1 . Scientists have not found any signs of life on Mars yet, but they say a robotic vehicle called “Curiosity” is helping them learn a lot about the planet’ s history and climate.

Curiosity landed on Mars in August 2012 after travelling through space for more than eight months. It was sent to Mars by scientists from NASAin the United States.

Curiosity is about the size of a car and has six wheels. It also has a robotic arm, cameras, and instruments that allow it to examine things it finds on the surface. Then it sends the information back to the earth.Curiosity' s main task is to find out if anything could live on Mars, either now or in the past. On Nov.2,NASA scientists held a press conference (新闻发布会) to discuss what Curiosit y had found in its first two months onMars.

Curiosity has found soil that is similar to the sand formed by volcanoes (火山) on the earth. Scientists say that studying the minerals in Martian soil will help them understand what conditions were like on the planet in the past.

Curiosity also found smooth stones like the ones found on river beds and seashores on the earth, where their rough edges have been worn down by water. Mars is very cold and dry now, but scientists say the smooth stones tell them that a river used to run through the place where they were found.

Curiosity has been testing the atmosphere around Mars for a type of gas called methane (甲烷), but so fari t has not found any. On the earth, most methane is produced by plants or animals. Methane on Mars might indicate that some type of tiny plants or animals lived there.

Curiosity is the fourth robotic vehicle to be sent to Mars. It will continue to explore the planet for about two years :

1. Which of the following descriptions about Curiosit y is TRUE?

A．It landed on Mars in January 2012.

B．It is small in size and has four arms.

C．It took over eight months to arrive in Mars. V. S.

D．It was sent to Mars by scientists from Russia.

2. According to the information sent back by Curiosity, scientists believe that        .

A．there’ s no air on Mars	B．Mars is warm and wet now
C．the soil on Mars is rich	D．there used to be water on Mars

3. The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 5 refers to “       ”.

A．smooth stones	B．rivers
C．robotic vehicles	D．volcanoes

4. We know from the sixth paragraph that          .

A．some tiny animals once lived on Mars

B．there are no plants or animals on Mars now

C．the atmosphere around Mars is full of methane

D．Curiosity is designed to test the atmosphere around the earth

2 . Argentina lies in the South America. There are many festivals inArgentina during the year. Therefore, you can enjoy the different interesting festivals when traveling there.

First of all, we should talk about the Tango (探戈) Festival inArgentina, which is held in the capital of this country— Buenos Aires, from February to March. You ought to know that Argentina is the home of tango, so Argentinians admire this dance very much. Even if you cannot dance perfectly, you should join the people and try to perform this dance.

The next festival in Argentina is Open Polo (马球) Tournament. You should go to Palermo to see this festival in Argentina. This festival is held every year and is the most important polo tournament in Argentina.This kind of sport is considered the most important in Argentina.

Attending this festival in Argentina, you will be able to communicate with different people and admire the fascinating competition between the teams of different countries, such as Argentina, England, Australia, as well as the US. This festival in Argentina is usually held between November and December every year. So don’t miss the opportunity if you travel to Argentina at this time.

The other festival in Argentina is the Semana Musical Liao Liao. This is a festival of classical music. The festival was created in 1993 and is held at the Liao Liao Hotel, near Bariloche. The festival is held yearly in October. So if you admire this kind of music, you should travel toArgentina in October.

There are also many carnivals in Argentina in summer. Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about festivals in Argentina into just one article. We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye-catching.

1. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Entertainments in Argentina	B．Festivals in Argentina
C．Travel to Argentina	D．A brief introduction to Argentina

2. From the passage, we know that the Tango Festival        .

A．is organized by the government

B．welcomes everyone to take part in it

C．is held in summer

D．holds parties for different dances

3. Which of the following is a sports festival?

A．Open Polo Tournament.	B．Every carnival in Argentina.
C．The Tango Festival.	D．The Semana Musical Liao Liao.

4. If Tom wants to enjoy a classical music event in Argentina, he should visit        .

A．Buenos Aires in spring	B．Palermo in April
C．Palermo in winter	D．Bariloche in October

3 . Tony Hawk, who I thought was bigger than life, came in the room and then the interview began.

