1 . September is upon us, which means one thing for parents and children alike: term time. Many will be excited to engage in-person, after months of remote learning. Unfortunately,this won't apply to everyone. It's alarming that an estimated 540,000 children will continue to stay at home, due to mental or physical health concerns directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic (流行病）．For those that aren't able to attend classes in person, maintaining some form of connection with their peers is vitally important, both to protect their educational development and to prevent them from becoming isolated(孤独）。

No Isolation, a company that specializes in understanding and reducing the impact of loneliness, has decided to take action. Throughout the summer, No Isolation worked with independent researcher,Henry Peck, to better understand the effect of lockdown on educational and emotional development in school-aged children. They collected responses from some primary and middle school students and found that about 1,320 children, or more than 75% of the surveyed, were more or less lonely during the lockdown.

There is no immediate “fix" for loneliness, but there are steps to be taken to help.Parents need to open up a dialogue around what loneliness is, and what it feels like, so as to stress that feeling lonely is completely normal and a topic that is safe to talk about. For adults, loneliness is a shame, which means that often they are not open enough about it with each other, let alone with their children. Parents need to break the taboo around loneliness by talking and encouraging children to share their emotions.They also need to learn to ask for help. Sometimes these emotions need to be talked through with family or with a professional. Now, more than ever, parents should be listening to children and helping to make sure they are heard when they feel lonely. They are facing the same pandemic,and they deserve all of the help and support they can get.

1. What may prevent many young people returning to school in the coming new term?

A．The interrupted connection with their peers.

B．The continued spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

C．The benefits of remote learning they have ever received.

D．The physical and mental impact of the pandemic on them.

2. What do the numbers in Paragraph 2 imply?

A．A bad effect of loneliness.

B．The large number of students in the UK.

C．A worrying common phenomenon.

D．The convincing accuracy of the survey.

3. How can parents help children understand that loneliness is normal?

A．By making sure their children feel safe at home.

B．By receiving education on what loneliness actually is.

C．By talking about the nature of loneliness with their children.

D．By opening up a dialogue about their struggle with children.

4. What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．Serious consequences of loneliness.

B．Effective ways of dealing with loneliness.

C．Possible ways of breaking the taboo.

D．Great significance of social emotion sharing.

2 . College offers you many academic freedoms. You can develop existing passions and explore new interests-and find a major that will put you on the career path you want.

Computer Science

Not only will you lean more about computers-hardware and software, but you'll also learn about the applications of such knowledge. As a computer science major, you'll be exposed to areas such as robotics, natural language recognition programs,artificial intelligence, programming languages,numerical analysis, and gaming technology. Problem solving is a major component of computer science, no matter which section of the industry you want to pursue.

Communications

Communications majors tend to be great storytellers. You'll learn about oral and written messages, audience reaction, and the varied effects of different communication environments. It will prepare you for a wealth of career options in business, advertising, human resources, public relations,

government, education, media, and social services.

Economics

Economics is the study of choices - those of individuals, businesses, governments, and societies and how they choose to spend their time and money and otherwise allocate their resources. It is also an excellent preparation for a future in business, as well as for graduate studies in law, public policy,and international studies.

1. Who is this article intended for?

A．College applicants.

B．College graduates.

C．College professors.

D．College workers.

2. What does Computer Science mainly focus on?

A．Career choosing.

B．Problem solving.

C．Data analyzing.

D．Language programming.

3. What do Communications and Economics have in common?

A．They mean a higher salary.

B．They are both difficult to learn.

C．They prepare people for businesses.

D．They offer the choices of distributing their resources.

3 . After choosing a school abroad and getting accepted, the most important thing is to find a desirable place to live. How do you find a suitable location? Here are some tips that may help.

Dormitory

Student dormitories can lead to truly meaningful overseas experiences. Dorms vary, but it’s possible you may have a private room with a private bath or a roommate with a shared bathroom as part of a suite (套房).     1    They can serve as great gathering spots for you and your classmates. Dorm rooms usually come with a reasonable price for foreign students.

