1 . I have one of those names that are hard to pronounce, so I never liked the first day of school. When teachers read through the attendance, I always knew when they came to my name: There would be hesitation, then a slow syllabic (音节的) pronunciation of my name. Before they would even finish, I would put up my hand and say, “That’s me. Just call me Sanj.”

Sanj is short for Sanjukta. It’s an Indian name derived from Sanskrit and it means “united”. Words are powerful and so are names. I like my name. It means more than diversity; it means connection.

When strangers see my name, I can tell that they are trying to figure out where I am from. Some ask me what type of name it is and I know that what they really want to ask is “Where are you from?”

Growing up, I answered that I am Canadian. I didn’t want to stand out as the Indian kid. I used to think it was impolite to ask someone where they are from — it may make someone feel like an outsider. But over time, I understand most people are just curious and want to make a connection. Now when someone asks me where I am from, I also ask them where they are from. The conversation gets interesting when this happens.

Recently, I was at a dinner where most of the guests had never met each other. At first, people asked about where others worked and lived. Then people asked about kids and dogs. People started feeling a lot more comfortable with each other, so I asked everyone where they are from. This is when the conversation really got lively. People started guessing each other’s nationalities like the ultimate party game. A woman from Jamaica told us she was going back for a wedding soon and was having trouble finding a green dress. A couple of Indian women at the table convinced her to check out an Indian clothing store and showed her a traditional Indian outfit that would look great on her. All of a sudden, all the talk about where we came from united us.

United. That is what my name means. When I introduce myself to people, I say, “My name is Sanj. It’s short for Sanjukta.” Then I tell them that is Indian and what it means. And just like that, the meaning of my name makes people united.

1. Why would the author say her name first before teachers did?

A．They were not able to say her name correctly.

B．There are many ways to pronounce her name.

C．Her name was beyond their comprehension.

D．It would make her feel like greatly honored.

2. What does the author think of her name?

A．It’s much too complicated to explain.

B．It brings her connection with people.

C．It is likely to make her feel embarrassed.

D．It represents her nationality and personality.

3. How does the author react now when strangers ask her where she is from?

A．She starts to share.	B．She feels offended.
C．She refuses to answer it.	D．She regards it as politeness.

4. What message does the author want to convey in the text?

A．There are strategies to reach out to strangers.

B．We should accept ourselves for who we are.

C．Differences can help us bond with others.

D．We should appreciate cultural differences.

5. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．Promoting our relationship.	B．Embracing your origins.
C．Identifying backgrounds.	D．Discovering connections.

2 . When it comes to having fun in the sun, it’s easy to lose track of time. If you’re not careful, this can be quite dangerous.    1     But it can easily be prevented — all you need is a little sunscreen.

    2     People have been using chemical pastes to protect themselves from the sun for centuries. But the first modern sunscreen sold on the market was offered by French company: L’oreal in 1935.

Several other companies were quick to release their own sunscreens. Perhaps the biggest advancement in the world of sunscreen came in the 1970s, when scientists started looking at the sun protection factor, or SPF.     3    

The advantages of using sunscreen are obvious. It limits the painful effects of sunburn.     4     Millions of people have died from skin cancer caused by ultraviolet rays from the SUITL. Remember to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside.

Unfortunately, there are many mistaken ideas about sunscreen.     5     Some also think you only need to put it on once for a whole day’s protection or that you don’t need it on cloudy days. None of these things are true. Experts say you should apply sunscreen every two hours when outside- in the daytime, no matter how dark your skin is or what the weather is like.

A．And it can even save your life.

B．Sunscreen is not exactly a recent invention.

C．Choosing a sunscreen isn’t as simple as it used to be.

D．In direct sunlight, sunburn can occur in less than 15 minutes.

E．This rating is a number that shows how effective a sunscreen is.

F．It’s believed that you don’t need much sunscreen if you have dark skin.

G．Some think a good method is to cover as much as possible with protective clothing.

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。

Smart, cozy and accessible, Beijing’s Winter Olympic Village has all the elements needed to provide athletes with a safe and comfortable home away     1     home during next year’s Games.

As promised in its bidding submission, Beijing's commitment to     2    (host) “athlete-centered” Games has materialized in     3     big way, with 20 residential buildings — all furnished and decorated to a high standard and fitted with fresh-air ventilation systems—    4    (complete) this month well ahead of the opening ceremony on Feb 4.

