1 . With the increasing development of technology, we now have the ability to get much information from foreign media sources (媒体资源). Because we can learn much about events happening in other countries from the media, such as magazines and newspapers, many people may think that reading magazines and newspapers is the best way to learn about a foreign country. However, I believe that only reading magazines and newspapers as a way of learning about a foreign country has several limitations.

We cannot deny that magazines and newspapers actually present some valuable information about foreign countries. However, the information that they present is often one­-sided, so that readers can only learn about one opinion on an event happening in a foreign country. Also, the words and pictures in magazines and newspapers may not be true. If a government wants to hide some facts, it may force the media to tell lies to its readers, and thus the information that readers receive may not be true.

I think that the best way to learn about a foreign country is to travel or live there for a while. By traveling or living in a country, you can see things that do not appear in magazines and newspapers, and learn about the local political situation, state of the economy, and the culture. You can get more information about a country by talking directly with local people about the overall situation, and can truly understand the local culture by living with them for a while. But if you are at home reading a newspaper or magazine, you simply get information provided by others passively (被动地) instead of collecting information directly.

So, I believe that the best way to learn about a foreign country is not by reading magazines and newspapers but by placing yourself in that foreign country.

1. What does the text mainly discuss?

A．How people get information in no time.

B．Where people can get information they need.

C．Why it’s important to learn about a foreign country.

D．What the best way to learn about a foreign country is.

2. What does the underlined word “deny” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Disagree.

B．Promise.

C．Realize.

D．Accept.

3. Which can best describe the information from magazines and newspapers?

A．True but not enough.	B．Correct but not fresh.
C．Limited and not always true.	D．Not enough and not valuable.

4. What is the advantage of traveling to a foreign country according to Paragraph 3?

A．You’ll have a quicker mind by learning more.

B．You’ll have a chance to read local newspapers.

C．You’ll meet people who are different from you.

D．You’ll learn truths that the media don’t provide.

2 . Sunday sadness is real, for tomorrow is the start of working days.     1    

●Exercise

An excellent choice is exercise. Breaking a sweat has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, boost mood and improve sleep, all good ways to fight Sunday stress. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, just five minutes of aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety.

●Take a nature pill

Actually, any form of exercise or movement can increase your fitness level while decreasing your stress.     2     One study published in April found a simple 10-minute walk in an urban park three times a week reduced levels of the stress in study participants. A 2013 study in the UK found simply walking in green spaces helped move the brain into a state of meditation.

●    3    

Some folks turn to drinking alcohol, even crazily, to cope with the Sunday night blues. That’s a poor choice: Alcohol rattles your normal sleep patterns, trapping you in lighter stages of sleep and dramatically reducing the quality of your rest at night.

“It continues to pull you out of rapid eye movement and the deeper stages of sleep, causing you to wake up not feeling restored,” said Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health, in a previous CNN interview.

●Wind down

This is going to sound impossible, but try to avoid your cell phone and work email on Sunday. Being constantly connected keeps us excited even on our days off, discouraging relaxation.

Does the idea make you even more nervous?     4     The National Sleep Foundation suggests “at least 30 minutes of phone-free transition time before going to bed.”

●Journal your worries

Unconsciously worrying about all the things you have to do Monday brings you restless sleep, even insomnia(失眠), so write down a list of all the things you have to do Monday – or even the entire week. You can go so far as prioritizing them if you like. Not only will putting the tasks on paper jump-start your Monday morning, you’ll feel like you’ve purged your worries.     5    

A．Then try to check in as early in the evening on Sunday as you can.

B．Avoid overdrinking

C．Here’s how to battle the pre-workweek blues.

D．Here are some following ways to help you relax at weekends.

E．Why not increase that effect by enjoying nature?

F．Then relax and keep texting till your bedtime.

G．In fact, writing in a journal has been scientifically shown to improve overall health.

3 . When I was nine years old, my dad worked in a heating and air conditioning company. It allowed him to work mainly in the spring and fall. With summers free, my parents took me and my two brothers to the lake every day. I supposed my parents must realize that if they didn’t find us any things to do, we would finally start fighting, as we were too bored.

On the way to the lake, my mother drove the car and my father recited (朗诵) poems so my brothers and I wouldn’t get bored. I still didn’t know how my dad had learnt so many poems by heart. But I had a great discovery that every time my father recited them, those verses (诗句) could keep us three quiet for the next twenty--minute drive. Such moments could never be achieved by what else my parents usually did such as singing, telling stories, and so on.

