1 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The San Francisco Bay Area is so expensive that even tech employees（雇员）at compaies（公司）such     1     Apple, Google, and Amazon are putting off having kids because they are too expensive     2     (raise), according to a new survey.

More than 58% of tech workers in th Golden Gate City agreed that the     3     (rise) cost of living had forced     4     (they) to delay（推迟）starting a family, according to the survey     5     (make) by Blind, an app that allows tech employees to have anoymous chats（匿名聊天）about the workplace.

A total of 8,284 people took part in the survey—most of them employees at 14 tech companies.     6     (surprising), more than 69% of the Apple employees     7     took part said they had put off starting a family because of the high cost of living.

Although average yearly salaries（平均年薪）in the Bay Area are around $142,000—according to a report by the website Hired—the average price of a home is more than four     8     (time) the national average, around $900,000.

And the average cost of raising     9     child to age 18 in the U.S. today     10     (be) about $230,000, according to a report by Merrill Lynch.

2 . How to protect your hearing

All sounds that are louder than 85 decibels(分贝) — from industrial machines to heavy traffic and loud music — are a threat to your hearing, especially if your exposure is long or repeated. That’s because loud sounds can injure or destroy hair cells in your inner ear that are involved in sending sound signals to your brain.

    1     . Since most of us don’t carry decibel meters around, you can rely instead on this rule of thumb: if you are required to raise your voice to be heard by someone standing an arm’s length away then there’s potential for harm. Ideally, you can reduce the noise, go to a quieter environment or wear protection such as earplugs.

    2     . Many smartphones can produce sounds of 100 decibels or more. Some will warn you when you exceed safe levels. If yours doesn’t, keep it set to less than the maximum volume.

Deafeningly loud noise is not to blame for all hearing loss, though.     3    . In addition, the inner ear can also become worse as you get older, and unfortunately, there’s no real way to prevent this.

If you suspect you’ve lost some hearing, see a GP or audiologist.     4    , particularly when it’s a question of picking up people’s speech.

The technology itself “can take a while to get used to because your brain needs to readjust,” says audiologist Dr. Gemma Twitchen. “    5     , when you first notice it reducing.” Hearing aids are improving in terms of comfort, sound quality and appearance — there are now tiny, barely noticeable models available.

A．As the condition affects each sufferer differently

B．A hearing aid could improve your abilities noticeably

C．The louder the noise, the more likely it will cause damage

D．Occasionally, the root of the problem can be a cracked eardrum

E．They could ease it by giving your brain external sounds to focus on

F．Listening to music through earphones is a common cause of hearing loss

G．It’s much easier if you take action on getting your hearing assessed early on

3 . Most of our 400 national parks and historic sites are free, and even the ones that aren't offer several free days during each year. And don't forget admission and tours are free at all our state capitol buildings. So, pull out a map and start planning to find out your destinations.

California: Jelly Belly Factory

Who doesn't like Jelly Bellies? Free tours of the Jelly Belly Factory are offered daily at 1 Jelly Belly Lane in Fairfield, California. Free samples, too! Can't decide which flavor to try first? Check out our ranking on the best jelly bean flavors.

Colorado: United States Air Force Academy

Driving around and taking in the spectacular natural beauty of Colorado is, of course, free. If you know some kids who might be interested in becoming a future cadet, then head to the United States Air Force Academy, just outside Colorado Springs, where free tours are offered daily.

Connecticut: Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut was the first place in the U.S. to offer pizza by the slice to hungry customers, including students of a little college called Yale University. While in New Haven, you can go on a tour of the campus, free of charge, every day of the week. It's the Alma mater(母校) of both President Bushes, Bill and Hillary Clinton, journalist Bob Woodward, and Samuel F.B. Morse, inventor of the Morse code to name a few. Make sure you check out the best state gifts from each state while you're at it.

Florida: Beaches

From the spectacular sunsets in Key West, the southernmost point in the U.S. mainland, to strolling the streets way up north in historic and charming Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida is chock full of free beaches to enjoy.

1. What can you do while visiting Jelly Belly Factory in California?

A．Taste some jelly beans for free.

B．Try and decide your favorite flavor.

