1 . For many parents, raising a teenager is like fighting a long war, but years go by without any clear winner. Like a border conflict between neighboring countries, the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?
Both sides want peace, but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict. In part, this is because neither is willing to admit any responsibility for starting it. From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ complete unreasonableness. And of course, the teens see it in exactly the same way, except oppositely. Both feel trapped.
In this article, I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the trap. The first no-win situation is quarrels over unimportant things. Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanliness of the bedroom, the preferred style of clothing, the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school, or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends. Second, blaming. The goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong. Third, needing to be right. It doesn’t matter what the topic is—politics, the laws of physics, or the proper way to break an egg—the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong, for both wish to be considered an authority—someone who actually knows something—and therefore to command respect. Unfortunately, as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other, they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress.
1. Why does the author compare the parent-teen war to a border conflict?| A．Both are about where to draw the line. |
| B．Both can continue for generations. |
| C．Neither has any clear winner. |
| D．Neither can be put to an end. |
| A．The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents. |
| B．The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict. |
| C．The teens cause their parents of misleading them. |
| D．The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict. |
| A．give orders to the other |
| B．know more than the other |
| C．gain respect from the other |
| D．get the other to behave properly |
| A．Solutions for the parent-teen problems. |
| B．Examples of the parent-teen war. |
| C．Causes for the parent-teen conflicts. |
| D．Future of the parent-teen relationship. |
2 . It's tough to see or hear of a friend in crisis. One idea to keep in mind is that it is healthy for the distressed person to feel what he or she feels in the moment. When a person in crisis feels understood, he or she feels less alone and connected to the person who understands.
A person who experiences empathy(同理心)from a friend who can “go there”for a few minutes in order to authentically understand while still maintaining a strong and supportive attitude may be relieving and healing. While a friend is telling you about the circumstance, the first and most important step is to listen for feelings, not ways to solve the problem.
For example, a friend is terribly upset because her husband is threatening to leave her. After fully honoring the feelings, it is important to ask the friend what would help. Maybe it is a good cry and some ice cream. Perhaps it's a glass of wine and a walk. Everyone has different ways of dealing. Be respectful and ask the friend what she needs or wants, not what you prescribe.
Take a second example, say a close friend is being misrepresented by other friends. The friends are gossiping about her. During a conversation with her, listen for feelings. Honor her hurt and shock. The same equation is useful with a partner.
Helping a friend or partner in crisis not only helps the person, but creates closeness and trust in the relationship, making opening up in the probable future. In addition, the person who is empathizing feels positive because he or she was able to help. When a person is truly able to comfort and reassure a loved one, he or she feels vital and useful, strengthening the relationship.
1. What should we do first when we know a friend is in crisis？| A．Keep away from him/her. |
| B．Buy him/her a glass of wine. |
| C．Understand how he/she feels. |
| D．Show him/her ways to solve the problem. |
| A．A way to solve the crisis. | B．A way to relieve a bad mood. |
| C．A way to listen for feelings. | D．A way to honor the feelings. |
| A．By listing data. | B．By quoting sayings. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By conducting surveys. |
| A．How to keep a loved one. | B．How to make new friends. |
| C．How to work with your partner. | D．How to help a friend in trouble. |
3 . Over the past 20 years, Zhang Bi has donated her blood more than 130 times to help people in need.
Zhang, 44, an employee of a company in Yichang, Hubei province, first donated blood in 1998 while studying at Wuhan University of Technology. “It was in the summer when I was with my classmates, and medical workers were promoting the idea of voluntary blood donations, ” she recalled. To mark her upcoming graduation with a degree in international trade and commerce, she decided to donate 200 milliliters of blood. “In fact, I was jittery at first, ”she said. “But with the nurse explaining things and providing guidance, I gained basic knowledge and finally calmly finished the blood donation.”
After graduation, she began to donate blood once or twice a year. In May 2001, an incident touched Zhang and deepened her understanding of voluntary blood donation. Her brother, a traffic policeman, was attacked and got hurt in a lung after dealing with an illegally operated motorcycle. He suffered blood loss and needed massive blood, but for lack of supplies in the blood bank, all the police officers in the city volunteered to donate blood. “Finally, with the help of the volunteers, my brother was saved, ”she said.
From then on, she began to donate blood every six months, the maximum allowed, according to the Blood Donation Law. In 2006, Zhang's father had a heart surgery and needed blood. Zhang had donated so much blood that she had earned enough “credits” for receiving the blood her father needed from the blood center.
Yi Xiaomei, an official at the Yichang Blood Center, said there are more than 400 regular blood donors in the city. “They have made great contributions to blood donation in the city, ” Yi said. “Zhang Bi, as a typical example, tries her best to guarantee the quality and quantity of blood.” Zhang said donating blood is not only good for the recipient Abut improves her own mental and physical well-being. “I hope I can continue as long as my physical condition can meet the donor requirements, ”she said.
