1 . Charity is simple in theory: A heart warms, a hand reaches out. In practice, though, charity can become a troubled mix of motives and consequences. Giving can be driven by guilt, duty, praise, or perhaps the hope that giving will somehow make up for past cruelty or ignorance. Too little charity is far less than valuable. Too much can cause over-reliance, which makes the receiver continuously ask for more.
Giving from the heart is good. But critics have long worried about misdirected charity that does more harm than good. In his 2012 book, Harmful Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Solve the Problem), Robert Lupton, an experienced social worker of 40 years of community work in inner-city Atlanta, argues that charity must not do for the poor what they can do for themselves.
Due to emergencies such as natural disasters, the afterward financial aid is greatly welcome. Mr. Lupton advocates it should focus on the development of self-supporting. The task can be carried out via, for instance, offering micro-loans, hiring local builders and suppliers, and trying to found self-supported, locally owned and operated factories. What seldom works, he argues, are untargeted handouts from far-off providers and the sudden arrival of inexperienced volunteer-tourists hoping to earn personal reputation by digging wells or mending roofs that locals are perfectly able to take care of themselves.
Getting charity right isn’t easy. But from money raising to the rising in volunteering among Millennials(千禧一代), from the increasing worldwide willingness to give to the efforts by charity organizations to become more effective and fruitful, there is strong evidence that human beings’ ability of taking care of others is growing along with their ability to help without harming.
Charity can be as simple as holding the door for a stranger and as complex as a global campaign to get rid of malaria(疟疾). Charity works best when it returns the weak to strength, and helps a small town shaken by an earthquake get back on its feet. A successful charity is one that eventually is no longer needed.
1. What can we know about charity in paragraph 1?| A．Charity is simple in both theory and practice. |
| B．Some charity providers are cruel or ignorant. |
| C．There is much less charity than needed. |
| D．Charity may result in dependence. |
| A．It may have a bad impact on receivers. | B．It may cause hurt to social workers. |
| C．It can be driven by guilt and duty. | D．It may help less to the poor. |
| A．Hiring local workers. | B．Founding advanced factories. |
| C．Building houses for victims. | D．Giving untargeted handouts. |
| A．It’s easy to give charity without harming. |
| B．Millennials enjoy earning personal reputation. |
| C．There appears ability promotion in giving charity. |
| D．Charity organizations are spreading all over the world. |
| A．To appeal for more charity. |
| B．To advocate getting charity right. |
| C．To introduce the process of performing charity. |
| D．To criticize unjust motives and results for charity. |
2 . Every one of us may have been hurt by others—either by their words or actions. The best way to deal with the problem is to “forgive and forget”.
“It is well established that learning to forgive others can have positive benefits for one’s physical and mental health,” Saima Noreen, a scientist at the University of St. Andrews, UK, told the Huffington Post.
Recently, Noreen and her research team have found one more reason that you should stick to this principle—forgiving somebody who has hurt you makes it easier for you to forget the unhappy memory, according to their new study.
In the study, researchers asked volunteers to read descriptions of 40 different situations that contained bad actions such as stealing, lying and cheating. Imagining being the victims (受害者), volunteers then had to decide whether they would be able to forgive. Two weeks later, volunteers took part in a memory test. In the test, they were shown a series of words related to the situations they had read about and then were asked to recall certain ones.
The results showed that people were less likely to remember the details of the unpleasant experiences if they had found forgiveness in their hearts. In contrast, if they hadn’t forgiven the mistake, they could always remember what had happened.
However, forgiving someone who has hurt you is always easier said than done. So Noreen hopes that one day in the near future research will give rise to powerful therapeutic (有疗效的) tools that will enable people to “forgive and forget” more effectively.
