1 . For those who like to take planes, trains, buses, and boats, there are remote destinations that few people will have the chance to experience.

Socotra Island, Yemen

On the island, a third of the island’s plant life and 90 percent of its reptile species aren’t found anywhere else on earth, including the dragon’s blood tree, an umbrella-shaped tree with red sap. UNESCO classified the Socotra archipelago, which includes the island, as a World Heritage site in 2008.

Pitcairn Island

Located west of Easter Island,the Pitcairn Islands are a group of four volcanic islands. Pitcairn Island is the only one of the four that is inhabited. The island now has a population of about 50，many of whom are descendants of the original founders. Henderson Island is an UNESCO World Heritage Site with an important collection of bird species,including four local to the island.

Kerguelen Islands

Also known as the Desolation Islands,the Kerguelen Islands are located in the southern Indian Ocean and are part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories. Grand Terre, the main island, is home to the Port-Aux-Francois research base. The islands, which are 2,000 miles away from civilization, are also inhabited by several species of penguins, albatrosses, and seals. Visitors can only reach Grand Terre four times a year by ship.

Supai, Arizona

The Havavsupai tribe has occupied the village of Supai since A.D. 1300. The village is set deep within the Grand Canyon and is accessible by helicopter, foot, or pack animal. Havasu Canyon boasts spectacular blue-green waterfalls that are worth the eight-mile hike. The remote location has become so popular that visits to the village and waterfalls require a reservation.

1. What is Socotra Island famous for?

A．Small population.	B．Cultural heritage.
C．Remote location.	D．Unique species.

2. Which one includes a spot for research?

A．Socotra Island.	B．Pitcairn Island.
C．Kerguelen Islands.	D．Supai,Arizona.

3. In what aspect is Supai different from the other three?

A．It belongs to volcanic islands.	B．Visitors need to book in advance.
C．It can only be reached by helicopters.	D．Penguins are the common scene.

2 . Carpenter is the lead author of a paper in Nature Reviews Psychology that examined more than 100 years of research on learning.

“The benefits of spacing and retrieval practice have been confirmed over and over in studies in labs, classrooms, workplaces, but the reason why we’re presenting this research is that these two techniques haven’t fully caught on. If they were employed all the time, we’d see big increases in learning,” said Carpenter.

In the paper, Carpenter and her co-authors describe spacing as a strategy to learn in small amounts over time. It’s the opposite of cramming (塞满) the night before an exam. In one study, medical students who received repeated surgery training over three weeks performed better and faster on tests 2 weeks and 1 year later compared to medical students who had the same training all on one day.

Carpenter says there isn’t a universal rule about how much time to schedule between practice sessions. But research shows returning to the material after forgetting some—but not all—of the content is effective.

Retrieval practice is a strategy that involves recalling what was learned previously. It can take many forms, including flash cards, practice tests and open-ended writing prompts, and helps learners recognize what they do and don’t know. The paper’s authors emphasize that people who check their responses for errors or get feedback right away learn even better. More than 200 studies show people generally maintain more information for longer periods of time with retrieval practice compared to strategies that do not involve retrieval (e.g., re-reading a textbook.)

The authors argue people who combine spacing and retrieval practice have the best chance of remembering information.

“Forgetting is a very natural thing; you can’t stop forgetting even if you try, but you can slow down forgetting by using retrieval practice and spacing,” said Carpenter.

Carpenter says she uses digital tools (e.g., online practice quizzes, clicker questions) to incorporate retrieval practice and spacing into her university courses, but there are other ways to bring these strategies into the classroom.

1. Why do the author and his group present this research?

A．Because people don’t accept the two techniques.

B．Because the two techniques haven’t popularized.

C．Because people have much difficulty in learning.

D．Because the two techniques are taking little effect.

2. How does Carpenter prove spacing is superior to cramming?

A．By studying some cases.	B．By receiving some training.
C．By applying some rules.	D．By scheduling some time.

3. What can retrieval practice help people to get?

A．Self assessment.	B．Wide recognition.
C．Positive response.	D．General strategies.

