1 . Chinese Paper Cutting or Jianzhi is the first type of paper-cutting design, since paper was invented in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China.

It’s a very distinguishing visual art of Chinese handicrafts. The art form later spread to other parts of the world with different areas adopting their own cultural styles. After hundreds of year’s development, now they’ve become a very popular means of decoration among country folk, especially women. The paper-cuts are also used to decorate doors and windows, and therefore they’re sometimes referred to “chuang hua”, meaning Window Flower. Paper-cuts are chiefly used as decorations. However, today, Chinese paper-cuts are also used for religious and ceremonial purpose, and they’re buried with the dead and burned at funerals.

Chinese people believe the red paper-cuts on the door can bring good fortune and happiness to the whole family. The paper-cuts are more often seen during traditional Chinese festivals, particularly in Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival. They’re also given as gifts to friends or other family members.

Paper-cuttings aren’t produced by machine, but by hand. There’re two methods of manufacture (制造): one uses scissors, the other uses knives. Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers of paper on a relatively soft foundation (衬底). Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the paper with a sharp knife he usually holds vertically. The advantage of knife-cuttings is that considerably more paper cuttings can be made in one operation than with scissor cuttings.

It’s easy to learn about cutting a piece of paper but difficult to master it with perfection. One must grasp the knife in an upright fashion and press evenly (均匀地) on the paper with some strength. Flexibility is required but any hesitation will damage the whole image.

People find hope and comfort in expressing wishes with paper-cutting. For instance: for a wedding ceremony, red paper-cuttings are a traditional decoration on the tea set, the dressing table glass, and on other furniture. A big red paper character ‘Xi’ (happiness) is a traditional must on the newlywed’s (新婚夫妇) door.

1. It can be learned from the second paragraph that ___________.

A．paper-cuts are mainly used as presents

B．females are better at paper-cutting than males

C．paper-cutting varies from area to area

D．paper-cuts are used in various ceremonies but funerals

2. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．Forms of paper-cutting.	B．Means of paper-cutting.
C．Advantages of knife cuttings.	D．Characteristics of paper-cutting.

3. From the fifth paragraph, we can learn that ___________.

A．paper-cutting requires great strength

B．pause in paper-cutting makes no difference

C．it is by no means easy to acquire paper-cutting skills

D．it is fashionable to learn paper-cutting

4. The author develops the last paragraph by ___________.

A．using examples	B．making comparisons
C．analyzing causes	D．describing processes

2 . Getting around in Canada is fairly easy. Most cities have urban transportation systems, including buses, streetcars, and trains, and some of the larger cities also have subways.

You can board these systems at regular stops along their routes. Some let you pay with cash while others require tickets. If you don’t have a ticket for the bus, you must pay with the correct amount of money. This is because the driver does not carry any change. If you plan to stay in a city for a long time, you may want to buy a monthly pass or a package of tickets to save money. You can buy subway tickets at any subway station.

If you have to take several buses or subways for a single trip, you do not need to pay money each time. Simply ask the driver for a transfer (换乘) ticket, or take one from the machines on the subway platform.

If you are not sure where to board the bus or the streetcar, just ask someone or follow the crowd. People can usually only board at the front of the bus where you show your pass to the driver. When using public transportation, Canadians line up. First come, first serve, is a common approach to many activities in Canada, and it is considered to be extremely rude to cut in any line.

Maps of routes and schedules are usually available from the public transit (运输) company in your area, and there is also a telephone information line. You may ask someone for the name of the transit company in your area, and then look it up in the telephone book.

1. What is this passage mainly about?

A．Where to find subways in larger cities

B．How to save money when traveling.

C．How to use public transportation in Canada.

D．How public transit companies work.

2. If you pay the bus fare in cash, _____.

A．you must have the exact amount of money

B．you can exchange money with the driver

C．it might cost you a little more

D．you may be given some change

3. By buying a monthly pass or a package of tickets, you can ______.

A．take a bus whenever you want	B．go wherever you like
C．find comfortable seats	D．save money

3 . The number of giraffes is becoming smaller across Africa, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. The total population has dropped by 40 percent in the last 15 years. Surprisingly, even scientists haven’t given much attention to giraffes. We are learning more about their ecology(生态), but what we know is still way behind what we know about other species. “It’s a silent extinction,” said Dr. Julian Fennessy, a wildlife scientist.

