1 . Why can’t penguins fly?

Even the very smallest penguin,the fairy penguin,weighs 1 kg,which is about as much as a herring gull (银鸥). But herring gulls have a 1.4-meterwingspan,compared with just 32 centimeters for the fairy penguin. Water is 784 times denser (密度较大的) than air,and around 62 million years ago,penguins began making adaptations for swimming underwater. Their bones are filled with heavy bone marrow (骨髓)rather than air and they have much larger stomachs for making long fishing trips away from the nest.

How do squirrels find buried nuts?

It was once thought that they just used their noses to sniff out buried nuts and that the majority were never actually located. But a study at Princeton University showed that squirrels actually have a good memory and can build a map of the route from one hidden nut to the next.

Why don’t horses have toes?

Early horses such as Hyracotherium, which lived 55 million years ago, did have toes, but they were much smaller animals. For taller animals, extra weight at the end of their legs has a much bigger influence on their speed. A recent study at Harvard University, the USA, found that one broad hoof (蹄) is almost as strong as many smaller toes, but much lighter.

Do animals have blood types?

Yes, they do! As long as the animals in question have blood (not all do)then they will have species-specific “blood groups”. As with humans, these groups are determined by the structure of the blood based on the presence or absence of antibodies along with the make-up of the proteins that sit on the outside of red blood cells.

Humans are usually one of four main blood types. Thirteen types have been identified for dogs, eight for horses and three for cats.

1. Why can’t penguins fly?

A．Because of their physical characteristics.	B．Because of their poor adaptation.
C．Because of their habits of swimming.	D．Because of their changing environment.

2. How many blood types do horses have?

A．3.

B．4.

C．8.

D．13.

3. What can we infer from this text?

A．Squirrels find buried nuts by chance.	B．Horses are stronger without hooves.
C．All animals have their blood types.	D．An animal is a book with secrets.

4. What could be the best title for this text?

A．Questions you may be interested in	B．Questions on the animal kingdom
C．Secrets to discover in nature	D．Knowledge around you

2 . Jeni Stepanek’s home is an attractive four-bedroomed house. Had it been a one-roomed small house, however, Jeni would still have bought it. The only thing that mattered when she moved in four years ago was its location. It is near the 26-acre park in Rockville, near Washington, DC, created in honor of her son Mattie.

The park has play spaces, but at its heart is a memorial peace garden with a life-size statue of Mattie and his dog Micah. “Every day, I sit at my window and see mothers go over to the statue with their children,” says Jeni. “It is a terrible thing for a parent to bury a child, but I do see how Mattie has touched the world.”

Jeni is a mother who has experienced more sadness than most of us could imagine. All four of her children were born with a genetic disorder (遗传性疾病). The first three died before the age of four. Mattie survived until three weeks before his 14th birthday. In his short lifetime, he had sold more than two million copies of his poetry collections and given encouraging speeches to thousands of followers. His heroes—Oprah Winfrey, poet Maya Angelou, former US president Jimmy Carter became his best friends. At his funeral Carter said, “My wife and I have known kings, queens and presidents, but the most extraordinary person whom I have ever known is Mattie Stepanek.”

In the years after Mattie died, Jeni had been writing about his short but meaningful life. “I didn’t want my sadness to flow onto the pages and nor did I want people to think I was hanging on to Mattie’s coat tails. But I knew in the end I would tell the story because I was the only one who lived it with him,” she said. Jeni’s now published book Messenger is a celebration of Mattie’s achievements that were beyond his years.

1. Why did Jeni buy the house?

A．Because of its attractive four bedrooms.	B．Because of its special location.
C．Because of its low price.	D．Because of its excellent conditions.

2. What caused Mattie to pass away very young?

A．An accident.	B．A mental disease.
C．A natural disease.	D．A natural disaster.

3. What’s Carter’s attitude to Mattie Stepanek?

A．Appreciative.

B．Pitiful.

C．Patient.

