1 . When you set a foot outside of your door to drop trash, go to a social event or go for a walk, thoughts like “I hope I don’t see anyone I know” or “please don’t talk to me” may run through your mind. I’ve also said such things to myself. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is to talk with someone, especially someone new.
Why do we go out of our ways to avoid people? Do we think meeting new people is a waste of time? Or are we just lazy, thinking that meeting someone new really is a trouble?
Communication is the key to life. We have been told that many times. Take the past generations, like our parents, for example. They seem to take full advantage of that whole “communication” idea because they grew up talking face to face while Generation-Y grew up staring at screens. We spend hours of our days sitting on Facebook. We send messages to our friends and think about all of the things we want to say to certain people that we don’t have the courage to actually do in reality.
Nowadays, we are so caught up in our little circle of friends — our comfort zone. We love it that they laugh at our jokes, understand our feelings and can read our minds. Most importantly, they know when we want to be alone. They just get us.
Holding a conversation with someone new means agreeing with things that you don’t actually believe and being someone you think they want you to be — it is, as I said before, a trouble. It takes up so much energy, and at some point or another, it is too tiring.
But meeting new people is important. Life is too short, so meet all the people you can meet, make the effort to go out and laugh. Remember, every “hello” leads to a smile — and a smile is worth a lot.
1. What do we learn about the author?| A．He likes to be alone. | B．He feels nervous lately. |
| C．He’s afraid of talking to others at times. | D．He’s active in attending social events. |
| A．They rely on the Internet to socialize. |
| B．They are less confident in themselves. |
| C．They have difficulty in communicating. |
| D．They are unwilling to make new friends. |
| A．They fear to disappoint their old friends. |
| B．They want to take time to do meaningful work |
| C．They are busy with their study. |
| D．They think it troublesome. |
| A．To tell about the importance of friends. |
| B．To encourage people to meet new people. |
| C．To give tips on how to meet new people. |
| D．To introduce the disadvantages of Generation-Y. |
2 . Diners in Japan could soon be able to taste the flavour of a bowl of soup without having to worry about their salt intake.
In what they claim is a world first, researchers have developed chopsticks that artificially create the taste of salt, as part of efforts to reduce sodium (钠) levels in some of the country’s most popular dishes.
The chopsticks work by using electrical stimulation (刺激) and a mini-computer worn on the eater’s wristband. The device (设备) transmits sodium ions (离子) from food, through the chopsticks, to the mouth where they create a sense of saltiness, according to Homei Miyashita, a professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, whose laboratory developed the device. The team said they hoped to make the chopsticks available to consumers (消费者) next year. Miyashita said, “Our device could find large consumers in Japan, where the traditional diet tends to be high in salt due to the use of ingredients such as soy sauce (酱油).”
The average Japanese adult consumes about 10 grams of salt a day, double the amount recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The health ministry has proposed reducing daily salt intake to a maximum of 7.5 grams for men and 6.5 grams for women.
The chopsticks use “very weak electricity — not enough to affect the human body — to adjust the function of ions to change the perception of taste by making food seem to taste stronger or weaker“, Kirin said in a statement. Miyashita and Kirin said clinical tests on people who follow a low-sodium diet had confirmed that the device increases the salty taste of low-sodium food by about 1.5 times. They said participants given reduced-salt soup had commented on the improved ”richness, sweetness and overall tastiness“ of the dish.
High salt intake can contribute to high blood pressure, which is the single biggest cause of heart attacks and strokes. “To prevent these diseases, we need to reduce the amount of salt we take,” said Kirin researcher Ai Sato. “If we try to avoid taking more salt in a conventional way, we would need to bear the pain of cutting our favourite food from our diet, or bear eating tasteless food.”
1. What can we know about the chopsticks?| A．They are difficult to use. |
| B．They are already on the market now. |
| C．They will affect the human body seriously. |
| D．They are different from traditional chopsticks. |
| A．Promising. | B．Hopeless. | C．Worrying. | D．Unpredictable. |
| A．About 10 grams. | B．About 7.5 grams. | C．About 6.5 grams. | D．About 5 grams. |
| A．Traditional Japanese Diet Is High in Salt |
| B．High Salt Intake Can Result in Many Diseases |
| C．Japanese People Keep Fit by Using a New Device |
| D．“Electric” Chopsticks Can Make Food Seem More Salty |
3 . Waiting for the bus every morning and going to school has never been better for Ryder Killam, a 5-year-old boy in a wheelchair from Westerly, Rhode Island who was born with disability (残疾) .He no longer has to wait for the school bus in the open air thanks to Westerly High School students.
