There was once a troubled family. The parents spoiled their children. The son, John, loved to play video games all day long when summer vacation was around and he did not like to study. The daughter, Emily, on the other hand, loved studying without play. To her, video games were for foolish people who were unable to achieve anything useful. Life went on with parents complaining and not changing anything.
One day two new neighbors arrived in their neighborhood. One lived on the right side of John’s house while the other lived on the left side of John’s house. These two people were twins. They did not communicate with anyone other than themselves. John and his family felt uncomfortable living right between them. Strange sounds came from their houses every midnight until the afternoon. People heard and saw thunder and lightning coming from the house. After a couple of weeks of lightning flashing, machines roaring, this disturbed every household. Everyone could not help but wonder what their new neighbors were doing. It was whispered that they were inventing a time machine in secret.
People were beginning to dislike them. Every moment they heard these noises, they felt like something was going to explode soon. To deal with this problem John and Emily’s parents walked to both houses to speak with the owners. But on each door hung a sign that said, “DO NOT DISTURB!” They tried knocking the door and no one responded or came out from the house. The machine noise kept going but once in a while it did stop for a small break before it continued. They tried nearly every day to get the attention of their new neighbors. But in the end they gave up. They decided to send their kids to get their attention instead. So they made a plan and the kids successfully entered the neighbor’s houses.
注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
Unexpectedly, the kids both experienced a journey to their own future there.
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Paragraph 2:
After returning from the neighbor’s houses, the two kids changed totally.
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内容包括：
1. 简要介绍十堰；
2. 诚挚邀请。
参考词汇：魅力中国城Charming Cities in China 十佳top ten
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mike,
I’m Li Hua.
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Sincerely yours,
Li Hua
3 . Bats have long been one of the most feared creatures in the animal kingdom. Many pop culture associations with them are related to vampire men (吸血鬼) attacking women in order to suck their blood or witches putting evil curses on innocent individuals.
Although these associations are complete misunderstandings, bats do have a dark side as a dangerous disease medium. These flying mammals can carry a number of fatal diseases such as rabies and more recently Ebola. This has led many to wonder why we should even care about them.
Sure, there is good reason to be extremely cautious if you come into contact with bats. However, there is no denying the fact that bats play a significant role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem.
Many organic farmers have learned about the benefits of having bats nearby to help do away with amounts of pests that show up without pesticides. One brown bat, about the size of a human thumb, can consume about 600 mosquitoes and other unwanted insects within an hour. They make for a fantastic, almost essential, addition to pest management on any farm.
Even large government organizations have realized the economic benefits of bats. The United States Geological Survey estimates that bat contributions to pest management save the country at least 3.7 billion dollars per year. Without them, we would likely experience a dramatic drop in food production, which would eventually make its way into our weekly grocery bills.
As if this were not enough of an ecosystem service we receive, bats are also of great importance to a variety of plant species that are preferential to its pollination (授粉). Otherwise, these plants would decrease their ability to reproduce by at least 50 percent. A number of plant products consumed by humans fall into this preferential pollination category. Some popular foods include mangoes, bananas, peaches and guavas. Additionally, the agave plant, which is used to make tequila, is completely dependent on bat pollinators for reproduction.
Bats are major contributors to our society. These assets are in the best interest of the international community to protect and even to promote. Among significant fears housed by the general public, the fact is that we need them more than most of us imagine. And that’s why should take some measures.
1. What’s the typical image of bats in most popular culture?| A．A cute black animal. | B．An intelligent animal. |
| C．An evil and dangerous animal. | D．A token (象征) of fortune. |
| A．By analyzing causes and effects. | B．By giving some typical examples. |
| C．By following the order of importance. | D．By presenting sufficient scientific data. |
| A．Possible ways to protect bats. | B．Bats’ economic benefits. |
| C．Bats’ bad effects on people. | D．Bats’ disgusting appearance. |
| A．To entertain people with some interesting stories about bats. |
| B．To advertise the newly — produced documentary about bats. |
| C．To educate people about the importance of bats to our society. |
| D．To appeal people to study about the endangered species — bats. |
4 . Nearly half of all employees are close to “breaking point” at work due to increased stress levels. A survey of 2,000 professionals found the average working adult feels stressed for almost a third of their working day.
The mounting pressure faced in their job also contributes to five hours of lost sleep per employee every week. Checking work emails after hours, last-minute deadlines, having to do a speech or presentation and an overly demanding manager were named as some of the biggest causes of workplace stress.
It also revealed that in the average week, employees will complain about their boss for 31 minutes and their job in general for another two hours and 45 minutes. Richard Jenkins, psychologist and spokesman for well-being charity CABA, said: “Everyone will experience pressure day-to-day.”
