Xiao Ming lives in Nanchong. Now he
2 . In south Africa’s Limpopo province, a baobab tree (猴面包树) once grew so large and stood so strong that its human neighbors decided to build a pub inside the living tree’s thousand-year-old hollow trunk(树干). For 20 years, “The Big Baobab Pub” attracted tourists all over the world. But in August 2016, one of “the walls” broke. Eight months later, another huge piece broke, too. Now, five of the giant stems have collapsed and died, leaving only half of the tree standing.
Though it could sound like a result of human visitation, it's part of an alarming trend: many of the oldest, largest baobab trees in Africa have died within the last 12 years.
Stephan Woodbourne, an African scientist, said: “Of the oldest trees that we’ve looked at in Southern Africa, the three trees that are older than 2,000 years have all died in the past 10 years. Of the 11 trees that are 1,000 to 2,000 years old, six of them have died.”
A report published in the journal Nature Plants claims scores of the ancient baobab trees, some of which are up to 3,000 years old, are now dying because of rising global temperatures.
Researchers believe it is impossible that such a high number of old baobab trees die in such a short time due to natural causes. They think it may be associated with huge change of climate conditions that affect southern Africa in particular.
1. What has happened to The Big Baobab Pub?| A．The pub has largely been destroyed. |
| B．More tourists from the world visit it. |
| C．The pub has a long history of 2,000 years. |
| D．The Baobab Tree grows larger and stronger. |
| A．all the oldest baobab trees have been dead |
| B．the oldest baobab trees will die out soon |
| C．ancient baobab trees are in the face of danger |
| D．Human’s visits lead to ancient baobab trees’ deaths |
| A．Many pubs’ foundation. | B．Global climate changes. |
| C．Human visitation. | D．Natural causes. |
| A．Research on Baobab Tree. | B．Facts about Baobab Tree. |
| C．Baobab Tree in Africa. | D．Tree of Life is Dying. |
3 . Being a teenager is hard, which is why there are many amazing teen movies documenting （记录)the experience. Some are so good that they will become classics in a few years. Here is a list for you.
Mean Girls
"You go, Glen Coco!" "It's not going to happen!” "On Wednesdays we wear pink!" "You can’ t sit with us!" If you rank teen movies by how many lines of dialogues will live on forever, Mean Girls will certainly be on top. So many classic lines!
Eighth Grade
This movie will take you back to the eighth grade and remind you of all the good and bad times you had at that age. Kayla, a shy girl, feels the most connected to the world through social media. It's Kayla's final week in the eighth grade and she promises to make it as great as possible before she moves on to high school.
13 Going on 30
This classic follows Jenna Rink, a girl whose wish on her 13th birthday is to grow up and escape from high school. The next day her wish comes true. She wakes up in her 30-year-old body only to find that she's an editor of a major magazine in America. Although she loves her new life at first, she quickly finds out that being grown-up isn't that much easier than being 13.
Shazam!
Shazam! is about a kid named Billy Batson, who suddenly gets magic powers from the Wizard Shazam. By calling Shazam's name, Billy can be changed into a hero with powers like strength, speed and flight. Like in all the other movies of this kind, in Shazam! Billy is tasked with defeating his enemy who warns to steal all his powers.
1. What is special about Mean Girls?| A．It is about girls' adventures. | B．It ranks first on the movie list. |
| C．It is aimed at amusing the audience. | D．It contains lots of classic dialogues. |
| A．Eighth Grade. | B．13 Going on 30. |
| C．Mean Girls. | D．Shazam!. |
| A．A superhero film. | B．A documentary. |
| C．A tragedy. | D．A love story. |
4 . The cost of living in countries like the U.S., Britain, Australia or France has skyrocketed in recent years. However, if you're willing to leave your country and explore life in other areas, there are many countries boasting an extremely cheap and low cost of living. Check out the following countries when planning your next move.
