1 . In 2017, an earthy bicycle repairer appeared on the stage of the TV show Chinese Poetry Congress.

Wang Haijun, 65 in 2017, was born in Inner Mongolia, and he loved reading since he was little. However, when he was in the fourth grade, Wang had to drop out of school because his father wanted him to herd sheep to make a little bit extra.

From then on, Wang only reads after a day’s work. Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Three Hundred Tang Poems were his favorite books. “There weren’t any bookstores around, so I borrowed them from others. I read them so much that the pages began to tear off.” Later, Wang and his wife moved to Shijiazhuang where he set up a stall and repair bicycles for more family income.

The job is not busy, so Wang has time to read. Once, he heard in a radio program that a disabled girl wrote some excellent poems. Encouraged by the story, Wang began to write his own poems on the back of the package paper of the tires with a pencil. At night, he wrote with a torch in the dark. He even got a small blackboard from the recyclers and put poems on it. He hung the chalkboard in his stall and asked the passers-by to help him improve his poems. If anybody’s advice was adopted, he would buy him or her a bottle of beer.

In 2017, when Wang was invited to Chinese Poetry Congress, he thought “it was a fraud”, because he never imagined that people would appreciate the poems written by a bicycle repairer. “But it turned out to be a great experience reading my poems on the stage.” he said.

After the show, many people came to his stall to discuss poetry with him. “It feels like a dream come true. Poetry belongs to everyone. Even a bicycle repairer like me can still dream about such a poetic life.”

1. What inspired Wang to write poems?

A．ATV show.	B．Poetry books.
C．His family.	D．A radio story.

2. What does the underlined word “fraud” mean in paragraph 5?

A．Memory.

B．Trick.

C．Reward.

D．Trouble.

3. Which of the following best describes Wang?

A．Creative and helpful.	B．Energetic and generous.
C．Optimistic and determined.	D．Ambitious and concerned.

4. What can we learn from the story?

A．It’s never too late to learn.	B．A good book is a good friend.
C．A good beginning is half done.	D．Actions speak louder than words.

2 . Going to the bathroom while floating in space can be tricky. Gravity is very weak in space, meaning toilets cannot flush (冲刷) the same way that they do on Earth. In a new contest, NASA is asking inventors from around the world to develop a new space toilet. The space agency is looking for a design that would work both aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as well as on the moon. NASA plans to use this toilet aboard a future lunar lander as part of the Artemis program, which will send humans to the moon by 2024.

Anyone can apply to this challenge, and the winning design will receive a $20,000 prize. The second-place design will win $10,000, and the third-place winner will win $5,000. The contest includes a “junior” category in which anyone under the age of 18 can apply with their creative space toilet idea. Winners in the junior category will receive public recognition and NASA souvenirs.

Designs should also take up no more than 4.2 cubic feet of space. The toilet itself shouldn’t be louder than 60 decibels, which is about the same volume as a bathroom fan. The space toilet will have to be able to collect both urine (尿液) and fecest (粪便) at the same time. It should be able to hold at least a quarter gallon (1 liter) of liquid waste. It should also be able to hold 17.6 ounces (500 grams) of solid waste. The final requirements are that the system must be able to store or get rid of waste, and it should also be able to be cleaned and maintained in five minutes or less.

Hopefully, this toilet will be an improvement on previous systems for waste removal. A waste removal system is a method of disposing of urine and feces. If you are a creative inventor, come and join us!

1. Which aspect of the design is not required in the contest?

A．Its covering space.

B．Its volume.

C．Its time of cleaning.

D．Its weight.

2. What can you know about this contest?

A．It’s a toilet design contest held by ISS for the American inventors.

B．It has a total prize pool of 45,000 to be shared by winning teams.

C．For the contestants, there are no limits to your age and nationalities.

D．If you are the winner under the age of 18, you will win 5,000.

3. What does the underlined word “disposing” mean?

A．Giving away.

B．Putting off.

C．Getting rid of.

D．Picking out.