Homestay

With a homestay , you can have a home overseas with a family.    2    You’ll generally have a private room, but you’ll share the bathroom as well as other common spaces with the family.    3    Hence, you may spend time and money on local transportation.

Private apartment

    4    It may cut you off from meaningful cultural experiences and relationships with locals, though. Some landlords might ask you to pay a security deposit before renting,which will be returned to you once you move out.

    5    

If you are still not sure where to live, ask seniors for suggestions. If you worry about security problems,you can live in a dormitory for your first year and then live elsewhere.

A．Privacy is definitely in need for all the people.

B．It will provide the warmth and care that you need.

C．Renting a flat will allow you to enjoy freedom and privacy.

D．It is convenient for you to keep in contact with your family.

E．There will generally be areas such as study spaces or a kitchen.

F．Besides the rent, you'll also have to manage the bills,Wi-Fi and so on.

G．Though homestays cost less, families tend to live away from the universities.

4 . Scientists have recreated the structure of ice formed at the centre of planets like Neptune and Uranus. Known as “superionic ice”, it forms at extremely high temperatures and pressures,such as those deep inside planets like Neptune and Uranus. But in the new study published in the journal Nature Physics,scientists found a way to reliably create,sustain and examine the ice.

“It was a surprise—everyone thought this phase wouldn’t appear until you are at much higher pressures than where we first found it,” said Vitali Prakapenka, research professor at University of Chicago. But we were able to very accurately map the properties（特质）of this new ice，which forms a new phase of matter,thanks to several powerful tools,” Prakapenka added.

To develop superionic ice,the team pressed water between two diamonds,the hardest material on Earth,to reproduce the intense pressure that exists at the core of planets. Then, they used the Advanced Photon Source,or high-brightness X-ray beams, to shoot a laser through the diamonds to heat the water. When they first ran the experiments, Prakapenka saw readings of the structure that were much different than he was expecting.

“That means it was an alterable, structural change, not a chemical reaction,” Prakapenka said. The ice becomes less dense（稠密的），but significantly darker because it interacts differently with light.

Superionic ice doesn’t exist only inside far-away planets—it’s also inside Earth, and it plays a role in maintaining our planet’s magnetic fields. Earth’s intense magnetism protects the planet’s surface from dangerous radiation and cosmic rays that come from outer space.

Planets like Mars and Mercury don’t have magnetic fields,and they are exposed to the harsh weather of outer space. Knowing the conditions that affect magnetic field formation can guide scientists as they search for stars and planets in other solar systems that might host life,the team said.

1. What do we know about “superionic ice” in Para. 1?

A．It only exists at the centre of planets.

B．It is created in the Neptune and Uranus.

C．It can be recreated in special conditions.

D．It can be examined at high temperatures and pressures.

2. What does Para. 3 mainly tell us?

A．The method of the experiment.	B．The process of the experiment.
C．The tools used by the scientists.	D．The expectation made by the scientists.

3. What happens to the ice in the experiment?

A．It turns a lighter color.

B．Its structure is transformed.

C．It produces the intense pressure.

D．It goes through a chemical change.

4. What is the purpose of studying the “superionic ice”?

A．To protect Mars from harsh weather.

B．To change our planet's magnetic fields.

C．To explore the possibility of life in outer space.

D．To find stars and planets in other solar systems.

5 . LaPierre is no stranger to long, strange trips. As a young man, he worked as a baking chef, then as a real housing agent. But at age 30, he went to sleep under a Massachusetts bridge, a bridge happening to be on the route of the Boston Marathon. LaPierre would watch the runners speed past, longing to join them in running. Marathons became a symbol and an inspiration-surviving for the long journey.

About two decades ago, Lapierre started running in as many marathons as he could. To date, the 54-year-old man has crossed the finish line 32 times. Without a doubt, his most recent race was the most memorable.

LaPierre had flown from Boston to Chicago last fall, sleeping in O’Hare International Airport due to his poor finance support. Early on the morning of October 13, he boarded the train to the Chicago Marathon. The train was full of energetic marathoners. LaPierre noticed a man asking for spare change. At the Cumberland station, several stops before the one for the marathon, many passengers suddenly fled the train car. The panicked people shouted that the man asking for money was, in fact, an armed robber.

