1 . Forget about the “post-1995 generation”. Young people born in 1995 or later have another name in English — Generation Z. They are entering adulthood and will soon shape our future, which is why policy makers, as well as employers and marketers, are trying their best to understand these young people. So, how should we pin down the Gen Z-ers?
Most people will agree that the single biggest difference between Gen-Z and other generations is how connected they are. This is a group of people who were hooked up to social media as soon as they were born. Social media has changed the way Gen Z-ers interact with each other and how they get and process information. They read news from Twitter, watch videos from Vine, share experiences in Instagram and post recipes in Pinterest.
“We are the first true digital natives. I can almost simultaneously create a document, edit it, post a photo on Instagram and talk on the phone, all from the user-friendly iPhone,” said Hannah Payne, an 18-year-old UCLA student.
It is noted that young people in the UK are becoming more active in Politics. Young people regard voting as one option among many to show their political engagement that can potentially influence policies. Instead of party politics, they focus more on single-topic issues such as feminism (女权主义) or climate change. And “much of the engagement and organizing they do takes place on social media rather than through traditional political structures,” according to the Guardians.
Gen Z-ers are also culture creators. Growing up with the Internet has freed this generation from traditional cultural expression. They are no longer willing to let their creativity be limited by their parents or traditional rules.
“We decide what kind of content we want to experience and choose how we experience it,” wrote Masback, a Huffington Post blogger and a Gen Z-er herself.
1. What does the underlined phrase “pin down” mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Cooperate with. | B．Firmly convince. |
| C．Clearly understand. | D．Communicate with. |
| A．It’s topic-specific. | B．It stresses social response. |
| C．It’s party-based. | D．It has an immediate effect. |
| A．They enjoy great freedom to express themselves. | B．They are unwilling to obey their parents. |
| C．They are rooted in traditional culture. | D．They are addicted to social media. |
| A．Worried. | B．Critical. | C．Objective. | D．Appreciative |
Since the beginning of the 21st century, artificial intelligence (Al)
“I think Al is going to be
However, the company also knows some of the fears surrounding Al. “
3 . Basketball fans around the world are mourning the death of American superstar Kobe Bryant.
Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday in California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people. He was 41 years old.
Bryant was an 18-time All-Star player. He won five NBA championships and two Olympic gold medals. He was widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The helicopter carrying Bryant and the others crashed into a hilly area in foggy conditions outside Los Angeles. Bryant lived south of Los Angeles and often used helicopters to travel around the area to save time and avoid Southern California traffic.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. It took place about 32 kilometers from Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy, a basketball training center in Newbury Park, California. Bryant was on his way to attend a youth basketball competition on Sunday with his daughter. Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, had four daughters.
When he retired from the NBA in 2016, Bryant was the third-leading scorer in NBA history with 33,643 points. He is widely expected to be elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year.
The basketball world and the Los Angeles community reacted to Bryant’s death with an outpouring of sadness, disbelief and support.
In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Bryant was one of the greatest stars in the game. But he added, He will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability.
On Twitter, U.S. President Donald Trump noted the terrible news. He called Bryant one of the truly great basketball players of all time who was just getting started in life.
1. Where is the passage probably taken from?| A．A science report. | B．A biography. |
| C．A textbook. | D．A newspaper. |
| A．his death | B．his achievements |
| C．his inspiration | D．his talent |
| A．careful examination | B．evidence |
| C．discussion | D．argument |
| A．Hearing the death of Kobe, fans around the world were very sad. |
| B．There were nine passengers on board, including one of his daughters. |
| C．Bryant was to attend a basketball competition with his daughter. |
| D．Bryant used the helicopter to save time and avoid the traffic jam on a fine day. |
4 . Derby and Osnabruck in Germany have been twinned since 1976.
Town twinning started after the Second World War as a way of building strong inks and friendships with communities in other countries. Its central ideas are to build international co-operation and understanding within a diverse cultural framework. Special emphasis is placed on the involvement of young people, who serve as the foundation of the future. Another important goal is the exchange of ideas and innovation among the partner cities for the benefit of all sections of the twinned communities.
Twinning for businesses and organisations
If you have an interest in getting in contact with businesses and organisations from Osnabruck in order to set up economic links or to share good practice, please don't hesitate to email the Tourism Team.
