1. What are they talking about?
| A．Their favorite subjects. |
| B．Their performance in class. |
| C．Their preparation for the coming exam. |
| A．It is beyond her ability. |
| B．It is difficult to understand. |
| C．It has too much to memorize. |
| A．Practising a lot. | B．Understanding the rules. | C．Memorizing more words. |
2 . Do you feel lonely? The World Health Organization (WHO) recently addressed loneliness as a pressing health threat. It called for countries and organizations to make social connections a priority.
Loneliness is a state of mind marked by feelings of isolation (孤独) despite wanting social connections. So, people who are lonely usually experience the emotional pain of not being connected with others. Solitude (独处), on the other hand, is voluntary. People who enjoy spending time by themselves continue to maintain positive social relationships that they can return to when they want connection.
Social isolation impacts the health and well-being of all age groups across the world. According to the WHO, one in four old people experience social isolation. Among adolescents, between 5 and 15 percent experience loneliness, but the numbers are likely to be underestimations, said the organization.
In terms of teenagers, social disconnection can lead to poorer education outcomes since young people who have experienced loneliness in high school are more likely to drop out of university.
Lack of social connection carries a risk of early death equivalent to other better-known risk factors such as smoking, obesity and air pollution, or potentially even greater. Loneliness has a far-reaching impact comparable to smoking up to 15cigarettes a day, according to a 2017 study.
Previous studies have shown that loneliness has been linked to anxiety and depression and can increase the risk of heart disease by 30 percent. A 2015 study looked at the immune systems of its participants who were identified as lonely. It showed that they tend to have more inflammation (炎症) and less immunity, which can be a result of feeling stressed due to loneliness.
To tackle this crisis, the WHO launched the Commission on Social Connection, which held its first leadership meeting from Dec. 6 to 8 to outline solutions to build social connections at scale.
1. What can we learn about people experiencing loneliness from the text?| A．They prefer solitude over social interaction. |
| B．They feel lacking in social connection. |
| C．They feel other people isolate them on purpose. |
| D．They struggle to maintain social relationships. |
| A．It is harder for older people to get rid of it. |
| B．Teenagers are usually not influenced by it. |
| C．People can suffer from it regardless of their age. |
| D．Adults experience it primarily due to workplace stress. |
| A．By citing previous studies. | B．By asking the readers some questions. |
| C．By quoting lonely people. | D．By comparing it with other diseases. |
| A．To raise awareness about loneliness. |
| B．To give advice on how to prevent social isolation. |
| C．To stress the need for mental health evaluations. |
| D．To warn people of diseases related to loneliness. |
3 . City Hotels
Royal
It’s easy to miss this central hotel hidden away in a side street. Unlimited coffee, but nothing more, is available in the morning, but there are food stores a short walk away.
Windmill
This medium-priced hotel surrounded by artists’ studios, lively bars and interesting food shops is right in the middle of the city. The underground station outside will take you anywhere, including the airport within minutes. Help yourself to breakfast from 8 am downstairs.
Hi-Tech
All costs are kept low here. Guests book on the Internet, then check in and buy everything they need from machines. Breakfast comes in airline-style boxes. You sleep in a tiny cabin (隔间)for one and roll up your bed during the day. It’s a fun choice for backpackers, who get together in the lively club next door.
Stark’s
A leading designer has decorated the inside of this smart modern hotel with white bed covers and wooden floors. The ground floor has a top-class restaurant and gym. Reception is open 24 hours a day.
Mars
Hotel Mars is located on one of the main streets, a short walk from tourist attractions, theaters and restaurants. The luxury rooms are beautifully decorated. An excellent breakfast is served by waiters in the top-floor restaurant, which also offers breathtaking evening views over the city.
Haussman
The wonderful city museum is right next door to this friendly 19th-century hotel. The hotel games room will keep all ages entertained, and there’s plenty on offer at the self-service breakfast. Staff are always happy to supply information about what’s on.
1. What can be learned about Windmill?| A．It offers unlimited coffee. | B．It has an online-ordering service. |
| C．It is designed by a leading artist. | D．It is next to an underground station. |
| A．Comfort. | B．Security. | C．Price. | D．Service. |
| A．Royal. | B．Mars. | C．Haussman. | D．Stark’s. |
4 . A year after he died at 17, a young man’s love of helping others lives on through a foundation. The Benjamin Canlas Courage to be Kind Foundation gives away bikes to Filipinos who are struggling to hold on to jobs in a country undergoing difficult times.
Benjamin Canlas was always warm-hearted. One time, he saw a food seller riding an old bicycle. Its pedals were missing. To help, Benjamin let the man ride his bike and used his own savings to send the seller’s bike to a bicycle shop for restoration.