“A level of pressure can actually make us work better, however too much pressure that rises to an unmanageable level leads to stress. The working public needs to know how to manage their pressure to avoid reaching boiling point. Some people cope by blowing off steam through physical activity like the gym or going for a run while for some, things like breathing exercises can help. Everyone will have a strategy that they find works better to help them release the pressure. Unfortunately, in many cases we don’t introduce these decompressing (减压) moments in our lives which can help release the pressure and reduce stress. Finding ways to manage your stress is essential, it is also worth addressing the root causes of your stress to try to manage the source rather than just treat the symptoms.”
The study also found seven in 10 adults have vented about their workplace to a colleague, partner, family member or friend. 46 percent of those who have felt stressed at work didn’t end up doing anything about it, hoping the problem would go away on its own. Of those who do take action, 38 percent have told their manager about it, while 51 percent have gone for a walk to cool down.
1. What is the possible result of pressure faced by workers?| A．Giving a public presentation. | B．His demanding department head. |
| C．Loss of about 5 hours’ sleep weekly. | D．Constantly checking email after work. |
| A．Pressure will not do you any good in your daily life. |
| B．It’s better to turn to medicine when one is faced with great stress. |
| C．Women tend to feel more pressure at work than their male colleagues. |
| D．Almost everybody will adopt his own way to deal with their stress in their lives. |
| A．complained. | B．argued. | C．wandered. | D．asked. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Objective. | C．Positive. | D．Negative. |
5 . Since 1985, Johnny Jennings, now 87, has been selling newspapers and magazines to a recycling center with his son. By the time Jennings’ only child was 17, he stopped joining his father.
Even though his son is all grown up now, Jennings hasn’t slowed down his efforts. In fact, he’s turned his recycling money into something bigger.
He visits local churches and businesses to collect paper, which he brings to a recycling center for money. But instead of putting those earnings into his account, he sends every dollar to Georgia Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries. Once a year, he’ll give the organization a check somewhere between $10,000 and $35,000. By the first quarter of 2021, that added up to about $400,000.
Jennings dedicated himself to helping the charity after his first visit there when he was 18. “When we went to leave, these three little boys seized me by the knees and said, ‘Will you be my daddy?’” Jennings told TODAY. “And I said I’ll do what I can. That took my heart, right there.”
These days, Jennings’ recycling has turned into a community effort. After he’s made his own rounds recycling paper from businesses and churches, he’ll find more items waiting for him at home. Community members drop off other recyclables at the entrance at his door, along with books, food, clothes, and other items to give away.
In 2019 alone, he sold over 400,000 pounds of paper and 51,000 aluminum cans, and collected more than 32,000 pennies. Over the course of 32 years he’s recycled more than 9.8 million pounds of paper, saving an estimated 79,000 trees in the process. Jennings says he’ll continue raising money for charity as long as his health allows. “He is the last of a dying breed,” wrote Jennings’ friend Shay Drennan — Love in a viral Facebook post. “Our generation and the ones to follow could learn a lot from Mr. Jennings.”
1. In which year did Jennings most probably first visit the charity?| A．1946. | B．1948. | C．1950. | D．1952. |
| A．By setting up his own recycling station. | B．By getting more and more people involved. |
| C．By producing useful items with the waste. | D．By launching a campaign to collect money. |
| A．Jennings’ devotion to the lifetime charity. | B．Jennings’ friend’s good remark on his deed. |
| C．Some information about Jennings’ friend. | D．Jennings’ great contributions to society and environment. |
| A．87-year-old Jennings and his lifetime charity career. |
| B．87-year-old Jennings and his son’s devotion to recycling. |
| C．87-year-old Jennings and his son’s environmental protection. |
| D．87-year-old Jennings and his appeal for people’s involvement. |
6 . A. Human feet will become just one big toe.
In a lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1911, a surgeon named Richard Clement Lucas made a curious prediction that the “useless outer toes” will become used less and less, so that “man might become a one-toed race” in the next century. Look and check your toes.
B. Our houses will be cleaned by hoses.
In a 1950 article titled “Miracles You’ll See in the Next 50 Years,” the New York Times’ longtime science editor Waldemar Kaempffert predicted that by the 21st century, all you’ll have to do to get your house clean is “simply turn the hose on everything.”
That’s because he imagined furniture would be made of synthetic fabric or waterproof plastic. “After the water has run down a drain in the middle of the floor” all you’d have to do is “turn on a blast of hot air” to dry everything. A mercy for housewife, right?