D．Indifferent.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Jeni was still in deep sorrow.	B．Jeni wanted to be a writer.
C．Jeni continued her son’s writing work.	D．Jeni was proud of her son.

3 . Most people associate space with silence. But the story of how we came to understand the universe is just as much a story of listening as it is by looking. And yet despite this, hardly any of us has ever heard space. How many of you could describe the sound of a single planet or star?

And you may wonder: How do we know what these sounds are? How can we tell the difference between the sound of the sun and the sound of a pulsar (脉冲星)? Well, the answer is the science of radio astronomy. Radio astronomers study radio waves from space using sensitive antennas (天线) and receivers, which give them precise information about what an astronomical object is and where it is in our night sky. And just like the signals that we send and receive here on earth, we can convert these transmissions into sound using simple analog techniques (模拟技术). And therefore, it’s through listening that we’ve come to uncover some of the universe’s most important secrets—its scale, what it’s made of and even how old it is.

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell worked with Thomas Watson on the invention of the telephone. A key part of their technical set-up was a half-mile long length of wire, which was thrown across the rooftops of several houses in Boston. The line carried the telephone signals that would later make Bell a household name. But like any long length of charged wire, it also inadvertently became an antenna. Thomas Watson spent hours listening to the strange crackles and hisses and whistles that his accidental antenna detected...

As he correctly guessed, some of these sounds were caused by activity on the surface of the sun. So while inventing the technology that would usher in the telecommunications revolution, Watson had discovered that the star at the center of our solar system emitted (发射) powerful radio waves.

1. How do the radio astronomers discover the universe’s secrets?

A．By watching.

B．By calculating.

C．By listening.

D．By measuring.

2. What does the underlined word “inadvertently” in the third paragraph mean?

A．By chance.

B．On purpose.

C．In surprise.

D．On average.

3. What did Thomas Watson discover from the solar system’s star?

A．Antennas and receivers.	B．Telephone signals.
C．Activities of the sun.	D．Radio waves.

4. From what kind of magazine can we read this text?

A．Society.

B．Nature.

C．Culture.

D．Entertainment.

4 . The term “social distancing” has been at the center of public conversation for a while. But it’s not “social” distance we are trying to promote. It’s physical separation. In fact, preserving social ties — even at a distance — is essential for both mental and physical health. The results of an analytic review done in 2017 indicate that a lack of social support is on a par with smoking cigarettes as a risk factor for health.

Given this fact, how might we best stay connected to others while maintaining physical distance? Would we be better off e-mailing a friend? Making a phone call? Setting up a video chat? In our study, Nick Epley and I tested whether the media through which people interact affects their sense of connection — and how expectations about certain technologies impact the communication media they choose to use.

In our experiment, we asked participants to reconnect with someone that they hadn’t interacted with recently, either through e-mail or over the phone. Participants first made predictions about what it would be like to get in touch if they reached out in these two ways. They generally believed that they’d feel more connected when interacting via the phone than over e-mail. But they also predicted that talking on the phone could be more uncomfortable than sending an e-mail. Although these participants believed that talking encouraged stronger bonds, most of them said they’d rather send an e-mail than call the person up. Fears about awkwardness, it seems, push individuals toward text-based methods for communicating.

In the next part of the experiment, we had participants actually reconnect using one randomly determined mode of communication and then followed up with them after they had done so. We found that people do form meaningfully stronger bonds when interacting over the phone than over e-mail. Importantly, though, there was no difference in the amount of discomfort when reconnecting on the phone.

The next time you think about how best to connect, consider calling or setting up a video chat. Feelings of social connection are preferably facilitated by voice rather than a keyboard.

1. How does the author support his view on the importance of maintaining social ties?

A．By stating a deep-rooted tradition.	B．By citing a published report.
C．By sharing public opinions.	D．By presenting official documents.

2. What did the author and Epley’s study focus on?

A．How technologies impact means of communication.

B．How social media choices affect feelings of connection.

