1 . “Mother Serious.” said the express telegram,
At 12, 11 and 9 years old, we boys were too young to
Clearly we were
By dusk, our father was a worried man, with little clue about our next move. As the day grew darker, we
It was a
| A．destroying | B．burying | C．throwing | D．taking |
| A．carry | B．deny | C．deliver | D．admit |
| A．make | B．put | C．pack | D．turn |
| A．sense | B．voice | C．hide | D．face |
| A．bridges | B．cars | C．buses | D．boats |
| A．cut off | B．cut in | C．cut out | D．cut through |
| A．governed | B．deserted | C．appealing | D．dangerous |
| A．Sorrow | B．Anger | C．Disappointment | D．Hunger |
| A．chose | B．spotted | C．attempted | D．missed |
| A．explained | B．questioned | C．predicted | D．reported |
| A．cautiously | B．awkwardly | C．roughly | D．deliberately |
| A．fall | B．pool | C．building | D．riverbank |
| A．humble | B．delicious | C．delicate | D．shameful |
| A．determination | B．generosity | C．curiosity | D．excitement |
| A．remember | B．understand | C．forget | D．cherish |
2 . Nobody likes waiting in long lines at amusement parks, especially when you are with babies. Disneyland or Disney World are known for their splendid rides, attractions and large crowds as well. The familiar result is that many guests have spent a lot of time just waiting on lines while visiting the theme parks, which annoys the majority.
Until recently, both parks have made use of the FastPass system to keep guests moving. On certain rides, park-goers could obtain a ticket that allowed them to come back within a specific time window. At that point, they would wait on a special line for seating. As explained in a recent YouTube share, the system worked similarly to a real queue. Instead of waiting in line, guests could continue to explore the park and, most importantly for Disney, spend more money at shops and restaurants.
While the FastPass system became popular, usage ended during the recent pandemic (流行病). With both the California and Florida theme parks operating at reduced visiting number, the space taken up by FastPass kiosks was instead used for socially distanced lines.
In its place, Disney has developed a new planning tool called Disney Genie. The online app, which became available in Disney World in October, allows guests to create a path for their visit. By using park data that’s updated throughout the day, the app will help guests plan out their visit so that they can hit the rides and attractions that they want in the most convenient way. Guests using the app pay an extra fee and get the option to book the next available time to ride select attractions.
1. What may upset most visitors of Disney?| A．Fewer attractions. | B．High prices at restaurants. |
| C．Poor equipment in theme parks. | D．Waiting in lines for most of the time. |
| A．Get. | B．Buy. | C．Earn. | D．Find. |
| A．Lower ticket fees. | B．Less visitors in Disney. |
| C．Extra income at shops in Disney. | D．Having a comfortable and better seat. |
| A．A diary. | B．A text book. | C．A novel. | D．A magazine. |
3 . All evidence points to the fact that Mars once had flowing water, but numerous flybys, orbiters and landers have confirmed one undeniable fact — any liquid (液体的) water that was once on its surface is now long gone.
One idea, the Mars Ocean Hypothesis, suggests that Mars not only had some liquid water, but a lot of it. But the new study’s co-author Kun Wang says his team’s finding pours cold water on it.
“Mars’ fate (命运) was decided from the beginning.” Wang, an assistant professor of Earth and planetary sciences, said in a statement. That’s because the lower mass and gravity of Mars makes it easier for volatile (挥发) elements and compounds such as water to escape from its surface into space.
The researchers looked at 20 Martian meteorites (陨石) ranging in age from about 200 million years old to 4 billion years, dating back to a time when the solar system was still in the chaos of formation. The researchers analyzed water behaves in much the same way, indicating that most of it would have been lost to space during the formation of Mars.
The liquid water that did remain on the Martian surface carved out the riverbeds and other formations that we see there today, Wang says. But that water, too, would likely have disappeared had it not been trapped as ice at the Martian poles as the climate on the planet became colder, he notes.
“This does probably indicate a lower limit on size for a planet to be truly habitable,” Wang says, “Understanding that lower limit is important — there are lines of evidence that small planets are more common than big ones, so if the small ones are dry, then there are fewer habitable (适于居住的) worlds out there than we thought.”
