1 . Emily Pilloton grew up in California, building treehouses in the woods with her sisters. At 16, on a service trip to Belize in Central America, she cut through weeds with a machete and poured concrete to construct a house. "I realized I could do something creative and technical while contributing to the world," she says.

After earning an MFA in architecture and design, she spent three years at various firms before giving up office life to become a high school shop teacher. An upsetting pattern appeared: "More often than not, the boys would talk louder and take up more space," says Pilloton. "I'd see the girls roll their eyes or look at each other, especially when something was being done incorrectly. Some tried to force their way in, but it's exhausting to always fight for airtime. Even in my classroom, gendered ideas about the labor girls could or couldn't do still existed and I got sick of it."

In 2010, Pilloton started guiding girls, only groups. "I pulled them aside during the class so we could focus on one thing: creating awesome architecture," she says. Three years later, she started Girls Garage. The nonprofit's mission: to teach 9-to-17-year-olds how to use carpentry tools, weld steel, draft blueprints and reenter the outside world with more confidence. After-school and weekend programs followed, and in 2016, Girls Garage moved into a 3,600-square-foot work space in Berkeley. The organization's motto "FEAR LESS. BUILD MORE." is printed on a blue wall. There, young girls build community-improving projects like a picnic table for a women's shelter and sandboxes for preschools.

But for these girls, shoptalk isn't all carpentry and welding tips. Within the garage walls and among an all-female instructional staff, students share whatever's on their mind. Pilloton's students aren't shy about their issues and ambitions, because the space is theirs alone. "It was designed by and for girls," she says. "Here, they're never talked down to and they always get to be their biggest selves."

1. How did Pilloton feel about her trip to Belize?

A．Inspiring.

B．Relaxing.

C．Tiring.

D．Annoying.

2. What did Pilloton find as a high school shop teacher?

A．Female students found it hard to get things right.

B．Male students usually put themselves in a superior position.

C．Male students fought against each other to get more space.

D．Female students got exhausted more easily than male students.

3. What can be learned about the organization started by Pilloton?

A．It focuses on individual guidance.	B．It is a highly profitable institution.
C．It builds girls' skills and inner strength.	D．It mainly reaches out to women in need.

4. What does Pilloton think of the shoptalk?

A．It is way too academic.	B．It is private and secret.
C．It is always professional.	D．It is free and full of respect.

2 . A disease called “Panama” is threatening supplies of the world’s most popular fruit—banana.

The disease started in Asia in the 1990s, and later spread to Africa and the Middle East. A new outbreak was discovered last year in Australia. World health officials worry that the disease could travel to Latin America, one of the top banana producers in the world.

This is a big concern because bananas are an important source (来源) of income and nutrients for millions of people. They are grown in 135 tropical (热带的) nations. The United Nations lists bananas as one of the most important foods, along with rice, wheat and corn.

Randy Ploetz, America’s top banana expert, explained Panama disease affects the Cavendish banana. The Cavendish is the most popular one of more than 500 kinds of bananas. “The industry is waking up to the problem,” Ploetz said. “If the disease spreads to Latin America, it could hurt the world’s economy along with food supplies for millions of people.”

Robert Bertram, chief scientist for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), told VOA, “In Africa, Asia and tropical America, bananas are an important food source for more than 100 million people. As a cash crop, bananas are sold in local and international markets. Banana exports provide jobs and foreign money that producing countries need.”

Bertram said USAID is organizing a worldwide effort to stop the growth of Panama disease. At Wageningen University in the Netherlands, researchers are looking for Cavendish replacements. Their work is difficult. Researchers said a replacement will have to resist Panama disease, and survive the shipping time needed to get bananas to stores thousands of miles away from banana fields. And, yes, they will have to taste good.

1. Where was Panama disease recently found?

A．In Asia.	B．In the Middle East.
C．In Australia.	D．In Latin America.

2. What does the underlined “the problem” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Short supply of rice, wheat and corn.	B．Panama disease’s effects on bananas.
C．The popularity of 500 kinds of bananas.	D．Latin American nations’ poor economy.

