1 . No matter how old you are, your mom will always remain as one of the most important people in your life. Maybe you don’t know how to express your appreciation and love to her on an ordinary day.
Give her flowers.
Cook for her. Mothers usually are the ones who cook for us. Your mom will absolutely love it if you surprise her by taking over the kitchen and cooking something for her. Just make sure you clean up afterwards.
Travel with her. Mothers work hard, so traveling can help her to relax and forget her problems. She will treasure the moment when t wherever you go, just your presence.
Take her to a spa. Massages or spas (按摩保健) are for moms of all ages, and she will enjoy breaking the boredom of staying indoors the whole day.
Mother’s Day is coming. It is a time to let Mom know she’s special to you.
| A．Write her a letter. |
| B．Remember her wedding anniversary. |
| C．A lot of us forget that the best gift to give her is ourselves. |
| D．Almost every girl appreciates flowers and so does your mother. |
| E．She remains the center of attention and respect for a child for a long time. |
| F．And this will offer your mom comfort and an increased sense of well-being. |
| G．However, Mother’s Day is the special time when you can let her know how important she is to you. |
2 . Beijing Opera (京剧) is our national opera. It came into being after 1790 and has a history of over 200 years. Its music and singing came from Xipi and Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei. There are four main roles in Beijing Opera; Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. Beijing Opera is full of famous stories, beautiful facial paintings, wonderful gestures and fighting. Some of the stories are from history books, but most are from famous novels. The people in the stories usually can’t agree with each other. They become angry, unhappy, sad and lonely. Sometimes they are frightened and worried. Then they find a way to make peace with each other. Everyone is usually happy in the end.
Beijing Opera is an important part of Chinese culture. In China, it used to be popular with old people while young people didn’t like it very much. However, more young people are becoming interested in it nowadays. And more people around the world are learning about Beijing Opera’s special singing, acting and facial paintings.
1. How old is Beijing Opera in 2020?| A．207 years old. | B．217 years old. |
| C．227 years old. | D．230 years old. |
| A．music and singing | B．acting and fighting |
| C．music and acting | D．singing and fighting |
| A．Angry. | B．Sad. |
| C．Happy. | D．Frightened and worried. |
| A．Beijing Opera used to be popular with old people and young people. |
| B．More people at home and abroad are interested in Beijing Opera nowadays. |
| C．Beijing Opera isn’t a part of Chinese culture. |
| D．There are five main roles in Beijing Opera. |
| A．The History of Beijing Opera |
| B．Beijing Opera |
| C．The Roles of Beijing Opera |
| D．The Changes of Beijing Opera |
3 . Must-read New Fiction Books
We all have a few tried-and-true fiction favorites, but there’s something special about a brand-new, hot-off-the-press novel. Whether it’s your favorite author’s new release or a new writer’s first work, great fiction books make the perfect escape from ordinary life. That’s why we’ve rounded up a list of the best new books released in February.
Age of Gold by Jerry Lapoor
Jerry Lapoor’s latest action-packed novel unfolds like a crazy movie. This thriller begins when a wealthy man’s car gets out of control. But when the dust settles, the rich man is nowhere to be found. How and to where does he disappear? With an exciting plot that will carry you from old-money houses to small agricultural villages, Age of Cold will take you on an unforgettable ride across a vast land.
City Under One Sky by Rachel Young
In the book, Young presents a crime story set in a small town. Detective Sara Kennedy has been sent to investigate a case. But soon after arrival, Sara gets snowed in with the 205 townsfolk living in the same apartment building. Who is hiding the key to the crime? And is there anyone she can truly trust? The appealing story, strange but distinctive characters and unexpected plot are just a few of the reasons why City Under One Sky gains its popularity.
Lady by Jess George
Lady is an irresistible fiction from Jess George. The story of Mary’s fresh start at adulthood is shot through with themes of family, race and discrimination, womanhood and the immigrant reality of feeling torn between cultures. Though struggling with life in London as an African, Mary jumps at every chance to stand on her own feet.
1. What will impress the readers in Age of Gold?| A．The thrilling plot. | B．Traditional cultures. |
| C．The family conflict. | D．Crazy characters. |
| A．She is trapped in the snow. | B．She is to investigate a case abroad. |
| C．She hides the key evidence. | D．She has trouble discovering the truth. |
| A．Self-reliance. | B．Gender equality. |
| C．Domestic violence. | D．Cross-cultural communication. |
4 . Alexis was a student, the only son of his wealthy parents, and felt entitled to the luxuries he had in his life. On a class field trip, Alexis met the forester, Justin, who had been living in a wooden house in the forest over ten years. When learning Justin’s life, Alexis laughed at him with his friends.