C．Why maintaining social separation is bad for mental health.

D．Why reconnecting with friends over the phone brings awkwardness.

3. What can we infer from the study results?

A．They changed the research objectives.	B．They provided insights for future studies.
C．They confirmed researchers’ expectations.	D．They contradicted participants’ predictions partly.

4. What can be concluded from the text?

A．For stronger bonds, talk instead of typing.

B．Keeping in touch is key to a lasting friendship.

C．Think before you consider contacting an old friend.

D．Text-based methods for communication cause discomfort.

5 . Whether you’re in the final research stages of a major paper, or on a Zoom (a calling app) call for work, a dropped WiFi connection at zero hour is something annoying.     1     One of the most common reasons it happens is that too many devices are connected.

    2     Now, with smartphones, iPads, smart TVs and so much more, it doesn’t take long for WiFi to hop aboard the struggle bus. Actually, even if a connected device isn’t actively sending or receiving data, it will still consume some of the available bandwidth. It means that if you have many devices connected, you can start to see slowdowns or drops in your WiFi connection.     3    

The first and easiest fix is to disconnect unused devices from your WiFi. The easiest way to do this is to simply change your WiFi password, which will kick everyone off. Then, you can allow only certain devices to rejoin.     4     It is workable to stop gaming or downloading a movie.

    5     First, run a speed test to check your current speed. (Google “speed test” to see a list of websites where you can do this.) You may have too many devices connected for the internet speed you’re paying for. If this is the case, contact your internet provider about upgrading to a higher speed. But you may want to try some of our other fixes first before spending the money.

A．What can you do about it?

B．Sometimes that’s all that’s required.

C．Finally, you may need to upgrade your connectivity.

D．People deal with this modern inconvenience all the time,

E．Cutting back on heavy WiFi use temporarily can also help.

F．In general, this is a very good solution to a dropped WiFi connection.

G．Back in the day, the average household had a computer or two to connect.

6 . Eileen Gu got into extreme sports because of an overprotective mother. The older Gu hated seeing her daughter rush down California’s Tahoe ski slopes (斜坡), so she enrolled the 8-year-old in a free-skiing school, not knowing exactly what it involved. However, she was confident that anything would be safer than racing. Little did she know that she would one day watch her child perform death-defying flips, spins and jumps instead. And she never thought her daughter could be one of the sport’s top stars, with golds at X Games.

“I’ve probably been an adrenaline (肾上腺素) addict from day one,” Eileen Gu said. In February, that adrenaline took her all the way to the Winter Olympics in Beijing. It’s where her mom was born and a place she visited regularly during childhood. These are Gu’s first Games. She is just 18 years old.

In China, she is nicknamed “Snow Princess”. She is also academically gifted, graduating from high school a year early despite her punishing training schedule, and scoring 1,580 on her SAT and getting accepted into Stanford for 2022.

It’s a rapid rise that she hopes will inspire others. A speech, which she made to her seventh-grade class, urged her peers to “show the boys that girls are just as powerful as they are”. Naturally, you don’t soar to such heights without getting hurt. After cracking a finger and tearing a ligament (韧带) in her thumb, she was expected to miss last year’s world championships in Aspen. Gu certainly walks the talk: She instead chose to compete without ski poles and took home two gold medals and a bronze.

“Honestly, I’m a little nervous about getting the poles back, because I’ve gotten used to skiing without them.” she said after the event.

1. What caused Eileen Gu to be interested in extreme sports at first?

A．Her special talent.	B．Her strong interest.
C．Her experienced coach.	D．Her overprotective mother.

2. What did Eileen Gu’s mother do to help develop her daughter’s interest?

A．Take her daughter to skiing classes.	B．Watch sports program with her daughter.
C．Give her daughter some skiing equipment.	D．Travel around the world with her daughter.

3. What do we know about Eileen Gu from the text?

A．She has grown up in Beijing.	B．She has graduated from Stanford.
C．She has been to Beijing many times.	D．She has won gold medals in other Olympics.

