1 . Liu Jichen, 23, a student from Tsinghua University, has developed a WeChat mini-program called “Clear Your Plate”. After a meal, users can open the mini-program and take a picture of their empty plates. Once the image is recognized by the AI(Artificial Intelligence), students can collect points and use them to buy gifts or purchase charity meals to children in impoverished(贫困的) rural areas.
Liu and his team, together with other organizations, launched the “Clear Your Plate” campaign in November for the third year. It has swept over 1,017 universities across the country. The one-month campaign attracted almost 1.6 million participants and collectively reduced food waste by 862 tons and carbon emissions(碳排放) by 3,337 tons.
“Technological innovation is a good way to reduce food waste,” Liu thought. He organized a team of 20 members to work on the project at the end of 2017. To solve the AI’s problem of identifying photos of empty plates, the team spent half a year collecting over 100,000 samples in canteens and restaurants. In 2018, the mini-program was officially put into operation on Oct 16, World Food Day. They then launched a campaign later that year.
“There were so many unknowns in research and development. For our team members, the biggest challenge was whether we were confident enough to complete it,” Liu said. They not only achieved their goal, but now, the mini-program has more than 5 million registered users, according to Liu. “We hope our efforts can start a new trend among the younger generation by encouraging them to cherish(珍惜) their food and develop the habit of thrift(节约),” Liu added.
1. What can we know about the “Clear Your Plate” mini-program?| A．It aims to put an end to waste and encourage thrift. |
| B．Its 6 million users are mostly students. |
| C．It helped reduce food waste by 3,337 tons. |
| D．It is an exchange of food for rewards to help poor children. |
| A．They found it tough to promote the campaign. |
| B．They felt uncertain whether they could complete the project. |
| C．They lacked professional technical support. |
| D．They had difficulty gathering enough samples. |
| A．Optimistic and demanding. | B．Generous and responsible. |
| C．Talented and humorous. | D．Creative and determined. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A news report. | C．A book review. | D．A textbook. |
Last weekend, I went to Mark’s new house near a forest for a little get-together. After lunch when I was chatting with him and his wife Cody, he asked me, “Hey, Thora, have you ever been to a secret spot?” Before I could even finish saying no, Cody and Mark were already at the door with their jackets on. And the next moment we were heading out into the forest with a camera, a fishing net and a plastic bucket (桶).
We walked through the forest along a path by a small river. Breathing the fresh air, we three talked and laughed all the way.
“Hey! What are you guys doing ?” someone suddenly shouted from behind. Mark and Cody’s eyes immediately widened, and without a word they started running. I had no choice but to follow them, getting my shoes wet and dirty with mud. We probably ran for about 10 minutes before Mark and Cody slowed down. I stopped to catch my breath and asked, “Who was that?”
Mark replied, “The most annoying neighbor ever. There’s no telling what could happen if he caught up with us. He is always making fun of us. I dislike him.” We kept walking on for a few more minutes. Then a beautiful lake appeared before our eyes. “Wow! Amazing!” I shouted and could hardly hold back my excitement. The lake was large and the water was deep and blue, looking so peaceful with tall trees around it.
注意：（1）所续写短文的词数应为l50左右；（2）续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
Paragraph1:
Looking around, we saw a boat floating by the shore.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
“Help! Help! Help!” I was so frightened and cried for help.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In the USA the high school graduation ceremony is of great
The graduation ceremony itself takes place at the end of May or beginning of June,
4 . Do boys and girls really deal with people in different ways? With Leaper’s help, we carried out some tests that showed us yes.
We offered the kids brightly wrapped (包装) gifts which may be disappointing: socks and a pencil. The girls responded very politely. Courtney said happily, “Just what I need. Socks and a pencil!” Her words made me feel good, while the boys weren’t about to make me feel good. “What?” Raja said, “Socks and a pencil? Rip-off!” Jacob had a similar reaction.
Are boys and girls simply born different?
Susan Witt, at the University of Akron, says boys and girls respond differently in situations like these because we parent them differently.
