1 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who is the speaker probably talking to?

A．Chinese teachers.

B．School students.

C．Newspaper reporters.

2. How many ways are mentioned about the benefit of learning Chinese well?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

3. What can contribute to respect and admiration?

A．Rich cultural knowledge.

B．Academic performance.

C．Exciting and brilliant culture.

4. What does the speaker mainly talk about?

A．Who enjoys learning Chinese well.

B．Why learning Chinese well matters.

C．How you can learn Chinese well.

2 . It has been nearly a decade in making shoes, but Nike finally released a sneaker that can be put on completely hands-free. This is a game changer for countless people with disabilities, and it all started with a letter the company received back in 2012.

At the time, Matthew Walzer was 16 and frustrated by the lack of accessible tennis shoe options, as his cerebral palsy (脑瘫) limited his mobility. Matthew attempted to write a letter to Nike for help. In his letter he wrote, “I am able to completely dress myself, but my parents still have to tie my shoes. I find this extremely frustrating and, at times, embarrassing.”

Moved by the boy, Nike got to work and three years later launched the original Fly Ease, a sneaker with no laces. They sent a pair to Matthew, and he was absolutely thrilled. “When I put the shoes on every morning, they give the greatest sense of independence and accomplishment I have ever felt in my life.” he told them.

Ever since then, the company released a few progressive designs over the years, but the 2021 Nike Go Fly Ease is by far the best one yet! The newest release has gone a step further as the tennis shoes are not only lace-free but also hands-free. The heel hinges (装铰链), so a person’s foot can slip right in. Then, as they step down, the mechanism locks the shoe back in place.

While Matthew was the inspiration behind this entire line of sneakers, Nike hopes these shoes will be worn by people with disabilities, women in their third trimester of pregnancy, dog walkers, parents with their hands full, and basically anyone who would benefit from the slip-on shoes.

These shoes will make life better for so many people, and none of it would have happened if Matthew didn’t speak up and ask for more. He is real evidence that one enthusiastic person can transform the world for the better!

1. Why did Matthew Walzer write to Nike?

A．He complained about the quality of Nike.

B．He wanted Nike to help him be independent.

C．He needed a new sneaker to join tennis team.

D．He tried to design a lace-free Fly Ease for Nike.

2. When did Nike send a pair of Fly Ease with no laces to Matthew?

A．In2012.

B．In 2015.

C．In 2018.

D．In 2021.

3. What does the underlined part “slip-on shoes” refer to in Paragraph 4?

A．Sneakers easy to put on or take off.

B．The original sneakers with no laces.

C．Sneakers popular with all customers.

D．Tennis shoes designed for sportsmen.

4. What does the author encourage us to do in the last paragraph?

A．Use all approaches to success.

B．Be kind to anyone in the world.

C．Live one’s dream independently.

D．Face any challenge with courage.

3 . Ageism (年龄歧视) is never pretty, but it’s especially ugly when it means one less animal gets rescued in the world.

Andrea Hijar’s grandparents are in their 70s and live in Peru. Her grandmother has raised dozens of dogs in her lifetime, but when she decided to adopt yet another shelter pup, she was rejected because they thought she was “too old”.

Dogs live an average of 10 to 13 years, and with their age, the shelter was concerned that the grandma and her husband would pass away and leave the dog homeless. Andrea knew that would never happen, though. Any puppy her grandparents adopted would have a lifelong place with her family!

“It makes me sad,” Andrea said. “They are a very loving couple, but are being denied something they are very excited about.” So Andrea kept her eyes and ears open in hopes that the right dog would appear. Sure enough, one did!

She saw a social media post by a man who was looking to adopt a puppy. When he heard her grandparents’ story, he decided to take a chance and give the dog to them!

Andrea’s father quickly went to pick up the dog, and then they had the absolute pleasure of surprising her grandmother with her new best friend. The grandma’s reaction was adorable in every way! She clapped her hands like an excited child. “I am very moved to see her reaction,” Andrea said. “It is very emotional seeing her so happy and full of joy.”

They named the puppy Princesa, and she is already fitting into her new life beautifully! Andrea hopes their story will change people’s minds about matching puppies with older adults, especially when they have family support.

We’re positive that Princesa found the perfect forever family! These two grandparents clearly have plenty of love to go around.

1. What does Andrea think of her grandparents adopting a puppy?

A．They are too old to adopt a puppy.

B．It’s illegal for them to adopt a puppy.

C．She supports them adopting a puppy.

