1 . History could repeat itself. Solar storms have happened before and they could happen again.
About 2,700 years ago, a strong solar storm swept past the Earth. Scientists announced this in a new study.
Scientists studied ancient ice in Greenland, a part of Denmark although it is in North America. They searched to uncover clues (线索) about previous solar storms. They looked at an ice core that dated as far back as 100,000 years. In it, scientists found radiation that showed a very strong solar storm 2,700 years ago. “If that solar storm occurred today, it could have serious effects on our high-tech society,” said Muscheler, a scientist at Lund University in Sweden.
Solar storms are made up of high-energy particles (粒子) released from the sun. The releases are explosions on the star’s surface. Solar storms include different kinds of eruptions (喷发) from the sun’s surface, says NASA. Flares, sunspots and other bursts are common signs of solar activity. They all involve sudden releases of stored energy, NASA says.
The long-ago storm had little effect on people in the world. It happened before businesses and technology were everywhere. However, a solar storm of that strength would be a threat to modern society, the study said. It would cause widespread power failure. Communications, space technologies, and airline operations would also be in danger.
Scientists said this is the third known discovery of a huge solar storm in historic times. This suggests that while the storms are rare, they are a natural effect of solar activity. In other words, they could happen again. “That’s why we must increase society’s protection against solar storms,” Muscheler said. “Our research suggests that the risks are currently underestimated. We need to be better prepared.”
1. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 3?| A．Add some background information. | B．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| C．Provide some advice for the readers. | D．Introduce a new topic for discussion. |
| A．We pay little attention to the risks of solar storms. |
| B．A solar storm would destroy everything on the Earth. |
| C．It would cause widespread snowstorms on the Earth. |
| D．Modern society depends on science and technology. |
| A．Solar storms will hit areas worldwide. |
| B．Solar storms could have serious effects on the Earth today. |
| C．Three known solar storms happened in historic times. |
| D．Solar storms are high-energy particles released from the sun. |
2 . Rita Dove, a poet and story writer, started seriously making her career as a writer in 1980 when she wrote her first book, The Yellow House on the Corner. In her childhood days, Dove loved to read for countless hours on end. Her passion (热爱) for reading led her to want to write herself.
Dove was raised in Akron, Ohio in an African-American household made up of herself, two younger sisters, an elder brother and her parents. They were always there for Dove to make sure that she got the best education. Her father was the first black research chemist who broke the race barrier in the tire industry. This gave her even more confidence.
Dove kept exploring her interest in writing as her life progressed. In 1970, at the age of 18, she was accepted by the White House as a Presidential Scholar and was recognized as one of the hundred best high school students in the United States. And three years later she graduated from Miami University in Ohio, and then went to West Germany on a scholarship from 1974 to 1975. After receiving her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1977, she knew that she was not going to deny dream of becoming a writer and poet.
When Dove was 34 she received the Pulitzer Prize for Thomas and Beulah, a book about her grandparents. Dove’s second big surprise was that she became the youngest person at the age of 40, and the first African American to be honored as United States Poet Laureate in 1993 and held the title until 1995.
Her poems interest readers because they can read them and picture her life as a girl. They are able to imagine their own childhood and relate to her life. Dove deserves the many awards she has received. She has studied and worked hard to become such a talented poet and writer.
1. When she wrote her first book, Rita Dove .| A．was in her late twenties |
| B．was accepted by the White House |
| C．just graduated from Miami University |
| D．wanted to write a book about her grandparents |
| A．Her parents were strict with her. |
| B．Her parents gave her great support. |
| C．She is the eldest among the children. |
| D．She failed to get a good education. |
| A．Admiring. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Respectful. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．The works of Rita Dove. |
| B．The efforts Rita Dove made. |
| C．The biography (传记) of Rita Dove. |
| D．The hard life Rita Dove lived. |
3 . Undersea explorer Tim Taylor and his team at the Lost 52 Project announced that they had located the long-lost submarine about 1,427 feet underwater off Okinawa, Japan. In 2018, researcher Yutaka Iwasaki found that the Navy had originally made an error in translating the Japanese war records that detailed where the Grayback had likely sunk. All this time, the Navy’s historical records had listed an incorrect site of the submarine.
