1 . A huge fire broke out on 2 September 1666 in London. The fire, known as the Great Fire of London, was the worst fire in the history of London. It burned down more than three quarters of the old city.
The fire started in the very early hours of Sunday morning in the house of the king’s baker. A strong wind blew the fire from the baker’s house into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
At that time, most of the buildings in London were made of wood, so it was easy for the fire to spread quickly. By eight o’clock, three hundred houses were on fire. By Monday, nearly a kilometre of the city was burning along the Thames River. On Tuesday, which was considered the worst day, the fire destroyed many well-known buildings, including the old St Paul’s Cathedral.
The fire burned until finally hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire were destroyed to create a firebreak. The fire then died out eventually with nothing left to burn.
1. Why is the fire of 1666 called the Great Fire of London?| A．The fire broke out in the capital of England. |
| B．The fire was the worst fire in the history of London. |
| C．People in England will never forget the fire. |
| D．The fire spread fast into Thames Street. |
| A．In the house of the king’s baker. |
| B．In Thames Street. |
| C．In the house of the baker’s neighbour. |
| D．In St Paul’s Cathedral. |
| A．It started in a baker’s house. |
| B．It broke out on a Sunday morning. |
| C．A hotel was next to the baker’s house. |
| D．Most of the buildings in London were wooden. |
| A．The old St Paul’s Cathedral. |
| B．Hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. |
| C．Hundreds of wooden houses. |
| D．All of the above. |
2 . In the U.S., speaking more than one language fluently is not very common — except in Los Angeles, California. The city has one of the largest populations in the U.S. of young people between the ages of 18 and 34. More than half of them in Los Angeles are bilingual (会双语的).
Maria Elena Burgos, a mother of two American-born daughters, is cooking a Mexican breakfast. She says making Mexican food is just one of the many traditions in her home. Another is speaking Spanish to her children. “We want to keep Spanish somewhere in their learning too, not only at home.” Ms. Burgos thinks being bilingual will give them more opportunities in the future. Knowing Spanish also means the children can talk with their relatives in Mexico.
Ms. Burgos’ daughters both want to know their family’s culture. “We are doing this in order to go back to our roots because that’s part of who we are,” they say.
The U.S. Census Bureau says more than half the adults in the Los Angeles area between 18 and 34 years old speak a language other than English at home. For the whole country, the number of bilingual adults is only 25 percent. The number of bilingual speakers has gone up since the 1990s.
University of California Los Angeles professor Raul Hinojosa says that in the past, the children and grandchildren of immigrants (移民) did not continue to speak the parents’ native language. But now the opposite is true.
In the last ten years, more immigrant parents say they want their children to keep speaking their native language. Mr. Hinojosa calls their choice the “path of pride”. The decision to keep a native language is clear in Los Angeles now. And, as the number of minorities (少数民族) in the U.S. continues to grow, he thinks bilingualism will spread to the rest of the country.
1. Ms. Burgos hopes her two daughters can ________.| A．have a healthy diet | B．become true Americans |
| C．develop many good habits | D．have a competitive advantage |
| A．Bored. | B．Worried. | C．Interested. | D．Surprised. |
| A．are proud of their new country |
| B．speak English very fluently |
| C．are learning a second language |
| D．are forgetting their parents’ native language |
| A．more people will immigrate to the U.S. |
| B．the U.S. is on the path to bilingualism |
| C．the population of Los Angeles will drop |
| D．more minorities will be accepted by the U.S. |
3 . Searchers announced the recovery of one of the two black boxes, and human tissue (组织) debris from the crash site of China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 on Wednesday night, three days after the Boeing 737-800 nosedived from cruising altitude and crashed into a forested hillside.
One of the black boxes found on Wednesday has been identified as the cockpit voice recorder (驾驶舱话音记录器). The black box’s recorder looks badly damaged from the outside, but its storage unit looks relatively intact. It has been sent to a professional civil aviation agency in Beijing for decoding, and hopefully the data stored inside will provide evidence for the accident investigation and help produce a credible accident analysis report. The search teams are going all out to find the other black box with professional tools.
Officials also released more information concerning the crash. The weather on the route of MU5735 was suitable for flying and there was no hazardous weather when the plane crashed. The communication connection between the plane and the ground was normal from the plane’s departure until its sudden fall in altitude. The plane started service in June 2015 and it had been maintained under strict standards of technical plans and in normal conditions. Before departure, the aircraft met the requirements for flying. Pilots on board were all in good health and their flying certificates were within the validity period.
