1 . Not every day is going to be great. Not every day is going to be your wedding day, graduation, or birthday. We have our routines; we go to school and meet a lot of the same people. Usually long periods of time in our lives are devoted to doing a specific set of things. The stress of life can disconnect us from our surroundings and make it easier to lose touch with our need and emotions.     1    

Essentially, casual magic is practicing the habit of seeing the beauty in small moments of mundane (单调的) life.     2     In a study that investigated what this does to your mood, 282 participants were observed on the positive effect of something they did. Researchers found that being present and focusing on positive moments gave a higher positive effect and resulted in a higher life satisfaction.

    3     Have you ever walked through a patch of forest or seen the sunshine over rooftops and noticed how vibrant the colors were? Or have you ever felt a breeze on the side of your face? You just need to learn how to treasure and enjoy these moments.

Now this is not to say that life shouldn’t be negative and that we should just ignore all the bad things that happen in life.     4     Such emotion may be a sign that it is time to propel change and growth. Negative things should be considered to be opportunities for learning and should not be dwelled upon.

Hence, I urge you to try it.     5     Appreciate something small: the sunlight resting on a window curtain, how green the leaves are, the happiness of laughing with a friend, the taste of an ice-cream. Not every day is going to be the best day of your life; but it can still be special.

A．However, casual magic is the road to happiness.

B．To prevent this, apply the concept of casual magic.

C．An adequate example to practice casual magic is nature.

D．Casual magic instead allows us to listen to and examine any negative feeling.

E．Put aside your screen, be present and give yourself a chance to find that special moment.

F．We should learn from negative things and move on to appreciating moments of casual magic.

G．It is centered around curiosity and focuses the energy on observing and reflecting on the little things.

2 . We all know that eating later in the day isn’t good for our waistlines, but why? A new study weighed in on that question by comparing people who ate the same foods—but at different times in the day.

“We found that eating four hours later makes a significant difference for our hunger levels, the way we burn calories after we eat, and the way we store fat,” Vujović said, a researcher at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Together, these changes may explain why late eating is associated with increased obesity risk reported by other studies and provide new biological insight into the underlying mechanisms.” The study provides support for the concept that circadian(生理节奏) rhythm, which influences key physiologic functions such as body temperature and heart rate, affects how our bodies absorb fuel, researchers said.

The study does show eating later results in “an increase in hunger, impacts hormones(荷尔蒙) and also changes gene expression, especially in terms of fat metabolism with a tendency towards less fat breakdown and more fat deposition,” said Dr. Bhanu Prakash Kolla, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and a consultant to Mayo’s Center for Sleep Medicine and Division of Addiction Medicine.

The study was small—only 16 overweight or obese people—but carefully planned to eliminate other potential causes of weight gain, the authors said. “While there have been other studies investigating why late eating associates with an increased risk for obesity, this may be the most well controlled, including strictly controlling the amount, composition and timing of meals, physical activity, sleep, room temperature and light exposure,” said senior author Frank Scheer, director of the Medical Chronobiology Program in the Brigham’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders. All participants were in good health, with no history of diabetes or shift work, which can affect circadian rhythm, and had regular physical activity. Each person in the study kept to a strict healthy sleep/wake schedule for about three weeks and were provided with prepared meals at fixed times for three days before the lab experiment began.

Results showed that hunger pangs doubled for those on a night-eating regime. People who ate later in the day also reported a desire for starchy and salty foods, meat and, to a lesser extent, a desire for dairy foods and vegetables. By looking at the results of blood tests, researchers were able to see why: Levels of leptin, a hormone which tells us when we feel full, were decreased for late eaters versus early eaters. In comparison, levels of the hormone ghrelin, which spikes our appetite, rose.

1. According to the passage, the following may contribute to the obesity except _________.

A．the breakdown of less fat

B．the changes in gene expression

C．the increase in the levels of leptin

D．the disturbance of the circadian rhythm

2. In Paragraph 4, the writer intends to _________.

A．highlight the results of the study

B．illustrate the process of the study

C．present the purpose of the study

D．demonstrate the reliability of the study

3. What does the underlined word “spike” in Paragraph5 most probably mean?

A．Stimulate.