As the world’ s greatest skateboarder (滑板手) , he talked about how his life was not always so miraculous (奇迹般的). He mentioned one day he was skating on top of the world, and the next day the sport of skateboarding fell right on its face. Life for Tony has had its ups and downs, and what brought him back up was the way he believed in himself. One of the most tragic events in Tony’ s life was that his father passed away. Although he suffered such pain, he never lost sight of his dream. He put his energy into his dream, which helped him overcome his sadness.

One part of Tony that completely impressed me is the way he accepts himself. His goal is never to do better than others, but to do his best. If he does the best he can, it doesn’t matter how anyone else takes him.That’s true and wise. As for me, I play baseball and things aren’t going so well, but I’m trying my hardest because that’s life. It’s how you approach those bad days that will keep you on top.

Confidence brought Tony to the next level. During our meeting he continually talked about the importance of following one’ s dream. He also said, along with that, one needs to have a strong faith in one’s own ability to achieve that dream, no matter what challenges are presented.

By the end, I didn’t see the same guy who had walked through the door an hour earlier. Now I view him as more than a world-class skateboarder. He is also a normal person who has dealt with many of the same problems we all face, but the difference is that he is always able to rise above his problems by having faith in his dream.

1. What does the underlined part “fell right on its face” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．finished.

B．continued.

C．happened.

D．failed.

2. The example of the author’s playing baseball is used to show he

A．has the same view of life as Tony Hawk

B．doesn’ t want to play baseball anymore

C．wants to be as successful as Tony Hawk

D．accepts Tony Hawk’ s suggestion

3. In the eyes of the author, what makes Tony Hawk special?

A．His achievement.

B．His unusual experience.

C．His determination to realize his dream.

D．His confidence in winning the game.

4. What does the author think of Tony Hawk at the end of the interview?

A．Simple.

B．Real.

C．Lucky.

D．Dangerous.

4 . 短文改错

Last week, a group of international students paid visit to our school to learn about our tea-drinking culture. They were taken to the tea room in our school which I introduced the history of tea making and different kind of tea. Then I showed them what to make tea. I sat at a table, explaining every step of the process while make tea. All of them were amazing and couldn’t wait to have a try. Soon the tea room became live with everyone trying to make our own tea. We had a lot of fun, practicing but enjoying the tea.

In the end, we took in a group photo to record this unforgettable experience.

5 . Students who are better able to understand and manage their emotions effectively, a skill known as emotional intelligence (EI), do better at school than their less-skilled classmates, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

“It’s not enough to be smart and hardworking. Students must also be able to understand and manage their emotions to succeed at school,” said Carolyn MacCann, lead author of the study. MacCann and her colleagues analyzed data from more than 160 studies, representing more than 42,000 students from 27 countries, published between 1998 and 2019. The students ranged in age from primary school to college. The researchers found that students with higher EI tended to get higher grades and better achievement test scores than those with lower EI scores. This finding held true even when controlling for intelligence and personality factors. What was most surprising to the researchers was the association held despite different ages.

As for why EI can affect academic performance, MacCann believes a number of factors may come into play. “Students with higher EI may be better able to manage negative emotions, such as anxiety, boredom and disappointment, which can negatively affect academic performance,” she said. “Also, these students may be better able to manage the social world around them, forming better relationships with teachers, classmates and family, all of which are important to academic success.” Finally, the skills required for EI, such as understanding human motivation and emotion, may overlap with (与……重叠) the skills required to master certain subjects, such as history and language, giving students an advantage in those subject areas, according to MacCann.

However, MacCann cautions against widespread testing of students to identify and target those with low EI as it may stigmatize (给……打上烙印) those students. Instead, she recommends interventions that involve the whole school, including additional teacher training and a focus on teacher well-being and emotional skills. “Programs that integrate emotional skill development into the existing curriculum would be beneficial, as research suggests that training works better when run by teachers rather than external professionals,” she said. “Increasing skills for everyone not just those with low EI would benefit everyone.”

