2 . Four Best Science Books

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Price: $15.95

Author: Bill Bryson

Release date: February 4, 2003

REASONS TO BUY

+Explains a variety of scientific topics in a vivid and comprehensive way

+No science knowledge required

Thing Explainer

Price: $19.84

Author: Randall Munroe

Release date: November 24, 2015

REASONS TO BUY

+Explains complex concepts using illustrations and only the most common words in the English language

+Entertaining and easy to understand

+A few of the topics(e. g. the periodic table)also include detailed fold-out diagrams

Ask an Astronaut

Price: $9.19

Author: Tim Peake

Release date: October 19, 2017

REASONS TO BUY

+Entertaining Q&A format makes it easy to quickly find answers

+Suitable for both children and adults

+Accompanying graphics (图形) illustrate some of the more complex ideas

Brief Answers to the Big Questions

Price: $13.76

Author: Stephen Hawking

Release date: January 1, 2020

REASONS TO BUY

+Does not require prior physics knowledge-there is only one equation in the entire book

+Complex ideas communicated in a simple and understandable language

+Great introduction to the thoughts of Stephen Hawking

1. Which book was published the earliest?

A．Thing Explainer.	B．Ask an Astronaut.
C．Brief Answers to the Big Questions.	D．A Short History of Nearly Everything.

2. What do Thing Explainer and Ask an Astronaut have in common?

A．They are priced the same.	B．They include illustrations.
C．They are hard to understand.	D．They employ a Q&A format.

3. Who wrote Brief Answers to the Big Questions?

A．Tim Peake.	B．Bill Bryson.
C．Stephen Hawking.	D．Randall Munroe.

3 . For generations, Nafisa Bayniyazova and her family have made a living growing melons, pumpkins and tomatoes on farms around the Aral Sea. Bayniyazova, 50, has spent most of her life near Muynak, in northwestern Uzbekistan, tending the land. Farm life was sometimes difficult but generally reliable and productive.

Now, Bayniyazova and other residents say they’re facing a disaster they can’t beat: climate change, which is speeding up the decades-long disappearance of the Aral, once the lifeblood for the thousands living around it.

Decades ago, deep blue and filled with fish, the Aral was one of the world’s largest inland bodies of water. Thousands of migrants from across Asia and Europe moved to the Aral’s shores for jobs popping up everywhere from canning factories to luxury vacation resorts. Today, the few remaining towns sit quiet along the former seabed of the Aral—technically classified as a lake, due to its lack of a direct outlet to the ocean, though residents and officials call it a sea.

Much of its early disappearance is due to human engineering and agricultural projects gone wrong, now paired with climate change. Summers are hotter and longer; winters, shorter and bitterly cold.

Without the moderating influence of a large body of water to regulate the climate, dust storms began to blow through towns. Strong winds caused dunes (沙丘) to swallow entire towns, and abandoned buildings were filled with sand. A dozen fish species went extinct, and businesses closed down. “The fish factories closed, the ships were stuck in the harbor, and the workers all left,” said Madi Zhasekenov, former director of the Aral Sea Fisherman Museum in Aralsk, Kazakhstan. “It became only us locals.”

On her Uzbekistan farm, Bayniyazova’s family has dug an earthen well, hoping to hold on to the precious little water that’s left. “If there is no water, it will be very difficult for people to live,” Bayniyazova said. “Now people are barely surviving.” She doesn’t plan to leave her farm but yet knows more hardships are likely ahead.

1. How is paragraph 3 developed?

A．By reasoning.	B．By making comparison.
C．By experimenting.	D．By analyzing data.

2. What can be inferred from paragraph 5?

A．The number of fish in the Aral Sea is increasing.

B．Madi Zhasekenov feels hopeful about his future.

C．Local people around the Aral have lost their livelihoods.

D．Madi Zhasekenov has adapted to the changing climate.

3. How does Bayniyazova feel now?

A．Ashamed.

B．Worried.

C．Relieved.

D．Embarrassed.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Importance of the Aral Sea

B．How to Deal With the Aral Sea Disaster

C．We Will Face the Challenge of Adapting to Climate Change

D．Climate Change Is Quickening the Disappearance of the Aral Sea

4 . No matter how successful—or lately, unsuccessful—Manchester United has been on the court, which has always prided itself on an incredible ability to generate the game’s brightest young stars. The latest breakthrough talent, it seems, is 18-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

The teenager’s emergence from the youth academy (学院) has been one of the few satisfying points in an otherwise difficult season for the team, and the highlight of his fledgling (刚刚起步的) career came during United’s 4—3 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday.

