1 . Returning home from the grocery store (杂货店), 25-year-old Policano felt it necessary to help the elderly in her neighborhood to practice safer social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her friend Elkind joined her. They decided to start an organization called Invisible Hands Deliver (IHD).
They had a website up and running. The site allowed the elderly and other at-risk individuals to make requests for groceries and medicines to be delivered to them. The webpage also included a call for volunteers, which acquired more than 2,000 sign-ups.
The beauty of the IHD lies in its ability to meet the needs of those who are at higher risk of being attacked by the pandemic. When a request is submitted, it is forwarded to all volunteers within the community, so that anyone who is available can come forward to help. The delivery itself is contactless. Despite the physical distances, volunteers make an effort to connect with their beneficiaries, chatting with them from the other side of the door.
The efforts of the IHD would not have been effective without the help of modern scientific techniques and equipment. From the beginning, social media made it possible to spread the word and gather support within a short time. Digital inventions like web hosting servers and cloud platforms have also helped the IHD to meet the needs of their community.
Following its success in New York, the organization has spread its work to other areas of the United States. Their acts of kindness have also inspired similar networks to spring up in the world. The IHD is also supported by other organizations. “Armed with these resources, we can grow our efforts and further reduce the terrible impact of Covid-19,” said co-founder Policano.
Managed by a team of college students, the IHD has shown that one is never too young to make a difference. In a time when the pandemic has forced people apart, young people are in a main position to take advantage of technology and bridge the gap, bringing communities together. Elkind said, “We’re able to come together when the world feels like it’s pulling us apart. That’s the only way we pull through this, by pulling together.”
1. Why did Policano and Elkind create the IHD?| A．To offer necessary help to the aged. | B．To raise money for the local charity. |
| C．To maintain the safety of the community. | D．To provide part-time jobs for young people. |
| A．Government support. | B．High-quality service. |
| C．Advanced technology. | D．Special management. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Confident. | C．Doubtful. | D．Confused. |
| A．Face-to-face communication matters. |
| B．Generation gap among people is unsolvable. |
| C．The pandemic is a serious danger to humans. |
| D．The young play a great role in rebuilding social ties. |
2 . Earthquakes are a natural disaster — except when they’re man-made. The oil and gas industry has forcefully used the technique known as hydraulic fracturing (水力压裂) to destroy sub-surface rock and free the oil and gas hiding there. But the process results in large amounts of chemical-filled waste water. Horizontal drilling (水平钻探) for oil can also produce a large amount of natural, unwanted salt water. The industry deals with this waste water by pumping it into deep wells.
Previously, the US Geological Survey published for the first time an earthquake disaster map covering both natural and “induced” quakes. The map and a report showed that parts of the central United States were facing a ground-shaking disaster equal to the famously unstable terrain (地形) of California.
Some 7 million people lived in places easily attacked by these man-made quakes, and almost all the risk of increasing man-made quakes was tied to companies that were pumping waste water from oil and gas production deep into the earth, the USGS reported. The list of places at highest risk of man-made earthquakes included Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio and Alabama. Most of these earthquakes were relatively small, in the range of magnitude 3, but some were more powerful, including a magnitude 5.6 earthquake in 2011 in Oklahoma that was connected to waste water filling.
Scientists said they did not know if there was an upper limit on the magnitude of man-made earthquakes; this was an area of active research. Oklahoma had had prehistoric earthquakes as powerful as magnitude 7.
It’s not immediately clear whether this research will change industry practices, or even whether it will surprise anyone in the areas of newly estimated danger. In Oklahoma, for example, the rate of earthquakes was only one or two a year, but there have been hundreds since hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, with waste water filling, became common in the last years.
