1 . Influenced by their families and society, many youths are infatuated with expensive famous brands. But not every youth is as rich as a millionaire and people are getting worried about this.
According to a recent survey, one out of five pupils wears clothes of well-known brands, including a belt worth 560 Yuan, more than an ordinary worker’s salary. Among the 100 middle school students surveyed, as many as 70 own famous-brand clothes, 60 have famous-brand watches and 45 possess famous-brand bicycles. Two of them even wear over 1500 Yuan worth of suits.
Most young people who come from ordinary families will try to steal money to have better food and clothing if their parents don’t satisfy their needs. A boy named Chen even killed another boy simply for 500 Yuan and was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
People wonder how these teenagers can be independent in the future, while parents are calling for help from schools, governments and the society.
1. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?| A．More than 50 percent of the students surveyed possess things of famous brands. |
| B．An ordinary worker owns less than 560 Yuan each month. |
| C．Suits may cost as much as 1500 Yuan. |
| D．Young people now are as rich as millionaires. |
| A．steal money for better food and clothing |
| B．kill another boy for 500 Yuan |
| C．stay in prison for nine years |
| D．ask his parents to satisfy his needs |
| A．The governments | B．The schools |
| C．The society | D．All the above |
| A．Youths Run After Famous Brands. |
| B．Youths Should Own More Money |
| C．Youths As Rich As Millionaires |
| D．Youths Must Be Taken Good Care of |
2 . Passenger pigeons (旅鸽) were the most common birds in all of North America in the 1800s. It was common to see large groups of passenger pigeons — groups that made a sound like a storm. But today, they are extinct because of human behavior. Now, some scientists want to bring passenger pigeons back to life by using new technology and scientific ideas. They call this process deextinction.
Deextinction has not happened yet. It is still just an idea. The process of deextinction is not easy. First, scientists must collect DNA from the bodies of extinct animals. Then they will put it in the eggs of similar animal species. When these animals become adults, they will have babies. And these baby animals will have the DNA of the extinct animals.
Scientists believe it is possible to bring back passenger pigeons and many other animals. However, not everyone thinks this is a good idea.
Stuart Primm is the world's leading expert on modern animal extinction. He believes that bringing extinct animals back to life is bad for the earth. On one hand, these animals no longer have a safe place to live. On the other hand, they could cause other animals to die.
Many other scientists do not agree with Stuart Primm. Stuart Brand, a writer and scientist, is one of them. He believes deextinction is good for many reasons.
"The current generation (当代) of children will experience the return of some unusual animals in their lifetime. It may be part of what defines their generation and their attitude to the natural world. They will take their parents to zoos to see the growing populations of passenger pigeons, and maybe even dodo birds. This will provide a good deal of money for zoos busy with extinct species restoration (恢复). Humans killed off a lot of species over the last 10,000 years. So, it's right to bring some back to life," he said.
1. In the 19th century, passenger pigeons ________.| A．were common sightings |
| B．suffered a lot from storms |
| C．lived mainly in North America |
| D．were the largest in American history |
| A．It will change the DNA of the extinct animals. |
| B．It was first used in passenger pigeons. |
| C．It is difficult to carry out. |
| D．It proved to be useful. |
| A．They will die very soon. | B．They will create other problems. |
| C．They will do great harm to humans. | D．They will replace the similar species. |
| A．Wrong. | B．Difficult. | C．Important. | D．Wasteful. |
3 . Do you know what couch-potato means? Well, in America, the word is now often used. The American couch-potato becomes maybe even a part of the American tradition! You see, in America, many people often spend their free time sitting on a couch (沙发) watching TV. As there are many channels to choose, the TV can be quite interesting and very addictive (上瘾的). One may sit and watch TV for hour and hour without stop! Well, these people who do nothing all day except watching TV are called couch-potatoes.
In America, when one watches TV, he is most often sitting on a couch. While watching TV, most of these people look so frozen that they almost look dead! Everyone is sitting still (静止的) with eyes looking right into the same black box. Also because these people are addictive to TV, they don’t take exercise and usually get very fat. So in many ways, these people look like real potatoes! Well, because they look so still and fat, and watch TV on a couch, they are all called couch-potatoes. Now you know what couch-potato means. The next time if you see someone watching TV too long, just say, “What a couch-potato!”