3. Which of the following might be a possible way to stop the spread of Panama disease?

A．Selling bananas in more international markets.

B．Providing more money for producing countries.

C．Finding replacements for Cavendish bananas.

D．Getting bananas stored miles away from fields.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Food and agriculture.	B．History and geography.
C．Modern technology.	D．Environmental pollution.

3 . Pillows(枕头) are a universal part of our lives and there are more choices than there have ever been, each with its own claim of support and comfort. While the idea of pillows being a soft place to rest your head is not a new concept, it certainly wasn’t its original purpose.

The earliest pillows date back over 9,000 years to Mesopotamian, or modern-day Iraq. Formed from stone, the top was carved in a half-moon shape to support the neck. The idea obviously wasn’t comfort. The basic function of the pillow was to keep the head off the ground and prevent insects from crawling (爬) into mouths, noses and ears.

The Egyptians believed that the head was an important spiritual and life center for the body, so pillows were created to hold and protect it. Pillows were carved of wood and reserved mainly for wealthy people.

The Chinese on the other hand, created decorated pillows from many materials including wood, stone, bamboo and jade (玉). Though they had the knowledge and ability to create soft pillows, they believe that such pillows stole energy from the body while one slept and were ineffective at keeping the bad spirits away.

Ancient Greeks and Romans used pillows more similar to those we know today—cloth bags filled with materials such as feathers or straw. By the Middle Ages in Europe, however, pillows had fallen out of favor with many. Many men viewed pillows as a sign of weakness, and their use was primarily limited to people with health problems.

Pillows did not become nearly as universal as they are today until the Industrial Revolution. The improvements in technology made mass production of pillows possible, meaning everyone could sleep with a pillow at night.

For such a simple idea, it’s amazing to see that pillow is still changing—new materials and shapes arise constantly. The pillow has been an important piece of human culture throughout much of our history and continues to be today.

1. Why were the earliest pillows invented?

A．To make people comfortable.	B．To protect the head from insects.
C．To provide energy for the body.	D．To drive away bad spirits at night.

2. Who used pillows in ancient Egypt?

A．The rich.

B．The mass.

C．Patients.

D．Spirits.

3. It can be inferred from the text that ___________.

A．many people nowadays view pillow as a sign of weakness

B．more and more Europeans began to favor pillows in the Middle Ages

C．the ancient Chinese believed decorated pillows could keep bad spirits away

D．ancient Greaks and Romans used pillows in a quite different way from today

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

A．Pillows throughout the ages	B．Technology changes pillows
C．Mass production of pillows	D．Ways of promoting sleep

4 . Films to be released next month

Dune

Now at last we have a big-screen Dune that may actually do justice to Frank Herbert’s science-fiction novel. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, this is a sweeping epic (史诗) which run for 155 minutes. The budget is large, the crew is among the top, and the cast is packed with big names, including Timthée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Zendaya and Dave Bautista. As is said in the Independent, “It is a film of such literal and emotional largeness that its existence is incredible.”

Released in the UK. Ireland. the US

Ron’s Gone Wrong

Ron’s Gone Wrong is a family comedy about the differences between social media and physical interaction. Is schoolboy hero, Barney, is given what seems to be the ideal toy, a shiny robot which is programmed to be his friend — assuming it works properly. But this particular robot, Ron, barely works at all. This is the first feature-length cartoon from a new British studio, Locksmith animation.

Released in Ireland, the US and Canada

Antlers

In the latest horror-drama produced by Guillermo del Toro, a security guard suspects that a supernatural creature Wendigo is wandering near their small Oregon town. The story is rooted in Native American tales of Wendigo, so the director, Scott Cooper, consulted Professor Grace L Dillon on the subject. Dillon “really educated me that for Native Americans, First Nations, it’s not just a folk tale. They truly believe in it, because it represents greed when we first came to the shores of what is now America, and robbed all of their resources. Out of that rose the Wendigo.”

