1 . If you’ve ever learned a new language, you know how difficult it can be. Learning a new language, especially after early childhood, can be a huge task, burdened by long vocabulary lists to memorize, and troublesome tenses to master. However, it’s worth the effort. In today’s interconnected world, learning a new language can change your life. It will certainly change your brain.

John Grundy, a neuroscientist in bilingualism and the brain at Iowa State University, explains when you learn a new language, your brain gets rearranged, new connections are made and new pathways are formed. Grundy offers a useful analogy (类比): Imagine that you always take the same route to work. Then one day, the road is washed out. Now what? If you’d varied your route over the years, you’d have options already in mind. You could hop on another road. “It’s really just a remodeling of the brain that allows it to become more efficient,” Grundy says.

A 2012 study found that this remodeling can be significant. After three months of intense language study, recruits at the Swedish Armed Forces Interpreter Academy had increases in cortical (脑皮层的) thickness in areas associated with language processing.

And the remodeling doesn’t help with only language functions. Ashley Chung-Fat-Yim, who researches bilingualism at Northwestern University, says knowing a second language can help prevent cognitive decline. “There is a consistent finding that bilinguals are able to stave off symptoms of dementia (失智症) for about four to six years compared to monolinguals,” says Grundy.

If you’re thinking it’s too late, you’re probably wrong. When it comes to adding on a new one, adults aren’t at as much of a disadvantage as you might think. Chung-Fat-Yim says it’s not so much the age at which you learn a new language as the way you learn it. If you practice a lot and immerse yourself in the language, you can see the benefits at any age, especially when you get older.

1. What can we know about learning a new language from the text?

A．It is risky.	B．It is effortless.
C．It is rewarding.	D．It is enjoyable.

2. What happens to your brain when you learn a new language?

A．It becomes messy.	B．It becomes stable.
C．It gets more efficient.	D．It gets less creative.

3. What do the underlined words “stave off” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Extend.

B．Delay.

C．Show.

D．Worsen.

4. What message does Chung-Fat-Yim try to convey in the last paragraph?

A．It’s never too late to learn.	B．He who laughs last laughs best.
C．The early bird catches the worm.	D．Slow and steady wins the race.

2 . 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 Spring Festival is marked by the Chinese lunar calendar. Each Chinese New Year is represented by one of the     1     (animal) that appear in the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao     2     Shu Xiang, runs on a 12-year cycle. This year is the Year of the Tiger,     3     starts on February 1, 2022 and ends on January 31, 2023.

People born in the Year of the Tiger     4     (describe) as brave, competitive and confident. Lucky numbers for people born in the Year of the Tiger are one, three and four, and     5     (they) lucky colors are blue, grey and orange.

In preparation     6     the new year, the Chinese will clean their homes and put up red decorations and lanterns. The celebrations will then     7     (official) begin with a New Year's Eve family dinner, with fish and dumplings being served to encourage prosperity. Shou Sui follows the     8     (tradition) meal. Families stay awake throughout the night and gather for fireworks at midnight     9     (drive) away evil. Adults typically give children red packets     10     (contain) money at Chinese New Year, to help them avoid the evil and wish them good health.

3 . A family in England rescued a baby hare and now receives daily visits from her after releasing her back into the wild. At the beginning of the lockdown, Natasha and her family _______ a baby hare in their garden. Having _______ seen an adult hare that had died a day before, the _______ realized it was an orphan (孤儿).

Natasha _______ to take her to an animal rescue, _______ was unable due to the pandemic (疫情). Instead, they had to take care of the hare at their _______. The family named her Clover, and _______ her for eight weeks before _______ her into fields nearby. But two months on, Clover often comes into the family’s garden, and even takes _______to break into the house.

