1 . Beaches are great places for fun and relaxation of the travel world. These slivers of sand against the ocean make you realize that “real life” occasionally needs escaping. If you are beach lovers, the following ones are worth your visit.

Playa Paraiso

One of the wonderful beaches in the world is Playa Paraiso in Cuba’s finest beach island Cayo Largo. The weather is usually calm and the sea here remains shallow most of the year. Most people go to Playa Paraiso to enjoy calm water to swim or simply relax on the beach.   

Nungwi

Nungwi is considered to be the most beautiful beach of Zanzibar. The island has long been loved by adventurous travelers for its mysterious old Stone Town and about 30 untouched beaches. The blue waters and coral (珊瑚) around Nungwi are home to many marine creatures.

Maya Bay

Maya Bay is a white sand beach hugged by steep cliffs. Coral reefs make it an excellent spot for snorkeling (浮潜). This strikingly beautiful beach has got more attention after featuring in the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach, but it’s still worth visiting for the dramatic setting and snorkeling opportunities.

Sun Island

Recognized as the world’s best beach, Sun Island is located on a beach lover’s paradise, Maldives. This diamond in the middle of the Indian Ocean has become a favorite with ocean lovers drawn by the thought of sleeping over the water. Nearby coral reefs attract thousands of tropical fish, snorkelers and divers. But you don’t even need to snorkel to enjoy the scenery — parts of the reef are visible from the beach, so clear is the water.

1. If you are fond of untouched beaches, which one will you choose to travel?

A．Playa Paraiso.	B．Maya Bay.
C．Sun Island.	D．Nungwi.

2. What is special about Sun Island?

A．It has many diamonds.

B．It has calm weather and shallow water.

C．Visitors can choose to sleep over the water.

D．To appreciate the coral reefs, you have to snorkel in the sea.

3. What’s the purpose of the text?

A．To compare four beautiful beaches.

B．To encourage people to have a holiday.

C．To introduce the best beaches in the world.

D．To recommend some wonderful beaches.

2 . When the TV station reported a coming cold storm in southeast Idaho, farmers immediately took_________. Most of the farmers had to work 16-18 hours a day to get their potatoes, before the cold air fell deep into the soil. Snow was_________hard and fast. However, one farmer in Hamer, Idaho, about 32 miles north of Idaho Falls, was_________to gather all of his crop in time.

Realizing his_________, his neighbors, working unitedly with their fellow farmers, sent their workers to_________his crop. With trucks loaded with equipment, _________workers and farmers didn’t think twice about reaching out to a farmer_________.

Dozens of members of the_________also joined in the help. They all showed up just in time as temperatures hit 2_________ overnight. Jason Larson, a farmer who lived nearby, sent 25 workers to__________in the emergency operations. With the crisis averted (避免), it is__________that the community worked hand in hand to save several hundred thousand dollars__________of potatoes.

Larson witnessed (见证) all this and said, “It was just kind of neat to see everyone help. It was pretty__________to help someone in need. What people do is that they help their neigh-bor. There__________wasn’t a second thought about it. This kind of thing__________every day.”

1.

A．action

B．effect

C．part

D．charge

2.

A．rising

B．rushing

C．quitting

D．falling

3.

A．lucky

B．unable

C．easy

D．slow

4.

A．fortune

B．mind

C．trouble

D．question

5.

A．buy

B．plant

C．sell

D．save

6.

A．overtired

B．terrified

C．confident

D．satisfied

7.

A．on end

B．in need

C．at times

D．at all

8.

A．community

B．company

C．station

D．school

9.

A．points

B．areas

C．degrees

D．squares

10.

A．escape

B．focus

C．watch

D．assist

11.

A．promised

B．said

C．proved

D．admitted

12.

A．size

B．quantity

C．worth

D．quality

13.

A．cool

B．hard

C．clever

D．shy

14.

A．only

B．mostly

C．mildly

D．really

15.

A．goes off

B．goes on

C．passes away

D．fades away

3 . Four ways to be admired

Gaining admiration requires honesty, hard work, perseverance and some other qualities.    1    

Lead, don’t follow.

People who are admired are unafraid to do something new or different.    2    You can be a leader even among those who have greater official authority than you by convincing others to follow a certain course or act in a certain way. Leadership requires more than speaking and acting in an inspirational and influential way. You must also be willing to take responsibility when something needs doing.

    3    

It means you will stand by the things you believe. Admirable individuals try to keep their personal integrity (诚信) by staying true to who they are even when it is unpopular or questioned. However, standing by your principles (原则) and acting with integrity doesn’t mean that you are unwilling to accept or consider other ideas.

Take a positive attitude.

A positive attitude doesn’t mean pretending that everything is great all the time. That is unrealistic.    4    Try to be positive about some negative situations, and maybe things will get better.

Work hard.

