1 . One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap (包装).
On September 11th, 1958, Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is.” What an honour! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it.Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming. “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room.“If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I’d never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”
“Thank God!” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!
1. What happened to the author on September 11th, 1958?| A．He got a baby brother. |
| B．He got a Christmas gift. |
| C．He became four years old. |
| D．He received a doll. |
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring. |
| C．Difficult. | D．Fearful. |
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
| A．A sad Christmas day. |
| B．Life with a lovely baby. |
| C．A special Christmas gift. |
| D．Memories of a happy family. |
2 . Thirteen-year-old Kaylee has a lot of friends — 532, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Kaylee’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not Words With Friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platforms (平台).
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger, “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.
Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual words, we will have little time for our real-world friendships.” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need someone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To summarize the text. | B．To tell about true friends. |
| C．To bring up a discussion. | D．To encourage online friendship. |
| A．In person. | B．In advance. | C．In any case. | D．In full measure. |
| A．Worried. | B．Positive. | C．Confused. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．It’s wise to turn to friends online. |
| B．It’s easier to develop friendships in reality. |
| C．Social media help people stay closely connected. |
| D．Teenagers need focus on real-world friendships. |
3 . Is there a link between social media and depression? Do Facebook and Instagram have a negative impact on your mental health? It’s complicated.
Sometimes, looking through Instagram just makes you feel bad. You try not to envy your friends, but they always seem to be traveling somewhere cool, eating something fancy, or looking cute in perfect just-rolled-out-of-bed hair. On the other hand, there are times when you laugh at funny memes (表情包), catch up with old friends, and feel happy to belong to fun social media communities. Clearly, social media isn’t all bad.
People are increasingly suspecting that there’re potential problems of social media. Things like cyberbullying (网上欺凌) , screen addiction, and being exposed to endless filtered images (美颜) that make it impossible not to make comparisons between yourself and others often make the news. In July, a big study came out in the journal JAMA titled “Association of Screen Time and Depression in Adolescence.” This big headline seems to confirm what a lot of people have been saying — screen time is horrible for young people.
The study followed over 3,800 adolescents over four years as part of a drug and alcohol prevention program. Part of what the investigators measured was the teens’ amount of screen time, including time spent on social media, as well as their levels of depression symptoms. One of their main findings was that higher amounts of social media use were associated with higher levels of depression. That was true both when the researches compared between people and compared each person against their own mental health over time.
Case closed? Not so fast. Before we end the debate once and for all, let’s take a closer look at this and other studies. Let’s ask ourselves: what exactly is the relationship between social media use and depression? It turns out there are several warnings.
1. Why do people sometimes feel bad when looking through Instagram?| A．They lack contact with old friends. | B．They can travel nowhere. |
| C．They don’t look perfect. | D．They feel unbalanced. |
| A．To comment. | B．To prove. | C．To suggest. | D．To explore. |
| A．Depression is related to social media use. |
| B．Teens’ amount of screen time is limited. |
| C．It is not easy to tell reasons for depression. |
| D．Social media contributes to physical health. |
| A．How to reduce depression? | B．Does social media cause depression? |
| C．Shall people reduce screen time? | D．Why is it time to give up social media? |
4 . Many leading AI researchers think that in a matter of decades, artificial intelligence will be able to do not merely some of our jobs, but all of our jobs, forever transforming life on the earth.
The reason why many people reject this as science fiction is that we’ve traditionally thought of intelligence as something mysterious that can only exist in biological organisms,especially humans. But such an idea is unscientific.
From my point of view as a physicist and AI researcher, intelligence is simply a certain kind of information-processing performed by elementary particles (基本粒子) moving around,and there is no law of physics that says one can’t build machines more intelligent than us in all ways. This suggests that we’ve only seen the tip of the intelligence iceberg and that there is an amazing potential to unlock the full intelligence that is potential in nature and use it to help humanity.
If we get it right, the upside is huge. Since everything we love about civilization is the product of intelligence, amplifying our own intelligence with AI has the potential to solve tomorrow’s toughest problems. For example, why risk our loved ones dying in traffic accidents that self-driving cars could prevent or dying of cancers that AI might help us find cures for? Why not increase productivity through automation and use AI to accelerate our research and development of affordable sustainable (可持续的) energy?
I’m optimistic that we can develop rapidly with advanced AI as long as we win the race between the growing power of our technology and the knowledge with which we manage it. But this requires giving up our outdated concept of learning from mistakes. That helped us win the race with less powerful technology. We messed up with fire and then invented fire extinguishers (灭火器), and we messed up with cars and then invented seat belts. However, it’s an awful idea for more powerful technologies, such as nuclear weapons or super intelligent AI-where even a single mistake is unacceptable and we need to get things right the first time.
