1 . As a shift in the polar vortex (极地涡旋) swept across much of the US, many people in the country were hit with a sudden snap of cold. Heavy ice and snow coupled with fallen trees caused the outages in major cities, with companies unable to tell their customers when power will be restored.

Polar vortices were noticed long ago. But the first known use of the term “polar vortex” was in a magazine in 1853. Polar vortices are present year-round, but we don’t hear about them until they cause problems. They maintain freezing temperatures at the North and South poles by moving in tight counter-clockwise patterns. Polar vortices grow stronger in winter and weaken in summer. They are kept in place at the poles by another atmospheric current called the jet stream. However, when the jet streams weaken, the cold winds of the polar vortex are pushed southwards and it is during this time that people begin to pay attention!

In Texas, roads froze over, causing six traffic deaths, and many schools were shut-down. People are not the only Earthlings to struggle with the cold. Crops and animals are also freezing. This could have major consequences, especially if herds of cattle die. If snow blocks cattle, the animals can’t reach basic necessities like food and fresh water.

On a brighter note, some Texas cities were more prepared than others. For instance, Amarillo, which is located in North Texas, so they are more accustomed to colder temperatures. Amarillo is notable because the city was redesigned to stand up to severe winter storms. Officials have spread out fire stations to increase coverage of first responders, employed modified dump trucks for clearing ice, and upgraded civic centers to provide shelter during storms. Hopefully, other Texas cities will follow the good example set by Amarillo!

1. What does the underlined word “outages” refer to?

A．Traffic jams.	B．Power struggles.
C．Power cuts.	D．Traffic accidents.

2. What can we learn about polar vortices?

A．They grow stronger in summer.	B．They are affected by jet streams.
C．They were first observed in 1853.	D．They move in a clockwise direction.

3. What is the last but one paragraph mainly about?

A．The definition of the polar vortex.	B．The characteristics of the polar vortex.
C．The ways to deal with the polar vortex.	D．The serious impact made by the polar vortex.

4. Why is Amarillo striking?

A．Because it is located in the north of Texas.

B．Because it has been upgraded and modernized.

C．Because it has been regarded as an example to other cities.

D．Because it has taken effective measures to resist winter storms.

2 . Betty Sandison was having lunch with some friends when the subject of wish lists came up. Although she had spent more than 30 years working as a registered nurse, Betty told her friends that she regretted never finishing the bachelor’s degree she’d started more than 67 years earlier.

Betty was the first person in her family to pursue higher education. With a dream of becoming a nurse, Betty enrolled at the University of Minnesota. But when she was just 25 credits short of getting her degree, for some reason, Betty dropped out of school and soon got married. Her career was put on hold as the couple moved around for her husband’s job, spending time living in different places.

Many years later, Betty returned to community college to become a registered nurse. She worked as a nurse for more than 30 years before retiring in 2013.

But in 2018, she still felt regretful over her unfinished degree. Encouraged by her friends, Betty decided to return to university to complete her bachelor’s degree. She chose to live in the dormitory and got on well with her roommates. She enrolled in classes and started working on those last 25 credits. However, she was discouraged by the new technology used when taking online courses during the coronavirus pandemic. Even so, Betty persevered.

At age 84, Betty got her bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies from the College of Continuing and Professional Studies. She described the accomplishment as “pure joy, pure satisfaction”. Betty may even audit (旁听) college classes now that her degree is complete. She is not sure what’s next, but there’s one thing she does know: Life’s too short to live with regrets!

1. Why didn’t Betty get her bachelor’s degree?

A．Because she decided to marry her beloved one.

B．Because she didn’t achieve the required credits.

C．Because she dropped out of school to work as a nurse.

D．Because she volunteered to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

2. What made Betty less confident during her pursuit of her bachelor’s degree?

A．The difficult courses.	B．The new technology.
C．The coronavirus pandemic.	D．The interpersonal relationship.

3. Which of the following can best describe Betty?

A．Accomplished and friendly.	B．Popular and caring.
C．Determined and hard-working.	D．Ambitious and responsible.

4. What message does this passage convey?

A．Genius is nothing but labor and diligence.

