1 . Very few people can say that they have achieved all that they are capable of. But what is it that is preventing you from fulfilling your potential (潜能)?

    1     They know that they have something special to contribute and they are determined to make their mark. This does not mean that they are too proud. On the contrary, they are self critical and push themselves hard because they know that they can achieve more.

It is easy and natural to settle into a rut (墨守成规). Why try something new when you are already doing that you are good at?     2     They take risks. They move out of their comfort zones. They take on difficult challenges. They push themselves to acquire new skills and to face new examinations of their abilities.     3     Where are you right now — inside your comfort zone or taking risks?

    4     Thinking and planning are great but it is action that leads to success. It is only by doing things and doing the right things that you change the world.

Let’s face it — your friends and family are really nice people but they are not challenging you to achieve more. Spend more time with high flyers and positive thinkers who understand ambition and achievement. Share some of your thoughts, dreams and challenges with them.     5    

A．High achievers go further.

B．This means that they run the risk of failure.

C．All successful people have strong self-belief.

D．They can take comfort in modest achievements.

E．You waste a lot of time every day on low value activities.

F．They will encourage you and give you the direct advice you need.

G．It is really very hard to make progress if you have no ambition for your life.

2 . Despite an ever-higher bar to grab the attention of students in large lecture hall, Tatiana Erukhimova, who teaches physics at Texas A&M University, has managed to get her students, as well as future generations, excited about the science.

Known as “Dr. Tatiana”, the professor performs physics tricks with boundless energy and enthusiasm in her videos. A range of everyday objects are used in her experiments, from pingpong balls and toilet paper to marshmallows, bicycle wheels and hair dryers. Videos of her dramatic demonstrations have received hundreds of millions of views across social media platforms.

However, things aren’t always easy. When she first started teaching college freshman classes two decades ago, she also struggled to grab the attention of her students. “I did not grab their attention on the first day-that was my mistake.” she says. “I missed this opportunity to bond with them from the very beginning, and then it took me a while to find my voice.”

By the second semester, she found her footing, adjusting her approach to get her students engaged. The key, she says, has been to make herself approachable and her instruction personal. And, of course, add showy demonstrations. “These demonstrations often help students to connect these abstract concepts with real life.” she says.

Physics department head Grigory Rogachev says Erukhimova’s work has helped bring visibility to the department, with about 2. 5 million subscribers on its department’s YouTube page, which has translated to a boost in research funds and physics major applicants.

As a leader in a STEM field in which women are underrepresented, she’s become a role model for some. Afiya Dhanani attended Texas A&M University after seeing Erukhimova’s videos online. “Watching Dr. Tatiana do the experiments online, especially since she was a female leader. Was more inspiring for me to even go into physics.” Dhanani said in an interview with CBS Mornings. That’s all Erakhimova says she can hope for -making physics less forbidding and more exciting.

1. What does Erukhimova’s online videos feature?

A．Rare materials.	B．Energetic presentation.
C．Plain demonstration.	D．Professional explanation.

2. Which saying explains Erukhimova’s initial failure to grab students’ attention 20 years ago?

A．All that glitters is not gold.

B．Sharp tools make good work.

C．First impressions are make or break.

D．A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit.

3. How does Erukhimova’s work contribute to the physics department?

A．It leads more students to change their majors.

B．It makes more people to know about the department.

C．It helps the department translate more research papers.

D．It attracts more physics professors to join the department.

4. Which word best describes Erukhimova as a leader in a STEM field?

A．Inspirational.

B．Underestimated.

C．Cooperative.

D．Ambitious.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1. Which family holiday does the man recommend?

A．The one on the 18th.

B．The one on the 19th.

C．The one on the 20th.

2. Where will the woman probably go?

A．France.

B．Spain.

C．Greece.

3. What do we know about The Hotel Playa?

A．It is a five-star hotel.

B．It has its own beach.

C．It has a swimming pool.

