1 . My brother rang. “Can you do something with Mum?” he asked. Since Dad died, she’s been unwilling to _________ the house. She and my dad came over from Iran. My brother, Faraz, and I were born and _________ in America. _________, even now we always speak in Farsi (波斯语) when together as a family.

Mum was a writer and wrote poems in her own _________. But she didn’t write any more and stayed indoors after Dad died. One day, I saw a poster _________ that our town hall would be hosting people who’d been to Iran. I asked Mum to share her _________ there. _________, she agreed. After we arrived, she _________ cottage pie with chips. Seeing me dip my chips in gravy (肉汁), she was _________ at first. But then she accepted and laughed, because she knew I was a child of two __________ eager to enjoy what they both served up.

That day was a good __________. After that, Mum began to take a(n) __________ in the world again: She started a new collection of poems. “I’m thinking of taking a degree in English __________ if my English keeps improving. You and Faraz will help, I hope?” She asked on the phone. “Of course, Mum - as long as we don’t lose our mother tongue.” I replied. Ever since, I’ve been thinking about the phrase “mother tongue”. It means so many things: The __________ given by mothers to their babies and said back to them and the acknowledgement that all languages are rich in poetry. I’m a child of two cultures and I love them both, just as I love the people who helped __________ them around me.

1.

A．leave

B．move

C．keep

D．sell

2.

A．grown up

B．brought up

C．broken up

D．turned up

3.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Meanwhile

D．Besides

4.

A．style

B．rhythm

C．language

D．way

5.

A．writing

B．speaking

C．adding

D．saying

6.

A．poems

B．novels

C．essays

D．reports

7.

A．Surprisingly

B．Frighteningly

C．Disappointingly

D．Unfortunately

8.

A．made

B．carried

C．ordered

D．refused

9.

A．scared

B．shocked

C．thrilled

D．delighted

10.

A．lives

B．countries

C．families

D．cultures

11.

A．start

B．ending

C．process

D．opportunity

12.

A．role

B．chance

C．interest

D．duty

13.

A．history

B．painting

C．architecture

D．literature

14.

A．blood

B．spirit

C．words

D．thoughts

15.

A．offer

B．shape

C．escape

D．remove

2 . Train your brain to be smarter

You go to a gym to train your muscles. You run or hike to build your endurance (耐力).     1     Training it could not only speed up your memory recall, but also help you learn faster. If you want your brain to be smarter, try some of these basic methods below.

    2     We are social creatures, and the people we surround ourselves with can have a huge impact on the way we think, and on our opinions and behaviors. By associating yourself with intelligent people, you could indirectly develop your own thinking skills and attitudes to life, success and personal development. So, as cold as it might sound, you might want to think again about the fiends you spend most of your time with.

Get enough sleep. Sleep is a very important factor when keeping your mind and body in tip-top shape. Any lack of rest or relaxation, and excessive stress can seriously reduce the efficiency of your brain function. The human brain requires a large amount of energy to function.     3     Some studies also show that a persistent lack of seep can reduce your IQ. So, make sure you get enough shut-eye!

Form a habit of reading. Reading exposes you to new ideas and can influence and improve your mind. Reading also improves your general knowledge, making you more capable of holding interesting conversations and relating different concepts. It is said that highly successful people read, on average, one book a week.     4    

Keep a diary. Constantly taking notes or writing down things or ideas effectively creates an extension (延伸) of your mind. Thoughts are changeable things at times and unless written down, they can be lost for good.     5     One of those random thoughts could be your path to freedom and fortune.

A．Associate with proper people.

B．Make as many friends as possible.

C．But what can you do to train your brain?

D．Thus put aside your cellphone and open a book right now.

E．If you are constantly exhausted, your mind won’t be able to hold knowledge.

F．By routinely recording thoughts, you will enable yourself to think more clearly.

G．Only when you have a good rest at night, will your brain become shaper in the daytime.

3 . As an up-and-coming business model, smart restaurants have been more popular across China since last year. Unlike traditional ones, these restaurants offer an all-new dining experience with robots around. They are characterized by automated (自动化的) services that reduce the need for human waiters and waitresses.

