3 . We’ve all heard it for years: technology is ruining our lives. We are told it ruins our eyesight and productivity. I don’t buy into that mindset (心态) because we all have free will and can limit our technology intakes responsibly. However, one of the strongest bad effects of the technological age has been the downfall of reading books. 

Before we had phones, books were sources of entertainment. I know I’m not the only one who spent nights as a child with a flashlight hidden under my covers so that I could finish a book when I was supposed to be sleeping. I still remember one of my favorite novels was Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, from which I learned about the value of friendship.

Reading a book often feels even more pleasant than watching a movie. We create our own worlds, pictures of the characters and views of the events described. Reading requires complete focus, so it pulls us out of our daily lives, our fears and our problems. Reading a book brings us into a state of peace and adventure, letting us dive into others’ worlds.

Reading a book takes time and requires attentions, which is almost impossible in a world in which plenty of distractions (使人分心的事) exist at the mere opening of a phone lock screen. Many people even report feeling distracted by their phones while watching TV. If people are feeling distracted when watching TV shows, how can they focus on reading a novel, a task that requires complete attention? 

I was recently on vacation and found myself on an eight-hour plane ride with no Internet access. At first, this seemed unbearable, but then I remembered I had packed a book in my bag. I started the book, and within minutes, I was totally absorbed. I spent the rest of my journey reading it. 

I advise anyone wanting to rediscover the joys of reading, to simulate (模拟) the environment I was forced to enter into by getting on the airplane. Turn your phone off and find a quiet space. Pick up an old favorite book from childhood or a new one. Then, sit down and begin to create your own world.

1. What do we know about the author?

A．She had sleeping problems.

B．She loved reading in her childhood.

C．She thinks technology is bad for her health.

D．She prefers watching movies to reading books.

2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The benefits of reading.

B．The decrease of reading habits.

C．The influence technology has on reading books.

D．The reasons why people are less likely to read books.

3. How did the author feel about reading a book on the plane?

A．It drove her crazy.	B．It made her stay focused.
C．It failed to bring her peace.	D．It helped her fall asleep quickly.

4. What’s the author’s suggestion on reading?

A．Reading a book aloud.

B．Finding an electronic book.

C．Creating an undisturbed environment.

D．Practicing your attention and patience every day.

4 . Jaguar Land Rover has released new technology designed to constantly monitor drivers and passengers in order to adjust settings to match their mood. The car maker has tested a special system which uses a camera to film drivers to monitor their facial expressions.

If the system detects a driver who is stressed, it can automatically turn on calming mood lighting. The car could respond to a driver who was tired by lowering the car’s temperature, or by beginning to play a specific playlist of music. The car maker has also developed headrest cameras to monitor the facial expressions of passengers. If the cameras detect sleepiness, then the car can automatically dim (使变暗) the passenger lighting to help people go to sleep. Jaguar Land Rover said that the system also uses artificial intelligence to learn people’s preferences, so that it could automatically adjust a car’s settings based on their previous interactions with the car.

Dr SteveIley, Jaguar Land Rover chief medical officer, said, “As we move towards a self-driving future, the focus for us remains as much on the driver as it ever has.”

“By considering the overall behavior of drivers, and using much of what we’ve learned from the advances in research around personal well-being over the last 10 or 15 years, we can make sure our customers remain comfortable, involved and alert (警觉的) behind the wheel in all driving situations, even motorway journeys.”

The system is still being developed and is not yet available in cars, Jaguar Land Rover said.

In 2015, the company released a similar system which monitors drivers to detect signs of sleepiness. The system is now in use in Jaguar cars, and alerts drivers when they become too sleepy.

1. What is Jaguar Land Rover’s new invention?

A．An automatically adjusted headrest.	B．An intelligent alarm system.
C．A mood-detection system.	D．A self-driving car.

2. How is Paragraph 2 developed?

A．By giving examples.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By setting down general rules.	D．By analyzing cause and effect.

3. What does Dr SteveIley think about the new invention?

A．It is customer-friendly.	B．It is environmentally friendly.
C．It fails to meet drivers’ needs.	D．It should focus greatly on passengers.

4. What is the present situation of the new invention?

A．It has already been banned.	B．It is doubted by customers.
C．It still needs to be improved.	D．It is widely used in Jaguar cars.

5 . Kevin Carroll is one of the world’s leading scientists. Besides his work with people, he has designed prosthetics (假肢) for dogs and even a duck. And now he is working on Winter.

Winter, an Atlantic dolphin, is a playful two-year-old. She was found off the coast of Florida, caught in a trap. When she arrived at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, CEO David Yates said her condition was serious.

