1 . Are you looking for some informative magazines? The following ones can surely meet your needs.

Mental Foss is a magazine full of bite-sized（small bits） trivia（琐事）and mostly short articles with really interesting facts that you'll want to share with others. The writing is fun and friendly, so it’s easy to understand the answers to the more difficult questions, like: What does outer space smell like? Why isn't cat food mouse-flavored? While the print edition of the magazine stopped publishing in 2016, you can still read Mental Floss online.

Reader's Digest is not actually about books reading. Instead, it is about people. Inside you'll find anecdotes—short, personal articles about things that have happened to people. There are stories in simple writing about everything from funny celebrity moments and inspiring personal store to funny jokes and articles.

Cricket and Cicada are easy-to-read literary magazines aimed at teenagers. Each issue is full of wonderful short stories and poems, and beautiful illustrations. Even though these are technically children's magazines, they are perfect for learning English because they have high quality writing.

Time is one of the most well-known magazines in the world. Inside you'll find news, beautiful photographs and everything you need to get a" deeper understanding of the world in which we live. "Since Time is very high quality and provides deep insight on many serious topics, it can also be difficult for English learners to read. If you have trouble understanding Time, try Time For Kids, which has similarly great content but is written in a simpler way.

1. What can readers obtain from Mental Floss?

A．They can be inspired by the comments on the magazine.

B．They can understand some tough facts in a funny way.

C．They can enjoy a variety of eye-catching pictures.

D．They can have a deep understanding about the current events.

2. What similarity do the fist three magazines have in common?

A．The language is easy and friendly to readers.

B．The articles are mostly adapted from books.

C．The stories are all based on private experiences.

D．The topics are serious and difficult to comprehend.

3. What do we know about Time?

A．It's of great help for English beginners.

B．It has two editions for readers to choose from.

C．People can have an access to it online.

D．It is perfect for teenagers who love anecdotes.

2 . Are you relatively skinny but growing a “beer belly”?

Then don’t be surprised at your next checkup if the nurse measures your waistline to determine your healthy weight. That’s because research is showing that a protruding (鼓出的) belly may be a sign of VAT — a dangerous form of fat around organs deep inside your body. “Studies confirm that visceral (内脏的) fat is a clear health risk,” said Dr. Tiffany Wiley, a senior expert at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Unlike the fat just under your skin, visceral fat raises your risk for heart disease. Experts think that’s because visceral fat raises blood pressure and inflames (使发炎) tissues and organs.

However, you can’t assume you’re safe from visceral fat if your overall weight is healthy, experts stress. That’s because you can have dangerous visceral fat even if you’re not considered overweight — and not have any visceral fat even if you are overweight.

How do you know if your stomach is protruding into dangerous size? Do a check. Non-pregnant women with a waist size greater than 88 cm and men with a waist larger than 102 cm, are at higher risk according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you’re Asian, it drops to 80 cm for women and 90 cm for men. But it is only a rough measure. “The only sure way to know is to check your visceral fat levels on a CT scan or MRI,” say experts.

According to the AHA committee, the most salutary physical activity to “shrink” belly is aerobic exercise. Aerobic means “with oxygen”, so aerobic exercise increases your breathing rate and promotes the circulation of oxygen through the blood. This type of exercise makes the heart work more effectively and improves its ability to move oxygen-carrying blood with every beat. Speed walking, jogging, stair climbing, cycling and swimming are all examples of aerobic exercise.

“However, more studies are needed to determine the best physical activity, food and other lifestyle changes to reduce heart disease risk,” Dr. Tiffany Wiley added.

1. What would a “beer belly” cause?

A．Enlarged organs inside the body.	B．Higher risk of heart disease.
C．Raised mental pressure.	D．Inflamed stomach.

2. Who would be relatively healthier according to the experts?

A．A white man with a waist size of 120 cm.

B．A white woman with a waist size of 90 cm.