1. What does the underlined word “jittery” mean in paragraph 2？| A．Excited. | B．Curious. |
| C．Nervous. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．The blood in the blood bank. |
| B．The help of the police officers. |
| C．Zhang Bi’s donation of blood. |
| D．The contribution of an official at the Blood Center. |
| A．Blood Center has no limit in donating blood. |
| B．Yichang has the best and most blood donors in China. |
| C．Blood donors make a little money from blood donation. |
| D．Donating blood benefits both the recipient and the donor. |
| A．A Blood Donor Proves Love not in Vain. |
| B．Our Society Needs Women's Contribution. |
| C．An Accident Changed a Traffic Policeman. |
| D．Blood Donors Promoted Voluntary Blood Donation. |
4 . Are people happier in nature with blue skies overhead and fresh green grass underfoot? Could noisy streets, crowded with cars and people, make us unhappy?
The possible mental health problems of city living affect a lot of people. The World Health Organization estimates(估计)that 56 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas in 2019. The WHO adds that that amount will increase to 66 percent by 2050. People often move to cities for better jobs and more cultural activities. But are they putting themselves at risk? Maybe. Experts at the American Psychiatry Association say that “natural environments or green spaces” do much good to our mental health.
Many studies have shown that nature can calm us and make us feel happy. Nature, experts say, can also help us learn better. And experiencing nature helps people recover from the mental tiredness that comes from day-to-day work. On the other hand, mental health experts say some research suggests that city living might hurt our mental health. But they cannot say exactly why.
What are the specific aspects of the urban environment which causes some people to develop mental illness? Andrea Mechelli, a doctor at Kings College, London, states, “There have been studies where people were literally taken out of an urban environment into a rural (乡村的) environment and their symptoms would improve. And we also see that the greater the city is, the greater the risk is.” Mechelli say that someone who lives in a city is three times more likely to develop psychological problem than someone living in the country.
Kings College researchers, along with city planners, land and building designers and others wanted to learn more about city living and mental illness. So, they created a smartphone app called Urban Mind. They say they wanted to understand how different parts of the urban environment affect mental wellbeing(健康).
The researchers found that being outdoors, seeing trees, hearing birdsong, seeing the sky, and feeling in contact with nature were associated with higher levels of mental well-being. They also found that these seeming effects of nature were especially strong in those individuals at greater risk of mental health problems. The Urban Mind Project team says it hopes “the results will inform future urban planning and social policy aimed at improving design and health.”
1. Why is the question raised in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| B．To show the background of the text. |
| C．To ask the readers to learn the study. |
| D．To raise the readers' interest in happiness. |
| A．People are attracted by the blue skies and green grass. |
| B．People are more content with their city life. |
| C．More and more people are interested in taking risks in cities, |
| D．City people are more likely to develop mental problems than country people. |
| A．More people will choose to live in the countryside. |
| B．It will bring more concern about people s mental health. |
| C．It will contribute to future urban planning and social policies. |
| D．People will be helped to improve their mental illness. |
| A．Urban Mind measures the level of mental wellbeing. |
| B．City living may be harmful to people’s mental health. |
| C．Living in the countryside is better than in the city. |
| D．Different scientists hold different opinions on the effects of city living. |
5 . A simple, yet powerful UK program has been fighting elderly loneliness by recruiting young adults as volunteers to read to seniors with vision problems and mental diseases.
Lily has benefited from the program having her vision “restored” by 15-year-old Amy, a school girl who was paired with Lily through the Reading Friends project. Lily was a librarian and enthusiastic reader who would read “two to three books every week”. After developing a terrible disease, however, Lily found herself unable to read or watch television for any length of time without her eyes hurting. Not only have Lily’s regular reading sessions with Amy helped to reconnect her with her passion for literature, they have also built a song inter-generational friendship between the two ladies. “I chose a book and she would come along and read it to me,” Lily said. “But we have only got through two books so far because we end up catting too much. We have read two historical novels and get on very well.” Research shows that reading together can help older people to build social networks and connect with others. Evidence also shows that reading has a positive impact on the elderly’s will-being and can reduce the risk of developing mental diseases.
Rose, a teacher, is responsible for connecting school children like Amy with the program—and she says that it has had an amazing impact on the youngsters. “We have wonderful young people at our school and we wanted to get then into the community,” Rose said. “It has been fantastic to see them blossom as well as improving their literacy and social skills. They are meeting community members like Lily that they are making friendships with and library staff can help them, not only with education but outside as well.”