“The first few days, we really didn’t think she’d live at all. 24-hour around-the-clock care was provided by our veterinary (兽医) staff, our animal care staff, and our volunteers who literally watched her every second of the day,” Yates said.

Winter survived, but she lost her tail. Without a tail, she can neither swim as fast nor jump as high as a normal dolphin. “She has had to get used to swimming without a tail. We didn’t know if she could do that,” he said.

Winter’s swimming style changed from up and down to side to side. Veterinarians were concerned that this unusual swimming form might change the long-term health of her spine (脊柱). The vets, therefore, began to explore how to design a prosthetic tail for Winter. Carroll called Winter’s caretakers after he got word of the need for a prosthetic tail, and he offered his services.

Designing a prosthesis for a dolphin was a trickier process than Carroll expected. He said, “With a person, when we fit a prosthesis, we have one long, firm bone. We don’t have to have it moving in every direction. With a dolphin, it needs to move along with her whole spine.” Teaching Winter how to use the prosthetic device (设备) also presents a challenge. Carroll will have to help her to learn how to once again swim up and down like a typical dolphin.

“It’s going to be powerful seeing her coming out of the water with that tail,” Carroll said. “I know she’s going to do it. We’re really looking forward to that.”

1. What can we infer about Winter from Yates’ words?

A．She was slightly hurt.

B．She recovered sooner than expected.

C．She was treated attentively and watchfully.

D．She failed to receive timely medical care.

2. Why did Carroll decide to offer help?

A．To enable Winter to swim normally.

B．To save Winter’s life.

C．To help Winter get back to water.

D．To assist Winter in adapting to a new environment.

3. What does the underlined word “trickier” in Paragraph 6 mean?

A．Smarter.

B．More difficult.

C．Quicker.

D．More valuable.

4. What is Carroll’s attitude to Winter’s new device?

A．He is thankful for it.	B．He has doubts about it.
C．He is uninterested in it.	D．He has high hopes for it.

7 . A long time ago, I was returning from my friend’s house. My father parked the car in front of our house. We were opening the gate when suddenly we noticed two puppies run onto our lawn.

They were differently coloured — one was brown as a cup of coffee with its tail and ear hair dipped in black while the other puppy was a biscuit colour with the tip of its tail dipped in white and its forehead had a white spot. And that’s why we named them Coffee and Biscuit. Coffee is female and Biscuit is male. In other words they both are twins by a minute. Well, since then they have been with us.

Now here comes the shocking part. Coffee has been with us only for one year and 11 months. Guess why? Coffee will soon be sent away. At this time it is known that dogs have a sense of temper and start biting people that come near them. And so with a lot of arguing I let my parents take Coffee to a farmer’s far away. They tried to assure me that Coffee would have a great time. But Biscuit and I couldn’t stand the pain of losing a friend and a sister.

After a month, the night before Christmas I made my Christmas wish: I wished that Coffee would come back to me on Santa’s sleigh (雪橇). The next morning, I woke up to hear the singing of birds. I jumped out of bed and ran towards the Christmas tree. There were almost 100 presents. We started to open our gifts. In the end there was just one remaining. It was wrapped in a green gift paper and tied with a red ribbon. I opened it up and guessed who jumped out. It was my lost Coffee. She looked absolutely beautiful. My parents explained that she had been scratching the front door last night!

1. The story mainly tells 　　　.

A．a lovely and little pet was recovered

B．the author gave up his pet

C．the pet can bring a whole world of happiness

D．people should protect dogs

2. The features of the dogs are that 　　　.

A．Coffee’s ear is brown

B．Biscuit likes to eat biscuits terribly

C．Coffee has a black tail

D．Biscuit’s forehead has a white spot

3. The author had got Coffee lost 　　　.

A．because it often fought with Biscuit

B．because his parents disliked the dog at home

C．because it began attacking people

D．because it got lost when going out

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Coffee will be thrown away after Christmas.

B．His parents will never give Coffee away again.

C．The author is always worried about Coffee.

D．His parents hardly bought presents for the author.

8 . There’s a clear difference between knowing how to make friends and knowing how to maintain (维系) friendships for a long time. Do you have trouble keeping friends around, or are you tired of losing many friends over the years?     1    .

1.     2    

Interact (互动) with your friends in a way that’s meaningful and fruitful and you’ll be able to maintain your friendship better. You can either share your interest or talk about your family, work or daily routine. All in all, The more you know about each other, the stronger your bond will be.

