1 . While English is getting more important in our schools, Chinese has become popular among foreign kids. But Chinese can be more difficult to learn. At least 16-year-old Piao Chenglong thinks so. “English is easier for me. Chinese characters (汉字) have too many strokes (笔画),” said Piao. “But I want to learn it. I want to study at Beijing University when I grow up.” Piao is from Korea. He came to China in 2008.
In Korea, there are more than 300, 000 Chinese learners like Piao. Some Korean students begin to learn to write the language on their first day at school. To help students learn Chinese, Korea holds speaking competitions for high school students every year.
Chinese isn’t just popular in Korea. People from all the world want to learn it. The Ministry of Education of China says that nearly 130 million people from 85 countries are learning Chinese. This number will be increasing to 800 million in the coming years.
In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish. Some American middle schools have Chinese classes. Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots (中国结). Some even try to write and draw in the Chinese way!
People want to learn Chinese because China is becoming such an important country. Foreign countries want to understand China better to help them with business. The Chinese government is also helping the world learn Chinese. It has sent more than 200 Chinese teachers to more than 60 countries in the world. Many more Confucius Institutes (孔子学院) will be set up in the world. These institutes will teach Chinese to foreign students.
1. Which of the following is the topic sentence for the text?| A．Chinese has become popular among foreign kids. |
| B．Chinese can be more difficult to learn. |
| C．In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish. |
| D．Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots. |
| A．China. | B．America. | C．Korea. | D．Spain. |
| A．making jiaozi |
| B．writing and drawing in the Chinese way |
| C．tying Chinese knots |
| D．singing Chinese songs |
| A．Because Chinese is getting more important in their schools. |
| B．Because Chinese characters have too many strokes. |
| C．Because the number of people learning Chinese will be 800 million. |
| D．Because China is becoming more and more important in the world. |
2 . “Shuan Q” is a meme(网络流行语)which can be used as a popular way to say “I’m speechless” with a matching emoji(表情包)at ached behind. No-one can deny the power of the Internet. Some believe it makes language weaker but some see a brighter side, believing it makes online communication easier between strangers.
An elementary school teacher in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, says that the evolution of Internet slang is not all fun and carefree. From his daily observations, he believes the “geographic boundary” between Internet slang and formal language is disappearing. On many occasions, the composition she has received from pupil have been flooded with abbreviated slangs(网络梗).
During last year’s Two Sessions, several representatives put forward proposals such as “regulating online language” and “banning vulgar(粗俗)words”, specifically to address this issue, expressing the need to reduce online language misuse and strengthen the protection of Chinese.
However, many experts and scholars of linguistics and communication including Feng Zhiwei disagree. Feng, believes that Internet language is a natural product of the dynamic development of language, and it is not necessary to ban it.
1. What made the meme “Shuan Q” become popular?| A．The power of internet | B．The protection of Chinese |
| C．Geographic boundary | D．Strangers’s communication |
| A．They are formal. | B．They are funny and carefree. |
| C．They are flooded among pupils. | D．They were supported by all people. |
| A．They are natural. | B．They are misused. |
| C．They should be banned. | D．They are disappearing. |
| A．Doubtful | B．Objective | C．Indifferent | D．Favorable |
3 . Last weekend, I said goodbye to another dear old friend. We had 12 fine years together, but our relationship was becoming dysfunctional(不正常的). Unwanted emissions and serious health problems were the final straw, leaving me with no choice but to make a trip to the knacker’s(收废汽车者的)yard.
I am now car-free for the first time in 20 years, and it feels strange. When I gave up meat, I did so mainly for environmental reasons, and I didn’t miss it at all. I would like to say the same about my car, but I can’t. It was first and foremost a financial decision: keeping the old car on the road was getting too expensive.
But doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is still doing the right thing — I now have a chance to rethink how I move myself and my family around, and can try to find a more environmentally friendly means of transport.
Going car-free is, I think, a lifestyle change that many of us are going to make over the next few years, as car ownership becomes increasingly unnecessary, expensive and socially unacceptable. However, it is easier said than done. Now my car is gone. I still need to get around. But how? I already cycle to work and use public transport when appropriate. But there are some occasions when a car seems to be the only way.
I won’t buy one: I have joined a car-share program and will use taxis more often. I will hire a car if I need to drive a long distance. But then I am still travelling in fossil-fuelled cars(燃油汽车), like when I quit meat and ended up eating more cheese. I fear I may have swapped one environmental problem for another.
I am also afraid to think about the ultimate fate of my car. I have just offloaded more than a ton of metal, plastic, rubber, fabric, electronics, oil and petrol that will end up in a landfill. There are millions of similar vehicles in the UK alone that will have to go somewhere.
Maybe I am overthinking it. According to Charlie Wilson, a climate scientist at the UK’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, getting rid of a private car is no doubt a positive step to reduce CO2 emissions.
He points to research by the OECD’s International Transport Forum. “They showed that moving from a private vehicle fleet(车队)to a shared vehicle fleet can greatly cut the number of vehicles you need to deliver the mobility that we need and want. If that vehicle fleet is electrified, you can also bring CO2 emissions close to zero.”