Whether you’re working for minimum wage or managing a large company, you should always take pride in your work. Doing so will show that you are capable of doing your part. Go above and beyond in your workplace by giving your all on the job. If you make pizzas, make the best pizza you can every time.    5    Take pride in your work and doing it will be a pleasure, not a hard job. Keep your office or workspace clean and well-organized.

A．Stick to your principles.

B．Show personal integrity.

C．If you clean the floors, make it perfectly.

D．No matter who you are, earning admiration requires many skills.

E．Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean you are in a higher position.

F．It is important to push people in the workplace to make them feel relaxed.

G．Instead, recognize when things are bad but look for the good in every situation.

4 . If you’re a shy person, meeting people and making new friends might be hard for you. The good news is that there are tons of tips, strategies (策略), and skills that can make it easier to make friends as a shy person.

Greet people warmly. If you can make others feel more comfortable when they approach you, you won’t have to do so much to start conversations or make plans.    1    This is especially important if you have trouble starting conversations.

    2    It’s almost impossible to make new friends if you never leave home, so spending more time in public is an important step toward making new friends. The more time you spend in public, the more likely you are to meet people.

Choose low-key venues (地点).    3    This is why it can help to be strategic about the places you go; choose events and venues that are more low-key. For example, it’s often easier for shy people to start conversations in coffee shops.

Use friend apps to find like-minded people.     4    The key to being successful is to show “real” you. For example, listing some of your hobbies, personality traits (特点), or interests can help you connect to like-minded people.

Try to listen and focus on the other person.    5    If this is true for you, it can help to focus more on the other person than yourself by trying to get to know them better. Do this by asking more open-ended questions and working to become a better listener.

A．Don’t judge too fast.

B．Go out in public more to meet new people.

C．More people are using these apps to connect with people.

D．A lot of shy people struggle more with talking than listening.

E．Instead, other people will begin coming to you, taking some pressure off.

F．Try to reconnect with old friends you may have lost contact with for a long time.

G．People who are shy often feel uncomfortable when they’re in large or noisy places.

5 . Here are some pet-friendly universities in the UK and US.

University of Illinois

Students are allowed up to two pets in each apartment, as well as a fish tank of no more than 50 gallons.

To keep a pet, you will need to get approval from the Family & Graduate housing department at the University of Illinois. You will have to provide proof that your pet is up to date with its vaccinations(疫苗), and pay a monthly US$30 pet fee, which is non-refundable(不可退款的).

Your pet can’t be left for extended periods of time, and if there’s evidence that you’ve left it alone due to vacation or illness, the university may remove it.

Harvard University

With as many as 12 pet-friendly apartments, Harvard is a very pet-friendly university. It allows students to have fish in a tank of no more than 50 gallons, except for Harvard’s Cronkhite Graduate Center.

In Harvard’s pet-friendly apartments, you’re allowed: one cat or one dog, which can’t be over 40 pounds when fully grown. At most, two pet birds.

University of British Columbia Students can take advantage of the university’s B. A. R. K program, which uses the calming power of therapy dogs to help them.

B. A. R. K started at the University of British Columbia, after an assistant professor called Dr. John-Tyler Binfet noticed that he couldn’t walk across campus without students running over to play with his dog, Frances. The students told him they were homesick and missed their pets, which encouraged Binfet to establish B. A. R. K as a way of fighting their loneliness.

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is famous for its resident pets, who happily wander around college grounds. Many Oxford colleges have their own tortoise and take part in the annual Corpus Christi tortoise race.

Although you are not allowed to keep your own pet as a student, several Oxford colleges hold dog petting and walking therapy sessions.

1. What is one of the rules for keeping pets at the University of Illinois?

A．Pet keepers should pay a monthly US$ 30 pet fee which will be returned.

B．Pets can’t be left alone in the apartments due to vacation or illness.

C．Students have to keep fish in a fish tank of no more than 20 gallons.

D．The cat or dog can’t be over 40 pounds when fully grown.

2. Why did Dr. John-Tyler Binfet start B. A. R. K?

A．To help students to fight against homesickness.

B．To do research on dogs and train them to be pets.

C．To help more professors to do exercise on campus.

D．To give assistance to the pet dogs by offering them foods.

3. Which university doesn’t allow students to keep pets?

A．Harvard University.

B．University of Oxford.

C．University of Illinois.

D．University of British Columbia.

6 . We have lost touch with the travelers; they________ lost in the deep forest.

A．should have got

B．can’t have got

C．will have got

D．must have got

7 . Yesterday morning, I was waiting for Tom at the school gate. He didn’t ________ until quite late.

A．work out

B．turn up

C．slow down

D．play safe

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。

Known as boba, bubble tea (珍珠奶茶)has taken the world by storm, with its chains springing up like mushrooms around the world.     1     you’ve been living under a rock, it’s easy to notice this Chinese long-standing cultural food phenomenon.