4 . 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。

Tomato Changed My Life

Doing things-without being planned was never my strength.

As a 14-year-old, I would refuse to go for walks around the block with my friends if I was the least bit behind in my schoolwork.

Unlike most teenagers, I lived not in my room, but in an unused kitchen upstairs where I spread my books and papers on a large round table. I spent considerable time there, working continuously for hours, and my mother worried. She would try to lure (引诱) me away. “Come and watch the parade!” she would call from downstairs. “All neighbors are out there!” She thought of all kinds of tricks-the swimming pool, ice cream, stray cats and turtles-to remove me from my -studies, but nothing ever worked.

Later, in college, the pattern continued. The library and my college dorm replaced the unused kitchen at home. When spring came along friends would stop by my dorm or peer into my library room to persuade me to play Frisbee on the lawn. “No, I would almost always say.” I have too much to do.

My college study days were gone, but not my need and love for schedules. My friends and sisters tried to keep me away from my plans, but they were hardly ever successful.

This summer, though, while house sitting for my parents, I was persuaded to change my plans in the most unexpected way. The sight of tomatoes growing in my mother’s garden lured me out of my tightly scheduled world. They drew me with the power of a lover’s gaze. Hundreds of them were turning ripe and red by the minute, decorating the garden like decorations on a Christmas tree.

“If I have time, I’ll make tomato sauce (番茄酱).” I told myself. But my long week in the house by myself was already filled with things to do: writing, and finishing a project that I brought home from the office.

Then, watching the fascinating tomatoes continuously falling to the ground in ever-greater numbers, again I mentally argued about all the things I had planned and needed to do.

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。
Finally, I gave in.
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A month later, my parents came back.
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5 . As AI becomes popular, researchers have noticed its influence on the environment. Training an AI system requires huge computing power and electricity, and the resulting CO₂ emissions (排放) are one way AI affects the environment. But its environmental effect is more than its carbon (碳)footprint.

Jesse Dodge, a scientist at the Allen Institute, says, "The influence of Al systems is going to be from their applications, not the cost of training them." David Rolnick, a computer scientist at McGill University, compares AI to a hammer (锤子) “The main effect of a hammer is what is being hammered,” he says, "not what is in the hammer." Just like a hammer which can either destroy things or build a house, Al can hurt or help the environment.

In 2019, ExxonMobil, an oil company, said it would use Microsoft’s app Azure. With the Al technology, it would increase its production and create billions of dollars. This means Microsoft's AI is directly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This is not the only AI application that could be environmentally harmful. AI behind the ads that jump out on Instagram or Facebook pages pushes customers to spend more on products like clothes. This in turn causes more emissions through more production and delivery.

But on the other side of the coin, there are AI applications that can help deal with environmental problems, such as the destruction caused by hurricanes. One such application is xView2, a program started by a U. S. organization. It can recognize buildings damaged and people trapped in natural disasters, reducing danger and saving time for rescuers.

AI could be a valuable tool in the fight against climate change—if the Al industry can reduce its harmful climate effects. "Both AI and climate rules have roles to play." Rolnick says. When creating Al rules, he suggests considering its applications, emissions, and other production costs. Further, Dodge adds that those AI professionals should help set up some value systems to limit the technology's use.

1. Where does the effect of AI systems on the environment come from according to Dodge?

A．The popularity of AI.	B．The emissions of CO2.
C．The way of applying AI.	D．The cost of AI training.

2. How does the writer develop Paragraph 4?

A．By listing numbers.	B．By giving examples.
C．By comparing facts.	D．By explaining details.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Rules for AI can be helpful.	B．Al's advance should be limited.
C．Production costs will be lower.	D．AI plays a role in making rules.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．AI applications are environmentally harmful.

B．AI affects the environment by CO2 emissions.

C．AI is effective in solving environmental problems.

D．AI's environmental effect goes beyond its emissions.