D．She is sad to reject them to adopt a puppy.

2. Why did a man decide to give a puppy to the grandmother?

A．Andrea persuaded him to do a good deed.

B．He was moved by the grandparents’ story.

C．Andrea’s father gave him money for the dog.

D．He wanted to take the grandmother by surprise.

3. What does Andrea hope people can learn from the story?

A．Adopting an animal can change everyone’s life.

B．It will be easy for the puppy to ft into his new life.

C．Little animals can be happy to live with older adults.

D．Grandparents should be allowed to do whatever they like.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．An Old Animal Lover Got Best Gift Ever

B．Puppy Princesa Found a Perfect Family

C．A Grandma Was Forbidden to Adopt a Puppy

D．An Animal Shelter Offered a Grandma a Puppy

4 . If you are a person who remains busy in work and pays no attention to your health and well-being, you may experience stress, depression, and anxiety. Take a break from the robotic routine and pick healthy habits. According to a psychologist, true wellbeing comes with balance, constant growth and acceptance.     1    

Deal with stress

Although it is difficult to avoid stress nowadays, it is definitely possible to deal with it.     2     For that, try to avoid the situations that cause stress. If your stress is unmanageable, note down the causes of stress as well as what actions you can take to improve your reaction, mood, and even situation.

Be social as much as you can

A man cannot stay healthy without interacting with other people.     3     If you have heard of laughter therapy, it also has the same purpose to reduce the stress when you laugh with other people. Everyone needs acceptance and friendship that is fulfilled only when you socialise with others.

Find and practice new hobbies

Hobby helps us keep busy and engaged. When you have an interest in some activities and enjoy doing them, you take healthy steps to improve your emotional well-being.     4     Finding new hobbies is great for strengthening your brain and boost your mood.

    5    

The biggest reason for experiencing depression and anxiety is when a person remains stuck in past events. Negative self-talking such as “why people did this to me” steals not only the happiness but makes the person miss opportunities that the present moment tries to offer. We should learn to enjoy the present life and try not to think too much about the future.

A．Learn to live in the present.

B．Keep a positive attitude about future.

C．Communicating with others lowers the stress level.

D．Here are a few tested ways to improve your quality of life.

E．It also keeps the work and daily life’s pressure off your brain.

F．Staying happy and laughing more is essential for a quality life.

G．It is very important to learn to deal with stress in a smart way.

5 . I had always hated math. Now I suddenly found myself teaching trigonometry (三角学). I was an English teacher in Chicago Public Schools, and when my school was facing a shortage of math teachers, I was pulled in mid-year to co-teach a junior-level trigonometry class with the math teacher.

My students struggled with the calculations, thinking they just weren’t good at math. Like me, they hated it. What was the point in working and reworking these calculations?

Yet trig slowly became my favorite class of the day. After spending years teaching English and reading, I was being challenged to move beyond what I had always been doing. When you’re new to something, you have a fresh perspective. You’re willing to take risks.

I worked with my co-teacher creating a series of supplementary lessons to let students experience personal meaning and creativity in their math. The interesting thing in math class is that it already includes stories and real-life connections，in the form of story problems. They might include calculating area so that someone can buy new carpet for their home. Or a story problem might be about landscapers planting a new tree, and needing to calculate the length of wire required to support the tree.

I used story problems as an opportunity to connect math to students’ lives by creating fictional math-based stories. First, students would work in small groups to go through the chapter in their math textbook and collect the story problems. Then students would develop factual stories rooted in authentic math story problems.

When they used creative writing skills to develop math story problems about things they were interested in, students became more engaged. They wanted to work on the math in them because they had a real investment (投资) in the outcome. The stories helped students find motivation because they created an answer to the question “Why do we need to learn this?”

1. What was the author’s previous opinion about math?

A．It’s a pleasure to solve math problems.

B．It’s no use just practicing calculations.

C．It’s a challenging and inspiring subject.

D．It is connected with students’ actual lives.

2. What did the author decide to do when he was pulled to co-teach math?

A．Try something new.	B．Adapt to the students.
C．Follow the co-teacher’s method.	D．Learn math in a creative way.

3. What did the students benefit from the new teaching methods?

A．They got rewards from the investment.

B．They improved reading and writing skills.

C．They could solve the math problems easily.

D．They showed great interest in learning math.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Students learn math by seeing it as a story.

B．Teachers explain math problems in detail.

C．Teachers teach students in the real-life scenes.

D．Students read interesting stories in math lessons.

