1 . It’s never too late to get into science fiction.

While science fiction, or sci-fi, often asks that most powerful question “What if?” —— it also deals with “This, now”: reflecting it, questioning it and satirizing (讽刺) it. Science fiction can act at once as a glimpse into our imaginary future while holding a mirror up to our current state of society.

Indeed, it can act as a warning for the present to avoid a terrifying future or as a blueprint for future technology. Science fiction can inspire us to live better today so that we can live better lives tomorrow. As Scientific Americans noted, “Science fiction can remind us of … wonder and hope. But it also sends us a warning —— to think about the potential influences of our findings, beyond our idealistic dreams.”

Thanks to its brilliant creators, sci-fi becomes the perfect genre to ask the greatest questions that humans dare to ask and broaden the concepts of what is possible in the universe. Who are we and what can we become? Can technology make the world a better place? What will tomorrow bring —— and what can we do today to make that a reality?

The genre of sci-fi can push the boundaries of what we think is possible, like the legendary submarine mentioned in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea far before any such vehicle existed. Or it can warn us of a near-future impacted by biotechnology, as in the MaddAddam trilogy. Sci-fi can even imagine how Earth responds to first contact with aliens, a focus of The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. Sci-fi and its creators know no limits to what can be imagined. Anything is possible.

As science fiction grows in popularity, more books are being written, and more movies and TV shows are adapting these works for the screen. An adaptation of Dune is slated for a 2021 release, and The Three-Body Problem as well as MaddAddam are also in development. The medium of film and television has brought science fiction to life and continues to inspire — or scare — viewers with visions of the future.

1. What can science fiction act as?

A．A mirror of reflecting “What if”	B．A wonder of science technology
C．A vision of the future	D．A tool of broadening all concepts

2. How does the author describe the topic of the 5^th paragraph?

A．By giving examples	B．By listing statistics
C．By making comparisons	D．By classifying facts

3. How many sci-fi novels are mentioned in the text?

A．3

B．4

C．5

D．6

4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the text?

A．To honor those brilliant science fiction creators

B．To think about the potential influences of sci-fi

C．To inspire or scare viewers with visions of the future

D．To encourage readers to get started with science fiction

2 . Constantin de Slizewicz has been anxious to come back to China since early 2020.For the past decade, the Frenchman has been running a luxurious （豪华的）camping business in Shangri-La in the southwest of China's Yunnan Province. But in December 2019, he went back to France for a vacation. He usually goes back to France and stays there for two to three months, since there is little business due to the weather.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, however, he found it difficult to return. Fortunately, his business partner Guillaume de Penfentenyo was able to get a flight to China at the end of February.

Previously, most of his customers were international guests from outside the country who were drawn to the beautiful landscape and scenery in Shangri-La. Despite the pandemic（疫情）and even in his absence, Slizewicz's company managed to attract new tourists, who were unable to travel abroad under the circumstances and discovered the joy of camping. "It makes sure of our operation," he says happily.

Last year, his team offered summer camps in Shangri-La for Chinese students who couldn't travel abroad. In autumn, many domestic travelers also signed up for his company's organized adventures deep into the wilderness.

Slizewicz first visited China in 1996 when he engaged in a three-month internship（实习期）. He was impressed by the Chinese people around him and was attracted by places like Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, which were well-matched to his interest in camping-a passion he has had since childhood. "I met people in the mountains, singing and herding their yaks（牦牛）. That makes the mountains feel special and alive,” he says.

1. In which season does Slizewicz usually take a break?

A．In spring.

B．In winter.

C．In autumn.

D．In summer.

2. Who were Slizewicz's main customers before the pandemic?

A．Chinese students.

B．Visitors from France.

C．Local people.

D．Visitors outside China.

3. How does Slizewicz feel about his business?

A．Surprised.

B．Thankful.

C．Satisfied.

D．Doubtful.

4. What's the main reason for Slizewicz's running a camping business?

A．His interest.	B．The friends around him.
C．The popularity of camping.	D．The peaceful life in mountains.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The younger generation is turning its back on the traditional holiday routes of museums and shopping centers in favor of new experiences. Traditionally, Chinese tourists travel in large groups     1    (organize) by travel agencies. The problem is that such trips lack privacy, flexibility or individuality.

Now, a growing number of Chinese are expressing interest in vacations which are tailored    2    (meet) their specific requirements. Studies show that most of them are middle class. Their high incomes make it possible for them to design their unique holiday     3    (path)instead of walking on well-worn ones. Moreover, the majority are    4    (main) the post-80s youth and 90s youth,    5     don't want to visit crowded tourist sites. Instead, they are looking     6    novel experiences to see new cultures and hear exceptional stories.

