1 . Some people believe that humans could live on the planet Mars by the year 2100. Our own planet, the Earth, is becoming more and more crowded and polluted. It is hoped that people could start all over again and build a better world on Mars. Here is what life there could be like.

At present, our spacecraft are too slow to carry large numbers of passengers to Mars — it would take months. With the development of technology, by the year 2100, the journey might only take about 20 minutes in spacecraft that travel at the speed of light! However, the spacecraft would travel really fast, so the journey to Mars might be quite uncomfortable. Many people would feel ill.

Humans can’t live without water, air or food. So far, nobody knows whether there would be enough water or air on Mars for people. Moreover, scientists are not sure whether plants could grow on Mars. Food would most probably be in the form of pills (药片) and would not be so tasty.

Compared with life on the earth, life on Mars would be better in some ways. People would have more space. They might live in houses with huge comfortable rooms. Also, robots would do a lot of their work so that they could have more time to relax. There would probably be no schools on Mars. Every student would study at online schools with “e-teachers”.

Life on Mars would be interesting and challenging. However, it may take hundred or years to make it true. So the most important thing we need to do now is to protect our beautiful blue planet — the Earth!

1. The underlined word “spacecraft” means ________.

A．spaceships

B．hot-air balloons

C．space stations

D．planes

2. What would the flight to Mars be like by the year 2100?

A．Fast and enjoyable.	B．Fast but uncomfortable.
C．Slow and boring.	D．Slow but comfortable.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．There would be enough water and air on Mars for people.

B．Food on Mars would be more delicious than that on the earth.

C．People would be busy with work on Mars.

D．The writer thinks living on Mars would be full of challenges.

4. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Schools on Mars	B．Food on Mars
C．Life on Mars	D．Environment on the Earth

2 . How to Study Effectively

With pressure and competition rising in education, students nowadays are eager to find the best methods or tools to improve their academic scores. So, questions like “What is the best study method?” or “How can I learn knowledge faster?” arise in their minds.    1    .

Play the role of a teacher

A useful way to remember lessons is to explain them aloud to yourself. Once you learn a study material, try to explain it to yourself or your friends as your teachers explain it to you. This will help you to clear your confusion related to the lesson.    2    . This will not only help the details stick in your mind but help you to be well prepared for your exams.

    3    

Many students face a challenge like “Why can’t I remember what I’ve studied?”.     4    . A tired brain is a barrier to learning. Exercise before studying helps to lift your mood. In fact, physical activity helps wake you up so you feel ready when you sit down with your books.

Absorb information in smaller chunks (块)

    5     : You divide the 11 numbers into three smaller groups. It’s easier to get these three chunks to stick in your mind than it is to remember the whole thing as a single string of information. You can use this strategy when studying by breaking a list down into smaller parts. Work on memorizing each part as its own group.

Last but not the least, these tips on how to study effectively can only work if there is enough motivation and willpower to do well. You have to motivate yourself to reach the study goals.

A．Work out before studying

B．You can call your parents for help

C．Start with your toughest assignments

D．It has a lot to do with the brain getting too tired

E．Think about how you memorize a phone number

F．The following are some of the best tips on how to study effectively

G．Also, you can ask yourself questions just like your teachers would ask you

3 . Technology has undoubtedly opened up the world for me. Literally, in the case of my fully accessible home. My windows are automatic, and my front door is automatic too. There are also my wheelchairs. I guess that any wheelchair user will say the best invention is that of the wheel. It’s a tool bringing independence and comfort.

Last week, I took a well-deserved break from work and went on a staycation in my local area. On the first day, I was heading further out in my power wheelchair than I’ve ever been on my own. This chair is almost like a Transformer. I like the speed, the phone charger and the flexible feature. It’s a wonderful creation.

However, while there are many benefits that come with technology, I still live in a disabling world. For example, out in my power wheelchair that day, feeling free and easy, I headed straight to the shop not far away. I deserve to feel heard and included when innovation is concerned. But when I got there, I was confronted by self-service checkouts. While they are designed for easy and quick service, for me and many other disabled people, the lack of face-to-face services can put us at a disadvantage. Not only are the checkouts far too high, they are awkwardly designed so that you cannot approach them with a wheelchair. So, I waited for someone to assist me. In just a matter of a few hours, I had seen how technology and accessibility advancements have empowered me then, in the next breath, disabled me.

I still live in a disabling world with sub-standard accessibility. Therefore, disabled people by and large are more likely to rely on mechanical and technological devices such as lifts and communication aids. Unfortunately, these things are sometimes abused and mistreated, making the person relying on them dependent on others.

1. How does the author think of technology according to paragraphs 1 and 2?

A．He casts some doubts on it.

B．He shows much gratitude for it.

C．He expresses curiosity about it.

D．He feels really carefree with it.

2. What happened to the author in the shop?

A．He came across many other disabled people by chance.

B．He waited quite a few hours in order to check out.

C．He was unable to seek assistance from others.

D．He couldn’t use the self-service checkout by himself.

3. Why does the author say he still lives in a disabling world?

A．He thinks it is not easy to make his voice heard.

B．Some shops are inaccessible to wheelchair users.

C．He finds it really hard to fit in with non-disabled people.

D．Things related to technology are sometimes out of service.

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

A．My different views concerning disability

B．How I make full advantage of technology

C．My love-hate relationship with technology

D．How I live independently as a disabled man

4 . On the 25th of December, my mother expected her children to be present, exchanging gifts and eating turkey. But as an artist and daughter, my heart seemed to be more in my work as an artist. As for my mother and my family, I thought we would have more time to spend Christmas together. I was going to do my own thing.