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To present an argument. | B．To make a comparison. |
| C．To reach a conclusion. | D．To explain a concept. |
| A．Water is too easy to dry out. |
| B．The cold weather froze the water. |
| C．Flybys consumed most of the water. |
| D．The gravity of the Mars can hardly lock water. |
| A．Comparing results. | B．Listing figures. |
| C．Giving examples. | D．Raising questions. |
| A．We are in great need of water on earth. |
| B．They are trying to find suitable place for humans. |
| C．Mars is the destination to explore in the long run. |
| D．Mars is very significant for the health of the earth. |
4 . Charles Daniels didn’t grow up with a father in his house. As a child, he wasn’t given an explanation and that experience fueled his life’s mission (使命).” I was once that kid who blamed myself for my father’s absence. He wasn’t absent because he didn’t care about me.” Daniels tells Yahoo Life.
18.3 million children in the United States live without a father in the home. With his organization, Fathers’ Uplift, Daniels provides mental health coaching to assist fathers to overcome the barriers that prevent them from remaining engaged in their children’s lives.
“We have to be open to understanding why fathers are absent instead of judging them for being absent. The reason matters,” says Daniels. “Lots of them have issues with child welfare cases where they’ve not been able to see their kids.”
One way that Fathers’ Uplift provides support is by creating community. Many of the coaches are also fathers who have to overcome their own obstacles (障碍). The men call each other on their birthdays and they share their wins and losses.
At home, Daniels is a husband and father of two. When he thinks about his own children, his parenting philosophy is simple. He wants them to accept their imperfections. He also wants them to know they are loved by their family.
As Father’s Day approaches, Daniels realizes that the day can be tough for men who are separated from their children. He encourages them to hold on and to focus on what matters most.
1. Why did Daniels create his organization?| A．To educate his own children. |
| B．To provide guidance for fathers in need. |
| C．To help find missing fathers. |
| D．To offer help to children without father. |
| A．The reason. | B．The result. | C．The effect. | D．The length. |
| A．Don’t feel upset for their absence. |
| B．Go back to stay with their children. |
| C．Apologize to their children and family. |
| D．Concentrate on what they think is important. |
| A．A Father’s Day Gift |
| B．Realizing a Lifelong Dream |
| C．Daniels and Fathers’ Uplift |
| D．Growing up Without a Father |
1. 该人物的简单介绍；
2. 激励或鼓舞你的原因。
注意∶
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
The person who inspires me
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6 . School Activities for Kids and Teens
July is a month of fun-filled activities for kids and teens as long as you know where to find them. When you want some fun activities for July, consider these ideas happening this month.
Magic Class Time: Friday, July 1,10:00 a.m. Cost: Free Booking Phone: 34038470 Address: Centenary Community hub,171 Dandenong Note: Would you like to be a magician? Then join David, the magician, to learn about real magic with playing cards, coins, ring ropes and DIY projects and be able to become the life of the party. | Science With Me: Making your own guitar! Time: Saturday, July 4,3:00 p.m. Cost: Free Booking phone: 34031226 Address: 10, Egginton Close Note: Do you want to make a guitar with Katy and her mom?Science With Me is going to be with you. Please remember to bring a piece of wood, a hammer, some rubber bands and some nails with you. |
Secret of the Dragon Time: Monday, July 12,10:30 a.m. Cost: Adult: $7.40 Children under 15: half Booking Phone: 34032578 Address: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note: Secret of the Dragon is a magical story about two children who ride a dragon to explore the universe. | The Search for Life:Are We Alone? Time: Thursday, July 20,2:00 p.m. Cost: Adult: $14.50 Children: $8.70 Booking Phone:34037689 Address: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note: Are we truly alone in space? Is there any life out there?These questions are asked in this show. |
| A．$23.20. | B．$14.80. | C．$11.10. | D．$7.40. |
| A．Magic Class | B．Science With Me |
| C．Secret of the Dragon | D．The Search for Life |
| A．They are all free. | B．They can all be booked by phone. |
| C．They take place in the same place. | D．They all belong to weekend activities. |
7 . The Government’s sugar tax on soft drinks has brought in half as much money as Ministers first predicted it would generate, the first official data on the policy has shown.
First announced in April, 2016, the tax which applies to soft drinks containing more than 5g of sugar per 100ml, was introduced to help reduce childhood obesity (肥胖). It is believed that today’s children and teenagers are consuming three times the recommended level of sugar, putting them at a higher risk of the disease.
Initially the sugar tax was expected to make £520m a year for the Treasury. However, data of the first six months showed it would make less than half this amount. At present it is expected to generate £240m for the year ending in April 2019, which will go to school sports.
It comes after more than half of soft drinks sold in shops have had their sugar levels cut by manufacturers (制造商) so they can avoid paying the tax. Drinks now contain 45 million fewer kilos of sugar as a result of manufacturers’ efforts to avoid the charge, according to Treasury figures. Since April drinks companies have been forced to pay between 18p and 24p for every litre of sugary drink they produce or import, depending on the sugar content.