4. What is the purpose of writing this text?

A．To introduce a toilet design contest.	B．To attract inventors to take part in the contest.
C．To explain the necessity of a toilet in space.	D．To show the difficulty of living in space.

3 . The vicinity (地区), between southern Angola and northern Namibia, is home to a leafy green plant that can live up to 1,000 years. This “Immortal” plant’s lifespan encourages researchers wondering why, out of all climates the world has to offer, this plant finds itself to thrive in the harsh, dry, and quite unforgiving Namib Desert known to reach less than two inches of rainfall a year.

Welwitschia (千岁兰), meaning “two leaves that cannot die,” in Afrikaans, was discovered by biologists Charles Darwin and the botanist Friedrich Welwitsch, whom the plant was named after in 1859. Andrew Leitch, a plant geneticist at Queen Mary University of London, explains, “Generally speaking, this plant can live thousands of years. When it does stop growing, it’s dead.

Nature Communications, a study published in July, conducted research to discover and identify the magic within Welwitschia’s genetic makeup. Researchers were able to infer, “Approximately 86 million years ago, after a mistake in cell division, the entire Welwitschia genome (基因组) doubled during a time of increased and prolonged drought in the region.” Additional research concluded that repeated genes lost their defining purposes, allowing some to develop new functions. But because DNA reproduction consumes high levels of energy, repeated genes can at times cause more harm than good, especially in severe weather conditions.

This plant also has more magic coming out of its leaves. Unlike most plants, where the leaves grow from the ends of its stem and branches, the Welwitschia’s leaves grow from a “vulnerable” area called the basal meristem (分生组织), which supplies fresh cells to the growing plant. The combination of internal and external factors of the Welwitschia has allowed the plant to continue thriving in extreme temperature conditions. Researchers are hopeful that Welwitschia can also provide insight into the agricultural industry and how we can develop drought tolerant crops.

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

A．Grow well.

B．Fade away.

C．Rise up.

D．Break down.

2. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The Welwitschia must have a life span of several thousand years or more.

B．Copied genes can do more harm than good due to energy consumption.

C．Biologist Charles Darwin named the Welwitschia in 1859.

D．The Welwitschia’s leaves, like most plants, grow from the basal meristem.

3. What can Welwitschia do according to researchers in Paragraph 4?

A．Solve the crisis facing the agricultural industry.

B．Give a deeper understanding of the agricultural industry.

C．Be planted as drought tolerant crops in the future.

D．Not bear extreme temperature conditions.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Copied Genomes of a Long-lived Plant.

B．Two Leaves That Cannot Die.

C．The “Immortal” Plant Tells Its Tale.

D．Agricultural Development with Welwitschia.

4 . Many Americans suffer from chronic (慢性的) conditions connected to their diets.    1    .

If you are looking for a health super-hero, head to the grocery store.    2    . That is not an exaggeration (夸张). A study found that people of any age who started including healthy foods in their diets improved their chances of living longer. Replacing one serving of red meat a day with one serving of nuts, for instance, was related to an 8-17 percent reduced risk of early death.    3    .

Lentils (扁豆) contain the highest amount of protein of any plant. They also provide excellent amounts of iron, folate (叶酸), and magnesium.    4    . A quarter cup of dry lentils contains about 13 grams of fiber. A quarter cup of kidney beans has about half that. They are consumed in the Blue Zones, areas of the world famous for having the longest-living and healthiest people.

Salmon (鲑鱼) is rich in protein, omega-3s, B vitamins, vitamins D and A.     5    . Specifically, they help protect against age-related brain and eye diseases, reduce the risk of heart disease and depression and maintain healthy skin.

Blueberries have plenty of nutrition carried in such tiny berries!They have plenty of fiber to keep you full and make your colon moving. They have folate which helps make DNA. They also have Vitamins C to help create collagen in your skin and other nutrients which protect our cells from damage.

A．But how do you choose the best options for you?