At the restaurants, processes such as ordering, preparing, cooking and serving food, as well as dining and checking out, are all helped by robots and an artificial intelligence (AI) system. The system is also able to identify food about to expire (过期) and properly clean it up before receiving a new order, explained a manager in Haidilao, a smart restaurant in Beijing.

Since last year, there has been a rising need for automated systems to support contact-less dining at restaurants. The dining type was aimed at preventing the further spread of COVID-19 after its outbreak. In China, Haidilao is one of many restaurants that have changed their services.

The changes in restaurants also benefit another industry. To take up the new business opportunity, various robot companies flourish in China, including Siasun and Keenon, which are engaged in the research and development of robots for restaurant services. Two Keenon robots are able to serve 20 to 30 tables, as the information from Keenon showed. It means that such a robot can largely save labor costs and improve efficiency. Moreover, the robots are able to show a QR code to customers to make a payment. Besides these, smart restaurants can also ensure food safety better. Compared with traditional ones, smart restaurants can provide a means for monitoring food safety information and reduce the chance of food pollution. With so many advantages, no wonder these smart restaurants have attracted more customers to dine there.

1. Why are smart restaurants so popular with customers these days?

A．They offer more delicious food.

B．They prevent human contact in the restaurants.

C．They save labor costs and improve dining efficiency.

D．They provide a completely different dining experience.

2. What can a robot do in the smart restaurants?
① prepare food       ② receive orders       ③ serve customers       ④make payments       ⑤ identify food

A．①②③④

B．①②③⑤

C．①③④⑤

D．②③④⑤

3. What does “flourish” underlined in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Appear suddenly.

B．Change gradually.

C．Develop quickly.

D．Decline rapidly.

4. Which can be the most suitable tittle for the text?

A．Restaurants Are to Go Smart

B．Robots Are Becoming Smarter in Our Daily Life

C．Restaurants Have Changed Service

D．Robots Stepped Into Our Daily Life

4 . Niu Yu, 24, became a shining star at Shanghai Fashion Week for her confident attitude while walking down the catwalk with a prosthetic (假肢的) leg. “She is so cool and so pretty.” Many audience made such comments on her first performance on the stage. But actually, she was so nervous on the night before the event that she wasn’t able to fall asleep. The next morning, her friend reminded her of a message from another disabled girl, reading “Although we are not perfect, we are still pretty”. It gave her much courage to put a punch (痛击) in the nose for prejudice against disabled people. When the other models appeared, the audience cheered and applauded, but when it was Niu’s turn, the venue suddenly fell silent Niu recalled that after some seconds, she clearly heard a female audience sigh in admiration, “so cool!” Through the activity, Niu wants to convey a message to the world, “People should respect people with difference and allow them to shine.”

Niu lost her right leg after she was buried for three days during the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake. She was 11 years old then and a member of the school track and field team.

This is not the first time that Niu has been in the public spotlight. She first drew people’s attention when she finished a marathon in 2018, which was held in Wenchuan on May 12, in memory of the 10th anniversary of the earthquake. The day was also Niu’s 21th birthday. She suddenly realized that she could have a beneficial impact on the lives of others.

Niu now works as a photographer and often uploads video clips from her life on short video platforms such as Douyin, where she has more than 850,000 followers. She explained that she shares her experiences to help society at large better understand disabled groups. “I feel I have a social responsibility to connect the disabled with the public. Showing my life to the public can allow them to become familiar with our group and also can tell other disabled people that society is more tolerate than they imagined.”

1. How did Niu Yu feel on the night before the event?

A．She had a sense of loss.	B．She remained calm as usual.
C．She was on the edge of her seat.	D．She had butterflies in her stomach.

2. Why did Niu Yu appear on the stage of he fashion show?

A．To realize her own dream.

B．To prove that the disabled can also shine.

C．To express her gratitude to the disabled girl.

D．To show that the disabled are better in this field.

3. Which statement of the following could Niu Yu agree with?

A．Society is less tolerate than imagined.

B．Respecting differences makes a better world.

C．Marathon is a kind of sport not for disabled people.

