1 . In our youth-obsessed culture, one would assume that your self-esteem peaks in your 20s—but that’s not the case. Researchers from the University of Bern set out to determine when the average person’s self-esteem is the highest, and the good news is that your peak comes decades later.

Researchers found that self-esteem increases throughout one’s lifetime, with a slight plateau during those awkward teen years. Our self-esteem levels then start rising again and don’t peak until well into midlife. The highest point for self-esteem level happen at age 60 when they can retire and stay there until a slight decline in one’s 70s and 80s.

This news that our self-esteem will continue to rise or stay steady during the majority of our lives is exciting. We often hear of increased stress in the decades of midlife, but there are upsides too. “Midlife is, for many adults, a time of high stability in relationships and work. Moreover, most people further invest in their roles, which might promote their self-esteem,” researcher Dr. Orth told the journalist. “For example, people take on managerial roles at work, maintain a satisfying relationship with their spouse or partner, and help their children become responsible and independent.”

As we age and our roles tend to change, it’s natural for self-esteem to take a small hit. “Old age frequently involves loss of social roles as a result of retirement, the empty nest, and, possibly, widowhood. In addition, aging often leads to negative changes in other possible sources of self-esteem, such as socioeconomic status and health.” Dr. Orth said. However, it’s important to remember that it’s only a slight decrease. Dr. Orth believes that most people maintain a high self-esteem level even into their 90s and beyond.

1. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to “peak”?

A．Minimum.	B．Maximum.
C．Average.	D．Height.

2. Who is more likely to have the highest self-esteem level?

A．A newly-retired person.	B．A teenage boy.
C．A person in his/her 80s.	D．A middle-aged person.

3. What does Dr. Orth think of the decrease in self-esteem for the old people?

A．It is destructive.	B．It is unnatural.
C．It is important.	D．It is acceptable.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A guide.	B．A fiction.
C．A textbook.	D．A magazine.

2 . What were you doing when you were nine years old? Making crafts from a Klutz book? Kicking around a soccer ball? Designing a business plan to deal with plastic pollution and relieve childhood poverty? Zymal Umar showed us the latter. The Pakistan’s youngest businesswoman has started a project entitled Zee Bags, which aims to reduce plastic pollution by providing an environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic grocery bags.

When Zymal was on a shopping trip with her parents three years ago, she was shocked by the number of plastic bags on the streets. Depressed by the plastic pollution, she was reminded of the severe consequences our habits have on the environment. Then, she noticed a shopkeeper handing out newspaper bags. And at that moment, Zymal knew she had to act. Since then she has created beautiful, unique reusable newspaper bags for hundreds of customers.

It’s amazing to see this youngster using her brains and business skills for good. And she should certainly feel proud of the work she is doing. After all, plastic grocery bags are killing thousands of marine animals every year through their contribution to plastic waste. According to The Earth Institute, over one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually—that’s about two million bags used per minute around the world.

And those bags certainly don’t disappear into thin air. Instead, they end up in our oceans, putting approximately 700 marine species in danger of extinction due to the threat from pollution. And plastic bags are just one of the many forms of plastic trash that ends up in the oceans—in fact, an astonishing 8. 8 million tons of this material make their way from land to the oceans every single year.

But with Zee Bags, we’re all empowered to make more thoughtful choices about our trash production. And Zymal’s amazingness doesn’t stop there—the profits from her sales go towards helping poor children.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．How Zymal felt about her shopping trip.

B．How Zymal learned about plastic pollution.

C．How Zymal was received by the shopkeeper.

D．How Zymal was inspired to create her bags.

2. Why are figures mentioned in the third and fourth paragraphs?

A．To praise Zymal for her great efforts.

B．To urge readers to stop using plastics.

C．To stress the seriousness of plastic pollution.

D．To show the rich knowledge of the author.

3. What can we infer about Zymal from the last paragraph?

A．She is amazing in every aspect of her life.

B．She has concern for the disadvantaged.

C．She urges everyone to be eco-friendly.

D．She earns a lot of money from her business.

4. Which of the following best describes Zymal?

A．Caring.	B．Determined.
C．Confident.	D．Optimistic.

3 . 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

2. What can we find in A Poetic Journey into the Wild?

A．Activities of hunting wildlife.