1. According to the passage, Saima Noreen is ________.| A．a reporter of Huffington |
| B．a scientist from UK |
| C．a student at a university |
| D．a volunteer in the test |
| A．Forgiving helps us to forget unhappy memories. |
| B．They have found no reason to hurt other people. |
| C．A memory test is necessary to help people forgive. |
| D．An unpleasant experience can be easily forgotten. |
a. Take a memory test. b. Imagine being a victim.
c. Decide whether to forgive or not. d. Read descriptions of 40 different situations.
| A．d→b→a→c | B．a→b→d→c |
| C．a→d→b→c | D．d→b→c→a |
| A．Translate. | B．Choose. | C．Remember. | D．Explain. |
| A．It’s impossible to forgive someone. |
| B．Noreen has finished her research report. |
| C．The therapeutic tools have been invented. |
| D．There may be some therapeutic tools soon. |
3 . In the city I live in, we have a small local national park full of trees. I like that place very much, although I do wish it was bigger.
One day, I was walking around in the park along a path (小路) when I saw a beautiful squirrel (松鼠) lying in the middle of the path. I stopped and found that there was something wrong with one of its legs.
Just at that time, a man with two little kids was behind me. They were my neighbors. They were going up the same path. I said hello to them. The dad asked me, “Why are you standing still here?” I said,“Look! Here is a beautiful squirrel, but....” Noticing the squirrel, one of the kids shouted, “Quickly dad, catch it for me. I want to put it in my birdcage.” His brother nodded, asking their dad to catch the squirrel.
Then I stopped them.“Please wait. Do you really want to catch it and put it into the birdcage?” My neighbor said, “Yes. I will catch it and take it home.” I said angrily, “Animals are our friends and this is the last place in our city that the squirrel can live in. We must protect them. If we are kind to this tiny animal then we can start to be kind to bigger ones.” My neighbor smiled and said,“You misunderstood me. I will take it home and cure (治疗) it and when it is well, I will take it back to the park and set it free. Do you come long with me?”After hearing his words, I became happy. I followed him with the injured squirrel to his home. A few days later, when the squirrel was well, we took it back to the park and sent it free.
I felt glad that we did a good thing. We should protect animals.
1. Where did the author see the squirrel?| A．In his back yard. | B．In a small birdcage. |
| C．In a local park. | D．In his neighbor’s home. |
| A．It was injured. | B．It was lost. |
| C．It was dead. | D．It was dirty. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Excited. | C．Anxious. | D．Angry. |
| A．It was killed. |
| B．It was sold. |
| C．It was sent back to the park. |
| D．It was kept in the birdcage. |
| A．treat animals friendly |
| B．communicate with kids sometimes |
| C．go to local parks more often |
| D．get along well with neighbors |
Irregular bedtime may influence healthy brain development of young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both got worse on mental tasks than children who had fixed bedtime, researchers found.
The effect was most striking in three-year-olds, where boys and girls scored lower on reading, maths and spatial skill tests than children of the same age who kept to a more strict schedule. Scientists said the lack of routine might weaken early development by disturbing the body clock, or through sleep deprivation (剥夺), which affects the brain’s ability to remember and learn new information.
“If a child is having irregular bedtime at a young age, they’re not synthesizing all the information around them at that age, and they will get a harder job to do when they are older”, said Amanda Sacker, one of the researchers. Irregular bedtime throughout childhood appeared to have accumulative effect, leading to greater problems later on.
Sacker and her colleagues drew on information in the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a long-term record of UK children who are now in or approaching their early teenage years. They looked at how the children’s performance were on tests at various ages, and whether bedtime had any impact. Parents who took part in the MCS were asked whether their children went to bed at a regular time on weekdays. Those who answered “always” or “usually” were put in the regular bedtime group in Sacker’s study, while those who answered “sometimes” or “never” were put in the irregular bedtime group.
Sacker suggests that irregular bedtime affects the brain’s ability to store and learn new information. Early child development has deep influences on health and wellbeing across the life course. Therefore, reduced sleep, especially if it occurs at key times in development, could have important impacts on health throughout life.
1. Who are influenced more by irregular bedtime between boys and girls? (no more than 2 words)2. What does the underlined word “striking” mean? (1 words)
3. According to Amanda Sacker, what is the future influence of early irregular bedtime on adults? (No more than 10 words)
4. In their study, how did the researchers group the participants (参与者)? (no more than 15 words)
5. If you are a parent with a young child, what should you do when your child don’t go to bed at a regular time? (no more than 20 words)
5 . NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS 2020 PHOTO COMPETITION!