1. What can we learn from MacCann’s study?

A．Only students in middle school and high school participated in it.

B．EI had an effect on learning for students of all ages.

C．Students with lower EI tended to get higher grades.

D．EI is also influenced by intelligence and personality factors.

2. What is not a reason for the conclusion of MacCann’s study?

A．High-EI students are capable of controlling negative emotions.

B．High-EI students are more likely to develop social relationships.

C．High-EI students can easily focus on their study.

D．High-EI students have helpful skills for certain subjects.

3. What does MacCann suggest in the last paragraph?

A．Equipping teachers with emotional skills.

B．Introducing a new curriculum.

C．Developing special programs for students with low EI.

D．Employing emotional specialists to give training to students.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Should EI be taught in school?

B．How can students develop high EI?

C．Students with high EI do better in school

D．Good students do better in managing emotions

6 . It took a thunderstorm for Gordon Hempton to truly appreciate quiet. After a visit home to Seattle, Washington in 1980, the graduate student found himself tired from the 3,000km way back to his university in Wisconsin.

Deciding it was time to sleep for the night and that the August heat made it unnecessary to live in a motel, Hempton pulled over and laid down in a field. He stretched out after hours on the road. Suddenly, a thunderstorm sounded overhead. Too tired to move, he decided to stay right there. What he did next led to an awakening: he listened.

“I heard all: the movement of the air, the insect activity, the drops of the rain, the echo of the thunder,” he says. “My eyes were closed, but it was as if I could see all the creatures I’d been sharing life with but never known. I was impressed by my awareness.” So vivid was Hempton’s awakening that he immediately dropped out of university, giving up a degree in Economics, and changed the course of his life.

After that, Hempton travelled within Olympic National Park with microphone and recorder, where he captured the wonderful sounds from the wildlife in quiet. Quiet, in this sense, does not mean complete silence. He says, “We might say that quiet offers an opportunity to be aware of our surroundings.”

Yet, despite these ear-arresting experiences, Hempton realized that quiet places were disappearing at an alarming rate, with noise pollution making it more difficult to listen to the quiet sounds of nature.

In 1998, the Smithsonian hired Hempton to go on a trip to Hawaii, collecting sounds of endangered animals and plants to be played at a photography exhibition.

Now 67, he is a famous acoustic ecologist (someone who studies sound in living environments) and co-founder of Quiet Parks International (QPI), an organization that identifies and preserves natural soundscapes by testing sound levels and encouraging visitors to recognize the importance of quiet.

1. What made Gordon Hempton quit the university?

A．His concerns about future.

B．His tiredness of school work.

C．An experience on his way to university.

D．The long distance from the university to his home.

2. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 4 suggest?

A．Quiet doesn’t mean no sound.

B．Quiet can awake one’s sense.

C．Quiet helps one capture sounds of nature.

D．Quiet places are damaged by human beings.

3. Which words can best describe Gordon Hempton?

A．enthusiastic and devoted.	B．creative and expressive.
C．hardworking and outgoing.	D．modest and generous.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．An appeal for environment protection.

B．An explanation of a science related to sound.

C．An introduction of a man with great achievements.

D．A story about fighting for quiet in a world full of noise.

7 . When you think of a map, is north on the top or the bottom? Usually, maps are designed with north on top, though when we think about it, there is no logical reason for this bias (偏见). After all, there is no up or down in space. So what is wrong with south, east or west being on the top of the map? The answer is: nothing at all. In fact, north-up maps only became the norm in the last few hundred years.

Ancient Egyptian maps had south at the top because the Nile River flows downhill from mountains in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Mecca was to the south of most early Muslim civilizations, and south-up maps were designed so that viewers would look up to see Mecca. Medieval Christian maps had east at the top, as they believed the Garden of Eden was in the east. The only early maps that had north at the top were those of early China because the emperor lived in the north.