One of the poems that completely attracted me was a bit silly. It begins—Ladles and jellyspoons/I come before you/To stand behind you/And tell you something I know nothing about. There were still many similar ones. I found I was deeply caught. I recited these lines in my head over and over, week after week until they burned new electrical pathways in my brain. I even couldn’t help copying those poems neatly in my favorite notebooks.

It’s a love story that continues to this day, thirty years and 10 books of my own later. So the value of the story is this: Read to your kids. Sing to your kids. Recite poems for your kids. Be silly with your kids! It may make all the difference. It works for me. Thanks, Dad.

1. According to the author, why were his brothers and he taken to the lake daily in summer?

A．To reduce their study pressure.	B．To escape the heat of summers.
C．To teach them some new life skills.	D．To draw their attention to other things.

2. What did the author find on the way to the lake?

A．Poems were easy to learn by heart.

B．His parents were good at creating poems.

C．His father tried hard to get along well with them.

D．Poems could make the three brothers calm down.

3. What can we know about the author from Paragraph 3?

A．He began to write poems himself.	B．He gradually fell in love with poems.
C．He made changes to some silly poems.	D．He grew to be a kid with excellent grades.

4. Which of the following may the author agree with?

A．Children should be grateful to their parents.

B．Parents should avoid being too strict with kids.

C．Good family atmosphere is very important for kids.

D．Children should be encouraged to follow their dreams.

4 . You’ve sized up the benefits of volunteering, looked over your schedule, and decided you have both the time and desire to give back to your community.     1     Here are some tips to find and get suitable volunteer opportunities in your area — or farther afield.

Identify your values.

    2     Make a list of the values that drive you, or the issues you care about, and then look for organizations with complementary (互补的) missions and opportunities. For instance, if your primary motivation is to strengthen social connections with peers, you might look to organizations such as school groups that require interaction with other parents, or neighbors.

If you’re motivated to serve the less fortunate, you might target organizations that work with housing-insecure populations, people with disabilities or members of historically disadvantaged groups. Motivations for volunteering are as diverse as the volunteers harboring them.     3    

Try to involve the whole family.

Many parents who volunteer turn giving back into a family affair. Community service is a great way to teach kids the value of selflessness.     4     Look for volunteer engagements that welcome people of all ages and abilities, and schedule time for the whole family to participate —whether that means spending an afternoon picking up trash on the side of the highway, or a week in a faraway flood zone.

    5    

Once you find a well-run organization that aligns with (符合) your availability, values, talents, and objectives, work with your contact there to set a volunteer schedule that fits your life. If you’re exploring a frequent engagement — say, a weekly or biweekly commitment —think carefully about how much time you can afford to donate. It’s better to commit to shorter or less frequent volunteer hours than to take on an unmanageable workload.

A．What motivates you to give back?

B．Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

C．Are you ready to build a list of ideal places to volunteer?

D．It’s also an opportunity to spend more time with your family.

E．Don’t overthink the process of finding opportunities to volunteer.

F．Whatever your motivations are, there’s an organization out there that needs your help.

G．Now comes the most difficult part: finding volunteer opportunities that are right for you.

5 . April 23 marks World Book and Copyright Day. Here are four widely praised books which received agreeably high scores on Douban in China.

The Death of a Princess

The Death of a Princess is a work of legal history. The author describes in detail the classic case of Princess Lanling of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), who was beaten by her husband and suffered the loss of her baby, leading to her death, exploring important and profound legal and married moral issues such as domestic violence and the low status (地位) of women.

Delivering Packages in Beijing

Author Hu Anyan has worked as a delivery man, a night shift stock picker, a convenience store clerk and a security guard. He transforms the bits and pieces of everyday life and the joys and sorrows of work into a sincere narrative. He finally realizes that a life filled with anger is not worth living.

The Annoyance of the Gods

Author Ma Boyong, who has written The Longest Day in Chang’an, uses the classic Journey to the West as a backdrop to describe a series of workplace issues, such as how to write a work report during a project and how to respond to emergencies.

Bright Night

Written by Choi Eun-young, the book is a female version of Yu Hua’s To Live. It tells the story of the friendship and struggle of four generations of women. The women in the book are no longer characters to be pitied against one another, nor do they play supporting roles in the lives of men.

1. Which of the following explores the low status of women in society?

A．Bright Night.	B．Delivering Packages in Beijing.
C．The Annoyance of the Gods.	D．The Death of a Princess.

2. In the Book of Delivering Packages in Beijing, the author mainly________.

A．describes his delivery job

B．shares his own stories

C．narrates his transformation

D．explores people’s life in Beijing

3. Who are the intended readers of Bright Night?

A．Children.

B．Men.