China is a latecomer to the     7    (develop) of new forms of tourism. It will take some time to popularize the new travel trend and the prices must remain competitive to ensure that regular tourists can afford    8    .However, as society    9    (progress), the rapid rise in incomes and     10     (high) living standards will see more Chinese searching for experiences that are anything but traditional.

4 . When I was an incoming(即将入学的）student in University of Oxford，I participated FYSOP. Ever since then, whenever it comes up in conversation, I am met with the following question: “What is FYSOP?”     1    

FYSOP stands for First Year Student Outreach Project, which focuses around a week service to the city of Oxford and its various neighborhoods.     2     They volunteer for the Oxford community at local sites helping out schools, parks or non-profit organizations.

Students are divided into groups and led by student leaders. These leaders ensure that each place is prepared and that the students get there safely.    3    In this way the incoming students are able to reflect on what it means to give back and to be a part of the community. These conversations are important for incoming students because of the change they experience starting out in college.

    4     Students obtain valuable volunteer experiences and meet new people. Also, FYSOP participants get to move in a week earlier than most other students. This means that you get to skip out on the hurried move in schedule and might even get a slightly cheaper flight than if you were moving in with the other 140,000 college students.

    5     Through my personal experience, I met some of my best friends, got a better understanding of the layout(布局) of Oxford，and really enjoyed volunteering at various non-profits. If you are not, maybe consider staffing FYSOP in the future.

A．Here’s a brief introduction.

B．Here’s why it has been established.

C．The participants are all incoming students.

D．There are so many bonuses being a part of FYSOP!

E．If you’re an incoming student, FYSOP is worth looking into.

F．Both the community and the students benefit a lot from the project.

G．Leaders also open up conversations throughout the service experience.

5 . “Mirror,mirror on the wall.Who's the prettiest of them all?”Everyone is. Including you.No matter what TikTok's beauty trends want you to believe.

The popular video-sharing platform needs no introduction. Anyone in the world can create anything and post it on the widespread platform. But what happens when more and more fault-finding contents - especially in regard to people's looks-are created?

“You're attractive if you have 8 to 10 teeth showing when you smile.”

“Apparently， this filter （滤镜） shows how good your eyebrows look.”

“Use this effect to adjust the size of your features.”

We are born with a tendency to follow the crowd to gain approval. As a result, we look at the huge number of views on these posts and think following these trends is the right thing to do. So we hurriedly download the filters or rush to the mirror to pretend to smile broadly and curiously count our teeth.

Media has been keeping western beauty standards for generations and has failed to consider that different cultures and countries have their own beauty standards. You might not believe it, but I find dark circles (the proof you worked hard until late at night) and scars (the proof that you've survived battles) beautiful. And I'm sure there are plenty of others who do, too.

TikTok beauty standards sort people into groups according to the sizes of their noses, foreheads, or lips. They judge a person by their looks. Actually, people are whole individuals with far more interesting qualities than their forehead size.

It's the way your eyes light up when talking about your favorite book or the way you take care of your sad friend that makes you beautiful. As we age and grow wrinkles, it's the things we did that we'll be remembered for, not what we looked like 20years ago. Trust me, no one's actually counting and committing to memory how many teeth are in your smile.

1. Why is the famous line from a story used at the beginning of the passage?

A．To remind readers of the magic mirror.

B．To make the beginning understandable.

C．To introduce the author's beauty attitude.

D．To display popular belief towards TikTok.

2. Why do we follow the beauty trends according to the passage?

A．To get acceptance.	B．To satisfy curiosity.
C．To put on more posts.	D．To create a better self.

3. What is beautiful according to the author?

A．Scars from a bar fighting.	B．Dark circles from playing games.
C．Eyebrows shown through the filter.	D．A lame leg from saving a child in a fire.

4. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．Worrying Future for TikTok Followers.	B．Unique Beauty Standards on TikTok.
C．Harmful TikTok Beauty Trends.	D．Dangerous TikTok Platform.

6 . When it comes to becoming eco-conscious, many people choose to start with something simple: recycling. But it’s not as simple as everyone seems to believe.

Indeed, the desire for some people to recycle can lead to ill-informed decisions about what can and cannot be recycled, and non-recyclable objects are accidentally put into the recycling bin. The practice is what is known as wishcycling.

Wishcycling boils down to the idea that just about anything can be recycled, and that if you put it into a recycling bin, those who are responsible for it will find a way to recycle it. This is obviously not true, because, despite everything that you’ve been told by the media, not everything is recyclable.