4. What might Carpenter talk about in the following paragraphs?

A．The benefits of spacing and retrieval practice.

B．Potential ways used to slow down forgetting.

C．Arguments about what to do to stop forgetting.

D．Other university courses worth remembering.

3 . Working as a teenager has the obvious benefit of earning money to spend and save. However, working also allows teens to appreciate the value of money and what it means to earn a dollar.

“Working teens learn an important money lesson about how much people earn per hour,” says Nashica McRath. She is a financial adviser with Edward Jones, an investment company. “Paying taxes and other experiences are lessons in maturity and how to navigate the world of becoming an adult.” she says.

Whether high school students go to college or move straight into the working world, holding a job during high school can prepare them. It gives them real-life financial awareness and the ability to plan and manage money.

“Work lets teens learn time management and practical job skills that can help them in their daily lives when they go to college and after college,” says Brenda M. Brown. She is the director of business development for College Aid Services.

Ciara Smalls Glover, an associate professor at Georgia State University, agrees. She says teens with jobs also might discover new interests and talents. Their work in high school might lead to a career.

“Typically, we expect adolescents to make decisions about their future careers when they get to college and select a major,” she says. “That can be a daunting task for some. Work or volunteer experiences can provide opportunities for students to better understand themselves.”

“Having a part-time job in high school means time away from studies and school activities. If a teen doesn’t put important things first, something is going to suffer,” McRath says.

Holding all of that together could become overwhelming for many high schoolers. Sports, socializing and other activities offer life lessons and experiences for young students, so each requires attention.

“Too many work hours can compromise (危及) a teen’s energy and contribution to schoolwork,” Glover says. “But part-time work and grades are equally important. The teen years involve identity development, so time to explore self through social relationships also is important,” she says.

1. What does Nashica McRath think of teens working?

A．It’s a job skill.	B．It’s worthwhile.
C．It’s acceptable.	D．It’s an investment.

2. How does work help teenagers according to Ciara Smalls Glover?

A．It determines their career.

B．It inspires them to make decisions.

C．It encourages them to go to college.

D．It helps them understand their potentials.

3. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 7 mean?

A．Students should focus less on studies.

B．Students should do more part-time jobs.

C．Students should know their top priorities.

D．Students should enter into society earlier.

4. What advice do you think the author might give to teenagers?

A．Adolescents should make their own decisions.

B．School work should come first on your agenda.

C．Find opportunities to better understand yourself.

D．Balance part-time work and academic activities.

4 . Most of you are probably familiar with the various stories of searching alien life, but have you heard about the scientist who was responsible for detecting the first traces of intelligent life lurking (潜伏) throughout our galaxy? This is Frank Drake’s story.

At the age of 8, his father one day told Drake there are other worlds in space. He had no idea that such a thing was a possibility—he thought Earth was it. It was a medieval (过时的) attitude. So he wondered, what are they like? Are the people the same as us? Do they look the same way we do? What’s their planet like? And of course, at that time, there was no way that those questions could be answered in the slightest.

Later on, when he was in college, he chose the elementary astronomy course. While he was taking that course, he went to the campus observatory, and one of the things he observed was the planet Jupiter. Even through a small telescope, it was just very clear that it was another world. It was not a picture in a book or something. And that converted him.

Frank Drake is mostly known for developing the Drake equation (方程式), which is a mathematical equation that was developed to estimate the number of detectable alien civilizations residing in the Milky Way. Drake equation takes many things into consideration from the rate of star formation, the fraction (小部分) of stars that have planets, the number of habitable planets circling each star, the fraction of planets that remain habitable long enough for life to evolve all the way up to the number of civilizations that are capable of developing technology.

People always say that the search for alien life has failed. “You’ve been searching for 60 years, and you haven’t found anything. So doesn’t that say that intelligent life is very rare?” But that’s wrong, because the amount of searching that we’ve done has hardly touched the number of possibilities that are out there—that is, stars and radio frequencies and channels and all of that. We’ve only covered a tiny, tiny fraction of all the possibilities.

1. What does the author try to do in the first paragraph?

A．Share some stories about alien life.