Just then, the robber himself escaped from the train car and hopped onto the next one.

LaPierre followed him quickly. “You don’t move!” LaPierre shouted, leaning into the armed man firmly with his left side and grabbing his gun firmly. “Let me go!” the man begged loudly. After a while, the police flooded to the train, and LaPierre returned the robber over to the police. The police expressed thanks to him. He fled quickly, for he had a marathon to run.

This was not the first time Lapierre had done good deeds. He had done a lot of good things. LaPierre knows there’s more to why he’s become a serial good guy than that. “I’ve lived a hard life,” he says. “But I believe change starts within yourself. For the last 25 years, I’ve tried to make myself into a good man.”

1. What happened to LaPierre when living under a bridge?

A．He had his job changed.	B．He baked cakes for marathon runners.
C．He was inspired by the Boston Marathon.	D．He was woken up by some marathon runners.

2. Why did LaPierre sleep in O’Hare International Airport?

A．To cut down on living expenses.	B．To take care of other marathoners.
C．To help the police to catch a robber.	D．To catch the plane full of marathoners.

3. What’s the right order of the heroic event?
①LaPierre delivered the robber to the police.                 ②LaPierre followed the robber and fought against him.
③LaPierre got on the train to the Chicago Marathon.     ④The panicked passengers fled the train car.
⑤He went on to compete in the marathon.

A．⑤④②③①

B．③①②④⑤

C．③④②①⑤

D．⑤④③①②

4. What message does LaPierre convey in the last paragraph?

A．Good deeds have their rewards.	B．Kindness makes a real difference.
C．Happiness lies in the pursuit of dreams.	D．Outer changes always begin with inner changes.

6 . National Parks

Buffalo National River,Arkansas

The Buffalo National River travels for 135 miles and it flows uninhibited,as it is one of the few rivers in the lower 48 states that does not have dams. Visitors to this park will find varieties of activities to enjoy the river’s waters including floating the river by canoe,kayak or tube.

Colorado National Monument,Colorado

This National Monument protects one of the region’s most beautiful landscapes. Visitors will be greeted with splendid views as well as plenty of activities. The Rim Rock Drive is a great option for car travelers wishing to enjoy the views of the landscape. In addition,Colorado National Monument is known as superb valley country that holds great appeal for hikers.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park,New Mexico

Chaco Culture National Historical Park has the largest concentration of Chaco ruins outside of Mexico and also has a great night sky program, considered by many night sky enthusiasts to be one of the best places in America to stargaze. Today,visitors can experience the same dark sky that the Chacoans observed a thousand years ago.

Crater Lake National Park,Oregon

Crater Lake is one of the most unique areas in Oregon and the country. Most of the year the park is covered in snow, and the summertime window is very brief,lasting only from July to October. The park makes a great winter time destination. Park roads can be snow-packed and icy this time of year. Don’t let your vehicle fall below half a tank on winter trips. Gas station is inaccessible in the park from mid-October to late May.

1. Which of the activities is available in Colorado National Monument?

A．Attending a Rock&Roll festival.	B．Hiking in the valley.
C．Protecting the beautiful landscapes.	D．Enjoying the river’s waters by canoe.

2. Which destination is most suitable for astronomy amateurs?

A．Buffalo National River.	B．Colorado National Monument.
C．Crater Lake National Park.	D．Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

3. Which is suggested if you travel across the Crater Lake National Park in December?

A．Packing winter clothes.	B．Refilling the gas.
C．Clearing up the park roads.	D．Checking the local weather.

7 . It’s very hard to write your own resume because a resume is a macro view of your life, but you live your life at the micro level.     1     Here are three ideas that guide professional resume writers and should guide you as well:

Don’t focus on your responsibilities, focus on what you achieved.

A resume is not your life story. No one cares. The only things that should be on your resume are achievements. The best way to show that you did your job well is from achievements.     2     It is an objective way to show that you impressed the people you work for. The next best way to show objective measures is to present quantified achievements.