During the field trip, Alexis and his classmates passed by an entrance to a cave. “This looks so cool!” Alexis exclaimed. He wanted to go inside the cave, but his teacher stopped him.
The next day, Alexis reached the cave with his four friends, only to find they couldn’t take their schoolbags through the entrance. One by one, the teenagers entered the cave and were amazed to see how wide it was from the inside. Albert picked a large stone up and hit one of the walls with it. “This place is so cool!” he laughed quietly before the rocks from the wall came falling.
“Watch out, Albert!” Alexis said and pulled Albert towards himself. The teenagers screamed in fear when they saw the rocks fall. They couldn’t see anything because of the dust floating in the air.
The friends were scared when they realized they were trapped in the cave. “HELP! WE ARE STUCK!” the teenagers started screaming for help, hoping someone would hear them.
Fate sent Justin to the cave. The forester picked berries every day from the trees near the cave. While he was walking back to his house, five bright-colored schoolbags caught his attention. Then he approached the cave and shouted, “Hey! Who’s in there?”
“I’m Alexis ! I came here yesterday with my teacher! Help us, please! We are stuck!”
“Okay, calm down, children! I’ll help you out!” Justin said.
Justin quickly called 911 and informed them about the kids in the cave. Thinking the paramedics (护理人员) would take at least twenty minutes to arrive, he decided to help the kids himself before it was too late. Justin quickly grabbed a shovel and a flashlight and rushed back to the cave’s entrance. Meanwhile, Alexis and his friends tried to stay calm. A few minutes later, Alexis and his friends could see the flashlight shine through the cave’s entrance. Seconds later, they rushed outside the cave and took a deep breath in the fresh air.
Just then, the paramedics arrived.
1. What may lead to Alexis looking down on Justin?| A．His lower education. | B．His poor family. |
| C．His bad reputation. | D．His living condition. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Curious. | C．astonished. | D．Scared. |
| A．It was his daily routine. | B．He saw five colorful schoolbags. |
| C．He came to look for the children. | D．He heard the screaming for help. |
| A．Lucky or unlucky. | B．Don’t judge a person by his looks. |
| C．Curiosity kills the cat. | D．Once in a blue moon. |
5 . In early July, FDA granted traditional full approval of Leqembi for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This is the first approved medication proven to slow the progression of AD’s clinical symptoms. A phase three trial among 50-to-90-year-old patients with early AD showed that it can do so by about 27% over an 18-month period. While we cannot extrapolate (推断) beyond 18 months, this represents about a six-month delay in progression of AD symptoms.
A second disease-slowing drug, donanemab, has recently shown similar effects and may get FDA approval by the end of the year.The development of Leqembi is a notable success for medical science in that a disease previously impervious to any disease-modifying medical intervention now has an available, effective treatment. However, paraphrasing Winston Churchill, this is not the beginning of the end but the end of the beginning. The drug does not reverse disease symptoms or prevent progression, it slows progression. And there are considerations that make it inappropriate for many patients with AD. It does, however, lay the groundwork for future AD medications that could alleviate (减轻) suffering from this devastating disease for generations to come.
An important factor for new drugs is their cost. Leqembi’s price tag is $26,500 per year — much more than the current symptomatic medications for AD but comparable or less expensive than new medications for other conditions, for example multiple sclerosis or ALS.
Medicare has announced that it will provide coverage for this medication, although it is requiring that physicians perform certain clinical measures and enter the patient’s data in a registry in order for the drug to be covered, which will increase physician and patient burdens. What’s more, traditional Medicare only covers 80% of outpatient costs, so for those patients without supplemental insurance, a 20% copay for the drug and required MRI scans (核磁共振扫描) might amount to up to $10,000 or more per year out of pocket, but still only a fraction of the cost of a year of in a nursing home.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraph?| A．Leqembi can make a six-month delay of AD’s symptoms over a two-year period. |
| B．To some degree, Leqembi is effective to slow the progression of AD symptoms. |
| C．Both donanemab and Leqembi have got FDA approval. |
| D．The drug is appropriate for any patient with AD. |
| A．although the new drug has undergone trials, it is still not effective enough |
| B．though Leqembi can slow the progression of AD’s symptoms, we still have a long way to go |
| C．the research of the Leqembi will come to an end |
| D．some others problems related to the the medicine have been caused |
| A．much cheaper than other medications for AD |
| B．much more than current medications for other conditions |
| C．affordable to almost every patient |
| D．cheaper than new medications for ALS |
| A．physician and patient burdens are increased |
| B．patients do not have supplemental insurance |
| C．patient’s data is registered and clinical measures are carried out by doctors |
| D．patients pay the cost of a year of in a nursing home |
6 . For those in search of safe, non-medicine sleep aids (助手), sound machines are a popular choice. The National Sleep Foundation recently found that 5% of Americans sleep with a “sound conditioner”. It can be a fan, phone app, or other noise-producing machines.