B．Lead in the topic of the whole text.

C．Introduce his research experiences.

D．Question the existence of alien life.

2. How did Drake feel when first told about other worlds in space?

A．Anxious.

B．Satisfied.

C．Puzzled.

D．Curious.

3. What might cause Drake to choose the elementary astronomy course in college?

A．The observation of Jupiter.

B．The advice from his father.

C．A picture in a science book.

D．His great interest in alien life.

4. Which of the following views may the author agree with?

A．The intelligent life in space is rather rare.

B．Drake equation was used to detect aliens.

C．The search for aliens deserves continuing.

D．People carried out a wrong search for aliens.

5 . Activities for Toddlers in Cincinnati

Toddlers are constantly moving and playing with something—whether they should or not. Sometimes finding kid-friendly activities to entertain and teach the youngest ones can be difficult.

We put together a list of kid-friendly activities for toddlers in Cincinnati. Through sports, art, music, stories, or even just structured play, your child can begin learning at a very early age.       

YogahOMe offers classes from Tippi Toes Dance Company for children as young as 18 months. The classes are designed to develop motor skills and body awareness and help develop the imagination, critical thinking, cognitive and creative skills. Classes include Mommy & Me, Baby Ballet, and Ballet, Tap, Jazz.

Brazee Street Studios offers monthly events for you and your toddler to enjoy. Storytelling, tours and more teach your child the joys of art from an early age. Programs include Culture kids, Art in the Making, and Wee Wednesdays. Story times include reading a story and creating a piece of glass art that agrees with the stories theme.

Little Songbird Music Studio, with locations in Florence and Cincinnati, specializes in music education for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers and offers classes for children up through age 9 and their parents. A popular offering is the Musikgarten curriculum, which is a holistic approach to teaching music to children, and teaching your child to communicate using sign language through song and play.

Bee Active offers gymnastics classes for children as young as 18 months old and focuses on flexibility, strength, coordination and basic gymnastics moves. Open recreation time is available in the gymnastics center, rock climbing wall and adventure zone.

1. Which activity may make toddlers more likely to be sport lovers?

A．Bee Active	B．Brazee Street Studios
C．YogahOMe	D．Little Songbird Music Studio

2. What can toddlers learn to do in Brazee Street Studios?

A．Read stories every day.	B．Improve body flexibility.
C．Develop hands-on ability.	D．Use sign language to sing.

3. What do these activities have in common?

A．They all require parents to participate.

B．They all teach toddlers by entertaining.

C．They all focus on toddlers’ imagination.

D．They all offer classes to toddlers for free.

6 . Some people exercise for health. Others exercise out of a sense of competitiveness or accomplishment (成就).     1    . However, simply changing the shape of your body isn’t likely to completely change the way you feel about your body. The reasons are as follows.

    2    

When you start a body transformation journey, it will be weeks—maybe months—before you see any significant differences in the mirror. If you’re just trying to lose fat, you’ll begin seeing results pretty soon.     3    . And if you want to gain muscle and lose fat, that takes even longer.

You may never get your dream body.

You keep working out. Eventually you lose fat, gain muscle and do have whatever you dreamed at the start.     4    . For a lot of people, the answer is: not really. Maybe you can see your abdominals (腹肌), but you’re unhappy about your back. And when you compare your “after” picture to the celebrity you most admire, you might still feel like you’re coming up short. The truth is that if you got into exercise because you hate something about your body, you will probably always be able to find something to hate about your body.

If you realize the problem, that doesn’t mean you need to quit the gym.     5    . And you can work through your mental health issues while also enjoying lifting some weights or going for a run sometimes, especially if your mental health issues are mild.

A．Are you happy with the result?

B．You may need more time than expected.

C．You may never see any great differences.

D．But most people exercise to relieve their pressure.

E．Exercise can still be good for your physical health.

F．But the most popular reason is to make the body look better.

G．If you’re trying to gain muscle, though, it may take a long time.

7 . A study done by University of Michigan researchers found that shopping to relieve stress was up to 40 times more effective at giving people a sense of control and that shoppers were three times less sad compared to those who only browsed for items without buying.