Small non-recyclable objects that are attached to recyclables are generally acceptable. For example, glue and tape attached to paper will be removed in the recycling process without any trouble. But improperly recycling broken eyeglasses, plastic shopping bags, food waste and greasy(油渍)pizza boxes could cause problems to the recycling process.

The objects in the recycling bin are typically sorted by machines at recycling centers, not people. These complex machines are designed to separate plastics, paper, and other recyclables. If something is thrown into the bin that shouldn’t be there, it could end up damaging the machine, which means the recycling center could lose time and money every time people decide to wishcycle. Sometimes, a non-recyclable object is able to sneak(溜)past these sorting machines. If this happens, the non-recyclable object ends up in a load of recyclables that will be sold for the recycling center to make a profit. However, having just one non-recyclable thing mixed in can pollute the entire load of recyclables, which has to be thrown away.

So what you as a consumer need to do is make your own recycling practice most functional. The best way is to educate yourself. There are certain general rules when it comes to recycling that everyone should know.

1. What do we know about wishcycling?

A．It is misled by the media.	B．it leads to a better ecology.
C．It is related to ill intentions.	D．It comes from people's hope.

2. Which of the following can be put into the recycling bin according to the passage?

A．Paper with glue on it.	B．Oily pizza boxes.
C．Plastic shopping bags.	D．Left-over food.

3. What is paragraph 5 about?

A．The problems from wishcycling.	B．The need to update the machines.
C．The reasons for making less profit.	D．The objects unsuitable for recycling.

4. What might be talked about in the paragraph that follows?

A．Reducing waste.	B．Making rules.
C．Recycling properly.	D．Consuming wisely.

7 . Are you moving out for the school term when you have food that you don’t want or no longer need? Donate it through Student Food Rescue’s food drive-Holiday Food Rescue!

Student Food Rescue at the Boston University Community Service Center is collecting non-perishable(不易腐烂的)food from students across campus. Whether it’s unopened canned or boxed food you already own or you decide to buy a few extra canned goods during your next grocery store trip, all food will be donated to local soup kitchens, homeless shelters and organizations that help fight food insecurity in the Boston area.

When and Where Can I Drop Off Food?

We will be collecting food from December 13th to December 18th. To make the donation processes as easy and accessible for students of Boston University, there will be donation boxes at various places across campus:

East Campus: Myles Standish Hall

Central Campus:Community Service Center

South Campus:518 Park Dr near the mailroom

West Campus:Sleeper Hall near the entrance to West dining hall

West Campus:1019 Commonwealth Ave

Donations will be collected in big cardboard boxes on the ground. There will be a public notice attached to the box, so it is clearly identifiable.

Where Will the Donations Be Taken?

The sourced donations will be taken to select community partners in the Greater Boston Area.

Have Questions?

Feel free to reach out to the SFR Program Managers Saahil Adusumilli and Alexia Lance at sfr@bu.edu.

1. Who is the drive to help?

A．The owners of nearby stores.

B．Students in Boston University.

C．The local people in need of food.

D．Some food organizations around.

2. How many days do the donations last?

A．5.

B．6.

C．13.

D．18.

3. At which place are the donations collected on South Campus?

A．Myles Standish Hall.

B．1019 Commonwealth Ave.

C．Community Service Center.

D．518 Park Dr near the mailroom.

8 . Alvin, 66, was deep in the woods in Grand Cane last December when something like litter on the ground caught his eye. It was a _______ balloon with a note attached.

“Dear Santa,” the note _______. “My name is Luna. Four years old. This year I have been _______. I would like candy, Spider-Man ball, My Little Pony. With love, Luna.”

Alvin’s heart hammered in his chest. It reminded him of his childhood wish. He smiled and set out to _______ Luna’s wish. He posted a photo of the balloon and the Christmas wish list on his Facebook page, asking for help _______ the sender.

Meanwhile, Gonzalez, the mother of four-year old Luna, had no idea that such a(n) _______ was underway. It had been a hard year for her family as COVID-19 spread. On a _______ tough day last December, she _______ the idea of having Luna send a letter to Santa by releasing a balloon. They enjoyed a _______ Christmas together, and then the calendar turned to a new year.

One day, Gonzalez received a call saying that someone had found Luna’s balloon. Her jaw ________. She logged on to Facebook and saw Alvin’s ________. She called Alvin and finally agreed to let Alvin fulfill her daughter’s wish list.

