1 . While most people were stuck at home last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, feeling isolated, some young people were thinking outside the box and reached for the sky as they created an impressive work.

When Bilibili uploader Lin Xiao, had too many bags to carry, instead of asking someone for help, the then 18-year-old spent about nine months addressing the problem. He built a robot, which can follow him wherever he goes, and upon which he can ride. The robot’s name? Devil! The name comes from the background music Devil’s Swing (Remix) for the video game Bendy and the Ink Machine. It resembles a suitcase, which can follow Lin wherever he goes, day or night, and detect obstacles in its path. It can also be used for transport and even charges Lin’s electronic devices.

Lin did everything himself, from designing the robot with 3D modeling, manufacturing the physical parts and programming it, to assembling all the components and electronics. The robot has a steel structure, a 3D-printed plastic shell and two 2D laser and radar scanners. The brain of the robot is powered by Arduino, an open-source electronics platform, and computing and coding solutions from computer manufacturer Raspberry Pi.

Lin admits that Devil is not perfect, but he hopes that it can inspire his peers to believe “what you do matters” and that they can make a difference in people’s lives. He sees Devil as “a toddler who is learning to walk”.

Lin’s passion for robotics began in his first year at his high school, when a teacher, discovered his talent for working with computers. He provided full support to advance Lin’s skills and took him to various computer science competitions.

1. How did the robot get its name Devil?

A．From a video.	B．From an online game.
C．From a scientific fiction.	D．From a piece of music.

2. Which of the following is NOT true about Lin Xiao’s robot?

A．It looks like a suitcase.	B．It is entirely made of steel.
C．It can charge cellphones.	D．It can serve as a transportation tool.

3. What is the attitude of Lin Xiao to the robot Devil?

A．Unsatisfied.

B．Hopeful.

C．Concerned.

D．Critical.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．A young man thinking uniquely.	B．An impressive robot.
C．A young tech influential.	D．Lin’s passion for robotics.

2 . It’s a really cold winter day. I had just finished some shopping, and was ready to _________ the supermarket’s parking lot. Hearing the _________ coming from the area of the shopping carts, I _________ the sounds. It was someone I knew well who was playing the guitar. Beggar (乞丐), I can’t really call him.

He never begged. It was more like he was open to _________ presents. He would just sit _________ to the side of the entrance, and _________ everyone very politely who gave him something. I’d seen him many times.

He had been an epileptic (癫痫患者) since his childhood. He couldn’t even _________ the lowest-paid job the social services try to offer people like him. They seemed afraid of the _________.

I started feeling _________ for him, but he said, “I’ve made my __________ with that. I’m happy I could live in a flat. It’s very difficult to get off the street when people know you’ve lived here.” He told me how he’d remembered his __________ for music. He’d gotten so much help, and wanted to try to __________ the kindness, starting with the music. Thus everyone could enjoy sweet music while shopping.

I was __________ when he said that people were much more giving, and he wasn’t __________ about the money anymore because it didn’t matter to him any longer. He was grateful for what he had. He only wanted people to give him money if they really wanted to, if it was a __________ from the heart.

1.

A．leave

B．close

C．book

D．sell

2.

A．crying

B．news

C．music

D．voice

3.

A．feared

B．followed

C．doubted

D．passed

4.

A．refusing

B．sending

C．hiding

D．accepting

5.

A．tiredly

B．quietly

C．excitedly

D．angrily

6.

A．track

B．forgive

C．thank

D．shape

7.

A．get

B．miss

C．post

D．avoid

8.

A．communication

B．environment

C．difference

D．responsibility

9.

A．sorry

B．lucky

C．calm

D．cold

10.

A．nature

B．promise

C．ability

D．peace

11.

A．respect

B．room

C．love

D．need

12.

A．give back

B．go after

C．grow into

D．hold out

13.

A．hopeless

B．amazed

C．carefree

D．honored

14.

A．certain

B．nervous

C．worried

D．annoyed

15.