After Benjamin’s death, his parents George and Glennda Canlas created the foundation in memory of the young man and his kindness, seeing it as a way to connect donors with those in need. In the Philippines, many jobs have been lost this year. This has left thousands of Filipinos taking odd jobs. With restricted public transportation, many people have to walk for hours to do these jobs.
The Canlases had the idea to give away bikes to individuals nominated (提名) by their peers or loved ones. When the giveaway contest was announced on social media, they did not know how much interest there would be and planned to give away seven bicycles at first. But they received over 50 nominations. “We didn’t expect that, uncertain whether what we do is of any practical value,” said Glennda. “But now we’re determined.” One bike owner is Camilla, a mother of a 2-year-old. When her husband’s work was put on hold, she started selling and delivering food. Camilla said the bike was a big help and she was “so happy” that she didn’t have to walk so far anymore.
Even as the contest ended, nominations continued to pour in. The foundation said there are people still in need. Now it is working on launching more sustainable projects that will help more while also inspiring others to pay it forward. “We live in a world where it takes courage to be kind,” said Glennda. “Our goal would be from ‘courage to be kind’, and create a world where kindness does not require courage—it is simply the thing we all do.”
1. What did Benjamin do after seeing the seller riding an old bike?| A．He sent money to the seller. | B．He had the old bike repaired. |
| C．He gave his own bike to the seller. | D．He bought a new bike to the seller. |
| A．continue their son’s wishes | B．memorize Benjamin Canlas |
| C．connect donors with the poor | D．help the unemployed get jobs |
| A．To show impacts of the country’s tough situation. | B．To appeal for attention to the people in need. |
| C．To illustrate being kind does require courage. | D．To state the difference made by the good deed. |
| A．Providing more bikes to the people in need. | B．Encouraging everyone to be courageous. |
| C．Initiating other sustainable organizations. | D．Turning kindness into a usual thing. |
5 . Cats and many other animals, including most dogs, can reflect light from their eyes. That’s why cats’ eyes will usually shine brightly in photos taken in a dimly lit room or glow when lightened in the dark by a flashlight or a car’s headlights.
Species whose eyes glow have evolved to see better in low light because they either forage or need to look out for predators (天敌) throughout the night, or they do most of their hunting at dawn and dusk. In fact, domesticated cats can see in conditions that are only 16% as bright as what people require.
Cats accomplish this because their pupils (瞳孔) — the openings that appear black in the middle of their eyes that widen and narrow in response to light conditions—are special. Pupils operate like windows, with bigger ones letting more light into the eye. And a cat’s pupils can become up to 50% larger than human pupils in dim light. They also have a higher number of a specific type of light-sensing cell in the back of their eyes than we do. These cells, called rods (杆细胞), catch low-level light. In addition to having large pupils and lots of rods, cats have something people don’t: a tapetum lucidum (荧光膜), a Latin medical term that translates to “bright or shining tapestry”. The tapetum lucidum is also known as “eyeshine”.
It’s located in the back of the eye behind the retina (视网膜) — a thin layer of tissue that receives light, converts the light to an electrical signal and sends this signal to the brain to interpret the image．
A cat’s tapetum lucidum is made up of cells with crystals that, like a mirror, reflect light back to the retina. This gives the retina a second chance to absorb more light.
In cats, the tapetum most often glows yellow-green or yellow-orange, but the color varies, just like their irises (虹膜) — the colorful part of their eye, which can be green, yellow, blue or golden. Variation in tapetum color is not unique to cats and can be found in lots of species.
1. The underlined word “forage” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “______”.| A．perceive | B．hunt |
| C．sign | D．assess |
| A．can reflect lights | B．can absorb more light |
| C．can widen and narrow | D．can convert light to a signal |
| A．How do Cats’ Pupils Work? |
| B．How do Cats’ Eyes Reflect Light? |
| C．Why do Cats’ Pupils Appear Black? |
| D．Why do Cats’ Eyes Glow in the Dark? |
| A．a travel journal | B．a science magazine |
| C．a technology report | D．an admission guide |
Huang Xiaoling is
From childhood, Huang enjoyed visiting the porcelain factory where her father worked. She loved to draw designs,
As an adult, when she was out of work, she didn’t give up and followed her teacher to Shanghai to try her luck. The trip opened new perspectives for her as she discovered the high demand for porcelain.