1. The word “couch-potato” is often used in _______.| A．China | B．America | C．Japan | D．France |
| A．likes sitting on a couch watching TV | B．does nothing all day |
| C．must be very fat | D．only watches TV and eats potatoes |
| A．almost never moves while watching TV and gets very fat |
| B．is fat and dying and can not take exercise |
| C．likes eating potatoes on a couch while watching TV |
| D．is frozen in front of the black box |
| A．how to watch TV | B．why couch-potatoes are very fat. |
| C．what couch-potato means | D．where the new word is used |
| A．Take exercise. | B．Never watch TV. |
| C．Don’t sit on a couch. | D．Don’t watch TV too much. |
4 . Former pro basketball player Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers while making himself as one of the game’s all-time greats. He died tragically in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
Kobe Bryant was born with basketball already in his blood. His dad was a former NBA star Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. Born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kobe spent his early years in Italy, because his dad started playing basketball in Europe and his family moved there. The family moved back to the United States when Kobe was 13 and he started playing high school basketball.
Kobe knew he was already good enough to play in the NBA, so he skipped college and was selected right after high school. He played in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in 1998 and by 2000, Kobe had developed into one of basketballs best players. Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal teamed up to lead the LA Lakers to three straight NBA Championship (冠军) Titles from 2000 to 2002.
In 2003, Kobe was caught by the police. In 2004, the case against Kobe was dropped, but Kobe still had to live with a damaged reputation. In 2004, Kobe tried to prove that he could lead the LA Lakers without Shaq. After Kobe told the Lakers he wouldn’t be wearing the purple and gold if Shaq was in the team, O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat before the 2004-2005 season.
In 2008, Bryant was named Most Valuable Player and carried his team to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics. In the 2009 NBA Finals, the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to win the championship.
Although later seasons were affected by injuries, he surpassed (超越) Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA all-time scoring list in December 2014 and retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final game.
1. Kobe Bryant passed away at the age of ________.| A．42 | B．37 | C．45 | D．49 |
| A．Kobe’s blood was special when he was born. |
| B．All of Kobe’s family members are basketball players. |
| C．Kobe liked to play with a basketball as a baby. |
| D．Kobe was born to be a basketball player. |
| A．upset | B．confident | C．doubtful | D．not confident |
| A．Kobe surpassed Michael Jordan in the number of NBA titles he won. |
| B．The LA Lakers won the 2008 NBA final. |
| C．Kobe Bryant surpassed Michael Jordan in many ways. |
| D．Kobe is considered as one of the greatest basketballs in NBA history. |
| A．give us a brief introduction of Kobe | B．tell us how to become a basketball star |
| C．give us some news about the NBA All-Star Game | D．introduce the LA Lakers |
5 . Because of wasting some expensive gold wrapping paper, a man punished his 5-year-old daughter. Money was little and he became more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box and put it under a Christmas tree.
However, the little girl brought the gift box to her father the next morning and said, “ This is for you, daddy.”
The father was embarrassed by his earlier anger, but he got angry again when he found the box empty. He spoke to her in a serious manner, “Don’t you know young lady, when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside the package?”
The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, “Oh Daddy, it is not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was full.” The father was moved. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his little girl and he begged her to forgive his unnecessary anger.
An accident took the life of the child away only a short time later and it is told that the father kept the gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the child who had put it there.
1. The man easily got angry because __________________.| A．his family was very poor | B．his daughter didn’t send him gifts |
| C．his daughter often wasted water | D．his daughter asked him for gifts |
| A．Pleased | B．Embarrassed | C．Excited | D．Angry |
| A．She forgot to put gifts in the box | B．She had no money to buy gifts |
| C．She didn’t know how to send gifts | D．She put something into the box |
| A．She went to primary school | B．She lost her father in an accident |
| C．She lost her life in an accident | D．She lived with her father happily. |
| A．the girl loved her father very much | B．the father felt sorry for her daughter |
| C．we should send gifts to our families | D．we should share love with our families |
6 . This March is a busy month in Shanghai. There's a lot to do. Here are the highlights.
Live Music - Late Night Jazz
Enjoy real American jazz from Herbie Davis, the famous trumpet player. He's coming with his new 7-piece band, Herbie' s Heroes. Herbie is known to play well into the early hours, so don't expect to get much sleep. This is Herbie' s third visit to Shanghai. The first two were sold out, so get your tickets quickly.
PLACE: The Jazz Club DATES: 15-23 March PRICE: ￥80,120 TIME: 10:00p.m. till late! TEL: 6466-8736
Scottish dancing
Take your partners and get ready to dance till you drop. Scottish dancing is fun and easy to learn. Instructors will demonstrate the dances. The live band, Gordon Stroppie and the Weefrees, are also excellent.
PLACE: Jack Stein's DATES: every Monday PRICE: Y60 including one drink TIME: 7:00 - ~0:00 p.m. TEL: 6402-1877
Exhibitions - Shanghai Museum
There are 120,000 pieces on show here. You can see the whole of Chinese history under one roof. It' s always interesting to visit, but doubly so at the moment with the Egyptian Tombs exhibition. There are lots of mummies and more gold than you've ever seen before. Let us know if you see a mummy move!