B．Poems about amazing animals.

C．Paintings about some extinct animals.

D．Surroundings of the endangered wildlife.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

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.

4 . When you think of a typical American, who do you picture? A pretty blond white American like Taylor Swift? Or a handsome black American like basketball star Kobe Bryant? In fact, there was a time when the average American looked like neither of these people.

Back in the year 1500, the average American was a brown-skinned hunter-gatherer who probably rode a horse and wore clothing made from animal skins. Today, the ancestors of these people—who usually identify themselves based on their individual tribes such as Iriquois. Apache and Navajo—are broadly referred to as “Native Americans”, “American Indians” or simply “Indians”.

There’s a chance that you’ve never even heard of American Indians. That’s because there aren’t very many left. When the European settlement of North America began, there was intense (激烈的) conflict between settlers from overseas and these native people. After the British government and military were expelled in the Revolutionary War, conflicts with natives continued as the states were created that would later make up the US.                           In these conflicts, millions of natives were killed.

In 1830, former US president Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. This act required all Indians to migrate to west of the Mississippi River to allow for the expansion of the US. American Indians were treated as a military “enemy” until 1924, when the few Indians still alive at that point we granted US citizenship. That was the first time that the US government formally recognized the rights of Indians.

While the story of the American Indians has been a sad one, their legacy is still felt every day in the US. Many US geographical names come from Indian languages, such as Ohio, Topeka, Kansas and the Potomac River. At the same time, there are many successful academics and other important US leaders who are descended from Indians. And nowadays, more and more history classes in US public schools are educating students about how Indian suffered during the settlement of the US.

Although what happened can not be undone, we can learn at least one thing from the sad history of the Indians: If we want a better future, we must look carefully and honestly at the past.

1. What is the article mainly about?

A．The history of the settlement of the US.

B．What a typical American is lie.

C．American Indians’ economic impact on the US

D．The sad story of American Indians.

2. It can be concluded from the text that in the middle of the 19th century, American Indians ________.

A．were required to live along the Mississippi River

B．were finally granted US citizenship

C．were regarded as a military “enemy” of the US

D．were expelled from the US by the British government

3. What can we learn about American Indians from the article?

A．American youths are becoming more informed of the suffering of the Indians.

B．The majority of them lived in the states of Ohio and Kansas.

C．Some of their languages are still used today.

D．There are few influential American Indians in US history.

4. What is the authors attitude toward the history of American Indians?

A．He doesn’t have much interest in it.

B．It’s miserable to be reminded of it.

C．Every school in US should teach classes about it.

D．It’s important to learn from it.

6 . Should you listen to music when you work? Some will say they love it, claiming that it improves their performance; others will say they cannot work effectively with music playing in the background.     1     It just depends on what sort of work you’re doing.

In a recent study, we brought participants into our lab with a variety of tasks. They included an easy task — searching through word lists and crossing out words containing the letter “a” and a more difficult task — memorizing word pairs and recalling the partner to each word. Some participants completed all of the tasks in silence, whereas others completed the tasks with instrumental music that was either loud or soft, and either simple or complex, the latter meaning music with more instrumental tracks.     2    

We found that participants who listened to simple music or no music performed about the same on the easy task.     3     Contrarily, participants performed worse on the more difficult task when they listened to any music, regardless of complexity or volume, compared to those who didn’t listen to any music.

    4     Not surprisingly, we typically need to use fewer of our mental resources when we perform easy tasks, whereas demanding tasks require more brainpower. However, because we might be less engaged during easier tasks, there’s a greater risk of drifting off to sleep. Music might give us the extra boost we need to get refreshed.     5     Listening to music can become overkill (过犹不及). So we have to strike a balance between the type of music and the type of task.

A．What should we make of these findings?

B．Several key findings emerged from our study.

C．However, difficult tasks already demand a lot of our mental resources.

D．Our research has found that the effects of work may depend on our personalities.

E．We want to develop a more comprehensive framework that could be applied broader.

F．However, participants who listened to complex music performed best on the easy task.

G．Interestingly enough, our research has found that both of these perspectives can be true.

7 . The rapid growth in skyscrapers worldwide has led to a high demand for window washers since most of these buildings feature large glass panes (窗格) to highlight their breathtaking views.

