1 . I was in my early 30s, seeking a creative outlet 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 until the day he died.
George took to painting with an awe-inspiring (令人惊叹的) 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 and 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 red metal tool box. For about six years George and I studied together through various units until we finished the course.
Some years passed and George was about 80 years old. One day, he rang and 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 said. He was mistaken about his painting ability because he had turned out some wonderful works. However, George had decided he was through with painting, and no amount of talking could persuade him otherwise. “You have the best talent and are most likely to use it,” he said. That was why George left all his painting equipment to me. After considerable persuasion, I accepted this precious gift on condition that he could get it back at any time. He never did, of course.
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.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．A desire to create. | B．A hobby to kill time. |
| C．An escape from chores. | D．A chance to make fortune. |
| 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. |
| A．To admit his own failure. | B．To give his painting tools to the author. |
| C．To ask the author a favor. | D．To make an explanation. |
| 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 |
2 . Imagine you’re in a sci-fi (科幻小说) world, and you video-call your friends. You might see them in a three-dimensional(3D) way or in holograms (全息影像). Although this isn’t possible in real life yet, researchers recently made holograms easier to create, said a new study.
To take a 3D photo of a person, most hologram technologies need special cameras. They record how the person looks from different angles under different lights. This information makes the hologram look lifelike. However, holograms can’t be widely used because they are difficult to make.
The researchers from Chiba University in Japan made a new computer program. It can turn normal pictures we take into 3D holograms.
Their program used a technology called deep neural networks (深度神经网络). First, it receives information from an image taken by a normal camera. It then predicts the depth of things in the image. For example, in a 3D photo, the background should be deeper than the person.
With all the information, the program creates a 3D hologram. But it can look strange at first. The program will then check the hologram to fix problems and make it look more real.
The program can be used to create holograms in VR headsets (头显设备). For example, a user sends a picture, and the other user can see the “real” look of it in 3D. If it’s used in cars, drivers can see information, such as road signs, in 3D. This makes it easier for the drivers to see and thus makes sure that they won’t miss important information.
In the future, when holograms become more common, they can also help doctors. Medical students can learn quickly by looking at 3D images of the human body, and doctors can better understand a patient’s illness.
1. What does the new program make use of to create a hologram?| A．A normal picture. | B．A special camera. |
| C．Recordings from different angles. | D．Recordings under different lights. |
| A．more natural | B．more expensive | C．easier | D．more predictable |
| A．They make driving more enjoyable. |
| B．Drivers will find road information easily. |
| C．They will help predict dangers and traffic. |
| D．Drivers needn’t mind the cars behind. |
| A．Doctors make no mistakes with holograms. |
| B．Patients won’t suffer with holograms. |
| C．We can live in a 3D world. |
| D．Holograms might be used in the medical field. |
How to Improve English Speaking Skills
With the development of society, the world has become a global village. It is necessary to improve your English speaking skills to communicate with people around the world. Then how can you improve your English speaking skills? Here are some suggestions for you.
Talk with native speakers.
Talking with native speakers is the best way to improve your English speaking skills. Practice with native speakers and you will make progress.
If you want to be understood, slow down. When you slow down, you will speak clearly. The more clearly you speak, the better your listeners can understand you.
You can talk to yourself in English. You’d better speak English at home as often as possible. You can also describe what you’re doing. While you’re washing the dishes, say what you’re doing, thinking or feeling. It keeps your brain thinking in English.
Take part in English activities.
It is good for you to take part in different English speaking activities. For example, you can go to the English corner. You can also take English speech training classes and so on.
Recording yourself is a good way to improve your English speaking skills. Though you hear yourself all the time, you don’t quite know what you sound like. So record yourself. What are the weak and strong points you hear in your speech? You might find them if you listen to your recording.
A. Slow down.B. Record yourself.
C. Speak English at home.
D. Listen to English songs.
4 . I had spent an hour in the bank with my dad for transferring money(转账). I asked, “Why don’t you use online banking?” He already opened one. “Why would I do that?” he
“Yes, yes!” I said. I told him how Amazon delivers（递送）everything.
His answer made me
| A．accepted | B．suggested | C．complained | D．replied |
| A．save | B．reduce | C．waste | D．take |
| A．cheap | B．easy | C．crazy | D．awful |
| A．draw out | B．step out | C．look out | D．stand out |
| A．surprised | B．worried | C．bored | D．excited |
| A．recently | B．rapidly | C．simply | D．exactly |
| A．refuse | B．expect | C．offer | D．remind |
| A．as | B．although | C．if | D．unless |
| A．spirit | B．sense | C．touch | D．nature |
| A．society | B．power | C．money | D．life |
Jennifer fainted in her PE lesson and
Jennifer’s case is a reminder of the dangers of the unhealthy weight-loss habits
Last weekend, I took part in a forest clean-up activity. It was organized by GreenHope,
7 . Do you know what to do when there is an emergency? By calling the police, you can protect yourself and those around you.
Call the police in all of the following emergencies:
◆A crime, such as a theft, especially if it is still in progress.