C．An Asian man with a waist size of 102 cm.

D．An Asian woman with a waist size of 75 cm.

3. Which word can replace the underlined word “salutary” in paragraph 5?

A．Beneficial.

B．Difficult.

C．Enthusiastic.

D．Useless.

4. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．Doing aerobic exercise can remove visceral fat completely.

B．Heart ability improves when one does speed walking.

C．Further studies are needed to reduce heart disease risk.

D．Food and life style determine one’s body shape.

3 . The SNAG stands for stereotyped nature-inspired aerial grasper and it’s a 3D-printed bird robot with claws. It can fly, stay on various surfaces catch and carry objects, just like the mighty falcon（隼）that was used as the source of inspiration in its development.

Each leg of the SNAG has two motors, one for helping it move back and forth, and the other one for grasping. Twenty printing attempts were necessary for the robot to finally reach its current structure, but it was worth it. Now, according to researchers, the flying machine has an impressively strong and high-speed clutch（离合器），being able to land and wrap its claws around a branch in about 20 milliseconds. SNAG has ankles lock, and there’s an accelerometer （加速计）on its right foot that reports that it’s landed while triggering（触发）a balancing process to stabilize it.

Scientists have already conducted several tests with the robot in rural areas and on different surfaces. In all the situations, the SNAG was able to catch objects thrown by hand, such as bean bags, a tennis ball, and more.

As for the applications of the bird-like robot, the SNAG can get attached to drones（无人机）and be used for search and rescue missions, wildfire monitoring, to offer just a few examples. Another great application is environmental research, with the SNAG also featuring a temperature and humidity（湿度）sensor. By using a robot that can act like a bird, you can unlock new ways of studying the environment, as explained by William Roderick, mechanical engineer and one of the researchers involved in the project. Now scientists are moving on to improving the robot’s situational awareness and flight control.

This isn’t the first time that nature has inspired groundbreaking technologies. We also wrote a piece recently about the F-SAM micro drone, which was inspired by the flight of samara（翼果）seeds, also known as “twisters” which have a special way of spinning down to the ground.

1. What gave the researchers inspiration for the SNAG’s development?

A．The plane.	B．The falcon.
C．The micro drone.	D．The samara seeds.

2. What’s the function of the accelerometer on the SNAG?

A．To balance the SNAG in flight.

B．To change the SNAG’s flying speed.

C．To keep the SNAG’s feet in balance.

D．To make the SNAG steady on a surface.

3. What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us about the SNAG?

A．The SNAG has huge potential for practical use.

B．The SNAG has a long way to go before being used.

C．The SNAG will be helpful in putting out forest fires.

D．The SNAG is sensitive to temperature and humidity.

4. What may be one disadvantage of the SNAG right now?

A．It doesn’t know its situation well.

B．It can’t fly fast enough in the air.

C．It is easily broken by the branches.

D．It can’t catch objects with smooth surfaces.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What do we know from the conversation?

A．Joe Johnson is a rap singer and actor.

B．Joe Johnson comes from South America.

C．Joe Johnson starred in a movie as a singer.

2. Why did the man watch old movies?

A．To relax himself from busy work.

B．To learn acting skills from them.

C．To know people’s life at that time.

3. What does the man think of Laura?

A．Unfriendly.

B．Helpful.

C．Humorous.

5 . 桂林是一个美丽的城市，龙脊梯田坐落于此。（介词+which的定语从句，龙脊梯田the Longi Rice Terraces）(汉译英)

6 . 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。

A group of musicians from China, Germany and Switzerland joined hands in a special concert to celebrate the 100-day countdown to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The event, also known as China Media Group(CMG) China-Europe Music Festival,    1    (hold) under the theme “The World in Unity”.

It’s part of a program of special events running up to the Winter Olympics, which will begin on February 4, 2022. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC),    2    (announce) in a video message that it would be another milestone for Beijing, the first city to host both summer and winter events.