6 . Bronx Zoo

Excited to explore this z00 already? Well, save your dates and plan your trip to the US with Travel Triangle right away and let the kids within your joy. The Bronx Zoo is definitely one of the best places to visit in the USA. We are sure that you would have the best time ever!

The Size

The Bronx Zoo is among the biggest zoos in the US, measuring 265 acres or over 100 hectares. It is literally so big that you may find it difficult to explore it all in just a day. Not only is it big in terms of size but it’s the largest zo0 in the US by number of animals as well. As of 2020, it had 4,000 animals of over 600 species. Some of them include fennec foxes, bald eagles, collared lemurs and Komodo dragons.

Location

The Bronx zo0 in the USA is located at 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460.

The Tickets Cost

Tickets to the z00 in the US cost $28 for children, $37 for adults (13 years and over). Entry for children aged two and under is free. You can also go on group tours led by trained expedition leaders. It costs $125 for a group of up to 5 people.

Open Time

Bronx Zoo is open from 10 am to 5 pm Monday—Friday and 10 am to 5.30 pm on weekends and holidays. All animal exhibits end half an hour before the park closes.

The Best Attractions

Names	Attractions	Open Time
Butterfly Garden	A dozen butterfly species	March 30th to October 1st
Children’s Zoo	See and interact (交流) with farm animals	May 30th to October 30th
Congo Gorilla Forest	Exhibition of Congo Gorilla	April 1st to October 30th
Jungle world	Golden langurs in”Asian jungle”	May 30th to October 1st

1. How much will a couple with a 3-year-old boy pay to enter the zoo?

A．$74.

B．$93.

C．$102.

D．$125.

2. When should a child stop interacting with the fennec foxes on weekends?

A．At 10 am.

B．4:30 pm.

C．5 pm.

D．5:30 pm.

3. Which attraction opens to the public for the longest time?

A．Butterfly Garden.

B．Children’s Zoo.

C．Jungle world.

D．Congo Gorilla Forest.

7 . Nothing feels more like summer than a neighborhood barbecue. But the annoyance of summer gatherings remains: the buzzing(嗡嗡声) of mosquitoes around our ears.

“The buzzing in your ear is mostly just a side effect of the mosquito's wings beating,” said Michael Riehle, a professor at the University of Arizona. “The sound doesn't have a long range, so you notice it most when they are flying around your ears.”

“From a distance, mosquitoes track carbon dioxide that we give out.” Riehle told Live Science. “They fly back and forth to follow that concentration level back to the source.”

But in fact, that buzzing you hear is likely from a female mosquito. That's because male and female mosquitoes lead very different lives. The males typically hang out and feed on the sweetest part of flowers; they couldn't care less about the humans wandering about. The females, however, need to find a blood meal in order to have enough energy to produce eggs.

As she approaches, the female mosquito zeros in on body heat and the carbon dioxide to land on the victim. The female mosquito uses taste sensors on her feet to determine whether the human, or any blood-bearing animal, is adequate to tap for her next meal.

But while we feel mosquitoes buzzing around our ears, Riehle noted that most mosquitoes are not attracted to our heads. Rather, these bloodsuckers may be more likely to seek out our feet, which have bacteria that give off attractive smell to mosquitoes. However, most people probably don't notice a mosquito buzzing around their ankles, he said.

Another study found that female mosquitoes were more attracted to men who had less diverse bacteria on their skin than to men with more diverse skin bacteria; these bloodsuckers also prefer those who wear dark colors, such as black.

1. What attracts mosquitoes to our head?

A．There is most carbon dioxide.	B．The face skin is easy to stick in.
C．There exists their favorite smell.	D．They can suck most blood there.

2. What do female mosquitoes use to determine a meal?

A．Her nose.

B．Her sensors.

C．Her eyes.

D．Her ears.

3. What color might help avoid mosquitoes most according to the text?

A．Black.

B．Blue.

C．White.

D．Red.

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

A．Why do mosquitoes buzz in our ears?

B．How can we avoid the buzzing of mosquitoes?

C．How are male and female mosquitoes different?

D．What effect does the buzzing of mosquitoes have?

8 . Mona Zipay was there almost from the beginning when her boss decided to become an independent insurance adjuster (理算员) in 1955.

Fifty-eight years later, she decided it was time to retire from Dorner Adjustment Co. “I love what I did,” said Zipay, 83, of Whitney Pint New York. “I still do. But it’s time to stay at home now.”