Witt means parents and society treat kids differently. A famous study called “Baby X” designed by Phyllis Katz tested adults on how they treated babies based on what they thought the gender (性别) was. When adults thought they were holding a girl, they held her gently and gave her dolls. When they thought the baby was a boy, they offered him a football. In the 1970s, some people took this to argue boys and girls were born entirely the same, and they behaved differently only because parents and society taught them to. Now, however, it’s accepted that society and biology both create the difference.
Witt also offered a few tips for the parents of girls: Don’t help them so much. Research shows parents tend to help girls more than boys. This can make girls feel helpless and less confident.
In the case of the boys who were honest in our test, we saw that their parents gave them a lot of freedom to act out. “Maybe too much,” says Witt. Witt said Moms should discourage kids who scream out demands.
Finally, a caution (警告) about generalizing about gender. The differences between individuals are frequently bigger than differences between sexes. In our experiments, some girls did speak their mind, and some boys were very polite.
1. What was the boys’ reaction to the gifts in the test?| A．They liked the gifts. |
| B．They were very polite. |
| C．They responded honestly. |
| D．They tried to make others feel good. |
| A．tested adults on how they treated babies based on their gender |
| B．was designed to prove boys and girls are born different |
| C．was designed by Phyllis Katz from the University of Akron |
| D．proved that boys and girls are born entirely the same |
| A．give them more freedom |
| B．offer them more help |
| C．control them a little more |
| D．make them more confident |
| A．The results of the experiments are confusing. |
| B．There’s no need to notice the differences between the sexes. |
| C．Differences between boys and girls aren’t true for all individuals. |
| D．Differences between sexes are more important than those between individuals. |
5 . Is it important for teenagers to own the latest cell-phone models? There are different ways of looking at this question.
First, why do teenagers need to have the latest models? Often it’s just to show off. The paradox is that there are many teenagers who own the latest cell-phone models but don’t even know how to use them properly. This is true. They just want one because their friends have similar ones, or because they take very good videos and photos.
On the other hand, if they do know how to use them, the latest cell phones are really good. They not only help teens to stay in touch with friends and family, but also help them to access the Internet and download pictures, videos or music they need when studying. These new phones are so powerful that having one is almost like having a whole library in your pocket. It’s an instant (即刻的) source of information that helps young people get the latest news. But many parents, thinking only of such positive sides, do not take into consideration the potential dangers. For example, children may constantly be distracted (分心) during class by sending and receiving text messages.
Each young generation loves the new technologies available — just think back to when you were a kid. But your job as a parent is to make sure your child gets the most out of this technology with the least possible harm.
1. According to the second paragraph, teenagers want to have the latest cell-phone models because ________.| A．they want to show they are fashionable |
| B．they think the latest models help them a lot with study |
| C．they think they can keep in touch with others more easily |
| D．they want to learn how to use new technologies |
| A．fault | B．problem | C．benefit | D．imagination |
| A．a new generation always loves new things |
| B．parents also liked technological products when they were young |
| C．parents should make sure children use the new technologies properly |
| D．parents shouldn’t allow children to own a cell Phone |
6 . The idea of low material desire, low consumption and refusing to work, marry and have children, concluded as a “lying down” lifestyle, recently struck a chord with many young Chinese who are eager to take pause to breathe in this fast-paced and highly-competitive society.
Many millennials (千禧一代) and generation Zs complained to the Global Times that burdens, including work stress, family disputes and financial strains, have pushed them “against the wall”. They said they hate the “involution(内卷),” joking that they would rather give up some of what they have than get trapped in an endless competition against peers.
“Instead of always following the ‘virtues’ of struggle, endure and sacrifice to bear the stresses, they prefer a temporary lying down as catharsis (宣泄) and adjustment,” said a scholar. “It is no wonder that some young people, under the growing pressures from child-raising to paying the mortgage (按揭) today, would try to live in a simple way and leave the worries behind.”