With the help of autonomous underwater vehicles, remotely operated vehicles and advanced imaging technology, the team discovered the Grayback about 100 miles from the area where it was originally thought to have gone down. The discovery was officially confirmed by the Navy.
On January 28, 1944, the Grayback set sail from Pearl Harbor for the East China Sea. About a month later, the submarine reported sinking two Japanese ships on February 19. Though the Grayback was scheduled to arrive in Midway on March 7, more than three weeks passed with the submarine out of sight. And on March 30,1944, the Grayback, one of the most successful submarines of World War Ⅱ, was reported lost.
Gloria Hurney, whose uncle Raymond Parks died on the Grayback, said that she wasn’t sure that the Grayback would ever be recovered. So when she first learned of the discovery, she felt a mixture of shock, disbelief and sadness. Eventually, though, those feelings turned into relief, comfort and peace. Hurney said in a statement, “I believe it will allow healing as relatives of crew members come together to share their stories.” Neyland, a Navy officer, said in a statement, “Each discovery of a sunken craft is an opportunity to remember and honor the service of our sailors.”
1. Why couldn’t the submarine be found before?| A．There was no need to find it. |
| B．The technology was not so advanced. |
| C．No information about the submarine was obtained. |
| D．The Navy was wrong in translating records from Japanese into English. |
| A．By accident. | B．By modern technology. |
| C．By the Navy’s hard work. | D．By the families’ determination. |
| A．The Grayback would be recovered soon. |
| B．Peopled feelings about the discovery were different. |
| C．The Grayback was the most successful submarine of World War Ⅱ. |
| D．The Grayback was supposed to reach the destination on April 7. |
| A．A World War Ⅱ submarine was discovered. |
| B．Tim Taylor and his team announced a new discovery. |
| C．An opportunity to remember and honor the service of sailors. |
| D．A mistake the Navy made in translating the Japanese war records. |
4 . What do Neil Armstrong, Ed White and today’s astronauts have in common? They all wear a white spacesuit. Beyond NASA, space programmes in countries like Russia and China also use white suits. This basic colour has saved countless astronauts’ lives. NASA didn’t always have white spacesuits. Their very first manned spaceflight, Project Mercury, used silver suits, but none of those astronauts actually explored the vacuum of space. And that’s the key because out there, spacesuitshave to be highly reflective. And the best colour for that isn’t silver, but white.
Here on Earth, our atmosphere protects us from 77% of the sun’s radiation. But astronauts in space don’t have that natural protection, making them easily hurt by extreme temperatures, severe sunburn, and even cancer-causing cell damage. So to prevent that, they wear white suits that reflect the sun’s harmful radiation.
But those white suits aren’t the only garments in an astronaut’s closet. When heading into space or coming home, NASA astronauts wear a bright orange suit similar in colour to the safety vests Air Force pilots wear, and it’s for similar reasons that loud orange stands out against the blue ocean and sky and is perfect for attracting attention.
That being said, times are changing. Nowadays we have more ways of finding out astronauts in need of rescue like GPS, so space agencies are now free to get creative with their colour choices. NASA and other programmes are already starting to use other colours like deep blue and mustard yellow. In the future, theycould look a lot different because NASA is heading to Mars. It will be the longest crewed space mission to date, taking as long as three years from start to finish, and during that time, astronauts could suffer from boredom or depression. That’s where colourful spacesuits could be useful.
1. What is the benefit of wearing white spacesuits?| A．Providing protection against hot air. | B．Building team spirit among astronauts. |
| C．Avoiding damaging the vacuum of space. | D．Guarding astronauts against solar radiation. |
| A．Astronauts in bright orange are easy to spot by rescue crews. |
| B．Astronauts have to prepare white suits diverse in patterns. |
| C．Loud orange is the colour of choice for dangerous space missions. |
| D．The safety vests Air Force pilots wear are popular with astronauts. |
| A．To set a new trend for spacesuits. | B．To brighten up the dull space life. |
| C．To show astronauts’ creative minds. | D．To meet the demand of space agencies. |
| A．Do Spacesuits Always Stay White? | B．How Do Spacesuits Protect Astronauts? |
| C．Do Colourful Spacesuits Have Advantages? | D．Why Is White So Popular With Astronauts? |
5 . In my early teens, I was once given a film camera as a gift . On receiving it, I jumped on my bike, headed to Wimbledon Common and took photos, just for me: photos of trees and wildlife. I was out all day. On my way home I spotted a tree lit up by street lighting and tried to capture its beauty. Rushing home, I put the spent film in a special little envelope and sent it off to a photography store, desperate to see how it would come out. I took many photos then and loved the fact that when you processed your film you got back colour photos which froze the precious moments, gently encouraging the hobby and the payments for processing.
