1 . The older I get, the more I understand how my teachers have transformed my life.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I went to see Mr. C at Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills. His love of life has not dimmed despite the fact that his legs no longer work like they used to. He visited some of his former students while he was in town. At Beverly Hills High School, Mr. C taught ancient history, coached football and golf, and risked his life teaching driver’s training on Saturday mornings from 1964 to 1988. The gray and hobbled students lined up one after another to thank their favorite teacher. One called him a rock star. Another was grateful for helping him when he couldn’t say so. It was a beautiful tribute, especially in these times of catastrophic teacher shortages.

Spending that Sunday in the park with Mr. C was nothing short of magic. It was a reminder of all that is promising and possible in public education, including a teacher whose rare emotional honesty could be appreciated and honored decades later. It also brought to mind Maya Angelou’s saying “People will forget what you said and did, but never forget how you make them feel.” He made me and others in the park feel heard and seen.

Mr. C changed my perception of myself. Rather than seeing myself as a loser cheerleader who couldn’t compete with the smart kids, I realized how much I loved learning. His history class was so interesting. In his classes about the Persians, Greeks, and Romans, extra credits can be earned for creativity. During earthquake drills, we counted on Mr. C to scream his head off in mock terror.

It should come as little surprise that I’d value the role of teachers in my life. Both of my parents taught; so did my siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. I, too, have become a teacher and I try to follow in Mr. C’s footsteps. Some days, I fantasize what it would be like to go on a teacher tour, reaching out to my mentors to express my deep gratitude for all they’ve given me. Seeing Mr. C sparked that fantasy again. When I finally worked up my courage to thank him, knowing a floodgate of tears would open, he said to me with his typical modesty: “You were doing me more good than I was doing you.”

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

A．enthusiasm

B．admiration

C．devotion

D．commitment

2. Why does the author mention Maya Angelou’s saying?

A．To make a suggestion.

B．To introduce a celebrity.

C．To show respect to an educator.

D．To interpret the influence of education.

3. What does the author think of her job as a teacher?

A．Enjoyable.

B．Intolerant.

C．Incompetent.

D．Patient.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．A reunion.

B．A rock star.

C．A surprise.

D．A great teacher.

2 . We’ve seen photographs that seem to show unbelievable images, thanks to photo editing software. But do you know you can create images that look impossible without any fancy software or computer effects?     1    

Playing with perspective

One of the easiest tricks is called forced perspective.     2     The person in front will look large, and the person farther away will look very small. The person in front can hold out their hand as if they were holding something, and the person in back is being held in the front person’s hand. You can also do this trick with objects like the sun or a full moon.

Flying superheroes

How can you take a photograph of a friend so that they seem to be flying superheroes? Have your friend dress up in a superhero costume, especially one with a cape (斗篷). You can pose them outside against the open sky, and have another friend hold the cape out so it looks like they’re flying. Position yourself low and take the photo looking slightly upward so the ground isn’t visible. After you take the photo, you can cut it,     3    

Other tricks

You can have several of your friends lie flat on a solid-colored sheet so they’re arranged to look like they’re piled in a human pyramid.     4     If you take the photo in the moment when they are off the ground, you can cut it so they look like they’re floating. Have a friend draw funny eyeballs on the back of their hand and then hold their hand across their real eyes for a funny face photo.

    5     The only rule is not to do anything risky and to have fun.

A．so the hand holding the cape out isn’t visible.

B．so your friends look like they are trapped inside.

C．You can create your own trick photos by exploring other ways to use all these tricks.

D．You can also take a photo of your friend jumping up into the air.

E．Here are some easy tricks that can create images fooling your eyes.

F．The other method is to take a sheet, lay it flat on the ground, and decorate it with buildings.

G．To do this, you set up a camera shot with someone close to the camera and someone farther away.

3 . The Ancient Chinese Game of Go

Weiqi, known in English as Go, is one of the four skills that an ancient Chinese intellectual (知识分子) could possess. It has a history of well over 4,000 years in China and remains popular. Culturally, this activity is really “more than just a game”.

    1     One of China’s classics, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, describes the famous general Guan Yu playing Go while receiving surgery on his arm.

History books have recorded quite a number of ardent Go fans from each dynasty. Today, there are still many in China, Japan and South Korea. Wu Yulin, a professional, explains its attraction, “In Go, you can learn the dialectics (辩证法) and military stratagems.     2     There are numerous variations within the game and you can never reach the bottom of it.”

    3     Hua Yigang, Secretary General of the China Go Association, remarks on the character-building qualities of Go. “You have to become entirely calm, otherwise you can’t play it. You have to be very strong of mind.     4     You might make mistakes during a game, and then have to readjust your mentality in order to fight to the end.”

