1 . The story of a 92-year-old book lover in a village of Chongqing has touched many recently, Sun Shiquan has collected more than 7,000 books over the past years and has offered a free local library to people there for years.
He was born in Pipa Village in Xiuqi Town of Chongqing’s Chengkou County. Being a bookworm as a child, he read all kinds of ancient books including the Four Books and the Five Classics. In the 1950s, he became one of only a handful of local college graduates and later served as a middle school teacher in the county.
He started to collect books in 1983 and gradually built a collection of many kinds over more than 40 years. Among his holdings is a precious set known as the Si Ku Quan Shu, dating back to Qing Dynasty. It is one of the only seven copies in the country.
Wearing glasses, Sun reads for more than three hours every day. Now he has finished reading most of his collections. Speaking of her father, Sun Ziyu, said, “My father has a habit of making notes on each book. He makes a mark whenever he stops reading so that he can carry on reading from where he left off.”
Village official Liu Jiao said, “Many children in the village love to visit Sun and listen to his stories.” She said the elderly man has earned respect from the whole village. People call him “Teacher Sun” and children call him “great-grandfather”.
Sun Ziyu said her father also writes poems and prose(散文) in his spare time and enjoys reading his works to the family. She said under her father’s influence, family members take the time to read together and exchange views. “That’s their favorite part,” she said.
“My father has loved reading for a lifetime,” Sun Ziyu said. “Reading is his meat and drink.”
1. What can we know from the first two paragraphs?| A．Mr Sun was born in a rich family. |
| B．There was only one free library in Xiuqi Town. |
| C．Mr Sun has been a book lover since childhood. |
| D．It was easy for children to get educated in the 1950s. |
| A．Colorful. | B．Valuable. | C．Demanding. | D．Enormous. |
| A．Mr Sun’s reading habit. | B．Mr Sun’s life experiences. |
| C．Mr Sun’s writing hobby. | D．Mr Sun’s book collections. |
| A．A person with talent. | B．A person worthy of pity. |
| C．A person with disability. | D．A person worthy of respect. |
2 . Breathtaking Must-See Alaskan Parks, Preserves and Landmarks
Aniakchak
National Monument & Preserve, King Salmon, AK
This frighteningly beautiful park is home to a 6-mile-wide caldera(火山喷口) formed over 3,500 years ago. Because of bad weather and rough path, however, it’s one of the least visited locations in the National Park System With only 134 recorded visits in 2014.
Alagnak
Wild River, King Salmon, AK
Take in the scenic views of the beautiful Alaska Peninsula as you go across the rough waters of the Alagnak Wild River. With an almost untouched landscape, Alagnak is home to a high number of brown bears and is famous for an abundance of prized sportfish, making it the most popular fishing destination in southwest Alaska.
Denali
National Park & Preserve, Denali Park, AK
Founded in 1917, Denali National Park (formerly Mount McKinley National Park) was the world’s first national park established to conserve wildlife. Features of the park include six million acres of untouched terrain, an abundance of wildlife such as grizzlies and caribou and the highest peak in North America at 6,193 meters: Denali.
Bering Land Bridge
National Preserve, Nome, AK
The first settlers of the Americas travelled not by boat, but by foot from modern-day Asia by way of the Bering Land Bridge. Once home to mastodons, mammoths(猛犸象) and other ice age animals, what remains of this ancient “bridge” now houses a thriving(兴旺的) Alaska population and offers insight into the day-to-day lives of prehistoric humans.
1. What will you do in Aniakchak?| A．Visit and old bridge. | B．Know about caldera. |
| C．Shoot many wild animals. | D．Climb the highest peak in North America. |
| A．They are both right for fishing. |
| B．They both include untouched areas. |
| C．They are both famous for mammoths. |
| D．They both offer mountain climbing equipment. |
| A．Aniakchak. | B．Alagnak. |
| C．Danali. | D．Bering Land Bridge. |
1. What is the talk mainly about?
| A．Making money. | B．Becoming successful. | C．Choosing a good job. |
| A．Four years old. | B．Five years old. | C．Seven years old. |
| A．Vincent van Gogh. | B．Thomas Edison. | C．Walt Disney. |
| A．He did not get paid for his work. |
| B．He could not speak until he was four. |
| C．He was not good enough to play at high school. |
1. What impressed the man most?
| A．Cultural differences. | B．Building styles. | C．Beautiful scenery. |
| A．He got sick. | B．He missed a trip. | C．He couldn’t speak Chinese. |
| A．Unhappy. | B．Grateful. | C．Excited. |
Lora’s house stood on a wooded slope not far up from the river. On a sunny morning in July, she decided to take her three kids down to the river, Mikey aged 13, Paul 8 and Lisa 5. As a nature lover, she insisted they spend as much time as possible outdoors. “We are going to pick berries now,” she announced.