PLACE: Shanghai Museum PRICE: ￥30 (￥ 15 for students) TEL: 6888-6888 DATES: daily TIME: Monday - Friday 9:00a.m. - 5:00p.m., Weekends 9:00a.m. - 9:00p.m.
Dining - Sushi chef in town
Sushi is getting really big in Shanghai. In Japan, it' s become an art form. The most famous Sushi 'artist' is Yuki Kamura. She' s also one of the few female chefs in Japan. She' ll be at Sushi Scene all of this month.
PLACE: Sushi Scene in the Shanghai Hotel DATES: all month PRICE: ￥200 TIME: lunchtime TEL: 6690-3211
For a full listing of events, see our website.
1. Suppose you are going to attend an activity at 8: 00p.m. on Saturday, which one can you choose?| A．Live Music - Late Night Jazz | B．Scottish dancing |
| C．Exhibitions - Shanghai Museum | D．Dining - Sushi chef in town |
| A．Scottish dancing is so interesting and easy that it never tires you out. |
| B．The performance given by the American jazz band won't last long. |
| C．Sushi is not popular in Shanghai as it is a kind of Japanese traditional food. |
| D．It is more interesting to visit Shanghai Museum for the exhibits from Egypt. |
| A．a cook | B．a waitress |
| C．an instructor | D．an artist |
7 . There is a common belief that clutter (杂物) adds unnecessary stress to our lives and is holding us back from our dreams and goals. But is it true? Sabine Kastner of Princeton University, an expert on the subject who has been studying how the brain processes clutter for 20 years, may answer this question. “Not all clutter is bad. And our brains can deal with it.” She says, “The media often writes about clutter in a very simple, black-and-white way: Clutter affects the mind and we need to clear it out. But it is much more complex than that. For starters, our brains are designed to deal with clutter.”
“The attention system in our brains actually likes clutter because that is what it is used to. And it is using this cluttered environment to make meaningful selections from it.” In terms of how best our brains perform around it, Kastner says there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The idea that an uncluttered workplace is better is not “universally true.”
Some people need to see their work. If something is carefully put away, to them it does not exist anymore. Out of sight, out of mind. For other people, objects can stimulate their creativity and give them ideas.
Even there are other people who actually like that clutter. And they clutter their environment because it actually helps them. It almost like stimulating their brain to do something.”
However, other people are unable to work in a cluttered environment. Kastner notes that some people may get distracted by having lots of things around them. These people may need more organization and less clutter to work well.
Some people do not care either way. Whether the area is cluttered or clear they work the same. And for others it may depend on the project. For administrative work, they might need a clear workspace. But for more creative projects, they may need many things around them.
Our brains are all so different and that is what makes us who we are.
1. The passage begins with the belief to ________.| A．introduce the main topic | B．show the author's attitude |
| C．describe the harm of clutter | D．explain how to clear clutter |
| A．it affects the mind |
| B．it may get people less distracted |
| C．it is almost stimulating our brain to do something |
| D．it is using this cluttered environment to make meaningful selections |
| A．they can’t see clutter when they work. |
| B．they depend completely on clutter to finish their work. |
| C．objects around them can stimulate their creativity and give them ideas. |
| D．a cluttered environment can enable your brain to improve gradually. |
| A．Objective (客观的) | B．Disgusted (厌恶的) |
| C．Contradictory (对立的) | D．Critical (批判地) |
8 . The city of San Francisco is a wonderful tourist attraction that offers many different things to see and do. The best way for a traveler to get a good look at the city is to take one of the many different tours there.
Tour the City on Foot
When touring the city by walking, you aren’t going to walk much. What’s more, there are far more benefits. This kind of tour allows you to see as many buildings of the city as possible. A tour of the city on foot usually focuses on a more localized neighborhood level, which can be very interesting in a number of different ways.
Hit the Waters of San Francisco Bay
The Waters of San Francisco Bay have played an important role in the city’s development over the last century, Touring San Francisco from the water is a completely unique way for you to see this wonderful city.
Take a Bus Tour
If you want to see a wide variety of attractions from all over the city, one of the best things you could do is to book a tour through our company that offers services here. A bus tour of San Francisco is one of the most complete ways to experience the city
Tour San Francisco From the Air
While it is one of the most expensive ways to see San Francisco, touring the city from the air is one of the most unique and thrilling ways to see the city. Seeing the city from high above allows you to get a full view of the city as tour guides point out attractions from high above. If you do decide to tour San Francisco by air, you’ll be creating memories that you won’t forget forever.