As I grew into adulthood, that simple, deep happiness gradually faded away. One weekend when I was busy answering the work calls, my eyes caught a box in the corner of the room. I suddenly felt a sense of sadness. The stress growing over these years had pushed the camera from beside my pillow to the box in the corner. I thought I needed a change.
I took out the camera and dusted it down. It was a great joy that it still worked. I bought new film and took the camera everywhere I went. Now it is always on hand to accompany me on journeys, to allow me time to myself. Even if the day is full and busy, I can seize some moments for myself to take photos, to observe the world around me.
The wall of my room now holds all my camera equipment on display, along with photos I've taken. To me, the room represents how I’ve found happiness: by reconnecting to the younger part of myself I laid aside, by allowing room in my life for pleasure to exist, and by creating an environment that allows opportunities for delight.
1. What did the author think of taking photos as a young boy?| A．Inspiring and practical. | B．Tiring yet delightful. |
| C．Exciting and worthwhile. | D．Difficult yet engaging. |
| A．He wanted to focus on his work. | B．He was struck by sudden sorrow. |
| C．He attempted to behave like an adult. | D．He was faced with increasing pressure. |
| A．More fun in the daily routine. | B．New journeys in the wild. |
| C．Better skills of observation. | D．Different styles of photography. |
| A．Revisiting Lost Childhood Memories | B．Appreciating Beauty Behind the Lens |
| C．Escaping Teenage Sadness with Camera | D．Regaining Pleasure Through Photography |
6 . Despite being confined to a wheelchair, and having to undergo dialysis (透析) three times a week, an English teacher at SK Peroh is more eager than ever to teach her students, and has never taken any sick or special leave.
Zarina Abdullah, 50, who has been a teacher for 27 years, was confined to a wheelchair two years ago after both her knees were injured seriously. “At first, I fell down at home and that hurt my left knee. After that I started using a walking stick to school, but just four months later, I once again fell in front of the class, which damaged my right knee, and since then, I have had to rely on a wheelchair. Actually, surgery could enable me to walk again, but on the advice of my doctor, I did not go ahead with it because the risk was too high, as I have been suffering from kidney disease for the past 15 years and heart disease for the past 10 years,” she said.
Zarina said as soon as she finished the classes every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, she would have to rush to the hospital in Kuala Terengganu for dialysis.
“At 2:30 pm, I’d go to hospital for dialysis, where each treatment would take more than four hours. Every Monday, I also undergo other treatments at the hospital. Indeed, it is quite exhausting when I return home late at night after undergoing treatments. And the next day I have to go to school to teach, but I do not regard it as a big trouble, and I will certainly come to school to teach my students for I am interested in my job,” she said.
1. What would Zarina Abdullah do after finishing her classes on Mondays?| A．Practice walking. |
| B．Go home and have a rest. |
| C．Receive surgery for her knees. |
| D．Undergo treatments at the hospital. |
| A．It is troublesome. |
| B．It is exciting. |
| C．It is interesting. |
| D．It is painful. |
| A．Her doctor refused the surgery on her knees. |
| B．She didn't have enough money for the surgery. |
| C．She was too busy teaching to receive the surgery. |
| D．She had other diseases which would increase the risk of the surgery. |
| A．Nothing Would Stop a Teacher From Educating |
| B．What Touches and Encourages Teachers Most |
| C．Ways to Fight with the Terrible Disease |
| D．Reasons Why Pupils Love Their Teachers |
7 . SPACE: THE FINAL FRONTIER
“Are we alone? What’s out there?” Looking up at the stars, people have always wanted to learn more about space, and scientists work hard to find answers. They make vehicles to carry brave people into space to find out the secrets of the universe. They also really wish to discover other planets that are suitable enough to support life.