Released in Australia and New Zealand, and the UK

The French Dispatch

Wes Anderson fans are delighted: the writer-director’s 10th film is his most Wes Anderson-ish ever. In The French Dispatch, he takes his fairly fine style to new extremes, almost every frame is carefully designed with a split screen, a freeze frame, or a flowery voice-over. It consists of three short stories set in the fictional French town of Ennui-sui-Blasé, and supposedly drawn from the pages of a New Yorker-style magazine in themid-20th Century. Timothée Chalamet, Benicio del Toro and Léa Seydoux star in it.

Released in the UK, Ireland and Canada

1. Which film will be popular with young kids?

A．Dune.	B．Ron’s Gone Wrong.
C．Antlers.	D．The French Dispatch.

2. What kind of film is recommended to Australian film fans?

A．A horror film.	B．A family comedy.
C．A science fiction film.	D．A musical film.

3. What is special about The French Dispatch?

A．It is a super long film.	B．It is carefully designed.
C．It gathers the biggest stars.	D．It is adapted from true stories.

5 . Parents can play a vital role in helping teens succeed in school by being informed and lending a little support. Even though teens are seeking independence, parental involvement is an important ingredient for academic success.     1    

Attend back-to-school night and parent-teacher conferences. Attending your school's back-to-school night is effective to get to know your teen's teachers and their expectations. School administrators may discuss policies that parents and guardians of teenagers need to know about.     2     Although in high school, staff usually set these up only when parental involvement is needed to address issues like behavior problems and poor academic performance.

Support homework expectations. During the high school years, homework gets more intense and grades become critical for college plans. Many teens are learning how to balance academics with extracurricular activities and social lives.     3     It means no phone, TV, or websites other than homework-related resources. Be sure to check in from time to time to make sure that your teen is attention-focusing.

    4     A nutritious breakfast fuels up teens and gets them ready for the day. In general, teens who eat breakfast have more energy and do better in school. You can help boost your teen's attention span, concentration, and memory by providing breakfast foods that are rich in whole grains, fiber, and protein, as well as low in added sugar.

Make time to talk about school. Many teens spend so much of the day outside the home: at school, extracurricular activities, or with peers.     5     Still，you should make efforts to talk with your teen every day and he or she will know their parents are interested in their academic lives, and they’ll take school seriously as well and the challenges of high school can be easier to face.

A．Send your teen to school ready to learn.

B．Ensure your teen to have good living habits.

C．Attending parent-teacher conferences is another way to stay informed.

D．Here are several ways to keep your teen on track to succeed in high school.

E．But parents are still their anchors for providing love, guidance, and support.

F．So staying connected with them can be challenging for parents and guardians.

G．One way to help is to ensure your teen has a quiet, distraction-free place to study.

6 . Have a lifetime adventure of seeing all the seven world wonders. Save up to $ 2, 860 from the none-stop price of $ 18, 860!

You can join our eighty-two-day none-stop Seven World Wonders trip all year around.

Of course, the trip can be booked separately and the same amount (数量) of money will be returned when separate trips have added up to cover the Seven World Wonders package.

For more details, please call 6337-8166 or email travel@contiki. com.

Here are some of the examples of the schedules：

Eternal India, 23 March—4 April

The trip starts with a 12-day stay in India, where travelers will visit the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Eternal India doesn’t end there—in India there’s also tiger-watching in Ranthambhore National Park, relaxing beachside in Goa and city explorations of Udaipur and Mumbai.

Price: $ 1, 950.

Yucatan Highlights, 21一26 April

The most famous and well-protected ruins in Mayan history, Chichen Itza, is next on the schedule. A tour with a local guide will answer questions about the Mayan calendar, the positioning of the sun and the connections between ruins around the country. The six-day Mexican adventure continues with a few days in sunny Cancun, the beautiful city of Merida and Mexico City.

Price: $ 950.

Simply Italy, 2一13 June

Finish this great 82-day journey with a 12-day Italian holiday.

Top destinations including Florence, Venice, Sorrento, Milan, The Riviera and of course, the ancient Roman Colosseum is the final wonder on the list.

Price: $2, 050.

1. When can tourists join the Seven World Wonders trip?

A．From March to April.	B．All year around.
C．Only from March to June.	D．During 21-26 April.

2. Which trip should a tourist take if he is just interested in Mayan culture?

A．Eternal India.	B．Simply Italy.
C．Yucatan Highlights.	D．Seven World Wonders.