In fact, all of our minds can benefit from playing Go, which officially has the capacity to make you smarter. Research has shown that children who play Go have the potential for greater intelligence.     5    

Today, the number of Go fans in China is at 36 million and rising. Some universities like Beijing University are even offering courses in Go to undergraduates.

A．There’s always loss and gain.

B．It’s a war between equal powers.

C．That is because it motivates both the right and left sides of the brain.

D．You can also cultivate your character and improve your intelligence.

E．But more often, ancient Chinese played Go to cultivate their mind and character.

F．The influence of Go on Chinese society is quite evident in literature works.

G．Many people also love this ancient game for the Chinese philosophy it contains.

4 . There are two kinds of garlic, a kind of vegetable—hardnecks and softnecks.     1    

Plant hardneck varieties in northern areas six to eight weeks before a hard frost(霜). Their heads have a single row of large divisions, formed around an underground stem(茎). They are tastier than softnecks but do not last as long in storage.

Softneck varieties are better for growing in warmer climates. Their heads contain several rows of smaller cloves(蒜瓣) . Since they last longer after harvest, softnecks are usually the kind shoppers find in supermarkets.

    2     Growers may have made a chemical on it to stop it from growing while at the store or in your home. It also may not be the kind best for your growing conditions.

Separate the head into individual cloves.     3     Plant the cloves with the pointy end up, about five centimeters deep and 15 centimeters apart in rows spaced 30 centimeters apart. Cover them with soil, press them down and water well.

If your winter temperature falls below four degrees Celsius, add a thick cover of straw(稻草) to the garden bed. Water the straw to settle it into place.

It is fine for the garlic plants to send out green growth, during autumn and early winter, even in northern climates.     4    

Remove the straw cover in spring, after the danger of frost has passed. Put a little fertilizer between each row 5 to 10 centimeters from the stems. Keep the bed free of weeds.

Your garlic will be ready for harvest in mid-to-late summer when at least 50 percent of the plant has turned yellow.     5     Do not wash them.

A．Store garlic heads in a cool, dry spot.

B．Do not remove the outer part of thin skin.

C．Choose the better kind to plant for your climate.

D．Carefully dig the garlic out and move off the soil.

E．Do not plant the garlic you find in the supermarket.

F．Do not worry about possible damage to this growth in cold weather.

G．Plant only garlic seeds from the healthiest heads saved from last year's harvest.

5 . One of the oldest metaphors (隐喻) for human interaction with technology is the relationship of master and slave. Aristotle imagined that technology could replace slavery if machine became automated. Marx and Engels saw things differently. “Masses of laborers are daily and hourly enslaved by the machine,” they wrote in the Communist Manifesto.

Today, computers often play both roles. Nicholas Carr, in his new book The Glass Cage: Automation and Us, takes a stand on whether such technology imprisons or liberates its users. We are increasingly engaged, he argues, but the invisibility of our high-tech traps gives us the ‘image of freedom’. He describes doctors who rely so much on decision-assistance software that they overlook signals that are not obvious from patients.

All of this has obvious implications for the use of technology in classrooms: When do technologies free students to think about more interesting and complex questions, and when do they destroy the very cognitive (认知) capacities that they are meant to improve? The effect of spell check and AutoCorrect software is an example. Psychologists have found the act of forming a word in your mind strengthens your capacity to remember it. When a computer automatically corrects a spelling mistake, we’re no longer forced to form the correct spelling in our minds.

This might not seem very important. The process of word formation is not just supplementing spelling skills, it’s also destroying students. When students find themselves without automated spelling assistance, they don’t face the prospect of freezing to death, as the Inuits did when their GPS malfunctioned, but they’re more likely to make errors. This creates a vicious cycle: The more we use the technology, the more we need to use it in all circumstances. Suddenly, our position as masters of technology starts to seem more insecure.

1. What did Marx and Engels think of the machine?

A．It did the boring daily work for people.

B．It failed to free people from being enslaved.

C．It gave people more time to enjoy themselves.

D．It was the result of the development of technology.

2. Which of the following is Nicholas Carr most likely to agree with?

A．Technology is a guarantee of freedom.

B．Doctors should stay away from technology.

C．Too much involvement with technology may be risky.

D．Some decision-assistance software needs improving.

3. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph4 refer to?

A．Students being unable to spell words correctly.

B．Spell check helping students remember more words.

C．Students depending too much on spelling software.

D．Spellcheck destroying students’ cognitive capacities.

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．Is technology making people stupid or not?