The goal of the boy’s father, Tim Killam, was to keep his little kid protected from the bad weather while waiting for the bus every morning, and getting some kind of shelter (避雨处) was actually his idea. He asked for an unused bus shelter on Facebook. After not being able to find a suitable one, he decided to contact the high school which had already finished several building projects.
The students from Westerly High School construction (建造) class, among whom is one of Ryder’s brothers, quickly put their hands to work. The bus stop was designed by pupil Mason Heald, who was in regular contact with the Killams for feedback.
The construction class, led by Dan McKenna, teaches its members building skills and is part of the high school’s Career and Technical Education programme.
“This was a design to final products and delivery (传送;递送) .It’s the best we could have asked for. It’s really what these programmes should be about,” said Michael Hobin, Westerly High School’s principal (校长) .
More people from the local community chipped in to help make the project happen. One of McKenna’s former students transported(运输)the shelter from the high school to the Killams’ address with his truck. And another neighbour helped to properly position the shelter by the bus stop.
Not only did Ryder’s daily life improve, but the students also learnt an unforgettable life lesson. They saw that with their skills and knowledge they can make a real difference in someone else’s life.
1. Why did Tim Killam turn to a high school for help?| A．Few people helped him. | B．The school was close to him. |
| C．He couldn’t find a right shelter. | D．His son put forward the suggestion. |
| A．Ryder Killam. | B．Tim Killam. | C．Dan McKenna. | D．Mason Heald. |
| A．Joined in. | B．Got hungry. | C．Kept an eye on. | D．Fought over. |
| A．Amazed. | B．Appreciative. | C．Unclear. | D．Doubtful. |
4 . In a paper published recently in Nature Communications, the authors, including experts from China’s Tsinghua University, said that most of the current electricity demand in advanced, industrialized nations can be met by some combination of wind and solar power. “Wind and solar could meet more than 80 percent of demand in many places without crazy amounts of storage or additional generating ability,which is the critical point (临界点),”said co-author Steve Davis,UCI professor of Earth system science,“if we want to have a zero-carbon emission (排放) future without using fossil energy resources”.
The team analyzed 39 years’ worth of hourly energy demand data from 42 major countries to evaluate the adequacy of wind and solar power resources to serve their needs. They found that a full shift to sustainable power resources can be easier for lower-latitude (低纬度的) countries,which can rely on solar power availability throughout the year. The researchers highlighted Germany as an example of a relatively smaller country, in terms of land mass, at higher latitude which will make it more challenging to meet its electricity needs with wind and solar resources.
“Historic data show that countries which are farther from the equator (赤道) can occasionally experience periods during which there is very limited solar and wind power availability,” said lead author Dan Tong, assistant professor of Earth system science at Tsinghua University. “One recent occurrence of this phenomenon in Germany lasted for two weeks, forcing Germans to turn to dispatchable (可调度的) generation,which in many cases is provided by fossil fuel-burning plants.” Among the approaches the researchers suggested to alleviate this problem are building up generating capacity, developing long-term storage capabilities and pooling resources of multiple nations on a continental land mass to make the burden lighter to a certain country.
“Europe provides a good example to help people produce net-zero carbon electricity,” said Tong. “A lot of consistency and reliability could be provided by a system that includes solar resources from Spain, Italy and Greece with plentiful wind available in the Netherlands, Denmark and the Baltic region.”
1. What does Steve Davis imply by saying “critical point”?| A．Carbon emission will be reduced by using wind and solar power. |
| B．Electricity demand will be beyond human control in the future. |
| C．Electricity generating can be replaced by wind and solar power. |
| D．Fossil energy will be used with zero-carbon emissions in the future. |
| A．Having a large land of its own. | B．Having a small population. |
| C．Being developed in all respects. | D．Being located near the equator. |
| A．Ease. | B．Stress. | C．Accept. | D．Arrange. |
| A．People can solve increasing energy demand in the future like Europe. |
| B．Most countries in Europe have a lot of solar resources to make electricity. |
| C．Europe has done a good job in producing net-zero carbon electricity. |
| D．Countries like Spain, Italy and Greece have plenty wind resources. |
5 . I was never very neat while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but my always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Overtime, Kate got neater and I got my merriser. She moved to push my dirty clothing over and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.