D．Our society should show more mercy to the disabled.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Niu Yu would continue her career as a model.

B．Niu Yu would train hard to be a marathon athlete.

C．Niu Yu would continue to link the disabled to the outside world.

D．Niu Yu would be a professional photographer and make video clips.

5 . In China, charms of cities are hidden in their teahouses. Thanks to teahouses, people in cities have a place to express their emotions and thoughts, and getting to know a city is no longer a difficult thing.

Beijing, a small society in teahouses

A teahouse is the place where all walks of lie gather around. It is a small society, Lao She said in his famous play Teahouse. In Beijing, the most popular teahouses are story teahouses. They are places where Beijingers enjoy tea while listening to stories told by the pingshu arists. Other than stories, there are also stages for old Beijing folk art performances like Beijing Opera, xiangsheng and Drum Songs. Many guests come to the same teahouse every day at the same time.

Chengdu, a part of people’s daily lives

Every morning, teahouses in Chengdu open for their customers, and some people even wash up there and then drink tea and have breakfast. It is a special scene in Chengdu. People can spend a whole day in a teahouse, enjoying tea, a newspaper, and birds in cages, just like zaocha in Guangzhou to some extent. They can also have wonderful services such as massages (按摩) and ear cleaning. Mahjong and poker are indispensable elements there. Although it may seem kind of noisy, it reflects the culture of Chengdu. Teahouses there relax both people’s body and their mind.

Hangzhou, a place for seeking inner peace

Hangzhou’s climate and water quality are good for people and tea. Under such excellent natural conditions, high-quality tea is planted. In Hangzhou, tea-stalls (茶水摊) with seats in the open air along the West Lake are popular. Pick your favorite place with your best friends on a sunny day or peaceful night and you can enjoy the breeze from the lake or numerous stars in the sky. Of course, with a cup of tea on the table and close friends around, you can also get a peaceful state of mind.

1. You can enjoy tea while appreciating some Drum Songs in a teahouse of ________.

A．Beijing

B．Chengdu

C．Guangzhou

D．Hangzhou

2. What do the teahouses in Chengdu and Hangzhou have in common?

A．They are open all day.	B．They lie in busy streets.
C．They have the same service items.	D．Indoor teahouses are most popular.

3. In which section of the newspaper can you probably read the passage?

A．Tourism Overseas.	B．Sports Express.
C．Culture China.	D．Global Economy.

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。

In the heart of Melbourne, Australia, lies     1     87-square-meter, three-story, two-bedroom and one-bathroom house. Made entirely from organic materials and run on renewable energy, the building, known as “The Greenhouse”, is     2     (complete) zero waste. It is designed by zero waste advocate Joost Bakker, as part of his Future Food System housing experiment.

The Greenhouse is inspired by nature — it’s an ecosystem     3     nothing is wasted. Organic waste is fed into a biodigester where it ferments (发酵) and is turned     4     gas for cooking or fertilizer for produce; rainwater     5     (harvest) and used for irrigation and an aquaponics (鱼菜共生) system, where plants grow     6     (use) waste from on-site fish; and hot steam from the shower enables a wall of mushrooms to thrive.

The design of the house is topsy-turvy (颠倒的), with the roof as the foundation     7     (load) with 35 tons of soil. That helps provide fertile ground for cultivation produce- more than 200 plant species grow on the roof terrace (露台), as well as     8     (insect), snails, fish and chickens.

Although Bakker is required     9     (move) the greenhouse out of the city center, the ecosystem will live on, as it will become a permanent home for his mother.

Through the Greenhouse project, Bakker wants to demonstrate that he can feed a family with his self-sustaining house design. “I think we’ve proved that it’s actually much     10     (productive) than even I imagined,” he says. He hopes the example will offer a blueprint for future homes and a viable alternative to the current food system.

7 . Called yi in ancient times, weiqi has a history of over 4, 000 years in China. It can be regarded as the origin of all ancient chess games.

 When was the game invented?

According to legend, the Emperor Yao invented the game of weiqi to help enlighten his son. In the Spring and Autumn Period, there appeared the first weiqi master named Yi Qiu in Chinese written history.     1    

 How is the game played?