1. How do many people feel about leading AI researchers’ predictions?| A．Worried. | B．Curious. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．We know little about it. | B．It belongs to human beings. |
| C．It is too difficult to understand. | D．We have a good command of it. |
| A．Cost. | B．Potential. |
| C．Quantity. | D．Advantage. |
| A．Learning from failure. | B．Increasing our intelligence. |
| C．Avoiding making mistakes. | D．Making accurate predictions. |
5 . Teenagers are especially likely to suffer loneliness. Here are some suggestions for speeding a recovery from loneliness.
Reach out to others, but start small. A smile and a friendly greeting for the student behind you in line at the cafeteria won’t make you best friends.
Find a safe place to make connections. If going to the school dance makes you feel like you just don’t belong, try joining a specialinterest group. Maybe it’s the drama club or the marching band.
Find other ways of making connections. Lonely people hunger for acceptance and friendship. Sometimes feeling accepted and liked comes more easily when you do something for others.
You get what you expect, so expect the best. If you expect others to be friendly, you will behave in similar ways.
| A．But it will make you both feel pretty good. |
| B．So consider becoming a volunteer. |
| C．Some teens aren’t so adaptable, however. |
| D．Encourage people to be friendlier to you. |
| E．Choose the right people. |
| F．For most young people, loneliness is only temporary. |
| G．Look for a group that allows you to join in gradually and cheerfully. |
6 . Five tips for safe running
We all know that exercise is good for our health. But some kinds of exercise may be better than others. Running, for example, may help to protect against heart disease and other health problems.
Running is good exercise, but it can be hard on the body.
Take it easy. Do not run too much, too soon or too fast. Most people get running injuries (受伤) when they push themselves too bad. The body needs time to get used to increase in distance or speed.
Listen to your body. Most running injuries do not come unexpectedly (意外地).
They may include body aches, sore muscles (肌肉) and pain that does not go away.
Take good notes. Take time after each run to write down what you did and how you felt. Look for patterns, things that happen over again. These notes will help you find the best exercise for you.
Cross train. As we said earlier, running is hard on your body. So physical fitness experts suggest some form of cross training to improve muscle balance and to help you stay injury free. They say, besides running, swimming, yoga, and riding a bicycle are good exercises.
| A．Get good running shoes. |
| B．Here are five ideas to reduce the risk of injury. |
| C．Muscles and joints (关节) need time to recover. |
| D．Running may also help you live longer |
| E．These exercises are easier on the body. |
| F．Usually, there are warning signs. |
| G．As advertisements for the running shoe Nike say, “just do it.” |
7 . Recently, the organizers of the 2024 Paris Olympics have suggested that breakdancing be included in 2024, making it closer to becoming an Olympic sport. The other 3 sports—surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing—all made debuts in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That is to say, audience watched these three sports as Olympic events for the first time.
The organizers stressed that four sports had been chosen since they would reflect the city’s identity and help take the Olympics to the street. They added that the purposes were to deliver a Games that was able to keep up with the times and encourage new audience and attract young people. Breakdancing is a typical example which can be played without the limitations of time and places in urban and other environments.
As one of the sports at the Young Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018, breakdancing now could see its popularity greatly raised. But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) needs to approve the French suggestion before it can be formally added to the 2024 Paris Olympics sports programme.
With new IOC rules first introduced to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Host cities can select sports and propose them for inclusion in those Games if they are popular in that country and add to the Game’s appeal.
Antonio Espinos Ortueta, the president of the World Karate Federation said, “Our sport has grown rapidly over the last years. We believe that we have met all the requirements and that we have the perfect conditions to be added to the sports programme. However, we have learned today that we still haven’t had the chance to prove our value as an Olympic sport.”
1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “debuts” ?| A．Announcements. | B．Appearances. |
| C．Attractions. | D．Advertisements. |
| A．It attracts people of all ages. |
| B．It is the symbol of Paris. |
| C．It was performed in 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics . |
| D．It can be played anytime and anywhere. |
| A．Give useful advice. | B．Offer enough support. |
| C．Give detailed explanations. | D．Have the last word. |
| A．He thought it easy for a new sport to be included in Olympics. |
| B．He thought breakdancing was far from ready to be an Olympic event. |
| C．He couldn’t be sure of the final decision of IOC. |
| D．He found it likely for breakdancing to be performed in Olympics. |
8 . 3D printing is becoming more and more popular. We are now able to create things we need very quickly and easily using 3D printers. But can you imagine printing food?