4. In which column of the magazine could you probably find this text?

A．Fashion.

B．Technology.

C．Environment.

D．Figure.

7 . Houston’s architectural personality

Exploring Houston, you would be forgiven for thinking that the city’s architectural identity is all over the map.

Texas’s Tallest Building

I. M. Pei is most famous for designing the Louvre in Paris. He is also the architect responsible for the tallest building in Texas: the JPMorgan Chase Tower in downtown Houston. The building is 75-storey tall and also boasts the distinction of being the tallest five-sided building in the entire world.

Houston’s Theater District

Houston’s Theater District occupies 17-blocks in downtown Houston and has an entertainment house for every type of art. Jones Hall is home to the Houston Symphony Orchestra. The symphony hall takes up an entire city block and features the outside made of white Italian marble (大理石).

Houston’s Historic Buildings

In 1890, Houston Heights was founded as one of Texas’s earliest planned communities. Today, 19th Street is a funky place where different shops provide endless entertainment for shoppers.

Houston’s unconventional Architecture

Head to 222 Malone Street in Rice Military to see the Beer Can House, a late 1960s home that has been covered with beer cans and bottle caps. It was created by John Milkovisch, who started the project as a way to cover his lawn to avoid cutting it. The Beer Can House is one of the most recognizable pieces of folk art in the Houston area. Today, the Orange Show Center For Visionary Art the Beer Can House is open for tours on weekends with advanced ticket purchases.

1. What information can you get about Texas’s Tallest Building?

A．It is 70-storey tall.	B．Its designer is from Paris.
C．It lies in centre area in Houston.	D．It is the tallest building in the world.

2. Which place especially appeals to concert lovers?

A．The JPMorgan Chase Tower.	B．Houston’s Theater District.
C．Houston Heights.	D．The Beer Can House.

3. Why did John Milkovisch create Beer Can House?

A．To get together with military.	B．To provide a place for drinkers.
C．To make profits by selling tickets.	D．To protect his lawn from being cut.

8 . It was snowing hard outside. Thomas and Mick had to _________ in their house all day. When they went to bed late into night, it was still snowing, and every time they _________ up during the night, they could _________ the wind whistling around the house, and through the branches of the trees.

But the next morning the _________ was bright. What a(n) _________ day! It looked as if the branches of the trees had been covered with gold. “Oh Grandma! Please do make _________ as quickly as possible. We are going out to build a fort (城堡),” cried the boys, running into the _________. Grandma smiled and told them to eat a good breakfast, for building a fort was _________. They were soon out in the snow, and what a great time they had _________, the fort didn’t grow very fast, for they had to ______________ so often to play snow-ball each other. When Grandma called them in to dinner they wondered where the ______________ had gone since breakfast.

After dinner, Thomas was looking out of the window, when he ______________ two little birds standing on a branch of a tree. “Mick! Come here,” he called. “See those ______________ birds. They seem half frozen and so ______________.” “Poor little things,” replied Mick. “Doesn’t it make you feel ______________ to think what a happy time we had this morning out of the snow. Let us get some bread from Grandma and throw it out to them,” said Thomas. The birds soon found the food and ate it quickly. Will other children be as kind as Thomas and Mick?

1.

A．study

B．eat

C．stay

D．sleep

2.

A．stood

B．showed

C．grew

D．woke

3.

A．touch

B．smell

C．hear

D．see

4.

A．house

B．moon

C．sun

D．branch

5.

A．great

B．interesting

C．terrible

D．snowy

6.

A．room

B．breakfast

C．lunch

D．supper

7.

A．library

B．supermarket

C．bedroom

D．kitchen

8.

A．dull

B．hard

C．dangerous

D．exciting

9.

A．Therefore

B．Instead

C．Otherwise

D．However

10.

A．stop

B．jump

C．read

D．rest

11.

A．money

B．time

C．snow

D．water

12.

A．spotted

B．felt

C．realized

D．greeted

13.