The secretary has helped customers through natural disasters and fires. She has lived longer than her boss John M. Dorner and remembers when women were not allowed to wear pants to work. Not only has she used manual typewriters, electric typewriters and computers, but she’s also adapted to a wave of technology so she could type out reports sent to insurers.

“But what has served her well through the years has been her typing and customer service skills,” said MaryAnn Dorner, daughter-in-law of John Dorner. “She’s an excellent typist,” MaryAnn Dorner said. “She’s accurate and she’s fast. She’s professional on the phones, keeping a good temper when dealing with irate customers,” said Patrick Dorner, who now operates the company.

Dorner Adjusting wasn’t the only place Zipay worked. She graduated from high school in 1951, taking business courses because she knew she would not be able to afford college and didn’t want to work in a factory.

John Dorner invited her to his new company in 1955 from the General Adjustment Bureau in downtown Binghamton, New York. There they had worked together until John Dorner decided to become an independent agent.

Now, Zipay wears pants but always dresses professionally.

“That was one of the things that impressed me about her,” MaryAnn Dorner said. “She’s always dressed up.”

1. What did Zipay experience when she worked in Dorner Adjustment Co.?

A．Her family suffered many disasters.

B．Her former boss died when she worked there.

C．She was helped by customers when she was in trouble.

D．The company required female employees to wear pants to work.

2. What is Zipay good at during her working years?

A．Typing and communicating with customers.

B．Adjusting to new typewriters and new bosses.

C．Maintaining a good relationship with her boss.

D．Solving problems and dealing with emergencies.

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

A．Angry.	B．Disabled.
C．Greedy.	D．Selfish.

4. What do we know about Zipay from the text?

A．She only worked at Dorner Adjusting.

B．She went to college after high school.

C．She has never worn pants in her life.

D．She pays a lot of attention to her appearance.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

“Today, we mourn the passing of a true food hero. Chinese scientist Yuan Longping saved     1     (million) of people from hunger by     2     (develop) the first hybrid rice strains,” the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs tweeted.

“He passed away today at 91 (due to illness) but his mission     3     (end) hunger will live on and his legacy     4     (remember) for generations,” it said.

Having spent over five decades in hybrid rice research, Yuan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has helped China work     5     great wonder-feeding nearly one fifth of the world's population with less than 9 percent of the world's total land.

Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, on Saturday expressed his sadness over Yuan's passing.

“I am     6    (deep) saddened by the death of Prof. Yuan Longping, my dear Master. He devoted his life     7     the research of hybrid rice, helping billions achieve food     8     (secure)," wrote Qu on his Twitter account.

Born in Beiing in 1930, Yuan     9    (succeed) in cultivating the world's first high-yield hybrid rice strain in 1973,     10     was later grown on a large scale in China and other countries to substantially raise output.

10 . When it comes to elite universities like Cambridge and Harvard, students often worry that they are not clever enough to get in. But the truth may not be as simple as that.

According to The Guardian, most applicants to top schools have equally perfect test scores.     1    . Voice of America (VOA) recently interviewed Julie Soper, an admissions officer for American University in Washington. Soper said she and her colleagues place a lot of weight on the way applicants present themselves in their personal statement essays." Personal charm may carry more weight than a straight A academic record.    2     ,” she said.

    3    , Elite Reference recently interviewed a former admissions officer from Harvard and found that the school probably won't consider violin skills an advantage since they already have too many violin players. But if an applicant has mastered an instrument that only a few people can play, he or she might be able to gain an upper hand.

When James Keeler, the admissions tutor at Selwyn College, UK, went through a pile of essays for medical school candidates, one of them caught his eyes. “He's been volunteering with St John Ambulance, and also training to be a special policeman.    4    . He's clearly doing something worthwhile. He's currently volunteering at a care home. That's a tick for me," Keeler told The Guardian.

"Unfortunately, most essays fail to highlight what's unique about each applicant. Students are often obsessed with maintaining a faultless image of themselves and are afraid to show who they really are. They write an essay, and then it gets passed through the English teacher and the parents and the aunt and uncle and the guidance counselor.     5    ,” said Keeler.

A．We are eager to meet straight A students

B．By the time it gets to us, it's just so wonderful that it's hard to really get a sense of that person

C．We want them to be as individual as possible

D．In terms of extracurricular activities, universities are also looking for "distinguishing excellence"

E．Students get rejected largely because they "failed to shine" as a person

F．No single student will be admitted unless they are academically top "A"

G．That's something I've never seen before