Situated in the northern part of the city’s downtown against the backdrop of the Bird’s Nest, the Beijing Olympic Village, which     5    (cover) an area of 330,000 square meters, is the largest of three official residential areas built for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Beijing village will undergo an operational test     6    (late) this month with all facilities,     7    (serve) and COVID-19 control and prevention measures to be evaluated. Should the test go well, the village will initiate a trial run on Jan 23 before     8    (official) opening on Jan27.

“We are trying to make the village a safe and comfortable home for every athlete and official,     9     they can enjoy themselves and be as relaxed as possible     10     experience some of the cultural characteristics of the host city at the same time,” said Yang Jingfeng, deputy director of resident services for the village operation team.

4 . 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。

Scientists have discovered the remains of     1     appears to be an ancient sheep-drawn chariot (战车) near the famous Terracotta Army in the western tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The main structure of the chariot has likely rotted (腐烂) away after     2     (spend) more than 2,000 years in the ground but researchers did find a row of six sheep skeletons (骨架) wearing attachments used for pulling a chariot, so they     3     (infer) this was a sheep-drawn chariot.

Horse-drawn chariots were common in ancient China, but a sheep-drawn chariot is     4     extremely rare find. The founder of the Western Jin Dynasty, Emperor Wu, or Sima Yan, who ruled from 266 to 290CE, is said     5     (ride) in a sheep-drawn carriage around his palace complex every night and would sleep wherever the sheep stopped. Researchers hope laboratory     6     (analyze) on the western tomb’s burial chamber, which is currently underway, will help them determine who was buried there.

In addition to the six-sheep chariot, scientists unearthed a four-wheeled     7     (wood) chariot, probably drawn by horses,     8     (equip) with a fancy umbrella. It is the oldest of     9     (it) type ever found. They also found a wealth of iron tools and weapons, providing new insight     10     the period when iron tools first began to appear.

5 . Who can imagine life today without an Automated Teller Machine (ATM)? They are available in considerable numbers throughout the world.

The first ATM was the brainchild of an enterprising Turkish-American inventor Luther George Simjian. When the idea of an automated banking machine struck him, he registered 20 patents before any bank agreed to give it a trial run. It is easy to assume that the inventor of such a popular machine was laughing all the way to the bank.     1     Within six months of its operation in New York in 1939, the device was removed due to lack of customer acceptance.

It was not until 1967, nearly 30 years later, that Barclays Bank, in a careful launch, rolled out a self-service machine in London, England, which proved successful.     2     The first cash machine relied on customers’ use of prepaid tokens (代币) to get envelopes with a fixed amount of cash inside.

    3     The banks’ principle was seemingly customer service. But it would be foolish to minimize the many advantages that cash machines provided to the banks themselves. By the late 1970s, the highest fixed cost for the average large bank was its branches. The greatest variable cost and loss to profits were its staff. Bank accounts swiftly recognized that self-service operations could reduce bank branch staff cost by70 percent.

Experts quickly determined that public acceptance of ATMs counted on convenience, simplicity, speed, security and trust.     4     For maximum efficiency, ATMs had to be located near public transport or in a shopping mall, not at a branch. The busier and more crowded the location, obviously, the better. Now, roughly 75 percent of all cash provided by banks to their customers comes from cash machines.     5    .

Public acceptance of deposits (存款) by machine was significantly slower than customers’ usage of ATMs for withdrawals. In general, it seems that customers sometimes still prefer and trust an over-the-counter transaction (交易) for deposits.

A．Location, in particular, was a key factor.

B．His cash machine, however, didn’t prove durable.

C．The device was relatively primitive, at least by today’s standards.

D．However, cash machines posed some interesting, unanswered questions.

E．An interesting factor was the issue of bio-statistics for customer identification.

F．Devices originally dismissed by the public are now recognized as essential institutions.

G．Soon afterwards, many other banks became admittedly champions of the cash machine.

6 . The computer plays an important part in our everyday life. It is one of the great _________ in the world in the _________ century. It works for us not only at home, in the offices, in big shops, _________ at schools. Today it is used _________ many ways. It really _________ the world large wealth (财富) and happiness.

The first computer in the world was _________ Enid. It was built in America in 1946. It was _________ and heavy. _________ it was born, it has been developing very fast. Until now it has gone _________ four periods (时期，阶段)and changed a lot. There’re many kinds of computers. Computers are getting smaller and smaller and computing faster and faster. It becomes more and more __________.

The computer can do most of the things __________ the people. It can help us to __________ about the real world more quickly, to learn __________ we want to learn and to think __________ ourselves. __________ a student in the twenty-first century, you must work hard at it.

1.

A．inventions

B．discoveries

C．toys

D．inventors

2.

A．twenty-first

B．twenties

C．twelfth

D．twentieth

3.