We are a travel agency providing high-quality services and discounts. For more information, please click here.
1. How should you tour San Francisco to appreciate its buildings?| A．By air | B．By bus. | C．On foot | D．By boat |
| A．They have high quality sea water. | B．They are explored on a localized level. |
| C．They were not in use until the last century. | D．They have helped the city to develop further. |
| A．Tour San Francisco From the Air | B．Hit the Waters of San Francisco Bay |
| C．Tour the City on Foot | D．Take a Bus Tour |
9 . Journey Back in Time with Scholars
Classical Provence(13days)Journey through the beautiful countryside of Provence，France，with Prof. Ori Z. Soltes. We will visit some of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. Our tour also includes a chance to walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh and Gauguin. Fields of flowers, tile-roofed(瓦屋顶)villages and tasty meals enrich this wonderful experience.
Southern Spain(15days)
Spain has lovely white towns and the scent(芳香)of oranges，but it is also a treasury of ancient remains including the cities left by the Greeks，Romans and Arabs. As we travel south from Madrid with Prof. Ronald Messier to historic Toledo，Roman Merida and into Andalucia, we explore historical monuments and architecture.
China’s Sacred Landscapes(21days)
Discover the China of “past ages,” its walled cities，temples and mountain scenery with Prof. Robert Thorp. Highlights(精彩之处)include China’s most sacred peaks at Mount Tai and Hangzbou’s rolling hills，waterways and peaceful temples. We will wander in traditional small towns and end our tour with an exceptional museum in Shanghai.
Tunisia(17days)
Join Prof. Pedar Foss on our in-depth Tunisian tour. Tour highlights include the Roman city of Dougga，the underground Numidian capital at Bulla Regia, Roman Sbeitla and the remote areas around Tataouine and Matmata，uique for underground cities. Our journey takes us to picturesque Berber villages and lovely beaches.
1. What can visitors see in both Classical Provence and Southern Spain？
| A．Historical monuments. | B．Fields of flowers. |
| C．Van Gogh’s paintings. | D．Greek buildings. |
| A．France. | B．Spain. | C．China. | D．Tunisia. |
| A．White towns. | B．Underground cities. | C．Tile-roofed villages. | D．Rolling hills. |
10 . A.Chinese college student cycles over 1,000 kilometers in 19 days to encourage environmental protection.
The college student from central China's Hubei province cycled over 1,000 kilometers to Shanghai in 19 days to highlight the importance of environmental protection, receiving high praise from related departments.
Huang Xi's journey started on Aug 3 from Xiaochang county, Hubei, spreading the message of environmental protection to over 5, 000 people along his route.Huang said it was not very easy to start a conversation about environmental protection with strangers."First you have to narrow the distance between you and your audience, " he noted.For instance, he would greet people at the roadside and introduce himself and his plan.He told Shanghai Observer that the environmental issue was not a good conversation opener because not everyone was interested.
Straw burning(秸秆焚烧) was a major focus for Huang since his journey began in summer."Many people don't burn straw because there s a fine, but not many of them know that burning straw actually pollutes the environment,” he said.
Explaining the ban on straw burning, the benefits of sorting of waste as well as the importance of creatures in water and plants protection were the major part of his job on the road.
16 local authorities of environmental protection along Huang's route praised his efforts."Environmental protection calls for not only governmental efforts but also social efforts, " said Chen Bin, an official from Wuhan's environmental department.
Huang shared his experience on social media, which gave him a level of support on his journey.
However, his cycle also drew the bad side of comments.Some said that his journey was only a publicity stunt (作秀), and some even said that in fact, it was a trip that Huang had to make since he ran out of his money at Internet cafes.Huang replied and tried to prove that what they said was not true.
Huang, who studies environmental engineering in college, set off again on Sept 27 to take part in a training camp held by a center of environmental protection in Hubei province."I will will share my experience of the journey, and hope people will pay more attention to the environment.” he said.
1. What is the purpose of Huang's cycling?| A．To have a good sightseeing. |
| B．To receive high praise from related departments. |
| C．To let people know the importance of protecting environment. |
| D．To solve the problem of straw burning. |
| A．Huang's cycle didn't draw any attention. |
| B．What Huang studies in college is related to environment. |
| C．Environmental protection needs only social efforts. |
| D．It's a good idea to start a conversation by environmental issues. |
| A．On July.3. | B．On Sep. 27. |
| C．On Aug. 22.5 | D．On Oct. 3. |
| A．They think highly of it. | B．They disagree with it. |
| C．They show no interest in it. | D．They doubt it. |