Who broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! why under my bed!” Suddenly I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up. She quickly crawled (爬) under her covers, crying. Obviously. that was something she could not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy (同情) rose up in my heart.
Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bad. Cleaned the suckers and swept the floor even on her side. I got so absorbed into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching. Her tears dried and her expression was such disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. 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 agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.
1. What made Kate so angry one evening?| A．She couldn’t find her books. |
| B．She heard the writer shouting loud. |
| C．She got the news that her grandma was ill. |
| D．She saw the writer’s shoes beneath her bed. |
| A．Because she was scared by Kate’s anger. |
| B．Because she hated herself for being so messy. |
| C．Because she wanted to show her care. |
| D．Because she was asked by Kate to do so. |
| A．By analyzing courses. |
| B．By showing differences. |
| C．By describing a process. |
| D．By following time order. |
| A．My Friend Kate. |
| B．Hard Work Pays off. |
| C．How to Be Organized? |
| D．Learning to Be Roommates. |
6 .
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| C．September on 10th | D．September on 11th |
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| A．4:00 pm on Sunday | B．7:00 am on Monday |
| C．4:00 pm on Wednesday | D．7:00 am on Saturday |
| A．News. | B．Sports. | C．Education. | D．Travel. |
7 . You can’t always predict a heavy rain or remember to take your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belyaev doesn’t think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That’s why he created Lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.
The designer says he comes up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “Once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street and saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be all right to have a canopy (伞蓬) built into a street lamp.” he said.
The Lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella in need. Sensors then ensure that the umbrella offers the pedestrians (行人) shelter whenever it starts raining.
In addition to the rain sensor, there’s also a 360° motion sensor on the street lamp which detects whether anyone’s using the Lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.
According to the designer, the Lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lightning strike. Each Lampbrella would offer enough protection for several people. Being installed (安装) at 2 meters off the ground, it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.
While there are no plans to take Lampbrella into production, Belyaev says he recently introduced his creation to one Moscow Department, and insists this creation could be fixed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies.
1. For what purpose did Belyaev create the Lampbrella?| A．To predict a heavy rain. | B．To check the weather forecast. |
| C．To protect people from the rain. | D．To remind people to take an umbrella. |
| A．His creation was inspired by an experience. |
| B．It rains a lot in the city of Saint Petersburg. |
| C．Street lamps are protected by canopies. |
| D．He enjoyed taking walks in the rain. |
| A．Its moving speed. | B．Its appearance. | C．Its installation. | D．Its safety. |
| A．The designer will open a company to promote his product. |
| B．The Lampbrella could be put into immediate production. |
| C．The designer is confident that his creation is practical. |
| D．The Lampbrella would be put on show in Moscow. |
8 . In over 5,000 years of development, folk art has become a source of other forms of Chinese culture. However, the diversity (多样性) of cultural forms and the influence of foreign cultures have also brought challenges to Chinese folk art.
Chinese folk art has many types, including painting, calligraphy, embroidery, carving and paper cutting. It is hard to say how many kinds of folk art there are in the country. On the other hand, it is also hard to tell how many of them have disappeared. The situation is becoming more and more serious. Some kinds of folk art came to an end naturally, while others disappeared because there wasn’t enough protection. Isn’t it painful to lose so many kinds of folk art simply because of the absence of protection?
Folk art has played an important role in carrying forward history. For example, the blue printed cloth in Jiangsu Province has been a part of China’s printing technology for so long that, it is of great value to those studying China’s ancient science, technology, culture, folk custom and art.
Chinese folk art is drawing the attention of more and more foreigners with its unique charm and miraculous techniques (独特的魅力和神奇的技巧). Many people are worried about its protection and further development.
Then, who will be the protectors of Chinese folk art? It has to be the government, experts and scholars and even the whole of society. Though China has passed laws to protect its cultural relics, they don’t include the protection of folk art. Experts and scholars should go out among the people and find top artistic works still unknown to the world. Such protection also requires the support of the whole of society. Only when we gather forces from all sides can we protect Chinese folk art.
