1 . When you think of a map, is north on the top or the bottom? Usually, maps are designed with north on top, though when we think about it, there is no logical reason for this bias (偏见). After all, there is no up or down in space. So what is wrong with south, east or west being on the top of the map? The answer is: nothing at all. In fact, north-up maps only became the norm in the last few hundred years.

Ancient Egyptian maps had south at the top because the Nile River flows downhill from mountains in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Mecca was to the south of most early Muslim civilizations, and south-up maps were designed so that viewers would look up to see Mecca. Medieval Christian maps had east at the top, as they believed the Garden of Eden was in the east. The only early maps that had north at the top were those of early China because the emperor lived in the north.

North seems to have settled at the top of maps during the 16th century, largely thanks to a Flemish mapmaker, Mercator. Mercator was a great admirer of an early Greek mapmaker, who, for reasons now unknown, put north at the top of maps, so Mercator did, too. When Mercator’s world map became the standard map to navigate the oceans, north up became standard as well.

What is the implication of this north-view of the world? Psychologically, people tend to think of up as good and down as bad. Just think of words and phrases like “upmarket”, “upbeat” and “moving up in the world”, and how they contrast with their opposites. Because north is so consistently put at the top of maps, people now think of north as good, too.

Several attempts have been made in recent years by introducing south-up maps to the market. These maps not only give us a chance to see the world differently, but also give everyone the chance to see themselves on top.

1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A．North-up maps were rare in ancient times.

B．Deciding up or down in space is ridiculous.

C．Mecca maps were based on a legend.

D．The south-up map first appeared in ancient Egypt.

2. Why is north associated with good?

A．An illogical reason.	B．The spread of Mercator’s maps.
C．People’s preference for up.	D．An age-old tradition in Greece.

3. What is the author’s attitude to south-up maps?

A．Cautious.

B．Supportive.

C．Uncaring.

D．Disapproving.

4. What’s the main purpose of the text?

A．To criticize a phenomenon.	B．To compare various facts.
C．To correct a cultural bias.	D．To argue for a viewpoint.

2 . Argentina lies in the South America. There are many festivals in Argentina during the year. Therefore, you can enjoy the different interesting festivals when traveling there.

First of all, we should talk about the Tango (探戈) Festival inArgentina, which is held in the capital of this country — Buenos Aires, from February to March. You ought to know that Argentina is the home of tango, so Argentinians admire this dance very much. Even if you cannot dance perfectly, you should join the people and try to perform this dance.

The next festival in Argentina is Open Polo (马球) Tournament. You should go to Palermo to see this festival in Argentina. This festival is held every year and is the most important polo tournament in Argentina.This kind of sport is considered the most important in Argentina.

Attending this festival in Argentina, you will be able to communicate with different people and admire the fascinating competition between the teams of different countries, such as Argentina, England, Australia, as well as the US. This festival in Argentina is usually held between November and December every year. So don’t miss the opportunity if you travel to Argentina at this time.

The other festival in Argentina is the Semana Musical Liao Liao. This is a festival of classical music. The festival was created in 1993 and is held at the Liao Liao Hotel, near Bariloche. The festival is held yearly in October. So if you admire this kind of music, you should travel toArgentina in October.

There are also many carnivals in Argentina in summer. Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about festivals in Argentina into just one article. We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye-catching.

1. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Entertainments in Argentina	B．Festivals in Argentina
C．Travel to Argentina	D．A brief introduction to Argentina

2. From the passage, we know that the Tango Festival        .

A．is organized by the government

B．welcomes everyone to take part in it

C．is held in summer

D．holds parties for different dances

3. Which of the following is a sports festival?

A．Open Polo Tournament.	B．Every carnival in Argentina.
C．The Tango Festival.	D．The Semana Musical Liao Liao.

4. If Tom wants to enjoy a classical music event in Argentina, he should visit        .

A．Buenos Aires in spring	B．Palermo in April
C．Palermo in winter	D．Bariloche in October

3 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Last Saturday, David was taking a walk in the park near his home when he noticed a woman with a boy of about eight years old. When David passed them, he heard the woman yell. “How stupid you are! You’re good at nothing.” David stopped and looked at the little boy. The boy said nothing. He just stood there, looking upset.

David was reminded of his English teacher Mrs Brown in middle school. After he entered a middle school, David lacked self-confidence because he was often made fun of by others. He was often told that he was good at nothing, which David behaved. But one day it all changed.

One day, in an English writing class, Mrs Brown asked them to read a novel. They were asked to write a new chapter of the novel after they finished reading it. A few days later, David handed in his story. He didn’t give it much thought. But the next day, to his surprise, the comment “well done” from Mrs Brown came into view the moment he turned to the page where the story was written. When David read that, he almost burst into tears. He never expected to be praised one day. He suddenly gained some self-confidence.

