1 . Most people who live in Seattle, Washington, love their city. There is a never-ending flow of fun things to do. But, people who live there do not always enjoy the day-after-day absence of sunshine during the winter months.
It is a documented fact that sunshine(or lack of it)plays a major role in how each of us greets the day. It also affects how we perform at school or work. When people are deprived of sunlight, they can develop seasonal affective disorder, which makes it difficult for them to feel happy or get things accomplished. No major city in the United States is more affected by the “sunshine factor” than Seattle.
To fight drizzle and fog during the winter months, Steve Murphy created a business that is very popular among the locals. The Indoor Sun Shoppe is more than a little ray of sunshine during the grey days of Seattle’s winter. His shop offers a huge source of plants and artificial lighting for people who are trying to overcome seasonal affective disorder.
Located in Fremont, Washington, The Indoor Sun Shoppe has an amazing collection of exotic(奇异的)plants and “good bugs” in a humid and well-lit environment. At The Indoor Sun Shoppe, you can spend up to $400 for artificial lighting that will chase away the winter blues. It will also keep your plants healthy. You can buy a dawn simulator(模拟器)that will gradually fill your room with a warming wake-up glow. What better way to greet a Seattle morning when real sunshine is nothing more than a happy thought!
Murphy’s in-home waterfalls are also popular with customers. But his plants and lights remain the “main course”. On a cloudy winter day, The Indoor Sun Shoppe is a bright spot in Seattle!
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?| A．Seattle is located in the state of Washington. |
| B．Citizens love Seattle for their colourful city lives. |
| C．Sunshine in Seattle is rare during the winter months. |
| D．People who live in Seattle are used to the sunshine absence. |
| A．Mild temperature and a general feeling of illness caused by grey winter. |
| B．Exhaustion, depression and lack of energy caused by lack of sunlight. |
| C．Winter-related illness caused by the low temperature and little sunlight. |
| D．Post-holiday depression that comes when relatives leave after Christmas. |
| A．attracts people from different parts of the whole country |
| B．aims to create a humid and well-lit environment during the winter months |
| C．brings only a little ray of sunshine during the grey days of Seattle’s winter |
| D．offers a variety of goods helping people overcome seasonal affective disorder |
| A．An alarm clock activated by the light rays of early morning. |
| B．A bringer of indoor artificial sunshine when there is none outside. |
| C．An automatic waterfall system helping make indoor plants healthy. |
| D．A better way to greet a Seattle morning with real warming sunshine. |
2 . The Programme for International Student Assessment(PISA)
The 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment(PISA)found that high school students from the Chinese mainland ranked No. 1 in all three core subjects.
PISA tests are conducted every three years by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD).
PISA 2018 tested around 600,000 15-year-old students in 79 countries and regions in reading, science and mathematics.
The first PISA was carried out in 2000. China has participated in the study every time since 2009, when students from Shanghai were selected as representatives and came out as champions in all three categories.
China’s overall ranking dropped to No. 10 in 2015 when it was represented by Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Guangdong that year. The country placed 27th in reading, sixth in mathematics and tenth in science then.
Responding to disputes that a few eastern regions cannot show the whole educational picture of the world’s most populous country, the OECD said that each of them is comparable in size to many Western countries, and have a combined population of over 180 million. It added that even 10% of the most disadvantaged students in these four provinces showed better reading skills than the most advantaged students in some countries, and better performance than the average student in OECD countries.
| A．The main focus this time was on reading, with most students doing the test on computers. |
| B．In 2012, students from Shanghai took the tests again and finished top in all areas as well. |
| C．Besides academic assessments, PISA also asked performers about their well-being. |
| D．In the latest survey, students from Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang managed to regain first place in all three categories. |
| E．The study examines what 15-year-olds know in reading, mathematics and science, and what they can do with what they know. |
| F．However, the survey also indicated that Chinese students spend the longest time—about 57 hours per week—on study. The average figure among OECD countries is 44. |
3 . It’s not our fault.
It’s not our fault that we failed to earn straight A’s, make perfect College Board scores, and get into our first choice of college. It’s not our fault that we failed to earn millions of dollars in our twenties and billions by thirty-thus getting ourselves on the cover of Forbes.