The game is played by two people with a black and white set of pieces, and the aim is to surround a larger total area of the board than the opponent. Once placed on the board, pieces may not be moved, but they are removed from the board if captured. The rules of weiqi are very simple but there are plenty of choices to move the pieces, with countless flexible strategies involved.     2    

What is required in the game?

In the ever-changing game, the essence of ancient Chinese philosophy is vividly reflected. Before the start of the game, all the pieces have the same identity and status. Only when they are placed at different positions can they have different values.     3     Sometimes they have to abandon some pieces to turn the tables and make a comeback.

    4    

The weiqi-related expression, “ju qi bu ding”, means “to hold a chess piece above the board but uncertain as to which move you should make”. The far-reaching effect of the game is evident in the fact that the phrase is used to describe things in other fields, for example, to describe hesitance in making decisions. This is clear proof that the game enjoys great popularity within Chinese culture.

    5     It’s perfect for developing intelligence and personality. No wonder the game has been popular for thousands of years!

A．How popular is the game?

B．This is where the charm of the game lies.

C．Thus it’s likely that the game originates from then.

D．Weiqi players are required to be active and creative.

E．Why so many people like to play the game of weiqi?

F．Weiqi is a game that combines science, art and competition.

G．Weiqi is an ideal choice for you to play when you want to have fun.

8 . It’s a moment that has been decades in the making. The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s premier space observatory of the next decade, was successfully launched on December 25, 2021. Since 2004, thousands of scientists, technicians and engineers from 14 countries have spent 40 million hours building the telescope. Now, Webb is ready to help us understand the origin of the universe and begin to answer key questions about our existence, such as where we came from and if we’re alone in the universe.

The Webb telescope comes equipped with a mirror that can extend 6.5 meters — a massive length that will allow the mirror to collect more light from the objects it observes once the telescope is in space. The more light the mirror can collect, the more details the telescope can observe. The mirror includes 18 hexagonal gold-coated sections and each is 1.32 meters in diameter.

The telescope includes a five-layer sunshield which will unfold to reach the size of a tennis court and protect Webb’s giant mirror and instruments from the sun’s heat — because they need to be kept at a very cold negative 188 degrees Celsius to operate.

The Webb telescope will look at every phase of the universe history, including the first glows after the Big Bang that created our universe and the formation of the galaxies, stars and planets that fill it today. Its capabilities will enable the mnirror observatory to answer questions about our own solar system and investigate faint signals from the first galaxies formed 13. 5 billion years ago.

The telescope will also take a closer look at a selection of exoplanets to peer inside their atmospheres, if they have them, and help answer questions about how the planets formed and evolved. Data collected by the telescope can tell scientists if methane, carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide is in the atmosphere. The gases within these alien atmospheres could reveal the very building blocks of life.

Webb will begin to collect data and its first images later in 2022. The initial year of Webb’s observation will provide the first opportunity for a diverse range of scientists around the world to observe particular targets.

1. What is the mirror mentioned in the passage used for?

A．Decorating the telescope.	B．Collecting light.
C．Protecting the instruments.	D．Observing details.

2. Which statement is TRUE about the Webb telescope?

A．20 years were spent building the telescope.

B．The telescope is equipped with five sunshields.

C．It began to collect data and images in early 2022.

D．It will observe the galaxies, stars and planets in the universe.

3. What does “them” underlined in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．Exoplanets.

B．Atmospheres.

C．Questions.

D．Scientists.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The origin of the universe.	B．NASA’s latest space program.
C．The James Webb Space Telescope.	D．Scientific observation of the space.

9 . Loneliness in modern culture is so common that many refer to it as an “pidemic”. A related phenomenon is what’s known on social media as FOMO, or the “fear of missing out”. To feel FOMO means to be anxious that there is something going on somewhere that you should be showing up for.

But FOMO doesn’t necessarily motivate us to fight with loneliness in a healthy way. What would it look like to step away from the pursuit of fullness and toward the simple pleasures that mean the most to you? I recently encountered the phrase JOMO, or the “joy of missing out”.

