1 . This is the moment a cleaner at a British university burst into tears after students raised $ 2,063 to send him to Jamaica on vacation to see family.

Herman Gordon, who has worked at Bristol University for more than a decade, is described as “one of the most loved” members of its cleaning staff. He is so well liked that a group of students raised money to give him a holiday. A video shows a student hands an envelope of cash to the surprised Gordan with tears rolling down his cheeks. He wipes away tears with a cleaning cloth and hugs the student who gave it to him. Gordan said: “I want to thank every one of you and God bless every one of you.”

The group of students started the fundraising because they liked Gordon so much. A post said: “The Jamaican cleaner in the biomedical library is the jolliest man I have ever met; he makes me smile even when I’m in the deepest depths of sorrow, if you want a reason to smile, go talk to him for a minute or two.”

Anyone who has been to the biomedical library knows who Herman the cleaner is. Simply put, Herman is the epitome（典范）of happiness, “All year round, this man works hours on end to provide us with a clean working space in which to study. But most importantly, his everlasting positive attitude has managed to turn many students’ dark days into positive ones filled with joy,” said a student. Whether you’re just feeling generally down or stressed out due to exams, Herman is always there to encourage you.

This legend proves that happiness is not about what you own, what job you have or how much money you’ve got, but about appreciating what you currently have in life even if it’s small.

1. What was Herman Gordon’ reaction when receiving the fundraising?

A．grateful.

B．stressed.

C．delighted.

D．astonished.

2. What does the underlined word “jolliest” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．most miserable.

B．most cheerful.

C．most generous.

D．most glorious.

3. In which aspect do students benefit most from Herman?

A．Building confidence.	B．Developing exam skills.
C．Learning self-control.	D．Gaining biomedical knowledge.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A biomedical library cleaner. .	B．A group of warm-hearted students.
C．Money-raising to send a cleaner on vacation.	D．The most loved cleaning staff.

2 . A new device works like a solar panel, except that it doesn't harvest energy from the sun. It absorbs energy from the cold night sky.

A prototype(原型)of the device produced enough electricity at night to power a small light bulb. A bigger version might one day light rooms or charge phones. It also could power electronics in remote or low-resource areas that lack electricity.

The device makes use of the temperature difference between Earth and outer space.It then uses that difference to create electricity. As long as one side of it is cooler than the other, the generator can produce electricity.The cooler side faces the sky and is attached to an aluminum plate. That plate is sealed beneath a transparent(透明的)cover and surrounded with insulation(隔热材料)to keep out heat.The bottom of the generator is attached to an exposed aluminum plate. That plate is warmed by the local air. At night, the top plate can get a couple of degrees Celsius cooler than the bottom of the generator.

Researchers tested a 20-centimeter prototype one clear December night in Stanford,California. The generator produced up to about 25 milliwatts of power per square meter of device. That was enough power to light a small light-emitting diode, or LED bulb. Further improvements might increase its production to at least 500 milliwatts per square meter. To do that, the system might need more insulation around the cool top plate.

The device also could help power remote weather stations or other environmental devices,says Aaswath Raman. He is a materials scientist who worked on the device at the University of California, Los Angeles. This may be useful in polar regions that don't see sunlight for months at a time,Raman says. “If you have some low-power load and you need to power it through three months of darkness, this might be a way.”

1. What can we know about the new device?

A．It gains energy from the sun.	B．It 's been widely used in life.
C．It is cooler than a solar panel.	D．It'll be popular in special areas.

2. What does the author mainly talk about in Paragraph 3?

A．Application fields of the device.	B．The developing process of the device.
C．The working principle of the device.	D．Significant effects of the device.

3. How can the device produce more electricity?

A．By putting more insulation around the top plate.

B．By using it in extremely cold and clear nights.

C．By making its bottom cooler than the top plate.

D．By powering remote environmental devices.

4. What could be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Device Using the Cold Night Sky to Produce Electricity

B．A Device Bringing New Hope for Those in the Cold Night

C．The Difference Between a Solar Panel and a New Device

D．The Temperature Difference Between Earth and Outer Space

3 . When you visit Kinderdijk, one of the most visited villages in the Netherlands, you step right into the middle of Dutch history.

Kinderdijk lies in the Alblasserwaard, where the Lek and Noord rivers meet together. Much of the village is near or even below sea level. Although there are canals and dykes (堤坝), the lowlands of the village are still at risk of flooding (洪灾). Among the most deadly floods was Saint Elisabeth’s flood in 1421, which killed thousands after the dykes broke in several places. To deal with this kind of problem, the Kinderdijk windmills (风车) were built around 1740 to move water from the lower areas to higher ground and into the river.