Beijing EAPs Consulting, a firm which provided a free psychological services hotline immediately after the crash, told Global Times that it has answered many phone calls asking for assistance. The phone calls are from families, friends and colleagues of people on board, who are in a difficult time. Some pilots and flight attendants called in because they feel unsafe and uncertain about their careers. There are also people who want to know how to comfort their acquaintances that had loved ones on the plane. Mental support and psychological services in the first 24 to 72 hours after a tragedy is crucial for people involved to recover from the tragedy and minimize the trauma. For more information related to the plane crash, please click here to follow the latest news.
1. The underlined word in paragraph 1 can be replaced by________.| A．separated | B．fell | C．recovered | D．drove |
| A．The search for the other black box is still underway. |
| B．Pilots on board were not in good condition before departure. |
| C．The plane crashed into the city center. |
| D．The black box found appears intact outside. |
| A．Psychological support is of little use after the tragedy. |
| B．A company sends volunteers to the crash site. |
| C．Many crew members will quit their jobs immediately. |
| D．A company offers free psychological support to people related. |
| A．an online newspaper |
| B．a search report |
| C．a research paper |
| D．a book on psychology |
4 . Feeding America: by the Numbers
41.2 million Americans are food insecure, which means they don’t know when or how they’ll get their next meal.
13 million American children face hunger—That’s l in 6 kids. 1.5 million old soldiers receive food stamps (食品救济券).
27% of families with incomes above the poverty level are short of food. 18.7% of Mississippians are short of food (Highest rate of all states). 5. 4 million old people now face food insecurity in America. 8. 7% of Hawaiians are food insecure (Lowest rate of all states).
$1 donated (捐赠)to Feeding America will buy 10 meals for people facing hunger in America.
Want to Do Something?
One way to stop the hunger is through neighborhood food banks. They need three things: money, your time and food. If you plan to donate food, here are what food banks need most:
●Apple sauce
●Boxed meals
●Canned beans
●Canned chicken
● Canned chili
●Canned fish
●Cooking oil
●Dried herbs and spices
●Nuts
●Peanut butter
● Whole-grain cereal
Note:Avoid food with glass packaging (包装)because they can be broken in transport. Trusted Media Brands—Readers’ Digest’s parent company—has become an official media partner of Feeding America. See how you can help our efforts at feedingamerica. com.
1. How many kids are facing hunger in America?| A．5.4 million. | B．13 million. |
| C．41.2 million. | D．78 million. |
| A．Boxed meals. | B．Canned chicken. |
| C．Glass bottles of milk. | D．Oil used for cooking. |
| A．To show readers the problems of food safety. |
| B．To ask readers to help the poor out of poverty. |
| C．To inform readers of serious food shortages in America. |
| D．To encourage readers to donate food or money to food banks. |
| A．The other driver. | B．Dana. | C．The man. |
6 . Nowadays, it is more common for people to express their thoughts in an e-mail or text. In fact, more and more students use technology for written communication in their lives. Even so, research shows that teaching handwriting skills has its benefits. However, are the benefits worth spending valuable classroom time in teaching handwriting skills when students could be learning more about computer keyboarding（键盘输入）? However, are the benefits worth spending valuable classroom time in teaching handwriting skills when students could be learning more about computer keyboarding（键盘输入）?
States across the country have good reasons to require students to learn computer keyboarding skills. For one, students are learning a technology that will help them communicate faster with more people and in many different forms, such as e-mails, websites, blogs, and so on. Also, the better a student's computer keyboarding skills, the greater the chance that student has to become a better writer. Computer tools such as the grammar and spell check make correcting quick and easy, although not 100% accurate（准确的）. With these and many other tools students gain important computer skills. Furthermore, students no longer have to worry about their writing being graded poorly by teachers. All in all, computer keyboarding skills are a step in the right direction.
Still, the advantages of computer keyboarding skills may not be enough to leave handwriting instruction in the dust. Marlena Hamilton, professor of neurology at University of Pennsylvania, did an experiment with her co-workers to study what happens in students brains when writing. They found that many of the areas of the brain light up. These are the same areas that are used to learn to read. They then wondered if the same would be true when students looked at letters on a keyboard. "What we found, "she states, "is that brains are much less involved when we just view letters. When we actually use our hands to make things, the brain works much harder. "
Schools across the nation are looking at the evidence and deciding what to do. William McIntyre, a reading coach at Sunshine Elementary School in Albany, New York, says, "What we have learned from the research is that learning handwriting benefits students educationally. What we also know is that students need to be taught keyboarding skills "Now, it is up to each shool to make a decision.