That day after he returned home, he wrote a short story and gave it to Mrs Brown the next morning. And again he was praised. David became very interested in writing. He often wrote short stories and asked Mrs Brown to read them improve writing skills. One year later, David joined the school newspaper and became an editor of it. He was no longer that boy who lacked self-confidence. He gained his confidence, and was hopeful about his future.

He succeeded in entering a college and kept writing. Several years after graduating from college, he had his first book published. With some more books coming out, he became famous as a writer in his country. And he owed his success to Mrs Brown’s encouragement. Without her encouragement, his life might be very different now.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Inspired by his own life story, David decided to do something for that boy.

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The mother was ashamed when she heard that.

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4 . Smartwatches and fitness trackers (健身追踪器) have gained popularity recently. These tools can record your daily steps, heart rates, etc.     1    . If yes, it might be a sign that you’re addicted to your fitness tracker.

    2    . If you keep setting unrealistic daily goals that involve working out for too long, and if you begin to ignore friends and responsibilities to make time for your workout, then you’re most probably addicted to your fitness tracker.

It’s a struggle to overcome the addiction to fitness trackers.     3    . For example, the number in your smart watch showing how far you’ve come can give you a sense of achievement.

Of course, failing to meet your daily goal can be discouraging. You might focus on your shortcoming rather than your progress. Another problem is that you might find yourself paying too much attention to the step number rather than how your body feels.     4    .

Therefore, if you’re spending too much time looking at your smartwatch, limit your daily step count to a comfortable level.     5    . For example, concentrating on your hobbies or socializing with friends can be a great way to keep your mind on other things.

A．How can you tell whether you’re addicted to your fitness tracker?

B．Actually this addiction to step count can be risky, mentally and physically.

C．Don’t overuse your smartwatch.

D．However, do you find yourself checking your steps and heart rates too often?

E．After all, reaching a daily step count can be so appealing.

F．Besides, you can find other things to do that don’t involve checking your fitness tracker.

G．It doesn’t covey what you’re really feeling.

5 . 读后续写

Emily White was born seventeen years ago with so many birth problems in her body. Some of her organs, bones and muscles were out of shape. No one expected her to survive. She did make it but with her strange body figure, everyone could recognize her, even from a distance.

In Emily White’s hometown, there was a yearly outdoor performance in the school auditorium (大礼堂). It had been performed for so many years and actually had become one of the most important events of the Christmas season for many of the town’s people.

Many people tried out each year for it, but so many were turned away. It can only include the most excellent people in the field.

Emily had a beautiful singing voice. Last year she went to Mrs. Owens — her music teacher to ask to join in the performance. Without letting her sing, Mrs. Owens took a look at Amy’s body and said, “Child, you just don’t fit. Everyone would stare at you and that would make you uncomfortable. It would make them uncomfortable, too.”

Without singing a single note, Emily was sent back through the door of the choral room. Hurt and upset, she decided never to try out again. But Mrs. Owens then retired.

This year, there came a new music teacher, Mr. Buttler. He heard about Emily and suggested that she have a try.

Emily didn’t want to be rejected again, so she hesitated a little about it. As Emily struggled, the door was pushed open and Mr. Buttler called, “Emily, you’re next.” Although kind of nervous, Emily did as Mr. Buttler told her to do. Mr. Buttler sat by the piano to keep Emily company. When Emily finished her testing performance, she thanked Mr. Buttler and knew the result would be posted on the door of the choral room the next day.

Emily couldn’t sleep that night. She was suffering from the feelings that she didn’t fit and the great need to be accepted. By the next morning, her stomach was even in pain because of stress.

注意：续写词数应为150左右

Paragraph 1: The next day, Emily nervously glanced at the list on the door of the choral room.

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Paragraph 2: Finally, the day of performance came.

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6 . Bored? Lonely? Out of condition? Need to relax? Why not try the SPORT CENTER?

TENNIS

Indoor and outdoor courts. Coaching from beginners to advanced learners. Children only. Mornings.

SKIING

Gentle slopes. Instructors of 3levels at weekends and Fridays. Daytime practice. 8 years upwards.

SWIMMING

2 pools, heated, Olympic length. Women: Tuesday and Thursday. Men: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Children: Saturday.

GOLF

9- hole practice course. Professional Coaching. Lessons must be booked in advance in daytime. Evening practice. Minimum (最小的) age — 9 years.

GYMNASTICS (体操)

Maximum (最大的) age—18 years. Children aged 5—10. Monday and Wednesdays. 4:00—6:00 p.m. 10—18 year-old. Friday evenings.