    3    

Think about when a company announced the launch of their product. First of all, the product is not done. Second of all, it has bugs. And third, the company is probably showing photos of prototypes and the real thing will look different.     4    , because a resume is a marketing document. The best marketing documents show the product in the very best light, which means using whatever most outrageous tactics possible to make you look good. As long as you are not lying, you will be fine.

Don’t give everything away in the resume.

The idea of a resume is to get someone to call you, talk with you on the phone, and offer you an interview. So a resume is like a first date.     5    

A．You only show your best stuff and you don’t show it all.

B．So I recommend to a lot of people that they hire someone to help them.

C．However, some of you will be able to do a decent job writing your own resume.

D．In fact, the interview is where the hard-core selling takes place.

E．You need to take the same approach with your resume.

F．The best achievement is a promotion.

G．Don’t make your resume a moral statement; it’s a marketing document.

8 . Late one night in 1982, a Yale University medical student named Martin witnessed a miserable scene at a local hospital. A toddler was admitted, and several nurses attempted to insert an IV needle into one of the child’s tiny veins. Each time they missed the vessel, the child screamed more shrilly, and the mother grew more worried.

There has to be a better way, thought Martin, now a professor of biomedical engineering at Rutgers University. The incident changed his outlook on medicine. Thoroughly frightened by what he had witnessed, Martin started to imagine what would happen if the process of drawing blood could be automated.

At that time, automation was found primarily on assembly lines for cars, where robots were so powerful and dangerous that they were fixed to the ground and enclosed in metal cages. In 1985, a modified robotic arm was used to perform a brain biopsy on a 52-year- old man. Today, surgical robots are commonplace in medical facilities around the world. Controlled by doctors wielding virtual forceps and scalpels in front of a computer terminal, they help perform a range of complex procedures, from hip replacements to kidney transplants. Despite these advances, the deployment of robots in hospitals has been limited: They assist in some of the most highly skilled tasks in health care, while remaining apparently absent in scenes like the one Martin witnessed as a medical student. Martin’s biomedical engineering lab has spent the past decade trying to repair this imbalance. Thanks to advances in sensors and artificial intelligence that have improved the quality and lowered the cost of robotics, they are now developing a blood - draw robot small enough for clinicians to carry in their pockets.

It’s an expensive proposal, which faces funding challenges. But, as scientists point out, the novel corona virus presents a novel situation - one where applications for the machine could expand beyond a routine blood draw to include antibody testing and vaccination. In the future, automated venipuncture (静脉穿刺) could also lead to greater safety for both patients and medical personnel by removing the need for unnecessary physical contact.

1. What inspired Martin to automate the process of drawing blood?

A．His curiosity about medicine.

B．His dream since his childhood.

C．His desire to ease the suffering of people.

D．His sympathy for the toddler.

2. What can be teamed about blood-draw robots?

A．They are highly skilled in health care tasks.

B．Their application in hospitals has been limited.

C．Their future use in more medical fields is promising.

D．They help control the spread of the novel coronavirus.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards blood-draw robots from the last paragraph?

A．Supportive.

B．Critical

C．Puzzled.

D．Objective.

4. In which part of a newspaper can you read the passage?

A．Science.

B．Economy.

C．Entertainment.

D．Education.

9 . Born in 1992, Yang Zi grew up with the audience. In 2004, Home with Kids made her a daughter beloved by the whole country.

Since her debut, the phrase “appearance anxiety” has always been associated with Yang Zi. In the following years, she didn’t get any chance to act, which seemed to be an indirect proof that she is not pretty enough. It was so hard to get a role that she worked out every day for over two months to prepare for it. A week before shooting, she was replaced by “an actress with great commercial value”. Because popularity means commercial value, and commercial value is the only passport. Therefore, some actors have decided to turn their backs on their acting skills and compete for popularity. However, she didn’t want to give up or resign herself to fate.