Ecuador
Ecuador is similar to the United States in many ways, and as a result has become a popular American getaway. They even use the U.S. Dollar for their currency. In this country, it's cheaper to eat out every day than cook for yourself on a budget in the U.S. You can even buy a property for around $50,000 and hire someone to tend to it while you're away.
Mexico
Although the country is known for its poverty-ridden streets, there are many wealthier areas that provide every facility you might need. You can live off a mere $700 to $800 a month in Mexico, and this includes rent for a nice place, facilities, food, and any sightseeing.
Argentina
Argentina has been a popular tourist destination for many years. It has great restaurants, a rich history, and many places to explore. Not to mention, it's not very expensive to live here. A decent sized home can cost around $139,000, which is relatively cheap in relation to homes in the United States.
Vietnam
Vietnam has also become a popular tourist destination in recent years. There are many million-dollar luxury homes by the beach, but you can find a modest flat or small home for around $25,000 to $50,000 if you search in the right areas.
1. Why has Ecuador become a holiday destination for Americans?| A．Because housing is very cheap. |
| B．Because it has a low cost of living. |
| C．Because it is similar to America in many ways. |
| D．Because it has lots of nice places for sightseeing. |
| A．All of them have great restaurants. |
| B．All of them have a low cost of living. |
| C．All of them are poor developing countries. |
| D．The middle-sized homes are a little expensive. |
| A．Ecuador. | B．Mexico. | C．Argentina. | D．Vietnam. |
5 . The Biggest Shopping Malls in the World
Iran Mall
Now Iran Mall is the biggest mall in the world. Located in Northwest Tehran, it covers a total area of around 21 million square feet. It’s a commercial, cultural and social center. On its roof, people can do activities like hiking, cycling, playing tennis and even swimming. While the already finished areas of Iran Mall come together to make this mall the biggest in the world, some parts are still being built.
Central World
Located in the capital of Thailand, Central World is one of the largest shopping centers in Bangkok. The Central World mall includes 500 stores, 100 restaurants and cafés and 15 cinemas. It has a kid’s zone, a learning center and two department stores. It also has its own ice rink (溜冰场).
South China Mall
The title of “World’s Biggest Mail” was once held by South China Mall in China. But in 2018 the construction of the supermall in Iran brought it down one spot to second place. It covers an area of 7. 1 million square feet and was opened in 2005. It includes seven different zones that are designed to be like important cities around the world. One zone includes a model Arc de Triomphe (凯旋门) like the one in Paris, and another with gondolas (long and narrow boats) in Venice.
Mall of Istanbul
Mall of Istanbul covers over 7 million square feet space. Besides the shopping choices, this one has a large theme park right inside! It’s the first of its kind in Turkey. It has over 300 stores. Moreover, it has several performance centers, a gourmet (美食) center and a shopping center. It is also home to Turkey’s biggest cinema center with 12 theaters.
1. In which mall are there some parts still under construction?| A．Iran Mall. | B．Central World. | C．South China Mall. | D．Mall of Istanbul. |
| A．Visit a 7.1-million-square-foot boat. |
| B．Do exciting recreational activities on its roof. |
| C．Shop in fifteen different foreign zones. |
| D．See models of other countries’ typical scenes. |
| A．Its performance centers. | B．Its large inside theme park. |
| C．Its biggest gourmet center. | D．Its world’s largest ice rink. |
1.充分理解所要背诵的诗歌，感受到它的美；
2.通过收听一些中文节目来纠正你的发音；
3.多交中国朋友，并尽可能多地和他们用中文交流。
参考词汇：中文诗歌朗诵比赛：Chinese poetry recitation contest；
发音：pronunciation;
注意：1.词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Lily,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours
Li Hua
7 .