I made plans for my winter adventure in New Hampshire. The MacDowell Colony (麦道尔艺术村) was everything I could have wished for. About 20 to 30 artists were present, and it was as captivating as I had imagined. Snowy New England, sledding (滑雪橇) and whisky! It felt like my life had become an unexpected independent film.

By Christmas Eve, I had been at the colony more than a week. The fresh feelings were wearing off, but I would never admit it. Everyone around me was having too much fun—drinks and deep conversations by the fireplace. It seemed so amazing! What was wrong with me? This was the holiday I’d always dreamed of. No plastic reindeer. Not a Christmas sweater anywhere in sight. People here didn’t even say “Christmas”, but they said “holiday”. Then why was I so down?

Finally, I called home. My dad answered. He told me that my mother was out shopping with my brothers. I found there was a fire in my heart. They were having a fine Christmas without me? Didn’t they miss me? How could they?

Despite a serious snowstorm, a large package with my mother’s beautiful handwriting showed up near my door at the artist colony on Christmas morning. I seized it as if I had been five years old. Inside was my favorite cake.

As I sliced (切) the cake, everyone gathered around —young and old. My mother had sent a real homemade gift. It was a minor Christmas miracle that one cake managed to feed so many. We ate it from paper towels with our hands, satisfying a hunger we didn’t know we had and reminding us of our dear families, who must be missing us too.

1. Why was the author unwilling to spend Christmas at home?

A．She met some trouble at work.

B．She wanted to focus on her career.

C．She had disagreements with her mother.

D．She was tired of staying at a familiar place.

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

A．Attractive.

B．Tough.

C．Strange.

D．Simple.

3. What can we learn about the artist colony from Paragraph 3?

A．It attracted many sports lovers.

B．It was suitable for holiday parties.

C．It lacked the Christmas atmosphere.

D．It gave the author some artistic ideas.

4. What did the author mainly intend to express in the last two paragraphs?

A．She learned to be open to others.

B．She enjoyed bringing kindness to strangers.

C．Her mother was good at taking care of her family.

D．Her mother’s cake cured the artists of their homesickness.

5 . Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in Chinese calendar. The festival typically involves family getting together to share mooncakes while watching the moon. Typical Chinese mooncakes are round in shape, and measure around 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm in thickness. Most mooncakes consist of a thin tender skin enveloping a sweet, dense filling.

    1    . It is a custom for housewives to prepare mooncakes at home when the festival is approaching. Now let's learn to make traditional Chinese mooncakes.

Above all, full preparations should be made, including materials such as dough (生面团), flour, water, sugar and vegetable oil, and fillings—lotus seed paste (莲子蓉) and eggs.

Mix together all the materials to get a dough.     2    

Next, separate the egg yolks from the whites and salt the steamed yolks. While the oven is preheating to 180 degrees Celsius, roll the lotus paste and the dough into small balls.     3    .

Then, shape up with each consisting of a dough wrapper, one ball of lotus paste, and one half of a salted egg yolk. Make a hole in a ball of lotus and put the yolk inside. Similarly, cover the lotus ball (with the yolk inside) with a wrapper.     4    . Then shape it with the mold (模具).

    5    . Take them out after 5 minutes and brush them with the egg wash. Put the mooncakes back until they become golden brown.

Remember to wait to eat the mooncakes for two days when they will be soft and also look shiny.

A．A mooncake ball is made.

B．Prepare the salted egg yolks.

C．Finally, put all mooncakes into the oven.

D．Flatten each piece of dough into a thin wrapper.

E．There're many stories about mooncakes and Chang'e.

F．Mooncakes are the must-eat food for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

G．Covered with plastic wrap, it should be set aside for at least 3 hours.

6 . Today’s 14-and 15-year-olds are ambitious. They are optimistic about their future, but their career ideas are rather unclear. A job for life is not in their vocabulary. Almost half the boys surveyed expected that their hobbies would lead them into the right sort of job, while most girls seemed determined to avoid traditionally female careers such as nursing.

In the past, this might have counted as bad news. But the world has changed. The global economy is not kind to yesterday’s hardworking and dependable workers. The future belongs to quick-thinking people who are resourceful, ambitious and creative. This means that young people need training and guidance to help them develop the right skills for today’s market; not the rigid preparation for a workplace that disappeared 20 years ago.

So what is to be done? A good first step would be to change the way in which schools prepare young people for adult life. The education system is becoming less flexible and paying more attention to traditional skills when the employment market is going in the opposite direction.

Accurate, latest information on new jobs and qualifications can help guidance counselors to help their students. Young people need solid information on the sort of training they need to their dream career. Also, a little bit of encouragement can go a long way.

What, then, can we as parents do to help them? The best thing is to forget all the advice that our parents gave us, and step into our teenager’s shoes. It is important for them to learn how to be independent and resourceful. Give them courage to follow their dreams—however odd they might sound right now. In a world that offers economic security to almost no one, imagination is a terrible thing to waste.

1. According to the survey, how are boys and girls different in career ideas?

A．Male teenagers are more ambitious and optimistic.

B．Dead-end but secure jobs are more popular with girls.

C．Boys prefer to choose jobs based on their interest.

D．Girl teenagers have clearer career ideas than boys.

2. What word can best describe the person who is fluent in the global economy?

A．Inventive.

B．Hardworking.

C．Modest.

D．Reliable.

3. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph imply?

A．Wasting is the main cause of terrible economy.

B．Creativity should be valued most in the changing world.

C．No one can be secure in such a terrible world.

D．Wasting imagination leads to economic insecurity.

4. Why is the passage written?

A．To analyze teenagers’ ideas about the economic world.

B．To explain how the world has changed the young.

C．To encourage parents to help the young to be independent.

D．To offer advice on how to prepare teenagers for careers.