________ she came through the back door into the house and the family didn’t ________ her at all. She went upstairs and looked into the ________ on their wardrobe just like Natasha often stands there looking at herself — it was like she’d turned up to ________ how much she had grown. The little bunny then happily hopped around the lounge (起居室). When she saw Natasha, she stretched her legs to ________ her excitedly. And things were always very much on her terms — if she didn’t want you to touch her, that was it, but if she ________ having a little hug she’d ________ and jump up and sit on your ________. Obviously, she likes Natasha and her family very much. It seems that she ________ the room to be her home. After the family released Clover towards the back of their garden, they ________ they might see her again once or twice. But to their surprise she comes back on a ________ basis pretty much to come and say hi.

1.

A．killed

B．found

C．hid

D．cured

2.

A．suddenly

B．immediately

C．previously

D．eventually

3.

A．family

B．cleaner

C．gardener

D．farmer

4.

A．failed

B．refused

C．offered

D．tried

5.

A．and

B．but

C．or

D．so

6.

A．classroom

B．field

C．store

D．home

7.

A．cared for

B．checked on

C．searched for

D．operated on

8.

A．driving

B．trapping

C．releasing

D．abandoning

9.

A．effect

B．charge

C．adventures

D．measurements

10.

A．Curiously

B．Quietly

C．Seriously

D．Sadly

11.

A．notice

B．greet

C．welcome

D．recognize

12.

A．box

B．door

C．drawer

D．mirror

13.

A．check

B．record

C．show

D．imagine

14.

A．kick

B．hug

C．push

D．copy

15.

A．avoided

B．minded

C．hated

D．fancied

16.

A．leave

B．come

C．stop

D．rise

17.

A．lap

B．shoulder

C．head

D．back

18.

A．permits

B．considers

C．advises

D．refuses

19.

A．realized

B．understood

C．thought

D．promised

20.

A．weekly

B．yearly

C．monthly

D．daily

4 . For thousands of years, the Chinese have practiced tai chi. This ancient form of mindful martial arts (武术) involves gentle, focused movements and deep breathing. Each posture flows into the next, a connection to the nature of the universe flowing effortlessly with the rhythms of life.     1    

It can improve balance.

Tai chi looks almost like a slow-motion dance as you try to stay balanced as you slowly lift one leg off the ground and set it down.     2     But with practice, you will get better and build balance in your body. According to Harvard Health, tai chi reduces falls in senior citizens by 45 percent, and is an excellent way to avoid serious injury.

It aids in reducing stress.

    3     This type of active meditation (冥想) relieves stress through meditative movements. A study from The Psychiatric Clinics of North America found that tai chi helps improve psychological well-being including reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as increasing self-esteem.

It helps build strength.

When you watch the slow movements of tai chi, it might not seem like a form of martial arts.     4     It doesn’t just apply to martial arts techniques but also builds overall strength. Physical therapist and tai chi instructor, Matt Leve said, “The practical benefits of tai chi are rooted in its unique movement system which emphasizes tension reduction, balance, and whole-body movement.”

It may improve heart health.

You don’t need intense aerobic (有氧的) activity to improve heart health.     5     According to the Cleveland Heart Lab, tai chi is helpful for people with heart failure because the gentle movements of tai chi are only as strenuous as taking a walk.

A．You might be unsteady at first.

B．It helps to slow down people’s heart rate.

C．You can do tai chi just about anywhere.

D．But over time, it strengthens muscles and builds the flexibility.

E．Even people who hate exercise can improve heart health with tai chi.

F．Tai chi combines mental focus with mindful breathing and coordination.

G．These movements may seem simple, but they have some great benefits.

5 . The term “plant blindness” was first used in 1998 to describe our general tendency, as humans, not to see the plant life that surrounds us. The problem has understandable roots: the human brain can detect differences, and then divides those differences into threats or non-threats. Plants, being unlikely to attack, are grouped together and treated as background. Combined with the general move to cities, and then to screen-based life indoors, this has resulted in, for example, up to half of British children being unable to recognize an oak leaf.

We become more emotionally involved in what we can comprehend. “Plants,” as David Attenborough reminds us in his new BBC series, The Green Planet, “are the basis of all life, including ourselves.” And yet the beauty and power of the polar bear, the snow leopard, and the orangutan mean many more will campaign to save them than cow-wheat.