So in other words, just get rid of your car.
1. What do we know about the author’s car?| A．It was old. | B．It was green. |
| C．It was his first car. | D．It was a second-hand car. |
| A．He did both for the wrong reasons. | B．He thinks both help him save money. |
| C．He considers both are right decisions. | D．He did both out of concern for the environment. |
| A．He may have to spend more on travel. |
| B．His lifestyle might be changed completely. |
| C．He might get bored with public transportation. |
| D．His decision may fail to help the environment. |
| A．It is wise to do away with old private cars. |
| B．It is very easy to deal with old private cars. |
| C．Electric cars are the solution to traffic problems. |
| D．The OECD plays a key role in promoting car-sharing. |
4 . Most parents are worried the first time they catch their kids out in a lie. According to child and teen psychiatrist Gayani DeSilva, lying can actually be a sign of healthy development in young children. “Kids lie for many reasons, and much of it is normal,” DeSilva says. “People are not born with the knowledge of communicating with others and getting their needs met. They’ll experiment with different communication styles and techniques until they find the ones that work best for them. Lying is one of those techniques.”
As kids get older, they become more aware of how their actions affect others, and many will lie less frequently. In spite of this, parents still need to lead their kids to form a habit of not lying. According to DeSilva, when children lie, look at them directly and ask what they need. After they tell you, gently remind them that telling you directly will be more effective than lying.
It’s also a good idea to model the behavior you want to see in your kids. In other words, don’t lie to your children. This will set you and your children on a course of open communication and trust.
In some cases, lying is a sign of a deeper issue. A child who is neglected will lie more than a child who has attentive and responsive parents. He’s not sure whether he’s loved. He may lie to please others. The same goes for a child who has experienced something unpleasant. He may lie to try to hide his shame, avoid admitting his needs, or to control his surroundings to ensure his safety.
By paying attention to the reasons behind a lie, parents can figure out what need to be done. For example, while Jack might lie about completing his homework in order to play video games, he also might be trying to avoid negative feelings connected with school work, and this is just where parents should start, says therapist Gideon Javna.
1. What can be inferred about lying from DeSilva’s words?| A．It has certain benefits for the healthy growth of kids. |
| B．It shows the understanding between kids and parents. |
| C．It can be an effective means of communication for kids. |
| D．It is so common for kids that parents can completely ignore it. |
| A．By pretending to trust them at first. |
| B．By encouraging them to admit their needs. |
| C．By telling them directly the harm of lying. |
| D．By punishing them for their lying in a safe way. |
| A．It’s common for children to lie |
| B．It’s important to be a generous parent |
| C．lying can damage family relationships |
| D．lying is a reflection of one’s mental trouble |
| A．Ask him to avoid playing video games. |
| B．Turn his attention to other positive things. |
| C．Give him a second chance to finish homework. |
| D．Listen to and help solve his problem related to school work. |
5 . What will you do if you can’t eat everything bought in the canteen?
Food waste, which has become a global issue, serves as a mirror that reflects various cultural and social issues in different countries. In the West, for instance, consumerism, the belief that it’s a good thing to use a lot of goods and services, is often to blame for food waste.
| A．Most of us would simply throw away any leftover food. |
| B．Students’ waste is extremely serious. |
| C．China features its own eating culture. |
| D．Compared with them, some live in a different world. |
| E．But canteen waste is merely the tip of the iceberg. |
| F．So there’s no excuse that we should waste our food. |
| G．Students can never realize the serious food crisis. |
6 . Will printed newspapers disappear one day? It’s quite possible. Here are some reasons.
First of all, printed newspapers aren’t the only way to get information. You can find the same information on the Internet. Besides, you can read a lot of information online for free, which makes the Internet even more attractive.
Lots of people are becoming Internet users and most of Internet users read news online. For example, I usually get new information about events that happen in the world by reading short messages on Twitter. As far as I know, students in our university hardly read newspapers. One can argue that older generations may have been used to reading printed newspapers and do not want to change anything, but research proves the opposite. According to a study, the number of Internet users aged between 70 and 75 has increased greatly within four years. This fact sounds strange, but some of Internet users are over 73 years old.
Where do newspapers get their money? The answer is “advertisers”. It is quite expensive especially when you have a lot of other opportunities. Online advertisements are becoming more and more popular. It is good to both sides because it is easier to track (追踪) how many clicks have been made on this link than to find out how many people have actually read a newspaper and paid attention to advertisements.
Also, printed newspapers are not environmentally friendly. They need tons of wood, lots of electricity and many delivery (运输) ways to produce and transport the papers.