“The main reason for the smaller number of giraffes is their loss of living places,” said Fennessy, “as an increasing part of land is used for farming. But hunting also has a big influence.” “You might wonder why hunters would focus on giraffes. First of all, once a giraffe is brought down, there is lots of meat with a small amount of effort. Besides, there is another thing encouraging the hunting. In Tanzania, Fennessy says, the latest word on the street is that eating giraffe meat could cure AIDS. Fresh giraffe heads and bones can be sold at prices of up to $140 per piece.

Another widespread misconception about giraffes is that they are everywhere. Look at kids’ books which are full of giraffes. They are always in zoo collections. They can be seen easily, so you don’t think we have to worry about them. But the truth is that they are in danger of extinction. There is a lack of right and true data.

Fennessy and other researchers are now pulling together the data needed to improve the situation of the entire giraffe species and all nine subspecies(亚种). The information will be used to change the giraffe’s listing on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red list, which now lists the species as of “least concern” but two subspecies as “endangered”. “It’s a lot of work to gather the necessary information,” Fennessy says. “And several other giraffe subspecies will be recommended for endangered listings next year or the year after.” He hopes that the world will finally start to take notice of how endangered these beloved animals have become.

1. By saying “It’s a silent extinction”, Fennessy tells us that ________.

A．giraffes are unpopular in Africa

B．the giraffes is always silent in daily life

C．the ecology of Africa needs more attention

D．the extinction happens without enough attention

2. The misconception in Paragraph 3 can be corrected by ________.

A．preventing illegal hunting in Africa

B．rewriting kids’ books about giraffes

C．providing reliable data about giraffes

D．spreading scientific knowledge of AIDS

3. The final purpose of Fennessy’s great efforts is to ________.

A．collect more information about giraffes

B．raise public awareness of protecting giraffes

C．prove giraffes will disappear in the next few years

D．work with the International Union for Conservation of Nature

4 . Goldfish have pretty boring lives, so maybe it’s a good thing they can only concentrate for nine seconds! But according to new research, humans are becoming like goldfish. Our attention span (时长) is getting shorter...and it’s all because of technology.

“We move quickly from one site to another on the web, ”says Doctor Ted Selker, a computer scientist from Massachusetts, “and we are losing the ability to concentrate.” With millions of websites to choose from, the attention span of the average internet user is just seconds. There are other digital distractions (分心) too: email, instant messaging and quickie movies on websites. Some people are worried about the effect on young people. “You need time to understand and think about what you read,” says Julia Wood, from London. “Young people search the net all the time and their brains become full of useless information but there is no time to make sense of it. I am trying to persuade my pupils to read more books, so that they concentrate on one subject for longer.”

Other teachers are trying more unusual methods to improve students’ concentration. Anne Savan, from Wales, was so worried about her students that she started playing Mozart during her science lessons. She says that it had an amazing effect: “The music made them calmer, and their concentration was much better.”

But not everyone believes that there is a problem. Ray Cole, an educational psychologist says: “On the web, young people learn to make quick decisions about what is and isn’t worth reading.

They might look at five unhelpful websites very quickly, before stopping and reading a sixth useful website more carefully. In a world with so much information available, this is an important skill.”

1. Why does the writer mention “goldfish”?

A．To analyze data.	B．To introduce a topic.
C．To settle problems.	D．To suggest a way out.

2. What may cause a shorter attention span according to Dr. Ted Selker?

A．Skipping around the internet.	B．Time to digest information.
C．Traditional methods of reading.	D．Making decisions.

3. What will help students overcome a short attention span?

A．Receiving emails.	B．Texting messages.
C．Reading more books.	D．Watching quickie movies.

4. What is Ray Cole’s attitude towards looking through websites quickly?

A．Cautious.	B．Unfavorable.
C．Skeptical.	D．Supportive.

5 . Afraid to have a start, I was walking slowly into my first school in America. I had _____a long distance from India in order to join parents, who had been here for three years, hoping America would help my future. My father decided that I would go to school here, so I _____a local high school in my new town.

With _____on one hand and fear on the other, I arrived at the classroom. Everyone’s eyes were on me as I entered the classroom. Without paying attention to them, I went straight to the _____and asked him if it was the right class. With a _____voice, he answered, “Yes.” His voice comforted me a little. He gave me a(n) _____called “course requirements”, which I would never get in India. Then he asked me to _____where I would sit. I chose the _____closest to the door instead of the corner where all of the boys were sitting. I didn’t _____want to pick a seat. In India, we had _____seats, so I never needed to worry about that. I spent the rest of the class taking notes from the _____produced by the overhead projector (投影仪).