C．Women.

D．Seniors.

6 . Before traveling to Lake Tahoe, make sure your plans are in order. Complete vacation packages of the area are now offered online.

Package 1. Get Outdoors in Lake Tahoe Package Get outdoors and explore! With this fun vacation package, you can stay in the Lake Tahoe area for three nights and have a few adventures along the way. This package also features Lake Tahoe Sport Fishing, allowing guests to get out and fish! Click here to book	Package 2. Lake Tahoe Family Vacation Package If your next trip happens to be in the Lake Tahoe area, then consider booking this one. It is great because it can offer you four full nights at the hotel of your selection and an amazing sightseeing tour through the Emerald Bay. You also can enjoy Lake Tahoe Hot Air Balloons tours and the Wild West Tour. Click here to book
Package 3. Lake Tahoe Romantic Getaway Package This is perfect for people who want to have a romantic time. It includes a two-night stay at the hotel of your choice and one of the finest activities in all of Lake Tahoe — the Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Sunset Boat Tour on the Bleu Wave. During this romantic sail, you can enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Lake Tahoe. Click here to book	Package 4. Lake Tahoe Weekend Getaway Package The Lake Tahoe Weekend Getaway Package is great for people of all ages, so this is a great choice for families. This package includes a two-night stay at the hotel you choose. It also includes a trip which takes place on the Bleu Wave by boat. Click here to book

1. Which package offers the longest visit to Lake Tahoe?

A．Package 1.

B．Package 2.

C．Package 3.

D．Package 4.

2. What is the similarity between the last two packages?

A．Their boat tour.	B．The hotel for staying.
C．The places for traveling.	D．Their target customers.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A guidebook.

B．A travel report.

C．A local newspaper.

D．A website.

7 . The event took place on Sunday, the 25^th of June. On that particular day, a south wind had been gusting (劲吹) on and off all morning. It was not strong enough to cause us any concern, so we carried on our daily work, not doubting what was about to happen.

The storm gave us very little warning. Black clouds appeared over the distant horizon (地平线) so suddenly that we were taken by surprise. Even then, we were not really worried, as the clouds seemed to be moving over our house and towards the distant mountains. Then, just as the clouds had moved inland, the wind suddenly blew around in a full circle and we were facing a major storm.

Very soon, we were busily preparing for the worst. The whole family had experienced such a storm before and everyone remembered the damage it had caused to stock and crops. There was very little we could do about the crops. But we needed to protect the animals in case the river flooded again. My older brother called his sheep-dog and began driving our small flock of sheep to higher ground above the river. If the river flooded, they should be safe there.

In the meantime, my father was mending a shed roof that had partly fallen down after many years of fine service. If the tin flew off, it could damage the house. My younger brother began hurriedly carrying firewood under the shelter. My job was to help Mum board up the windows. If the storm developed into a cyclone (旋风)，the boards would protect the glass.

The storm lasted for four hours, pouring more rain on us than we had seen in the last five years. As expected, the river broke its banks and came slowly up towards the house and the stock.

Then, just as we were beginning to lose hope, the storm stopped as suddenly as it had begun. The animals were safe, and the roof was still nailed on. “All’s well that ends well ,” said my mother.

1. When the black clouds appeared suddenly in the distance, _______.

A．the family were surprised	B．they were extremely worried
C．they were preparing for the worst	D．they faced the storm bravely

2. “There was very little we could do about the crops” suggests that ______.

A．little damage would be done to the crops

B．they had everything ready for the crops

C．they felt unable to protect the crops

D．the crops should be safe enough there

3. According to the third paragraph, what could be protected from the storm?

A．Money owned by the family.	B．Goods for sale.
C．Supplies for family use.	D．Farm animals.

4. It can be inferred from what the mother said that _________·

A．they had no damage at all	B．everything was as fine as before
C．everything was under control	D．the family had a good result

8 . Social media scam is a form of phishing in which cybercriminals connect with their victims through social media platforms.     1     After the victim accepts it, they soon form a conversation. They can also publish a link that sounds attractive (“put your data and win a car”). Below, see how to protect yourself from scammers on social media;

Accept friend requests with caution.

    2     You should pay attention to when the account is registered and who accepts their friend request. Also remember to check the kind of information the person publishes.

Avoid links that request personal data.

No social media platform will ask its users to click an outside link to update their personal information. Check with the official customer support if you are unsure. Internet users should apply the principle better safe than sorry.

    3    

Do not use the same password across all your online accounts. If one account gets hacked, all of them will. It is always better to have distinct login details for each platform as well.

Make sure not to reveal personal information.