1. The first reason for the possibility of printed newspapers’ disappearance in the near future is that_________.| A．newspapers are not available to everyone. |
| B．newspapers is the only source of information. |
| C．the news in the printed newspapers is very boring. |
| D．the Internet provides a lot of the same information free of charge. |
| A．Old people also love new things. |
| B．Newspapers are losing their aged readers. |
| C．More old people are used to reading newspapers. |
| D．Old people are willing to change their bad habits. |
| A．They are not good for the environment. |
| B．They are cheaper and cheaper because of the Internet. |
| C．An increasing number of people become Internet users and read news online. |
| D．Advertisers prefer online advertisements because it is easier to track how many clicks have been made. |
| A．How people read news today. | B．Why the Internet is important. |
| C．Why printed newspapers may die away. | D．How people get information today. |
7 . Julie Kenerson loved taking her two sons Lukas and his brother Jake who used a wheelchair due to his rare illness, to the Charlestown playground in Mayor Thomas M. Menino Park.
In 2019, Jake passed away at age 11 from complications of his metabolic (新陈代谢的) disorder.
Over the past decade, playground accessibility has advanced due to more awareness and more options for designers. Parents like Julie are telling public officials and planners that more work still needs to be done to make playgrounds truly inclusive.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires equal access for people with disabilities in public spaces, was passed in 1990. But it didn’t specifically address outdoor recreation in its original regulations. Updated guidance came in 2010, and any playground that is now built or renovated must be ADA-compliant. But, according to Julie, there is a gap between what she calls “ADA on paper” and “the lived experience of ADA”.
| A．Fortunately, those in charge are listening. |
| B．But not all playgrounds were accessible to Jake. |
| C．However, some officials turn a deaf ear to Julie’s requests. |
| D．The playground has plenty of wheelchair-accessible designs. |
| E．One of Julie’s main themes is that play should be for everyone. |
| F．Hence, she still attempts to make playgrounds accessible to all. |
| G．Since then, Julie has been on a special playground-related mission. |
8 . If you're reading this, you were probably born in the 2000s. The oh-ohs(00后）．The 21st century. That would make you young,creative, connected, global,and no doubt smart. Maybe good-looking,too. Right? But what do other people think about your generation?
Some adults worry that you're more interested in the screen in front of you than the world around you. They think of you as the“face-down generation” because you use your phone so much and they wonder how you will deal with school, friends,and family. Are today's teenagers too busy texting and taking selfies(自拍）to become successful in real life-or“IRL”， as you would say?
Other adults worry that today's youth are spoilt(宠坏的）and don't want to face the challenges of adult life. Many children born in the 1990s and 2000s were raised by"helicopter parents” who were always there to guide and help them with a busy schedule filled with homework and extra-curricular activities such as dancing, drawing, or sports. With partners who do everything for them, today's youth seem to prefer to live like teenagers even when they are in their 20s or 30s.
Does the face-down generation need a heads-up?Well,probably not. The fact is that many of today's teenagers are better educated and more creative than past generations. They also seem to be enthusiastic(热情的）and willing to become leaders. More young people than ever volunteer to help their communities. There are also brave young people such as Malala Yousafzai,the teenager who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for pushing girls' rights to go to school.
So if you're one of the oh-ohs,there's reason to be hopeful about the future. Things are looking up for the face-down generation. Chances are that you will do GR8(great) and LOL（laugh out loud).
1. Today's teenagers are thought of as the face-down generation because| A．They are busy texting |
| B．They use their phones a lot |
| C．They deal with school and family with their phones |
| D．They become successful with their phones |
| A．Parents who prefer to live like teenagers |
| B．Parents who often fly everywhere for their business |
| C．Parents who do dancing, drawing or sports with their children |
| D．Parents who always guide and help children with homework and extra-curricular activities |
| A．They are annoyed. |
| B．They are powerful. |
| C．They are spoilt. |
| D．They are positive. |
| A．The face-down generation |
| B．The young generation |
| C．The generation gap |
| D．The future generation |
Have you ever asked yourself why children go to school? You will
We send our children to school to prepare them
There is more in education
10 . You come home on a hot summer day, hoping to have a cool bath, but find there is no water. Then you see how important water is in your daily life. While sometimes you have the idea in many parts of the world, water is not just about one’s everyday needs.
In countries like Tanzania, water is hard to get, and the job of collecting water falls on women’s shoulders. Girls often have to leave school to collect water, while their brothers stay at school studying. The girls spend more time collecting water. That means they have less time for learning.
For these girls, “Knowledge is Power” is not just words; it’s a sad fact in real life. As they spend less time at school, they have fewer chances of getting good jobs, and they often have no choices on important matters, like who to marry. These girls are often married into poor families. They have little money or knowledge to take care of their children. For the baby girls who are lucky enough to survive(生存), their life may be still around “water”, just like their mothers’.
1. What do the underlined words “the idea” mean?| A．Water is important in one’s everyday life. |
| B．Water is not just about one’s everyday needs. |
| C．It's nice to have a cool bath on a hot summer day. |
| A．men’s | B．women’s | C．boys’ |
| A．not just words | B．a sad fact in real life | C．both A and B |
| A．The girls have a hard life in countries like Tanzania. |
| B．Why it’s important to save water. |
| C．How water may give a country power. |