Before the mid-20th century, most people felt travelling into space was an impossible dream. However, some scientists were determined to help humans realise their dream to explore space. After many experiments, they succeeded in making rockets that could escape Earth’s gravity. On 4 October 1957, the Sputnik 1 satellite was launched by the USSR and successfully orbited around Earth. Afterwards, the USSR focused on sending people into space, and on 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person in the world to go into space. Over eight years later, on 20 July 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon, famously saying, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Following this, many more goals were achieved. For example, America’s NASA space agency launched Voyager 1 on 5 September 1977 to study deep space, and it still transmits data today.
Although scientists try to make sure nothing goes wrong, accidents can still happen. All the astronauts on the USSR’s Soyuz 11 and America’s Challenger died during their missions. These disasters made everyone sad and disappointed, but the desire to explore the universe never died. This is because people believe in the importance of carrying on space exploration despite the huge risks. An example of this ongoing work is the International Space Station. It orbits Earth and has astronauts from different countries on board, providing a continuous human presence in space.
China’s space programme started later than those of Russia and the US, but it has made great progress in a short time. China became the third country in the world to independently send humans into space in 2003, when Yang Liwei successfully orbited Earth in the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft. Then Shenzhou 6 and 7 completed a second manned orbit and the first Chinese spacewalk, followed by the vehicle Jade Rabbit being sent to the moon to study its surface. After that, China launched the Tiangong 2 space lab into space and Tianzhou 1 to dock with it. This signalled one step further in China’s plan to establish a space station in the future. More recently, China has sent Chang’e 4 to explore the surface of the far side of the moon to make measurements and observations.
The future of space exploration remains bright. Europe, the US, and China all have plans to further study and explore planets like Mars and Jupiter. Despite the difficulties, scientists hope future discoveries will not only enable us to understand how the universe began, but also help us survive well into the future.
1. 语篇结构
2. What had happened before the Sputnik 1 satellite was launched?
| A．Many experiments on rockets had been carried out. |
| B．Yuri Gagarin had got well prepared to fly into space. |
| C．America’s NASA had made great research on rockets. |
| D．Quite a few severe accidents had killed some astronauts. |
| A．Neil Armstrong has made unbelievable achievements. |
| B．It is easy for him to step onto the surface of the moon. |
| C．Human beings have made a great breakthrough in history. |
| D．In exploring space the US achieved more than the USSR. |
| A．They gave up building the task. |
| B．They rose to the challenge bravely. |
| C．They felt disappointed and hopeless. |
| D．They decided to put off the exploration. |
| A．Supportive | B．Unconcerned. | C．Objective. | D．Negative. |
8 . The Importance of Humour
Humour has been an essential part of human behaviour for thousands of years. There is comedy in the texts of Ancient Greece, and medieval writings are filled with jokes. While these same jokes might not be as funny to us now as they were then, their authors understood that humour could not only entertain but also throw new light on sensitive or emotive issues.
Closer to modern times, someone who is remembered for his ability to combine humour with more serious messages is American writer, Mark Twain. Twain’s particular style of writing is funny and often mischievous (淘气的, 恶作剧的). For example, in his classic novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, he famously says, “Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.” But he is equally well known for his witty remarks in his everyday interactions with people. For instance, while on a lecturing tour of the United States, Twain went into a barber’s shop to get a haircut and a shave. The barber, not recognising him, asked if he had a ticket to the lecture. When Twain replied that he didn’t, the barber told him that if he wanted to go to the event he would have to stand, as there were no seats left in the theatre. Twain’s response was, “That’s just my luck. I always have to stand when that fellow lectures!”
Like Twain, but on the other side of the world, Lin Yutang was soon to become famous for his unique brand of humour. A well-known bilingual writer, Lin brought the concept of humour to modern Chinese literature. In 1924, he creatively borrowed “youmo” from Ancient Chinese as the translation for the English word “humour”. “Youmo” is still being used in this way today.
