1 . History’s first empire rose out of a hot, dry landscape, without rainfall for crops, without trees or stones for building. In spite of all this, its people built the world’s first cities, with monumental architecture and large populations — and they built them _______ out of mud.

Sumer _______ the southern part of modern Iraq in the region called Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia means “between two rivers” — the Tigris and the Euphrates. Around 5000 BCE, early Sumerians used channels and dams to _______ river water and farm large areas of previously _______ land. Agricultural communities like this were slowly _______ in Mesopotamia.

But Sumerians were the first to take the _______ step. Using _______ made from river mud, they began to build multi-storied homes and temples. Those clay bricks gave rise to the world’s first _______, like Uruk, Ur, and Eridu, probably around 4500 BCE.

The Sumerians created the first _______ system, designed to teach the ability of writing. In the schools, people studied from dawn to dusk, from __________ well into adulthood. They __________ accounting, mathematics, and copied works of literature.

But by the third millennium (千年) BCE, Sumer was no longer the __________ empire around, or even in Mesopotamia. Waves of nomadic (游牧) tribes poured into the __________ from the north and east. In 2300 BCE, the Sumerian Empire was conquered and __________.

Afterward, Sumer disappeared back into the desert dirt, not to be __________ until the 19th century.

1.

A．permanently

B．quickly

C．patiently

D．entirely

2.

A．occupied

B．destroyed

C．lost

D．attacked

3.

A．separate

B．interrupt

C．redirect

D．freeze

4.

A．dry

B．royal

C．awesome

D．rich

5.

A．wearing down

B．springing up

C．rising up

D．breaking down

6.

A．next

B．last

C．slow

D．same

7.

A．equipment

B．basins

C．walls

D．bricks

8.

A．emperors

B．universities

C．cities

D．palaces

9.

A．law

B．school

C．construction

D．labour

10.

A．society

B．childhood

C．community

D．parenthood

11.

A．invented

B．dismissed

C．learned

D．preserved

12.

A．only

B．safe

C．weak

D．reliable

13.

A．region

B．center

C．river

D．farm

14.

A．strengthened

B．saved

C．surrounded

D．overturned

15.

A．rebuilt

B．relocated

C．rediscovered

D．reunited

2 . Refresh Your Bedroom

Whether you’ve outgrown the theme of your bedroom or just want to make a few changes to give it an updated look, you don’t need a big budget to make it happen.     1    

Clear out the clutter (杂乱)

Before you start freshening up your space, take a look around to see what could give away to someone who could use it. Ask an adult for two bags or boxes, one for items you want to donate and one for anything that can go directly in the trash.     2    

Think about light

One simple room update that has a big impact is switching up your lighting.     3     Or you could try neon wall lights or a retro lava lamp on a nightstand or desk. Moving a lamp to your room, with permission from an adult, can also add soft lighting to your space.

Consider color

    4     Ask an adult if they’re willing to help you paint an accent wall in your room. An accent wall is a good chance to take a risk with color since it’s only one wall. You can choose to paint the wall behind your headboard or even a closet door. If you don’t want to paint, you could check out peel-and-stick wallpaper in fun patterns.

Layer your space

Ask a parent whether your family has extra blankets or pillows you could use in your room. They will add new colors, textures, and patterns that will instantly liven up the look and feel of your space.

    5    

Personalize your room with photos of family and friends. You can ask a parent for any spare picture frames or pick some up together at a shop. Print out photos and frame them for display. You could also frame your own artwork to hang on a wall or prop up on a dresser.

A．Pick up photos.

B．Add personal touches.

C．Lighting is actually an essential decoration of a room.

D．One idea is to hang inexpensive LED string lights on a wall.

E．Another inexpensive change that can have big results is paint.

F．With a few smart strategies, you can give your room a whole new feel.

G．Once your room is neat, you can see what changes you might want to make.

3 . My five sisters, two brothers and I grew up in West Islip in the 1950s and 1960s. I was third oldest. Big families were pretty common back then.

Our sweet and gentle mother, Joan Young, had a motto. She told us that all she required of us was that we love and ______ each other always. It was a(n) ______ goal to achieve day to day, as sibling rivalry (兄弟姐妹间的争斗) can be messy. ______, Mom never wavered (妥协).

One Thanksgiving, my sister Kate, the second oldest, came home during her junior year in college in Indiana. She had carpooled (拼车) with other kids. At every ______, Kate saw each student greeted with hugs and kisses.   

Kate arrived at our ______ house with siblings and parents all asleep. Kate was ______ and the next morning announced that she was done with our family forever. Small fighting followed. Mom, of course, ______ went into fix-it mode. She demanded that the older siblings, Cyndi, Kate, Stephanie and I, go into her bedroom. Our father, James Burrough, was in charge of the younger ones. Mom ______ us, closed the door behind her and locked it. She told us that we would not ______ until we forgave each other.