B．Reduce.

C．Maintain.

D．Control.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Eating late accounts for obesity.

B．Obesity can be well controlled by eating late.

C．When you eat is irrelevant to how fat you are.

D．Eating late may impact the expression function.

3 . Many parents dream of their children growing up and seeing the world. But Edith Lemay, a mother of four from Canada, worried her children were running out of time to do that.

When her first child, Mia, was little, she noticed she would bump into things. In 2018, Mia was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa(色素性视网膜炎).

“What it does is that the cell in the retina dies over time and they lose their field of vision. There’s a chance they will go completely blind by midlife,” said Lemay.

The disease is genetic, meaning Lemay’s other kids were at risk. She soon noticed two of her sons, Collin and Laurent, had the same symptoms. They were soon diagnosed, too.

“Of course it was devastating(令人极为震惊的). And when you have a kid, you always have an image of what their future is going to be like and all of a sudden, you get that news and you need to erase that and think it over. And it really is a grieving process,” Lemay said.

Lemay wanted to prepare her kids for what was to come and thought about filling their visual memory. In March, Lemay, her husband, and her four kids left Canada and embarked on an epic journey, traveling the globe for a whole year—showing their kids the world, before it is too late.

During their trip, Lemay is homeschooling her kids. The family also made a bucket list of fun activities they want to accomplish, so each kid can see their dreams come true.

Lemay said her kids are not only making visual memories. They’re also learning important life lessons, like focusing on the positive. “Sometimes they’re tired and there’s frustration. It’s difficult. But with the travel, I want them to be resilient.”

“I want them to know that any situation that’s hard is temporary, because through their life, they’ll need lots of resilience,” she said. “They’re going to adapt to a situation with their eyesight and then in a few years later, they’ll lose a chunk of their eyesights and they will have to readapt and adapt again and fall and get back again,” Lemay continued.

Many parents want to give their kids the world and this mom did.

1. What risk may the children face in the future?

A．They will bump into things.

B．They will be unable to grow up.

C．They may get genetic disorders.

D．They may totally lose their sight.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Lemay tried to erase the devastating news.

B．The travel was not easy but helped the kids stay positive.

C．The parents filled their kids’ visual memory through books.

D．The children dropped out of school and were educated at home.

3. Which can best describe Lemay?

A．Affectionate and tough.	B．Considerate and committed.
C．Patient and generous.	D．Sympathetic and sensitive.

4 . It’s exciting when your bookworm teen announces his or her plans to be a writer. Rather than bombard them with fancy pens and motivational reading, direct them to a comfort zone: the Internet. These sites are great resources and landing spots for future storytellers.

Figment

Specially tailored for the teen reader/writer, Figment is a community dedicated to reading and writing stories online. Addictively fun, users can rate stories by whether they made them laugh, blush, cry, or just say “wow.” The site frequently runs contests and features work from well-known authors and editors who sometimes drop in for Figment chats with the site’s community.

Wattpad

It is the largest online reading platform, and allows authors to share their work with the world. Well-known writers such as Margaret Atwood and Cory Doctorow even post their work here. Teens can find and follow their favorite authors and release their own works as serial novels.

Teen Ink

Supported by the nonprofit Young Authors Foundation, Teen Ink is the twenty-five-year veteran in the fostering-teen-writers game. The magazine, book series, and website are devoted entirely to writing, art, and photos by teens. It’s also a go-to for teens interested in writing and publishing nonfiction essays and articles as well as poetry.

One Teen Story

Direct kids here to introduce them to the nonprofit’s monthly magazine. Each issue features one short story about the teen experience, usually from a known young adult author. Teens drawn to the short story form can also submit their work for consideration in an annual issue that features a story written by a teen for teens.

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo is an awesome thirty-day adventure for any writer, but teens might be especially inclined to join. In November, would-be novelists over the world attempt to write a 50,000-word(or more) book in thirty days.

1. The passage is intended for _________.

A．teachers

B．teens

C．parents

D．writers

2. Which sites may provide the chance to interact with recognized writers?

A．Figment and Wattpad.	B．Figment and Teen Ink.
C．Teen Ink and NaNoWriMo.	D．Wattpad and One Teen Story.