Educational and research links
Over the years many schools from across Derby and Derbyshire have established twinning links with schools from Osnabruck resulting in long lasting friendships as well as school exchanges and joint projects.
If you represent a university or school and w Mike to explore ways in which you can twin with similar establishments in Osnabruck, please email the Tourism Team.
Twinning for youth and adult groups
Many sport tournaments, theatres, art and other exchanges have been established over the years between groups from Osnabruck and Derby.
If you are interested in establishing a twinning link with a group from Osnabruck that shares the same interest as your group, email the Tourism Team.
Visit your twin city
Located in the North West of Germany, Osnabruck is a beautiful city and has around 164,000 inhabitants.
The city has a long and rich history, is surrounded by beautiful countryside and is a vibrant cultural place which offers lots of things to do and see for everyone.
One of Osnabruck's cultural highlights each year is the May Week Festival, which is one of northern Germany's biggest music events. Bands from all over come to Osnabruck and you can enjoy their music live from over 10 open-air stages around the city centre. Have a pint of German beer and a Bratwurst while you enjoy the music with your family and friends!
The biggest event towards the end of the year is Osnabruck's Christmas Market. The market attracts over a million visitors each year and was voted the best Christmas Market in northern Germany in 2004. The beautiful craft stalls, spicy ‘Glühwein’ (mulled wine) and freshly-roasted almonds are waiting for you!
For further information, see the Visit Derby website.
1. What does the underlined word “emphasis” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．importance | B．appearance |
| C．assistance | D．circumstance |
| A．It has been focused on business links between the two cities |
| B．It has contributed to lasting friendships between their schools |
| C．It has increased awareness of environmental-friendly means of transport. |
| D．It has encouraged residents to visit their twin city. |
| A．It is situated in the North East of Germany. |
| B．One of its cultural highlights every other year is the May Week Festival. |
| C．Its Christmas Market attracts more than a million visitors each year. |
| D．Its Christmas Market was voted the best Christmas Market in Germany in 2004. |
| A．Town twinning has gained in popularity. |
| B．Derby and Osnabruck-twinned for 44 years. |
| C．Town twinning is beneficial to both of the cities. |
| D．Town twinning is aimed at building friendship and understanding. |
| 支持者认为 | 1.可以促进社会对教育的重视 |
| 2.可以为广大学子树立良好的榜样 | |
| 反对者认为 | 1.过度的关注对状元本人有害 |
| 2.高分不一定高能 | |
| 你的看法 | ...... |
注意：1. 词数120左右；
2. 可适当发挥，以使行文连贯。
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. 写出疫情的发展状况；
2. 告知中国是如何应对此次疫情的；
3. 安慰Tim并表达战胜疫情的信心。
注意：1. 词数不少于100词；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：病毒virus 流行病epidemic
Dear Tim,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
7 . Four of the Oldest Buildings in the World
Knap of Howar
One of the oldest buildings in the world is the Knap of Howar, which dates back to 3700-3500 BCE.The farmhouse is one of the oldest, still-standing stone houses in Europe. It includes two stone homes linked through a hidden passage and joint walls. Archaeologists say Irish or Scottish monks could be the first builders and residents of the Knap of Howar. Although the house is still standing, these abandoned places around the world are better candidates for restoration.
Ġgantija Temples
The Megalithic Temples of Malta, or the Ġgantija Temples, date back to 3600 to 3200 BCE. The two temples on the island of Malta are UNESCO World Heritage sites. It’s one of the oldest free-standing monuments in the world. Archaeologists think the temple was used for ritual animal sacrifices.
Shunet el-Zebib
Shunet el-Zebib is partially standing, but mostly in ruins. It’s still, however, one of the oldest buildings in the world. The Egyptian temple built in 2750 BCE is of mud and brick. It has an underground tomb as well as an above-ground complex. Architecturally, it’s a nod to the Egyptian pyramids soon to come.
Tomb of Cyrus
Built in 530 BCE, the Tomb of Cyrus is one of Iran’s World Heritage Sites and one of the oldest buildings on the planet. It’s also believed to be one of the first earthquake-protected structures in the world, according to Atlas Obscura. The base isolating used on the tomb protects the main structure from moving apart from the foundation.