Porcelain-making in Liling
Huang’s mission is not limited to the continuation of polychrome porcelain; she is also actively promoting this art.“
As Wale Ayeni once said, “Be thankful for what you have. Your life, no matter how bad you think it is, is someone else’s fairy tale (童话). ”
Often, I find myself wishing I was living other people’s lives. I’m sure many of us wish that we could step into a luxurious (豪华的) private plane and fly to a private island. However, I’m also sure that many of us wish to have a bigger house, or wish to be able to work fewer hours.
I’ve seen numerous homeless people on the street and in the subway.
When I was younger, I never understood the reality of their lives. I was just scared of them and walked on the opposite side of the street. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to consider how difficult and painful their lives must be and how much they struggle.
I take the subway home every day after school. One day, when I got off, I noticed a young man on the side of the road holding a sign asking for money. I had seen him a couple of times in that spot, and now I saw the sadness on his face. He looked upset. I immediately looked in my wallet to see if I had cash to give him, but I didn’t.
I finally realized that this guy’s wants are things that come to me so easily every day. He probably never gets to eat three meals in a day. He doesn’t have a home to live in. He doesn’t have a family to spend time with.
I went home and continued to think about that look on his face and knew that I had to bring cash with me the next day to give to him.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The next afternoon, when I got off the subway to walk home, I hoped he would still be there, and he was.
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After that day, I began to reflect on the things I should be grateful for.
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8 . Chen Guanghui is a guardian for black-necked cranes(黑颈鹤) in the Dashanbao Black-necked Crane National Nature Reserve of Zhaotong city, in southwest China’s YunnanProvince. Whistling(吹口哨) is the secret language Chen uses to communicate with the black-necked cranes, a type of migratory bird under first class protection in China. She says different whistles signal different things. When she whistles in an increasing tone, she tries to tell the cranes: ask your companions to come back for lunch, and they would chirp(吱喳叫)to spread the message right away.
Living near the Dashanbao Nature Reserve, a major winter habitat(栖息地) for the rare species, Chen started to take care of them in 2003, a mission she took over from her mother, whose devotion dates back to the 1990s.
“In the first few days, I remembered they ran away as soon as I approached them. I was very upset and asked my mom to come back, and I was worried they would starve,” says Chen. “I initially tried everything, even singing folk songs to attract them, but failed. Later, I used special whistles and gradually formed close bond with the cranes. ”
“I treat them as if they were my own children, and I’m always concerned about them, especially during snowy days when they can’t get food. I feel uncomfortable and anxious when I hear them chirp and usually rush to prepare corn for them. ” It’s never been an easy job, and Chen has sustained quite a few injuries over the years, even falling into frozen marsh(沼泽)while trying to save a trapped crane in 2008. However, she never gave up. With love and responsibility, she has persisted in caring for the cranes for about 20 years.
Thanks to the joint protection efforts of Chen and staff members at the nature reserve, now more than 1,900 black-necked cranes overwinter in the area each season every year, up from about 300 when the nature reserve was established.
1. How does Chen Guanghui communicate with black-necked cranes?| A．By singing folk songs. | B．By imitating chirps of birds. |
| C．By making hand gestures. | D．By blowing special whistles. |
| A．Rescuing injured animals. |
| B．Restoring habitats for rare species. |
| C．Looking after black-necked cranes. |
| D．Building Dashanbao Nature Reserve. |
| A．It is inspiring. | B．It is frustrating. | C．It is interesting. | D．It is exciting. |
| A．Efforts bear fruit. | B．Fortune favors the brave. |
| C．Virtue is its own reward. | D．A miss is as good as a mile. |
Villagers in Africa
10 . Repeatedly hitting the alarm’s snooze (小睡) button isn’t always the best way to start the day. Check out these tips for building an effective morning routine — one that you may actually stick with!
Get a good night’s sleep
How to wake up feeling refreshed depends on you being well rested and ready to go. Research has shown that for many adults, getting 7—8 hours of sleep is ideal. Make sure your room is quiet and there aren’t any bright lights that could affect your ability to sleep.
Many of us hit that snooze button until the last possible second and then race through getting ready as fast as possible. However, waking up when the alarm goes off the first time can actually be a great way to get your body up and running. Once you’re up, stay up!
Hydrate (补水) when you wake
You’ve just gone approximately eight hours without eating or drinking, so your body could use a pick-me-up.
Take time to meditate (冥想)
| A．Don’t hit the alarm’s snooze button |
| B．Prepare for a fresh morning the night before |
| C．Don’t rush for that cup of coffee to get you fresh quickly |
| D．Figure out what you need to take with you to school or work |
| E．Our bodies are biologically programmed to sleep when it’s dark out |
| F．Your body won’t really benefit from capturing a few more minutes of rest |
| G．Taking 10 minutes in the morning to meditate helps start the day peacefully |