Woo-hoo! Get your cameras and smartphones at the ready, because it’s time for this year’s NG KIDS photography competition.
What you need to know
Competition is open only to legal residents (居民) of the UK and Ireland who are between the ages of 7 and 14.
We have THREE categories (类别) in the competition — animals, people and environment (a new category started this year). You can enter as many categories as you like but just ONE photo per category, please!
All photos should be sent through our website. If you’ve not already registered, you or your parent will need to do so at natgeokids. com/uk/ photocomp — it will only take a minute to do!
You can submit (提交) ONE photo for each of the three categories. Photos should be in JPEG format, between 1MB and 5MB in size. Enter at natgeokids. com/uk/photocomp.
Before you submit your photo, make sure you rename it with your full name and the category you are entering. For example, Joe-Bloggs-Animals. jpg.
Don’t forget to tell us your full name, date of birth and the title of your photo!
The prizes
Our Star Prize is a family holiday in Morocco!
And that’s not all! Each category winner will win a number of prizes too, including an amazing Nikon COOLPIX W150 camera, which is built to go anywhere.
The closing date is 23:59 (GMT) on 21 October 2020. Winners will be notified (通知) before 18 November 2020.
1. How is this year’s competition different from that of last year?| A．It has a new category. |
| B．It lasts about one month longer. |
| C．It is open to kids from around the world. |
| D．It will give more than one prize to winners. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．five. |
| A．be 14 years old or older |
| B．submit their photos on its website |
| C．get their parents agreement |
| D．Give their photos an amazing name. |
| A．The photos can be submitted on 18 November 2020. |
| B．All the winners can go for a family holiday in UK. |
| C．It will take a long time to register. |
| D．One must rename the photo with full name and the category. |
| A．A research plan. | B．A science report. |
| C．A nature magazine. | D．A tourist guidebook. |
6 . After work, you go back home, open an app, place your order, and wait for your food to be delivered to your home. This is how many young people eat in China these days. According to the latest report from the China Internet Network Information Center, 421 million Chinese people use online food delivery services. That’s equal to half of the total number of Internet users in China.
Which group of people is ordering food online the most? For sure, it is mainly young people. A recent report that was published by the China Hospitality Association and Meituan, a food delivery service, showed that 86.3 percent of the service’s users are between 20 and 34 years old. These people, are the main force driving the development of the food delivery industry.
Small families rely largely on food delivery services. According to the National Bureau Statistics, Chinese families have changed in size over the past ten years. In 2002, only 7.7 percent of families have only one person. But this number increased to 15.6 percent in 2017. The percentage of two-person families rose from 18.4 in 2002 to 27.2 in 2017. For small families, cooking always takes a lot of time and energy, so ordering food online has become more popular.
The improvement of China’s food delivery services has also made more customers interested. According to Meituan’s report, the average time it takes to make a food delivery dropped from 38 minutes in 2016 to 29 minutes in 2020. Many delivery platforms are also offering more services, delivering products such as fruit, vegetables, medicine and even flowers. As their services continue to improve, it’s certain that the food delivery industry will keep growing in the future.
1. The writer leads into the topic by ________.| A．giving an example | B．telling a story |
| C．making a comparison | D．answering a question |
| A．Food delivery has developed rapidly. |
| B．Food delivery is popular with young people |
| C．More and more people will live in small families. |
| D．Most Internet users like to order food on Meituan. |
| A．work | B．come |
| C．depend | D．rest |
(1) varied products
(2) the terrible weather
(3) deliverymen’s kindness
(4) the fast speed of delivery
| A．(1)(2) | B．(3)(4) |
| C．(2)(3) | D．(1)(4) |
| A．China’s food delivery industry is growing |
| B．Fewer people in China like home cooking |
| C．The number of Internet users in China is rising |
| D．Food delivery services bring people convenience |
7 . October 19th marks the beginning of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights which is marked by colorful but harmful fireworks across India. But this year, the country's top court has moved to carry out a complete ban (禁令) on the sale of fireworks in and around New Delhi. The decision is intended to help improve the Indian capital's poor air quality, but will it work?