A．letter

B．gift

C．word

D．beat

3 . When it comes to cooling the planet, forests have more than one trick upon their trees. A new study finds tropical (热带的) forests help cool the average global temperature by more than 1℃. “The effect is largely from forests’ ability to stockpile CO₂. But around one third of that tropical cooling effect comes from several other processes, such as the letting-out of water vapor (水蒸气),” researchers reported on March 24 in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change.

“We tend to focus on CO₂ and other greenhouse gases, but forests can not only keep CO₂,” said Deborah Lawrence, an environmental scientist at the University of Virginia. “It’s time to think about what else forests are doing for us besides keeping CO₂.”

“Researchers already know that forests influence their local climates through various chemical processes. Trees let out water vapor through their leaves and, like human sweating, this cools the trees and the things around them. But on a global scale, it isn’t clear how the other cooling works compared with the cooling provided by forests’ ability of keeping CO₂,” Lawrence said.

So she and her colleagues studied how over-cutting would affect global temperatures, using data gathered from other studies. For example, the researchers used data to decide how much the letting-out of CO2 stored by those forests would warm the global temperature. They then compared those results with other studies’ results of how much the loss of other aspects of forests.

The researchers found that in forests at latitudes (纬度) from around 50°S of the equator to 50°N, the primary way that forests influenced the global average temperature was through CO₂ store. But other cooling factors still played large roles.

1. What does the underlined word “stockpile” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Improve.

B．Explore.

C．Store.

D．Defend.

2. What can we learn from Lawrence’s words?

A．Forests need CO2 to keep their balance.	B．Some chemicals are harmful to forests.
C．Forests can sweat and breathe like humans.	D．Forests may benefit us in many other ways.

3. What does paragraph 4 mainly tell us?

A．The result of Lawrence’s research.

B．Lawrence’s research method.

C．The difficulty that Lawrence was faced with.

D．The reason why Lawrence studied trees.

4. In which section of a newspaper can the text be found?

A．Nature.

B．Technology.

C．Culture.

D．Sports.

4 . The story happened in the morning. I just _________ my dog from the vet’s. When I was driving home along the road, I found the car behind was _________ lights at me. Considering the signal might tell me that I was driving too slow, I _________ over. The car stopped, too. I was _________. What should I do?

A man approached and said my wallet had _________ the roof of my car at the last bend and that he had seen a lady pick it up. _________, I remembered I had placed my wallet there as I took away my dog in the doghouse and placed him in my car, but I _________ to take it back.

Having thanked him, I drove back to the previous _________. A lady came over and asked if I had lost anything. I said, “Yes, my wallet must have _________ somewhere.” She continued to ask me what was in my wallet. I responded truthfully. She added the __________ were scattered (分散的) on the road so she could confirm the wallet was mine. I was really __________. I took my wallet and said thanks. When I __________ my head to keep the things organized, I found my credit card, licence and cash were all right in my wallet.

I simply saw her disappearing __________ as I held my head up to look for the lady. She did me a favor but walked away silently. What a (n) __________ and kind lady! The lady’s and the man’s good deeds deeply touched me. I expressed my __________ to them from the bottom of my heart.

1.

A．rescued

B．collected

C．protected

D．separated

2.

A．flashing

B．blocking

C．admiring

D．shutting

3.

A．crossed

B．walked

C．climbed

D．pulled

4.

A．confused

B．annoyed

C．relieved

D．pleased

5.

A．dropped onto

B．covered up

C．fallen off

D．made for

6.

A．Precisely

B．Accidentally

C．Fortunately

D．Suddenly

7.

A．chose

B．forgot

C．expected

D．deserved

8.

A．house

B．square

C．bank

D．spot

9.

A．faded

B．mattered

C．landed

D．worked

10.

A．versions

B．contents

C．mixtures

D．elements

11.

A．responsible

B．innovative

C．grateful

D．enthusiastic

12.

A．lowered

B．raised

C．nodded

D．shook

13.