B．These nutrients are important for good health．

C．However, some nutritious foods can make you healthier with every bite．

D．As a great source of fiber,t hey can also help control blood sugar levels．

E．Studies show that these nutrients in seafood improve babies’s brain development, including an IQ boost．

F．What’s more, belonging to the legume (豆类) family, they have more fiber than beans．

G．Some foods can fight diabetes, heart disease, or cancer-in other words, they can save your life．

5 . After two years of pandemic living, people are collectively ready for a vacation. No matter how much we might like to, though, it’s not always possible to take a vacation from COVID-19. The virus is still circulating widely, including in popular tourist destinations like the U.K., Germany, France, and Italy. That means getting sick while traveling is a real possibility — and one that can turn into an expensive and stressful logistical headache.

What happens if you get COVID-19 while traveling internationally? To enter the U.S., international travelers currently need either a negative COVID-19 test result obtained within one day of their flight or proof that they have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days. (This policy applies to both U.S .citizens and non-citizens, but children younger than 2 are exempt.) Without one of those documents, you cannot board a U.S.-bound flight. If you test positive, you should isolate and delay travel for 10 days, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But where do you stay if you need to quarantine (隔离) abroad?And who pays for extended accommodations and rescheduled flights?Specifics vary from country to country, but the short answer is that travelers are often on the hook. Exceptions to the test-to-return policy may be granted on an “extremely limited” basis, such as in the event of an emergency medical evacuation or humanitarian crisis, the CDC says-but the average vacationer won’t have many options beyond paying to extend their stay.

A spokesperson for the State Department Jeanna Smialek said travelers who must isolate should contact their hotels and airlines to arrange accommodations and re-book travel, and, if necessary, seek assistance from their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. The spokesperson added that U.S. citizens traveling abroad are subject to local quarantine rules, which may differ from those of the U.S. CDC.

1. What do you need to enter the US if you get COVID-19 while traveling internationally?

A．A negative COVID-19 test result．

B．A certificate of health recovery in the last 90 days．

C．Two weeks’ travel delay．

D．Extended accommodations and rescheduled flights．

2. What does the underlined phrase “on the hook” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Should pay the money．	B．Be pleasant to stay longer．
C．Have no choice but to obey the rule．	D．Be not satisfied with the policy．

3. According to Jeanna Smialek, which one is not true?

A．Accommodations should be booked by travelers themselves．

B．American consulate is accessible to isolated travelers．

C．Travelers who must isolate have certain restrictions．

D．Travelers should obey both local and American quarantine rules．

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．How to isolate during the COVID-19．

B．What international travelers should do after test positive．

C．COVID-19 isolation spreads in popular tour destinations．

D．Isolation policies are different among countries．

6 . Puppet Festival Mississauga!

ABOUT THE EVENT

Puppet Festival Mississauga is an annual event for families taking place at March break all across the city of Mississauga.

Treat your family to quality theatre at Puppet Festival Mississauga this March Break. Puppet Festival Mississauga presents live theatre that encourages children to be curious about the world around them.

Featuring：

Choo.Choo.Whistle.Woof!A PUPPET SHOW FROM CZECHIA

A dog overcomes his fear of the unknown and ventures on a great train adventure!A Puppet Show for Kids at Mississauga Puppet Festival this March Break 2023. Great for Kids 2＋.

The Happy Prince-A PUPPET SHOW FROM MEXICO

An unforgettable puppet show filled with magic and friendship. Based on the classic children’s tale by Oscar Wilde. Watch This Puppet Show for Kids in Spanish and English. at Mississauga Puppet Festival this March Break 2023. Great for Ages 3＋.

And more!

Event Location

Maja Prentice Theatre is a 200-seat theatre located at the corner of Dixie and Burnamthorpe Road, which is home to live theatre shows, musicals, dance and community events, all year round.

1. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A textbook.

B．A research plan.

C．A traveling guide.

D．A news site.

2. What are the puppet shows less likely to help kids?

A．Be dauntless(无畏的)and fearless.	B．Know more about friendship.
C．Get the Oscar statuette.	D．Be curious about the world.

