1 . It was the end of a long, tiring week of work and I was desperately in need of some positive feedback. More specifically, I was in search of those sweet dialogues: The compliment. As none seemed to be upcoming, I decided that I would create an accidental one. Then I ordered a pizza to be delivered instead of laboring in the kitchen after such a long week.

After dinner was delivered and consumed, I gathered my family in the living room to watch an old film version of “A Christmas Carol”, hoping that they would complain about the plain food I ordered. We got to the part in the movie where Bob Cratchitt describes what Christmas dinner will be like to his wife and family.

“It will be a PERFECT dinner.” Then, turning to his son, he says, “Won’t it, Tim?”

Tiny Tim agrees enthusiastically. “Oh, yes, Father. It will be the best one in all of Londontown!”

I just had to speak up at this point. There was no sense in waiting for a compliment. I was getting impatient, so I used the direct approach.

“Well, at least Mrs. Cratchitt’s meals get noticed.”

Jeffrey, lying on the sofa, turned his head around. “OK. Mom, that PIZZA you PHONED in tonight was GREAT!!”

“It was the finest pizza in all of Londontown, my dear!” Walter cut in.

OK, the point was well taken: I did phone for the delivery of the pizza. But does that deny the dinners I cooked after working a full day in the previous weeks and months? Finally I realized that sometimes it just doesn’t pay to fish for compliments; sometimes you hook yourself with your own bait (诱饵).

1. What does the underlined word “compliment” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Praise.	B．Comment.
C．Greetings.	D．Congratulations.

2. Why did the author get the family to watch the film?

A．To get relaxed.	B．To criticize them.
C．To gain some positive feedback.	D．To talk about “A Christmas Carol”.

3. What can be inferred from the author’s family dialogue?

A．She had to pay to get praised.

B．The family were hooked on the film.

C．Her kids disliked takeaway food.

D．The food she cooked wasn’t appreciated.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Watching a Film	B．An Impatient Mother
C．A Tiring Weekend	D．Fishing For a Compliment

2 . With the introduction of its new C40 Recharge on Tuesday, Volvo became the latest automaker to bet that consumers who have so far been uninterested to the idea of an EV (electric vehicle) might change their minds if it comes in a form of cars they love: the crossover (跨界车). Whether they do may be vital to the success of California’s plan to end sales of gasoline cars by 2035.

Volvo joins Ford of Europe and Jaguar in promoting EVs, promising every car it makes and sells by 2030 will be all-electric. In a webcast to introduce the new vehicle, the company also laid out a new sale strategy — the C40 and all electric Volvo cars will be available for purchase only online. A group of electric crossovers has hit the market in recent months, including the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Tesla Model-Y and the Volkswagen ID.4.

Whether customers flock (群集) to crossover EVs will signal to regulators how much or how little work they need to do to meet the plans such as California’s. Despite the state’s aggressive plan, sales of all-electric vehicles remain less than 2% of the U.S. total.

“The manufacturers are taking a calculated risk here,” said Matt DeLorenzo of auto market research firm Kelley Blue Book. “Crossovers are popular with the mainstream. That’s where the volume is.”

Electric cars sold in the U.S. until recently were short-range ones or high-end luxury cars, neither one a high-volume category. In 2020, 2.4 million crossovers were sold in the U.S. “If you can’t sell an electric crossover, then you’ll have trouble selling any kind of vehicle,” DeLorenzo said.

To sell in large numbers, the vehicles will in the first place need continued government financial support for the next few years at least, Edmunds market analyst Caldwell said. Although battery costs are coming down, they still cost significantly more than gas engines. Although crossovers will serve as an early indicator of customer acceptance, Caldwell said she wouldn’t call 2021 a make-or-break year for EV makers.

1. What does Volvo intend to do with its new C40 Recharge?

A．Win more consumers on EVs.	B．Help prevent California’s 2035 plan.
C．Change the shape of vehicles.	D．Put people’s cool ideas into reality.

2. Which of the following best describe the current EV market?

A．Promising.

B．Declining.

C．Risky.

D．Attractive.

3. What do we know about the EVs sold in the US?

A．Their sale strategies are special.

B．They entered the market recently.

C．Their information is available only online.

D．They aren’t of a high-volume category.

4. What’s vital for the sales of EVs according to Caldwell?

A．Improving the service of crossovers.

B．Promoting the quality of batteries.

C．Getting government’s financial support.

D．Making 2021 a make-or-break year.

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。

Just as many families do at a point, Catherine chose to add a new family member by adopting a pet. Shortly after her daughter Kate’s birth, Catherine decided she wanted a close bond with a dog for Kate. Thus, Catherine called the dog shelter close by to inquire about adoption. After hearing about the available animals, she chose a Doberman Pinscher. Once they signed adoption papers, they named the dog Khan.

Catherine was hopeful this would provide valuable lessons for her baby, such as sharing, learning to love and responsibility to care for animals. She was looking forward to having the dog join the family.