A．signal

B．figure

C．face

D．light

14.

A．generous

B．modest

C．eager

D．honest

15.

A．appreciation

B．ambition

C．curiosity

D．sincerity

5 . How to Handle an Argument with Your Family Members

We’ve all been there. A relaxed evening with our family members. A lot of laughing. And then, as if someone had sat on the TV remote and changed the channel, the mood shifts. No more warmth. Suddenly there’s shouting, a ping-pong of accusations(指责), deadly stares, and hostility(敌意) streaming from eyes like red laser pointers. Having a conflict with your family members is frustrating, and you may feel sad and depressed.     1    

Do remember that as much as it might feel this way, you’re not in a court of law with your family members.     2     .It is to restore kindness and connection. Think of it this way —if somebody wins, both parties lose.

Do try to be an advocate of others’ feelings.     3     try to stand in the shoes of your family members. Try to understand their immature ways.

    4     .This might frighten your family members, making them feel accused and in turn, act defensively. Example: “I was on the phone with my sister and then suddenly you started acting like crazy out of the blue.” Talk about the way you felt instead. Example: “I was on the phone with my sister and then I suddenly felt scared when I saw you looking at me like I was in trouble.”

Don’t try to explain yourself. You often want to explain yourself when having conflicts with your family members, but you don’t have time. You’re being cut off and attacked again.     5     .The more you talk, the less your family members seem to understand and the further away you get from an agreement.

A．If you are looking for a new relationship

B．Don’t attempt to prove yourself in the face of your loved ones

C．The point of an argument isn’t to prove the others guilty or to win

D．Rather than going in circles about what you think and how you feel

E．Each accusation strikes deeper and deeper into your sense of justice

F．Don’t talk about what happened as though you’re simply stating the facts

G．Here are the do’s and don’ts when you are arguing with your family members

6 . Like most tourists, I enjoy taking photographs on holiday and can’t wait to show them to my friends and family when I get back. But while for me they represent treasured memories, to others they are more often than not simply a collection of boring, badly composed, out-of-focus pictures. So this year I decided to do something about this by booking myself on a trip to Rome which included photography lessons.

The first time I went to Rome, I remember thinking that it was a fantastic place for photographers with a wonderful photo opportunity lying around every corner. Yet by myself I didn’t have a clue how to go about getting some good shots. Added to this was the fact that there were crowds of tourists everywhere, blocking all the best views. But this second time things were different. Antonio, my photography tutor, was on hand to give expert advice every step of the way. The first thing Antonio told our group was that the secret to creating a good photographic image rather than just a snapshot (快照) is to first take a long look at what you want to photograph. Our first port of call was Piazza Navona, where Antonio gave us advice about how to photograph the Fountain of Neptune. For the next couple of hours, we wandered around the historic center visiting many of Rome’s architectural highlights. I didn’t get at all tired, even though I was on my feet for such a long time. And I felt that I was really able to appreciate the sights as I had to look at each one so carefully in order to get good pictures. It felt like a whole new world had opened up to me.

I learnt an incredible amount over the next two days, as well as having a thoroughly enjoyable time in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Maybe my friends and family will show a little more enthusiasm when I show them my holiday snaps from now on!

1. What motivated the author to book a photography trip to Rome?

A．Her interest in trying out a new hobby.

B．Her desire to explore the city of Rome.

C．Her dissatisfaction with her photography skills.

D．Her hope of finding inspiration for her photography.

2. Which words can best describe the author’s first experience in Rome?

A．Confusing and disappointing.	B．Comfortable and uneventful.
C．Fantastic and adventurous.	D．Relaxing and interesting.

3. What did Antonio suggest concerning photography in Rome?

A．Taking multiple snapshots of each subject.

B．Observing the subject before taking a photo.

C．Avoiding crowded areas for better pictures.

D．Looking at surroundings to unlock their secrets.