C．Rank all the flavors you have tasted.

D．Walk into all the factories as you like.

2. What do we know about Yale University from this text?

A．It teaches how to make pizza.	B．It is a very large university.
C．It used to have a few names.	D．It is a place where some famous people studied.

3. Where can you go to enjoy the southern beaches according to the passage?

A．Fairfield.	B．Key West.
C．New Haven.	D．Colorado Springs.

4 . When Clara Harlowe Barton was 11 years old, her older brother was seriously injured in a fall. Barton spent two years nursing him back to health until he fully got well. Although she had this early nursing experience, Barton would not work as a nurse until later in life.

At the age of seventeen, Barton worked as a teacher in Massachusetts. Twelve years later, she opened the first free public school in New Jersey. The school grew from only six students on the first day of classes to more than 200 students by the end of the school year. When the school opened in the fall of 1853, Barton was surprised to learn that a man had been hired as the school’s head teacher, being paid twice her salary to run the school that she had set up and made successful. Outraged at this news, she quit her teaching position. “I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man’s work for less than a man’s pay,” she said.

In 1861, the Civil War began; Barton began collecting supplies and got passes from the government to send her supplies and services to the front line and field hospitals. And then she became known as the “Angel of the Battlefield”.

In 1869, Barton took a trip to Switzerland where she learned about the International Red Cross. Later, Barton set up the American Red Cross. Under Barton’s leadership, the American Red Cross helped thousands of people in need.

During her lifetime, Barton gave her life and effort to the service and the care of others as a teacher, a Civil War nurse, and founder of the American Red Cross.

1. What does the underlined word “Outraged” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Sad.

B．Moved.

C．Angry.

D．Frightened.

2. Why was Barton called the “Angel of the Battlefield”?

A．She set up a field hospital.	B．She provided supplies for soldiers.
C．She did a man’s work in the front line.	D．She helped thousands of people in need.

3. What made Barton set up the American Red Cross?

A．Her brother’s serious injury.	B．Her dream to become a nurse.
C．Her experience in Switzerland.	D．The soldiers’ encouraging praise.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Barton’s life of service to people in need.	B．Barton’s rich experiences at different ages.
C．Why Barton set up the American Red Cross.	D．How Barton opened the first free public school.

5 . Do Dolphins Have a Language?

We know that dolphins make unique sounds, but is that a language? If you’re interested in it, you are welcome to the activity recommended by Denise Herzing!

About Denise Herzing

Denise Herzing of Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is the organiser and research director of the Wild Dolphin Project, which has a goal of understanding dolphins’ social system, behaviour, and communication. For over thirty years, she has spent each summer watching Atlantic dolphins carefully in the Bahamas.

Activity Guide:

Purpose:

Dolphins use sound to communicate, but they can’t make sounds in the way we humans make. Out of the water dolphins can make different sounds by changing the shape of their blowhole (呼吸孔), which is similar to changing the shape of our own mouths. Underwater, though, they use a totally different system, and they make sounds without letting any air out. You can learn more about how that works here. In this activity we’re going to try to talk like a dolphin.

Materials:

Nothing! But find a partner, maybe a brother or sister or a parent — or if you have one, a dog or cat. After all, this activity is about communication between humans and animals.

How To Do It:

Take a deep breath, hold your nose to keep it shut, and try to communicate with your partner. If your partner is a pet, try saying its name or asking it to “come here”.

When you’re done, think about what made it hard, what solutions you found, and think why dolphins may have developed to communicate in this way.

Then listen to sounds from all kinds of sea animals and compare your dolphin sound to theirs.

1. What can we learn about Denise Herzing?

A．She holds the activity in FAU.

B．She is an expert in dolphins.

C．She wants to find a partner for her research.

D．She fell in love with dolphins when young.

2. What would you have to do for the activity?

A．Have a pet next to you.	B．Keep breathing deeply.
C．Talk with your nose closed.	D．Compare dolphins with other animals.