It’s not our fault that our start didn’t glow white hot. However, early 21st century society has made us feel shame exactly for that, for not exploding out of the starting blocks like an Olympic sprinter-for not blooming early. Parents, schools, employers, and the media are now crazily over celebrating early achievement as the best kind of achievement or even the only kind.
It wasn’t always so. Joanne, 55, is late bloomer. Her teenage years were unstable and unhappy. In school, Joanne earned above-average grades but hardly good enough to earn high honors and distinction. A teacher recalls Joanne as bright but not extraordinary. A quiet girl, Joanne passed through high school with few remembering her. She was rejected by her dream college but went to a fallback college instead. After graduation, Joanna worked as a secretary. Bored, she married a man she met on an outing and they had a baby girl. The marriage didn’t survive two years.
At the age of 30, Joanne saw herself at a dead end, with no job and a dependent child. She was diagnosed with depression, which prevented her from working much and earning. Strangely enough, it is this situation that took her closer to her gift. She started to write. Writing was her unique talent. In the months she depended on welfare to feed her baby, she made her name Joanne Kathleen(J.K.) Rowling known around the world with her popular Harry Potter series. And now she is a self-made billionaire who regularly appears on the Forbes.
The fact is that many of us are late bloomers of some kind. At some point, we got stuck though. Be patient, late bloomers will find their way eventually.
1. What does the underlined “that” refer to?| A．Succeeding later. | B．Exploding suddenly. | C．Blooming earlier. | D．Growing wildly. |
| A．creative | B．ordinary | C．dependent | D．bored |
a. She was diagnosed with depression.
b. Her name appeared on the Forbes.
c. She worked as a secretary.
d. She started to write.
e. She got divorced.
| A．cbdea | B．ceadb | C．eacdb | D．ebdac |
| A．A good start actually means half done. |
| B．Slow learners will achieve success if pushed. |
| C．Children develop and adapt at different paces. |
| D．Writing is effective in inspiring depressing hearts. |
4 . The custom of flying a piece of cloth high in the sky began more than 2,000 years ago in China. Since then, kites have been served in many fields, like doing scientific experiments, powering boats, taking pictures from the air and much more. In fact, kite-flying is a great way to clear the mind.
When Americans Kay and Larry Day found a store selling kites nearly 20 years ago, they decided to buy a few kites for their family. For fun, Larry bought one for himself. “He went out and flew it and decided he needed to go back and get a better one,” Kay remembered. Since then, she and her husband have loved kite-flying. They own many kites and plan trips around flying them. They also organize a kite-flying event each winter in their hometown in Iowa. “I’m at peace when I’m flying a kite,” said Larry.
Nic O’Neill, president of the American Kite-fliers Association said that kite-flying can be done alone or with friends and family. Kites appeal (有吸引力) to people who like to create works of art or to those who like to combine kite-flying with music. O’Neill said, “Part of the reason I love flying kites is that I have to risk trying and not succeeding. The best way to learn is to go out, undo the string (细绳) and let your kite fly. The perfect condition includes a nice steady wind and a place away from trees and buildings.”
Grant Lovett began flying simple kites as a child, but moved on to costlier and more complex kites as an adult. Today, Lovett likes making his own kites. He builds them from strong, lightweight materials and products designed for sailboats. Lovett attends kite-making classes and looks for new models on the Internet. He makes kites of different shapes and sizes because flying conditions can be greatly different. He also notes that experience makes a difference, and so does the weather and he likes the happy feelings that he experiences when his kite moves through the sky. “It is really calming,” he said.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Kites have been used widely. |
| B．Kites have developed gradually. |
| C．Kites have been designed differently. |
| D．Kites have lost their popularity. |
| A．Excited. | B．Hopeful. | C．Peaceful. | D．Amazed. |
| A．The flying experiences. |
| B．The flying conditions. |
| C．The skills of making kites. |
| D．The materials for making kites. |
| A．Kite-Flying Is Fit for All Ages. |
| B．Kite-Flying Gets More Popular. |
| C．Kite-Flying Is a Traditional Sport. |
| D．Kite-Flying Gives a Lift to People. |
5 . Climate change(气候变化)influences people in many ways. Extreme weather and sea-level rise can destroy homes. People can suffer physical harm from the effects of rising greenhouse gases.