However, some high sugar brands, like Classic Coca Cola, have accepted the sugar tax and are refusing to change for fear of upsetting consumers. Fruit juices, milk-based drinks and most alcoholic drinks are free of the tax, as are small companies manufacturing fewer than 1m litres per year.
Today’s figures, according to one government official, show the positive influence the sugar tax is having by raising millions of pounds for sports facilities (设施) and healthier eating in schools. Helping the next generation to have a healthy and active childhood is of great importance, and the industry is playing its part.
1. Why was the sugar tax introduced?| A．To collect money for schools. | B．To improve the quality of drinks. |
| C．To protect children’s health. | D．To encourage research in education. |
| A．They turned to overseas markets. | B．They raised the prices of their products. |
| C．They cut down on their production. | D．They reduced their products’ sugar content. |
| A．Most alcoholic drinks. | B．Milk-based drinks. | C．Fruit juices. | D．Classic Coke. |
| A．It is a short-sighted decision. | B．It is a success story. |
| C．It benefits manufacturers. | D．It upsets customers. |
1.表示感谢；
2.介绍春节的传统活动；
3.邀请他体验春节。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Chris,
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Yous,
Li Hua
9 . Students and Technology in the Classroom
I love my blackberry (黑莓手机) — it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me. I also love my laptop computer, as it holds all of my writing and thoughts. Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices (设备) and truly communicate with others.
On one occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas. Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule-no laptops, IPads, phones, etc. When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy.
Most students think that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology. There’s a bit of truth to that. Some students think that I am anti-technology. There’s no truth in that at all. I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students.
The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversations and engage complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration (专心) and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas. I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas. I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course material and the class discussion.
I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create. Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom.
I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a rally good reason for the change, I’m sticking to my plan. A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up.
1. Some of the students in the history class were unhappy with ______.| A．the course material | B．others’ misuse of technology |
| C．discussion topics | D．the author’s class rules |
| A．explore | B．accept | C．change | D．refuse |
| A．keep students from doing independent thinking |
| B．encourage students to have deep conversations |
| C．help students to better understand difficult themes |
| D．affect students’ concentration on the teacher’s ideas |
| A．is quite stubborn in teaching | B．will give up teaching history |
| C．will change his teaching plan soon | D．values technology-free dialogues in his class |
10 . Research shows people have a tendency to seek out information during uncertain times — it’s a natural coping mechanism (机制). But is continuous information-seeking on social media, sometimes called doomscrolling (末日刷刷刷), helpful during a pandemic, or any time?
Research on the effects of bad news on mood suggests exposure to negative COVID news is likely to be dangerous to our emotional well being. For instance, one study conducted in March 2020 involving more than 6,000 Americans found that the more time participants spent consuming COVID news in a day, the unhappier they felt.
These findings are striking but leave a few key questions unanswered. Does doomscrolling make people unhappy, or are unhappy people just more likely to doomscroll? How much time spent doomscrolling is a problem? And what would happen if, instead of doomscrolling, we were “ kindness scrolling ” — reading about humanity’s positive responses to a global crisis?
To find out answers to these questions, researchers conducted a study where they showed hundreds of people real-world content on either Twitter or YouTube for two to four minutes. The Twitter feeds and YouTube videos featured either general news about the COVID, or news about kindness during COVID. Researchers then measured these participants’ moods using a questionnaire, and compared their moods with participants who did not engage with any content at all.
People who were shown general COVID-related news experienced lower moods than people who were shown nothing at all. Meanwhile, people who were shown COVID news stories involving acts of kindness didn’t experience the same decline in mood, but also didn’t gain the boost in mood they’ d predicted. These findings suggest that spending as little as two to four minutes consuming negative news about COVID-19 can have a negative impact on our mood.
Researchers are still working on what people can do to look after themselves, and make time on social media more pleasurable.
1. How did the author introduce the topic of the text?| A．By asking a question. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing lots of figures. | D．By answering a question. |
| A．To figure out why people like doomscrolling. |
| B．To find out what news has bad effects on emotion. |
| C．To figure out the answers to the few key questions. |
| D．To find out what news people like about doomscrolling. |
| A．No news may lead people to low mood. |
| B．General COVID-related news may cause low spirits. |
| C．COVID news of kindness may boost mood. |
| D．2-4 minutes of COVID-19 news viewing doesn’t affect mood. |
| A．The research time. | B．The results of the study. |
| C．The study institution. | D．The number of participants. |