A．excited

B．disappointed

C．poor

D．angry

14.

A．happy

B．funny

C．curious

D．hungry

15.

A．scary

B．tense

C．mean

D．talented

9 . Aging is often mentioned in relation to smart homes. Technology can help older people stay independent and safe, and avoid the difficult transition to institutional care. Cox Communications display their new smart home in which every device is “smart”. A strong internet connection is central to their product, and the company also provides a network for other service providers.

The smart home is not only controlled far away, this home—called Home Life—also features direct connections to family members and health professionals. For example, a person can perform their physiotherapy (物理疗法) far away from home with online live guidance from a physiotherapist. Or, their relatives who live in another state can pop in and out through their smartphone or tablet, so loved ones are always there if required.

This super smart home also includes a smart pill container, a smart pot to water your plants, and motion sensors for indoors and outdoors which are useful for fall detection, as well as an automatic barcode scanner (条码扫描仪) that is attached to the home’s trash can so that the packaging gets scanned when it is thrown and the consumed items are added to the user’s shopping list.

In a modern smart home, many activities that are important to independent living can be monitored, and assistance is provided on an as needed basis. If something is out of place for example, a person has a fall or doesn’t take their medicine—family can be informed immediately. However, the person living in the smart home maintains his or her autonomy (自主权) and sense of independence.

1. What is the advantage of Home Life?

A．It protects the house from danger.	B．It helps offer the guidance from health professionals.
C．It saves the time of going shopping.	D．It raises independence ability for the junior.

2. What does the underlined phrase “pop in and out” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Make an order.

B．Make a difference.

C．Pay a visit.

D．Leave a message.

3. What can be avoided in the smart home according to the last paragraph?

A．A teenage is late for school.	B．Seniors forget taking medicine.
C．A baby falls down with a babysitter.	D．Thieves are prevented from the smart house.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A smart home for seniors	B．A family-friendly product
C．Aging rises in the community	D．Smart home slows down the aging

10 . Berlitz Live Online Group Language Classes

Learn a language online with Berlitz

Small group live online classes are the perfect option if you want to build conversational skills and confidence while socializing with other students. They are convenient, cost-effective, and interactive. You’ll learn using the proven Berlitz Method and have time to practice your skills with your teacher and your classmates.

Why choose Small group live online language classes?

It can immerse (沉浸) yourself in your new language, because lessons are delivered in your new language to create the experience of using your new language abroad. You can also have real, interactive conversations. Groups are small, meaning you’ll always get to practice your conversation skills with your teacher and your classmates. And you can manage your learning with MyBerlitz, your student portal (人口). This is where you can easily book classes, contact your teachers, and study.

The Berlitz Student Portal makes learning easier

When you learn with Berlitz, you have easy access to your course schedule. You can see upcoming lessons, schedule future lessons and start your lessons all from the same place. Your focus should be on the actual lessons and that is what the Berlitz Student Portal lets you do.

How learning with Berlitz works

Classes are held by real-time video calls with your teacher. You’ll log (登录) in to your live online classes by your MyBerlitz portal with the click of a button. Your friendly Berlitz teacher will welcome you, establish the goals for the lesson, and start your learning.

All live online classes use our proven Berlitz Method. This means your teacher will deliver your classes in your target language and have you use your new skills right away. Every lesson includes interactive tasks that allow you to actively use your new language through role-plays, discussions, and debates.

1. Why is Berlitz a good choice?

A．Other students will contact you actively.	B．They help build conversational skills for free.
C．They help you adapt to living abroad quickly.	D．You can speak your new language with your teachers.

2. What should students do first before learning with Berlitz?

A．Have a real-time video call.	B．Ask for advice from teachers.
C．Log in live online classes.	D．Set up goals for the lesson.

3. What can we know about Berlitz Method?

A．Part of online classes will use it.	B．It’s been proved an effective way.
C．It assists students in setting a goal.	D．It’s all about teaching new skills.