Nineteen of the 20 Kinderdijk windmills remain and were named a UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) Site in 1997. Of the 19 windmills, 16 still have millers who live inside and control the huge sails (翼板) in the wind. These windmills continue to help manage the Netherlands ongoing fight to stay above water.

For tourists, boat tours are offered along the canals and walkways lead from the visitor center to the windmills. Two windmills serve as museums, filled with old millers’ items and photos. You can climb up inside to see how the windmills work. The windmills also are working, so be prepared to feel the whole building shake when the sails turn in the wind.

Each year, about 500,000 people visit the Kinderdijk windmills and the buildings have become a must-see on any trip to the Netherlands. There are some windmills north of Amsterdam that “were built for tourists, but we’re a historical site where tourists come, so it’s the other way around,” says Kinderdijk communications manager Peter Paul Klapwijk. “Tourism is a good way to support our site.”

1. Why were the Kinderdijk windmills built around 1740?

A．To protect dykes.	B．To produce clean water.
C．To prevent floods.	D．To keep the sea level from rising.

2. What can we learn about Kinderdijk windmills?

A．Most of them are working as before.

B．Most of them have become museums.

C．Several of them have been sold to millers.

D．Several of them were destroyed long ago.

3. How does Peter Paul Klapwijk feel about so many tourists visiting the windmills?

A．Fearful.

B．Worried.

C．Excited.

D．Surprised.

4. What does the text mainly introduce?

A．The history of Kinderdijk

B．A famous historical site

C．An amazing village of canals

D．The traditions of the Netherlands

4 . Country Walks

Hope village

A leisurely (悠闲的) way to spend an hour or two is by visiting the busy village of Hope with its lovely country gardens. A gentle walk towards the hills will soon bring you to excellent views.

Country Park

The Lime House here attracts thousands of visitors, but this is a pleasant walk away from the crowds, through parkland, woods and up onto the hills. Popular with bird-watchers. Allow three hours. The house was built in 1570.

Cornford

This is an easy walk through a little-known valley. See the 200-year-old buildings from the cloth-making industry which now stand empty.

Devonshire Park

Allow at least half a day, or make it a full day by visiting the adventure playground and farmyard. Stop at the cafe (open all day) or enjoy the fantastic gardens. Guided walks are available (可获得的) for small groups.

Howden lake

This two-hour walk attracts thousands of visitors. Children can go sailing on the lake with trainers.

Stanton

This walk is certainly for very fit walkers only—the paths get very slippery (滑的) after rain. Allow six hours and start early! You’re unlikely to meet another person all day. Be sure to pack food—you’ll be up on the hilltops all day.

Strines

You need to be used to walking to successfully complete this seven-hour walk through the wildest scenery in the area. Follow a little-known footpath to the highest point for miles.

Langsett

This is an exciting walk along easy paths, which are crowded at weekend. And it s a popular place for family picnics. Guided walks start from the near village (10am Sundays) and visit 800-year-old woodland.

1. What is special about Country Park?

A．It is in a little-known valley.

B．It includes a house for making cloth.

C．It should be booked ahead of time.

D．It enjoys popularity among bird-watchers.

2. What do Devonshire Park and Langsett have in common?

A．They offer guided walks.

B．They are open for half a day.

C．They are for small groups.

D．They have adventure playgrounds.

3. Which of the following is only suitable for very strong walkers?

A．Cornford.

B．Stanton.

C．Hope Village.

D．Howden Lake.

5 . As new technology is introduced, there are many who worry about its influence on our current and future lifestyles－particularly when it comes to jobs. It is a current belief that with the rise of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), many people’s jobs, and therefore their livelihoods, are likely to be lost.

Automation in the workplace is nothing new. Machines have been performing dull tasks on our behalf for years, allowing us to escape many repetitive jobs. A recent report from the McKinsey Global Institute states that nearly two thirds of all jobs could have at least 30% of their activities automated by 2030. However, McKinsey also believes that this new technology will also ‘create new occupations that do not exist today, much as technologies in the past have done.’ As the horse gave way to the car, hostlers (马夫) became mechanics and mechanised fields drove up wages and created more long-term roles than it destroyed.

“It’s an evolution of work,” says Ian Barkin, a robotic process automation specialist. As low-skilled jobs are taken on by AI, people will need to learn new skills. “This calls on us to focus on up-skilling. Technology can lead to job reductions but it doesn’t have to,” says Barkin.

Whether or not robots and AI will leave us all jobless remains to be seen. Current views on the subject are mixed. Increased automation could indeed lead to a loss of some jobs, but at the same time is likely to create many more as new skills are required. Will they balance out?