3. What do you prefer to do to go to the Maja Prentice?

A．Have an adventure.	B．Buy a puppet.
C．Do community service.	D．Enjoy a music drama.

7 . The inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Bemers-Lee, has won an important award which comes with a prize bag of one million Euros (₤671,000). The “Father of the Web” was named as the first winner of the Millennium Technology Prize by the Finnish Technology Award Foundation. He said he had just been “in the right place at the right time” and did not want his photo taken.

In 1991, he came up with a system to organize, connect and browser (浏览) Net pages which completely changed the internet. The British scientist was knighted (封爵士) for his pioneering work in 2003.

Sir Tim created his program while he was at the particle physics institute (粒子物理研究院), Cem, in Geneva. The computer code he came up with let scientists easily share research findings across a computer network. In the early 1990s, it was called the “World Wide Web”, and is still the basis of the web as we know it.

The famous man never went on to commercialize his work. Instead he worked on spreading the use of the Net as a channel for free expression and cooperation.

“The web is encouraging new types of social networks and opening up new ways for information management and business development. The web has obviously improved many people’s ability to obtain information central to their lives,” said Pekka Tarjanne, chairman of the Millennuim Technology Prize award committee.

Just under 80 people from 22 countries were nominated (提名) for the prize for their work in the areas of health, communication, new materials and the environment.

The Millennuim Technology Prize was set up by the Finnish Technology Award Foundation, an independent body backed by the public and private money which aims to recognize outstanding creations.

Sir Tim currently heads up the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, where he is now based as an academic.

1. What can be learned from the first paragraph?

A．Bemers-Lee was the first to receive the Prize.

B．Bemers-Lee’s sense of timing led to his success.

C．Bemers-Lee was the one who invented the internet.

D．Bemers-Lee was awarded one million pounds.

2. Which of the following best describes Bemers-Lee?

A．Optimistic.

B．Modest.

C．Humorous.

D．Careful.

3. What is Bemers-Lee’s purpose in inventing the World Wide Web?

A．To enable more people to use the Net.	B．To win more honors and prizes.
C．To earn more money to better his life.	D．To set up a company himself.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．The Millennium Technology Prize	B．The History of the Internet
C．The World Wide Web	D．An Honor for the Web’s Inventor

8 . Cold weather not only threatens the life of human beings but also the survival of wild animals. In Houston, it has claimed some unusual animal victims-bats.

Mary Warwick is the wildlife director at the Houston Humane Society. She was doing shopping when the freezing winds reminded her that she had not heard how the area’s bats were going. So she drove to the bridge where over 100 bats looked to be dead as they lay frozen on the ground. But during her 40-minute drive home, they began to come back to life. The bats made sounds and moved around in a box she had placed on her heated passenger seat for warmth. She returned to the bridge twice a day to collect more.

Two days later, she got a call about more than 900 bats rescued from a bridge in nearby Pearland, Texas. On the third and fourth days, more people showed up to rescue bats from the Waugh Bridge, and a special transportation effort was set up to get the bats to Warwick, which touched her a great deal. Each of the bats was warmed in an incubator (恒温箱) until their body temperature rose.

However, there were too many bats for one person to care for. The society’s current buildings did not have the necessary space, so Warwick and others put the bats in her attic (阁楼). The bats were separated by group in containers usually used for dogs. There, they were able to reach a state of hibernation (冬眠). Over 100 bats died because of the cold and the fall from the bridge but the others are being or have been released.

The society is now raising money to build a special room for bats at the society. The society’s entire animal rescue team will be vaccinated (接种疫苗) and trained in rescuing bats as they prepare to move into a larger building with the special bat room. “That would really help in these situations where we continue to see strange weather come through,” she said. “We could really use more space to rescue the bats.”

1. Why did Mary War wick drive to the bridge?

A．To get rid of the dead bats.	B．To check what happened to the bats.
C．To reach home a little earlier.	D．To monitor the surviving bats.