1. What is the main responsibility of volunteers according to the passage?| A．Read books to seniors. | B．Have a chat with seniors. |
| C．Fight diseases for seniors. | D．Make friends with seniors. |
| A．They benefit Lily a lot by restoring her vision. |
| B．They help Amy pick up her love for literature. |
| C．They help Lily volunteer in the reading project. |
| D．They build up the friendship between two ladies. |
| A．By reducing elderly loneliness. |
| B．By curing the elders of vision problems. |
| C．By improving their literacy and social skills. |
| D．By enabling them to read books for a long time. |
| A．forcing | B．employing |
| C．separating | D．promoting |
6 . Staying connected
When Central Bucks South became one of the first Philadelphia-area high schools to close because of the fear of novel coronavirus exposure in early March, 16-year-old sophomore Andrew Chen knew that things were not going to return to normal as quickly as some of his peers hoped.
But still, the change from seeing his friends on the swim team during daily practices to learning alone at home was jarring.
“I only have three years here at South, and it pains me to see one of them being wasted,” Chen said.
The coronavirus has changed everyone’s lives, but for students, the disruption feels particularly serious. Schools closed and graduation ceremonies were put off. Summer plans, such as camps, are up in the air.
But right now, many students are trying to stay connected, struggling with false information, and finding out the best ways they can help – through online method.
For Josh Harycki, 17, a senior student at the Shipley School in Philadelphia, the best way to help was to create a “social distancing promise” for young people.
“I saw a lot of young people not paying attention,” he said. “They were … still going out, hanging out with others. I thought that there had to be a way to reach younger people, who were possibly not watching the news.”
Harycki started a call to action on social media and then built a website with a map that followed and kept the locations of people who’d signed the promise. The site also shares links to accurate sources of information like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Harycki knows that his peers are worried they can’t connected with their friends in the same way, so he created the social distancing promise to strengthen that although everyone might be physically distant, they’re still connected.
“Part of what we’re showing is that you might feel like you’re the only one taking this seriously, but our map shows that you’re not alone,” he said.
1. What does the underlined word “jarring” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．natural |
| B．necessary |
| C．worrying |
| D．reasonable |
| A．Friends who are worried and bored. |
| B．Young people not aware of the situation. |
| C．Younger students trying to help. |
| D．People taking the coronavirus seriously. |
| A．To order young people to stay at home. |
| B．To follow those infected with the coronavirus. |
| C．To tell young folks of latest news about the coronavirus. |
| D．To show young people that they are still connected. |
| A．To explain what worried students most when schools closed. |
| B．To show the different views of students toward the coronavirus. |
| C．To show how the coronavirus affected students’ lives. |
| D．To explain the proper reaction to the close of school. |
7 . Many people heard about the “Little Free Library”, which was a movement that let people swap a book for another or take it and bring it back. Now, people are joining in the “Little Free Pantry” idea, which shares a similar value of spreading kindness with mini pantries.
One family who live in Boise, Idaho, have a three-year-old son who wanted to build something for his third birthday, so they decided that they would build a community pantry box that they would share with their neighbors. They felt that they had everything they wanted, so they wanted to give a little something back to the community and help the people in need.
The idea is that the family fill this box up with non-perishable (不易腐的) items, which include tins, toiletries, and other goods. However, it’s meant to be a community give and take, so other people would also contribute to adding to this mini-pantry.
It seems that the idea has taken off in other communities who also want to give a little something back and help those in need. It’s the kind of movement that helps the struggling members of the community, allowing them to live knowing that they can have a can of soup for dinner if they have nothing else. Or that sanitary products are available.
The Millers keep their little pantry going, realizing that it’s emptiest toward the end of the month, so they know that it’s really helping people. They don’t believe that anyone has taken advantage of it and that it’s only helped people.
Various other communities have taken on the mini pantries project in order to spread a little kindness within their community.
1. Why is “Little Free Library” mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To show the striking difference between it and “Little Free Pantry”. |
| B．To help readers have a better understanding of “Little Free Pantry”. |
| C．To encourage people to take “Little Free Library” as an example. |
| D．To prove that most people are just so kind as to help those in need. |
| A．To let others know about their son’s birthday. |
| B．To show that they lived in great abundance, |
| C．To egress gratitude and offer help to others. |
| D．To test if people in the community are honest. |
| A．Those who can’t go shopping often. | B．Those who want to show kindness. |
| C．Those who want to celebrate birthdays. | D．Those who live in great poverty. |
| A．The community pantry box is always empty. |
| B．People take advantage of others’ kindness. |
| C．More items are badly needed to refill the box. |
| D．It is gaining more and more popularity. |
8 . Ants know when an earthquake is about to strike, researchers have discovered. Their behavior changes significantly prior to the quake and they resume normal functioning only a day after it. Gabriele Berberich of the University Duisburg-Essen in Germany presented these findings on Thursday at the European Geosciences Union annual meeting in Vienna according to LiveScience.
Berberich and her colleagues discovered that red wood ants preferred to build their colonies right along active faults in Germany. They counted 15,000 mounds （土堆)）lining the faults. These faults are the places where the earth violently bursts in earthquakes.