4. How did the author benefit from her photography tour of Rome?

A．She began to see things in a new light.	B．She understood her friends and family better.
C．She was able to appreciate beautiful photos.	D．She became more enthusiastic about snapshots.

7 . From 7 to 4,400, the protection of the crested ibis(朱鹮)is successful.

The crested ibis is an elegant bird with a red face and claws. During the breeding(繁殖)season, you may notice its white feather turning grey. The color change is due to a kind of black powdery substance(物质)the bird gives out at this special time.

However, its population around the world dropped rapidly in the 1960s due to the loss of living areas and the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Their low breeding ability and weak ability against natural enemies further pushed them to the brink of dying out.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, scientists thought the chances of bringing back the bird were not great. In 1963, Russia announced the bird’s dying out in the country and it hasn’t been seen on the Korean Peninsula since 1979.

There were only five wild crested ibises left in Japan in 1980. A captive(圈养的)breeding program was set up to increase the number of the group, but in 2003, Kin, Japan’s last crested ibis born in the wild, died. The only hope of saving the bird was left to China.

The crested ibis hadn’t been recorded in China since 1964. A group of five scientists still decided to find the bird’s historical living areas in 1978. Finally, in May 1981, a farmer in Yangxian County, Shaanxi said he had seen the bird and led the group to find the last seven crested ibises in the county.

Shortly after this exciting discovery, a special group was set up to protect the bird. The local government also stopped hunting, the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and land clearing near their living areas, which enabled the family of the crested ibis to enlarge. According to the incomplete data, its number in China in 2020 increased to about 4,400, with 4,100 located in Shaanxi, one of their biggest living areas. Its home range also increased from less than five square kilometers to 15,000. The crested ibis is among several species successfully saved from dying out.

1. What causes the crested ibis to change its color?

A．The weather change.	B．The environmental impact.
C．The need to guard against enemies.	D．The black substance produced in the body.

2. Which of the following best describes Japan’s captive breeding program?

A．Costly.

B．Unsuccessful.

C．Instructive.

D．Traditional.

3. What do the numbers show about the crested ibis in the last paragraph?

A．It is dying out.	B．It has a strong breeding ability.
C．China’s way to protect it works.	D．It can survive easily.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Rules of Protecting the Crested Ibis	B．Efforts to Protect the Crested Ibis
C．A Shared Value of Crested Ibis’s Protection	D．Problems of the Living Areas Faced by the Crested Ibis

8 . There’s no end to the work to do with improving diversity in children’s media, especially for storybooks. Children need to be able to see themselves in the characters of the stories they hear and read, at a stage where they’re building their understanding of the world around them.

Shachi Kaushik’s new book, Diwali in My New Home, brings the festival of lights to life for an immigrant community.

This picture book is for children aged 5 to 8. It speaks to Indian children’s experiences living abroad when they’ve experienced life in India. The story is about a girl, Priya, who loves being with family and friends to celebrate Diwali. But Priya and her parents began living in the United States this year, and no one seems to know about the holiday. Priya misses the traditions in India. As she joins the lights together and creates rangoli art(地画艺术), Priya introduces the festival of lights to her neighbors. And even though the celebration is different this year, it’s still Diwali.

Kaushik was a lawyer before she discovered the joy of telling stories to young children. Storytelling began when she volunteered in Texas, where she hosted a monthly storytime for children. Seeing the joy on the children’s faces inspired her to write children’s books.

When asked “What’s the secret to making children pay attention to stories?”, she said, “I would say the secret is to be present and not to be shy from acting, singing or dancing. Be a performer. While reading, use facial expressions and voice to add excitement to the story. Also try asking questions like ‘What do you think will happen?’. Let the little ones’ imagination flow. Lastly, try adding a finger play song and some dance moves to get those little ones into the mood.”

1. What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To give explanation of diversity.	B．To explain the aim of the storybooks.
C．To show the importance of children’s media.	D．To lead in the introduction of Shachi Kaushik’s book.

2. What is Diwali?

A．A festival.

B．A country.

C．A community.