More than half of the 1,000 consumers surveyed said they had impulsively (冲动地) shopped to deal with feelings of stress, anxiety or depression. Twenty-three percent of respondents said they had maxed out a credit card to relieve stress.

In terms of age, 68 percent of Millennials (千禧一代) said they would go shopping when having stress, compared to 53 percent of Gen Xers, who were born between 1965 and 1976, and only 26 percent of baby boomers born after World War Ⅱ.

In regards to genders, 48 percent of men and 31 percent of women purchased alcohol impulsively when stressed. Eighty-two percent of women spent on clothing compared to 52 percent of men. 42 percent of women also preferred to buy jewellery, compared to 22 percent for men, with men spending more for electronics 44 percent versus 30 percent for women.

In fact, shopping to reduce stress can actully help you live a healthier life by making sure that your blood pressure is lowered. The survey found that 82 percent had only positive feelings about their purchases and that the positive mood boost was long-lasting. Shopping to relieve stress is also called retail therapy as a form of regulating stress. However, the side effect of it can start out as a relatively harmless mood booster but could possibly grow into a compulsion (冲动) that causes financial collapse and conflict, thereby adding a significant amount of stress to a person’s life.

1. What can we infer about the finding of the study?

A．Shopping was three times more effective to relieve stress.

B．23 percent of respondents maxed out a credit card to relieve stress.

C．Younger people tended to go shopping to relieve stress.

D．Most men preferred alcohol and electronics to relieve stress.

2. How does the author develop the finding of the study in paragraph 4?

A．By clarifying a concept.

B．By presenting a fact.

C．By making an argument.

D．By making a comparison.

3. What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．The retail therapy.

B．The stress regulation.

C．The mood booster.

D．The shopping survey.

4. What is the author’s purpose of writing this article?

A．To share people’s preferences for shopping.	B．To introduce the effect of shopping.
C．To recommend ways of shopping.	D．To show the popularity of shopping.

8 . A newly developed disposable paper battery promises to make a big impact on single-use electronics. The battery that has been demonstrated by researchers is biodegradable (可生物降解的), made from sustainable materials, and cheap to put together. What’s more, it can be produced in a variety of shapes and sizes as needed.

To give an idea of the power, a two-cell battery was enough to power an LCD alarm clock. While it won’t be charging up your computer anytime soon, there’s lots of potential for low-powered sensors. “We present a printed paper battery developed to power single-use disposable electronics and to reduce their environmental impact to the lowest level,” write the researchers in their published paper.

The battery is based on a metal-air electrochemical cell. Made from sodium chloride salt-diffused (氯化钠盐扩散的) paper, it can measure as little as one square centimeter, and is based on printed inks. All that’s needed, then, is a small amount of water, as little as two drops. This dissolves the salts within the paper, and then activates the battery as they travel. The battery starts producing power around 20 seconds after water is added, according to the experiments carried out by the team.

Although the performance decreases over time as the paper dries out, it can be topped up to some extent with more water. The researchers say they want to improve the efficiency of the battery in the future, and get it working for longer.

“With a rising awareness of the e-waste problem and the emergence of single-use electronics for applications, there is a growing need for low environmental impact batteries,” write the researchers.

1. Which of the following statement about the paper battery is true?

A．It is made from single-use materials.	B．It is costly to put together.
C．It can be produced in diverse shapes.	D．It can be used to charge up your computer.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．How the paper battery works.	B．What the paper battery consists of.
C．Why the paper battery is popular.	D．Where the paper battery can be applied.

3. What does the underlined phrase “topped up” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Declined

B．Maintained

C．Increased

D．Changed

4. What is the researchers’ attitude towards the future of the paper battery?

A．Indifferent

B．Pessimistic

C．Cautious

D．Promising

9 . Housemates make posters to lighten the mood amid the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Posters featuring a character that resembles the Disney robot Baymax have been making rounds on the internet and drawing praise from netizens for lightening the mood amid the epidemic.