Lin’s quick wit helped make him famous as a master of humour. Once, having been invited to dinner at a university, he was put on the spot when the president suddenly asked him to give a speech. Thinking on his feet, Lin started to tell a story about a cruel Roman emperor who tried to feed a man to wild animals. First came a lion. The man whispered something in the lion’s ear, after which the lion shook its head and walked away unhappily. Then along came a tiger. Again, the man whispered in the tiger’s ear. The tiger looked shocked and hurried away. “What did you say to my animals?” said the emperor, astonished. “I told them they had to make a speech after eating me for dinner.” Lin’s audience roared with laughter. With this little joke, Lin was able to make people laugh, while gently telling off the president.
Both Twain and Lin understood that humour isn’t just about laughter, but is a way of life and a tool that can be used to illuminate the world. Lin even created an equation to explain this concept: Reality + Dreams + Humour =Wisdom. Living and working with others can sometimes be complicated, and humour makes this easier. Sharing jokes and laughing together can bring individuals and even communities together. Indeed, some may argue that our need for humour is almost as great as our need for water and air. In the words of Mark Twain, “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing”.
1. Read for main ideasRead the passage and find out Mark Twain and Lin Yutang’s attitude towards humour.
Mark Twain and Lin’s attitude towards humour is
2. Read for details
Introduction: Humour is an essential part of
Mark Twain:Remembered for: ability to
Writing style:_
Also well known for his witty remarks
Example:_
Lin Yutang: Famous for his unique brand of humour
Evidence:
Quick wit helped make him famous as
Example:_
Conclusion:Humour is a
9 . Limericks (五行打油诗) are usually humorous, and have five lines: the first two rhyme, the two in the middle rhyme, and the last line rhymes with the first two lines. Here is how to write a limerick.
Pick what you would like your limerick to be about. It could be about mice, a tree, a person, or whatever.
__________. Don’t end it with something you can’t rhyme-like “orange”, Start it like “There once was a man who ate limes (酸橙)” or something like that.
Your next line has to rhyme with the first line. If you use “There once was a man who ate limes”, your second line could be like “ He ate them all the time” or “ And sampled various wines”. Your limerick would now be like “There once was a man who ate limes/And sampled various wines”.
The third and fourth lines have to be related to the first part of your limerick, but are not with the same rhyme. They could be like, “ He wouldn’t touch a tomato/It tasted too much like potatoes” or something along those lines.
The fifth line must rhyme with the first two lines.Your last line could be like, “And potatoes, you know, do not shine” or something like that.
Your entire limerick would be kind of like this: There once was a man who ate limes/And sampled various wines/ He wouldn’t touch a tomato/It tasted too much like potatoes/And potatoes, you know, do not shine.
If you don’t like your limerick, you can always go back and change it. It’s not permanent.
1. What should be cared about most to write limericks?| A．The length. | B．The rhyme. |
| C．The structure. | D．The style. |
| A．Consider your limerick. | B．Decide a perfect content. |
| C．Care for your words. | D．Start your first line. |
| A．By giving an example. | B．By testing some theories. |
| C．By analyzing cause and effect. | D．By following the time order. |
| A．How to Write a Limerick |
| B．How to Appreciate a Limerick |
| C．How to Analyze Limericks Exactly |
| D．How to Organize Five Lines into a Limerick |
10 . When you think about art, you might consider it to be permanent. After all, that picture you drew in kindergarten might still hang on your refrigerator years later.
Can you think of other forms of art that are temporary? If you’re a fan of the beach, sandcastles might come to your mind. Have you ever spent hours building a beautiful sandcastle?
Most of the time, art made from sand can’t last long. Still, many people love using sand to create their own unique vision of beauty. One of the most attractive types of sand art is sand animation.
Sand animation artists create a series of images that move to tell a story. They might also use music and special lighting to complete the effect. Sometimes they photograph or video their creation throughout the process.
| A．It is a type of live performance art. |
| B．Not all works of art are permanent, though. |
| C．Sand animation is beautiful but lasts only for the moment. |
| D．Then, they turn it into a sand animation movie when it’s finished. |
| E．It might seem like using sand would limit the art you could make. |
| F．If you have, you would probably be sad when it was time to leave the beach. |
| G．Building a sandcastle is a family-friendly activity perfect for large groups. |