After the host had seemingly got a draw in the 95th minute of the match, Mainoo showed his considerable potential by scoring a winner in the dying moment. The English youngster received the ball under pressure outside of the opposition’s box before rushing his way towards the goal, hitting against a Wolves defender on the way. Then, when other players might have panicked, Mainoo was composed and guided a perfect shot into the far corner of the net.

While his teammates celebrated wildly, Mainoo knelt down and slid towards the crowd after scoring his first Premier League goal. It was a sensational moment and a goal which might change the teenager’s life forever.

“I’ve still not come down from it. I still feel like I’m dreaming, to be honest,” Mainoo told TNT Sports after the match. “To start playing in the Premier League for my boyhood club has been amazing. Now I am just trying to play more games and win more games.”

There have been moments this season, though, where his inexperience has shown, but the future looks bright for the young midfielder who seems to have his feet firmly on the ground. “He is making incredible progress. He has great abilities as a modern midfield player,” Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag told reporters after the game. “He can defend and attack but also he has the physicality to do both ways.”

Manchester United is currently ranked seventh in the Premier League and they are working hard to secure the top four, which will ensure qualification for next season’s Champions League.

1. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us about Kobbie Mainoo?

A．His goals.	B．His education.
C．His teammates.	D．His performance.

2. What does the underlined word “sensational” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Boring.

B．Dramatic.

C．Suitable.

D．Possible.

3. Which word can best describe Kobbie Mainoo?

A．Ambitious.

B．Humorous.

C．Experienced.

D．Shy.

4. What is the aim of Manchester United now?

A．To bring out more young stars.

B．To qualify for the next Premier League.

C．To play in the Champions League next season.

D．To finish in the top seven of the Premier League.

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

“Alice, you spend too much time on your phone,” her father said. “You need to focus on your studies.”

“But Dad, I’m doing my best,” Alice replied. “I’m balancing my phone time with my studies.”

In the tense meal, Alice and her parents argued about her recent changes. They were focused on her increased attachment to her phone and its impact on her studies. Her parents were concerned that she was neglecting (忽视) her studies and worried about the impact it might have on her future. They felt that her attachment to the phone was taking her away from her studies.

Alice said, “I know you’re worried about me, but I’m trying my best. I just want to have some fun with my friends and take a break from studying sometimes.” However, her parents didn’t seem to understand or accept her explanation. They felt that she needed to focus more on her studies and less on the phone.

The argument escalated (升级) when Alice announced that she wanted to leave the science club she had been a member of for years to join a new social media club. Alice explained, “I’m not sure if leaving the science club was a right decision or not. I just feel like I need a change.” Her mother was shocked and said angrily, “You made this decision without thinking it through. You’ve done well in the science club, and you have a lot of potential to go further. You’ll regret it if you don’t keep going.”

After that argument, Alice, feeling increasingly frustrated, withdrew into herself and spent more time in her room. She started to avoid her parents as much as possible and didn’t want to talk to them about anything related to her studies or her future.

Her parents saw that the little girl who had come back laughing and talking was gone, and now they saw a face that was alternately angry and sad. She did spend less time on her phone, but she became increasingly unhappy.

注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

One night, Alice’s parents knocked on the girl’s door and said they wanted to talk to her.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At this point, Alice seemed to see some hope of joining the social media club.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Retired Army Col. Farrell Patrick taught computer science at West Point during the 1970s and then at two private universities through the 1990s, so he isn’t surprised by the progress technology has made over the decades. But when the 91-year-old got his first virtual reality (VR) experience recently, he was amazed.

Sitting in a conference room at John Knox Village, Patrick sat up straight as his eyes and ears experienced what it would be like to be in a Navy fighter jet flying off the Florida coast. John Knox Village was one of 17 senior communities around the country that participated in a recently published Stanford University study.

During the study, the seniors were picked from seven-minute virtual experiences such as riding in a tank, watching stage performances, playing with dogs and cats or visiting places like Paris or Egypt. The participants wore headsets that gave them 360-degree views and sounds, making it seem like they had been all but dropped into the actual experience.