3. What can be learned from the passage?

A．One Teen Story is a nonprofit’s annual magazine.

B．Figment regularly features young adult writers’ works.

C．NaNoWriMo offers teens a thirty-day adventure around the world.

D．Teen Ink is the first choice of teens who are keen on writing poems.

5 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空，在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Two decades     1    (pass) since newspapers launched websites, and yet here we are. Big papers have gone under, thousands of journalists have lost     2    (they) jobs, and the idea that digital news will eventually become a decent business     3    (feel) like a rumor(谣言). The reality is this: no social network has come close to matching the success of print readership.

6 . Ocean heat waves — defined as periods of extreme temperatures lasting five days or more — have become increasingly common in recent decades. In fact, as a new study published in Nature Climate Change finds, Earth’s number of annual ocean heat wave days increased by around 54 percent between 1987 and 2016, with abnormally high temperatures not only occurring more frequently, but also lasting for longer periods of time.

Underwater heat waves pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems, which are already at risk due to issues including overfishing and widespread plastic pollution. Sweeping through oceans much like wildfires blaze through forests on land, extreme temperatures exact damage on foundational organisms such as kelp forests, seagrass meadows and coral reefs. Given that these framework species provide shelter and food to many other ocean creatures, the study’s authors warn that such destruction will likely have cascading consequences for marine biodiversity.

To assess the effects of ocean heat waves, researchers led by ecologist Daniel Smale of Great Britain’s Marine Biological Association turned to 116 previously published academic studies. Reflecting on more than 1,000 ecological records and eight specific heat waves, the scientists identified regions and species that were the weakest to temperature increases. As Mary Papenfuss writes for the Huffington Post, areas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans topped the list, with the Caribbean’s coral reefs, Australia’s seagrass and California’s kelp forests causing particular concerns.

In terms of species, Pacific Standard’s Kate Wheeling adds, the team notes that immobile plants and animals were the hardest hit, while tropical fish and mobile invertebrates (无脊椎生物) were able to cope with the heat by moving to different habitats. Interestingly, John Timmer reports for Ars Technica, the researchers actually observed heightened levels of fish diversity during periods of above- average temperatures, likely due to the animals’ mass migration (迁徙) toward friendlier waters. The same trend did not prove true for sea-dwelling birds, however, as shifting habitats limited the avian creatures’ access to prey.

Although the researchers’ findings are most consequential for marine ecosystems. Pierre-Louis and Popovich explain that damage to ocean habitats will also affect humans who rely on fishing and fish farming.

“Certainly there’s going to be changes with climate change to marine communities, but it’s not like the oceans are going to become the dead sea. It’s just that, as a consequence of what we’re doing to the oceans, there’s going to be different marine communities in different places than what we’re used to. Obviously, that is a problem because we’re sort of set up for what the climate is now rather than what it is going to be in the future.”

1. “Species” in “these framework species” in Paragraph 2 refers to ________.

A．wildfires

B．damages

C．organisms

D．temperatures

2. What can we learn from this passage?

A．The temperatures of wave heats nearly doubled in 2016.

B．Living creatures can avoid heat wave damage by migration.

C．Overfishing and plastic pollution are the main causes to ocean heat.

D．The weakest regions are concluded from previous academic studies.

3. What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A．People should stop fishing because of the climate change.

B．People who take fishing for a living might earn lower profits.

C．The researchers findings cannot help us protect the land ecosystems.

D．Changes to ocean habitats would bring extremely bad results to the sea.

4. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Ocean Heat Waves Are Affecting Us

B．Ocean Heat Waves Are Getting Worse

C．Ocean Heat Waves Are Threatening Marine Life

D．Ocean Heat Waves Are keys to Marine Biodiversity

7 . Carnival: One Day in Rio

Last year I went to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, and it blew my mind. It had been my dream to attend the famous carnival for many years, so I was excited. However, the moment I arrived, I was a little bit nervous because there were so many people on the streets. They say that five or six million people come to Rio during carnival time and about two million of them are on the streets on any given day. Luckily, I had a local guide, my sister’s friend Ronnie. He said he would take care of me and show me all the highlights. He did not let me down.