1. What can cause man-made earthquakes?| A．The man-made waste water in the factories. |
| B．The process of digging deep wells in those poor areas. |
| C．The oil and gas industry’s work to harvest the oil and gas. |
| D．The way used by the oil and gas industry to deal with waste water. |
| A．Man-made. | B．Reduced. | C．Newly-built. | D．Controlled. |
| A．Magnitude 3. | B．Magnitude 5.6. | C．Magnitude 7. | D．No conclusion. |
| A．Natural Earthquakes in America Are Disappearing Now |
| B．About 7 Million Americans at Risk of Man-Made Earthquakes |
| C．Time for the Oil and Gas Industry to Change Its Working Practices |
| D．Earthquakes as Powerful as Magnitude 7 Happen More Often in America |
3 . Follow this four-day route, and you’ll lose yourself in the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
Day 1 Overview Edinburgh
It was in Scotland’s capital city that J. K. Rowling started to plot the adventures of Harry and his pals. With stoned streets, winding alleys and medieval (中世纪的) architecture, the city certainly has a few things in common with the settings from the books and films. She wrote the early chapters in various cafes around the city’s Old Towns.
Day 2 Overview travel to Fort William
Travel by train from Edinburgh to Glasgow. From there, you can take the West Highland Line toFort William. This is a great way to see some famous spots from the window, including the mysterious Rannoch Moor, the place where Death Eaters board the train in the movie Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.
Day 3 Overview all aboard the Hogwarts Express
Witness the sweeping cinematic scenery of the movie Harry Potter by booking a seat on the Jacobite Steam Train. Stop for lunch in Mallaig and then make the return journey to Fort William. Please be sure to book the steam train in advance, as it is exceedingly popular. By the way, it runs seasonally.
Day 4 Overview lakes and glens (峡谷)
In the films, mysterious, misty landscapes frame the background of Harry’s tale, so it’s no surprise that the film producers chose the Highlands for many scenes. Spend a day wandering through some of these beautiful spots and feel the magical atmosphere.
1. Where did J. K. Rowling create Harry Potter at first?| A．In Edinburgh. | B．In Mallaig. |
| C．In Glasgow. | D．In Fort William. |
| A．Reviewing the movie early. |
| B．Booking tickets in advance. |
| C．Bringing lunch ahead of time. |
| D．Buying one-way ticket specially. |
| A．Current Affairs. | B．Technology. |
| C．Tours. | D．Biography. |
4 . Scientists who study happiness know that being kind to others can improve happiness. Acts as simple as buying a cup of coffee for someone can better a person’s mood (心情), for example. Every day life affords many chances for such actions, yet people do not always make use of them.
In a set of studies published online in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Nick Epley, a behavioral scientist, and I examined a possible explanation. We found that people who perform random (随机的) acts of kindness do not always realize how much of an effect they are having on another person. People usually think little of how others value these acts.
Across our investigations, several results came out. For one, both givers and receivers of the acts of kindness were in more positive moods than usual after these exchanges. For another, it was clear that givers undervalued (低估) their effect; receivers felt much better than the kind givers expected. The receivers also really recognized these acts as “bigger” than the people performing them did.
At first, we studied acts of kindness done for familiar people, such as friends, classmates or family. But later we found that givers undervalued their positive effect on strangers as well. In one experiment, givers in a public park gave away hot chocolate to strangers on a cold winter’s day. Once again, the experience was more positive than the givers expected for the receivers. While the people giving the hot chocolate saw the act as unimportant, it really mattered to the receivers.
Our findings suggest that what might seem small to the givers could matter a great deal to the receivers. Since these warm acts can promote our own mood and brighten the day of another person, why not choose kindness when we can?
1. What do givers seldom think about?| A．Comments about their acts. |
| B．Effects of their acts on others. |
| C．Scientists’ explanation. |
| D．Taste of happiness. |
| A．Investigations. | B．Moods. | C．Acts. | D．Exchanges. |
| A．To explain a rule. | B．To prove a finding. |
| C．To present a fact. | D．To show a topic. |
| A．Warm Acts Are Usually Valued |
| B．Warm Acts Are Necessary For People |
| C．Kindness Can Have Unexpectedly Positive Results |
| D．Kindness Can Unexpectedly Brighten Our Own Day |
5 . I’m a hiker — “born to hike”. It does my heart and soul good to take a pack and head out on a trail (小路), especially when I’m alone and can let my mind wander where it will.
Hiking keeps your brain sharper than many other forms of exercise. As a professional writer, although I am busy with my work, I often spare some time to hike.