“Santa dropped your balloon ________,” Gonzalez told Luna, “but one of his elves (精灵) found it.” Not long after that, Luna received three boxes’ worth of ________with a note signed “Alvin the Elf.”

Now, having received so much ________, Gonzalez and her girl intend to pay it forward this year. After all, when Alvin could have just ________ that balloon in the trash, he went more than the extra mile.

1.

A．beautiful

B．broken

C．precious

D．blown

2.

A．printed

B．wrote

C．typed

D．read

3.

A．nice

B．difficult

C．demanding

D．smart

4.

A．fulfill

B．spread

C．make

D．express

5.

A．entertaining

B．uniting

C．reporting

D．locating

6.

A．preparation

B．effort

C．research

D．game

7.

A．temporarily

B．relatively

C．particularly

D．naturally

8.

A．came up with

B．argued about

C．put up with

D．jumped at

9.

A．healthy

B．green

C．modest

D．grand

10.

A．burst

B．cracked

C．broke

D．dropped

11.

A．post

B．letter

C．name

D．photo

12.

A．in time

B．after all

C．by accident

D．on purpose

13.

A．candies

B．gifts

C．toys

D．books

14.

A．attention

B．admiration

C．popularity

D．generosity

15.

A．adopted

B．stored

C．thrown

D．dragged

9 . Japanese artist Ei Wada discovered that old television sets made great percussion instruments(打击乐器) by mistake, but he managed to turn this inadvertent discovery into an art. Today, his unique Braun Tube Jazz Band is famous all over the world.

Wada first became interested in percussion music at the age of four, after attending a Gamelan music performance in Indonesia. He was impressed by the sound of the percussion instruments, recalling that he felt “taken to another world”. This memory stuck with him, and a few years later, while playing some old cassette tapes, he realized that the sounds they produced were very similar to the Gamelan music that had made such a big impression on him. Since then, he has been focusing on producing sounds with old devices that people usually throw away.

While attending university, Wada met three other boys who shared their love for unconventional musical instruments, and together they founded Open Reel Ensemble—a band that specializes in making music with other old tech. And that’s how the Japanese musician discovered his most successful instrument—the old TV sets.

Wada said it happened completely by mistake. After plugging a sound cable into a composite(复合的) video connector port and seeing the sound on the screen as an image, he started pairing many TVs with PC-controlled video decks at different pitches(音高), thus turning them into percussion instruments. Then, he connected the guitar to his feet and started touching the TV screens to produce buzzing noise. Today, he can make the old television sets sound like electric drums.

The Japanese artist uses old TVs to transform light into sound. It sounds strange, but just take a look at the video of Wada performing and you'll see it's actually pretty cool.

1. What does the underlined word “inadvertent” in paragraph l mean?

A．Wonderful.

B．Mysterious.

C．Accidental.

D．Creative.

2. What happened to Ei Wada after attending a Gamelan music performance in Indonesia?

A．He began doing scientific experiments.

B．He became interested in percussion music.

C．He began making percussion instruments himself.

D．He formed his own band—Braun Tube Jazz Band.

3. When did Ei Wada found Open Reel Ensemble?

A．After he graduated from college.

B．Before he attended a Gamelan music performance.

C．When he played some old cassette tapes.

D．When he was studying at a university.

4. What does the fourth paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Ei Wada’s passion for music.

B．The influence of Braun Tube Jazz Band.

C．Ei Wada’s impression on the Gamelan music.

D．How Ei Wada turned old TVs into percussion instruments.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

When Zhu Caiping, 73, was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment(认知损伤) three years ago, she found that     1    (anxious), depression and even looking down on herself became normal in her life. It was not until last year, after she became a restaurant server in Shanghai,     2     her situation began to improve dramatically.

The cafe has eight elderly employees with cognitive impairments,     3     take turns working with other waiters to help customers enjoy their meals. In addition to providing services, the elderly employees participate in welfare activities     4    (organize) by volunteers, such as baking, dancing and learning English.” These activities reactivate my brain,” Zhu said.

Shanghai is also home to other cafes that provide help and support for disadvantaged groups. Last year, the cafe Hinchijou went viral after word spread that half its employees have disabilities,     5    (especial) hearing impairment. In 2018, A-Coffee     6    (establish) in the city, training people with autism (自闭症) to become professional waiters and     7    (provide) them with opportunities for social interaction.

“The popularity of these special cafes     8    (show) that many people in the city pay attention to public welfare, which is the symbol of Shanghai’s soft power,” said Lyu Xiaohui,     9     member of the standing committee of the Xuhui District Committee and director of     10    (it) publicity department.