____it was my first day, I was confused which hallway to use, but I _____to get to my classes without asking anyone. I wasn’t quite sure when I would have _____. I thought it was time for my next class and the bell rang as I entered the classroom. I went through the _____process of asking the teacher if I was in the right class. Feeling surprised, she said, “That is the lunch bell.” I felt a little _____. Without another word, I headed for the _____.

At the end of the day, I developed some friendships and started to love my new school. On my way to the bus stop, I realized that all the _____seemed like the obstacle(障碍) I had to _____to reach my goal. After I got on my bus and sat down inside _______, I said to myself: Today isn’t so bad.

1.

A．measured

B．increased

C．traveled

D．returned

2.

A．entered

B．found

C．explored

D．constructed

3.

A．anger

B．anxiety

C．sympathy

D．sadness

4.

A．employer

B．teacher

C．colleague

D．companion

5.

A．deep

B．familiar

C．strict

D．soft

6.

A．advertisement

B．sheet

C．notice

D．container

7.

A．choose

B．judge

C．inform

D．discuss

8.

A．seat

B．direction

C．destination

D．scene

9.

A．generally

B．suddenly

C．actually

D．honestly

10.

A．empty

B．assigned

C．single

D．decorated

11.

A．movie

B．picture

C．voice

D．series

12.

A．Though

B．If

C．Since

D．As long as

13.

A．pretended

B．refused

C．allowed

D．managed

14.

A．gifts

B．chances

C．fun

D．lunch

15.

A．same

B．unexpected

C．complex

D．effective

16.

A．shocked

B．excited

C．annoyed

D．embarrassed

17.

A．classroom

B．dormitory

C．library

D．cafeteria

18.

A．failure

B．sorrow

C．confusion

D．amazement

19.

A．put away

B．get through

C．build up

D．show off

20.

A．sadly

B．happily

C．curiously

D．angrily

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman want to do this weekend?

A．Climb hills.

B．Pick some apples.

C．Go to Jim’s house.

2. Why will the man call Aunt Brown?

A．To tell her about their plans.

B．To give her an invitation.

C．To ask her for help.

3. Where are most probably the speakers?

A．At school.

B．At home.

C．In a car.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Tom think of the new member of his basketball team?

A．Talkative.

B．Unfriendly.

C．Funny.

2. What does the woman suggest Tom do first?

A．Ask his coach for help.

B．Practice basketball more.

C．Talk to the new member.

8 . Why was Jim at the hospital?

A．To visit his friend.

B．To take a medical test.

C．To look after his mother.

9 . What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．A jazz concert.

B．A new theater.

C．A plane ticket.

10 . Smart cities are coming. And you can be sure that hackers(黑客) won’t be very far behind.

We’ve already gotten a glimpse of that future, as cities across the globe start to use technology to connect their services and residents in ways that was science fiction just a few years ago. They are using sensors to collect data — such as traffic, garbage collecting, and road conditions —and then using that data to deliver services to more people and more efficiently.

But this rush to become a smart city has a major drawback: The more connected a city is, the easier it is to cyber-attacks. Hackers have, in recent years, effectively held cities hostage through ransom ware(赎金器), sometimes damaging critical systems for months at a time. The damage can cost millions to repair, as Baltimore and Atlanta have discovered.

And this is just the beginning. As cities add connectivity to their streetlights, power grids, dams, transit lines and other services, they are adding more targets that have the potential to be hacked. What’s more, as additional information on residents is collected, officials worry the result —lots of data could attract nation-states or terrorists who could incorporate the data into physical and cyber war.

What cyber security lesson can’t be taught in this hack? For example: Don’t open email attachments from unfamiliar sources; don’t click on unrecognized links; don’t leave sensitive information visible on the walls or surfaces of your office. But let’s just stick to the most important lesson: The information you share on social media can be used to profile and target you, whether that’s by engineering click bait(点击诱饵) aimed at your particular interests, guessing your password based on your birthday or figuring out your schedule and travels so that an intruder can access your home or office.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

1. What did people use to think of smart cities?

A．It was the product of science.	B．It was bound to be popular.
C．It existed in imagination.	D．It improved people’s life.

2. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 3?

A．Introduce the harm of hackers.	B．Show the danger of a smart city.
C．Add some background information.	D．Summarize the previous paragraphs.

3. What is officials’ attitude to big data?

A．It is convenient to provide service.

B．It is certain to bring about revolution.

C．There are actually potential dangers.

D．There’s competition in high technology.

4. What does the underlined word "profile" in Para. 5 mean?

A．Describe.

B．Protect.

C．Pursue.

D．Fund.