AND MUCH MORE

Table Tennis, Snooker (台球), Darts (标枪), Café (all day), Bar (lunch time and evenings), Nursery (weekdays and weekends, not evenings). Centre open 10:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. Daily. Interested? More details, call 800-1234-5678.

1. What is this ad mainly about?

A．It mainly shows us some ways to spend weekends.

B．It mainly introduces us a place to relax ourselves.

C．It mainly introduces some events in a sports meet.

D．It mainly gives us some ideas to spend our holidays.

2. What can we learn from this passage?

A．People can play tennis day and night.

B．Men and women swim in the SPORTS CENTER separately．

C．Children at any age can play golf in the SPORTS CENTER．

D．People under 20 can also take gymnastics．

3. How many sports items are mentioned in the passage?

A．5.

B．6.

C．8．

D．11．

7 . My washing machine ________ (repair) this week, so I have to wash my clothes by hand. (所给词的适当形式填空)

8 . ________ (bite) by the snake in the bush, Susan was sent to hospital. (所给词的适当形式填空)

9 . What makes you cry? Being moved by a sad movie, waving a loved one off, or getting emotional after splitting up with your partner can all cause tears to roll down our faces. We all have the power to cry, but is that a good thing?

When you think about it, shedding tears (流泪) from your eyes is an unusual thing to do. But it seems to be an automatic reaction when we get sad, upset or even when we’re very happy.     1     However, the feeling is the same—your cheeks puff up (肿胀), your eyes tighten and before you know it, tears are streaming down your face.     2     And it’s suggested that it’s women who cry more than men.

A study in the UK in 2017 found that women admitted that they cry 72 times a year.     3     Writing for the BBC, Adam Rutherford says, “according to pretty much every study done, women do cry more than men.” But does this mean men don’t get as upset or emotional as women, or are they just more embarrassed about showing their true feelings?

    4     This can be somewhere where emotions run high—someone might be stressed, their workload might be too much. As therapist(治疗师), Joann a Cross told the BBC, “crying is often a build-up of frustration and undealt-with situations and it’s a bit of a final straw(稻草) moment.”

But crying in the office or elsewhere can be cathartic (情感宣泄的), which can actually make you feel better.     5     Bawling(放声大哭) your eyes out shows others how you feel, so perhaps it’s a crying shame that more of us, particularly men, don’t cry more often.

A．This was, on average, more than men.

B．You may burst into tears for something sorrowful.

C．What causes this reaction differs from person to person.

D．Most adults think it embarrassing to cry loudly in public.

E．Maybe it dissolves or clears the negative or sad feelings you’ve had.

F．Some of us may sniffle (抽鼻子) a little while others may cry like a baby.

G．One place where we experience emotional and tearful outbursts is in the workplace.

10 . Food festivals are a common occurrence in the UK and take place in all sorts of places and at all sorts of times. Whatever your taste, there’s a food festival to match — no matter how specialized.

1. Meatopia

This three-day, London-based festival takes place at the end of August and is a meat lover’s paradise. In addition to a range of legally sourced meat products, from juicy burgers to tender steaks, attendees can listen to live music, watch butchery demonstrations, and attend informal meat-based workshops.

2. The National Honey Show

If you have a sweet tooth, then it could be that the National Honey Show, which started in 1921 and is the largest event of its kind, is the place for you to be. This three-day event attracts many local entries who showcase their sweet golden honey, some of which is sold globally.

3. The Orange Sauce Festival

Have you heard about a festival that is devoted only to orange sauce? Held in Cumbria, this sweet, fragrant festival has been running for 3 years. What attracts people most is a competition to find the best homemade orange sauce. There are thousands of participants from over 30 different countries across the globe, bringing their local snacks to share here.

4. The Ginger and Spice Festival

If you’d prefer something with a little more kick to it, then you could attend The Ginger (姜) and Spice Festival held in Market Drayton. Unlike other food festivals, it celebrates its town’s historic connection to Robert Clive, who returned from India with ginger. Because of this, they specialize in baking gingerbread, but also sell a range of traditional spices from mild to hot.

1. What do Meatopia and the National Honey Show have in common?

A．Both of them last for three days.	B．Both of them hold workshops.
C．Both of them originated from London.	D．Both of them have a long history.

2. If you are interested in foreign food, which festival do you like best?

A．The Meatopia.	B．The Ginger and Spice Festival.
C．The National Honey Show.	D．The Orange Sauce Festival.

3. What is special about the Ginger and Spice Festival ?

A．It has something to do with a historic figure.

B．The ginger used in the festival is from India.

C．It sells spicy food.

D．The food is cooked by Robert Clive.