D．A character.

3. What encouraged Kaushik to write children’s books?

A．The joy from children listening to stories.	B．The job as a lawyer.
C．The experience of selling storybooks.	D．The money earned by hosting storytime.

4. Why does Kaushik ask questions when telling stories to children?

A．To test if they are shy.	B．To attract their attention.
C．To encourage them to use facial expressions.	D．To teach them to be a performer.

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。

In recent years, many Chinese museums have opened online stores to sell cultural and creative products. Among them, the Palace Museum stands     1     Collectively more than 500 Palace Museum products are available for purchase online.

According to the Vice President of the Palace Museum, sales of the museum’s cultural and creative products     2     (total) 1 billion yuan last year. The museum has developed nearly 10,000 different cultural and creative products either     3     (independent), through IP authorization, or in     4     (cooperate) with other companies, with partners such as LKK,     5     creative design company, having designed over 800 categories of products across 17 themes for the Palace Museum.

Among the Palace Museum’s most popular cultural and creative products     6     (be) sticky tape inspired by beautiful     7     (pattern) from ancient bowls, plates or clothes. Many customers have used the tape to customize the casing of     8     (person) items, with the posting of finished goods     9     (become) a popular trend online.

“When developing cultural and creative products, we study people’s daily needs     10     that our products perform some sort of function. We hope users use our products to spread our culture,” the Vice President said.

10 . One Christmas Eve, our birder friend called us with a request. “Do you have room in your car for a (n) _______ snowy owl (雪鸮)? The hospital in Saskatoon will take it. It just needs a _______ there.” My family couldn’t have been more _______. A snowy owl? Of course! Isn’t Christmas about giving a hand to those _______?

He dropped off the bird in a cardboard box and _______ the box with a piece of cloth. After my husband gathered our children around, we _______. A few minutes later, our three-year-old daughter _______ in the back seat. Our two sons, 8 and 11, played together, _______ my husband drove and I, in the front, was bathed in Christmas peace.

Once or twice, our oldest son _______ this scene and said, “Dad, the owl’s sticking its head out”. “Don’t________.” my husband replied “It’ll be fine.” Not far from Saskatoon, my daughter in the back woke up crying I ________ and picked her up ________, my son shouted, “Dad, the owl’s out!” I was ________ to hear that and saw the owl knocking on the window with its head, in a desperate struggle for ________.

I bent over my daughter to ________ her as my husband pulled off the road. To our ________, the bird stopped struggling for some reason. My husband took the ________ to return the bird to its box then, he sat in the back seat to take care of the box. I took the ________ as our car was running toward the hospital. It was ________ for us to get there safe and sound. What a (n) ________ Christmas!

1.

A．male

B．injured

C．single

D．healthy

2.

A．ride

B．home

C．friend

D．ticket

3.

A．confused

B．relaxed

C．worried

D．excited

4.

A．in debt

B．in peace

C．in need

D．in shape

5.

A．washed

B．covered

C．checked

D．marked

6.

A．took off

B．gave up

C．set off

D．showed up

7.

A．fell asleep

B．passed by

C．settled down

D．came alive

8.

A．though

B．because

C．until

D．while

9.

A．ignored

B．interrupted

C．remembered

D．witnessed

10.

A．talk

B．refuse

C．touch

D．panic

11.

A．turned around

B．ran away

C．stood up

D．dropped in

12.

A．Finally

B．Generally

C．Suddenly

D．Gradually

13.

A．happy

B．shocked

C．quiet

D．discouraged

14.

A．justice

B．honour

C．warmth

D．freedom

15.

A．protect

B．stop

C．warn

D．observe

16.

A．sorrow

B．embarrassment

C．relief

D．amusement

17.

A．trouble

B．opportunity

C．message

D．challenge

18.

A．wheel

B．car

C．test

D．risk

19.

A．necessary

B．impossible

C．fortunate

D．interesting

20.

A．important

B．disappointing

C．difficult

D．unforgettable