3. How much will a tourist pay for the above three separate trips?

A．$2, 860.

B．$4, 950.

C．$16, 000.

D．$ 18, 860.

7 . In the past, video conference technology was mainly used for just a few elements of business meetings or hangouts with friends and family. Now, video conference tools are essential for our productivity, learning and social interaction. We use them not only for fun, but mainly as a meaningful part of our work.

However, once we start to join endless video calls for a few hours each day, we become very tired. This term is called “zoom fatigue”, and it’s related to overusing virtual communication platforms.

There are some advantages of using video conferencing tools. Without them, it might be impossible for us to work from home. But what we haven’t expected is a price that we need to pay for that sort of convenience.

When we are having a face-to-face conversation with others, everything seems pretty natural. While speaking, you look into the eyes, sometimes slightly moving your stare onto something else. You know when to stop talking and when to speak up. Even if you’re in a conference room with 10 people, you don’t have a terrible feeling of being observed all the time. You notice that people mostly look at the person who is speaking, and then they move their attention onto someone else. But when you use a teleconferencing tool, things are different. Being physically on camera makes you very aware of being watched all the time, because you don’t know who is looking at you. You just see many faces on your screen.

Marissa Shuffler from Clemson University once said, “When you’re on a video conference, you know everybody’s looking at you; you are on stage, so there comes the social pressure—a feeling like you need to perform. Being performative is stressful.”

Moreover, there is another interesting tendency as far as video calls are concerned. Who are you looking at most of the time? The answer is yourself. For most people, it’s hard not to look at their own face if they can see it on the screen. We are likely to make sure that our head is at the right angle and that our shirt isn’t creased.

1. What is the so-called “zoom fatigue”?

A．The fast pace of our modern life.

B．Boredom caused by too many video calls.

C．The wide spread of video technology

D．Burnout associated with overusing online platforms

2. What can video calls bring us when compared with face-to-face conversations?

A．Higher cost.

B．More stress.

C．More free time.

D．Better performance.

3. Why do we look at ourselves most of the time on the screen?

A．To be well-behaved.	B．To get some comfort.
C．To grow self-confidence.	D．To attract others’ attention.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The popularity of video calls.

B．People’s attitude towards video calls.

C．Some unforeseen effects of video calls.

D．Changes in people’s way of communication。

8 . Burning coal for energy adds planet-warming carbon dioxide(CO2) to Earth's atmosphere. As the planet heats up, experts warn that simply cutting greenhouse gas emissions（排放） will not be enough to avoid global warming. CO2 must also be remcved from the atmosphere.

Existing experimental machines that pull CO2 directly from the air are too expensive to be widely used. But a new effective technology to remove CO₂ already exists. It is not expensive and easy. It is forests. Planting trees and watching forests are effective ways to clean the air.

Forests used to cover large areas of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. In the state of West Virginia, coal mining left the land there bare, without trees. Over the years, coal mining and cutting forests took over 90 percent of the red spruce（云杉） forests.

Chris Barton works for the University of Kentucky. He started a group called Green Forests Work, aiming to put trees back on the roughly 400 , 000 hectares of land.

However, Barton explains the land has problems. "If you planted trees on these places, they just didn't grow. The ground was too hard. Water didn't infiltrate（渗透）. The trees can't root. Oxygen can't circulate in those environments. "Using heavy equipment, workers tear the ground. In this way, the trees put down roots.

Barton says not everyone believes the solution is a good idea. "We've had a lot of doubtful look at us twice from people. But after we do it, there's no question that it was the right thing to do. "And it has worked. Forests are coming back to the grounds.

Scientists say that, in West Virginia alone, restoring red spruce forests to the area could send what is equal to 56 million barrels（桶）of oil into the ground. But it will take time—a long time. Around the world, experts say, nature offers powerful tools to fight climate change. But patience is needed. Nature works, but slowly, in its own time.

1. What is the economical and effective way to remove CO₂ from the air?

A．Inventing new and powerful machines.

B．Cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

C．Making use of natural gases instead of coal.

