1 . Want to spend more time out of the house? You’re not alone. Many Americans are looking to beat the boredom and discover new family-friendly activities this spring. The latest Google search trends reveal that fresh-air activities are in demand.

Boating

Boating ranked as one of the top search terms related to outdoor activities this month. In the Northeast, there is pent-up (积压的) demand for getting back out on the water after a cold winter. 3A Marine in Hingham, Massachusetts, says its fleet of new and used boats has already sold out for the upcoming season.

Gardening

Searches for gardening and lawn supplies started to rise this month. A new report by TruGreen and OnePoll backs up the trend; 73% of Americans polled said spending time outdoors has helped people to feel better during the pandemic, “These numbers, coupled with 69% indicating the intention to spend more time outdoors as the weather gets warm. leaves us to believe that gardening will be on the rise,” said Brian Feldman, director of technical operations at TruGreen.

Roller skating

Back in the 1970s, gliding around wearing boots with small wheels was all the rage (十分流行) (insert disco music). Now, thanks to a social media surge (激增), skates are and manufacturers are playing catch-up on orders. “Interest in making a comeback, outdoor activities, even a neighborhood roller skating trip, has increased dramatically since the pandemic began because they are considered safer for reducing the chances of exposure to COVID-19,” says Mark Jackson,travel editor for Brad’s Deals.

1. What are people making preparations for as weather becomes warm?

A．Safe leisure activities.

B．Indoor children sports.

C．Outdoor family activities.

2. Which outdoor activity was once very popular and fashionable?

A．Roller skating.

B．Boating

C．Gardening

3. Why does Brian Feldman believe that gardening will be on the rise?

A．Because gardening can force people to go outside.

B．Because searches for gardening supplies began to change.

C．Because more and more people are eager to spend time outdoors.

2 . 阅读下面短文，从选项中选出能填人空白处的最佳选项。

A. a B. popularity C. has become D. presented E. circulating F. by G relations H. to help I. personal J. what

A lecture on love     1     wildly popular in Wuhan University recently, with photos of the packed class     2     widely on social media-students were seen gathering at windows and forming long lines for the talk of the campus The beauty of love,     3     by professor Yu Feng from the School of Philosophy started students’ passion for knowledge     4     applying psychology to the practice of close     5    .

“The     6     of the class reflects students’ longing for love and eagerness for psychological (心理的) knowledge, ”said Yu. For me, it’s also     7     form of     8     encouragement. “

The purpose of the class is     9     college students understand     10     goes behind a healthy, romantic relationship.

3 . Let’s be honest, we all like rapid weight loss and are very attracted to all those advertisements saying “lose your weight in a month” or “lose 10 pounds in a week”. But health professionals highly recommend a slow and steady method.

People lose that much weight by eating fad (一时的风尚) diets, drinking juices, and doing heavy workouts. This only results in hair loss, easily broken nails, extreme tiredness, and even weakness of bones. Therefore, doctors never recommend cutting carbs (高碳水化合物食物) or fat from your diet suddenly. The maximum weight loss in a month should not be more than ten pounds.

Many people wonder “Is losing weight in a month healthy?” Yes. According to Lowden, “It’s rare to lose more than 10 pounds every month unless you’re in a medically approved program or recently had a big operation,” “Remember that your body will fightback if you lose weight too quickly,” she adds.

Honestly speaking, strength training is necessary if you want to take up the tough journey to become slimmer. Strength training will help you a lot in losing fat instead of muscles. So, what should be a healthy weight loss goal? The right way to lose weight is to lose 1 kg per week or 4.5 kg per month. This should be your weight loss goal if you want to stay healthy along with losing some weight. Put simply, a quick weight-loss plan to decrease your weight is usually not worth it in the long run.

1. What do health professionals agree with?

A．Lose 10 pounds in a week.

B．Lose your weight in a month.

C．Lose your weight slowly and steadily.

2. What might happen if eating fad diets?

A．Lose hair.

B．Improve bones.

C．Cut fat.

3. What is Lowden’s attitude to losing weight quickly?

A．Supportive.

B．Disapproving.

C．Unclear.

4. Which is the right way to lose weight in a month?

A．Lose 1 kg.

B．Lose 4.5 kg.

C．Lose 10 kg.

4 . Matt Goldsmith first heard about metal detecting from watching videos online. The32-year-old decided to buy his own metal detector and joined the Sussex Metal Detecting Club and Peaky Finders Group.

Glen Darrell lost two rings — his wedding ring and another ring made in memory of his late mother — while going boating. After Goldsmith saw Darrell’s post, he reached out to offer help.

When we met up, the first thing he said was “You’re not going to find them”, but I said “ You’d be surprised ”, Goldsmith recalled.

Goldsmith said he came to the place where Darrell said he’d lost them, put his metal detector on the ground and took a few steps when the signal got stronger.

Goldsmith then reached down into the sand and pulled the two rings out. “I was really surprised that I found them and as soon as he saw them, he started crying,” Goldsmith said. “I welled up myself because I felt so much joy for him”.