A．also

B．but also

C．too

D．either

4.

A．in

B．to

C．by

D．over

5.

A．takes

B．helps

C．gets

D．brings

6.

A．found

B．invented

C．called

D．bought

7.

A．easy

B．small

C．large

D．light

8.

A．For

B．Until

C．When

D．Since

9.

A．back

B．across

C．through

D．against

10.

A．serious

B．harmful

C．dangerous

D．helpful

11.

A．for

B．to

C．at

D．with

12.

A．set

B．tell

C．know

D．talk

13.

A．what

B．that

C．which

D．who

14.

A．of

B．about

C．out

D．for

15.

A．For

B．Be

C．As

D．To

7 . Too much screen time for kids can lead to poor health the American Heart Association (AHA) says. A scientific statement published by the AHA in the medical journal Circulation said screen time from smartphones, tablet computers and other devices can lead kids to a sedentary(惯于久坐不动的) lifestyle ,increasing the possibility that they grow up as overweight or obese(肥胖的).

The AHA is the latest organization urging parents to limit how much time their kids spend in front of screens. It recommends children get one to two hours of screen time each day. Although television viewing among children and teens has dropped, the use of smartphones and tablet computers has surged.

“Although the mechanisms(机制) linking screen time to obesity are not entirely clear, there are real concerns that screens influence eating behaviors, mainly because children don’t notice when they are full when eating in front of a screen,” said Tracie Barnett, a researcher at the INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier Research Centre,in a statement.

Barnett, one of the authors of the statement, also urges parents to keep screens out of kids’bedrooms, raising the fear that too much screen time can affect sleep.

Many studies have warned about the potential (潜在的) negative effects of too much screen time. Last year, a study from researchers at San Diego State University(SDSU) found nearly half of teens who spent five or more hours in front of screens every day experienced long periods of hopelessness or sadness.

Apple, who makes the iOS mobile platform, plans to introduce new tools to devices to help users cut back on screen time. As for iOS 12,iPhones will include a screen time feature where users can control and review how they spend time on their mobile devices. Another company that makes the Android platform will introduce “digital well-being” tools such as screen time limits and a “wind down” option to encourage users to put down their phones before bed.

1. Which can replace the underlined word “surged” in paragraph 2?

A．Increased suddenly.	B．Decreased slowly.
C．Stayed the same.	D．Lost the balance.

2. How do screens influence children’s eating behavior?

A．By changing the time they eat.	B．By changing their taste for food.
C．By influencing how fast they eat.	D．By influencing their feeling of fullness.

3. What effect did too much screen time have in SDSU’s study?

A．It affected children’s sleep.	B．It led to children’s obesity.
C．It resulted in diet problems.	D．It negatively influenced moods.

4. What will Apple do to deal with the screen time problem?

A．Reduce its products’ battery life.

B．Provide a screen time feature.

C．Introduce “digital well-being” tools.

D．Add a “wind down” option to its products.

8 . What’s your first memory? Whatever it is, you’re bound to treasure it. But can we actually trust them? Nothing about memory is simple. Memory is malleable. What we remember is not necessarily what happened. A memory is not a recording. It’s more like a dramatic reconstruction and one that we can keep changing without realizing it.

For any experience to be remembered, it has to be encoded (编码). This encoding is not any kind of direct translation, though. It’s a rich and complex process that creates associations and meanings. We might be remembering something very similar, but slightly changed and colored by our own sets of associations.

Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus produced groundbreaking research on eyewitness testimony (证据). Her work showed that memories can easily be influenced, even after they’ve been created. For example, if two eyewitnesses talk with each other, their memories of events often change, absorbing what they’ve heard from the other one — but they won’t realize this has happened. Similarly, witnesses who are shown an image of an innocent person, can sometimes stick it onto their memory of the actual event — a process known as unconscious transference (无意识的转移). It is estimated that around 70% of wrongful convictions (定罪), later overturned by DNA evidence, are due to mistaken eyewitness testimony.

In some cases, memories can even be deliberately created and implanted. The Lost in the Mall experiment took a test group of subjects and talked to them in depth about key childhood memories while also adding an invented one — the experience of having been lost in a shopping center. It was found that between a quarter and a third of subjects not only accepted this new memory as genuine but enriched it with specific details.

Most of us have certain key memories of being a very young child. But research suggests that they’re highly unlikely to be actual memories due to the way memory is stored in the baby brain. Your precious first memory may well not be a real memory, and we’re all perhaps living in our imaginations more than we realize.

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

A．Trustworthy.

B．False.

C．Easily changed.

D．Deeply impressive.