1. How do many people feel about the influence of AI?

A．Quite delighted.	B．Quite surprised.
C．A sense of fear.	D．A sense of pride.

2. What might be McKinsey’s attitude to the rise of automation?

A．Doubtful.	B．Negative.
C．Critical.	D．Approving.

3. What does the underlined word “up-skilling” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Taking risks.	B．Improving ourselves.
C．Adapting to the world.	D．Thinking positively.

4. Which can best express the author’s view on automation?

A．Every coin has two sides.

B．Where there is life, there is hope.

C．It’s better to do well than to say well.

D．A bad workman quarrels with his tools.

6 . Will Traditional TV Ever Be Replaced by Streaming?

For a long time, people had to listen to the radio to get news, drama, and music at home. This all changed with the development of the television in the early 20th century.    1    Since then, British TV viewers have enjoyed the launch of commercial TV, the addition of Channel 4, and then Channel 5, and finally the birth of paid services through satellite and cable.

A Slow Decline

While the uptake of TV ownership exploded, the decline of television's dominance has been slow and has been going on for the past decade.     2     Streaming services have given us access to more content than was ever possible, including back catalogues of classic shows and blockbuster movies.

Changing Viewing Habits

In the UK, adults are spending more time watching content on YouTube and streaming services than ever before. In 2018, these figures were 30 minutes and 26 minutes per day respectively.     3    

Still the King

    4    For example, in 2018 UK adults continued to watch BBC One for an average of 41 minutes per day, more than any streaming service.

Average viewing time for all traditional TV channels continues to decline though, despite much larger quantities of original content being produced by these organisations.     5    

While the traditional TV networks have seen a decline, the television set itself doesn't look like it's going anywhere any time soon.

A．This has been the trend for the last couple of decades.

B．The original content has included massively popular shows.

C．Suddenly, we were able to see what was going on, not just listen along.

D．The traditional TV channels are taking away audiences from streaming services.

E．Most major TV channels have their own catch up streaming service.

F．While demand for streaming services is up, TV continues to be the most watched overall.

G．Today, we have the power to watch whatever, whenever, wherever we want.

7 . If you’ve ever had to chop an onion，you probably know that it’s one of the most annoying cooking experiences．It just fills your eyes with tears．Scientists and farmers have been working on a solution to this problem for decades，and they’ve apparently come up with a tearless onion．

Called the“Sunion”，this new vegetable is the result of a natural cross-breeding program that’s been going on farms in Nevada and Washington since the 1980s．It’s supposedly a sweet，mild-tasting onion that doesn’t leave that strong，pungent aftertaste，but what really sets it apart from most other onion varieties is that it doesn’t cause teary eyes when it’s chopped．

When you cut into a normal onion，it releases a compound called lachrymatory-factor synthase，and’when that hits your eyes，your body produces tears．Now，the interesting thing about regular onions is that the amounts of lachrymatory-factor synthase increase the longer the vegetables are stored，so the older they，the more you cry．In Sunions，on the other hand，the levels of that annoying compound drop the more time goes by，until it no longer has any effect on your eyes when you cut it．

That’s what Sunion growers are claiming anyway，but reports from those lucky enough to have tried them seem to confirm these claims．The Huffington Post had three of its reporters chop some Sunions，and apparently，none of them shed a single tear．According to the Washington Post，they don’t have the pungency of regular onions and are so sweet that you can eat them“like popcorn”．

So the good news is that tearless onions are now a real thing．The bad news is that they are currently only grown in Washington and Nevada，and even though they are sold nationwide，they are still in relatively short supply．The first Sunion batches hit the shelves of grocery stores in December，but we’11 probably start seeing them in most grocery shops and supermarkets in the next few years，as more people learn about them．

1. What is special about the Sunion?

A．It’s easily chopped．	B．It’s sweet and tastes strong．
C．It’s tearless and mild．	D．It’s grown nationwide in the USA．

2. How does the author introduce the Sunion in Paragraph 3 ?

A．By comparison．	B．By telling a story．
C．By giving examples．	D．By asking questions．

3. What does the underlined word“pungency”in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Round shape．	B．Strong smell．
C．Special character．	D．Medical function．

4. What can we conclude from the last paragraph?

A．The Sunion has been largely on the market．

B．The Sunion is still on trial at present．

C．The Sunion will soon be grown worldwide．

D．The author is confident about the future of the Sunion．

8 . Located in the southern part of the Yangtze River Delta (三角洲) in Wuxi, Taihu Lake is the third largest freshwater lake in China. With a surface area of about 2, 338 square kilometers, it is a famous scenic spot in China.