B．Not matter of the today will drag tomorrow.

C．Be the change you want to see in the world.

D．It is never too late to cross items off the wish list.

3 . AI software can already identify people by their voices or handwriting. Now, an AI has shown it can label people based on their chess-playing behavior, an advance in the field of “stylometrics” that could help computers be better chess teachers or more humanlike in their game play. Alarmingly, the system could also be used to help identify and track people who think their online behavior is anonymous (匿名的).

Chess-playing software, such as Deep Blue and AlphaZero, has long been Superhuman. But Ashton Anderson, a computer scientist at the University of Toronto, says the chess engines play almost an “alien (外星人的) style” that isn’t very instructive for those seeking to learn or improve their skills. They’d do better to tailor their advice to individual players. But first they’d need to acquire a player’s unique form.

To design and train their AI, the researchers collected more than 50 million human games and fed them into a network. The researchers tested the system by seeing how well it distinguished one player from another. They gave the system 100 games from each of about 3,000 known players, and 100 fresh games from an unknown player. The system looked for the best match and identified the unknown player 86% of the time, the researchers reported last month at the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurlPS). “We didn’t quite believe the results,” says Reid Mcllroy-Young, a student in Anderson’s lab and the paper’s primary author. A non-AI method was only 28% accurate.

“The work is really cool,” says Noam Brown, a research scientist at Meta. “Style-aware AI could transform other computer interactions.”

The researchers are aware of the privacy risks posed by the system, which could be used to expose anonymous chess players online. And in theory, they say, given the right data sets, such systems could identify people based on the habits of their driving or the timing and location of their cellphone use.

NeuriPS organizers found the study technically impressive but ethically (道德上) questionable, and accepted it on condition that the researchers detail the privacy risks. Anderson says they’ve decided, for now, not to release the software.

1. What advance in AI technology is described?

A．It can recognize different human chess players.

B．It can behave like humans when playing chess.

C．It can identify different people’s handwriting.

D．It can track people’s unacceptable online behavior.

2. Why does Anderson describe chess engines’ style as alien?

A．They have remarkable but unhelpful ability.

B．They instruct players in an extremely unique style.

C．They have an advantage over individual players in skill learning.

D．They are outstanding in acquiring a player’s unique form.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about concerning the new AI system?

A．Its significance to players.	B．Its development process.
C．Its wide application.	D．Its primary aim.

4. What is NeurIPS organizers’ attitude toward the style-aware AI?

A．Favorable.

B．Disappointed.

C．Careful.

D．Uninterested.

4 . As a parent of two young children, I sometimes find myself saying less-than-perfect things: “If you spill (洒) that milk everywhere, you’re not drinking milk for the rest of your life.” or “Hold on, Mommy’s on the phone.” (Not really, Mommy is checking her Facebook.)

But at the library, I’m better. When I’m at the library, watching my two kids with heads bent over books, I feel certain I’m getting one thing right. And that thing is plainly, the library.

It starts with the walk over, when my sons and I gather up the books that are due and head out the door. Nate sits in the pushchair (折叠式幼儿车) and Clark holds my hand as we cross the street. We talk about what we’re renewing and how many books we’re going to get. “It’s really nice that we live so close to our library,” Clark sometimes remarks.

We started going to the library when Clark was a baby. I knew I wanted books and reading to be ingrained (根深蒂固的) in his life from an early age. I took Clark there at least every three weeks (when the books were due) starting when he was around six months old. He came to know our librarians-Bev and Blossom are his favorites. He began to practice writing his name so that he’d qualify for his own library card.

As soon as we arrive, I feel like we’re at our happy place. You may think it’s our happy place because my children suddenly become quiet -let me assure you that’s not it. I frequently have to remind excited Clark and Nate to whisper. I’m happy because at the library I know I’m doing something good for them-without the cajoling (劝诱) that good-for-them things often require. The added bonus for a book lover like me is the flood of joy that comes when I see either of my kids turning the pages of a book they pulled off the shelves themselves.

1. What does the author intend to show by mentioning her own words in paragraph 1?

A．She is an imperfect parent at times.	B．She is addicted to her cellphone.
C．She is tired of looking after kids.	D．She is absent-minded and forgetful.