“The brains of children and teens are still growing and developing,” says Lise Van Susteren. She is an expert on the mental-health effects of climate change. Those growing brains make young people especially easily influenced by climate change. For example, many kids worry that the influences of climate change are expected to only worsen.
Luckily, there are things the young can do to deal with bad feelings. For example, Van Susteren advises, “
Susie Burke is an expert providing mental health care in Melbourne, Australia.
| A．Talk with your friends or families. |
| B．She encourages students to get out in nature. |
| C．No part of the world has been left untouched. |
| D．The most important thing is to have a sense of hope. |
| E．It’s also a great way to take action to protect the environment. |
| F．But climate change can also be bad for people’s mental health. |
| G．This can cause feelings of sadness, fear, worry and nervousness. |
6 . Wolves are important animals in the traditions and stories of most Native American tribes. To Native Americans, wolves often stand for bravery. The animals also are signs of strength, loyalty, and success at hunting. However, something happened. Perhaps wolves attacked too many people or ate too many farm animals. Whatever the reason, wolves were killed in many areas. They also became known as villains. From the wolves in some films to the wolves in children’s stories, wolves get a bum rap in both literature and English expressions.
For starters, there is the term “lone wolf”. The lone wolf isn’t a bad person. But they like to do things on their own. Lone wolf makes you think the person doesn’t want to be around people because he or she dislikes them. In news stories, you sometimes hear the terms “lone wolf attacker” or “lone wolf shooter”. These individuals are not part of a larger group carrying out an attack. They are acting alone.
Now, let’s move on to the home. Parents might criticize their child for wolfing down their food. In other words, the child eats very quickly and looks a little wild. And if someone says a child was raised by wolves, that child has bad manners and is behaving like a wild animal. A wolf call is a whistle or other noise made by a man to show that he likes the way a woman looks. But a wolf call is not a nice thing. These men sound wild and rude. A wolf at the door means someone to whom you owe money is waiting just outside your door.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Wolves are thought little of now. | B．The wolves in some films are brave. |
| C．Wolves attack many people every year. | D．Wolves stand for strength in children’s stories. |
| A．Someone who feels lonely. | B．Someone who is less popular. |
| C．Someone who does things alone. | D．Someone who has little experience. |
| A．A wolf call. | B．A wolf at the door. |
| C．Being raised by wolves. | D．Wolfing down something. |
| A．Too many wolves being killed. | B．Our misunderstanding about wolves. |
| C．Different meanings of the word “wolf”. | D．Some expressions about the word “wolf”. |
7 . The Underwater Photographer of the Year, which originated from 1965, is a yearly contest based in the United Kingdom. As you might expect, the focus is on photos taken underwater, whether in the ocean, in lakes or rivers, or even swimming pools.
The pictures are judged in several different categories. The contest in 2020 had over 5,500 entries from 70 different countries.
The grand prize winner was “Frozen Mobile Home” by French photographer Greg Lecoeur. The photo shows seals swimming around a small iceberg. To get the picture, Mr Lecoeur traveled to Antarctica in a small boat and spent time tracking the life around floating icebergs.
The photo “Last Dawn, Last Gasp” by Pasquale Vassallo of Italy won the award for Ocean Protection Photographer of the Year. Mr Vassallo said that he went diving early in the morning to take this picture of a tuna (金枪鱼) trapped as fishermen pulled their nets in.
Mr Vassallo also took “Octopus Training”, a picture that won in the category of “Behavior”. He says that when he came up after a dive, he noticed a soccer ball floating on the surface. When he went to check it out, he saw that there was an octopus hanging from the ball. Mr Vassallo says he doesn’t understand what the octopus was doing, but wonders if it was training for the World Cup.
Though Rooman Luc of Belgium didn’t win the “Portrait” category, his photo, titled “Angry Seahorse”, is quite striking. The closeup shot of a seahorse staring strictly into the camera was named runnerup (second place). He said he spent nearly an hour standing in kneehigh water being bitten by mosquitos in order to get the picture.