1. How many advantages are mentioned in paragraph 2 about learning keyboarding skill?| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
| A．Keyboarding skills are very useful. |
| B．Keyboarding makes our brain more active. |
| C．Handwriting is helpful for learning. |
| D．Handwriting is more difficult than keyboarding. |
| A．Opposed | B．Objective | C．Supportive | D．Positive |
| A．The advantages about learning keyboarding skills. |
| B．The differences between learning keyboarding skills and handwriting. |
| C．The importance of teaching handwriting. |
| D．Different opinions on learning keyboarding skills and handwriting. |
7 . Mount Hood is the highest mountain in Oregon, a state in the western United States. At 3, 400 meters it is attractive to many people, some of whom, of course, run into trouble. Each year 25 to 50 people have accidents or get lost on Mount Hood and need rescue（营救）. Although most of these are understandable accidents, a few result from careless risk-taking.
In one recent case, three experienced climbers went hiking in the middle of a snowstorm in December. Most hikers climb Mount Hood in May or June when the weather conditions are good. But in December, the mountain is covered in snow and ice. Winds up to 135 kilometers per hour blow the snow around, making it difficult to see. Temperatures can drop below freezing. As one rescue worker put it, "What were they thinking? They were just asking for it. "
During a rescue a few years ago, a helicopter full of rescue workers crashed and the rescue workers were almost killed. Linda Carle, who lives in the Mount Hood area, asks, If someone made a muddled decision, why should rescue teams have to risk their lives to save them? Why do people take unnecessary risks and do things that aren't right if they know that they can get into trouble? "
Most of the Mount Hood rescue workers are either volunteers or part of the local police department There is no charge for these rescues. It is the taxpayers who pay the bill. Linda Carle suggests that people who take careless risks and need rescue should ay for the rescue. She fees it is only fir that costs for things like damaged helicopters and medical care for rescuers should be paid for by the people who take the risks. What would you do if you were the local police officer at Mount Hood?
1. What can we learn about Mount Hood?| A．It lies in the west of the United States. |
| B．It is the highest mountain in the United States. |
| C．The best time to climb the mountain is from May to July. |
| D．Hundreds of people get lot in the mountain every year. |
| A．poor | B．important | C．wise | D．clear |
| A．Taxpayers | B．Risk takers | C．Government | D．Police |
| A．Advice on stopping people from climbing Mount Hood. |
| B．Other serious accidents in Mount Hood. |
| C．The requirements of becoming a volunteer. |
| D．Some possible ways to solve the problem of rescue costs. |
8 . During the summer holiday, some students might have been busy with traveling, summer camps and all kinds of courses. But a special group of Chinese middle school students decided to taste the hardship of life outside school.
Twelve students in a big city sold vegetables at a local market together. Within 12 days, they made more than 1,500 yuan. Among them, the oldest is 21 years old, while the youngest is just 10. They are all cousins in a big family and eight of them are from rural areas.
“Compared to traveling, such social practice connects us and makes us learn how tough our parents are,” said Dalin, 18, to the City Morning Post. Dalin, a senior high graduate, and her 12-year-old brother Xiaolin came up with the idea.
They learned to work hard to sell their veggies. Every morning they had to wake up at 3 o'clock. Some of them went to the farmer’s market to buy vegetables. Some of them went to the local market to take up a temporary stall. To lower the cost, they learned to bargain with the sellers.
At about 6:30 am, they began to sell vegetables. They peddled loudly to attract customers. After several days, they got some experience, too.
For example, it was better to put vegetables in order and bigger ones on top. When the vegetables are too heavy, they should give customers an extra plastic bag.
When they finally packed up and went home, they had a small meeting. Everyone took notes and shared their feelings.
“We are tired,” said Dalin. “but we gained a lot” .