The group made its way over the dusty road and then onto a dirt trail through the trees. Stopping the children at the first berry bush, “Look, the berries are all over,” she said. Mikey broke into a run to the berries. Lora and the little ones hurried to keep up. She helped Lisa find some clusters(串；簇) on the lowest branches. Paul watched and then tasted a berry. “Mmm, good,” he said, and got busy picking more.
Lora and the children moved slowly from bush to bush. Within 20 minutes, the children had filled their jars and were almost at the river. “OK,” Lora commanded after the group climbed down to the sandbank, “Let’s play just right here.”
Lora rested herself not far from the children, listening to their laughing and playing. Suddenly, she sensed the children go quiet. She looked up to see the back of a big-sized cat standing over Lisa. It was a young cougar(美洲狮). The sight of the cougar near her kids immediately froze Lora. The three kids, rooted to the spot, were too nervous to say a word. She knew she must do something.
Paragraph 1：
The first idea that hit Lora was to attract the cougar’s attention away from her kids._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2：
Just as Lora was struggling with the beast with almost her last strength, she saw the three kids running back, each holding a stick.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6 . Simple steps for a screen-free childhood
Creating a screen-free childhood for your children sounds like an impossible task in this day and age. Taking a few steps, though, can help create an environment that will ensure your child is satisfied without having to set his or her eyes on a screen or device.
Plan your day.
This may sound too simple, but having a plan of action, especially for those in-between moments, can make a difference in making the day screen-free for your child.
Don’t be afraid to be the boss.
Take them outside.
Ensure they get involved in the wonders of outdoor life by scheduling some time out of the house and neighborhood.
Check out your local newspaper or community magazine for ideas on fun outdoor activities for your child.
Provide attractive choices.
Put magazines, books, toys and board games in your child’s area so they have some attractive options for quieter moments in the day.
Whether it’s playing guitar, painting, or learning dance moves, take the time to just be with your child in a new, fun way.
| A．Take up a new activity with your child. |
| B．Let your child know the plan for that day. |
| C．Make the selection of activity fun in itself. |
| D．Let your child play with screen-free tech toys for kids. |
| E．Choose safe indoor and outdoor activities for your child. |
| F．Take charge of your child’s time while you still have a say in their day. |
| G．Remember, the idea is to surround them with attractive alternatives to screens! |
7 . Chinese scientists are mounting efforts to establish a weather monitoring station at an altitude of 8,800 meters on Mount Qomolangma, the world’s highest peak, on the China-Nepal border.
If the station is established successfully, it will replace the one at an altitude of 8,430 meters set up by UK and US scientists on the south side of the mountain in 2019, to be the world’s highest of its kind, according to the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP), Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS).
Equipment weighing some 50 kg will be dismantled and distributed to mountaineers, each of whom will carry no more than 7 kg up onto the mountain for the establishment, said Zhao Huabiao, a researcher with the ITP.
Currently, the engineers in charge of establishing the station are still waiting for the perfect weather for mountaineering.
Including the highest, eight elevation gradient (高程梯度) weather stations will be set up on Mount Qomolangma, one of the main tasks in China’s new comprehensive scientific expedition on the world’s highest peak at the height of 8,848.86 meters.
Three meteorological (气象的) stations were established at sea levels of 7,028 meters, 7,790 meters and 8,300 meters, respectively, earlier this year on the north side of the mountain, bringing the total number of operational weather stations between the altitudes between 5,200 meters and 8,300 meters to seven. Last year, four stations at sea levels of 6,500 meters, 5,800 meters, 5,400 meters and 5,200 meters were set up.
The eight stations will collect the wind speed and wind direction data, as well as relative humidity (湿度) on the north side of Qomolangma, and the elevation gradient weather station system is of great significance for monitoring the melting glaciers (冰川) and mountain snow at the high altitudes, said Zhao.
The expedition team will also set up glacier radar and measure the thickness of snow and ice at the summit of the mountain, he said.
