1 . 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. |
Going to Antarctica, one of the remotest destinations on the planet, is not an easy (or affordable) endeavor. Perhaps the difficulty is part of the attraction—the seventh continent remains at the top of many travelers’ wish lists. The striking white desert, with its dramatic, snowy peaks and vibrant turquoise water, as well as its exotic wildlife, including emperor penguins and Weddell seals, can truly offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Hawaii
Hawaii is underrated. To be sure, it is a gorgeous place with breathtaking sunrise and sunset, and every beach is seemingly prettier than the next, but its beauty goes much deeper than its preternatural appearance. Extraordinary beaches—some even boast green and black sand (Papakōlea Beach and Punalu’u Beach, respectively)—have their expected appeal, but visitors who take time to venture out away from the coast quickly discover Hawaii’s charms are everywhere.
Canada
Skiing, surfing, hiking and the Northern Lights, eclectic cuisine, world-class shopping, diverse and rich cultures—this is Canada. The 13 provinces and territories make up the world’s second-largest country by the total area. It has something wonderful for every type of traveler. Nature lovers take solace in mountains, glaciers, waterfalls and the Atlantic or Pacific coastlines while sophisticated eaters nosh at Michelin-starred restaurants and hole-in-the-wall restaurants alike.
Singapore
Travelers don’t want to spend any more time in an airport than they have to. But Singapore Changi Airport is not an ordinary airport. While the rest of the world was staying at home, Singaporean locals had paid to hang out at Changi Airport, whether it was co-working in one of the lounges or camping alongside the world’s highest indoor waterfall, which opened in 2019.
1. Which place would you like to choose if you are an animal lover?| A．Hawaii. | B．Antarctica. | C．Singapore. | D．Canada. |
| A．It can almost satisfy all kinds of travelers. |
| B．It attracts many locals. |
| C．It has some extraordinary beaches. |
| D．It is the second most beautiful place in the world. |
| A．They can decorate the lounges together. |
| B．They can enjoy world-class shopping. |
| C．They can appreciate the world’s highest indoor waterfall. |
| D．They can experience Michelin-starred restaurants. |
3 . Russ Fee was asleep inside his tent last summer in Canada’s Banff National Park when a series of screams shocked him awake. Throwing on his shoes and grabbing a lantern his wife had handed him, he ran out to investigate. Despite the darkness, he could make out a neighboring tent. Backing out was a wolf, dragging something in his teeth—a man.
Moments earlier, Elisa and Matt, were asleep with their two young children when the wolf tore into their tent. “It was like something out of a horror movie,” Elisa recalled. For three minutes, Matt threw his body in front of Elisa and the boys and fought against the wolf. At one point, Matt got the upper hand, but the wolf turned the tables and dragged Matt outside while Elisa was pulling on his legs trying to get him back but in vain.
It was then that Russ Fee entered the picture. He ran at the beast, kicking it in the hip. The wolf dropped Matt and emerged from the tent. Fee felt like he had hit someone that was way out of his weight class.
Before the wolf could turn its anger on Fee, Matt, his arms bloodied, restarted the battle. The men threw at the wolf with rocks, forcing it back. Then the families fled to the shelter of the Fees, minivan and called an ambulance.
“Attacks are so rare that a person here has a greater chance of being killed by a dog, lightning, a bee sting, or a car collision with a deer than being injured by a wolf,” said Matt.
Fee did think about drawing back, if less heroic, during the heat of battle. The moment the wolf locked eyes with him, Fee said, “I immediately regretted kicking it.”
1. What were the two families doing in the park?| A．They were making a horror movie. | B．They were camping in the wild. |
| C．They were studying wolves. | D．They were investigating the park. |
| A．change the situation completely. | B．turn the table in another direction |
| C．tackle a problem wisely | D．compete violently with someone |
| A．Many deer are killed by vehicles. | B．There are many accidents in the park. |
| C．Wolves seldom attack people there. | D．People are often attacked by dogs. |
| A．Courageous and helpful. | B．Responsible and inspiring. |
| C．Indifferent and brave | D．Clever and determined. |
4 . Human beings have used tools for a very long time. In some parts of the world you can still find tools that people used more than two million years ago. They made these tools by hitting one stone against another. In this way, they broke off pieces from one of the stones. These chips of stone were usually sharp on one side. People used them for cutting meat and skin from dead animals, and also for making other tools out of wood. Human beings needed to use tools because they did not have sharp teeth like other meat-eating animals, such as lions and tigers. Tools helped people to get food more easily.