Made by Chen Mengying, 32, and her American housemate Stacey Klinge, 33, the posters also feature humorous phrases related to lockdown life. The duo (搭档), who live in Tianyuan housing community, say they came up with the poster after realizing how tense the mood in their community had become as it faced lockdown challenges. According to Chen and Klinge, their community, which has been under closed-loop (闭环) management since April 1, has had problems getting access to daily essentials, and this sparked several disagreements between residents and the management. Eager to help lighten the mood, the two sought to spread some cheer using their artistic skills.

Klinge says she was initially confused with her housemate’s suggestion to create a character based on dabai, a Chinese reference to pandemic workers in white protective suits. Chen says she was thinking about Baymax from the animated film Big Hero 6. Seeing how Baymax and the workers both play the role of protectors in their respective worlds, the two decided to use the character for their posters. Their posters, which contain multilingual updates about the latest pandemic measures and announcements for residents, have helped people develop a sense of optimism.

The posters have also drawn the attention of several local media outlets, which have interviewed the two. “I was seriously considering a return to the United States. But I’ve changed my mind after my fantastic experience in the community,” says Klinge. Besides creating the posters, Chen and Klinge have also been volunteering in the community since April 16 and they always focus on positive things at this difficult time.

1. What is their purpose of making the posters?

A．To address daily problems.	B．To enrich their lockdown life.
C．To cheer people up during the pandemic.	D．To update the latest pandemic measures.

2. Why did they choose Baymax to represent the pandemic workers in the posters?

A．Because they both are in white protective suits.

B．Because they both are popular in different cultures.

C．Because they both draw praise from netizens.

D．Because they both are considered heroes in saving human lives.

3. Which of the following can best describe Chen and Klinge?

A．Capable and generous.

B．Caring and creative.

C．Ambitious and considerate.

D．Selfless and courageous.

4. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Design a Sense of Cheer	B．Create a New Lifestyle
C．Look on the Bright Side	D．Face the Lockdown Challenges

10 . Mount Qingyuan Tourist Attraction is located in Quanzhou city, Fujian province, and is renowned for its quiet scenery and ancient cultural landscapes.

The mountain features granite rocks(花岗岩) with the summit at 618 meters. The annual average temperature is between 17℃ and 21.3℃, making it an ideal getaway at any time of the year.

According to historical records, the mountain was developed as early as the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). After centuries of development, there are still nine statues from the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, about 700 ruins of stone carvings and many stone structures dating back to the Yuan and Ming (1644-1911) dynasties.

The most representative highlight of the tourist attraction is the statue of Laozi, which is renowned for being the largest stone carving made during the Song Dynasty. Laozi is the author of the Tao Te Ching, the founder of philosophical Taoism. The statue is a Major Historical and Cultural Site protected at the National Level. It measures 8 meters in length, 6.85 meters in width, and 5.63 meters in height, occupying 55 square meters.

Scenic Spot Level: AAAAA

Ideal Sightseeing Season: all year

Recommended Duration For A Visit: Half a day

Opening Hours: 5:00-18:00

Ticket Price: 70 yuan

Free admission for children under 6 years or 1.2 meters; Quanzhou residents between 60 and 70 years old; visitors over 70 years old; the military; retired public servants; and the disabled with valid certificates (ID, passport, etc)

50 percent off ticket prices for visitors between 6 and 18 years old; full-time students; teachers; visitors between 60 and 70 years old with valid certificates

Address: Fengze district, Quanzhou, Fujian province

Bus Routes: 3, 10, 15, 28, 30, 45, 202, 209, 601, K1

Note: Some scenic spots might close due to landslides.

1. Which of the following statement about the statue of Laozi is true?

A．It is the most famous part of Mount Qingyuan Tourist Attraction.

B．It is known for being the largest stone carving in history.

C．It is a Historical and Cultural Site protected at the international Level.

D．It is 8 meters long and 5.63 meters wide.

2. How much should a couple with a child aged 10 pay for admission?

A．210 yuan

B．175 yuan

C．140 yuan

D．105 yuan

3. Where is the passage most probably taken from?

A．a research report

B．a local newspaper

C．a nature magazine

D．a travel brochure