2. What pushed Clark to practice writing his name?

A．His mother’s requirement.	B．The librarians’ encouragement.
C．A longing for Blossom’s praise.	D．A desire for his own library card.

3. Why does the author feel happy at the library?

A．She can cajole her kids into reading.	B．She can enjoy some quiet reading time.
C．Her kids are doing the right thing.	D．Her kids learn a lot from book lovers.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．My Idea About Reading	B．My Love of the Library
C．Library: Dreamland of the Young	D．Reading: A Source of Knowledge

5 . Coach Mike Murphy’s Raider Basketball Camp

Emphasizing the fundamentals of basketball, it is our goal to see every camper improve and gain a better understanding of the game. It is our mission to teach our campers in a positive, fun and safe environment in order to develop their love of basketball.

Coach Mike Murphy

Coach Mike Murphy has taught basketball for over 30 years to youth of all ages.

In his role as Sonora High School’s Varsity Basketball Coach, his teams have won 17 league championships and over 600 victories.

An expert in the basic fundamentals of the game and a master of drills and instruction, Coach Murphy will be assisted by members of his coaching staff, as well as former and current players.

Price: $300
Dates: June 27-July 1
Daily Schedule:
8:30-9:00 Drop Off
9:00-9:30 Warm-Up
9:30-10:00 Passing
10:00-10:30 Ball Handling
10:30-11:00 Shooting
11:00-11:30 Defensive Moves
11:30-12:00 Lunch Break
12:00-13:00 Games
13:00 Dismissal
Registration Cancellation:
*If paying via check or cash, registrations must be sent to:
Raider Basketball Camp
Sonora High School
401 S. Palm St.
La Habra, Ca 90631
*A $100 non-refundable (不能退回的) deposit is required prior to camp.
*If you paid via credit card online, you can pay off your balance (余款) by logging back onto the website and clicking your account.
*If you paid via check or cash, your balance should be paid by check or in cash on the first day of camp.
*There is a $100 cancellation fee per camper for cancellations before June 1. There are no refunds for ANY reason for cancellations after June 1.
1. Which words can best describe Coach Murphy?

A．Friendly and devoted.	B．Enthusiastic and optimistic.
C．Creative and efficient.	D．Professional and experienced.

2. When can campers learn how to score?

A．9:30-10:00.

B．10:00-10:30.

C．10:30-11:00.

D．11:00-11:30.

3. What is a requirement of the camp?

A．A registration fee of $100.	B．One third of payment in advance.
C．Cancellations before June 1.	D．Payment by check or in cash.

6 . Do you want something to have fun? Well, look at a list of some activities.

Living like Summer Flowers

As the first exhibition in the new space of Fangyuan Art Museum, with the theme of flowers, it showcases many new works by artist Yan Ping. This exhibition aims to express the beauty of the power of life, and to discover the beauty that we have overlooked in the world.

The “Big Yellow Duck”

Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman will bring his big rubber(橡胶) duck to the Today Art Museum in Beijing, inviting you to participate in this nearly three month party. This exhibition is Hofman’s first large-scale solo exhibition in China. More than 25 new works will be displayed, presenting the landmark of Hofman’s more than 20 years of artistic career.

Yoga in Hutong

We are excited to offer a truly magical experience to our community at the absolutely attractive hutong place, Z-Space.Start your Sunday morning with 75-minute movement to awaken your body and mind, and fuel your spirit. After class, we’ll enjoy a selection of snacks and drinks.

Viewing the Sand Ridge

Contemporary ink artist Tan Jun will hold his solo exhibition “Guansha Ridge” at Beijing Soka Art. In this exhibition, there will be 8 collections of photography and painting, adding a new experience to the viewer’s way of viewing and feeling the mysterious poetic world.

1. Where can you watch some works about flowers?

A．At Z-Space.	B．At Beijing Soka Art.
C．At Today Art Museum.	D．At Fangyuan Art Museum.

2. Which activity is related to a foreign artist?

A．Yoga in Hutong.	B．The “Big Yellow Duck”.
C．Viewing the Sand Ridge.	D．Living like Summer Flowers.