Without commercial value, Yang Zi had to blow down. She naturally understood the risks of accepting bad scripts and knew that was a difficult road, but she had to face it. As a result, she was caught up in a storm of public criticism. While her peers were becoming popular through various idol dramas, she was the only one who was still struggling to make a name for herself in various bad dramas.

She worked really hard and she really determined. Even though she finally escaped a child star’s doom, public criticism against her appearance has not diminished. Since she took on The Legend of Chusen, netizens have been ridiculing her incessantly. Many netizens criticized, “How can you have the courage to play a stunning beauty when you look so ugly?”

Yang Zi said she felt like walking in a heavy fog. There was no longer a path ahead and no way back either.

The roles she has played in Ode to Joy, Ashes of Love are of different characters, but Yang Zi has become a recognized “acting textbook” by way of her acting skills that beat those of her peers. Appearance is a necessary powerful tool. But from the audience’s point of view, appearance is not the reason for her popularity. The world of acting should not be a battle between the popular and the skilled, but a battle between actors and between characters.

Yang Zi has a clear understanding of her own popularity, and is glad that the audience fall in love with her because of her film and television works, not of her appearance. She knows that anything that is external will sooner or later be changed with time passing by. In the entertainment industry where popularity constantly changes, excellent acting is the key and good woks are her greatest confidence. Yang Zi has come through the hard times when she had no drama to shoot. She is still the greatest popular actress with good acting skills.

1. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Since her debut, she has been given many chances to act.

B．She has always gained popularity among audience.

C．She has decided not to turn her back on her acting skills.

D．She has always been an actress with great commercial value.

2. Which of the following words can best describe Yang Zi from the passage?

A．Lovely and gifted.	B．Inspiring and determined.
C．Energetic and intelligent.	D．Hard-working and outgoing

3. What does the underlined word “diminished” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Increased.

B．Appeared.

C．Accumulated.

D．Lessened.

4. What has possibly contributed to Yang Zi’s success in her career?

A．Her charming appearance.	B．Her excellent acting.
C．Her courage to play different characters.	D．Her gift for acting.

10 . Beijing has four distinct seasons. Spring is time for the capital city to dress in blossoms. It might be common to enjoy the fragrance of flowers elsewhere, but in Beijing, they can be appreciated alongside the ancient buildings nestled among them. Here is a quick guide of the best routes of themed spring tours for visitors.

Winter jasmine

These golden-yellow flowers can be widely seen in Beijing in March. Their beauty is amplified by the red walls and green tiles of historical buildings.

At the northern gate of Beihai Park, winter jasmine provides a picturesque scene against the backdrop of water, hills and pedestrian activity and has been a lasting favorite of photographers. The blossoms are brought out by the nearby lake stones of various shapes and sizes.

In Zhongshan Park, winter jasmine breathes life into the solemn atmosphere of the royal site, where sacrificial ceremonies were once held during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Yulan magnolias

Its flowering phase is very short, as if showing a never-say-die courage and pride. Many love the plant for the flowers that blossom before leafing. The best time to see it is usually from the last week of March to mid-April.

Yulan magnolias usually appear first along Chang’ an Avenue, and locals consider it a sign of the real approaching of spring. The blossoms look best on the western side of the avenue. Visitors should also look out for the spread of purple magnolias in the northwestern corner of the street, near the National Center for the Performing Arts.

The Summer Palace has a long history of planting Yulan magnolias. Every time they blossom, the longevity Hall is filled with fragrance.

1. Where can visitors appreciate winter jasmine in Beijing in spring?

A．In National Center	B．In Zhongshan Park.
C．In the Summer Palace	D．On Chang’ an Avenue.

2. What do Winter jasmine and Yulan magnolias enjoyed in Beijing in common?

A．They blossom before leafing.

B．They can be appreciated alongside the ancient buildings in Beijing.

C．Their flowering phases are the same.

D．They have been a lasting favorite of photographers.

3. What’s the purpose of writing this passage?

A．To attract more visitors.	B．To show the beauty of two kinds of flowers.
C．To introduce distinct seasons of Beijing.	D．To compare the difference between two flowers.