2. Which of the following moved Mary Warwick deeply?

A．More people were willing to donate.

B．More people showed concern about her.

C．More people came up with good ideas.

D．More people joined her rescue.

3. What trouble did Mary Warwick have in saving the bats?

A．There was not enough space to warm the bats.

B．An increasing number of bats died from the cold.

C．It was difficult for her to get bats into hibernation.

D．The bats’ body temperature didn’t rise as expected.

4. What is Mary Warwick’s attitude towards the human e society’s efforts?

A．Critical.

B．Grateful.

C．Positive.

D．Doubtful.

9 . When planning a trip, people may find it hard to look for a destination. Luckily, the following fantastic movies might have the answer, and they could have audiences jumping to book their next flight abroad.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Directed by and starring Ben Stiller and adapted by Steve Conrad, the movie sees Walter Mitty break out of his comfort zone and start an adventure across the globe Iceland’s volcano and the Himalayas are just two of the fantastic locations featured. This is a perfect time to get any home-lovers out into the wilderness, enjoying the beauty of nature.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Directed by John Madden, the movie boasts an all-star line-up that includes Maggie Smith and Judi Dench. The movie portrays India in all its glory, with audiences surely wanting to be immersed in its rich culture. It argues that not only is travel good for the soul, but it can make an extraordinary difference within each of us.

The Bucket List

Directed by Rob Reiner and written by Justin Zackham, the movie focused on making the most of life. The leading characters’ terminal illnesses were not going to hold them back from visiting their destinations. While the film is deeply moving, it also promotes a notable message, to get into the world and never stop getting inspired.

Away We Go

Directed by Sam Mendes and written by Vendela Vida, it’s fantastic. Burt and Gloria want to find a new home where they can raise their child safely. The search begins with a visit to Phoenix and their journey takes them to Tucson, Madison, Montreal, Miami and Florida. It’s a tour of some of North America’s wonderful towns and cities, but each time they are viewed through the lens of family, love and support.

1. Which of the following is suitable for those who want to visit India?

A．The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

B．The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

C．The Bucket List.

D．Away We Go.

2. Who acted as a scriptwriter for the movie The Bucket List?

A．Ben Stiller.	B．John Madden.
C．Maggie Smith.	D．Justin Zackham.

3. What is Away We Go mainly about?

A．A road trip.	B．A love story.
C．A family reunion.	D．A special family.

10 . Have you ever been annoyed at younger siblings (兄弟姐妹) for stealing your toys?     1    It is true they sometimes bring troubles and problems. But latest studies have found that brothers and sisters can actually boost your physical and mental health, even as an adult.

    2       According to a study from Brigham Young University in the US, having a meaningful and close relationship with siblings can lead to greater life satisfaction and mental well-being. Brothers and sisters can help prevent their teenage siblings from feeling guilty, unloved and lonely. Having brothers and sisters makes you more kind-hearted,     3     Could it be that having a same-generation relative looking out for you motivates you to think about others? If a sibling is warm and kind, the other sibling is likely to display the same qualities.

Siblings help you have a healthier lifestyle. A survey of more than 15,000 people found that 43 percent of people credited their family members for having the biggest positive impact on their physical condition.     4     Spending a lot of time together, they increase the possibility of taking regular exercise and sticking to your diet.

They can help you live longer, In a study from the American Sociological Association, older adults, who described themselves as being “extremely close” to the family members, had a six percent chance of dying over the next five years, compared to a 14 percent risk for the people who didn’t.

Having good friends can bring many of the same benefits. We don’t all have brothers and sisters, or you might not have much contact with them. Don’t panic.     5     It can also boost your health, well-being and long life.

A．Brothers and sisters protect you from depression.

B．Have you ever cooperated with your brothers or sisters?

C．Or did you fight like cat and dog when you were younger?

D．Siblings can make you twice as likely to do good deeds.

E．Develop stable and close relationships with people around you.

F．Siblings are easily available fitness and healthy-eating partners.

G．They made you better at dealing with the tricky situations in daily life.