North seems to have settled at the top of maps during the 16th century, largely thanks to a Flemish mapmaker, Mercator. Mercator was a great admirer of an early Greek mapmaker, who, for reasons now unknown, put north at the top of maps, so Mercator did, too. When Mercator’s world map became the standard map to navigate the oceans, north up became standard as well.

What is the implication of this north-view of the world? Psychologically, people tend to think of up as good and down as bad. Just think of words and phrases like “upmarket”, “upbeat” and “moving up in the world”, and how they contrast with their opposites. Because north is so consistently put at the top of maps, people now think of north as good, too.

Several attempts have been made in recent years by introducing south-up maps to the market. These maps not only give us a chance to see the world differently, but also give everyone the chance to see themselves on top.

1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A．North-up maps were rare in ancient times.

B．Deciding up or down in space is ridiculous.

C．Mecca maps were based on a legend.

D．The south-up map first appeared in ancient Egypt.

2. Why is north associated with good?

A．An illogical reason.	B．The spread of Mercator’s maps.
C．People’s preference for up.	D．An age-old tradition in Greece.

3. What is the author’s attitude to south-up maps?

A．Cautious.

B．Supportive.

C．Uncaring.

D．Disapproving.

4. What’s the main purpose of the text?

A．To criticize a phenomenon.	B．To compare various facts.
C．To correct a cultural bias.	D．To argue for a viewpoint.

8 . On a clear afternoon in late October a few years ago, I stood underneath a giant overhanging cliff near my hometown, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The scenery that day was particularly _____, with deer chewing on the brown grasses by the river below, and hawks _____ the wind.

I was tied in, ready to climb. I was attempting to do a tough route for the first time. “Onsight” (首次攀登), as we call it.

Just as I was about to climb, _____ in my body, which I hadn’t felt yet, woke up and said hello to me. That was a terrible sign for any athlete. Desperate as I felt, I painted a coat of _____ on my inner walls of doubt to ease my tension. I _____ myself at the top, celebrating. “You can do this,” I firmly told myself. “If you believe, success is for sure.”

It didn’t work. _____, I fell near the top. Defeated, I lowered myself to the ground and realized immediately that the too strong desire to climb the route had _____ me from doing it.

My self-worth was closely _____ at that unnatural moment with my success or failure, which _____ a chain of reaction: unnatural desire, pressure, performance anxiety.

I told myself that on my next _____, success or failure didn’t matter. “Just make one move at a time.” I gave myself a pass for whatever would happen. Case closed, it _____. I floated to the top with grace, clarity and contentment.

That moment got me thinking, and then researching. At some point, I concluded this experience _____ simple arithmetic (算术): When I _____ (determination, self-confidence, desire), I failed; when I took away (the desire for success); my body moved with greater _____ and I made it. As an athlete of 30 years, I discovered the _____ of subtraction (减法) for the very first time.

1.

A．brain-washing

B．breath-taking

C．mind-bending

D．heart-breaking

2.

A．riding

B．driving

C．blowing

D．controlling

3.

A．voices

B．spirits

C．nerves

D．tissues

4.

A．confidence

B．confusion

C．consciousness

D．consideration

5.

A．doubted

B．wished

C．pictured

D．supposed

6.

A．However

B．Instead

C．Though

D．Otherwise

7.

A．sheltered

B．saved

C．discouraged

D．avoided

8.

A．combined

B．contacted

C．compared

D．contrasted

9.

A．set about

B．brought about

C．gave out

D．left out

10.

A．attempt

B．test

C．routine

D．training

11.

A．ensured

B．occurred

C．revealed

D．worked

12.

A．ahead of

B．for fear of

C．in terms of

D．regardless of

13.

A．added

B．blocked

C．contributed

D．devoted

14.

A．capability

B．frequency

C．naturalness

D．reliance

15.

A．affection

B．power

C．source

D．status

10 . 假定你是李华，上周你校开展了生物学科活动月活动，请你给学校英文报写一篇英文报道，介绍生物活动课的开展情况。内容包括：
1.活动情况；2.体验和感受。
注意：1.字数 80 词左右；2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
提示词：生物活动课： biological activity course 泡菜： pickles
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Yours,

Li Hua