1. What do the four buildings have in common?| A．All of them are located in Europe. |
| B．All of them are made of stone and mud. |
| C．All of them are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. |
| D．All of them were built before the birth of Christ. |
| A．Knap of Howar. | B．Ġgantija Temples. |
| C．Shunet el-Zebib. | D．Tomb of Cyrus. |
| A．Shunet el-Zebib is earthquake protected. |
| B．Tomb of Cyrus has an underground tomb. |
| C．Ġgantija Temples are built by Irish monks. |
| D．Knap of Howar may be the oldest building among the four. |
8 . Hundreds of children are being treated for sleep problems in Wales every year. In some cases，babies，infants (婴儿)and teenagers have been admitted to hospital in north Wales alone.
The Children’s Sleep Charity said many children were suffering from lack of sleep mainly because of technology use. Public Health Wales said sleep was as important to a child’s health as healthy eating and exercise，and children with poor sleep patterns were more likely to be fat.
Statistics obtained (获得) under the Freedom of Information Act by BBC Wales found at least 408 children have been admitted to hospitals across Wales suffering from sleep disorders since March 2013.
Children aged between 0 and 4 made up the highest number of inpatients (住院病人)，with some newborns being treated for sleep-related problems from the day of birth.
Vicki Dawson，who set up the Children’s Sleep Charity (CSC)，said sleepless nights were putting both children and parents in anxiety. “Their weight and growth may also be affected as well as their mental health，”she said.
Teachers said children showing signs of sleep shortage and tiredness in class were a concern as they couldn’t concentrate for long periods.
Psychologist Amy McClelland，of Sleep Wales，saida common problem was that children were “over excited”before bed and that families should get back to basics. “Think 1950s family home. Dinner as a family，read，chat，a film maybe，lights off and then bed. ”She added.
1. What’s the main reason why children are short of sleep？| A．Less exercise. | B．Eating habits. |
| C．Technology use. | D．Sleep patterns. |
| A．Infants. | B．Teenagers. |
| C．Teachers. | D．Parents. |
| A．Chatting and films make children sleep more. |
| B．It is difficult for children to read before bed. |
| C．Being too excitedis good for sleep habits. |
| D．Relaxation has a bad effect on children. |
| A．Ways to Treat Sleep Problems | B．Sleep Problems of Welsh Children |
| C．Sleep Habits of Welsh Children | D．The Problems of Welsh Children |
If you write your name with your left hand instead of your right, you are left-handed,
Scientists are not sure why people use one hand
We live in a right-handed world. There are lots of tools and machines that are harder
10 . Bacteria are an annoying problem for astronauts. The microorganisms(微生物) from our bodies grow uncontrollably on surfaces of the International Space Station, so astronauts spend hours cleaning them up each week. How is NASA overcoming this very tiny big problem? It’s turning to a bunch of high school kids. But not just any kids. It is depending on NASA HUNCH high school classrooms, like the one science teachers Gene Gordon and Donna Himmelberg lead at Fairport High School in Fairport, New York.
HUNCH is designed to connect high school classrooms with NASA engineers. For the past two years, Gordon’s students have been studying ways to kill bacteria in zero gravity, and they think they’re close to a solution(解决方案). “We don’t give the students any breaks. They have to do it just like NASA engineers,” says Florence Gold, a project manager.
“There are no tests,” Gordon says. “There is no graded homework. There almost are no grades, other than ‘Are you working towards your goal?’ Basically, it’s ‘I’ve got to produce this product and then, at the end of year, present it to NASA.’ Engineers come and really do an in-person review, and...it’s not a very nice thing at times. It’s a hard business review of your product.”
Gordon says the HUNCH program has an impact(影响) on college admissions and practical life skills. “These kids are so absorbed in their studies that I just sit back. I don’t teach.” And that annoying bacteria? Gordon says his students are emailing daily with NASA engineers about the problem, readying a workable solution to test in space.
1. What do we know about the bacteria in the International Space Station?| A．They are hard to get rid of. | B．They lead to air pollution. |
| C．They appear in different forms. | D．They damage the instruments. |
| A．To strengthen teacher-student relationships. |
| B．To sharpen students’ communication skills. |
| C．To allow students to experience zero gravity. |
| D．To link space technology with school education. |
| A．Check their product. | B．Guide project designs. |
| C．Adjust work schedules. | D．Grade their homework. |
| A．NASA: The Home of Astronauts |
| B．Space: The Final Homework Frontier |
| C．Nature: An Outdoor Classroom |
| D．HUNCH: A College Admission Reform |
