1 . Nowadays, many of us are finding ourselves tired out, struggling to build balance back into our lives.     1     Spending time near oceans, lakes, rivers and other but spaces can provide a range of benefits including reducing anxiety, easing mental tiredness and refreshing us. Here is some advice on how to take advantage of the healing power of water.

    2     You likely have some water close by, even if it is just a pond alongside the road. Start there. Then get out to water you can visit on the weekend or a vacation. Urban water counts—rivers, canals and fountains.     3     If you can’t get to actual water, then paintings, photographs, videos and movies can produce some of the same benefits. Even virtual reality helps.

Go often. A little bit makes a big difference.     4     But an environmental psychologist found that spending a similar amount of time near water has the same benefits. Even people who look into aquariums(水族箱) have lower heart rates and better moods after just 15 minutes.

Listen. One of the most calming characteristics of water is its sound, typically steady and soft. The water sounds people find having the strongest healing power are rain in a rainforest, waves patting a beach, and a running stream. When the sounds of living things are added to the sounds of water, people like them even better. Make an audio recording of your favorite water.     5    

A．Remember that all water counts.

B．It will bring back happy memories.

C．Stay in a place surrounded by water.

D．According to researchers, water can help us.

E．So does domestic water-in pools, bathtubs, even by fish tanks.

F．Spending some time every day near water can speed up our recovery.

G．It takes at least two hours a week in nature to improve our well-being.

2 . ________ Maya civilization collapsed remains a mystery. The once-great cities fell into ruins.

A．What

B．Why

C．Whether

D．That

3 . Ms. Salomon had only been working at Sainsbury’s for a year when she was diagnosed(诊断) with Alzheimer’s disease. Before that, she had been ________ to leave her job as a bookkeeper because she was becoming increasingly ________.

Upon being informed of her diagnosis, ________, the Sainsbury’s staffers started doing all they could to make sure that Ms. Salomon felt comfortable and ________. For the next four years, Sainsbury’s did everything to keep Ms. Salomon on the team. They changed her ________; they stayed in ________ with her family so they could provide ________ on her condition at work; they ________ retrained her. When the disease progressed, Sainsbury’s even created an entirely ________ job for her as a “tote box cleaner”.

In 2017, Ms. Salomon’s received a medical ________ that said her Alzheimer’s had progressed to the advanced stage, and she was ________ unemployable. Again, Sainsbury’s kept her on the team.

Ms. Salomon’s ________ finally came to an end 6 months later, and though it was an emotional ________, she was also relieved.

“There have been so many times Sainsbury’s could have let her ________,” Ms. Salomon’s son Doron said. “Instead, they have always ________ her, going above and beyond to make sure she’s happy and feeling valued. On a human level, they have shown sensitivity, kindness and care.”

1.

A．warned

B．allowed

C．inspired

D．forced

2.

A．disorganized

B．worried

C．bad-tempered

D．ill-mannered

3.

A．meanwhile

B．therefore

C．however

D．moreover

4.

A．appreciated

B．interested

C．amazed

D．connected

5.

A．lifestyle

B．hours

C．diet

D．attitude

6.

A．harmony

B．contact

C．agreement

D．cooperation

7.

A．opinions

B．suggestions

C．instructions

D．updates

8.

A．rarely

B．occasionally

C．regularly

D．temporarily

9.

A．traditional

B．new

C．strange

D．easy

10.

A．assessment

B．program

C．paper

D．certificate

11.

A．made

B．proved

C．declared

D．found

12.

A．fortune

B．adventure

C．employment

D．treatment

13.

A．problem

B．experience

C．consequence

D．departure

14.

A．go

B．survive

C．work

D．suffer

15.

A．counted on

B．stood by

C．focused on

D．dropped by

4 . They ________with their guests in their spacious room, which has a bare marble floor, open rafters and wide glass doors __________onto a veranda.

A．seated...open

B．are seating...opened

C．are seated...opening

D．seated themselves...opened

5 . — Have you heard that Space X sent a Tesla car into space?
— Yes. __________ they have achieved is amazing.

A．Where

B．What

C．That

D．How

7 . This 3-mile stretch of sand and tide pools beneath a castle of 80-foot cliffs is a California tourism poster if there ever was one. Nothing disturbs the perfect, sunny view, except — once you’re aware of them — microplastic particles (颗粒). But you have to look close-on-your-hands-and-knees close-to see one. And once you do, you see another and another — so many that you may not think of this, or any beach, the same way again. These tiny preproduction plastic balls that manufacturers (生产商) melt down to form everything have been escaping factories, container ships, trains, trucks — and public notice — for decades.

The 2- to 3-millimeter, multicolored balls are a subset (子集) of microplastic-plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size. Microplastic particles accumulate where water takes them, and they’ve been found on shorelines of every continent.

Dr McReynolds is an environmental scientist who’s now joined a global movement studying their trail into the environment. Establishing a baseline count of the presence of microplastic particles — and, more broadly, any microplastics — is the focus of Dr McReynolds’ scientific study here. Charting the count, noting tide, current, and weather conditions will show if amounts are increasing, and perhaps at what rate and why. That knowledge, he says, can inform solutions to plastic pollution such as regulation of their use.