    1     It crosses Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, where you can see great natural beauty along the lake. The best place to view the beautiful lake is on the Turtle Head Islet, a small island stretching into the water, whose shape is really like the head of a turtle sticking out from the water. Taihu Lake and the surrounding magnificence will attract you when you climb onto the islet. When the soft breezes blow, waves roll and the hills in the distance look like a landscape painting.     2     The Turtle Head Islet Park is mainly made of the natural landscape, with man-made additions. Flowers and trees can be seen everywhere.     3     All efforts make the park graceful and elegant.

Besides the natural scenery of Taihu Lake, there are many ruins of historic sites. You can see the Grand Canal of the Sui Dynasty (581 —619), the islets in the lake along with the coastal places in the east.     4    

Taihu Lake has an abundant source of fish. Traveling there, you can taste the famous delicious food known as “Taihu Lake Three Whites”.     5     The feast is generally prepared in the boat as one floats on the peaceful waters of Taihu Lake. It is very well worth a visit.

A．The scene is really charming.

B．They are white shrimp, whitebait and whitefish.

C．Taihu Lake supplies plenty of water to the area nearby.

D．Taihu Lake is just like a bright pearl set in the Yangtze River Delta.

E．You feel like walking in the wonderland, forgetting to return home.

F．Various kinds of architecture are placed among the trees and bushes.

G．The north and the west are both the cradles (摇篮) of the Wuyue culture.

9 . Tips on Learning a New Language Before Travelling

Whenever you travel to a foreign place, it is helpful knowing a bit of the local language.    1    But speaking the local language shows you care and it will help you mix with the locals easily. To learn a language, you do not have to take full time classes. You can follow some of the tips to pick up some basics quickly before that trip.

Practise. The more you study the language, the better.    2    Think of it like learning an instrument or training for a marathon. The amount of time you'll need depends on the language you're learning, how often you practice and your learning style.

    3    One good way to practise is to use the language you’re learning. And who is better to speak a language with than a native speaker who can train you better and correct your mistakes? Find one on the internet or in real life and strike a conversation with them. There are some free language exchange websites where you can find native speakers to practise with.    4    

Download a language app. Your app store offers a vast amount of options for language learning. Apps like Google Translate, Duolingo, Bilingual or Hi Native can help you to learn languages quickly.    5     But they are not necessarily the best choice if you're short on time and trying to master the basics. They can also help a lot when you're struggling to communicate while on vacation.

A．Speak to native speakers.

B．Constantly use the language.

C．You can also find a private class to attend.

D．Trips can help make the process fun and easy.

E．Learning a language doesn't happen overnight.

F．Those apps can help you learn the language effectively.

G．You may not know how to pronounce the words correctly.

10 . A computer program has been used to predict how people are feeling when they type.

In a study participants were asked to type a particular phrase and the program then estimated if they were happy, sad and so on. Surprisingly it was correct 70 per cent of the time, and the findings could lead to smarter artificial intelligence in the future.

The study published in the journal Behavior and Information Technology was carried out by researchers at the Islamic University of Technology in Bangladesh, reports Live Science.

In the research 25 people ranging from 15 to 40 years old were asked to retype two paragraphs from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll. They also had to enter their emotional state every 30 minutes while doing their regular activities on the computer. This allowed the program an opportunity to understand how their emotions changed their typing style.

Moods tested were joy, fear, anger, sadness, hate, and shame. The result was that the program could identify(识别) a person' s mood correctly 70 per cent of the time. It was most successful in identifying joyfulness with an 87 per cent success ratio, while sadness was the least successful at 60 per cent. The researchers found that the participants were less likely to input (输入) data when they were in a bad mood, which may explain the inexactness of the second result.

However, the findings could have great importance for artificial intelligence, and it may allow computers to get along with us in a friendlier manner, “If we could build any system that is intelligent enough to communicate with humans that is, it can identify user emotions and change its behavior accordingly then using machines could be more effective and friendly.” the researchers wrote.

1. Who conducted the study?

A．Lewis Carroll.	B．Islamic University of Technology.
C．Live Science.	D．Behavior and Information Technology.

2. What were people asked to do during the research?

A．Input words and emotional state.	B．Change their typing styles.
C．Change their feelings frequently.	D．Show their natural feelings.

3. Why is the result about sadness not so correct?

A．People usually hide their unhappy feelings.

B．The program cannot recognize sadness clearly.

C．The program cannot calculate the data correctly.

D．It's more difficult to collect data when people are sad.

4. What's the importance of the research result?

A．It helps people develop smarter machines.

B．It helps people speed up their typing speed.

C．It will inspire similar studies on people's mood.

D．It clearly explains the relationship between mood and typing.