Michael Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, says a sound conditioner is a lifesaver if you live where loud nighttime noise is common. But even if your bedroom is very quiet, sound machines can still be helpful if you’re the type of person unsettled by a total absence of noise, or if you’re a light sleeper who wakes from even the softest sound.
Research supports the idea that a little background sound can help people fall asleep. For a study in the journal Sleep Medicine, the researchers asked sleepers to listen to recorded hospital sounds either with or without a white noise machine. They found that those who slept with the white noise machine were hardly affected by the hospital sounds, while others who slept without white noise were easily awakened.
There’s also so-called “pink noise” and “brown noise”, which can sound similar to white noise. “I don’t think there’s enough evidence yet to say one type is better than another,” says Michelle Drerup, a sleep psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic. “I know from talking with my patients that some people prefer natural sounds, like a rainstorm. But others don’t want a sound at all when they sleep,” she says. “It all comes down to the individual (个人).”
For some, the best sound might be none. “Biologically (生物学上), you don’t need this sound to sleep,” says Michael Grandner, “and if you use it every night, you can get so used to it that you can’t sleep without it.” Most sleep experts agree. “I wouldn’t suggest people use sound machines to sleep unless they’re reporting difficulties with outside noises,” an expert says.
1. According to the text, who should sleep with a sound conditioner?| A．Those who fall asleep fast. |
| B．Those who wake up easily. |
| C．Those who live in a quiet street. |
| D．Those who are afraid to sleep alone. |
| A．Pink noise and brown noise are better. |
| B．Sleeping without any noise is the best. |
| C．It all depends on personal preferences. |
| D．Natural sounds are the best for people. |
| A．To use sound machines as little as possible. |
| B．To see a doctor with your sleeping problems. |
| C．To find a very quiet place to treat sleeping problems. |
| D．To break the habits of sleeping with sound machines. |
| A．Most Americans have a bad sleep. |
| B．White noises are good for humans. |
| C．Sound conditioners are a safe, non-medicine sleep aid. |
| D．Not everyone should sleep with white noise machine. |
7 . For the past 10 years I have been cycling on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Every summer vacation, I spend a month biking across the plateau.
In 2014, I set out on a cycle route with five other people in the far west of the Tibet autonomous region. Our 2,000-kilometer route started in Lhasa in the east, passed through the northern part of the prefecture (辖区) and ended in the west.
Titled the “top of the Roof of the World”, the plateau, which has a small population, has incredible scenery. Travelers can see the snowy mountains, clean blue lakes, lots of animals during the day, and clear, starry skies at night.
The route consists of dirt, even broken stones and paths, which have been formed over time by passing vehicles. Animal attacks are a potential risk in the wild. One night, we had to camp near a forest where there were potential animal attacks, especially from wolves. We found a house in a locked yard, but no one answered our calls from the gate. It was the time of the seasonal migration, so maybe the people had moved to another place for better water and grass. Then we had to camp outside. One of us was very experienced and careful. He placed some hay bales (干草捆) alongside the wall and said that if something dangerous happened, we could use them to jump into the yard and shelter (躲避) in the house.
Luckily, we didn’t meet any wolves or other animals, though we could hear them calling. Animal attacks remain a major cause of injuries on that route. Before the trip, we read online that a traveler had been bitten by wolves. The temporary “step” our companion built made us feel safer.