As you can imagine, we were not ______. At first we just stared at each other, then brought up any and every complaint we could think of. Mom ______ our requests to leave the room until love ______. In time — a long time — someone started to giggle (咯咯笑), then someone laughed. ______we were all laughing so hard we could barely breathe, and we gave in, hugging happily. Mom smiled, opened the door and we were ______.

As my brothers and sisters and I approach our senior years, with grown children and grandchildren, we still live by the ______ that Mom taught us: love, forgiveness and unity.

1.

A．forgive

B．respect

C．help

D．believe

2.

A．important

B．realistic

C．tough

D．personal

3.

A．Instead

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Besides

4.

A．stop

B．corner

C．moment

D．crossing

5.

A．private

B．large

C．comfortable

D．dark

6.

A．regretful

B．angry

C．excited

D．anxious

7.

A．nearly

B．quietly

C．immediately

D．patiently

8.

A．followed

B．questioned

C．criticized

D．watched

9.

A．eat

B．speak

C．grow up

D．get out

10.

A．happy

B．relieved

C．touched

D．proud

11.

A．realized

B．repeated

C．received

D．refused

12.

A．returned

B．worked

C．changed

D．lasted

13.

A．Certainly

B．Naturally

C．Eventually

D．Hopefully

14.

A．lucky

B．interested

C．free

D．confident

15.

A．sense

B．step

C．choice

D．motto

4 . 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。

Over the course of the recent global pandemic, humans grew familiar     1     the idea of social distancing. A research team wondered     2     oceanic species engage in a similar practice. To find out, they ventured to the shores of the Dutch Wadden Sea to study seal (海豹) behavior.

The researchers noted that two main     3     (type) of seals frequent the shores－harbor seals and gray seals. In surveys of the area, the team noted that gray seals tend     4     (stay) away from the shore, while harbor seals prefer to keep close to the water. They also found that harbor seals keep nearly twice as much distance between one another than gray seals do.

The researchers noted that harbor seals tend to fall victim to distemper (瘟热) outbreaks — they     5     (face) two major outbreaks over the past three decades, each of     6     led to major drops in their numbers. Gray seals have not been nearly as     7     (severe) impacted because they generally survive such infections.

The research team suggests that the reason why the harbor seals keep their distance     8     (be) that they are practicing a form of social distancing as     9     way to reduce the chances of infection during outbreaks. Their findings could have     10     (significant) for other animals that practice similar behavior in light of climate change.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What are sharks famous for?

A．Their large bodies.

B．Their high intelligence.

C．Their attacks on sea creatures.

2. How long can the biggest whale shark be?

A．20 m.

B．10 m.

C．2 m.

3. What do sharks’ good senses help them do?

A．Escape from danger.

B．Find their food.

C．Kill their enemies.

4. Where do most sharks live?

A．In warm waters of oceans.

B．In cold areas of oceans.

C．In warm lakes.

6 . 你校英语社组织学生对近二十年人们旅游出行方式的变化进行了一个暑期问卷调查，请你根据调查结果提供的信息写一篇报告，内容包括：
1. 分析图表数据；
2. 简述变化的原因；
3. 预测未来趋势。

注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Report on travel mode preferences

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . My mother took an annual vacation all by herself. It was just two ________ visiting an out-of-town family and perhaps a little sightseeing on the way. It ________ when I was thirteen and old enough to look after my younger brother.

Why couldn’t we ________? I couldn’t get across the idea. My mother’s answer was always frank and to the point: “I need a ________ from you guys for a couple of days.” I couldn’t ________ that reasoning until twenty-five years later.

I am ________, responsible for most of the household tasks. I also hold a job and ________ my family and old parents. My husband asks about the vacation this year. I look up at the bathroom sink, ________ again. “Anywhere,” I answer, “as long as it’s ________.” He doesn’t understand, looking ________.

But now I do. I understand the need for every solo (个人的) vacation my mother ever took. My first ________ was to Bermuda. For five days, there were no blocked sinks, grocery lists, work deadlines, or ________ family members. Instead, there was only peace and the opportunity to do ________ what I wanted to do. It was amazing. I ________ three pounds and came home with perfect dark skin and renewed ________. I decide in the future whenever I feel overwhelmed (不堪重负) or like I need a break, I take one.

1.

A．hours

B．weeks

C．months

D．years

2.

A．started

B．appeared

C．grown

D．changed

3.

A．head off

B．help out

C．go along

D．wander about

4.

A．stop

B．break

C．help

D．reason

5.

A．understand

B．bother

C．claim

D．appreciate

6.

A．noted

B．trained

C．married

D．educated

7.

A．care for

B．rely on

C．turn to

D．follow up

8.

A．covered

B．filled

C．blocked

D．stuck

9.

A．independent

B．distant

C．alone

D．convenient

10.