During the lockdown, when people were forced to be still, or to go on daily walks, more of us began to notice plants, and to care for them. A pre-existing rise in houseplant breeding became faster. There has also been an increase in interest in how they interconnect. Peter Wohlleben’s bestseller The Hidden Life of Trees argues that they communicate, care for each other and are part of a “wood-wide web”; botanists (植物学家) such as Stefano Mancuso argue for a kind of plant intelligence.

The Green Planet takes these trends, applies great new technology, and, of course, adds Attenborough’s dramatic narrative (叙述): in the first part, about the rainforest, this was balsa leaves battling for sunlight; leaf-cutter ants sent out by an underground fungus; vine tendrils waving through the air. The aim, says Attenborough, is to see the world from the plants’ point of view - which is, of course, the definition of empathy (共鸣).

1. What does the term “plant blindness” mean?

A．There are fewer plants in cities.	B．People always ignore plants.
C．Green plants can relieve visual stress.	D．Children know very little about plants.

2. Why may many people not choose to save cow-wheat?

A．They don’t recognize cow-wheat.	B．Cow-wheat isn’t beneficial to humans.
C．Cow-wheat isn’t beautiful or powerful.	D．They understand more about some animals.

3. What happened during the lockdown?

A．More people grew plants at home.	B．Botanists discovered intelligent plants.
C．There was an increase in plant diversity.	D．People began to communicate with plants.

4. What message does the author seem to convey in the text?

A．Plants are more important than animals.

B．The Green Planet is worthy to be watched.

C．People are supposed to pay more attention to plants.

D．Plants are intelligent to communicate with each other freely.

6 . While there are many milk substitutes (替代品) on the market, most fall short of imitating dairy milk. And while vegetarians around the world have grown accustomed to these substitutes, millions of milk drinkers are unsatisfied with these options, which don’t often taste, look, and blend like dairy milk. That accuracy is exactly what Impossible Foods has set out to develop. “We want milk that a dairy milk consumer will choose,” said CEO Pat Brown at a virtual conference call.

Like the famous Impossible Burger which tastes, cooks, and bleeds like real meat, Impossible Milk will also most likely be soy-based, giving it a protein profile (外形) like dairy milk. While the product is still in development for at least another year, Brown said in the conference call that soy is a very good choice from a nutritional standpoint and a supply chain standpoint, and for those reasons he thinks there’s a great chance that it will be the base protein for their product.

Plant-based milk, meats, and other products have been rising over the past several years as environmental and health concerns have grown, especially among millennials (千禧一代). According to a study by YouGov, approximately 55 percent of millennials surveyed agree with the statement “I am open to substituting meat or dairy products with healthy substitutes”.

And the market is seeing this preference take shape. According to the Dairy Farmers of America, milk sales dropped by $1.1 billion between 2017 and 2018. While at the same time, the Plant-Based Food Association revealed that the sales of plant-based milk increased a lot, making up 15 percent of the total milk market.

As the trend towards choosing plant-based substitutes grows, so do the products, which can now be found in supermarkets throughout the world. With no plans of slowing down, plant-based food substitutes are a micro revolution that is changing the very culture of our food consumption from the bottom all the way to the top.

1. What is the goal of Impossible Foods?

A．To satisfy the increasing demand for milk.

B．To attract more vegetarians to buy milk.

C．To make its milk more similar to dairy milk.

D．To develop more nutritional milk substitutes.

2. What is most of the young generation’s attitude to plant-based milk?

A．Favorable.

B．Unclear.

C．Indifferent.

D．Intolerant.

3. What do the figures in paragraph 4 imply?

A．The poor sales of milk substitutes.

B．The success of Impossible Foods’s milk.

C．The booming market for plant-based milk.

D．The competition among plant-based products.

4. What do we know about plant-based substitutes?

A．They will change vegetarians’ diets.

B．They are only sold in supermarkets.

C．They are expensive for most consumers.

D．They have a strong effect on food culture.