The concert    3    (lead) by British-Swiss conductor Howard Griffiths, Swiss conductor Jean-Christophe Monnier and Chinese conductor Zhao Yuan was staged at venues(会场) in Geneva and Berlin. The concert caught wide attention as    4    included performances from world-class musicians.

Bach added, “The beautiful performances by this talented group of international artists show that inspirational moments are possible when we are dreaming together. This is    5    sport and music are all about: bringing all people together, making us dream, motivating us with    6    (beautiful) and excellence, and filling our hearts    7    joy.”

CMG President Shen Haixiong said, “Sport and music are the common language of all mankind. Artists from different countries perform wonderfully    8    (express) their sincere wishes for the success of the Beijing Winter Olympics. This    9    (true) makes me feel the friendship that is    10    (deep) than the ocean.”

7 . My body hit the water with a pounding and I suddenly felt afraid that terrible things could happen. Water gushed（涌出）through my mouth and left its salty taste. My feet touched the ground as I attempted to float back up to the surface. I could see the speed boats in the distance and I started to panic.

I saw something gray from a distance coming closer and closer. As it approached me, I realized that it was not a good one-it was a SHARK! Its fin（鳍）was moving closer and I attempted to swim as fast and as far away from it as possible. My heart beat faster and faster as my body got all stiff（僵硬的）. I looked behind me and saw the huge sharp teeth pointing directly at me. As I turned away, I heard jaws shut with a mighty bite! The shark turned away and left me alone.

I looked at my feet and saw bright red blood flow into the water. I cleaned it with some water and a thought went into my mind-sharks love blood, and that was not good for me. I knew more fins were surrounding me from every direction. I was stuck in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by about ten sharks and they were all heading for me.

They all stared at me with their white sharp teeth sticking out, ready to attack. Slower and slower they got ready to bite. Just then I heard an engine heading my way and I saw a speed boat pushing some heavy waves away. As it came closer, I saw a tall man driving it. The engine roared in my ears and it began to scare the sharks away.

As they swam away, I began to make my way back to the shore. The boat sped towards me and I slowly climbed on it. With relief we headed back towards the shore.

1. What did the author do when the first shark came close to him/her?

A．He/She hit the shark.	B．He/She tried to swim away fast.
C．He/She dived deep into the water.	D．He/She stayed in the water quietly.

2. Why did the sharks finally swim away without attacking the author?

A．The engine drove them away.	B．A man scared them away.
C．They couldn't find the author.	D．They found a new target.

3. How did the author feel in the end?

A．Frightened.

B．Nervous.

C．Anxious.

D．Relaxed.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．An Exciting Trip	B．A Helpful Speed Boat
C．An Unforgettable Experience	D．A Brave Tall Man

8 . The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there’s a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list. New researchers found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia in later life, and as they did, it came on a decade later than less sporty women.

Lead researcher Dr. Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said : "These findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people's cardiovascular （心血管的）fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia. "

For the study, 191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were exhausted to measure their peak （最大值的） cardiovascular capacity. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.

A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level, or 120 watts or higher. A total of 92 women were in the medium fitness category; and 59 women were in the low fitness category, defined as a peak workload of 80 watts or less, or having their exercise tests stopped because of high blood pressure, chest pain or other cardiovascular problems.

These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades. During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia. Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.

"However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association. More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important. " She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied, all of whom were form Sweden, so the results might not be applicable to other groups.

1. What is on the ever-growing list mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．Positive effects of doing exercises.

B．Exercises suitable for the middle-aged.

C．Experimental studies on diseases.

D．Advantages of sporty woman over man

2. Why did the researchers ask the women to do bicycle exercise?

A．To predict their maximum heart rate.

B．To assess their cardiovascular capacity

C．To change their habits of working out

D．To detect their potential health problems

3. What do we know about Dr Horder's study?

A．It aimed to find a cure for dementia.

B．Data collection was a lengthy process.