1. In the writer’s opinion, the 12 students’ action was ________.| A．popular | B．encouraging | C．strange | D．embarrassing |
| A．show how able they were | B．have less hardship of life |
| C．prepare for their future traveling | D．learn how hard their parents work |
| A．cut down the cost | B．share their feelings |
| C．get bigger vegetables | D．attract more customers |
| A．Summer Courses | B．Family Business |
| C．Students Learn from Bargains | D．Cousins Work with Vegetables |
9 . If you’re looking for a reason to care about tree loss, this summer’s record-breaking heat waves might be it. Trees can lower summer daytime temperatures by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a recent study. But tree cover in US cities is shrinking (缩减). A study published last year by the US Forest Service found that we lost 36 million trees annually from urban and rural communities over a five-year period. “If we continue on this path, cities will become warmer, more polluted and generally unhealthier for inhabitants,” said David Nowak, a senior US Forest Service scientist and co-author of the study. Nowak says there are many reasons why our tree cover is declining, including hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, insects and disease. But the one reason for tree loss that humans can control is sensible development.
Nowak says there is a downside to trees too, such as pollen allergy (花粉过敏) or large tailing branches in storms, and people don’t like sweeping leaves. But, he says, there are ways cities and counties can manage trees to help communities thrive (繁荣). Urban forests especially need our help to replace fallen trees. Unlike rural areas, it is very difficult for trees to repopulate themselves in a city environment with so much pavement and asphalt (沥青). “A lot of our native trees can’t actually find a place to drop a seed so they can regenerate,” explains Greg Levine, co-executive director of Trees Atlanta. “That’s why the community has to go in and actually plant a tree because the areas just aren’t natural anymore.”
Nowak says the first step is caring for the trees on your own property (财产). “We think we pay for our house, and so we must maintain it. But because we don’t pay for nature, we don’t need to. And that’s not necessarily true.”
1. Why does the author mention “trees can lower summer daytime temperatures”?| A．To tell the temperatures in summer are high. |
| B．To explain the reason of tree loss. |
| C．To tell trees are helpful. |
| D．To introduce the topic. |
| A．Develop cities in reasonable ways. |
| B．Prevent fires form damaging trees. |
| C．Improve climate to let trees grow. |
| D．Decrease insects in cities. |
| A．Because trees don’t grow in a city environment. |
| B．Because native trees don’t drop seeds any more. |
| C．Because trees in urban areas can’t regenerate naturally. |
| D．Because humans want to plant more trees. |
| A．Describe the importance of trees in cities. |
| B．Appeal people to protect trees in their surroundings. |
| C．Ask people to plant trees with the author. |
| D．Show the number of trees in the US is declining. |
10 . The COVID-19 has changed every aspect of our lives, including our eating habits. Comfort food was made for times like these, and it seems the healthy-food trend that took root in recent years is reversing (彻底转变), at least for the time being. Shopping habits have changed. To be in favor of old processed foods like frozen pizza, hot cakes and canned spaghetti, convenience foods with long shelf life are designed.
No judgment here. Money is tight in many families, and busy parents are putting breakfast, lunch and dinner on the table in between video conference meetings. Besides, convenience foods are engineered to taste good and make us feel good (at least in the short term).
But you might want to save room for something green on your plate, if you can find it at the store. That’s because a growing body of research is showing that our food choices don’t just affect our shapes. What we eat also may affect our mood and behavior—and not in the “I can’t believe I ate a dozen cookies in one sitting” sort of way. Indeed, there may be something in the food we’re eating (or not eating) that's influencing our state of mind.
The emerging(新兴的) field of nutritional psychology states that modern Western diets have contributed to increased rates of mental illness, particularly depression and anxiety. Diets that follow a Mediterranean pattern of eating—with a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, fish and olive oil—have been connected with lower rates of depression. A diet change of just a few weeks has been found to change moods.
As a third of all Americans are reporting that the coronavirus pandemic has done harm to their mental health, we might need nutritious food more than ever.
1. Why are convenience foods with long shelf life designed?| A．To change shopping habits. |
| B．To change the taste of food. |
| C．To show the healthy food. |
| D．To meet customers’ shopping habits. |
| A．Cookies is a kind of food you like while sitting. |
| B．Food choices may influence our mood. |
| C．A growing body needs proper sports. |
| D．Busy work can make you feel depressed. |
| A．It’s beneficial to health. |
| B．It includes too much fat. |
| C．It may cause mental illness. |
| D．It’s connected with higher rates of depression. |
| A．Can healthy food provide relief? |
| B．Do food choices affect our shapes? |
| C．What can contribute to mental illness? |
| D．How can we beat the COVID-19? |
