1 . Susan Casado felt well prepared to have a birthday party of 15 to 20 guests for her son Shemy, who celebrated his fourth birthday on Saturday. But after none of the boy’s friends arrived, she never expected she’d be hosting nearly 100 surprise guests at her home.
Susan told Yahoo Lifestyle that she was disappointed when her brother was the only person to show up at the party at first. After seeing that she had tears in her eyes, Shemy’s uncle connected with a local Facebook group to call for more people to join in the celebration. Moments later, a woman arrived at Susan’s home asking for the birthday boy, although the family had never met her before.
As people continued to arrive, the mother realized that her brother had something to do with it, and was then shown a Facebook post that he made to advertise the party.
After more unexpected guests continued to arrive, Susan began to worry about the amount of food that she had prepared. “I felt so embarrassed,” she explained. But guests didn’t care about the food and drinks. Instead, they told the birthday boy’s mother that they were there to “make Shemy’s day”, which even got better when the guests of honor arrived from St. Johas County Fire Rescue.
“My first thought was, ‘Is everybody okay? Is anybody hurt?’ And then they said, ‘We’re coming here to say happy birthday to Shemy’ ,” Susan said. “They said, ‘We brought you a big toy. We brought you a fire truck’.” Susan went on to explain that although Shemy has Down’s syndrome (唐氏综合征) and isn’t able to say much, he does express his happiness with laughter and hugs. “He hugs when he feels happy, so when people came in to meet him, we took pictures together and he hugged them. This is the way that he says thank you.”
When Susan asked her brother why he went through the extra effort to make sure that his nephew’s party was amazing, he told her, “He should have a good birthday.” As for the firefighters (消防队员) who attended, they told the family that it was all part of the job. One of the firefighters, Jeremy Robshaw, told Yahoo Lifestyle that they just wanted to “bring a smile” to Shemy’s face.
1. Why was Susan disappointed in the beginning?| A．The food was not well prepared. | B．Shemy’s friends hadn’t been invited to the party. |
| C．It was difficult to cure Shemy of his illness. | D．Only her brother turned up at the party at first. |
| A．To put out the fire. | B．To save someone. |
| C．To make Shemy happy. | D．To take Shemy to hospital. |
| A．By laughing and hugging. | B．By saying some words. |
| C．By waving his hands. | D．By nodding his head. |
| A．He was Shemy’s uncle. | B．He worked for Yahoo Lifestyle. |
| C．He attended Shemy’s birthday party. | D．He called for more people to join in the celebration. |
2 . Troia Gale, near Lisbon
Type: Sandy
Lifeguard: Yes
Cafe: Yes
It takes about an hour to get to Lisbon. It is the easiest to take a ferry (渡船) from Setubal town, but it’s also possible to drive there in just over an hour, through the resort (旅游胜地) of Comporta. Troia Gale beach is quiet and has a wonderful location, with views of the Arrabida mountains. The Atlantic is calmer in this part, and good for swimming. The Troia Residence has apartments near the ocean—from $107 in June.
Posedarje, near Zadar
Type: Rocky
Lifeguard: No
Cafe: Yes
There are more beautiful spots in Croatia, but this beach, 25 km from Zadar in the shadow of the Velebit mountains, has a family atmosphere and beautifully clear water. Book a sea-facing room at Posedarje’s only hotel, Lucija [ doubles from about $80 including bed and breakfast (B&B) ], whose simple rooms are in a wonderful position on a private, stony swimming and sunbathing area.
Playa de Carnota, Galicia
Type: Sandy
Lifeguard: No
Cafe: A Morosa
About 7 km long, this beach is considered the longest in Galicia. Far from any urban area, it has brilliant white sand and mountain views. The beach is usually quietrarely visited even by locals, and is a very impressive place to appreciate the Galician coastline. It is accessible (可进入的) bycar but lacks facilities (设备) like showers. Stayat Casa Rural San Cibran (doubles from $50B&B). A 15-minute drive north.
Play de Calblanque, Murcia
Type: Sandy
Lifeguard: 11 am - 8 pm
Cafe: Din’s Bar
Play de Calblanque is part of a natural reserve, which, in 1987, was declared a protected zone for its large numbers of animals and plants. The waters are clear and the sand is golden Most importantly, however, unlike many beaches on the Mediterranean Sea, Calblanque is never full. Be aware that it is not accessible by car in July and August. Stay in the city at the NH Cartagena (doubles from $90 only).