3. Where can the text be found?

A．In a diary.	B．In a report.
C．In a travel brochure.	D．In an activity book

6 . What does Beijing’s Palace Museum look like at night? Many people don’t know the answer to this question, as it closes at around 4:30 p.m in winter and 5:00 p.m in summer. However, to celebrate the Lantern Festival, Beijing’s Palace Museum opened its door to the public after dark——for two nights only. That’s a first in 94 years!

Although people could get free tickets on the museum’s website, it was difficult to get a ticket. The website even stopped working for a while because too many people visited it at the same time. Zhang Zhifu, a 77-year-old woman, received a ticket from the museum as a gift.   “I grew up in Beijing and I visited the Palace Museum every year, but I never got to see it at night, It is truly an honor.” She said.

In the past celebrating the Lantern Festival was a tradition for the imperial(皇帝的) family. “We want to pass the tradition on and give people more festival experience.” Said Shan Jixiong, the head of the Palace Museum. On the night of February 19th, 2019, about 3,000 visitors spent the Lantern Festival in the Palace Museum.

1. Beijing’s Palace Museum closes at around 4:30 p.m in ________.

A．spring

B．summer

C．autumn

D．winter

2. To celebrate the Lantern Festival. Beijing’s Palace Museum opened after dark for ________only.

A．one night

B．two nights

C．three nights

D．four nights

3. The museum’s website even stopped working for a while because ________.

A．too many people visited it at the same time.

B．there weren’t enough tickets

C．the Palace Museum was too crowded

D．no body wanted to see the Palace Museum at night

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Nobody received a ticket as a gift.

B．The Palace Museum never opened after dark.

C．Zhang Zhifu grew up in Beijing.

D．No visitors went to the Palace Museum in 2019.

5. It is _________ on February 19th, 2019.

A．National Day	B．the Lantern Festival
C．the Dragon Boat Festival	D．Mid-Autumn Festival

7 .

Welcome to FUN PARK Hurry up! Let's go and play here! Opening: Monday to Friday     10:00am-6:00pm Saturday to Sunday   8:00am-8:00pm Fees (门票价格): Adults                         ￥80 15-18years old             ￥60 8-14years old               ￥30 Under 8 years old          Free Let's have lots of fun!

1. On Sunday, Fun Park opens at ________.

A．10:00 in the afternoon	B．8:00 in the morning
C．6:00 in the morning	D．8:00 in the afternoon

2. On Saturday, Fun Park closes at ________.

A．8:00 in the morning	B．10:00 in the morning
C．6:00 in the afternoon	D．8:00 in the afternoon

3. Fun park opens ________days a week.

A．six	B．two
C．five	D．seven

4. Kate is 12, and her little sister is 6. If they go to Fun Park, they should pay ________yuan.

A．90	B．110
C．60	D．30

8 . It is said that a new culture can always keep your eyes and your mind open. Now I am studying in Russia as _______ exchange student. I learn about it from my own experience.

One of _______ differences is about people’s way of life. One day, a Russian friend invited me to a well-known restaurant in Moscow. I_______forward to trying local food. After arriving there, I found nothing on the table but some small plates. To my greater surprise, on the plates there_______only a few slices of tomatoes, nuts, and several pieces of onions_______the dishes were simple, we drank a lot and I felt the passion (热情) from the bottom of his heart. In China, when we invite friends or relatives, we always provide_______with a big dinner with all kinds of dishes. We like to prepare_______we can to show our friendliness.

_______Russian custom also surprises me greatly. As we know, it is_______cold in winter there that it takes a lot of courage (勇气) to just go outside. However, when winter comes, Russians enjoy ________They even take their kids outside to swim. Like their parents, Russian kids rub(擦) their bodies________snow before jumping into the water. The water is freezing cold, but they all play________ in it! Sometimes they invite us to join them, however, we have to say no, because it is really difficult for us________ it just like them!

I________a lot from the exchange visit and it’s been educational in many ways.________ interesting the visit is!

1.

A．a

B．an

C．the

D．/

2.

A．big

B．bigger

C．biggest

D．the biggest

3.

A．look

B．looks

C．looked

D．am looking

4.

A．has

B．had

C．was

D．were

5.

A．Although

B．But

C．So

D．And

6.

A．they

B．them

C．their

D．theirs

7.