7 . I was in my early 30s, seeking a creative outlet (出口) unrelated to boring housework and raising little kids. At 65, George had recently retired and was seeking a rewarding hobby for his golden years. For both of us, painting was “it” and we met at a local painting class. Thus we began a friendship that was to last for 25 years -until the day he died.

George took to painting with an awe-inspiring level of passion and commitment, even changing the spare bedroom of his home into a studio. How I envied him, as in my own home I had neither the space nor the funds for such a luxury. His painting equipment was comprehensive. George housed many of these items in a tool box-a red metal tool box. For about six years George and I studied together through various units until the completion of the course.

Fast-forward some years and George was about 80 years old. One day, he told me that he was giving up painting and giving away all his “stuff”. “I can’t paint. I don’t know why I ever thought I could,” he declared. He was mistaken about his painting ability because he had turned out some unique and wonderful works. However George had decided he was through with painting, and no amount of talking could persuade him otherwise.

And so that was why George bequeathed all his painting equipment to me. “You have the best talent and are most likely to use it,” he said.

I still use much of his equipment today. As I paint, I often remember George, his big personality, generous spirit and unfailing encouragement. The most treasured item is the red tool box, still in good shape. The original shop sticker is still firmly in place although the price has long since worn off. But that’s all right because to my mind some things, like friendship, are beyond price.

1. Why did the author envy George?

A．He had a talent for painting.	B．He could afford a home studio.
C．He lived a life of luxury.	D．He had a good personality.

2. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．George once created some fine paintings.

B．George didn’t like his painting equipment.

C．George always wanted to give up painting.

D．George misunderstood the author’s painting ability.

3. What does the underlined word “bequeathed” probably mean?

A．Described.

B．Rewarded.

C．Left.

D．Lent.

4. What is the best title of this passage?

A．A Lesson from My Old Friend.

B．Inspiration for Art from My Partner.

C．Nice George: An Artist with Great Passion.

D．A Red Tool Box: A Bond Between Two Friends.

8 . Canada’s Wonderland

From family-friendly rides to thrilling roller coasters, Canada’s Wonderland has plenty of attractions for all levels of adventure. Meanwhile, various delicious food choices, including the crowd-pleasing funnel cakes, are available. Visit the entertainment areas and find out who is performing at the Canterbury Theatre or take in a show featuring Snoopy and the Gang at the Playhouse Theatre. Cool down at the 50-acre water park, where you can choose from 17 different water rides to experience.

Fantasy Fair

Etobicoke’s Woodbine Mall is the home of Ontario’s largest indoor amusement park. There’s an antique carousel, electronic games popular during the 1980s, and many other activities and rides designed for small children. Ambitious kids can try the rock-climbing wall, and the XD simulators offer a great 3D movie experience. The large displays of dinosaurs will attract the younger kids.

Adventure Village

Adventure Village is a great open space with waterfalls, fish ponds and many fun activities. It’s the ideal place where you can show off your secret moves during a friendly, yet competitive game of outdoor laser tag or play golf on the 18-hole mini golf course. Kids will also enjoy learning new skills at the batting cage and the excitement of riding and spinning around on the bumper cars. No need to worry about getting hungry. Big Al’s Cook House offers you various choices on the menu.

Rail Yard Wake & Aqua Park

It’s Ontario’s largest inflatable (可充气的) water park and cable wakeboarding (尾浪划水) facility. There is a water park with many obstacle courses you’ll want to climb, jump and explore. Enjoy the thrill of watersports of wakeboarding, wakeskating and kneeboarding in a safe area.

1. What can tourists do in Canada’s Wonderland?

A．Enjoy tasty food.	B．Drive bumper cars.
C．Play video games.	D．Watch different dinosaurs.

2. What do we know about Fantasy Fair?

A．It’s Ontario’s largest amusement park.	B．It provides indoor activities for children.
C．It allows kids to see exhibitions of planes.	D．It’s a place for tourists to watch 5D movies.

3. Which is the best choice for watersport lovers?

A．Fantasy Fair.1	B．Adventure Village.
C．Canada’s Wonderland.	D．Rail Yard Wake & Aqua Park.