1. What can we learn about Posedarje from the text?| A．It is the longest beach in Croatia. | B．It is quiet and good for diving. |
| C．Tourists can’t take a shower there. | D．Its only hotel named Lucija is beside the sea. |
| A．Drive there from Casa Rural San Cibran. | B．Discover a wide variety of plants and animals. |
| C．Find the beach often crowded with tourists. | D．Rent a car and drive to the beach in August. |
| A．Tourists can have coffee in these places. | B．There are lifeguards in all of them. |
| C．Their hotels provide B&B services. | D．The four beaches are all sandy. |
3 . Province pays tribute (致敬) to a man, 24, who died trying to rescue a suicidal (自杀的) woman. Chen Jianjun, a 24-year-old firefighter from Anhui province, was granted the Anhui May 4th medal after his death—the highest honor for outstanding young people in the province on Saturday, a day after he died while trying to rescue a woman who was threatening to jump off a building.
On Friday morning, the public security bureau in Mengcheng county, Bozhou, received a call about a woman who was attempting to commit suicide.
During the rescue effort, Chen and the woman fell from the roof of a four-story shopping mall. Both of them died after emergency treatment failed, according to a statement released by Mengcheng police.
“The woman was emotional and ignored the persuasion of police and firefighters. She suddenly jumped off the building, and a firefighter moved forward to rescue her. They both fell in the process,” it said. A video clip (片段) circulated online showed a woman in black walking on the roof while Chen, dressed in an orange uniform, was trying to approach her from behind. As the woman suddenly stepped forward, he rushed to grab her, but they suddenly fell off the roof together. Chen held on to the woman as they fell.
On Sunday, an eyewitness told Jimu News—a news portal of Chutian Metropolis Daily, a newspaper based in Hubei province—that an air cushion (垫子) was laid on the ground, and firefighters kept moving it to match the movements of the woman on the roof, but she kept changing her position too quickly for them to keep up with her.
Chen was from Huainan, Anhui. A firefighter since 2014, he helped fight more than 1,300 fires and saved about 100 people, China Fire and Rescue said on its WeChat social media account.
People hailed the young firefighter as a hero and expressed their respect on social media platforms. On Saturday night, dozens of Mengcheng residents gathered at the site of the tragedy (不幸) to pay tribute to Chen, lighting candles to honor his sacrifice.
The video showed Chen was attached to a safety rope while falling, but it is not clear why it failed to hold him and the woman.
1. Why did the woman want to kill herself?| A．The report didn’t tell us. | B．The boss had just fired her. |
| C．She had some mental problems. | D．She didn’t get along well with her family. |
| A．The safety rope was broken as they fell. |
| B．Chen held on to the woman as they fell. |
| C．The woman grabbed Chen and they both fell. |
| D．The air cushion was too small to catch them. |
| A．Reviewed. | B．Understood. |
| C．Analyzed. | D．Praised. |
| A．Late Anhui firefighter given honors |
| B．Late Anhui firefighter saves about 100 people |
| C．Anhui firefighter trying to rescue suicidal woman |
| D．Anhui firefighter helps fight more than 1,300 fires |
4 . Robots that can cook are in growing demand in the United States. The increased demand comes at a time when restaurants are trying to put some distance between their workers and customers during the COVID-19.
In a few weeks, White Castle restaurants will test a robot arm that can cook French fries and other foods. The robot, called Flippy, is a product of Miso Robotics, a company based in Pasadena, California.
Robot food service was becoming popular even before the coronavirus pandemic (冠状病毒). Hospitals, college dining areas and other places tried to meet demand for food while keeping labor costs low. Robot chefs appeared at places like Creator, a restaurant in San Francisco. Now, some say, robots may become necessary for the food service industry. “I expect in the next two years you will see much more robotic adoption (采用) in the food field because of COVID-19,” Jain said.
Some people say, robots can lower the demand for labor. At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, cafe workers used to spend six hours per day making salads, notes Tonya Johnson, the school’s director of nutrition services. But two years ago, the university added a Sally, a kind of robot that now makes around 40 salads per day. By adding Sally, the school was able to cut (消减) a job opening in its cooking staff. Johnson said, “I think the pandemic has made us realize how much we need more equipment like Sally.”