Though the job offers a handsome salary, dangling alongside multi-story structures is dangerous, and accidents are not uncommon. However, if Israel-based company Skyline Technologieshas its way, the dangerous chore may soon be taken care of by Ozmo, an intelligent window cleaning robot.

"As a society, we've become too comfortable watching people hanging off the sides of 30-story buildings," says Yaron Schwarez, co-founder and CEO of Skyline Robotics. "No salary could justify allowing people to put their lives in the hands of a system of ropes."

Much like humans, Ozmo is placed on platforms suspended from the buildings and uses its arms and brushes to clean the dirt on the glass panes. A 3D map of the building's surface programmed into its system allows the robot to skillfully handle obstacles as it moves up and down the structure. Computer vision and touch sensors enable it to move out of the way in case of unexpected events, such as the sudden opening of a window.

Unlike current window washers, the robot cleaner does not require soap to clean the glass. Instead, it uses distilled water (蒸馏水) and a process called dirt absorption to do the job. Schwarez explains, "We use pure water to absorb and remove the salts, the minerals, the oils, and the dirt from the building. We are environmentally-friendly."

Ozmo is also expected to be much more efficient than humans. While it currently takes three cleaners 480 hours each to clean the windows of a 40-story glass building, the robot will single-handedly complete the task in just 80 hours. However, unlike other robots, Ozmo will not replace human workers. It will only make their jobs safer by lifting them to the role of supervisors, who will be remotely controlling the operation from below.

Whether Ozmo, which is still undergoing testing, does as good a job as human remains to be seen.

1. Which of the following can best replace the phrase "has its way" in paragraph 2?

A．Succeeds.	B．Hesitates.
C．Struggles.	D．Exists.

2. What can we learn about Ozmo from the passage?

A．It requires chemicals to clean.

B．It has trouble crossing obstacles.

C．It operates with great efficiency.

D．It works without human helpers.

3. What is the author's attitude towards the future application of Ozmo?

A．Optimistic.

B．Doubtful

C．Unconceded.

D．Objective.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Ozmo: a Double-edged Sword.

B．Ozmo: a Smart Window Cleaner.

C．Window Washing: a Dangerous Job.

D．Window Washing: a Blessing in Disguise.

8 . Some of the best cycling routes in the world pass through its most beautiful scenery. Here are some of world’s best bike routes for cyclists who either are up for breaking a good sweat or simply seeing the world without leaving an ugly carbon footprint behind.

The Great Windy Road, Victoria, Australia

If you like a challenge, take on this 243-kilometer windy road along Australia’s south-eastern coast. If a day is all you’ve got, take the 60-kilometer route from Torquay to Bells Beach. There you’ll cycle through rural farmland, enjoy the sweeping ocean views from cliff tops, and snake past the wetlands around Lake Connewarre.

Udaipur City Tour, Rajasthan, India

Biking is arguably the best way to explore Udaipur, Venice of the East.

Cyclists often need to cycle past herdsmen and their goats and camels, sharing narrow, old pavements in this romantic place. But surrounded by ancient castles, temples and grand palaces, Udaipur brings about one of the best biking experiences, allowing cyclists to truly discover rural India.

The Karakoram Highway, China-Pakistan

The Karakoram Highway is the highest international road in the world, reaching an altitude of 4,700 meters at the Khunjerab Pass. Starting in Kashgar, China, cyclists can travel up to 1,200 kilometers on mostly unpaved roads, but the views are as breathtaking as the riding.

Route of the Hiawatha, Idaho-Montana, United States

Take your family out to Montana this summer and cycle along the most scenic disused railroad in the country. The railroad turned bike trail turns into 24 kilometers of leisure biking that takes you over seven trestles(高架桥) and through 10 tunnels, with the longest one, the Taft Tunnel, stretching for 2.7 kilometers.

1. In which tour can you enjoy the seaside scenery?

A．The Great Windy Road.	B．Udaipr City Tour.
C．The Karakoram Highway.	D．Route of the Hiawatha.

2. What can you do on the Udaipur city tour?

A．Go to Venice.	B．Feed wild animals.
C．Visit cultural relics.	D．Enjoy modern architectures.