Hiking can increase our creativity. I’m sure I’m not alone in finding that walks in nature let my mind wander freely in creative directions.
Hiking helps strengthen a positive relationship with the natural world. Besides being good for us, hiking may also help the world around us. After all, if we stick to walking and covering longer distances, we could use cars less and reduce our carbon footprint.
So, grab a water bottle, a backpack... and head out on the trail.You won’t be sorry you did.
| A．Hiking helps to keep you calm and happy |
| B．Beyond that, hiking benefits our planet indirectly |
| C．Following are the benefits you can get from hiking |
| D．In fact, I’ve written many of my songs while hiking on a trail |
| E．It’s easy for me to come up with creative ideas while sitting alone |
| F．It not just makes me feel good, but also helps me keep the brain in top shape |
| G．This all goes to show that hiking maybe one of the best ways to move your body |
Christmas Day was coming. I was just a kid then, and my big sister told me there was no Santa Claus. I fled to my Grandma because she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told me the truth. Grandma was home, and I told her everything. “No Santa Claus?” She shouted. “Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. “Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.”
“Go where, Grandma?” I asked. “Where” turned out to be Kerby’s General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. “Take this money, and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s.
I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people competing to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, holding that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy and who to buy it for. I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker, who was a kid with bad breath and messy hair. He sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for break during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough, and he didn’t have a coat. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I chose a red one, which looked really warm, and he would like that.
“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid ten dollars down. “Yes.”
The nice lady smiled at me, put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap (包裹) the coat in Christmas paper.
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Paragraph2:
Grandma and I waited breathlessly for Bobby Decker’s front door to open.
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Last year at Christmas time, my wife, three children and I were on our way from Paris to Nice. Somehow everything went wrong. Our hotels were “tourist traps” and our rented car broke down. On Christmas Eve, when we checked into a dirty hotel in Nice, there was no Christmas spirit in our hearts.
It was raining and cold when we went out to eat. We found a small restaurant poorly decorated for the holiday. Only five tables in the restaurant were taken. There were two German couples, two French families, and an American sailor, by himself. They were eating in stony silence except the sailor. He was writing a letter, and a half-smile lighted his face. In the corner a piano player was listlessly (无精打采地) playing Christmas music.
All of us were interrupted by an old French flower woman through the front door. She had a worn overcoat and her old shoes were wet. Carrying her basket of flowers, she went from one table to another. No one bought any. Exhausted and sad, she sat down at a table.
The sailor finished his meal and got up to leave. Putting on his coat, he walked over to the flower woman’s table.
“Merry Christmas,” he said, smiling and picking out a handful of flowers. “How much are they?”
“Two francs, sir.”
The sailor put a twenty franc note in the woman’s hand.
“I don’t have change, sir,” she said. “I’ll get some from the waiter.”
“No, ma’am,” said the sailor, leaning over and kissing the ancient cheek. “This is my Christmas present for you.”
注意：1．所续写短文的词数应为80左右；
2．续写部分的开头语已为你写好；
Then the sailor headed for our table with the flowers in his hand.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . In movies and books, people often describe a decisive moment when they figure out who they are. However, I never thought it actually happened in real life. I never expected to have a “moment” of my own. When it arrived, mine was much more powerful than I could have ever imagined.
During the spring of my junior year, my class watched a documentary called “The Invisible Children.” It was about three college students who take a trip to Africa and document their experience. At first the film was slightly humorous. However, once the group arrived in northern Uganda, the mood changed. They learned what the consequences of a 23-year war had been for thousands of children. Some had lost family and friends, while others were caught by the opposing force and became child soldiers.
Before long, I was sobbing. I couldn’t believe these things were happening, yet at the same time I knew they were. I just hadn’t been paying attention, for in the past 17 years, I was blessedly protected. When the movie ended, I couldn’t get it out of my head. For the next week, I was not myself. Every bite of food I took I thought of Grace, the 15-year-old who had little to eat. When I went to bed, I pictured Sunday, the 14-year-old boy sleeping on a straw mat on the ground in a camp. My whole world shifted.