Some scientists are trying to revolutionize the dining experience by doing this. They hope that having a 3D printer in the kitchen will be as common as the microwave oven or blender.
Scientists say that it’ll be quite easy: you simply have to select a recipe and put the raw food “inks” into the printer. You can also modify the instructions to make the food exactly how you want it. This means that it would be very quick and easy to create tasty and nutritious meals.
Using 3D printers to create your meals would also be saving the environment. There would be less need for traditional growing, transporting and packaging processes as food production would be a lot more efficient. For example, alternative ingredients(原料) such as proteins from algae, beetroot leaves and insects could be converted into tasty products.
Printing food could also help people who suffer from dysphasia (a swallowing disorder). They could program the printer to print softer versions of their favorite foods so that they would not have trouble in swallowing them.
However, some people think that a future of 3D food printing would be a disaster. It could take away many jobs, including those from growing, transporting and packaging food. Imagine a world where there was no need for farming or growing crops and the same tastes could be printed from a raw “food ink”. Likewise, traditional cafes and restaurants might lose business. Also, there are concerns about the nutritional value of printed food: is it really possible to be get the nutrients we need from food-based inks and gels(凝胶)?
What’s more, cooking and eating together with family and friends has long been a traditional and enjoyable activity. It is hard to imagine a world where the pleasure of cooking is dead and meals can be created at the touch of a button.
1. Which of the following best describes 3D food printing?| A．Quick and popular. | B．Easy and efficient. |
| C．Nutritious and tasty. | D．Soft and convenient. |
| A．Traditional food would disappear. |
| B．Many people could lose their jobs. |
| C．It would affect the people’s health. |
| D．We could all eat the same food. |
| A．3D food printing will replace traditional cooking. |
| B．3D printing food can treat dysphasia. |
| C．It would hurt our tradition of food culture. |
| D．3D food printing would be a failure. |
| A．3D food “printing”: coming to the kitchen. |
| B．Can 3D printing create everything? |
| C．3D printing food will be in fashion! |
| D．The disadvantage of 3D food printing. |
9 . All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer. Many people like to watch others play games. They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when “their” player or team wins.
Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy! And think of people in cold countries. Think how many people love to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada. Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. They are about one hundred years old. People are inventing new sports or games all the time. Water－skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.
People from different countries often become good friends after a game together. Sports help them to understand each other. One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace．
1. Why do people all over the world enjoy sports?| A．Because they want to keep healthy. | B．Because they are happy. |
| C．Because they want to live longer. | D．All the above. |
| A．their favorite team wins | B．they win the game |
| C．they get the good news | D．they can’t help themselves |
| A．Water－skiing. | B．Basketball. |
| C．Volleyball. | D．Jumping. |
| A．they train their character in the game | B．they understand each other |
| C．they are friendly to each other | D．they help each other |
10 . It is said that many brain training products is able to keep us mentally(精神的) fit. Some products even claim that brain training can prevent dementia (痴呆) in old age. Many such products are only money-making rubbish. Also, there is no scientific proof that games or other brain exercises can have this effect(影响). That is what the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) pointed out.
As we get older, our thinking gets slower and it is harder for us to learn new things. Many people try to stay mentally fit by, for example, learning a new language or doing crossword puzzles. Computer games that aim to keep the brain active are also becoming increasingly popular. “Doing exercises like trying to find symbols on a computer screen as fast as possible can actually improve your reaction time,” explains Professor Peter Sawicki, the Institute’s Director. “But scientific studies have shown that brain training only leads to an improvement in one aspect that it is aimed at. So if you learn to find symbols quickly, it does not mean that you will be able to improve your memory.”
Research has not shown that brain training can keep up or enhance (加强) people’s overall mental abilities as commonly thought. “So there is no need to feel bad if you do not enjoy brain training: there are no health reasons for doing it,” says Sawicki. “But if you think brain training exercises are interesting, you can try out different things. For example, completing the order of letters can improve your logic skills. And practicing word association techniques can help you to remember things better. You can do all of these things at home on your own.”
1. What can we learn about the brain training products according to the passage?| A．They are expensive. | B．They are effective. |
| C．They are not reliable（可信的）. | D．They are harmful to the brain. |
| A．only improve your reaction time | B．help all people improve their memory |
| C．keep the brain active for a longer time | D．only improve a certain ability of people |
| A．when your thinking gets much slower | B．under strict instructions (指导) |
| C．when you can’t learn new things | D．in a relaxing way |
| A．shouldn’t be encouraged | B．aren’t as effective as commonly thought |
| C．may benefit people in some indirect ways | D．are just designed for young people to have fun |