1. What do we know about the new weather monitoring station?| A．It will collect weather data on the south side of Qomolangma. |
| B．It will become the highest of its kind at an altitude of 8,800 meters. |
| C．It will make great contributions to the scientific research on Qomolangma. |
| D．It will be the only weather station set up above the altitude of 8,000 meters. |
| A．Taken apart. | B．Taken over. | C．Set down. | D．Set aside. |
| A．6. | B．7. | C．8. | D．9. |
| A．Wind speed. | B．Wind direction. |
| C．Relative humidity. | D．The thickness of snow. |
8 . Wayne Boone knew he should be dead. His cab(驾驶室)had crashed into the guardrail on the far right edge, destroying the metal barrier that protected his truck from dropping into the water below, almost flying through the air. It all happened so fast. How was he still alive? Somehow, the back of his cab had got stuck on the bridge’s edge before it could complete its falling. His empty trailer(拖车), meanwhile, leaned to the left, sliding sideways at a 90-degree angle to the cab.
Whatever the force was that held the cab on the edge, Boone knew it couldn’t last. He was injured, but his body had yet to fully noticed the pain. He forced himself to focus. If he had any chance of escaping the cab and surviving, he had to get free from his seat belt. The cracked windshield(挡风玻璃)beneath him exposed the dark waters below. If he put any weight on the glass, he risked bursting through and falling the rest of the way. Under the howl of the wind, he heard voices from above. “It’s about to go!”
Got to get free. Releasing his seat belt, Boone tried to hold on to the seat, but he immediately slid into the windshield. The glass shifted in its frame. He climbed upward, aware that he was getting cut along the way. He slipped again. And again. Each time his feet met the windshield, the glass gave a little more. The next time could be the last. Gathering all his strength, he pulled himself between the seats and threw himself back as far as he could behind the driver’s seat.
Minutes passed—to Boone, it felt like hours—before he heard the approaching whistle. To his ears, the harsh sound could have been angels singing. Hearing people shout with joy when they saw a firefighter deliver him to safety, Boone felt his heart full of gratitude. He was rushed to the hospital.
1. Where did the accident happened?| A．In the street. | B．In the river. | C．On the bridge. | D．In the hospital. |
| A．The trailer was flying through the air. |
| B．Boone was badly injured during the crash. |
| C．A certain force could stop the cab falling finally. |
| D．Boone released his seat belt to jump into the river. |
| A．To say hello to the people above. |
| B．To stop the cab falling into the river. |
| C．To avoid falling through the windshield. |
| D．To protect the windshield from being broken. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Scared. | C．Worried. | D．Hopeful. |
9 . Speaking of celebration, festivals have a lot to offer. Here we uncover some festivals across the globe.
Holi Festival — India — February — March
A rainbow of colour and Hindu traditions combine to create this celebration of love, springtime fun and the victory of good over evil. Kicking off with a night-time bonfire where people gather, sing and dance, the next day is a carnival of colors where everyone has fun throwing color powder, squirting water guns and coloured water-filled balloons. A great number of people are infected by its playful and childlike atmosphere.
La Tomatina — Buñol, Spain — August
Tomato fiends get their fill on the last Wednesday of August as over 100,000 kg of tomatoes are thrown and squished in the town square. It’s the highlight of a week-long celebration of Buñol’s patron saint, which leaves the town in a bright red like a horror film scene. We don’t envy whoever has to clean up that mess!
Dia De Los Muertos — Mexico — October — November
Translated to “Day of the Dead”, this seemingly scary festival is a day to celebrate and remember those who have passed away with parades, costumes and paper decorations. It is believed that the spirits of the dead visit their families on October 31 and leave on November 2, so many spend this time visiting cemeteries — where there is often music and dances to honour the spirits.
1. Which of the words best describe Holi and La Tomatina?| A．Playful but risky | B．Messy but exciting |
| C．Religious and legendary | D．Global and meaningful |
| A．Lantern Festival | B．Qingming Festival |
| C．Dragon Boat Festival | D．Mid-Autumn Festival |
| A．In a history book. | B．In a novel. |
| C．In a biography. | D．In travel magazine. |
1. How does the speaker describe the teachers?
| A．Young. | B．Strict. | C．Qualified. |
| A．Going to the green jungle. |
| B．Visiting famous museums. |
| C．Learning about some architecture. |
| A．7 days. | B．10 days. | C．20 days. |
| A．To speak English perfectly. |
| B．To avoid making mistakes. |
| C．To learn English happily. |