Two days later, Goldsmith helped Robin Hallett find his missing ring on the beach. According to SWNS, Hallett lost a ring made for his mother who passed away last year. Just like Goldsmith’s first rescue, he was able to find Hallett’s lost ring within minutes.

“We all gridded (布置成网格结构) out an area and then within 15 minutes I couldn’t believe it. I found it,” Goldsmith said, “He was so excited and happy. You could see he was about to cry at once.”

“I couldn’t believe it. I was over the moon,” Hallett said. He’s a superhero.

1. How did Matt Goldsmith know metal detecting?

A．He read the newspaper.

B．One of his friends told him

C．He watched videos online.

2. What was Glen Darrell’s attitude towards Matt Goldsmith when they first met?

A．Darrell was suspicious of Goldsmith.

B．Darrell had complete trust in Goldsmith.

C．Darrell thought Goldsmith was mysterious.

3. What does the underlined phrase “welled up”in Paragraph 6 mean?

A．Cried.

B．Laughed.

C．Shouted.

4. Which of the following can best describe Matt Goldsmith?

A．Brave.

B．Funny.

C．Warm-hearted.

5 . The Three Kingdoms Period played an important part in Chinese history.     1    . For example, Guandi Miao is a temple for the memorial to Guanyu, a general defending Jingzhou for one of the three kingdoms-Shu.

    2    . It was said that when Guan Yu guarded the city, he met nine fairies flying down to the earth, who said that they were commanded by the Empress of Heaven to take the city back because there were too many quarrels.     3    . He suggested the fairies compete to build a city from the dark to the crowing in the next morning and the winner could manage the city.     4    . Then they began to build the city with the earth brought by their skirts while Guan used the reeds (芦). Guan quickly finished first but the time was not up. Then Guan shook the reed roosts (窝) of the roosters, which made them crow.     5    . It was also said that Zhang Fei, the sworn little brother of Guan, also came to help but was late, so he dropped the earth outside the gate, hence the Mound (小广) is also called Zhang Fei’s load of Earth’

A．The fairies agreed

B．So the fairies had to fly up to heaven shyly

C．Not willing to lose the city, Guan thought hard and then an idea occurred to him

D．Here is a legend where the ‘Jiunu Zhuo’ (Nine Girls Mound) beside the city gate originates

E．Jingzhou, as the focus of quarrels then, has left many cultural relics that are related to the stories of Three Kingdoms

6 . 阅读下面短文, 从选项中选出能填人空白处的最佳选项。

A. to see B. was built C. that D. which E. its F. kindness G. but H. poorly   I. asking J. on

If you’re in Wuhan, an absolute must-see is the Yellow Crane Tower. Regarded as one of the Four Great Towers of China, the tower stands on the banks of the Yangtze River at the top of Snake Hill. It is very beautiful and     1     cultural significance led to its being made the symbol of Wuhan city. It goes without saying     2     it is one of Hubei’s most popular tourist attractions

According to legend, Yellow Crane Tower     3     by the family of an old pot house (酒馆) owner living in Wuhan city long ago, named Old Xin. One day, a     4     dressed Taoist priest came to the pot house and asked for some wine. Old Xin paid no attention to     5     for him, his son was very kind and gave the Taoist some wine without     6     money. The Taoist priest visited the pot house regularly for half a year when one day the Taoist said to the son that in order to repay his     7    , he would like to draw a crane     8     the wall of the pot house,     9     would dance at his request. When people in the city heard of this, they came to the pot house     10     the dancing crane. The Xin family soon became rich and they built the Yellow Crane Tower as a symbol of gratitude to the Taoist priest.

7 . Five Ways to Increase the Quality of Your Life

Read our list of things to do now to make your life better and more enjoyable. How can you increase the quality of your life?

Treat yourself. It doesn’t matter if it’s a meal out or a visit to a theater. Make the first thing you do a treat that you have been desiring for some time. Don’t make excuses about not having time or money.     1    

Learn a skill,     2    . You will feel a sense of achievement that will improve you! self-image. A great way to learn a skill is to join a class. Not only will you learn, but you will make new friends.

    3    . When you lead a dull life, it is great to have something to think about thatakes you into another world. Hobbies are brilliant for giving you something different to dc that you enjoy. If you love to read, devote time to just sitting with a book and losing yourself in an imaginary world.

30-day challenges. Lifestyle experts are increasingly promoting the idea of taking 30-day challenge.     4    . The challenge can be anything that will benefit you once it has been completed.

Greet every day with a smile,     5    . It will lower your stress and put you in a gooomood. It even burns up a few calories!

A．Take up a hobby

B．Laughing is very good for you

C．Treats can be free, and you can always make time

D．Challenge yourself to achieve something in 30 days

E．Learning a new skill will be certain to make you satisfied

8 . Paris, France is known as the city of love. Now, the city hopes to also be known as the most bike-friendly city in Europe. That’s because Paris is planning to improve its infrastructure (基础设施) to become a safe cycling place by 2026.