D．Planting trees and protecting forests.

2. What does the underlined word "tear" in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Cry.

B．Repair.

C．Destroy.

D．Cover.

3. From the fifth paragraph we know that ________.

A．oxygen is not enough for trees to grow there

B．too many rocks had made it hard to plant trees

C．coal mining has spoiled the land through years

D．there is no water for trees to grow there

4. The last paragraph tells us that restoring the forest environment there is________.

A．a painful process

B．a slow process

C．a creative process

D．a learning process

9 . If you are looking to improve your relationship with your parents, you are not alone.     1     There are a number of steps that can be taken to make a better relationship with your parents.

Be grateful. Consider all that your parents have done for you. You may find yourself feeling thankful to your parents. You will be more willing to improve the relationship. Let your parents know that you are appreciative for all they have done for you.     2     For example, get them a nice gift. If you live with your parents, do some extra housework without being asked.

    3     Often, people do not get along because they fail to take others' perspective. Accept that your parents are different. Think about the ways that their lives may have been different from your life, and how these different histories may be contributing to issues in the relationship.

Avoid unnecessary arguments. Sometimes arguments are unavoidable, but do your best to avoid unnecessary quarrels. This may mean that you have to bite your tongue when one of your parents says something controversial.     4     If it is, make the point clearly and modestly in order to avoid an overly emotional argument.

Don't ask for their advice unless you really want it. Sometimes problems arise in relationships between parents and children, particularly at the teenage years and beyond, because parents can try to give advice that might hurt your sense of independence.     5     Otherwise, you may be opening the door to frustration on your part.

A．Put yourself in their shoes.

B．Be happy with them for this.

C．Show your appreciation with your actions.

D．It can hurt to feel taken for granted, even for parents.

E．Problems between parents and children are common.

F．So try only asking for their advice when you really want it.

G．Determine whether the need to respond is really necessary.

10 . Born In 1980, even as a young girl, Diana Trujillo was certain of her enthusiasm for science. But she doubted how far she'd be able to go in a male controlled field. Fate (命运) stepped in when her dad, thinking having a second language might expand his daughter's horizons, sent her to live with an aunt in Miami.

With just $300 to her name, Trujillo took a series of housekeeping jobs to put herself through Miami Dade College. In addition to learning English, she studied aerospace (航空航天) engineering, where it was rare to see a woman. Sometimes she had to take six buses just to get to class. Other days she was cleaning bathrooms to help pay her way through her studies. But she didn't complain (抱怨).

"I saw everything coming my way as an opportunity," Trujillo told CBS News. "I didn't see it as: ‘I can't believe I'm doing this job at night, or I can't believe that I'm cleaning a bathroom right now.’ It was just more like, ‘I’m glad that I have a job and that I can buy food and have a house to sleep in…’"

Then came another life-changing moment for Trujillo. One of her professors mentioned be knew ab astronaut, Realizing she was "just one person away from knowing an astronaut" was all it took to encourage Trujillo to achieve her career goals.

Trujillo continued with her studies. Becoming the first Hispanic woman to be admitted to the NASA Academy, she did so well that she was one of the only two students to receive a job offer from the famous institution. Since then, Trujillo has worn many bats at America's space agency, Including the Mission Lead for the Curiosity rover in 2014.

Trujillo's own story has proved that just beyond that barrier lies an entire universe of opportunities waiting for anyone willing to work hard enough to reach for the stars.

1. What helped Trujillo make the first step of her career?

A．Her learning a third language.	B．Her aunt's connections in Miami.
C．Her curiosity about the outside world.	D．Her father's decision to send her to Miami.

2. How did Trujillo put herself through college?

A．She did part-time jobs.	B．Her aunt lent her money.
C．Her father paid for her study.	D．She received aid from her college.

3. What's Trujillo's attitude towards her life according to Paragraph 3?

A．Regretful.

B．Positive.

C．Worried.

D．Uninterested.

4. What can we learn from Trujillo's story?

A．It's important to discover one's talents early.

B．Everyone can realize their dream with tireless efforts.

C．Poor children can achieve more with strong wills.

D．It's difficult for women to enter the field of space.