The artist Michael Leunig wrote a short poem, titled Joy of Missing Out, about the emotional intelligence we display when we are content with where we are and what we are doing in any given moment. Competition and anxiety slip away in his vision of an accessible and positive attitude.

Practicing JOMO means turning away from material possessions, shallow relationships, and gossip news in favor of meaningful human interaction, satisfying home and enough time for leisure. I struggle with this sometimes, and you might too. I like being able to say “yes” to opportunities to be with people, try new things and maintain long-distance friendships over social media. But sometimes I’m learning that doing those things means I’m saying “no” to myself, passing up opportunities to plant some seeds in my garden, read another chapter in a good novel or have a long walk-and-talk with a friend.

The truth is, everyone “misses out” on some things. Whether we experience those moments fearfully or joyfully is our choice, but a positive view would certainly lean toward the latter. Is JOMO a helpful way for you to think about how you spend your time and energy?

1. Why is FOMO mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．To introduce the topic of JOMO.

B．To explain the meaning of FOMO.

C．To make a comparison with loneliness.

D．To describe a common cultural phenomenon.

2. People experience FOMO because ______.

A．they fight with loneliness

B．they want to live a healthy life

C．they don’t want to miss out on things

D．they pursue simple pleasures in life

3. Which is involved in practicing JOMO according to the author?
① listening to gossip news     ②reading good novels
③ having family time for leisure ④maintaining online friendships
⑤ walking and talking with friends

A．①③④

B．①②⑤

C．②③④

D．②③⑤

4. In which section of a newspaper can you read the text?

A．News.

B．Science.

C．Lifestyle.

D．Entertainment.

10 . By incorporating dance moves and Chinese cultural elements into the art of single bamboo drifting, a national intangible cultural heritage, a 24-year-old woman from Zunyi in southwest China’s Guizhou Province has brought new vitality (活力) to this traditional art form.

Yang Liu is an inheritor of the art form that resembles kung fu. According to her, single bamboo drifting originated in the Chishui River Basin in Guizhou. Nowadays, it has evolved into a competitive sport and a kind of performing art. Performers need to stand upright on a nine-meter-long bamboo pole while drifting on a river, a skill that is very hard to learn due to the difficulty involved in balancing on the bamboo pole while on water. Yang learned the techniques from her grandmother when she was only seven years old. To gain a better command of the skills, she had to practice difficult movements on a bamboo pole while enduring all the physical pain that came with mastering the motions.

Inspired by her grandmother, Yang later tried to apply her own dancing skills to the art form. She was finally able to perform dance moves, including doing the splits (劈叉), while drifting on a bamboo pole on a river at the age of 15. To make single bamboo drifting more attractive to the public, she began dancing on a bamboo pole while wearing opera costumes and traditional Chinese attire, including hanfu.

Yang has also shared videos of herself performing single bamboo drifting on the Internet in recent years. She has attracted about 1 million followers on short-video platforms, and her elegant and innovative performances have won high praise from viewers both at home and abroad.

Nothing is more important than carrying forward Chinese traditional culture, Yang says. She is dedicated to promoting single bamboo drifting through more creative performances, hoping to let more people appreciate and admire this intangible cultural heritage and help tourists learn more about local history and culture.

1. Single bamboo drifting is very hard to learn because _____.

A．it has evolved into a competitive sport

B．the bamboo pole on water is nine meters long

C．it can cause some physical pain to performers

D．performers need to balance on the bamboo pole

2. What did Yang do to make single bamboo drifting more attractive?

A．She learned the techniques from her grandmother.

B．She tried to practice some difficult dance movements.

C．She won praise from viewers both at home and abroad.

D．She wore hanfu to perform and shared her videos online.

3. Which word best describes Yang Liu?

A．Confident.

B．Creative.

C．Diligent.

D．Brave.

4. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．A Traditional Art Form: Originating in Zunyi, Guizhou Province

B．Single Bamboo Drifting: A National Intangible Cultural Heritage

C．An Innovative Inheritor: Yang Liu and her Performances on Water

D．Chinese Cultural Elements: Incorporated into Single Bamboo Drifting