Miso Robotics’s co-founder and chief Buck Jordan said fast food restaurants are already having trouble finding workers, partly as a result of a losing population of young workers. Jordan added that his company’s position is that “automation (自动化) is not a choice”. He added, “You must automate in order to survive in the future.”
1. What do we know about Flippy?| A．It is the brand of a company. | B．It can be used to cook foods. |
| C．It is the name of a restaurant. | D．It can bring foods to customers. |
| A．The development of robots. | B．The demand for food supplies. |
| C．The serious shortage of labour force. | D．The increasing need for robot food service. |
| A．He appreciates its functions. | B．He disapproves of its functions. |
| C．He has some doubt about it. | D．He is not completely satisfied with it. |
| A．Automation is a hard choice for food restaurants. |
| B．Food services are becoming more and more worse. |
| C．The number of young workers is becoming smaller. |
| D．Food restaurants are less willing to employ workers. |
1．外形特征;
2．主要功能。
注意：
1．词数100左右;
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6 . If a person lost an arm, how could he or she
Zhang soon
Born in Guangdong, China, Zhang’s right arm was
“Your heart is always the
| A．gradually | B．obviously | C．finally | D．possibly |
| A．got | B．caught | C．made | D．had |
| A．escaped | B．called | C．increased | D．attracted |
| A．potential | B．amazing | C．creative | D．natural |
| A．filmed | B．posted | C．promoted | D．developed |
| A．admitted | B．tested | C．showed | D．strengthened |
| A．turn | B．defense | C．order | D．sight |
| A．cheer | B．laugh | C．voice | D．argument |
| A．lasting | B．helpful | C．special | D．impressive |
| A．commented | B．advertised | C．responded | D．explained |
| A．watched | B．collected | C．shared | D．downloaded |
| A．profits | B．offers | C．likes | D．plays |
| A．worn | B．pulled | C．cut | D．taken |
| A．uncomfortable | B．unfortunate | C．unforgettable | D．unbelievable |
| A．avoid | B．discourage | C．delay | D．risk |
| A．love | B．hate | C．need | D．dream |
| A．condition | B．pain | C．advantage | D．limitation |
| A．entertainment | B．ladder | C．motivation | D．job |
| A．Actually | B．Exactly | C．Conveniently | D．Firstly |
| A．finest | B．softest | C．strongest | D．warmest |
7 . The advancement of human civilization is possible just because of enormous contribution made by scientists. They are one of the most influential people of today’s world. Here is a list of the four great scientists we’ve ever seen who changed the world.
Louis Pasteur (1822—1895)
Pasteur contributed greatly towards the advancement of medical sciences, developing cures for rabies (狂犬病), anthrax and other infectious diseases. He also invented the process of pasteurization (加热杀菌法) to make milk safer to drink. He probably saved more lives than any other person.
Otto Hahn (1879—1968)
Hahn was a German chemist who discovered nuclear fission (裂变) in 1939. He was a pioneering scientist in the field of radio-chemistry, and discovered radioactive elements in1921. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1944.
Nikola Tesla (1856—1943)
Tesla worked on electromagnetism and AC current. He obtained around 300 patents worldwide for his inventions from electricity to radio transmission, but many inventions developed by Tesla were not put into patent protection. He played a key role in the development of modern electricity.
James Clerk Maxwell (1831—1879)
Maxwell made great progress in understanding electro-magnetism. His research in electricity and kinetics laid the foundation for quantum (量子) physics. Einstein said, “The work of James Clerk Maxwell changed the world forever.”
1. What contribution did Louis Pasteur make to society?| A．The development of medicine. | B．Radio-chemistry. |
| C．Modern electricity. | D．Quantum physics. |
| A．Louis Pasteur. | B．James Clerk Maxwel1. |
| C．Nikola Testa. | D．Otto Hahn. |
| A．They are medical pioneers. |
| B．They are Nobel Prize winners. |
| C．They are great contributors to society. |
| D．They are founders of modern physics. |
8 . Want to know the current population of India? The Internet is your best bet. But if you really need to learn something, you’re probably better off with print. Many studies have shown that when people read on-screen, they don’t understand what they’ve read as well as when they read in print.