3. What’s special about the Karakoram Highway?

A．It is a totally undeveloped route.	B．It goes along an abandoned railway.
C．It owns the longest tunnel in the world.	D．It lies higher than other international roads.

9 . Hundreds of children are being treated for sleep problems in Wales every year. In some cases，babies，infants (婴儿)and teenagers have been admitted to hospital in north Wales alone.

The Children’s Sleep Charity said many children were suffering from lack of sleep mainly because of technology use. Public Health Wales said sleep was as important to a child’s health as healthy eating and exercise，and children with poor sleep patterns were more likely to be fat.

Statistics obtained (获得) under the Freedom of Information Act by BBC Wales found at least 408 children have been admitted to hospitals across Wales suffering from sleep disorders since March 2013.

Children aged between 0 and 4 made up the highest number of inpatients (住院病人)，with some newborns being treated for sleep-related problems from the day of birth.

Vicki Dawson，who set up the Children’s Sleep Charity (CSC)，said sleepless nights were putting both children and parents in anxiety. “Their weight and growth may also be affected as well as their mental health，”she said.

Teachers said children showing signs of sleep shortage and tiredness in class were a concern as they couldn’t concentrate for long periods.

Psychologist Amy McClelland，of Sleep Wales，saida common problem was that children were “over excited”before bed and that families should get back to basics. “Think 1950s family home. Dinner as a family，read，chat，a film maybe，lights off and then bed. ”She added.

1. What’s the main reason why children are short of sleep？

A．Less exercise.	B．Eating habits.
C．Technology use.	D．Sleep patterns.

2. Who are the majority of the inpatients with sleep-related disorders？

A．Infants.	B．Teenagers.
C．Teachers.	D．Parents.

3. What can we infer from what Amy McClelland said？

A．Chatting and films make children sleep more.

B．It is difficult for children to read before bed.

C．Being too excitedis good for sleep habits.

D．Relaxation has a bad effect on children.

4. What is the best title for the text？

A．Ways to Treat Sleep Problems	B．Sleep Problems of Welsh Children
C．Sleep Habits of Welsh Children	D．The Problems of Welsh Children

10 . Being able to take advantage of truly unlimited data is a smartphone user's dream, but everyone I've talked to about 5G is more excited about the usage unlocked by next - generation wireless devices. From smart home security to self - driving cars, all the Internet - connected equipment in your life will be able to talk to each other at lightning - fast speed with reduced delay.

"5 G is one of those forerunners, along with artificial intelligence, of this coming data age, ” said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research for the Consumer Technology Association. "Self - driving vehicles are emblematic in this data age - they show application of data completely. With one single task, driving, you have large amounts of data coming from the vehicle itself, and a variety of sensors (传感器)are collecting a lot of information to model its environment as it moves. It's pulling in data from other vehicles about conditions down the road. There's lots of data behind that task, which is why we need the speed and lower latency ((延迟).

AR glasses and virtual (虚拟的)reality headphones haven't yet been inside the mainstream, but tech companies are joyfully saying that such equipment will eventually replace our smartphones. With 5G, that could actually happen. This is notable because companies such as Apple are reportedly developing AR glasses to improve - or even replace - smartphones.

Ericsson showed at February's Mobile World Congress in 2019 how smart glasses could become faster and lighter with a 5G connection, because instead of being weighed down with components, the glasses could rely on outside equipment for processing power.

But don't get too excited. There's still a lot of work to be done in the meantime, including some necessary testing to make sure the radio plays nicely with basic systems and service construction so that 5G isn^, t concentrated only in big cities.

1. What does the first paragraph focus on?

A．Potential of 5G.	B．The super speed of 5G.
C．Usage of smart equipment.	D．The future of smart equipment.

2. Which word can replace   "emblematic"   underlined in paragraph 2?

A．available

B．productive

C．representative

D．popular

3. What is tech companies"   attitude towards the replacement of smartphones?

A．Uncertain.

B．Optimistic.

C．Cautious.

D．Disapproving.

4. Why does much work still need to be done according to the last paragraph?

A．To make radio play nicely.	B．To construct big 5G cities.
C．To do 5G trials effectively.	D．To expand 5G coverage fully.