B．Which areas are most affected by technology?

C．Are people satisfied with the advancement of technology?

D．Why shouldn’t technology be employed in the classroom?

6 . Gutiérrez’s life changed after finding a copy of Anna Karenina in the trash (垃圾) 20 years ago. It happened one night when he saw discarded books while driving his garbage truck through wealthier neighborhoods. It ignited his desire to start rescuing books from the trash. He took home about 50 books every morning after his night shift. Eventually, he turned his book collection into a community library for children from low-income families.

Bogota, Colombia’s capital, has 19 public libraries. However, they are far away from where rural and poorer communities live. The option of buying new books is out of reach for families struggling to make ends meet. Gutiérrez’s community library is a true representation of how one man’s trash can be another’s treasure. “I don’t think I’m doing something so great. The library is simply a bridge between people who throw books and those who have no access to books,” he said about his remarkable efforts.

Today, his library, called “the Strength of Words”, contains over 20,000 books and occupies most of his home. Everything from school textbooks to storybooks can be found in his collection. The library is open every weekend, when neighborhood children pour in. “The whole value of the library lies in helping kids start reading. This is important for kids in Bogota where many young people kill time in the streets and fall victim to vices such as taking drugs,” said Gutiérrez.

Gutiérrez grew up poor, and his family couldn’t afford to educate him beyond primary school. Nevertheless, he never lets a lack of formal education stop him from reading. “Books are the greatest invention of human beings. There’s nothing more beautiful than having a book handy,” Guiérrez said. His journey to giving back to his local community is an amazing example of how every one of us can improve the lives of those around us by identifying needs, investing time and finding a simple solution.

1. What does the underlined word “ignited” mean in the first paragraph?

A．Indicated.

B．Satisfied.

C．Limited.

D．Stimulated.

2. Which of the following can best describe Gutérrez?

A．Caring and humble.	B．Smart and independent.
C．Traditional and self-disciplined.	D．Ambitious and easy-going.

3. What do paragraphs 2 and 3 mainly tell us?

A．Bogota’s main social problems.

B．The library’s rich variety of books.

C．The bad habits of Bogota’s young people.

D．The library’s significance for the neighborhood.

4. What message does Gutiérrez’s story deliver?

A．Education is the key to success.

B．All things are difficult before they are easy.

C．Small acts of kindness make a big difference.

D．Books are the food for the hungry of great mind.

7 . Plastics have been found from the top of Mount Qomolangma to newly-formed beaches in Hawaii. The amount of plastic in our environment is shocking. What can we do about it? I’m inspired by Kate Nelson, who has lived without using single-use plastic for over ten years. Kate is also the founder of Sea the Mermaids, an organization focusing on stopping human-sourced ocean pollution through education and community action.

She recently wrote an inspiring and practical guidebook I Quit Plastics: and you can too, which is full of information and tips on how to cook, clean, shop, wear and live plastic-free. Upon first opening, you will see a recipe for Cashew Cheese that looks amazing! Not only does this book provide many delicious recipes, but also explores interesting problems about plastic pollution.

For example, Kate explores the problems about plastics and social justice, including plastic privilege(特权). She points out that wealthier countries, such as the USA, export their plastic waste to Southeast Asia, but many of these countries cannot process their own waste. In addition, most of the affordable food, though processed and unhealthy, is heavily packaged in plastic. People that live in “food deserts” in cities and depend on corner stores have no choice when it comes to avoiding plastics. Kate writes in the book, “Not everyone will have bulk (散装) food stores or farmers’ markets near where they live.”

Kate’s writing is easy to read without sounding preachy (说教的). Her explanations and reasoning are clear. From food to beauty to cleaning, Kate’s practical recipes and tips make it easy for everyone to reduce their chances of using single-use plastic. She develops effective strategies that others can easily adopt and offers clear steps to help people improve on the plastic quifting journey.

1. Why does the author talk about plastic in the first paragraph?

A．To lead to the topic.	B．To share an experience.
C．To doubt serious pollution.	D．To explain plastic pollution.

2. Which of the followings is probably talked about in Kate’s guidebook?

A．Famous persons.	B．The latest news.
C．Classic music.	D．Reusable shopping bags.

3. What problem are people in “food deserts” facing?

A．They eat too much unhealthy food.

B．They can’t afford to buy enough food.

C．They can’t avoid plastic-packaged food.

D．They prefer bulk food to packaged food.

4. What is the text?

A．An environment report.	B．A book review.
C．An author’s introduction.	D．A scientific research.

8 . The new member to the UAE's astronaut training program, the first female Emirati (阿联酋) astronaut, hopes that her mechanical engineering degree will be her ticket to the moon.