3. What can you do at Yoga in Hutong?

A．Hold a party.	B．Visit a big duck.
C．Eat some food.	D．Paint some pictures.

7 . Summer is a good time to go outside to take exercise on the land or on the water. Explore the following places, and you’ll find one sport that suits you.

The River Foyle

Do you want to try something a bit more adventurous? If your answer is yes, you can enjoy a little friendly competition while racing a half stand-up paddleboard and half Dragon Boat along the River Foyle. Located in Derry, the activity takes two hours and can be done with groups of up to twelve people.

The County Down

A bike ride is not only a fun choice to get some exercise, it’s also an unbelievable way to explore Northern Ireland. You can enjoy a scenic tour through the foothills of the high Mournes and Carlingford Lough in County Down. The circular cycling route is self-guided and will allow you to enjoy yourself at your own pace over three to five hours.

The Slieve Gullion Forest Park

If you want to look for something a bit more peaceful, go outside and walk in Slieve Gul- lion Forest Park. It has created a special experience that focuses on mindfulness and nature. The tour begins with the practice of forest bathing followed by a short walk to a village where you will take delight in a three-course lunch filled with local food.

The Mourne Mountains

You may want to try some thrilling activities in summer. Well, Geology Rock has what all thrill seekers are looking for. Based on the Mourne Mountains, the outdoor adventure group will take you out on a day you will never forget. While surrounded by the most breath- taking views, you’ll be able to safely enjoy sports like rock climbing and hiking.

1. Where can you take part in water sports?

A．In the River Foyle.

B．In the County Down.

C．In the Slieve Gullion Forest Park.

D．In the Mourne Mountains.

2. What can you enjoy in the Slieve Gullion Forest Park and the Mourne Mountains?

A．Bike riding.

B．A boat race.

C．A free lunch.

D．Natural scenery.

3. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To present peaceful nature.

B．To present summer beauty.

C．To introduce adventure groups.

D．To introduce some places for outdoor exercise.

8 . What a comedian can teach you about managing stress

We often accept stress as part of the cost of modern life, but it really doesn’t have to be. We all know that laughter is the best medicine.     1     People who can laugh at their own misfortunes bounce back faster and stronger. Here is what a comedian says about coping with stress.

You can try to find a different perspective.     2     Once a friend of mine fell asleep in the middle of a class. His teacher decided to make fun of him by inviting students to applaud, wondering whether my friend would applaud along when he woke up. He did and the whole class burst outlaughing. After learning everything, he was both embarrassed and ashamed of course but after a while, my friend laughed. “If this had happened to someone else, it would have been amusing. So it’s no less funny, just because it happened to me. “

    3     There’s no doubt that we all experience great stress now and then. We’ve all been personally affected, in some way. You might not have felt like laughing at the time But now, looking back, you could consider all of the strange aspects of the experience and all of the things you did to keep active or simply stay sane (神志正常的) .

When you share stories with your friends, you can choose to share stories of trauma (创伤) and pain, or you can choose to lift their spirits with stories of hope and growth.     4     Take the exact same story and change the focus from “feel sorry for me” to “laugh with me”. Keep in mind that we’re all in this together, that we all share the same ridiculous experiences, and that we can laugh together at whatever life throws at us.     5    

A．Always share a good story.

B．Why not do what comedians do?

C．You can also look again and laugh.

D．But laughter does more than cheer you up.

E．Then you are able to make a simple choice.

F．In this way. you will say goodbye to stress forever.

G．If you have trouble seeing the funny side, you may find the following inspiring.

9 . What is the purpose of lightning? The new study published at the end of April in Science found that lightning may play a bigger role in global climate change than was previously known by the scientific community.

Many are familiar with the potentially deadly dangers posed by lightning, which is blamed for an average of 43 deaths in the United States each year, based on data from 1989 to 2018. Although the odds of being struck are quite low-1 in 1, 222, 000 in a given year and 1 in 15, 300 in a lifetime many in the weather community have long urged people to take proper precautions to stay safe in storms. However, the researchers recently uncovered a surprising and beneficial impact of lightning.