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。

As the weather turns warmer and air becomes     1     (dry), it is recommended that people eat fresh vegetables and juicy fruits to keep     2     (them) hydrated (保持水分). Bamboo shoots are among the best foods for this season. Bamboo shoots, a root vegetable with few calories but lots of fiber, are     3     (wide) harvested and eaten in Zhejiang and Sichuan provinces     4     the climate is ideal for bamboo growth. There are many ways     5     (enjoy) spring bamboo shoots, from nutritious soups to fun snacks. Now, we’ll take a look at some crowd-pleasing bamboo shoot dishes.

Dishes with bamboo shoots are enjoyed in almost every household in eastern China in springtime. An all-time favorite dish and symbol of springtime in Zhejiang is Yan Du Xian, a delicious soup     6     (make) with fresh spring bamboo shoots, cured pork and fresh pork. In Shanghai, there’s also a famous snack known     7     Xiasha Shaomai, a steamed dumpling from Nanhui in the Pudong New Area.     8     (cook) use spring bamboo shoots and fresh pork as fillings of it. In the Tianmu Mountain region, there’s     9     appealing local dish called hand-peeled bamboo (手剥笋) shoots, which are cooked in salty water and then cooled and packaged as a snack. The hand-peeled bamboo shoots     10     (serve) as a cold appetizer, which are fun to eat.

10 . Shuai Xiaoyun is a 41-year-old doctor in Qituo village in Apengjiang, Southwest China's Chongqing. And she has ______ the health and well-being of the locals for almost two decades.

The village was always hit by heavy snowfall, which resulted in layers of ______ snow and ice covering the roads. Shuai knew this would trouble those seeking ______ , so she visited her patients on foot and offered her ______ door to door. “I cannot ______ the villagers’ illnesses just because the road is hard to ______ .” said Shuai.

A graduate from a junior college of Western medicine in 1995, Shuai ______ worked away from Qituo at a pharmacy (药店) in the city of Chongqing. As she felt ______ over the years, she eventually decided to ______ to Apengjiang she missed day and night and ______ a small shop in her hometown. After learning how ______ it was for the villagers of Qituo to ______ proper medical treatment due to the lack of doctors, Shuai wanted to help the place where she ______ with her medical expertise. Putting her ______ into action, she became a maternal and child health care worker (妇幼保健工作者) for all 963 villagers in 393 households.

Over the years, Shuai has dropped in at every corner of the village. She ______ the hearts of the villagers with her enthusiasm and professionalism and they ______ her as their own daughter and sister. “Shuai Xiaoyun is quite ______ every time asking about illnesses in detail. We all love her very much and treat her like a ______ ,” said Zhang Yugui, a resident of Qituo.

“We are not family by blood but we are as close as a family. There is a ______ between us,” said Shuai, “I will continue working and provide treatments whenever a need is ______ .”

1.

A．guarded

B．recorded

C．investigated

D．proved

2.

A．flying

B．soft

C．deep

D．thin

3.

A．methods

B．treatments

C．opportunities

D．profits

4.

A．materials

B．invitations

C．rewards

D．services

5.

A．predict

B．deny

C．ignore

D．prevent

6.

A．walk on

B．jump off

C．ride on

D．escape from

7.

A．occasionally

B．secretly

C．finally

D．initially

8.

A．exhausted

B．homesick

C．content

D．challenged

9.

A．signal

B．refer

C．return

D．turn

10.

A．operated

B．donated

C．decorated

D．advertised

11.

A．fantastic

B．boring

C．relaxing

D．tough

12.

A．refuse

B．offer

C．seek

D．quit

13.

A．grew up

B．called at

C．hung out

D．escaped from

14.

A．theories

B．thoughts

C．promises

D．assumptions

15.

A．broke

B．opened

C．followed

D．won

16.

A．missed

B．considered

C．raised

D．educated

17.

A．nervous

B．direct

C．patient

D．proud

18.

A．graduate

B．visitor

C．customer

D．relative

19.

A．bond

B．deal

C．barrier

D．date

20.

A．avoided

B．shown

C．satisfied

D．accepted