C. We’ll live in flying houses.
Inventor, science writer, and futurist Arthur C. Clark—who co-wrote the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey—believed that the boring houses of 1966 would be extremely different by the time we reached the 21st century. Evidently, the houses of the future would have nothing keeping them on the ground and they would be able to move to anywhere on the earth on a whim (异想天开). So easy to travel abroad!
D. We’ll eat candy made of underwear.
In Popular Mechanics, Waldemar Kaempffert predicted that all food would be delivered to our homes in the form of frozen bricks by the 21st century. “Cooking as an art is only a memory in the minds of old people,” he wrote. And, thanks to advances in cooking technology, Kaempffert predicted it would even be possible to take ordinary objects like old table cloth and “silk-like underwear” and bring them to “chemical factories to be made into candy.” No, thanks! Not at all!
1. How many toes would become useless and disappear in his left foot, according to the surgeon?| A．Five. | B．Four. | C．Three. | D．Two. |
| A．He likes it very much. | B．He thinks it acceptable. |
| C．He completely rejects it. | D．He would like to have a try. |
| A．They were all put forward by the greatest minds at their time. |
| B．Although they sounded unbelievable, they were well received. |
| C．They appeared in the same magazine almost around the same time. |
| D．They were interesting predictions about the century we are living now. |
7 . 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. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（/\）,并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
My school held an excited sports meet recently. During the event, enjoyment sweep over us all. When the relay race was under the way, the athletes ran fast to pass other competitor. It kept the rest of us on the edge of their seats. “Hold on! You can make that!” the students yelled. In the distance running competition, all people cheered and clapped with runners who passed by. At the same time, a volunteer team of over 400 students were divided several groups to help teachers and athletes. Join a sports meet is a good way to raise your enthusiasm for learning. Sports can help you forget all your troubles and face school and life more positive.
9 . The first thing I learned in folk dancing was apologies: “Sorry!” “Forgive me!” and “Did that hurt?”
Tall, big and older, I was not a
Worse still, when growing up, the interaction (互动) among guys in my neighbourhood was not
Keeping sharpening my dance skills, I was no longer a (n)
| A．healthy | B．unique | C．typical | D．abnormal |
| A．avoid | B．defeat | C．refuse | D．meet |
| A．grateful | B．graceful | C．powerful | D．hopeful |
| A．change | B．career | C．preparation | D．potential |
| A．take away | B．back away | C．go away | D．run away |
| A．preferred | B．hated | C．finished | D．mastered |
| A．pick | B．figure | C．watch | D．make |
| A．praised | B．recognized | C．noticed | D．spotted |
| A．inspired | B．impressed | C．moved | D．forced |
| A．actually | B．regularly | C．gradually | D．apparently |
| A．fight | B．discuss | C．struggle | D．connect |
| A．followed | B．made | C．broken | D．planned |
| A．title | B．forgiveness | C．prize | D．support |
| A．stranger | B．helper | C．danger | D．dancer |
| A．symbol | B．medium | C．reminder | D．signal |
10 . A University College London study looked at car use to conclude that cities have to become car-free to survive. Simply put, if we don't reduce the number of cars in our cities then they will just completely clog up and stop moving.
The study notes the number of cars is actually increasing faster than that of people. In 2019, 80 million cars were built while the population increased by 78 million. And the mass production of those cars was responsible for 4% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (排放) ,which is bigger than aviation (航空) and that's before you even fuel them up.
The study authors construct a mathematical model, and residents choose driving their car or taking public transport on the basis of the time it takes to do the trip. “All individuals decide their commuting (通勤) mode trying to reduce their costs, but the result is the overall worst-case situation, where the average commuting time is longer and all people decide to use their car.” write the authors of the study.
Besides, policymakers tend to construct even more car infrastructure (基础设施) and invest even more in private cars, which then encourages more private vehicle use and results in even more traffic jams.
Possible solutions have to be actively encouraged, with more travel options, plus local shops and services.
Also, increasing the costs could be achieved by reducing the space devoted to cars, with more public transport lanes, wider sidewalks, and pedestrian roads, for example.
Dr. Humberto, one author of the study said: “If our goal is to have more liveable and developed cities then we must take part of this land and give it to other modes of transportation: walking, cycling and public transport.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined words “clog up”?| A．Turn down. | B．Break down. |
| C．Make troubles. | D．Get stuck. |
| A．The number of cars is larger than population. |
| B．Car production creates more CO2 than aviation. |
| C．CO2 emission is largely affected by car production. |
| D．Global CO2 emission is more serious than expected. |
| A．It is hard for people to keep a balance. |
| B．It takes more time to drive cars to work. |
| C．More cars can be used to save time. |
| D．Driving cars can keep the cost down. |
| A．Building parking lots. | B．Saving land for cars. |
| C．Producing less cars. | D．Riding a bus to work. |