2. Stay in touch

To keep a friend or a group of friends for a long time, you need to see or talk to them from time to time. For the people you go out with the most, I recommend once a week or twice a month. For long-distance friendships,     3    

3. Deal with fights

Fights are likely to happen.     4     Instead, you should face the problem bravely. Having an open-hearted talk with your friend and listening to each other may be the easiest way to solve your conflict. Do remember if you don’t resolve the conflict, you might lose a very dear friend.

4. Everyone changes

Change cannot be avoided and it happens to people too.     5     So When it happens to a friend, embrace the change and be happy for them. Just be sure that it is change for the better and not the other way around.

A．Hang out more with friends.

B．Keep having interactions.

C．I recommend you make a call or send an email at least twice a year.

D．Then there are a few tips I want to share with you.

E．The best changes happen to the most interesting people.

F．Tell yourself that your friends will change one day.

G．Don’t get discouraged and turn your back to your friend right away.

9 . Metal detecting (探测) is a big hobby in the U.K. This year, more people have been doing this because of the corona-virus (新冠病毒). Social distancing is very easy when people work with their metal detectors. More than 47,000 objects were found with metal detectors in 2020. People have been recording their finds on an app on the British Museum’s website. The U.K. Culture Minister said, “It is amazing to see the app growing from strength to strength during lockdown thanks to garden discoveries and digital reporting.”

The British Museum said people have dug up many exciting and interesting things this year. Perhaps the best find among the new discoveries are two hoards (批) of coins. One of the hoards contained 50 South African gold coins found 50 miles northwest of London. The other coin hoard contained 63 gold coins and one silver coin featuring (刻有) the British kings Edward IV and Henry VIII. Experts believe they were buried in the 16th century. Another find was an ancient Roman furniture fitting made of copper. It featured the face of the god Oceanus and dates back to AD 43-200.

The UK’s Treasure Act of 1996 requires that finders report each discovery more than 300 years old to the local government in the area where they found it. If the local authority defines the object as treasure, the government then pays a fair market price to the discoverer.

The database of the British Museum contains records of more than 1.5 million objects discovered since 1998 by the general public rather than by professional archaeologists. The museum said that the app ensures that finds are not lost but instead recorded, which are important for understanding Britain’s past.

1. Why has metal detecting become more popular this year?

A．Because metal is more expensive.	B．Because the equipment is cheaper.
C．Because there are more gold coins.	D．Because people have fewer social activities.

2. How many coins are there in the two hoards mentioned in Para 2?

A．114.

B．113.

C．63.

D．50.

3. What may “copper” be?

A．A type of metal.

B．A shell.

C．A symbol.

D．A piece of wood.

4. When does a finder of treasure get paid by the government?

A．When he sells the treasure he finds in the market.

B．When he hands in the over-300-year-old treasure he finds.

C．When he reports his discovery in time to the government.

D．When he records his finds on the British Museum’s website.

10 . We all love and have enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet(自助餐), but how many of us have had an “all-you-can-stay” holiday? It sounds too good to be true, but a hotel company in the Maldives is offering guests a once-in-a-lifetime vacation.

The luxury Anantara Veli resort(度假村) has a special package that includes unlimited use of its facilities(设施) for the whole of 2021. Customers will get the use of a two-person small house that lies above the clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean. The resort is also throwing in transport to and from the airport, 365 breakfasts, discounts on cooking lessons and water activities like diving and surfing. However, all this comes at a big cost of $30,000.

The Maldives has developed into a high-end destination for tourists. The country has been pretty quick to open its resorts to foreign tourists once again, even with the pandemic getting serious in many countries around the world. It is because it has struggled during the pandemic(疫情) as its economy highly depends on international tourism. Luckily, the Maldives is a tiny nation of islands in the Indian Ocean, about 700 kilometers from the southern tip of India. What’s more, most of its tourist accommodation is on private islands far from the main land. It will be a perfect choice for holidaymakers who want to enjoy a quiet holiday. A tourism spokesperson said the $30,000 package is good value and cheaper than staying in an average hotel for a year.

1. How does the all-you-can-stay holiday sound according to Para 1?

A．Expensive.

B．Unbelievable.

C．Worthwhile.

D．Awkward.

2. When can guests use the offer?

A．From this time next year.	B．Any time from today.
C．Every day except weekends.	D．All through the year 2021.

3. Why did the Maldives quickly open its resorts to foreign tourists?

A．Because it is a high-end destination for tourists.

B．Because it is much safer than any other country.

C．Because the pandemic is not serious in this country.

D．Because it needs foreign tourist to support its economy.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．An island country.	B．A package vacation.
C．A happy holidaymaker.	D．A reserve for island creatures.