The 22nd Winter Olympic Games Duration : February 7 to February 23, 2014. Host city: Sochi, Russia Number of athletes: over 3000 athletes from 88 countries Total number of events: 98 |
China football, September 15, 2013 Beijing Guo’an Team VS Shanghai Shenhua Team TIME: September 15(19:30) PLACE: Beijing Worker’s Stadium TICKET PRICE: ￥100 for an adult；half for students |
The Beijing-Guilin High Speed Railway Open time: December 28, 2013 Number of stations: 19 (including Beijing and Guilin) Departure time: 7:46 a.m. Arrival time: 6:18 p.m. |
1. The 22nd Winter Olympic Games was held in _______.
| A．Beijing | B．Sochi | C．Rome | D．London |
| A．500 | B．450 | C．350 | D．250 |
| A．19 | B．11 | C．22 | D．6 |
We have arrived in the hot, wet city of Bangkok. This our first trip to Thailand. All the different smells make us want to try the food. We are going to eat something special for dinner tonight. The hotel we are staying in is cheap, and very clean. We plan to stay here for a few days, visit some places in the city, and then travel to Chiang Mai in the North.
Tuesday, March 27th
Bangkok is wonderful and surprising. The places are interesting. We visited the famous market which was on the water, and saw a lot of fruits and vegetables. Everything is so colorful, and we have taken hundreds of photos already! Later today we will leave for Chiang Mai. We will take the train north, stay in Chiang Mai for two days, and then catch a bus to Chiang Rai.
Friday, March 30th
Our trip to Chiang Rai was long and boring. We visited a small village in the mountains. The village people here love the quiet life ---no computers or phones. They are the kindest people I have ever met. They always smile and say " hello “. Kathy and I can only speak a few words of Thai, so smiling is the best way to show our kindness. I feel good here and hope to be able to come back next year.
1. Which of the following is TRUE?| A．Chiang Mai is a beautiful city in the south of Thailand. |
| B．The writer left Chiang Mai for Chiang Rai by bus. |
| C．The writer is traveling alone in Thailand. |
| D．The writer will take a bus to Chiang Mai. |
| A．are friendly to others |
| B．like speaking English |
| C．hope to live in the cities |
| D．live a very busy life |
| A．My First Travel | B．The Outside World |
| C．Traveling in Thailand | D．My Trip to Chiang Mai |
9 . When I was in my first year of high school, I had a terrible time when every area of my life was a disaster. I felt so hopeless and alone that I thought everything was impossible.
On one such day, I was walking from class across the school to catch the school bus home, with my head down, fighting tears of total hopelessness, when a young man came down the sidewalk toward me. Though I had never seen him before, I did not want him to see that I was in such low spirits, so I turned my head away and hoped to hurry past. I thought he'd walk on by, but he moved until he was directly in front of me, waited until I looked up, and then smiled.
Looking into my eyes, this stranger spoke in a quiet voice："Whatever is wrong will pass. You're going to be OK, just hang on." He then smiled again and walked away.
I can't explain the effect of that man's unexpected kindness and caring! He gave me the one thing that I'd lost completely—hope. I looked for him in our school to thank him, but never saw him again.
That was thirty years ago. And I've never forgotten that moment. Over the years, whenever I see someone who is in trouble, I will always think of that young man and try to give a flash of hope in the dark wherever I can. I carry things for people when they are too heavy for them, sit with naughty babies in the waiting room while their mothers are busy, or talk to tired couples at the checkout line or it could be anything.
If you keep your head up, your heart will show you the place that needs hope.
1. Where did the writer meet with the young man？
| A．In the school. | B．In the school bus. | C．In the classroom. | D．In the library. |
| A．had known the young man for a long time |
| B．made friends with the young man afterwards |
| C．was grateful to that young man very much |
| D．avoided meeting the young man since then |
| A．show his sympathy to those who are badly ill |
| B．give others hope of life when they are in trouble |
| C．realize his promise made to the young man |
| D．get respect from those who were helped by him |
| A．the young man always tried his best to help those who were in trouble |
| B．it was the young man's smile and words that made the author feel hopeful |
| C．the author had never been praised by others before he met with the young man |
| D．the author traveled to a lot of places to look for the young man but failed |