Since that day, I haven’t been able to picture my future in a way that doesn’t involve going to Africa and doing what I can to help. Ultimately, this is why I decided to major in engineering. With an engineering degree, my potential for change will be limitless. I will build wells and schools, and design irrigation systems. Engineering is tough, but I know—in what Yeats called “my deep heart’s call”—that this is what I’m supposed to do with my life.
1. How did the author think of a decisive moment at first?| A．It was impossible. | B．It was unforgettable. |
| C．It was common. | D．It was powerful. |
| A．It amused him. | B．It changed his perspectives of life. |
| C．It made him unsure of himself. | D．It made him lose the desire to eat or sleep. |
| A．To achieve his goal. | B．To be well acknowledged. |
| C．To challenge himself. | D．To realize his childhood dream. |
| A．Celebrity. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Science. |
9 . If you are looking for apps to learn English for studying abroad, you might be confused. There are so many apps to choose from. How can you decide which English language learning app is right for you? Our list of top four favourite appe to improve your English will help.
Hello English — Best app for middle learners
If you already understand the basics but want to improve your English, this app is for you. Hello English starts with a language test, and then serves up English lessons based on your test results. Hello English supports learners with 23 native languages and lets you play games,watch videos and listen to audio books,too.
Free versions available for iOS, Android and Windows.
FluentU-Best media-based app
This app sources English-language videos from the real world — including news,music videos and commercials (商业)— to help you learn English. Interactive captions (字幕) allow you to tap any word and see more information about it.
Free trial (试用) and paid monthly subscriptions available for Android and iOS.
Rosetta Stone — Most multi-use app
This award-winning English language learning app teaches vocabulary and English grammar. Rosetta Stone includes lessons on pronunciation so you can improve your English accent. You can also download audio lessons to learn offline.
Free trial and paid versions available for Android,i0S and Windows.
Duolingo — Most fun app
This personalised English-learning app turns studying into a game. Earn virtual coins to unlock new levels and spend them on fun upgrades. An animated owl (动画猫头离) keeps you company and encourages you as you learn. When you have questions, get help from fellow students inside the app using the Duolingo message boards.
Free and paid versions available for Android, iOS and Windows.
1. What can we learn about Hello English?| A．The users can’t play games. |
| B．It may not suit English beginners. |
| C．It provides lessons without a language test. |
| D．The users can chat with 23 native speakers. |
| A．Hello English. | B．Duolingo. |
| C．Rosetta Stone. | D．FluentU. |
| A．It only has the paid version. |
| B．The users must pay in cash to upgrade. |
| C．An owl can answer questions of the users. |
| D．It combines English learning with entertainment. |
My father is a practical man. He can’t explain calculus (微积分) , but he can tell you how much pressure boiler needs. He put himself through night school to become an engineer, but that was only after he worked as an electrician and a mechanic.
One day we walked by a toy store window. Sitting in the corner was the most unusual dollhouse (玩具屋) I’d ever seen. It was shaped like an upturned log.
“Oh, Daddy,” I said, “isn’t it beautiful? Do you think Santa Claus will bring it to me?”
Dad looked at the $100 price tag—an exorbitant (过高的) figure in those days. “I think even Santa couldn’t afford this house,” he joked, hiking up his belt as he often does when he’s nervous. “Maybe one day, sweetheart.”
On Christmas morning, I awoke early and raced downstairs. In the dim (昏暗的) light, I made out some wrapped boxes under the tree—but none large enough to contain my dollhouse. Dad could see my disappointment. He pulled me onto his lap and gently told me how, as a boy, he had wanted a red wagon, but his father couldn’t afford one. He said he made his own from wood and old wheels he found. “I’ll make one for you,” Dad promised me.
And right after Christmas, despite all the unfinished projects at home, he started it. I had thought it was an easy toy to make, but every step of the long process was more complex (复杂的) than I had expected. Night after night, Dad would come home from his job dead tired, yet he’d always find time to work on the log house. In the dim light, dad was always busy creating my dollhouse.
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
I hesitated (犹豫) , wondering if I should help mу father.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In all, it took one month of hard work by us.
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