6 . Write an article about your favorite food, according to the instructions below:
1. What is your favorite food?
2. Your experiences of tasting it, especially for the first time.
3. Describe the characteristics of the food.
注意：写作词数不少于80。
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7 . A university lecturer in Linyi, Shandong province, has shone a light on the difficulties of food delivery drivers by taking on the role himself for a month and sharing his trials and sufferings online.

Last December, Xing Bin, a lecturer at the College of Literature at Linyi University, was so eager to know about what life and work must be like for a delivery driver, so he decided to sign up and be one from December to January this year. The gig economy (临时工), for better or worse, has exploded in China in recent years, and though many members of the workforce choose to work in the gig economy because of its flexibility (灵活性), others prefer full-time employment.

During the month, Xing worked more than 10 hours and took 30,000 steps a day. He lost 6 kilograms and earned a total of 7,000 yuan. On average, he earned 10 yuan each hour, and 20 yuan at most. “ I was delivering food from early morning till late at night for around 13 hours a day. When I had classes, I delivered food for two hours early in the morning, and after dinner I continued delivering until one or two in the morning,” Xing said.

“Before, if I got a call from a delivery worker, I might delay answering it. But now I will always answer it immediately because I know they might be riding an electric bike while making the call, which is very dangerous,” said Xing, adding that he now understands the difficulties of delivery workers better and realizes how hard they work to make a living.

“During that month, I tasted the bitterness and the happiness of this job with my heart. I delivered over 2,000 orders, and three of the people who ordered impressed me a lot.” he said.

1. Why did Xing try the job of a delivery driver?

A．Out of curiosity.	B．Owing to its high pay.
C．Because of its flexibility.	D．For its low career requirements.

2. What is the purpose of using numbers in paragraph 3?

A．To introduce Xing’s experiences.	B．To praise delivery workers’ spirits.
C．To describe delivery workers’ hardships.	D．To show delivery workers’ achievements.

3. What may the passage talk about next?

A．Requirements for the job.	B．Memories of Xing’s experiences.
C．Xing’s calling for more respect.	D．The online reaction to his posts.

4. What can we learn from Xing’s story?

A．No pains, no gains.	B．Save for a rainy day.
C．Easier said than done.	D．Knowledge starts with practice.

8 . While some critics claim that history curricula (课程) teach unnecessary content, others argue that these curricula need to be more comprehensive. Despite ongoing debates about content, one universal truth remains: strong history curricula are necessary for developing the productive citizens of tomorrow.

The greatest academic value that history curricula provide is not the recall of important dates and names. Rather, understanding the historical inquiry process is the most important component. This process teaches students how to become critical thinkers and understand the dynamic nature of the telling of history.

Through strong history curricula, students are shown both a variety of primary and secondary sources and are taught to critique them. This is where the historical inquiry process begins. Students not only begin to analyze and ask questions about the content, but they also learn about the author’s credibility and potential bias (偏见). Students are then able to contextualize the information they learn and can think more critically about historical con text and those who tell it.

With this framework, students can then understand the causal relationship between human nature, values, philosophy, actions, and their consequences. It teaches students to recognize recurrent themes and lessons that are necessary to understand modern society. Most importantly, it teaches students to develop a healthy skepticism (怀疑论) when presented with information today because our actions are history in the making.

Forty years ago, renowned scholar James Fitzgerald argued that no education is complete without the teaching of historical inquiry. He believed that the only way to move forward in life is to understand what’s behind us.

Today, this principle still holds true. Students take both the factual knowledge and the historical inquiry skills they learn in the classroom and apply them to real world circumstances. Throughout their lives, students who are taught with strong history curricula will take the lessons they learn from our predecessors and become involved, active, productive citizens who want to create a history that tomorrow’s students will be proud to learn about.

1. What is the biggest academic significance of history learning?

A．Passing down Chinese culture.	B．Grasping historical inquiry skills.
C．Making people more knowledgeable.	D．Enriching people’s everyday life.