The study, working with the company Mynd Immersive, found that almost 80% of the seniors reported having a more positive attitude after their VR session and almost 60% said they felt less isolated socially. The enjoyment lessened somewhat for older respondents whose sight and hearing had deteriorated (恶化). Those who found VR less enjoyable were also more likely to dislike technology in general.

The company has worked on the biggest complaints the seniors in the study had about VR—the headsets were too heavy and the heat they generated made the seniors’ foreheads sweat. The new headsets weigh about six ounces (189 grams) instead of a pound (454 grams). Besides, they have a built-in fan for cooling, and the videos aren’t as jumpy.

Patrick says he hopes to live to 100 because he believes the next five years will see momentous changes in VR. Still a technology enthusiast, he believes the cost of systems will drop dramatically and become part of everyday living, even for seniors.

1. What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To lead in the topic.	B．To reach a conclusion.
C．To present an argument.	D．To make a definition.

2. Why does the author mention “Paris or Egypt” in paragraph 3?

A．To illustrate the two cities’ support for VR.

B．To explain why seniors are crazy about traveling.

C．To compare the differences between the two cities.

D．To show the VR experiences the seniors can choose from.

3. What did the study find?

A．Most seniors enjoyed VR.	B．Old people preferred socializing.
C．Seniors’ sight and hearing became worse.	D．Most retired people disliked high-tech products.

4. What do the figures in paragraph 5 indicate about Mynd Immersive?

A．Its products hardly appeal to seniors.	B．Its goal is to produce high-quality videos.
C．It has made improvements on the headsets.	D．It has got a lot of complaints from teenagers.

8 . 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。

Xu Xiake was born in 1587.     1     (he) parents were rich landowners. Yet he gave up a     2     (comfort) life, and decided to explore the mountains and rivers on foot.

China has more famous explorers. There was: Zhang Qian, who traveled into Central Asia during the second century BC, opening a trade road that became     3     is known as the Silk Road. Or Zheng He, the sailor who in the 15th century sailed as far away as Africa. Yet these explorations     4     (support) by governments. Xu was totally different.

“On the surface, Xu’s travels can neither be classified as great affairs of state     5     great adventures that changed the course of history,” writes cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai. “Xu travelled to satisfy his own     6     (curious).”

Scholar Julian Ward agrees, describing the lonely Chinese wanderer like the Middle Kingdom’s version of John Muir: “Deep in love with nature and eager to find freedom     7     worldly concerns, Xu was a man addicted to     8     (see) and describing the landscape.”

“The few coins     9     (slip) from a hole in my pocket while I was climbing a mountain in Yunnan. When I finally managed to the town, I sold all my clothes, bought myself a bottle of wine and a good dinner     10     (celebrate) my survival,” the dreamy explorer wrote in his diaries, which mix details of geology, geography and botany with such personal travel experiences.

9 . When it comes to traveling with kids, whether it’s a short weekend getaway—a road trip or a luxurious camping adventure, the challenges increase.     1    . They will ensure you’re well-prepared for any situation.

Travel at your family’s pace（节奏）

    2    , but that’s perfectly fine. Take the opportunity to explore together at a pace that suits your family. It’s about the experience, so you can plan one main activity and leave the rest of the day for exploration.

Involve kids in the planning process

It’s a great idea to engage your children in the vacation planning process.     3    . You can make it fun by creating family flashcards with interesting facts about the places you’ll visit. This not only gets them excited but also educates them about the approaching adventure.

    4    

Traveling to new places can be a fantastic educational experience for both parents and kids. The educational travel has gained popularity, with hotels and tour companies offering experiences that teach something new. Encourage your children to explore their interests and choose activities and trips that satisfy their curiosity.

Plan with a travel company

Planning a trip with kids can be quite challenging. While some parents enjoy organizing every detail, others find it stressful. Using a travel company can ease the burden of coordination (协调), allowing you to focus on other pre-trip tasks.    5    

A．The following are some practical tips

B．Use travel as an educational opportunity

C．Research experiences of fellow travelers

D．It provides peace of mind during your journey

E．You don’t necessarily have to hand them a globe

F．Family travel might be different from traveling alone

G．It’s a convenient option for families with busy schedules