◆A car accident, especially if someone is injured.
◆Domestic violence (家庭暴力), such as a child being mistreated.
◆Anything else that seems like an emergency.
◆What should you do when you call the police?
◆Dial 110 (the emergency number in China; the number varies from one country to another—in the U. S., you dial 911 to call the police). Stay calm when calling and give your name, address and phone number. Then, tell the person why you are calling (What happened? Where did it happen? When did it happen? Is it still in progress?). Follow any instructions you are given. For example, the dispatcher (调度员) might say, “Stay on the line” or “Leave the building”.
◆If you dial the emergency number by mistake, do not hang up. Doing so could make the dispatcher think an emergency really exists. Instead, just tell the person that you called by mistake. Most police departments have a communication center. The communication center staff reach police officers by radio. Police officers carry headsets, like earphones, to stay in touch with the communication center.
1. When calling the police, you DON’T need to give ________ to the dispatcher.| A．your name | B．your phone number |
| C．your ID card number | D．some details of the emergency |
| A．Power off your phone. | B．Tell the dispatcher you called by mistake. |
| C．Hang up your phone at once. | D．Go to a police station to explain. |
| A．Monitor police officers. | B．Answer emergency calls. |
| C．Tell people what to do in an emergency. | D．Reach police officers when there is an emergency. |
| A．To tell people when and how to call the police. | B．To introduce a police officer’s duties. |
| C．To share the author’s experience. | D．To thank the police. |
Content | a letter of recommendation |
Introduction | an outgoing boy read lots of classics on Chinese history know plenty of traditional folk stories |
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
3. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mr. Yang,
I’m excited to hear that our school will hold the activity “Telling Chinese Traditional stories in English”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours,
Li Hua
9 . With a pair of glasses and mild manner, Siew Te Wong could be described as a Malaysian Clark Kent (a fictional character in Superman). This wildlife biologist is a Superman of sorts — a tireless defender of the world’s smallest bear species: the sun bear.
“I often call the sun bear a forgotten species,” Wong said. “When I first started, 20 years ago, no one had ever studied sun bears. Most people did not know that they even existed,” As he studied the animal and realized the threats it faced from deforestation and illegal hunting, he knew the bears were in serious trouble. “The more I learn about them, the more I care. The more I care, the more I worry,” he said. “I have to help them.” Today, Wong’s nonprofit, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center, is the only sun bear sanctuary (保护区) in the world.
Sun bears are found in the rainforests of South Asia, and the small bears play a big role in keeping these woodlands healthy. Many plants and animals depend on them to spread seeds, create nesting sites and control the termite (白蚁) population. Healthy rainforests provide clean air and water to the entire world.
But the sun bear population has decreased by 30% during the last three decades. In 2007, the bear was officially classified as vulnerable (易危的) to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Currently, 44 sun bears live at Wong’s center. All of them were orphaned by illegal hunting or rescued from captivity (囚禁). The center has also become one of the leading tourist destinations in the area. “They can see how special the sun bear is and learn about how their survival is important to ours,” Wong said, “so they can take some action when they go back home.”
For Wong, this work is simply his responsibility. “Sun bears have become part of my family. When they’re endangered, I care for them. When they are in trouble, I speak for them,” he said. “I want to be the voice for the sun bear, to fight for the sun bear, to ensure the survival of the sun bear. But my goal is to save the entire forest ecosystem and that is so important to the survival of mankind. I want bears to live in the forest and not in captivity.”
1. When Wong first started to study sun bears, ______.| A．they were paid little attention |
| B．they were a great threat to mankind |
| C．they were well protected by the local people |
| D．they were officially classified as rare animals |
| A．The importance of healthy rainforests. |
| B．An introduction to the rainforests of South Asia. |
| C．A dependent living situation of all species in rainforests. |
| D．The role sun bears play in keeping a balanced ecosystem. |
| A．To finance this center. | B．To protect species diversity. |
| C．To recognize the value of the center. | D．To raise awareness about sun bears’ situation. |
| A．How to turn a sun bear center into a tourist destination. |
| B．An introduction to a great defender of the sun bear. |
| C．A call for stopping the sun bear hunt. |
| D．What we can do to save the sun bear. |
10 . A simple honk (汽车喇叭声) from the bus is one part of a secret code between the driver and students living in a remote village in Wanzhou district, Chongqing city.
Noticing a schoolbag hanging on the door of an old house along his
The boy's parents work far from home, leaving him in the
Mr Cheng, who has been
| A．street | B．travel | C．path | D．river |
| A．shouts | B．gives | C．sees | D．hears |
| A．gets on | B．takes into | C．pulls up | D．tries out |
| A．control | B．hope | C．honor | D．care |
| A．daily | B．weekly | C．monthly | D．yearly |
| A．created | B．promoted | C．developed | D．improved |
| A．current | B．shared | C．devoted | D．convenient |
| A．walking | B．working | C．running | D．driving |
| A．experiences | B．levels | C．approaches | D．solutions |
| A．thankfulness | B．movement | C．attention | D．performance |