The contest has many more amazing photos that can be viewed on the site, along with the stories behind them. There is even a book with all of the contents that can be downloaded for free.
1. Which isn’t suitable to enter the Underwater Photographer of the Year contest?| A．The crying dolphin. |
| B．Saving the elephant. |
| C．The dancing lemon shark. |
| D．Kissing the whale. |
| A．A tuna is hard to shoot. |
| B．We should protect ocean animals. |
| C．Diving early in the morning is painful. |
| D．There are too many fishing nets in the sea. |
| A．The octopus is endangered. |
| B．Photography should be serious. |
| C．The photographer has a sense of humour. |
| D．The photographer concerns himself about the octopus. |
| A．Arts. | B．Literature. |
| C．Documentary. | D．Education. |
8 . Many sugar—sweetened beverages(饮料)have little to offer—no nutritional value and lots of calories, and their harmful health effects have been well—documented. Now, a study links drinking too many sugary beverages—and even 100% natural fruit juices—to an increased risk of early death. Specifically, drinking too much fruit juice could lead to an increased risk of early death ranging from 9% to 42%, according to a study.
Overall, the sugars found in orange juice, although naturally occurring, are pretty similar to the sugars added to soda and other sweetened beverages, the study suggests. “Sugary beverages, whether soft drinks or fruit juices, should be limited,” Jean Welsh, a co—author of the study said.
Seven US cities, including New York and most recently Philadelphia, have levied(征收)taxes on sweetened drinks with added sugar in an effort to reduce consumption. The new study defined “sugary beverages” as both sugar—sweetened drinks, like soda and fruit—flavored drinks, and 100% natural fruit juices that have no added sugar. So how does fruit juice compare to soda? “Previous research has shown that high consumption of sugars like those in soft drinks and fruit juices is linked to several cardiovascular(心血管的)disease risk factors,” Welsh explained.
People who consumed 10% or more of their daily calories as sugary beverages had a 44% greater risk of dying due to a heart disease and a 14% greater risk of an early death from any cause compared with people who consumed less than 5% of their daily calories as sugary beverages, the study showed. Each additional 12—ounce(盎司)serving of fruit juice per day was associated with a 24% higher risk of death from any cause, and each additional 12—ounce serving of sugary beverages per day was associated with an 11% higher risk.
This is one of the first studies to examine the relationship between sugary drinks, including 100% fruit juices, and early death, wrote Marta Guasch—Fere and Dr. Frank B. Hu in an editorial published alongside the new study. “Although fruit juices may not be as harmful as sugar—sweetened beverages, their consumption should be moderated in children and adults, especially for individuals who wish to control their body weight,” Guasch—Fere and Hu wrote.
Welsh said we need to consider both fruit juices and sugar—sweetened beverages when we think about how much sugar we consume each day. Between the two, she was in favor of fruit juices: “Given its vitamin and mineral content, fruit juice in small amounts may have a beneficial effect that isn’t seen with sodas and other sugar—sweetened beverages.”
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Sugar—free drinks basically have no nutritional value. |
| B．Natural fruit juices are usually healthier than sugary beverages. |
| C．The negative effect of drinking too many beverages remains unknown. |
| D．Drinking too much fruit juice may not be a healthy option. |
| A．To increase the government’s income. |
| B．To let people buy less sweetened beverages. |
| C．To urge people to turn to sugar—free drinks. |
| D．To increase the consumption of natural juice. |
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By giving advice. | D．By stating the facts. |
| A．Avoided. | B．Increased. | C．Reduced | D．Encouraged |
| A．sugar is a major cause of cardiovascular disease |
| B．the sugar in juice is different from the sugar in sweetened beverages |
| C．fruit juices are only recommended when consumed in small amounts |
| D．the amount of sugar we consume mainly lies in drinks with added sugar |
9 . When the author opens his memoir with a scene of his mother pushing him from a moving vehicle, you know you’re in for a fascinating read. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, who is now a daily show host, is an autobiography about Trevor’s life in Africa.