Using a special camera that tracked changes in activity. Berberich and her colleagues tracked the ants round the clock for three years, 2016 to 2019. They found that the ants' behavior changed only when the quake was over magnitude （级数）2. There were 10 earthquakes between magnitude 2.0 and 3.2 during this period, and many smaller ones. Humans can also sense quakes of over magnitude 2 only.
According to Berberich, normal ant activity consists of going about collecting food etc,during the day and resting in the night But before an earthquake, the ants didn't go back to their mound in the night and moved around outside it. This strange and abnormal behavior continued till a day after the earthquake, Berberich told a news conference, according to Livescience.
How do ants know an earthquake is coming? Berberich suggested that they could either be picking up changing gas emissions or noting tiny changes in the Earth's magnetic fields （磁场）. "Red wood ants have special cells which can detect changes in carbon dioxide levels. They also have special cells for detecting electromagnetic fields." she said. Berberich and her colleagues are planning to continue the research in areas where there are more and bigger earthquakes
1. What's the meaning of the underlined word "resume" in Paragraph 1?| A．Form. | B．Avoid. |
| C．Recover. | D．Improve. |
| A．To lead to the main topic. | B．To describe a new species of ant, |
| C．To introduce a famous researcher | D．To tell how to predict an earthquake. |
| A．They have no appetite. | B．They are too excited to rest. |
| C．They get lost on their way home. | D．They refuse to go inside their nests. |
| A．Ants can only detect smaller earthquakes. |
| B．The result of the research is completely reliable. |
| C．Ants may have two ways to predict earthquakes. |
| D．Researchers don't know how ants predict earthquakes. |
9 . An interview is a discussion with someone in which you try to get information from them.
A great deal is provided by this personal contact: you are another human being, and interviewees will respond to you, in bodily presence, in an entirely different way from the way that they would have reacted to questionnaires that came through their letterboxes or to emails.
If you take the trouble to schedule a visit, you can be more or less guaranteed of a response. Most importantly, though, you will be able to relate to interviewees while you are talking to them.
| A．This is a ready-made support for you. |
| B．Its nature varies with the nature of the interviews. |
| C．You will be able to hear and understand what they are saying. |
| D．Your decision should influence the way that you look, sound and behave. |
| E．The information may be facts or opinions or attitudes or any combination of these. |
| F．Each involves the interviewer in fact-to-face contact or telephone contact with another person. |
| G．You will be using these clues to make informed guesses about what the interviewees might really mean. |
10 . The Notre Dame (巴黎圣母院) fire has been put out, but its wooden roof have been largely damaged. The terrible accident causes a sudden sharp pain to people around the world, “What a pity that we cannot see the damaged parts of the wonder anymore.”
But the good news is that there is at least one way of seeing them, namely via a video game called Assassin's Creed: Unity. In this game, the player can travel to one city after another and enter the buildings exactly like what they are in reality, and see Notre Dame as it was before the fire. In addition, with VR technology, which is already quite mature, one can even look around the undamaged Notre Dame as if it is still there. Maybe digital technology could help to better protect architectural cultural heritage.
The idea of digitizing ancient buildings, making digital models of them so their data can be saved, dates back to the 1990s and the necessary technology has continued to advance since then. By scanning the ancient buildings with lasers, building 3D models with hundreds of images, as well as measuring everything precisely, engineers can make a copy as “same” as the real one.
As computers and smartphones are hugely popular，the digital replica or digital copy has great pratical value. First, it allows tourists to feel the cultural relics without touching them, which helps protect them. The virtual tour of Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province is a good example of this as tourists can view the paintings without standing near them. Furthermore, it can make the digitized cultural relics more famous by spreading awareness about them via the Internet. In 2000, a virtual tour of the Great Wall became very popular at the Hannover World Expo, which increased the number of foreign tourists visiting it in the following years. Above all, it preserves all the information of the cultural relics. Even if the original ones are damaged one day, people can still know what they were like and can build a replica if desired.
Time is the biggest problem to architectural heritage. Maybe we will have better technologies in the future，but the digital technology offers a practical way to preserve architectural cultural heritage at the moment.
1. Which of the following statement is true?| A．The big fire has damaged the whole Notre Dame. |
| B．Only people in Paris felt pain for losing Notre Dame. |
| C．The damaged parts of Notre Dame have already been repaired. |
| D．A video game can help people see the original look of Notre Dame. |
| A．Scan the photos of the buildings | B．Build 3D models of full size. |
| C．Improve the technology needed. | D．Measure all the parts exactly. |
| A．By comparison. | B．By listing data. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By classification. |
| A．The Damage of Notre Dame |
| B．The Value of Digital Replica |
| C．VR Technology Helps Repair the Cultural Relics |
| D．Digital Technology Helps Protect Ancient Buildings |