Interestingly, the majority of millennials and Gen Zs reached by the Global Times, who claim to be big fans of the lying down philosophy, acknowledged that they only accept a temporary lying down as a short rest. It is true that with the great improvement of living conditions, some Chinese youth have partially lost the spirit of hardship and are not willing to bear too much hard work. But in fact, lying down is not entirely comfortable. Young people who lie down always feel guilty about their constant loss of morale (士气) far beyond their reach.
“Young people on campus have both aspirations and confusion about their future, but most of us have rejected setting ourselves up in chains to waste opportunities and challenges,” a postgraduate student told the Global Times. “It’s no use running away. I have to ‘stand up’ and face the reality sooner or later.”
1. What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Warned. | B．Punished. | C．Amused. | D．Touched. |
| A．Improvements in living conditions. |
| B．Growing pressure from family and social life. |
| C．Increasing material possessions from families. |
| D．Temporary adjustment to failure in competitions. |
| A．Understanding. | B．Intolerant. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．They never really drop their responsibilities. |
| B．They really enjoy the “lying down” lifestyle. |
| C．They find their dreams far beyond their reach. |
| D．They would rather escape than take challenges. |
7 . Traveling can be a very fun and exciting way to vacation with your family, but it does not always turn out as expected. I have traveled a lot with my family over the years, but some experiences are worth forgetting altogether. I remember a particular traveling experience which sticks out in my mind for the wrong reasons.
My dad and stepmom had decided to drive to California for our family vacation. This was supposed to provide educational value, since we would be able to stop along the way and look at various sites in each state. Everything was going as planned until we decided to take a break and stop at the Grand Canyon(大峡谷). I had always wanted to see this exciting place and had decided to write a report on it for my eight-grade English class. We got out of the car and were walking on one of the paths to get to a cliff(悬崖) so we could take a family photo when I slipped(滑倒) and fell down. I fell on a piece of rock, and felt great pain run up my leg at once. My dad took me to the nearest hospital and, after an eight-hour wait in the emergency room(急诊室), found out that I broke two bones in my foot.
Needless to say, our vacation was no fun for me because I was in pain during the whole two-week trip. I ended up making an appointment the day we got home to see a doctor for a check-up. That was definitely not what I consider fun or a great vacation, and it really put a dent in our sightseeing plans.
1. What is the author’s attitude towards traveling?| A．Curious | B．Positive | C．Satisfied | D．Objective(客观的) |
| A．It was full of adventures. (冒险) | B．It was an unpleasant experience. |
| C．It was terribly boring and tiring. | D．It was of educational value to him. |
| A．parking his car | B．walking on a path to a cliff |
| C．taking a photo of his family | D．standing on the edge of a cliff |
| A．the bones of the author’s two legs were broken. |
| B．the author waited for 8 hours before the treatment |
| C．the author was taken to the hospital near his home |
| D．the travel of the family lasted about half a month |
| Dear Father Christmas, My name is Amy. I am 17 years old. I have a problem at school. Can you help me? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy(脑性麻痹症). I just want one day when no one laughs at me or makes fun of me. Yours, Amy |
At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for the Christmas Wish Contest. When Amy`s letter arrived at the radio station, Manager Lee Tobin read it carefully. He thought it would be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special girl and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called up the local newspaper.
The next day, in the whole country, newspapers and radio and TV reported the story of Amy, who asked for such a simple Christmas gift—just one day without teasing.
Then, the postman was a regular at Amy`s house. A great number of letters addressed to Amy arrived every day from children and adults all across the country. They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement. Some of the writers had disabilities(残疾). Some had been teased during childhood.
Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy saw a world full of people who were truly concerned about each other.
Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up. Others encouraged her to ignore (忽略) teasing and carry her head high.
Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at her school. No one laughed at her. Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing could make others feel.
That year, in the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, December 21 was set as Amy Day. The official explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught us that everyone should be treated with respect, love and warmth.