Hearing of Khan’s rough background, Catherine immediately loved the dog. She was overjoyed to bring this special dog back to her family. Of course, she realized there were risks involved. Well, the obvious risks from bringing a large, potentially dangerous animal to her young baby, Catherine pushed them aside. If she had not adopted Khan, he would have been killed just a week later. So, this was his new life and second chance, and the family was hoping for the best.

Everything began smoothly. They trained Khan during the first few days. However, everything changed on that fourth day when the dog acted completely out of character.

The fateful day began with the usual playtime in the yard. Although baby Kate had her parents watching from a distance, they did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Kate and the new dog had been making a habit of playing out back like this. However, things were different this day.

So what was actually happening out there? The two were not being loud or crazy. They began running through the backyard grass together. Again, Catherine watched the two closely. Surprisingly, things had changed within an instant!

注意：
1.续写词数应为150词左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Khan began acting wildly all of a sudden,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Obviously, it was Khan who saved her baby but he barked weakly and then fell down with dying eyes.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . In our whole life, everyone has to learn how to be financially responsible. Actually, the sooner you learn how to properly do it, the sooner you will reduce the stress of dealing with debts and bad credit scores.     1    .

Budget and save

Learning how to properly budget and save is what you can take with you at all stages of your life.     2    . Depending on how much you make, set aside a certain amount each month. Be realistic about what this number is, as you also need to be able to pay off your other monthly bills.

Pay your credit card on time

You always need to be mindful of what your credit rating is. In order to avoid a bad line of credit, make sure that you never let credit cards fall behind on payment.     3    .

Loans and emergencies

There will be certain situations in your life that you never expected to happen.     4    . Perhaps you get injured, or your school expenses are more than you initially expected. No matter what your emergency is, these are situations where you likely need to take out a loan.

Becoming financially responsible is almost a ceremony of passage into adulthood. And you will always benefit from learning this skill.     5    . So you can instead focus on pursuing hobbies, spending time with loved ones, and simply engaging in other activities.

A．Life is not a straight line

B．You can live the way you like

C．Even if you are above 50, you can still save more

D．Thus it’s important to keep all of these tips in mind

E．It will help you become more confident and independent

F．Otherwise, you will never get a loan from the banks again

G．If you master all of these skills, you can help more people

5 . Celebrated each September 19, International Talk Like A Pirate Day (ITLAPD) may sound a bit like a joke. And, well, that’s because it partly is. Started by a group of people just wanting to have a laugh, it’s a holiday that exists for the purpose of having fun by going around yelling “drink up me hearties” and “curse ye, ye landlubber.” But what’s the real deal behind talking like a pirate?

Like any great holiday, ITLAPD has a strange story. This one doesn’t go back to the Golden Age of Piracy in the 17th century, but instead to the year of 1995. Friends John and Mark were playing racquetball on a summer day and decided to start yelling things at each other using “pirate slang.” This was your usual “avast” and “ahoy” and, of course, “arrrr!”. John and Mark had so much fun and they decided to make it an informal holiday among themselves and the people they knew. Mark chose September 19 because it was his ex-wife’s birthday (yeah, it’s strange).

In any case, for the first few years, nothing much came of it. Then, in 2002, John and Mark decided to expand the holiday by reaching out to humorist Dave Barry, whose column was issued around the country. Barry wrote about the holiday and became the spokesperson, and it launched the entirely unknown celebration into a larger world. The timing of the holiday’s announcement may have contributed to its popularity. Just one year later, the first Pirates of the Caribbean film was released, which launched pirates back into the cultural conversation. Pirates also became a massive symbol of early internet culture. If you’re “pirating” something today, it more often refers to downloading something illegally than attacking someone else’s ship.

1. Why did people start the International Talk Like A Pirate Day?

A．To have fun.	B．To act as pirates.
C．To laugh at people around.	D．To play jokes on each other.

2. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．The pirate slang.	B．The history of the piracy.
C．The fun of playing racquetball.	D．The origin history of ITLAPD.

3. What can we learn about ITLAPD?

A．It hit the world immediately.	B．It was launched officially in 2002.
C．Pirates of the Caribbean helped spread it.	D．It is a symbol of illegal internet culture.

4. In which column of a website may this text appear?

A．Science.

B．Culture.

C．Sport.

D．Advertisement.

6 . ● Programme Information

The MPhil student is required to complete a minimum of 18 units of courses, including:

1. Two required courses (a total of 6 units).

2. Two elective courses offered by related programmes and departments (a total of 6 units).

3. A thesis (论文) guidance course every term from the beginning of the second year of study until the Master’s thesis is finally submitted (a total of 6 units).

4. Students are required to complete an MPhil thesis and pass an oral defense of the thesis.

5. English should be used in both the thesis and the oral defense.

● Fields of Specialization

The MPhil in Chinese Studies programme is devoted to advanced research training in the study of Chinese history, economy, politics and business, literature, film, religion, culture and society.