Nora AlMatrooshi and her fellow trainee astronaut Mohammad AlMulla were selected from 4000 highly qualified candidates to lead the nation’s 9.8 million citizens into space.

The two are looking forward to the laborious 30-month program ahead of them which has already begun with them getting their divers’ licences, picking up the Russian language and coaching for their many media interviews—and will move on to flight and weightlessness school at the Johnson Space Centre in Texas and eventually cruel survival training.

“They will need mechanical engineers to build a base on the moon,” says the 28-year-old, who represented her nation at the Mathematics Olympics and worked as an engineer at the National Petroleum Construction Company.

AlMatrooshi says she has dreamed of the stars since kindergarten, when her teacher set up the classroom as the Lunar surface and the five-year-old future astronaut constructed a cardboard moonbase. That early longing to explore space charted her degree choice.

“I actually went after it. I chose to study a degree in mechanical engineering because of a documentary I watched when I was in high school. It was about a group of astronauts going to the International Space Station and the role of the mechanical engineer was highlighted,” she say.

Leading big construction projects in the desert has helped equip the daughter of two academics—a PhD father and English teacher mother—for Lunar construction.

AlMatrooshi’s fellow trainee astronaut, UAE police helicopter pilot AlMulla, meanwhile says astronaut training has been “a big career change”.

“I spent 15 years qualifying to be a pilot, including training in Australia for my commercial pilot’s licence,” says the father of two. “As a pilot you get used to mastering everything—suddenly I’m changing my path.”

“I’m a big fan of SpaceX. The rockets and even the fancy space suits. And hopefully all four of us—and all the astronauts who come after us will get to be a part of future missions—perhaps even to the moon eventually.”

1. What preparation have they made before the training program?

A．They have grasped their native language.	B．They have had cruel survival training.
C．They have learned to deal with the press.	D．They have done some weightlessness training.

2. Which is the major factor for AlMatrooshi to be a member of the training program?

A．She got help from her academic parents.

B．She has had a big dream since her childhood.

C．She has experience in big construction projects.

D．She was the winner of the Mathematics Olympics.

3. What does the underlined part “I'm changing my path” refer to?

A．I’ll be a master of life.	B．I’m an enthusiast for SpaceX.
C．I’m settling my new problem.	D．I’m starting a new life from scratch.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The fans of Space X	B．Dream and achievements
C．Passion and preparations	D．Future astronaut training program

9 . In an era of endless notifications(通知) from apps, devices and social media platforms, as well as access to more information than we could possibly consider, how do we find ways to manage? And is the way we think, focus and process information changing as a result?

Maryanne Wolf is the director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the University of California in the United States. Wolf is concerned that “the amount of interaction we have with our screens and devices and the speed at which we necessarily have to function have changed us by removing from us the ability to be present. And we’re so accustomed to going so fast that becoming completely involved in an activity is difficult.”

Kai Lukoff is an assistant professor at Santa Clara University in the US. He researches how apps, social media platforms and technology designers attempt to attract a user’s attention. “There are a thousand or more engineers, developers, designers on the other side of the screen who are purposefully or intentionally designing these services in order to attract your attention, to get you to spend more time on the site and to get you to click on more ads.”

Daniel Le Roux is a senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. He looks at the effects of what we’re doing when we’re “media multitasking”. “Everybody’s doing it, and it’s, in a large way, a natural adaptation to the technological environment that has been created around us.” he said.

Media multitasking, like skimming, is an adaptive response to an environment filled with information. And media multitasking comes at a cognitive(认知的) cost. Le Roux points out. “We bring what we might call a switch cost; that means our performance in our central task is going to suffer. If you think of driving as the central task, the reason we prohibit drivers from using their smartphones while they’re driving is that it distracts them from the task of driving.”

1. What is the result of much interaction with screens and devices according to Maryanne Wolf?

A．Having trouble in concentrating.

B．Becoming addicted to the Internet.

C．Being exposed to harmful information

D．Building more relationships with others.

2. What does Kai Lukoff try to stress in the third paragraph?

A．Why social media apps are popular.	B．How social media platforms operate.
C．Platform workers try to attract users.	D．Social media platforms provide great services.

3. Why does Daniel Le Roux mention driving?

A．To explain media multitasking is common.

B．To show the harm of media multitasking.

C．To explain why we’re media multitasking.

D．To show the difficulty avoiding media multitasking.

4. How does the author develop the text?

A．By quoting from some experts’ speeches.

B．By providing some typical examples.

C．By using the results of some surveys.

D．By analyzing some social phenomena.