Do not publish your address, phone number, or place of work on your social media account for your safety.     4     Always be cautious if someone shows too much interest in your personal affairs. Even your friends might have been backed, so be careful.

Check whether the account is verified when approached with offers.

When you get a strange message, or an offer to buy or sell something on social media, first check if the account is verified.     5    

Social media scams can be financially damaging and emotionally distressing. We hope that these tips will come in handy for you. Remember, safety first in the online world just as it is in the real world.

A．Do not send money to anyone before that.

B．It usually starts by sending a friend request.

C．Always use a strong password to improve security.

D．Create a unique login and password for each platform.

E．Also, do not give away this information to strangers in conversations.

F．Be careful of friend requests from unknown individuals, as they may have ill intent.

G．Before making friends with someone that you do not know, carefully examine the account.

9 . Thanksgiving is basically a harvest-related festival which celebrates communal harmony. Though this festival is said to have originated in America, a number of other countries also celebrate harvest-related festivals. The festival is observed with different names and in different seasons. In Australia we can see a number of harvest festivals.

Apple Festival & Grape Festival

The harvest for apples and grapes takes place in the month of March in Australia in the granite belt, a special area. The festival is celebrated for 3-4 days. During the festival, various cultural and fun events are organized. Activities like grape crushing competitions, apple picking competitions, street carnivals (狂欢), and grand parades are also part of the festival.

Renmark Orange Week Festival

In August or September, the large orange growing area along the Murray River in South Australia holds a festival in Renmark, which is called the Renmark Orange Week. All kinds of games, competitions and fun last for a week during the carnival. Fireworks are another feature of the festival. The two varieties that are being harvested in Australia are the Valencia, which is from October to May and the Navel, which is from May to October.

Cane Festival

The cane is harvested from June to December in Australia. Most of the cane crop is grow n in Queensland and some in Maclean, New South Wales. And June is time for cane festivals. Just before harvest, the cane is burnt to remove dead leaves and to drive out pests. Machines are being used to cut the cane to the ground.

Wheat Festival

Wheat is harvested in the month of December and is usually finished by the end of January. Harvesting is done by machines. A new harvester invented by Headlie Taylor makes it easier to harvest crops which get flattened or damaged by bad weather.

1. Which festival takes place in June?

A．Cane Festival.	B．Wheat Festival.
C．Renmark Orange Week Festival.	D．Apple Festival & Grape Festival.

2. What can people do during Apple Festival & Grape Festival?

A．Appreciate fireworks.	B．Taste delicious grape wine.
C．Join in apple eating competitions.	D．Take part in grand parades.

3. What can be known from the text?

A．Wheat Festival begins in January.

B．Harvest-related festivals originated in America.

C．Oranges are being harvested in Australia all the year round.

D．Renmark Orange Week Festival takes place in the granite belt.

10 . How To Find Spring Fashion Trends

Fashion changes faster than most people can keep up with.     1    . Keep yourself at the forefront by paying attention to designers and social media, shopping early and knowing the basics of spring fashion.

Look through fashion magazines to get fashion ideas. Magazines like GQ, Vogue, and Cosmo are generally considered “taste makers”.     2    , and often bring excellent runway shows together. To keep ahead, make notes about the fashion trends that keep popping up in different magazines.

Find your favorite fashion blogs. What’s on the catwalk isn’t necessarily what’s on the streets, so I also like getting inspiration from travel blogs, fashion blogs, and smaller designers. Many brands, designers, and fashionistas post their inspiration online, as well as recommendations on where to find the best new fashions.    3    .

Explore social media. More and more often, people are using the Internet to broadcast their personal fashion recommendations, which is a great way to get a pulse on spring fashion. Sites like Tumblr and Pintrest have specific sections devoted to fashion.

    4    . If you’ve got friends in Miami, they will experience spring fashion a lot faster than you might in the cold Chicago. Check out your friends’ pictures or go online and look up southern fashion blogs to get ahead of the game before the snow melts.

Make your own spring trends. Having confidence in yourself and rocking your outfit is more important than following any trend. Sometimes you still can’t figure out what spring fashion trend to follow.     5    . Trends aren’t as exaggerated as they used to be because people are more into developing their own personal styles, which is more permanent and empowering.

A．Make notes of fashions you see often

B．Look to warmer areas for inspiration

C．They are selling the right clothes for the right season

D．Find an outfit you like and make up your own trend

E．They are in touch with the big clothing designers

F．Spring is often when people launch new and inventive fashion for the warming weather

G．Search “Spring Fashion Blogs” and browse through a few to see styles you enjoy