A．as many food as

B．so many food as

C．as much food as

D．as much as food

8.

A．Another

B．Other

C．The other

D．The others

9.

A．very

B．quite

C．so

D．such

10.

A．swim

B．swam

C．to swim

D．swimming

11.

A．with

B．by

C．in

D．through

12.

A．excited

B．excitedly

C．excite

D．excitement

13.

A．enjoy

B．enjoyed

C．to enjoy

D．enjoying

14.

A．learn

B．learnt

C．will learn

D．have learnt

15.

A．How

B．How an

C．What

D．What an

9 . Thousands of years ago, the kings of Egypt built strong tombs for themselves. Over these tombs they built pyramids. They thought their bodies would be well kept in these tombs until they could come back to life. They also hoped the world would look on the pyramids as monuments to them and would remember them forever.

There are about 80 pyramids in Egypt. But the Great Pyramid is the biggest of all. It is nearly 5, 000 years old. It is about 137 meters high today, but it was once higher. It is made of 2, 300, 000 huge stones. Most of them are higher than a man and weigh about two and a half tons each. Some weigh as much as fifteen tons. It took more than 100, 000 men twenty years to build the Great Pyramid.

When you look at the pyramids, you can't help wondering how the Egyptians were able to build them thousands of years ago. How did they cut, carry and lift such huge stones? Each stone fits so well, yet they didn’t have our modern machines! Scientists have studied the pyramids, but nobody can tell just how the Egyptians built them so long ago.

Inside the pyramids are the rooms for the bodies of the kings and queens. There are lots of wonderful treasures in the pyramids, too. Thieves have broken into some of the pyramids and taken away many of the treasures to foreign countries. They have even stolen the mummies. Today some of the mummies and treasures are on show in museums in different countries. When the kings had the pyramids built for them, they perhaps never thought this would happen.

1. The kings built their tombs ________.

A．over the pyramids	B．in the fields
C．under the pyramids	D．on the monuments

2. When the Great Pyramid was built, it was ________.

A．137 meters high	B．less than 137 meters high
C．137 kilometers high	D．more than 137 meters high

3. The Egyptians built the pyramids with ________.

A．no modern machines	B．modern machines
C．the kings	D．sand and stones

4. ________ know(s) how the Egyptians built the pyramids.

A．Scientists	B．The kings
C．Many people	D．Nobody

10 . Take a class at Dulangkou School, and you’ll see lots of things different from other schools. You can see the desks are not in rows and students sit in groups. They put their desks together so they’re facing each other. How can they see the blackboard? There are three blackboards on the three walls of the classroom!

The school calls the new way of learning “Tuantuanzuo”, meaning sitting in groups. Wei Liying, a Junior 3 teacher, said it was to give students more chance to communicate.

Each group has five or six students, according to Wei, and they play different roles (角色). There is a team leader who takes care of the whole group. There is a “study leader” who makes sure that everyone finishes their homework. And there is a discipline (纪律) leader who makes sure that nobody chats in class.

Wang Lin is a team leader. The 15-year-old said that having to deal with so many things was tiring.

“I just looked after my own business before,” said Wang. “But now I have to think about my five group members.”

But Wang has got used to it and can see the benefits (好处) now.

“ I used to speak too little. But being a team leader means you have to talk a lot. You could even call me an excellent speaker today.”

Zhang Qi, 16, was weak in English. She used to get about 70 in English tests. But in a recent test, Zhang got a grade of more than 80.

“I rarely (很少) asked others when I had problems with my English. But now I can ask the team leader or study leader. They are really helpful.”

1. What makes Dulangkou School different from others?

A．The students’ desks are in rows.

B．Students sit and study in groups.

C．There are three blackboards in the classroom.

D．Both B and C.

2. A discipline leader is supposed to ________.

A．take care of the whole group

B．make sure that everybody finishes homework

C．make sure that nobody chats in class

D．collect all the homework and hand it in to teachers

3. The new way of learning is said to give students more chance to _________.

A．chat with each other	B．listen to the teachers
C．make friends	D．communicate

4. We can tell from the story that some students ________ this new way of learning.

A．get benefits from	B．are tired of
C．cannot get used to	D．hate