C．Some participants withdrew from it.

D．The results were far from satisfactory.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．More Women Are Exercising to Prevent Dementia

B．Middle-Aged Women Need to Do More Exercise

C．Fit Women Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia

D．Biking Improves Women's Cardiovascular Fitness

9 . 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。

Last week, a grand ceremony paying respect to Huangdi,    1     legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation,     2     (hold) at the Xiandu Scenic Spot in Jinyun, Zhejiang province, on the Chongyang Festival.

The ceremony,     3     started at 9:50 am, consisted of nine parts, including striking bells, offering flower baskets and wine to a carols. It     4     (have) the theme of "showing respect to Chinese ancestors with efforts all over the world and opening new     5    (chapter) for attaining common prosperity". During the ceremony, drums were played 34 times and bells were rung 15 times,     6     (represent) 1.5 billion Chinese from 34 provinces, municipalities，autonomous regions and special administrative regions in China and overseas Chinese.

The     7     (year) ceremony for Huangdi in Jinyun dates back     8     the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Showing respect to Huangdi in the new times is reverence (敬畏) for the ancestors who started the Chinese civilization. What's     9     (much), it can inspire the Chinese     10     (unite), helping build the common spiritual home for all Chinese.

10 . I am a professional athlete. I've always worked hard to _________ myself to my limits and with that usually come some aches and _________. Last year when I started to feel some muscle pain after _________ exercise, at first I didn't think it was a big _________. I was training for a marathon at the time, so over the weekend I'd done a 20-kilometre run.

The following Tuesday I went to my favourite CrossFit gym to do a _________ that involved a lot of upper body weight lifting. My trainer told me to take it easy on my body, but I _________ I'd be fine and powered through it. Afterward，my trainer noticed a _________ swelling in my arm and said he was _________. I tried to _________ him but he insisted I drink a lot of water and __________ my arm with him in a few hours. By that afternoon the swelling had increased. I still thought the trainer was making a mountain out of a molehill (小题大做) but I __________ my trainer so I did it. Then I __________ to the doctor.

The doctor took a look at me and __________ me I suffered from rhabdomyolysis, a life-threatening condition where muscle overuse __________ kidney failure (肾衰竭). As he gave me IV fluids to wash the toxins (毒素), my doctor told me that if I'd waited even another 30 minutes. I would have been in the __________ room. Things were dangerous over the weekend but I fully __________ in the end. I was a very __________ Cross Fitter (健美运动员) but still hadn't realized anything wrong. __________ I had a great trainer I could believe in; he __________ my life.

So trust is important. It can be __________.

1.

A．pull

B．push

C．force

D．make

2.

A．pains

B．pressures

C．shocks

D．failures

3.

A．normal

B．gentle

C．tough

D．mental

4.

A．deal

B．task

C．result

D．duty

5.

A．project

B．programme

C．survey

D．workout

6.

A．doubted

B．realized

C．figured

D．imagined

7.

A．sustainable

B．simple

C．temporary

D．slight

8.

A．amazed

B．worried

C．scared

D．thrilled

9.

A．turn a deaf ear to

B．give an ear to

C．turn a blind eye to

D．keep an eye on

10.

A．strengthen

B．exercise

C．check

D．hold

11.

A．appreciated

B．trusted

C．admired

D．praised

12.

A．attended

B．led

C．traveled

D．headed

13.

A．warned

B．blamed

C．informed

D．educated

14.

A．caused

B．created

C．increased

D．allowed

15.

A．waiting

B．rest

C．living

D．emergency

16.

A．retired

B．recovered

C．escaped

D．matured

17.

A．gifted

B．inspired

C．determined

D．experienced

18.

A．Thankfully

B．Finally

C．Happily

D．Obviously

19.

A．gave

B．saved

C．helped

D．ignored

20.

A．heart-breaking

B．risk-taking

C．life-changing

D．face-saving