2. Which will influence the memory of eyewitnesses?

A．Powerful DNA evidence.	B．Pictures stuck in their memory.
C．Reduced accuracy of convictions.	D．Exchanged information between them.

3. What can we learn about “The Lost in the Mall” experiment?

A．It was designed to investigate mistaken eyewitness testimony.

B．Its subjects could recall specific details of a shopping center.

C．Its subjects made believe that they had been lost in a shopping center.

D．It demonstrated that invented experiences could be fixed in one’s memory.

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

A．The Unreliable Nature of Memory.	B．Revised Eyewitness Testimony.
C．Reflection on Sweet Childhood.	D．An Exploration of Truth and Fiction.

9 . Stuck at home? These famous museums offer virtual tours you can take on your sofa. According to Fast Company, Google Arts&Culture teamed up with over 2,500 museums and galleries around the world to bring you virtual tours and online exhibits.

Guggenheim Museum, New York

Google’s Street View lets visitors tour the Guggenheim’s famous spiral (螺旋式) staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary times.

Pergamon Museum,Berlin

As one of Germany’s largest museums, Pergamonhas a lot to offer — even if you can’t physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient works including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course,the Pergamon Altar.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Anyone who is a fan of this tragic, gifted painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close) by virtually visiting this museum — the largest collection of artworks by Vincent Van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

European artworks from as far back as the 8th century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.

To see more of Google Arts&Culture’s collection of museums, visit the collection’s website.

1. Which one will you visit if you like modern art?

A．Pergamon Museum.

B．Guggenheim Museum.

C．The J. Paul Getty Museum.

D．Van Gogh Museum.

2. Who will be interested in Pergamon Museum?

A．One who is fond of tragic films.

B．One who enjoys European artworks.

C．One who likes paintings of Van Gogh.

D．One who is interested in ancient artworks.

3. What is special about the J. Paul Getty Museum?

A．It is one of the largest museums in the USA.

B．It is the only home to artworks in California.

C．It includes all forms of artworks in the world.

D．It exhibits European artworks from the 8th century.

10 . It took an ill screech owl (鸣角鸮) to teach a scientist the value of up-close-and-personal study.

In his Harvad talk, Carl Safina, an ecologist and author of Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe, recalled that the chick was found dying in his backyard. Safina took it in and planned to nurse it back to health and then perform release. But the owlet's flight feathers didn't grow properly. Safina delayed the release. Over those extended months, Safina got to know Alfie in ways that moved and changed him.

“An owl found me and then I was watching ‘an owl’,” he said. “It was no longer an owl after a while, it was ‘she’ because she had a history with me. This little owl, who was with me much longer than I thought she would be, became an individual to me by that history and all those interactions.”

The bond with Alfie strengthened to the point that, when she was finally released, she created a territory with Safina's home at its center. Safina was able to spend hours each day observing her in the woods as she learned to take care of herself in the wild, met two mates, and raised chicks of her own.

When he heard Alfie calling, Safina said, he'd call back and she'd land nearby. Their closeness allowed him to learn more things about screech owls. Field guides, for example, describe two known calls but he identified six, some of which you have to be quite close to hear. The relationship also opened a window for Safina onto personality differences between Alfie and her mates.

When pointed out that his approach to Alfie—including the act of naming her—ran counter to widespread scientific practice, Safina said he wasn't concerned about violating (违反) convention, particularly if something interesting like individual personality differences among owls could be learned.

The experience caused Safina to think more deeply about humankind's relationship with nature and the kind of personal connection he was able to feel with a wild individual. “What I learned from Alfie is that all sentient (有情感的) beings seek a feeling of well-being and freedom of movement,” Safina said. “That's a guide to what's right and what's wrong to me.”

1. What do we know about Alfie?

A．She developed a close bond with Safina.

B．She was a fictional character in Safina's book.

C．She intentionally landed in Safina's backyard.

D．She was dying because of the broken flight feathers.

2. What happened after Safina released Alfie?

A．Alfie chose to stay with Safina at his home.

B．They maintained a continous communication.

C．Alfie met mates and raised chicks by herself.

D．Safina kept his distance from her to prevent attachment.

3. What did Safina achieve in his study?

A．Recording six different calls of the screech owl.

B．Identifying different types of owls by their calls.

C．Learning how to release owls back into the wild.

D．Understanding personality differences among owls.

4. How did Safina's experience with Alfie impact him?

A．He became more focused on exploring nature.

B．He initiated his commitment to wildlife conservation.

C．He developed a deep appreciation for the welfare of living creatures.

D．He decided to guide readers to distinguish between right and wrong.