuban women and children who had immigrated.
The women were close-knit and supportive. While she felt safe, she was also isolated. They all spoke Spanish, and she rarely heard English. On her very first day in school, which she was looking forward to, she was completely shocked. She came home and told her mother that she had learnt her first English word “stupid”. It was the nickname a boy had given her.
In every way possible, she was set apart from her classmates. She was the only panic and non-white student. She also found it difficult to grasp the English language as it was her second language. The culture, her school friends and the food they ate were different from hers. As such, she was set apart from her classmates.
One person made that year bearable for her, Mrs Collins. She was young and African American, so she understood how Gloria felt as she was the only non-white student in class. Mrs Collins never doubted that Gloria could catch up with the other students in time.
Still, the teasing continued. The boy who called her stupid would not stop laughing at her for her accent. He was a good student and the proud holder of the class’s reading award. It was an honour given periodically to a student, based on excellence in schoolwork, participation and homework. Gloria wanted that long-waited award.
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。
Mrs Collins encouraged her to compete for the reading award.
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The award ceremony was coming up.
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6 . Hands-on basketball
The boy was only nine years old when he designed a “hands-on basketball”. Chris Haas had the idea when he saw his friends miss lots of baskets. His basketball has painted hands on it. The hands show you where to put your hands when you throw the ball. Today people use his invention around the world.
Wristies
At age 10, Kathryn Gregory was playing outside one day in the cold. Her wrists (手腕) began to hurt from the cold so she decided to find a way to keep both her hands and wrists warm during the winter. In 1994, she invented Wristies: fuzzy sleeves (毛绒袖子) that can be worn underneath gloves to protect your wrists from the cold. She worked with her mom to get the idea off the ground and now the product is sold worldwide.
Makin’ Bacon
Abbey Fleck was 8 years old when she noticed how much time her parents spent soaking up bacon fat (吸干培根油脂) after cooking. She realized that it might be easier to hang bacon while it cooks. That way you wouldn’t need paper towels and it would even make the bacon healthier. She then worked with her father to design a dish that hangs bacon while it cooks. Now people can see her invention in many supermarkets.
Braille
Louis Braille had an accident when he was three. The accident left him blind. At that time, it was hard for blind children to read. They had to touch raised letters. But it was difficult to tell a Q from an O, an R from a B, and so on. When he was fifteen, Louis invented an alphabet (字母表) that used raised dots. The Braille alphabet was a big success!
1. Whose invention is related to sports?| A．Chris Haas’. | B．Kathryn Gregory’s. |
| C．Abbey Fleck’s. | D．Louis Braille’s. |
| A．It was invented in 1994. |
| B．It was named after its inventor. |
| C．It helps people eat more healthily. |
| D．It reduces the cases of cooking accidents. |
| A．They were invented by kids. |
| B．They came into being by chance. |
| C．They were designed to help others. |
| D．They brought wealth to their inventors. |
7 . "Could you load(把碗碟放入)the dishwasher?" How many times have we asked our teenage children to do a chore(家务活)and found later that it was done so poorly that we have to finish the job?
Don't expect teens already know how to do something. Kelly says."We left my teenage daughter alone for a few days.
Use the team method.
Kelly says, "We do so much for our kids.
If you can’t stand how clothes are always being left on the floor, don’t let your teens got away with it .
Keep chores gender-neutral(不分性别的).
Don't leave all the kitchen chores for daughters, and jobs like washing the car or fixing things for sons.
| A．Explain the job. |
| B．Remember to say thank you. |
| C．However, she had no idea how to separate rubbish. |
| D．Watering the plants can be a good way of relaxation. |
| E．We drive them everywhere, and help with their homework. |
| F．Few parents are happy with the way housework is done by their teenagers. |
| G．Make them pick the clothes up, but don’t add on other chores at the same time |
“Nothing will ever be the same again,” Ally said to herself.
Ally's father died last summer. It wasn't fair, Ally thought. Dad was young and had never been sick. Why had his heart suddenly stopped? Ally sank slow into her father's favorite chair and looked at his picture on the bookcase. Ally smiled. “I miss you, Dad,” she said softly.
At this moment, she felt a hand smoothing her hair and looked up. “Why don't you come outside with me, Ally?” her mother asked. “The birds are nesting in the woods. By this time last year you'd already taken dozens of pictures.”