The study, which included contributions from nine atmospheric researchers across a dozen universities, was based on an airborne research flight conducted by a NASA DC-8 storm-chasing plane in 2012. Researchers initially thought there was a problem with the equipment on the plane, which was being used to measure the hydroxyl radicals (羟基自由基) in the atmosphere until they realized increases they observed corresponded with lightning flashes, ABC News reported.

Hydroxyl radicals, described as a “chemical scavenger (清洗剂) ” by Science Direct, are important chemical compounds found in the atmosphere due to the reactive nature with other organic molecules (分子). Researchers previously understood that lightning could help to clean the atmosphere, but there was no evidence that it could generate compounds like these radicals. “No one has seen that much in the atmosphere from natural processes, ever,” Brune said. As a result, the study estimates that somewhere between 2% and 16% of the oxidizing (氧化), or cleaning that happens naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere, is done by lightning.

Why is this significant? The oxidation process helps to reduce chemicals like carbon monoxide and methane in the atmosphere. These chemicals, known for being greenhouse gases, have been proven to contribute to rising temperatures associated with climate change. Researchers say that more studies will need to be conducted to verify the degree to which lightning contributes to the fight against global climate change.

1. What do the statistics in Para 2 tell us about lightning?

A．It threatens human lives.	B．It can only harm people.
C．It is a strange phenomenon.	D．It happens quite frequently.

2. What led to the new discovery in the text?

A．The equipment failure on the storm-chasing plane.

B．The increase of Hydroxyl radicals during lightning.

C．The lightning flashes observed by the research team.

D．The airborne research conducted by NASA scientists.

3. How does Brune feel about the finding?

A．Doubtful.

B．Amazed.

C．Frustrated.

D．Ambiguous.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Hydroxyl radicals clean the atmosphere.

B．Oxidizing is a natural result of lightning.

C．Lightning may help address climate change.

D．Greenhouse gases contribute to rising temperature.

10 . You might have heard someone say that a song changed their life. And maybe you used to hate tomatoes, but now you like it. No one doubts that we change as we grow older. But do we change in major ways? Can we really change who we are? People used to believe we stay pretty much the same throughout our lives, but researchers are increasingly finding that we can and do change in big ways.

Psychologists have identified five dimensions that help us understand someone’s personality, which are called the “Big Five.” They are: 1. Openness: How open are you to trying new things? 2. Conscientiousness (尽责性): How responsible are you? 3. Extroversion (外向):How friendly, outgoing, and enthusiastic are you? 4. Agreeableness: How caring, trusting, and generous are you? 5. Emotional stability: How calm are you, especially when problems arise? Everyone has different levels of the big five dimensions. For example, Harry Potter has high levels of openness to experience, while Hermione Granger would score high in conscientiousness.

Scientists used to think that each person’s “Big Five” stayed the same their whole life, but newer research suggests that the dimensions do change. People who took a personality test as teen-agers scored very differently when they took the same test 50 years later. Three dimensions usually changed more than the others, which are emotional stability, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. In fact, most adults were more emotionally stable, more conscientious, and more agreeable than when they were younger. Researchers considered this a sign that we mature over time, perhaps learning to get along better with others.

Even though people change over time, the relationship between dimensions often remains similar. For example, someone who was very open to new experiences but who was not agreeable as a teenager was likely still more open to new things than agreeable as an adult. Scores changed, and sometimes changed a lot, but they didn’t change randomly.

1. Why does the author mention Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in Paragraph 2?

A．To identify the impact of the big five dimensions.

B．To stress the value of openness and responsibility.

C．To analyze some main characters in popular fiction.

D．To illustrate various degrees of personality dimensions.

2. Which of the following is the most likely result of people’s aging?

A．Becoming more hot-tempered.	B．Becoming more considerate.
C．Becoming less responsible.	D．Becoming less generous.

3. What does the last paragraph suggest about one’s personality dimensions?

A．Personality dimensions change accidentally.

B．One is likely to be more open than agreeable.

C．Relationship between dimensions stays unchanged.

D．Changes in personality dimensions follow some pattern.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Effects of Changing.	B．What Are the “Big Five”?
C．Do People Really Change?	D．Personality Dimensions Matter.