It is reported that air pollution led to 1.1 million deaths in India in 2015. New Delhi, considered among India's worst cities in terms of air quality, is on the front line in fighting the harmful effects. But at present, the government's pollution policy largely appears after pollution rather than before pollution. The smog-reducing measures, which include banning trucks from the city's roads and closing coal-fired power plants, are only carried out during periods of extreme pollution.
Air quality measurements provided by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee record smog levels across the city in real time. Those levels are based on the amount of PM 2.5, which are considered particularly harmful because they are small enough to get deep into the lungs and pass into other organs (器官)，causing serious health risks.
The sale of fireworks was illegal last November following the situation of dangerously high PM 2.5 levels immediately after Diwali. However,the Indian Supreme Court thought a complete ban would be an extreme step. As a result,that order was reversed (撤销) this month. It is believed by the public that the government is unlikely to provide a lasting solution.
Fireworks aren't the only reason behind New Delhi's smog. In fact, New Delhi's pollution is also affected by its unfortunate geography. Sitting in a natural bowl and Surrounded by industrial and agricultural centers, the city keeps much of the pollution.
1. What is known about Diwali in India according to the passage?| A．It is a festival of fireworks. |
| B．It is celebrated nationwide. |
| C．It usually lasts for half a year. |
| D．It is the main cause of the pollution. |
| A．reacted properly and quickly |
| B．has made effective policies |
| C．is working hard against pollution |
| D．does a poor job in reducing air pollution |
| A．They consist of smog and dust. |
| B．They spread very slowly in New Delhi. |
| C．They are measured every week in New Delhi. |
| D．They are small enough to get into humans' organs. |
| A．Effective. | B．Improper. |
| C．Important. | D．Harmful. |
| A．Its climate. | B．Its industries. |
| C．Its geography. | D．Its population. |
8 . My grandmother was from a town in the main area of Michigan. I enjoyed staying with my grandparents as a young child.
Grandma was always using her hands for something exciting. She would make little sandwiches and we would have tea parties; she would plant flowers and carefully look after them. I remember the small thimble she would use while sewing something. Placing her thimble on her finger, she would remark, “I wouldn't want to sew without one.”
A few years ago, Grandma left this earth. How quickly our lives changed! We had just had tea together a couple of months earlier, on her 91st birthday. I missed her very much, especially on my birthday, as there was no usual card from Grandma. She had never forgotten my birthday!
On one particular birthday when I was feeling a little low, something happened to make me feel like she was sharing that special day with me. I was arranging some colorful pillows that she had made, and suddenly I felt something small and hard inside one pillow. I moved the object to a joining and carefully opened the pillow. I was terrible astounded because a tiny silver thimble was in the pillow.
How happy I was to find something that had been a part of her! Not realizing it had fallen off her finger, she sewed it in my little pillow carelessly. I carefully laid the thimble alongside the others I've collected over the years, where I could continue to see the gift God chose to expose to me.
What a precious memory of a very special lady who somehow was delighted at sewing her thimble inside my pillow. I made some tea, using my best china, as Grandma always did, and enjoyed my tea and Grandma's thimble. I will never forget that birthday.
1. What birthday present did the author usually get from his grandmother most probably?| A．Tea parties. | B．Sandwiches. | C．Birthday cards. | D．A special pillow. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Angry. | C．Surprised. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．Tiring. | B．Unforgettable. | C．Stressful. | D．Upsetting. |
| A．The author likes making pillows as his grandma. |
| B．The author loves and misses his grandma very much. |
| C．The author's grandma had a habit of collecting thimbles. |
| D．The author's grandma put the thimble inside the pillow purposely. |
| A．Grandma's thimble | B．A precious memory |
| C．Birthday presents | D．God's gift |
9 . Do you want to go to take a vacation in Northern Ireland? If you do, here are some places where you can go.