1. What does the underlined part “The situation” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The influence of foreign cultures on Chinese folk art. |
| B．The absence of protection of Chinese folk. |
| C．The disappearance of Chinese folk art forms. |
| D．The unpopularity of Chinese folk art forms. |
| A．To introduce a new way to study ancient Chinese culture. |
| B．To introduce how the ancient Chinese printed cloth. |
| C．To show folk art is important in recording history. |
| D．To show Jiangsu Province is rich in folk art. |
| A．The value of Chinese folk art. |
| B．How to protect Chinese folk art. |
| C．The importance of folk art protection. |
| D．How to make Chinese folk art known to the world. |
| A．Worried. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Hopeful. | D．Nervous. |
9 . My 12-year-old niece was staying with us for a couple of days. She was remembering some acts of kindness that we did together when she was less than five years old. We talked about how so much had changed. and with the outbreak of COVID-19, how difficult it would be to do so many of those things, especially when it comes to strangers.
The next day, I needed something from the downtown area and happened to take her with me. As we walked around on the street, we heard a beautiful male voice singing a very soulful song. We tuned around to see a middle-aged man sitting on a street comer with his guitar. A couple were sitting on a bench nearby and listening to his music.
After getting a few things done, we happened to sit at an outdoor dining restaurant across from him on the other side of the street. My niece was learning how to sing herself, and she kept smiling and saying how wonderful his singing was. Seeing how moved she was by his music, at the end of our meal, I gave her a ten-dollar bill and asked her to walk across the street and put it in his bowl.
She was a little surprised. “Really? ” she asked with bright eyes. I nodded. So she headed over and as she approached, the man was just finishing a song and started talking to her, and they ended up having a sweet conversation. She told him how touched she was by his music, and he ended up telling her that she made his day. As she was excitedly repeating the conversation back to me, she mentioned, “He didn’t even know how much it was. He was just thankful that someone was enjoying his music. ”
1. What did the author and her niece do in the first paragraph?| A．They thought back to the past. |
| B．They decided to do good deeds outside. |
| C．They made a plan for going downtown. |
| D．They talked about meeting more strangers. |
| A．A man’s guitar. | B．An outdoor dining restaurant. |
| C．A couple sitting nearby. | D．A charming male voice. |
| A．Talk with the man. | B．Praise the man. |
| C．Learn music from the man. | D．Offer some financial help to the man. |
| A．They shared singing skills. | B．They felt grateful to each other. |
| C．The man took pride in his singing. | D．The girl introduced the author to the man. |
10 . Endangered Species (濒危物种) Books for Kids
Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species
Written from the unique view of a 13-year-old author, this book interests children in the lives and challenges of endangered species, helping other young people learn about these animals as the first step toward saving them.
♦Author: Alexandra Wright
♦Publication Date: September, 2011
Almost Gone: The Worlds Rarest Animals
Have you ever seen a wombat or an Eastern barred bandicoot? Probably not. These animals are almost gone from the earth, and they’re not alone. Simple, informative text and cul-paper paintings introduce basic endangered species knowledge to young children.
♦Author: Steve Jenkins
♦Publication Date: January, 2016
A Poetic Journey into the Wild
Take a journey across land and sea to meet 21 endangered and threatened animals. Lovely paintings and poems introduce amazing animals from around the globe and show the dangers they face. The book also lists activities and organizations that provide more detailed information about endangered species protection.
♦Author: Rachel Allen Dillon
♦Publication Date: February, 2019
Eyewitness: Endangered Animals
This DK Eyewitness book is an exploration of endangered animals around the world, including factors that are driving them toward extinction (灭绝) and ways that we can help them survive. Blocks of text and diverse photographs keep readers turning the pages.
♦Author: Ben Hoare
♦Publication Date: August, 2015
1. Which book is written by a teenage author?| A．A Poetic Journey into the Wild. |
| B．Eyewitness: Endangered Animals. |
| C．Almost Gone: The World's Rarest Animals. |
| D．Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species |
| A．Activities of hunting wildlife. |
| B．Poems about amazing animals. |
| C．Paintings about some extinct animals. |
| D．Surroundings of the endangered wildlife. |
| A．To list some endangered animals. |
| B．To encourage protection of animals. |
| C．To introduce endangered species books. |
| D．To call on readers to fight illegal hunting. |