A．concerned

B．annoyed

C．focused

D．puzzled

11.

A．plan

B．trip

C．decision

D．answer

12.

A．demanding

B．depressing

C．aging

D．encouraging

13.

A．generally

B．specially

C．briefly

D．exactly

14.

A．gained

B．bought

C．took

D．lacked

15.

A．body

B．spirit

C．schedule

D．pressure

8 . In 1985, Vanessa Foster and her husband hopped on a flight to Alaska without any plan. When they _________, they used the last of their money to buy an old _________ and started wandering across the state. A little while into their drive, they saw a hitchhiker (搭便车的人) on the side of the road, and her husband decided to give him a _________. A few hours later, they _________ at a rest stop.

“I hopped out and _________ to the ladies’ room. When I came out a few minutes later, my husband was exiting the men’s room,” Foster remembered. “We _________ around the parking lot, and the hitchhiker and our car were gone. So we _________ the hitchhikers,” Foster said.

As they walked down the _________, none of the cars slowed down to _________ them up. __________, an El Camino stopped. Sitting in the driver’s seat was a middle-aged man with bright __________ eyes. He told them to hop in.

“When he heard we were __________ and lost everything, he offered us summer jobs and a place to stay on his farm near Homer, Alaska,” Foster said.

The __________ impacted them to such a degree that Vanesa Foster wrote about it in a book titled More Than Everything. Looking back on that time in her life, all these years later, she says she’ll never __________ that man with the bright blue eyes.

“I really appreciate his kindness toward a couple of __________ on that Alaskan highway,” she says.

1.

A．escaped

B．came

C．won

D．landed

2.

A．car

B．horse

C．pick-up

D．bike

3.

A．lesson

B．treat

C．ride

D．truck

4.

A．gave up

B．pulled over

C．checked out

D．sat down

5.

A．rushed

B．preferred

C．appealed

D．referred

6.

A．wandered

B．searched

C．played

D．drove

7.

A．asked

B．invited

C．became

D．needed

8.

A．hill

B．valley

C．bank

D．highway

9.

A．break

B．pick

C．clean

D．eat

10.

A．Currently

B．Occasionally

C．Finally

D．Frequently

11.

A．little

B．black

C．big

D．blue

12.

A．jobless

B．hungry

C．tired

D．cold

13.

A．drive

B．scenery

C．experience

D．book

14.

A．forget

B．miss

C．hate

D．forgive

15.

A．animals

B．thieves

C．workers

D．strangers

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What was Clara’s worst travel experience?

A．Losing her way in Paris.

B．Losing her passport abroad.

C．Waiting for ages in a café.

2. How did Clara solve the problem at last?

A．Calling the police.

B．Asking her friends for help.

C．Asking the embassy for help.

10 . On Thursday, June 28th, California passed the country’s toughest online laws. Starting January 1st, 2020, this law will allow consumers to ask an online organization what data is being held about them, why they require this data, and if there is any other company the organization will be sharing the data with. They can also request the removal of this information, and choose not to take part in the sale of personal data.

Many people reacted very favorably towards this new law, but big organizations like Google are against it. So why did California decide to create stricter online laws?

A man named Alastair Mactaggart, who is a real estate developer, spent more than 3 million dollars and secured more than 600,000 signatures on a ballot initiative. Ballot initiatives are petitions (请愿书) that are put to a public vote after receiving a certain number of signatures.

In an article from National Public Radio, Mactaggart recalled the moment when he became a privacy advocate. About four years ago, during a party, he asked a Google engineer whether he should be worried about his online privacy. The engineer responded by saying that “If you just knew how much we know about you, you’d be really worried.”

California’s lawmakers, to his relief, rushed to pass the bill. The law that was passed in June was close enough to the ballot initiative so Mactaggart agreed to withdraw it.

People believe that this new law will make companies more accountable for how they handle their information. However, it is not without loopholes (漏洞).

Under this new law, companies won’t be able to sell people’s personal information, but they can still “share” it. In the next few months, this new law could be modified. Companies such as Google are constantly trying to change the law in their favor, since data is a huge asset (财产) for these large enterprises.

The state’s lawmakers are expecting to create “clean-up laws” after the first 18 months the law goes into effect. We will have to wait and see how the law develops as it gets changed.

1. What is the purpose of the new law?

A．To protect online privacy.	B．To charge for online information.
C．To collect personal information legally.	D．To encourage the development of the Internet.

2. What do we know about Mactaggart?

A．He once worked for Google.

B．He took part in the law-making process.

C．He was in favor of the lawmakers’ decision.

D．He was worried about the future of his business.

3. What can Google do if the law takes effect?

A．Sell its users’ personal information.	B．Share its users’ personal information.
C．Get support from the government.	D．Charge its users money.

4. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “modified” in Paragraph 7?

A．Passed.

B．Explained.

C．Prepared.

D．Improved.