Working with tools also helped to develop human intelligence. The human brain grew bigger, and human beings began to invent more and more tools and machines. The stone chip was one of the first tools that people used, and perhaps it is the most important. Some scientists say that it was the key to success of mankind.
Since 1960, a new kind of tool has appeared. This is the silicon chip (硅芯片). It is smaller than a finger nail, but it can store lots of information. It is an electronic brain. Every year these chips get clever, but their size gets smaller, and their cost gets less. They are used in watches, calculators and intelligent machines that we can use in many ways. In the future we will not need to work with tools in the old way. Machines will do everything for us. People will have plenty of spare time. But what will they do with it?
Human beings used stone chips for more than two million years, but human life changed very little in that time. But now life is changing faster every day. What will life be like twenty years from now? What will the world be like two million years from now?
1. From paragraph 1, we can know ________.| A．why early human beings cut skin from dead animals | B．how early human beings discovered the tools |
| C．what early human beings used the tools for | D．what food early human beings stored |
| A．was very important to the development of mankind |
| B．led to the invention of machines in the early time |
| C．developed cooking abilities of mankind |
| D．was one of the first tools of mankind |
| A．stress the importance of the silicon chip |
| B．introduce a new kind of tool |
| C．give an example of using tools |
| D．show that the ability of humans to use and create tools is improved |
| A．out of order | B．less colorful |
| C．hard to predict (=foretell) | D．full of meanings |
5 . Surprise is the error signal our brains produce when something unexpected happens. It is a dopamine (多巴胺) trigger, producing the neurotransmitter (神经递质) that drives attention and motivation.
In his book The Power of Surprise, Rousell presents his finding from decades of his research:
Not all surprising moments are created equal. Rousell illustrates some research-backed steps to use surprise well.
Spot a self-criticism you’d like to help someone revise. For example, perhaps your student sees himself as a slow learner, or your employee believes he lacks creativity.
| A．Point out his weakness. |
| B．It was an essential adaptation for humans. |
| C．Identify the opposite side of the same coin. |
| D．Also, it will make less difference to one’s mind. |
| E．Here is an example the author shares in his book. |
| F．To put it simply, surprise is a big deal to our brains. |
| G．Surprise brings the experiences shaping who we believe we are. |
6 . The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University have turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory named “Drive LAB” in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are.
Research shows that giving up driving is one of the key reasons for a fall in health and well-being among older people, leading to them becoming more isolated and inactive.
Led by Professor Phil Blythe, the Newcastle team are developing in-vehicle technologies for older drivers which they hope could help them to continue driving into later life.
These include custom-made navigation (导航) tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adaptations. Phil Blythe explains: “For many older people, particularly those living alone or in the country driving is important for keeping their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.”
“But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing confidence in their driving skills. The result is that people stop driving before they really need to.”
Dr Amy Guo, the leading researcher on the older driver study, explains, “The Drive LAB is helping us to understand what the key stress points and difficulties are for older drivers and how we might use technology to solve these problems.”
“For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined. We’re looking at the benefits of systems which control their speed as a way of preventing that.”
“We hope that our work will help with technological solutions to ensure that older drivers stay safer behind the wheel.”
1. What is the purpose of the Drive LAB?| A．To explore new means of transport. | B．To design new types of cars. |
| C．To teach people traffic rules. | D．To find out older driver’s problems. |
| A．It keeps them independent. | B．It helps them save time. |
| C．It builds up their strength. | D．It cures their mental illnesses. |
| A．Ensure their safety with the help of technology. |
| B．Improve their diving skills. |
| C．Provide advice on repairing their cars. |
| D．Organize regular physical checkups. |
| A．A New Model Electric Car | B．Keeping Older Drivers on the Road |
| C．A Solution to Traffic Problems | D．Driving Services for Elders |
7 . We all love to take photographs. It’s a simple way to record a special moment or an amazing view. In fact, they show a snapshot in time. This hasn’t really changed since the invention of photography in the 1830s.
For many years, we have used traditional cameras to take our pictures with. And we’ve had a range of cameras to choose from. But a great change has come with the development of digital (数码的) technology.
Now we have the smartphone.