1. Amy`s letter showed that________.| A．she was often ignored in and out of class by teachers. |
| B．her school was not a good place for students like her. |
| C．she wanted to win Christmas Wish Contest. |
| D．her schoolmates could not understand her disability and always teased her. |
| A．he had to send letters to Amy every day. |
| B．he was quite curious about Amy. |
| C．he went to encourage Amy frequently. |
| D．he was moved by Amy’s story. |
| A．Amy will still be laughed at by others. |
| B．the news reports played an important part in helping Amy. |
| C．there are few people with disabilities in Amy’s country. |
| D．Amy disliked receiving the letters from people |
| A．to encourage people to carry their heads high. |
| B．to call on people to treat everyone properly. |
| C．to give money to the people with disabilities. |
| D．to explain how brave Amy was by making her wish. |
9 . One Monday, a teacher cheerfully asked his students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend was not good at all; he had a lot of trouble. Then he asked the teacher
He told the students a story, “ One day a few weeks ago I drove 17miles to the school as
“I
The student sat there with his eyes opened
| A．why | B．how | C．what | D．when |
| A．interesting | B．excited | C．helpful | D．cheerful |
| A．right | B．choice | C．decision | D．conclusion |
| A．pretend | B．enjoy | C．choose | D．plan |
| A．usual | B．common | C．general | D．ordinary |
| A．other | B．again | C．else | D．another |
| A．begin | B．start | C．finish | D．compete |
| A．luggage | B．suitcase | C．book | D．car |
| A．arranged | B．provided | C．supplied | D．ordered |
| A．meeting | B．experiment | C．trip | D．class |
| A．unlucky | B．lucky | C．worst | D．hard |
| A．turned | B．ran | C．broke | D．fell |
| A．puzzled | B．curious | C．sorry | D．regretful |
| A．work | B．live | C．study | D．go |
| A．Otherwise | B．Instead | C．Therefore | D．Besides |
| A．reach | B．sight | C．distance | D．view |
| A．even | B．still | C．ever | D．also |
| A．widely | B．huge | C．board | D．wide |
| A．Because | B．Although | C．Since | D．However |
| A．cheerful | B．happy | C．sleepy | D．excited |
10 . Mozart was one of the greatest composers who ever lived. He was born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1756. Even when he was very young, Mozart loved music. His father, who was the leader of an orchestra, was very happy that his son was so interested in music. When Mozart was three years old, he learned to play the harpsichord, which is a kind of piano. Mozart began to compose music at the age of five, and his father took him to play in front of the kings and queens of Europe.
At one concert, one of the violinists was missing from the orchestra. Mozart picked up a violin and played the music without a mistake. Mozart’s father and the other players in the orchestra were surprised. Mozart had never been taught to play the violin! Mozart continued traveling around Europe with his father, who was his teacher in everything. He composed many pieces for the piano, the violin, and later for full orchestra.
Mozart could write down a piece of music even if he had heard it only once. One day, he went to hear a group of people singing in a big church in Rome. The song was very special. The church leader said that people could sing the song only once a year, and only in his church. No one else was allowed to have the music. Mozart listened to the song. Although it was very difficult and long, Mozart went back home and wrote down the whole piece from memory. The head of the church heard about this, and instead of being angry with Mozart, he gave him a prize. When Mozart grew up, people were not so interested in him. He worked as a teacher and pianist, but he did not make much money. In 1791, at the age of 35, he died. He was so poor that there was not enough money for him to have a proper grave. No one knows where he is buried.
1. The story is mainly about ________．| A．Mozart and his music |
| B．a leader of an orchestra |
| C．the life of a great composer |
| D．the head of a church in Rome |
| A．teaching him about music |
| B．giving him a violin to play with |
| C．sending him to a music school |
| D．giving him a lot of money |
| A．went to Rome | B．began to sing |
| C．began to compose music | D．played the harpsichord |
| A．he died poorly |
| B．he did not teach anyone |
| C．he did not know many famous people |
| D．he couldn’t play the piano or violin |