The Sperrins, County Derry and Tyrone
The Sperrins are Northern Ireland's largest mountains and also its least explored. Starting from Strabane in County Tyrone to the shores of Lough Neagh in the east, Northern Ireland＇s largest upland area is a designated （指定的）Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Mournes, County Down
The wild scenery of the Mourne Mountains sweeps down to the sea. It is the place where C. S. Lewis found his fantastic winter-land ofNarnia come to shape in his mind, which inspired him to write The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.The Mourne Mountains in County Down are famous for a lot of things such as challenging peaks and clear lakes.
Dunluce Castle,County Antrim
The ruin of Dunluce Castle sees a long and amaz- ing history.The castle was first built on the amazing coastal cliffs （悬崖）of north County Antrim by the MacQuillan family around 1500. The earliest written record of the castle was in 1513. The amazing history of Dunluce is matched by tales of how the castle kitchens fell into the sea one stormy night in 1639.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge,County Antrim
Connected to the cliffs by a rope bridge across the Atlantic Ocean,Carrick-a-Rede Island (home to a single building- a fisherman's small house) is the final destination. Suspended （悬空的）almost 100 ft （30m） above sea level， the rope bridge was first made by a fisherman 350 years ago.In 2016,Carrick-a-Rede welcomed the highest number of visitors ever to this exciting rope bridge experience.
1. Who would most probably be attracted to the Sperrins?| A．People loving local cultures. |
| B．People loving historic places. |
| C．People interested in natural views. |
| D．People interested in meeting new people. |
| A．disappointed | B．puzzled |
| C．frightened | D．inspired |
| A．It has a long and amazing history. |
| B．It has been repaired several times. |
| C．It sits below some fantastic coastal cliffs. |
| D．It's the earliest castle in Northern Ireland. |
| A．Visit a very old castle. |
| B．Walk on a rope in the sky. |
| C．Experience a very special bridge. |
| D．Pay visits to some fisherman's houses. |
| A．To encourage readers to take a vacation. |
| B．To explain the value of visiting Northern Ireland. |
| C．To compare some attractions in Northern Ireland. |
| D．To introduce some attractions in Northern Ireland. |
10 . Once my husband was diagnosed (诊断) with stage 4 cancer, I didn’t go back to work and my life became about being the best caretaker and wife I could possibly be. After my husband was gone, it felt like my entire future had been ripped out from under me. All my hopes and dreams had involved the two of us together. But life took on new meaning.
I went to the quiet beach in Hawaii that my husband and I discovered together the first morning of our honeymoon and spread his ashes (骨灰) in the ocean. I once wished a heart attack would strike me dead, but something about having to be alone and carry the pain made me stronger than before. I realized that I could rely on myself and be my own friend.
Pretty soon, I went to Florida and saw my dad for the first time in 6 years. I went to Australia by myself and made many lasting friends from all over the world. I started to experience things that challenge myself and live life to the fullest. After many trips to other countries, I returned to work. But this time instead of working really hard like before, 1 made a promise to myself to work less and experience more.
Since my husband’s death, I have travelled to over 20 countries. The lesson I could learn from my travelling experiences was that we should live in the moment. We can’t know what will happen in the future, or even control much of it but I don’t want to wait to follow my dreams and check things off my bucket list (遗愿清单). I hope you don’t either.
1. Why did the author say “life took on new meaning” in the first paragraph?| A．She moved in a new direction in life. |
| B．She decided to help patients with cancer. |
| C．She rethought whether to go back to work. |
| D．She wanted to realize her husband’s un-finished dream. |
| A．She was in bad health. |
| B．She fell in love with Hawaii. |
| C．She felt worried about her future. |
| D．She learned to be more independent. |
| A．her desire to make friends |
| B．her efforts to find a suitable job |
| C．her methods to deal with anxiety |
| D．her ways to enjoy a meaningful life |
| A．It turned her into a kind person. |
| B．It helped improve her communication skills. |
| C．It made her develop a positive attitude to life. |
| D．It allowed her to experience different cultures. |
| A．The magic of travelling | B．More travel, more friends |
| C．Keeping happy by travelling | D．The importance of relaxing activities |