Certainly, the growth of the smartphone means more and more of us are taking photos and it opens our eyes to the creative possibilities it can provide.
| A．This has made taking photos quicker and easier. |
| B．That’s something we can do with a traditional camera. |
| C．But one thing that has changed is the equipment we use. |
| D．The first smartphone with a digital camera came out in 2000. |
| E．And for some, it can be a first step to getting into serious photography. |
| F．We can take very good quality photos and share them easily with smartphones. |
| G．But Phil Hall, editor of Tech Radar magazine, thinks there’s nothing to worry about. |
8 . We humans love to stare into our smart devices. We gaze for hours—about 10 hours and 39 minutes a day—at our computers, smartphones, tablets and televisions. Is all this staring bad for us? It might be, mainly because as we stare at our devices we are exposing ourselves to blue light.
Blue light is a type of electromagnetic radiation with a very short wavelength that produces a high amount of energy. While it’s true that light can damage our eyes under certain circumstances, there’s no scientific evidence suggesting that blue light is harmful to our eyes. But many people still think it is, which is why blue-light-blocking glasses are so popular. So, do the glasses work?
“Everyone is very concerned that blue light may be causing damage to the eye, but there’s no evidence that it may be causing serious damage, ” Dr. Rahul Khurana, a clinical spokesman, told Business Insider.
Blue light exposure is nothing new. In fact, the sun is the largest source of blue light. Moreover, blue light is also present in LED light. But if blue light isn’t harmful, then why are we constantly rubbing our eyes when we’re looking at our screens? The answer is eyestrain (眼疲劳). More than 60 percent of people experience eye problems associated with digital eyestrain. And blue light, it seems isn’t the cause. Instead, our eyes are so strained because most of us blink less when we stare at our digital devices. So, if eyestrain is the real issue, blue-light-blocking glasses are probably of little use.
1. What do we know about blue light?| A．It has the shortest wavelength. |
| B．It’s a kind of nuclear radiation. |
| C．It consumes a great deal of energy. |
| D．It may come from electronic devices. |
| A．Evidence of their benefits to eyes. |
| B．Widespread use of smart devices. |
| C．Belief in blue light’s harmful effect. |
| D．Scientific understanding of blue light. |
| A．Rubbing eyes makes people strained. |
| B．Blue light exposure is hardly avoidable. |
| C．Blue light may connect with tired eyes. |
| D．Eye problems are not easy to deal with. |
| A．useless | B．harmful |
| C．tiring | D．beneficial |
9 . Playing sports offers you more than just physical benefits (好处).
Making new friends.
Playing sports enables you to create friendships you otherwise might not have formed.
Understanding the value of health.
Taking part in sports improves your health in many ways.
Building team spirit.
Sports provide children with the important lesson of learning how to work in a team.
Playing sports requires a lot of time and energy. Some may think this would take students’ attention away from schoolwork. However, the opposite is true. Sports require memorization, repetition and learning — skills that are directly relevant (有关的) to schoolwork.
| A．Doing better in your studies. |
| B．Everyone has to work together to achieve the goal. |
| C．To be a good athlete, you must take care of yourself. |
| D．Sports can help you in your study and fit in with society as well. |
| E．Sports bring teens together from different schools and backgrounds. |
10 . My name is Sara. When I was little, I played the drums. I also had a guitar. In fourth grade, I started playing the trombone (长号). I practiced about four hours a week. All of this might not seem like a big deal for a lot of kids, but there’s something about me that makes me a bit different from others. I was born without hands. Since I was about one year old, I’ve worn prosthetics (假手).
This year, I got an invitation to join the high school marching band (行进管乐队). I told my mom I wanted to do it. But I had an instructor who thought I would not be able to march in the band—not because it was a high school band and I’m only in seventh grade, but probably because my body is different. All I wanted was to show that I could do it, so I joined the band. And it paid off!
Music gives me energy. That happens sometimes. One time I was so down, I didn’t even want to get out of bed. Then I hit my mp3 player by accident. A song came on, and I got up and started dancing. It helped me say to myself, “OK, I can get through today.”
Around my musician friends, we all share the same problems, like working out how many beats there are to a measure. I have a hard time counting the beats, but so do a lot of the other kids. It’s a normal problem that we musicians share. When I’m with the band, I don’t feel as different as I do in other situations. It’s just another way that music makes me want to go on, and not to just sit down by myself and not care about life.
1. In what way is Sara different from other kids?| A．There’s something wrong with her body. |
| B．She knows how to play many instruments. |
| C．She learned to play the drums at a very early age. |
| D．She kept playing the trombone for the longest hours. |
| A．said no at first | B．had no idea what to do |
| C．followed the instructor’s advice | D．believed that she would make it |
| A．Bored. | B．Relaxed. | C．Successful. | D．Afraid. |
| A．A high school band | B．A young drummer |
| C．The music of me | D．My magic hands |