It’s     2     (inspire) to see how this tea preparation has become a full-blown sensation in its land of origin as well as abroad. But     3    on earth came up with the idea of putting chewy tapioca balls in tea?

Bubble tea is said     4     (originate) in the city of Taichung. Liu Hanchie of Chun Shui Tang Teahouse, who claims to be the     5     (create), declares that in     6    early eighties, he experimented with cold milk tea       7     adding fruit, syrup, candied yams and tapioca bubbles.

A decade later, the     8     (addictive) tasty drink reached most parts of East and Southeast Asia with bubble tea shops     9     (pop) up in every mall and street corner. Since then, it     10     (spread) across the globe, including the US, Australia, Europe and South Africa.

9 . Firefighter Warfield, a mother of two kids, is wired to help others. So when the pregnant 30-year-old was a passenger involved in a multi-car collision, she brushed aside her unborn baby to save a person _______ in their vehicle.

Warfield explained that she initially got out of her car to help to direct _______. But then she saw a car was overturned. “I started to climb in there, but then I was like, ‘What am I doing? I’m nine months pregnant.’”, Warfield _______. “I ended up holding onto the _______ to keep her in place because I wasn’t sure of her _______.”

Shortly after ambulance arrived to _______, Warfield decided to go to hospital to get herself checked out. The _______, unbeknownst to Warfield, had knocked the baby into a sideways position. “I don’t know how I can stay _______ because the pain was so bad.” Warfield said, when asked how she was able to get down on the ground and help.

Warfield _______ a healthy little girl named Charlotte, less than 24 hours after the crash.

Charlotte ________ siblings Ellie and Jameson

“We take pride in our ________ fire personnel and congratulate Warfield and her family and appreciate her service,” Fire Chief Rund wrote. The Fire and Rescue Department praised the “selfless” mother on its Facebook page. “________ any chance she could be injured, Megan immediately exited her vehicle and began providing care to a person in the overturned car,” the ________ reads in part. “After all patients were evaluated, Megan agreed to an evaluation herself.”

The department ________ Warfield as a “true public servant.” Warfield said she had been doing administrative work during her pregnancy and missed her old duties. “I’ve been desiring to get back out,” she admitted. “It’s what I was ________ to do.”

1.

A．trapped

B．closed

C．fixed

D．slept

2.

A．fire

B．traffic

C．cars

D．drivers

3.

A．screamed

B．sighed

C．recalled

D．whispered

4.

A．murderer

B．suspect

C．witness

D．victim

5.

A．injuries

B．identity

C．vehicle

D．baby

6.

A．turn up

B．take over

C．bring in

D．put away

7.

A．ambulance

B．accident

C．arrangement

D．campaign

8.

A．calm

B．quiet

C．mild

D．alert

9.

A．celebrated

B．admired

C．congratulated

D．welcomed

10.

A．hated

B．appreciated

C．joined

D．recognized

11.

A．imaginative

B．dedicated

C．injured

D．graceful

12.

A．Ignoring

B．Removing

C．Tracking

D．Seizing

13.

A．driver

B．sight

C．mother

D．post

14.

A．treated

B．regarded

C．described

D．compared

15.

A．arranged

B．meant

C．packed

D．requested

10 . Recess for Kids

Ask a group of kids about their favorite part of the school day and many will talk about something that happened at recess. Maybe they finally made it across the monkey bars (单杠). Maybe somebody kicked the ball over the fence. Maybe a fruit tree in a neighboring yard started to drop apples on the playground.     1    

It’s true not just according to kids, but also to adults who study recess for kids. Whether they’re inventing a new game or sitting under a tree, kids need a break — or several of them — during the school day.

Why Kids Need Recess.

There's no debate that recess, or mainly referred to as physical activity, is good for kids.

You can’t have your brains go hours at a time and retain and store information in working memory.     2     Besides, activity that involves arms and legs — running, climbing, crawling — builds new neural connections, which helps kids regulate their emotions. Studies show that after recess children are more attentive in class, perform better and have fewer emotional problems.

How Much Recess Should Kids Get.

“Ideally, children should get four 15-minute recesses every day”, says Debbie Rhea, a professor from Texas Christian University, who advocates for outdoor play in schools.     3     It is noted that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently expanded the idea to encourage recess for all students, including those in middle and high school.

    4    

In addition to simply providing enough time for recess, schools should teach skills that will make recess more successful. For instance, letting kids run fast will help them develop coordination.     5    . And even falling, is something kids need to practice to avoid getting badly hurt. To allow children to take reasonable risks with their bodies is also a wise move.

A．How to Make Recess Better.

B．Who should help kids recess.

C．You need time away to process it.

D．This recommendation has been widely accepted.

E．Any one of these things is a marker of a good recess.

F．Maybe running up the slide is not as unsafe as it looks.

G．We wouldn’t have kids sitting there for math or reading for long hours.