2. What does the underlined word “critique”   in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Protect.

B．Combine.

C．Comment.

D．Remember.

3. Why is James Fitzgerald mentioned in the passage?

A．To stress the importance of history.

B．To point out the essence of education.

C．To indicate famous people learn from history.

D．To show history contributes to people’s achievements.

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

A．It Is the People that Create History

B．History Pushes the Wheel of the Times

C．History Curricula Are Gaining More Attention

D．History Curricula Shape Tomorrow’s Decision Makers

9 . Flowers exude (散发) timeless beauty and grace. They also make our lives happier and our bodies healthier.     1    

Flowers help in body recovering.

It is a thoughtful thing to send flowers to patients experiencing recovering procedures.     2     The lively nature of flowers that differs from the anxious feeling of hospital rooms improves the recovering rates of patients.

Flowers improve emotional health.

    3     The nice feeling we get from giving or receiving flowers can affect the production of a bodily chemical called oxytocin (催产素), which awards us with deep social trust.

    4    

Whether as a sign of love or deep appreciation to one’s effort, receiving flowers sends a signal to our brain that we are special. The chemistry in our brain produces happy hormones, called dopamine (多巴胺) that makes us feel good and increases our happiness level.

Flowers improve sleep and relaxation.

Studies suggest that the smell of flowers can make people feel in love. Do you have difficulty sleeping?Because of their pleasing smell, flowers help promote relaxation and sleep.     5    

The next time you see a flower or take a walk in a garden, be grateful that nature gives us beautiful flowers that help make us happier and healthier.

A．Flowers reduce stress.

B．Here’s how they affect us.

C．Flowers increase happiness level.

D．It’s time to put flowers in the vases at home.

E．Actually, studies suggest flowers can also promote their recovery.

F．So keep flowers near your bed to improve the quality of your sleep.

G．If you’re eager to remove your emotional problems, flowers can help.

10 . “Social robots like me can take care of the sick or elderly,” Sophia says. Since 2016, Sophia, a human-like robot, has gone viral (迅速走红). Now the company behind her has a new view: to mass-produce robots by the end of the year.

Hanson Robotics, based in Hong Kong, said four models, including Sophia, would start rolling out of factories in the first half of 2021, just as researchers predict (预言) the pandemic (大流行病) will open new opportunities for the robotics industry.

The founder David Hanson believes robotic solutions to the pandemic are not limited to healthcare, but could aid customers in industries such as airlines too. “Sophia and Hanson robots are unique by being so human-like,” he added. “That can be so useful during these times when people are terribly lonely.” Mr Hanson aims to sell “thousands” of robots in 2021, but didn’t provide a specific number.

Social robotics professor Johan Hoorn of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, whose research has included work with Sophia, said although the technology is still in relative infancy (初期), the pandemic could build a relationship faster between humans and robots. “I can infer the pandemic will actually help us get robots earlier in the market because people start to realize that there is no other way,” he said. Hanson Robotics is launching a robot this year called Grace, developed for the healthcare department.

Some humans might be cautious (谨慎的) of putting robots in such sensitive roles. When asked whether people should fear robots, Sophia had an answer ready, “Someone said ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’”

1. What can be learned about Sophia from the text?

A．She can predict a pandemic.	B．She is a robotics professor.
C．She is about five years old in 2021.	D．She is the first robot of Hanson Robotics.

2. What does Johan Hoorn think of the robotic technology?

A．It didn’t consider people’s thoughts.

B．It is obviously separated from reality.

C．It laid a strong basis for using machines.

D．It has not developed fully at the present time.

3. What can we infer from what Sophia said in the last paragraph?

A．People should be braver when using robots.	B．People should focus more on robots.
C．People should get along well with robots.	D．People should be more careful of robots.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The robots are taught to give healthcare.

B．The robotics industry faces new challenges.

C．The new evidence is found about robot intelligence.

D．The makers of Sophia plan more robots during the pandemic.