Trevor, the son of a Xhosa (科萨人) mother and a Swiss-German father, was born a crime as it was illegal for different races to marry and have children in Africa. Growing up biracial in the post-apartheid era (后种族隔离时代), his mother is an influential partner at every step along his journey. She worked diligently to stay out of poverty and keep Noah in good schools. Trevor’s mom stressed independence and free thought as well as all the values of Judaism (犹太教). Even before they knew apartheid would end, she wanted him to live freely. She took him to places that black South Africans considered “white things,” like ice rinks and the suburbs, because even if he never left the ghetto (贫民区), he would know that the ghetto was not the world. It was her mother’s aim to keep him from internalizing his oppression, and to convince him that he was greater than social labels. His mom would take him to the library and museums, and local college campuses. For his mother, being a black woman didn’t mean he couldn’t achieve greatness. She gave him permission to dream beyond his circumstances.
In Trevor’s whole early life, being mixed-race, he often wasn’t allowed to go outside during apartheid because the police could have taken him away; he couldn’t be seen with his parents and his mother had to pretend to be his maid when they were in public. So, Trevor had to have his mother’s friends pose as his mother. Trevor struggled to fit in at school as he didn’t know which group to play with. Later in high school, Trevor had to start a lunch delivery business to move up and be accepted by his fellow classmates. After high school, he started getting into comedy in 2002 and has been on TV ever since. Trevor had a rough, but loving relationship with his mother as he was always getting in trouble. Trevor didn’t see his dad much and could only meet in secret. In the end, Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother. Noah writes: “I understood even from an early age that we weren’t just mother and son. We were a team.”
Born a Crime tells a really personal and yet universal story in many respects. It is undoubtedly a life-changing story which is powerful, honest, funny and dark at the same time, still it never turns to despair, self-pity or hopelessness. It’s a story of survival against the odds and the human ability to transcend the limits of their origin. At the end of the book, he explains this miracle that happened to his mother, where she survives a bullet to the head. These stories uncover new feelings towards loved-ones, and may influence you to sincerely reconsider connections to your family and their priorities.
1. It can be learnt that Born a Crime is ________.| A．a book on slavery |
| B．a story about criminals |
| C．an autobiography of a show host |
| D．a report about how to reduce crime |
| A．He didn’t get along with his mother. |
| B．He felt hard to fit in at school. |
| C．He was wanted by the police. |
| D．He got too much attention. |
| A．pushed him to reach academic excellence |
| B．encouraged him go beyond the present limits |
| C．inspired him to speak for the minority as a TV host |
| D．helped him determine which race he should side with |
| A．Law and justice. | B．Hope and grit. |
| C．Getting to the top. | D．Secrets of success. |
10 . When it comes to family holidays in Australia, most people look to hot spots such as Sydney or the Gold Coast. However, Perth makes for a strong competitor, with plenty of museums and theme parks to keep the kids entertained, as well as historic sites and botanical gardens.
To give you a travel guide, we take a look at the best things to see and do in Perth.
King’s Park
Located in the heart of Perth’s business district, the four-square-kilometre park is perfect for spending an afternoon and making the most of the sunny weather. Here you’ll find plenty of picnic spots, play areas for little ones, and a host of activities and things to see. However, if you only visit one thing, make it the park’s impressive botanical gardens where you’ll find colorful plants.
Bibbulmun Track
Hikers, this one’s for you! This track is one of the world’s great long distance walks. Along the way you can expect amazing scenery, comfortable campsites, and a host of exciting wildlife and plants to look out for.
Perth Mint
You can discover a century’s worth of metals from gold to silver and even Coca-Cola bottle caps here. There are plenty of activities too from a live gold pouring session that you can watch to countless exhibitions.
Perth Zoo
The unusual creatures at the Perth Zoo are sure to keep small children’s attention! Giraffes, lions, elephants and monkeys are just some of the wildlife living in the zoo, which focuses on protecting various species.
1. What do we know about King’s Park?| A．It is in the hot spot Perth. | B．It is a good place for a picnic. |
| C．It is perfect for long-distance walking. | D．It is home to various plants and animals. |
| A．They have a lot of wildlife. | B．They have large exhibitions. |
| C．They are in a business centre. | D．They are noted for campsites. |
| A．To introduce Australia. | B．To celebrate some events. |
| C．To attract visitors to Perth. | D．To announce new activities. |