1. Which one is true according to the first two paragraphs?| A．The author often take part in recycling race. |
| B．Whenever the spring comes, the author will recycle to Tibit. |
| C．In 2014’s cycling route, the author set out from Lhasa. |
| D．In 2014’s cycling route, the author rode eastern form west. |
| A．Why the plateau is called the “top of the Roof of the World”. |
| B．Why it’s hard to travel around the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. |
| C．The small population of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. |
| D．The beauty of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. |
| A．Slight. | B．Terrible. | C．Possible. | D．Additional. |
| A．To make them feel safer. |
| B．To keep themselves warm. |
| C．To feed cows for the villagers. |
| D．To help the villagers make a fire. |
8 . Gossip is the sharing of personal information about someone else who is not present. All of us have probably caught ourselves, from time to time, allowing ourselves to enjoy the pleasure of gossiping more than we would like to admit. Someone says the words, “Don’t tell this to anyone.”
Gossip has some characteristics (特点). First, gossip is an activity that is done with other people.
Researchers studied volunteers, including women and men, to find out some facts about gossip. They found that most gossip was neutral (不偏袒的).
| A．We can’t do it alone or only in our head. |
| B．Women gossip more than men, but only neutrally. |
| C．So people express their angry feelings by gossiping. |
| D．What’s more interesting is who gossips and how much. |
| E．And the information was interesting for the present people. |
| F．But moments later, we may tell it to someone else with the exact same warning. |
| G．It means people were simply sharing information about a person who wasn’t present. |
9 . Things to do in London this weekend
Sheep & Wool Fayre, Sunday 11 am
Sheep & Wool Fayre is one of Spitalfield’s City Farm’s biggest community events and this year it’s still going ahead virtually (虚拟地) celebrating all woolly things with all its usual shows and competitions.
Order take-away pints（一品脱的啤酒）
Buy a pint and head for some of that daily exercise — or a rest — in the park. Just remember: parks in the capital are still largely closed right now, so check their opening hours ahead of time. And many parks close at 5 pm or 7 pm each evening.
Royal Botanic Gardens, all weekend
The world-famous Royal Botanic Gardens has been allowed by the government to welcome visitors. Of course, it will be going under strict social distancing rules and all visitors, including members, will have to book tickets online ahead of time.
Camden Market, Saturday 10 am
Camden Market — along with the rest of London — has been closed because of COVID-19 for the last two months, but it is opening its stores again. Head along to pick up some top-quality things — only fresh produce will be sold at this time. When you visit, there will be strict social distance rules.
Maltby Street Market, all weekend
Outdoor markets have been officially allowed to be re-opened to the public — but with strict social distance rules in place. Maltby Street Market is making a comeback today. For now, it’ll be returning as the “Maltby St. Produce Market”, having “a small number of carefully selected fresh produce traders”.
1. Which can only be enjoyed online right now?| A．Sheep & Wool Fayre. | B．Royal Botanic Gardens. |
| C．Camden Market. | D．Maltby Street Market. |
| A．It’s open to all visitors. |
| B．Local government runs it. |
| C．It is very well-known in the world. |
| D．Tickets must be booked beforehand. |
| A．Top-quality clothes. | B．Wool products. |
| C．Fresh produce. | D．Pints. |
10 . The TV series Wolf Pack starring Sarah Michelle Gellar is centered around the lives of a group of Los Angeles teenagers, whose lives are changed forever when a supernatural creature is freed after a series of unexplained wildfires break out.
Not much is known about Gellar’s character on the show, except for the fact that she is playing Kristin Ramsey, an expert who moves to Los Angeles to find the person who started the wildfires. She spoke to Fox News Digital about her big return to TV, and explained why she thought she was drawn to projects featuring monsters (怪物).
“For me, it’s always about the stories, and in talking today, we have discovered that the superhuman allows you to tell the most human stories because it really allows you to use these monsters to explore emotions, fears and anxieties that you can’t experience in other worlds,” Gellar explained.
“I think it’s a really important conversation that people will be along for the ride, but then realize what the meaning is behind all of it,” she added. Gellar’s co-star, Rodrigo, agreed with her, saying he hoped audiences could look at the deeper meanings behind the monsters on the show and realize they were all metaphors (隐喻) to discuss in our own inner monsters.”
Gellar recently told SFX Magazine she was very proud of the show.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The cause of wildfires. | B．A creature’s activity. |
| C．A group of teenagers’ lives. | D．The plot of Wolf Pack. |
| A．Rich experiences. | B．Monsters in the story. |
| C．Wildfires in a show. | D．Discussion with each other. |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Frightened. | C．Moved. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Nature. | C．Science. | D．Entertainment. |