● Admission Requirements

Applicants should submit the following supporting application materials:

1. a research proposal, at least 5 pages in length and written in English.

2. a sample paper of at least 5 pages in length written in Chinese.

● Tuition Fee

HK $42,100 every year regardless of the study mode.

● Application Deadline

29 January, 2021

● Contact

Mr. Dennis CHAN (852) 3943-1088 dennischan@culhk.edu.hk

1. Which of the following is a must to complete an MPhil thesis?

A．The study of history.	B．A command of English.
C．Three elective courses.	D．An academic journal.

2. What can we learn about the programme?

A．It specializes in Chinese society.

B．It consists of 18 units of courses at least.

C．It offers free college tuition to qualified applicants.

D．It requires an entrance examination before admission.

3. Who is the text intended for?

A．Students wanting to get a MPhil.	B．Scholars interested in Chinese culture.
C．Foreigners fond of research training.	D．Applicants to be a thesis instructor.

7 . 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。

Chinese silk is one of China’s contributions to the world, and its history stretches back to 3,630 BC. Mainly produced in the south of the Yangtze River Delta, about 150,000,000 tons of silk is produced     1     (annual) in China. It accounts     2     78% of the world’s silk production. Silk garments were worn by emperors and royalty before,     3     were the symbol of status at that time. The methods of silk production     4     (consider) such a closely guarded secret that people could be threatened with death whoever revealed it.

Made from the protein fibers of the silkworm cocoon, silk is one of the most delicately woven     5     (product) in the world. Silk moths lay around 500 eggs during their lifespan of four to six days. Fed a diet of leaves in a controlled environment, the silkworms grow     6     (fast) in weight than before after the eggs hatch. After storing up enough energy, they surround     7     (they) with fibers of a white jelly-like substance.

A Qipao is     8     unique silk souvenir you might wish to buy. It became popular in Shanghai before World War Ⅱ. Easy to slip on and comfortable     9     (wear), Qipao fits well the female Chinese figure and it is a Chinese one-piece dress     10     (feature) a high neck, close fit, and straight skirt with a high slit on one or both sides.

8 . 假如你的名字是李华。某国际青少年成长组织想了解各国中学生参加劳动的情况。请你给该组织秘书长写一封邮件，介绍你最近参加的一次劳动的情况。内容包括：
1. 过程；
2. 感受。
注意：
1. 词数80词左右。开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上相应的位置上作答。
Dear Mr. Secretary,

I’m more than glad to write to tell you one of my labour practice activities.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours truly,

Li Hua

9 . Parking at the Alzheimer’s center where my mother-in-law lived, we were ready to visit her. I glanced at my 11-year-old son, Joel, who was totally _______ in the photo album he had insisted on bringing along.

Joel has autism (自闭症), and although I had _______ him that his grandma couldn’t remember things the way she used to and might not be as interested in the _______ as he was, I couldn’t be sure if he completely understood my words.

“See Grandma!” he shouted at the top of his voice. _______ the album, he jumped out of the car and up to the building entrance. We finally got to grandma’s room. She was _______ with the door open. “Grandma Barb,” he said _______. “Pictures.” She awoke, and I saw _______ in her eyes. “Who is this little boy?” They seemed to ask. However, not _______, Joel climbed into her lap and opened up his photo album. A sign of a _______ appeared on her face. He pointed to pictures of his father and me, identifying us. He ________ to his brother. “Poco!” he exclaimed. Now the smile became laughter. Mom’s laughter didn’t bother Joel. He knew his grandmother was happy, and that was ________ for him.

I’d been worried about Joel understanding what was ________ his grandmother when really I was the one who needed to understand. I feel ________ for the mother-in-law I had known. He loved the grandma who was here now.

I thanked God for the ________ of this moment. Then I pulled up a chair next to them and ________ in the joy of it with them — Let’s seize the present and live it to the fullest.

1.

A．absorbed

B．adopted

C．mixed

D．worried

2.

A．ordered

B．taught

C．reminded

D．recommended

3.

A．dolls

B．family

C．hospital

D．photographs

4.

A．Dropping

B．Holding

C．Fetching

D．Bringing

5.

A．staring

B．chatting

C．reading

D．napping

6.

A．softly

B．desperately

C．surprisedly

D．sadly

7.

A．delight

B．confusion

C．hope

D．anger

8.

A．encouraged

B．pleased

C．shocked

D．discouraged

9.

A．smile

B．tears

C．depression

D．embarrassment

10.

A．called on

B．fixed on

C．went on

D．insisted on

11.

A．funny

B．easy

C．rare

D．enough

12.

A．happening to

B．sticking to

C．adjusting to

D．responding to

13.

A．shameful

B．sorrowful

C．cheerful

D．awful

14.

A．belief

B．failure

C．gift

D．success

15.

A．blocked

B．bathed

C．stuck

D．motivated