But her mother must know birdwatching wouldn't be the same this year. How could it be? Ally wondered. Ever since she could remember she and Dad had been a team, searching the woods for the special wood warbler (林柳莺). “I'll be out in while, I promise,” she answered.
After her mother left, Ally reached for the photo album she and Dad had put together. On the cover was a photo of a tiny yellow bird with blue-gray wings and black eyes. Dad cut it from a local newspaper. Ally smiled, remembering the excited look on Dad's face when he showed her the pretty bird.
“I can't believe someone spotted this little guy way up here in New Jersey,” he said. “Wood warblers are usually found in the south, not this far north. I bet if we search really hard, Ally, we'll see this little guy together someday.”
Ally closed her eyes. She loved thinking about the times she and Dad had spent searching the woods for the little bird. They'd never spotted the warbler, but her father had an amazing way of making each outing seem special. He was her best friend.
注意：
1.续写的短文词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
When they were together, Ally felt comfortable with her favorite blue sweatshirt on.
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Just then her mother came to her, carrying the old net.
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9 . Do Dolphins Have a Language?
We know that dolphins make unique sounds, but is that a language? If you’re interested in it, you are welcome to the activity recommended by Denise Herzing!
About Denise Herzing
Denise Herzing of Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is the organiser and research director of the Wild Dolphin Project, which has a goal of understanding dolphins’ social system, behaviour, and communication. For over thirty years, she has spent each summer watching Atlantic dolphins carefully in the Bahamas.
Activity Guide:
Purpose:
Dolphins use sound to communicate, but they can’t make sounds in the way we humans make. Out of the water dolphins can make different sounds by changing the shape of their blowhole (呼吸孔), which is similar to changing the shape of our own mouths. Underwater, though, they use a totally different system, and they make sounds without letting any air out. You can learn more about how that works here. In this activity we’re going to try to talk like a dolphin.
Materials:
Nothing! But find a partner, maybe a brother or sister or a parent — or if you have one, a dog or cat. After all, this activity is about communication between humans and animals.
How To Do It:
Take a deep breath, hold your nose to keep it shut, and try to communicate with your partner. If your partner is a pet, try saying its name or asking it to “come here”.
When you’re done, think about what made it hard, what solutions you found, and think why dolphins may have developed to communicate in this way.
Then listen to sounds from all kinds of sea animals and compare your dolphin sound to theirs.
1. What can we learn about Denise Herzing?| A．She holds the activity in FAU. |
| B．She is an expert in dolphins. |
| C．She wants to find a partner for her research. |
| D．She fell in love with dolphins when young. |
| A．Have a pet next to you. | B．Keep breathing deeply. |
| C．Talk with your nose closed. | D．Compare dolphins with other animals. |
| A．In a diary. | B．In a report. |
| C．In a travel brochure. | D．In an activity book |
It was a pleasant morning. Meena was leaning out of her window and feeding the birds. The roads were empty because of COVID-19 lockdown. Just then a strong blow of wind came and Meena saw something flying in the air from distance. “Is it a kite?” Meena thought. As it came closer, Meena saw that it was a mask.
Curious to know where the mask came from, she ran to catch the mask and finally ran to the beach nearby. The mask fell into the sea water. As Meena looked around, she saw many masks floating in the sea and lying on the beach. She wondered where they came from.
Suddenly Meena heard a low voice nearby so helpless as if crying out for someone for help. She went closer to the voice – it was a huge turtle from the sea, with something stuck into his mouth. Apparently the turtle was choking (噎住) and in great pain. Meena moved closer to him, without wasting any time pulling it out of his mouth – it was a mask! The turtle finally recovered from the pain and seemed to express relief from his eyes as if to say “thank you” for her kindness.
Meena was sad to see so many masks thrown around. Just then she saw a man dumping rubbish here, with many single-use masks poured out. “Stop!” she screamed. “Please don’t throw the waste here. The turtle might swallow the mask again and fall sick!” The man stopped at once. He was sorry for his actions and decided to help clean the beach. He called a few people from the village to help them clean it. In no time the beach was free of rubbish.
Meena was happy and couldn’t wait to go home and tell her mother about it. Her mother was very proud of her, and told her the importance of throwing single-use masks into a rubbish bin so that animals wouldn’t swallow them. Yet Meena was still worried. She didn’t want the turtles to fall sick again due to people’s ignorance.
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。
“Shouldn’t I stop wearing a mask?” asked Meena.
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The next day Meena and her mother gave out their homemade cloth masks around the village.
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