This is a major change from a city that was once considered harmful for bicycle riders. Now, city leaders are hoping for a 100 percent turn around. Today, over 1 million Parisians are traveling by bike daily without the proper infrastructure, using lanes (车道) shared by cars and motorcycles. This will all soon change.

Some of these measures are already in place. As part of the 2021-2016 cycling plarcalled Velo Act 2, bicycle parking will be increased at the same time car parking spaces are reduced. The city has already removed 70 percent of its on-street automobile spots. There will be 40,000 secure bike spaces installed near railroad stations funded by the city and an additional 50,000 will be built. Paris already has 1,000 km of safe bike paths including 52 km that were added during the coronavirus pandemic (新冠疫情) when people were hesitant to use public transportation. There are now plans to add an additional 130 km of paths to encourage people to cycle. The aim of Velo Act 2 is to allow people to cycle from one end of Paris to another.

“This cycling plan is one of the essential parts of ecological and social transformation that we are leading in Paris,” said David Belliard.

1. What is Paris famous for?

A．Love.

B．Bikes.

C．Environment.

2. What makes Parisians traveling by bike concerned?

A．Safety.

B．Speed.

C．Cost.

3. Why will an additional 130 km of paths be added?

A．To reduce jam.

B．To increase attention.

C．To encourage cycling.

4. What is David Belliard’s attitude to Velo Act 2?

A．Unclear.

B．Doubtful.

C．Supportive.

9 . When Purdue University researchers set out to develop a new paint, the goal was to create one that would reflect sunlight away from a building. It turns out they also set an official Guinness world record for the whitest paint on the planet.

“When we started this project about seven years ago, we had saving energy and fighting climate change in mind,” Professor Xiulin Ruan said.

The paint reflects 98.1% of solar radiation while also emitting infrared (红外线的) heat.

Because the paint absorbs less heat from the sun than it emits, a surface coated with this paint is cooled below the surrounding temperature without consuming power. Typical commercial white paint gets warmer rather than cooler, Paints on the market that are designed to reject heat reflect only 80%-90% of sunlight and can’t make surfaces cooler than their surroundings.

“Conventional air conditioners consume power that is often from burning fossil fuel. Meanwhile, while they move the heat from inside of a house to the outside, they turn the electricity into heat and leave even more heat to the surrounding and earth, further causing a heat island effect and warming up the Earth,” Professor Ruan told IFLScience.

“In contrast, our paint does not consume any power, and directly sends off all the heat to the deep space, thus helping cooling down the Earth. According to a previous model, painting 0.5-1% of the Earth’s surface (roofs, roads, cars, unused land, etc) with our paint will stop the warming trend. Painting many human made-structures would be a great way to fight the climate crisis in many ways. The paint is not yet available commercially and the scientists are working with a commercial company to speed up the paint production and put it on the market.

1. What’s the purpose of creating the whitest paint?

A．To make the street cleaner.

B．To help fight climate change

C．To remind people of climate warming.

2. What is unique to the whitest paint?

A．It sets an official standard for the whitest paint on the earth.

B．It turns the light into heat and makes the houses much cooler

C．It makes whatever it’s painted on much cooler than its surroundings.

3. How much solar radiation can the whitest paint reflect back?

A．About 80%.

B．About 90%.

C．About 98.1%.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．The World’s Whitest Paint

B．Paint the Earth White

C．A Wonderful Invention

10 . In 1982, Chuck Feeney, a rich businessman, quietly set up a charitable foundation(慈善基金会). His goal was to secretly give away all of his money. Now he has achieved his goal at the age of 89.

Chuck Feeney made his money in the shopping business, building a nest egg(储备金) of $ 8 billion over the course of his life. Though he is rich, the Irish-American does not own a car. He rents a small apartment, he flies economy class, and he owns only one pair of shoes. The elderly businessman told reporters that he was very happy with “completing this on my watch” He called on other rich people not to wait until after they have passed a war to experience the joy of giving away their money. In explaining what inspired his generosity(懒慨), the shopping businessman said “Wealth brings responsibility. People must feel a responsibility to use some of their money to improve the lives of their fellow humans, or else deal with problems for future generations.”

Feeney has given away $ 3.7 billion to universities, including close to $1 billion to Cornell University alone. He has also given away $ 1.9 billion to fund many projects in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, where he helped found the University of Limerick.

The businessman’s charitable actions inspired Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to set up the “Giving Pledge(誓言)” for the world’s richest people. Those who take the pledge devote themselves to giving at least half of their money away to the charity.

1. What can we learn about Chuck Feeney?

A．He set up his foundation at the age of 89

B．He called on people to follow his example.

C．He doesn’t spend more money than necessary.

2. Why did Feeney give away his money?

A．He thought it was his duty.

B．He treated his own money as dirt.

C．He thought he would pass away soon.

3. What is the money Feeney gave away used for?

A．Higher Education.

B．Projects in America

C．The ”Giving Pledge“ program.

4. What influence does Feeney have?

A．He has offered financial advice.

B．He has solved income differences.

C．He has encouraged the charity work.

D． He has protected human rights.