The difference depends on what we assume about the text. Naomi Baron, a scientist who studies language and reading, says one way mindset works is in predicting how easy or hard we expect the reading to be. If we think it will be easy, we might not put in much effort.
Much of what we read on-screen tends to be text messages and social-media posts, which are usually easy to understand. “So we read fast. That fast reading can become a habit associated with reading on-screen,” says Baron. "But when reading fast, we may not absorb all the ideas as well.
Speed isn’t the only problem with reading on screens. There’s scrolling(滚动) of reading on-screen, too. When reading a printed page or even a whole book, we tend to know where we are. Not just where we are on some particular page, but which page out of many. We might, for instance, remember that the part in the story where the dog died was near the top of the page on the left side. We don’t have that sense of place when some long page just scrolls past us.
Why is a sense of place important? Researchers have shown that we tend to make mental maps when we learn something. Being able to “place” a fact somewhere on a mental map of the page helps us remember it.
It’s also a matter of mental effort. Scrolling down a page requires our eyes not to just focus on the words but to keep chasing the words as we scroll them down the page, which means our brain has to continually account for the placement of words in our view. And this can make it harder for us to simultaneously(同时) understand the ideas those words should convey.
1. Why do we tend to read fast on-screen?| A．We think the text is easy to understand. | B．We consider the message less important. |
| C．We have to do so to absorb more information. | D．We hate to put any mental effort into reading. |
| A．To tell the role of the sense of place. | B．To draw a vivid mental map. . |
| C．To explain the concept of scrolling. | D．To point out the speed problem. |
| A．Scrolling contributes to better concentration. |
| B．Reading requires less focus on the exact words. |
| C．The placement of words is simple to account for. |
| D．Scrolling is not beneficial to understanding the text. |
| A．What Leads to Better Understanding When We Read On-screen |
| B．Online Reading Can Never Take the Place of Traditional Reading |
| C．Reading in Print Requires More Mental Effort Than Online Reading |
| D．Why We Can’t Learn From Reading On-screen As Well As on Paper |
9 . As a garden designer and consultant, I see the amazing progress that can be made when gardeners get together and get things done. Here are some small stories about how something has been achieved through cooperation.
I was involved with one project earlier driven by two twelve-year-olds living in a small northern England town. To do something good for the environment, the two girls desired to grow their own food in some deserted land. So the pair spoke to their teacher about using a small abandoned space next to their school’s parking lot. The teacher reached out to me for advice and together we determined who owned the space. The owner agreed to rent the space and the kids were able to raise money to pay the rent and start growing food on the site.
Another inspiring story was about one enterprising gardener in Illinois who decided to speak with his neighbors about using their grass-filleld front yards to grow food. This gardener did have his own garden but he wanted to do more. So he offered to tend his neighbors’ front yards in return for the use of these underutilized spaces to grow food everyone would share. To his surprise, all of his neighbors adopted this front-yard farming idea, and even one neighbor joined him and helped grow the food to learn more about the process. Everyone gained a lot at last.
The final story was that of three women in a neighborhood in Vermont. Struggling to find the time to look after their kids and grow their own food, they found a solution. The mothers together raised children and plants, selling produce and young plants to other gardeners in the area to cover basic costs. They took turns on daycare duty for a handful of children and tended the garden around their part-time jobs.
These stories show just what can be achieved when people work together to make their own lives and the lives of those around them just a little bit better.
1. What are the two 12-year-old girls particularly interested in?| A．A balanced diet. | B．School education. | C．Voluntary work. | D．Eco-friendly living. |
| A．His success in running a garden of his own. | B．The difficulty of getting land for gardening. |
| C．His neighbors’ positive response to his idea. | D．The good management of neighboring gardens. |
| A．They sold goods at a local daycare center. | B．They took turns to look after their children. |
| C．They did full-time jobs to cover basic costs. | D．They collected donations from other gardeners. |
| A．To urge us to protect the current environment. | B．To praise the hard work of ordinary gardeners. |
| C．To prove the meaning of helping others in need. | D．To show the significance of cooperative work. |
Body language is used by people for sending messages to one another,
Different countries use body language
When you use a foreign language, it is very important