“What are you doing? Picking up trash?” asks a steady stream of beach walkers whenever Dr McReynolds’ crew walks onto the beach and sets up equipment. These are teachable moments for Dr McReynolds.

One recent morning he told some beach walkers how microplastic particles are believed to absorb toxic chemicals, and — because they resemble fish eggs — are eaten by fish and birds and enter the food chain. Almost right on time, a seagull hopped up to a plastic-coated photo of microplastic particles and hungrily pecked (啄食) at it.

Will his work help save the world? Dr McReynolds waves a finger at that idea, “I won’t ever use that word — I won’t save the world from this pollution problem. Preserve it, yes. We want to take care of it.”

1. What do we know about microplastic particles from paragraph 1?

A．They are too small to be seen.	B．They have been ignored for long.
C．They are products of plastic balls.	D．They can be made into almost everything.

2. What does Dr McReynolds focus on in his study?

A．Classifying plastic particles into subsets.	B．Finding solutions to plastic pollution.
C．Charting the tides and currents of oceans.	D．Creating a data collection for microplastics.

3. What does a seagull’s pecking at the picture prove?

A．The interesting teachable moments.	B．The spread of poisonous chemicals.
C．The harmful effect of microplastic particles.	D．The beauty of the photo of microplastic particles.

4. What does Dr McReynolds expect of his work?

A．To save the world.

B．To protect the earth.

C．To educate the public.

D．To provide solutions.

9 . The Rise of “China-chic”

Over past years, guochao, or “China-chic” has been gaining popularity among Chinese consumers. Guochao conveys the cultural heritage and values of China.     1    . “China-chic” is rising, but what is it?

The idea of guochao was first borrowed from some international brands, and began to win over Chinese consumers in 2015.     2    . In 2018, Chinese sportswear band Li-Ning presented its Wu Dao (the principles of Taoism) collection at the New York Fashion Week. It featured bright red color and Chinese characters. More brands have since followed, heralding (预示) the early period of guochao.

    3    . This was a period when applications of big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and 5G technology hit the market one after another. Domestic tech companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and DJI made headlines.

In its third stage, guochao became more common in everyday life. Over the past decade, guochao has expanded from consumer goods to experiential products. As consumers are showing greater interest in cultural identity and creativity, productions like the TV program National Treasure, and the dance show Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace integrate cultural and historical elements with the latest audio-visual technologies.     4    .

Nowadays, guochao is moving to the next stage. No matter how the trend evolves, Chinese people’s positive attitude toward the country’s development and their recognition of and growing confidence in national culture won’t change.     5    . Seen from a broader perspective, guochao mirrors the rise of China, a country eager to make its presence felt globally. Guochao is a style, but more importantly, it transmits culture and values.

A．The trend grew in the following years

B．They give the viewers a totally new experience

C．The next stage saw the rise of China’s native fashion trends

D．It also expresses national pride and confidence in a new era

E．The second period of guochao mainly features hi-tech sectors

F．Its success will rely first and foremost on gaining cultural confidence

G．The concept of “Made in China” was recognized as the representation of Chinese culture

10 . My 34-year-old son Zack was diagnosed with autism (自闭症) at age two. It has been a long road, filled with many ________. The fact that Zack is nonverbal ________ matters greatly. However, we have always found a way to get our message across.

Autism involves continuous obstacles in social _________. Many parents like me, long for spontaneous (自发的) signs of ________ from their child. I was ________ to get one.

At snack time, I started to ________ to Zack with a favorite chant that I often use. “Mommy loves you; Mommy loves you, yes, I do, yes, I do. “In the middle of my song, I ________ that Zack was attentively observing me. ________, he took a step toward me and held his arms out. Another step ________ and he wrapped his arms around me in a big bear hug. A feather could have knocked me over as I realized that, for the very first time, my son was ________ me!

For a moment I stood there ________ . This magical hug ended as ________ as it had started, but the ________ it had on me will be permanent. On an ordinary day, the extraordinary ________ . It belongs to me, making me believe miracles exist and ________ me with joy every day.

1.

A．priorities

B．mysteries

C．challenges

D．opportunities

2.

A．complicates

B．settles

C．helps

D．explains

3.

A．support

B．responsibility

C．communication

D．security

4.

A．affection

B．growth

C．success

D．recovery

5.

A．amused

B．blessed

C．determined

D．honored

6.

A．sing

B．apologize

C．respond

D．complain

7.

A．agreed

B．mentioned

C．announced

D．noticed

8.

A．Eventually

B．Suddenly

C．Naturally

D．Apparently

9.

A．formed

B．counted

C．paused

D．followed

10.

A．calling

B．encouraging

C．hugging

D．protecting

11.

A．in comfort

B．in shock

C．with confidence

D．with awe

12.

A．quickly

B．early

C．perfectly

D．differently

13.

A．burden

B．focus

C．hope

D．impact

14.

A．revived

B．worked

C．occurred

D．varied

15.

A．welcoming

B．shaping

C．filling

D．approaching