Well, the carnival is most definitely all about the samba. It’s a style of music and dance which has its roots in Africa. Lots of Africans were used as slave labor by the Portuguese when Brazil was being colonized, so this mixed culture of African, Latin and European styles is really strong here. Samba music is usually fast and exciting with a lot of drums and harmonic vocals. It’s the kind of music that you can’t help dancing to, and I was learning that as I followed Ronnie through the crowd, my hips and shoulders were swinging almost involuntarily.

Ronnie had got us tickets for the samba parade, the icon of Brazilian culture, inside the Sambadrome where the top samba schools compete for the championship title, but we still had a long way to go through the street parties. He said most people enjoy the carnival by making their own parties in the street. About the samba parade, twelve main teams compete for the championship, and if they win, their performance will be talked about for years to come. So, you must be wondering how it was. Well, I’m afraid I can’t tell you. Ronnie and I never made into the Sambadrome. We spent the day moving from one street party to another. There were more snacks, more drinks and lots of dancing. Do I regret missing the main parade? Not at all. I experienced the carnival like the locals, and it was truly amazing.

1. What was the main cause for the author’s tension in the beginning?

A．The doubts about the visit.	B．The nervousness over the crowd.
C．The inability to find a local guide.	D．The anxiety about visiting a new country.

2. What can we learn about samba from this passage?

A．Samba has its roots in America.

B．Samba is not the taste of the writer.

C．Samba has a long and mixed culture.

D．Samba music is usually slow and soft.

3. The author didn’t regret missing the parade because ________.

A．she met some amazing local people

B．she didn’t have the tickets for the parade

C．she celebrated the festival in a local way

D．she enjoyed the carnival by making her own parties

4. According to the passage, which of the following words can best describe Ronnie?

A．Modest and determined.	B．Humorous and ambitious.
C．Creative and sympathetic	D．Reliable and considerate.

8 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Halloween began with the Celts(凯尔特人),     1     lived in Ireland over two thousand years ago. Back then, the holiday was an end—of summer harvest feast     2     (call) Samhain, a time when food     3     (store) for the winter. Samhain also marked the Celts’ New Year.     4     Samhain Eve, the Celts believed that the ghosts of the dead walked the earth as they crossed to the underworld, and that     5     (fairy) and demons came out of hiding.

9 . Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time. In fact, for more than a decade, he was the ________ of the NBA.

And then he made the decision: a career ________. How could a man, at the peak of his success, walk away from success? Not only did he walk away from his previous success, but he did the unthinkable. He risked his ________ talent by trying to play baseball, a sport he hadn’t played for many years.

Was it ego? Was it boredom? No. It was psychological. It was the mindset he buried in his soul after being cutting from his basketball team when in high school.

To understand why he ________ everything, let’s take a look into the mindset of Michael Jordan.

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve ________ again and again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

As Carol Dweck, author of Mindset, would say, genetics may determine the starting line, but hard work determines the ________ line.

Jordan may have become bored with basketball. He may have desired another challenge. However, he wouldn’t have risked everything if he honestly didn’t believe hard work ________ all.

Coach John Wooden felt the same way. He ________ discussed wins and losses in his pregame speech. Instead, he focused on ________ his players were willing to give 100 percent and leave everything on the court. He knew by focusing on the process, things would change for the ________. Ten national championships later proved his theory of hard work.

1.

A．face

B．head

C．arm

D．heart

2.

A．goal

B．path

C．plan

D．change

3.

A．attractive

B．athletic

C．hidden

D．musical

4.

A．experienced

B．changed

C．inspired

D．risked

5.

A．succeeded

B．failed

C．struggled

D．quit

6.

A．finish

B．bottom

C．life

D．front

7.

A．defeats

B．scares

C．determines

D．benefits

8.

A．frequently

B．sometimes

C．always

D．rarely

9.

A．finding out

B．pointing out

C．making sure

D．looking forward

10.

A．swifter

B．higher

C．better

D．worse

10 . 他不仅勇敢，还很执着。最重要的，最让我印象深刻的是他愿意承认错误。(impress)
He was not only brave, but also determined. Above all, _____________________was that he was willing to admit his faults.