1 . If you were to throw, say, a banana skin out of your car while driving along the motorway, that would be a completely harmless action, due to the fact that it’s part of a fruit—right? Actually, no. A banana skin can take up to two years to be naturally processed, and a third of drivers confess they litter while driving, that’s a lot of thrown banana skin. An orange skin and a cigarette butt (烟蒂) have similar biodegrading (生物降解) time to that of a banana skin, but tin cans last up to 100 years; and plastic bottles last forever, as do glass bottles.

Despite the fact that longer-lasting materials will serve to damage the environment and its animals for longer, we can’t measure the danger of a certain type of rubbish by its lifetime. For example, despite having a fairly short length of biodegrading time, more than 120 tons of cigarette-related litter is thrown in the UK every day.

It’s not a cheap habit either: to keep our streets clean annually costs UK taxpayers £500 million, and when you include our green spaces, that goes up to £1 billion. So, it’s not surprising that if caught throwing rubbish, you could face a £20,000 fine or even prison time and, if you threw something dangerous, the court could give you five years to serve. Regardless of how serious these punishments might seem, however, among the reported cases only 2,000 were found guilty out of 825,000, so we still have some way to go in making sure people obey the rules.

1. What does the underlined word “confess” in Paragraph1 mean?

A．Defend.	B．Admit.
C．Determine.	D．Assume.

2. Which of the following has the shortest biodegrading time?

A．Glass bottles.	B．Tin cans.
C．Plastic bottles.	D．Banana skins.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The punishment for throwing rubbish illegally is rather light.

B．The harm of rubbish can be measured by its lifetime.

C．Cigarette-related litter and fruit skins can be ignored for their fairly short lifetime.

D．A small number of people felt guilty of illegally littering.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To call for people not to litter illegally.

B．To inform readers of different biodegrading terms.

C．To encourage people to use fewer plastic bags.

D．To attach significance to good behavior.

2 . Everyone has a phone in their pocket nowadays, but how often do we really use them for their original purpose – to make a call? Telephone culture is disappearing. What brought us to this moment, and what are its effects?

“No one picks up the phone anymore,” wrote Alex C. Madrigal on The Atlantic. “The reflex (习惯性动作) of answering –built so deeply into people who grew up in 20th-century telephonic culture – is gone.”

The shift is of course due in large part to more communication options: Texting with photos, videos, emojis, reaction gifs, links and even voice messages can be a more attractive option.

Texting is light and fun, not nearly as demanding of your attention as a phone call. It can also be done with multiple people at the same time. Social media, email and video calls have also eaten away at traditional phone calls.   

In recent years, another reason has caused people to ignore phone calls completely: robocalls. Robocalls are automated (自动化的) messages from organizations verifying (核实) your phone number or telemarketers trying to sell something. Americans received 22.8 billion robocalls halfway through 2020, equaling an annual rate of 45.6 billion, slightly below 2018 numbers, according to YouMail, a robocall protection service and blocking app.

As telephone culture disappears, what is the loss of a singular family phone doing to the family unit? Early landline phones united family members, whereas mobile phones isolate (使隔绝) them.

“The shared family phone served as an anchor (给以安全感的物品) for home,” said Luke Fernandez, a Weber State University computer-science professor and co-author of Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid: Feelings About Technology, From the Telegraph to Twitter. With smartphones, “we have gained mobility and privacy. But the value of the home has been diminished, as has its ability to guide and monitor family behavior and perhaps bond families more closely together,” Fernandez said.

Of course, as technology progresses, lives always change for better or for worse. With the loss of telephone culture, families will need to find other ways to unite.

1. What has caused the traditional telephone to lose its appeal according to the text?

A．People’s addiction to social media.

B．People’s preference for robocalls.

C．People’s growing need for privacy.

D．People’s wide range of communication choices.

2. What does the underlined word “diminished” in the second-to-last paragraph probably mean?

A．Strengthened

B．Reduced.

C．Instructed.

D．Enriched.

3. What does Luke Fernandez point out?

A．Smart phones tie families together.

B．Smart phones help people monitor family behavior.

C．The use of mobile phones has affected family bonds.

D．The value of home depends on how phones are used.

4. What does the article mainly talk about?

A．The downfall of traditional telephone culture.

B．The past and future of telephones.

C．The development of communication tools.

D．The relation between phone use and family bonds.

3 . How many phone numbers can you remember by heart? It’s probably fewer than you would like. Actually, you are not alone. Out of more than 1,000 Americans who were surveyed, more than half said that they couldn’t recall the phone numbers of their friends and neighbors. In their eyes, there is no point in filling their heads with phone numbers if they are all stored in smart phones that are with them almost all the time.

In fact, most people are suffering from a sort of digital amnesia(健忘). more than 90% of those surveyed agreed that they used the Internet as an online of their brains. Rote memorization(死记硬背) was once an important part of modern education, but we just need a click or slide now. That’s making us worse at remembering things.

Researchers found that when people expected to use the information online, they were less likely to remember actual facts, but more likely to remember how to find them. As a result, we are already becoming ones with our computer tools, growing into interconnected systems that remember less by knowing information than by knowing where the information can be found.

However, some believe it isn’t necessarily a bad thing--maybe it gives them more chances to think through things. We certainly acquire more knowledge now than ever, even if it isn’t all stored in our brains.

Even so, I still believe that there are more risks to this new world of memory beyond losing our ability to recall some information such as who the 15^th President was. That kind of information may always be a click away, but the important things are personal ones, like the way your parents smiled at your wedding. It’s harder to recall or find online. If you’re relying on yourself to keep track of those memories, they will be much more meaningful.

1. Paragraph 1 is mainly used to _______.

A．serve as the background	B．introduce the topic
C．explain new research	D．show some data to readers

2. What’s the main cause of people’s suffering from digital amnesia?

A．Dealing with too many things	B．Seldom thinking about questions
C．Relying on the internet too much	D．The changes of their memories.

3. It can be learned from the passage that _______.

A．over 90% people are suffering from digital amnesia

B．people can gain knowledge more easily than before

C．rote memorization no longer exists in modern life

D．People find it hard to remember how to find information

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards people’s memories now?

A．Worried	B．Optimistic
C．Disappointed	D．Confident

4 . Over 70 percent of the “double single-child couples” in China need help from their parents in taking care of their own kids, according to a recent survey.

Women of China magazine and a consulting company carried out a survey recently on young couples of the “single-child” generation, the Morning Post reports. The couples surveyed were around 29 and have been married for three years on average, with university education and monthly income of 4,000 yuan. Among them, 43.5 percent have kids.

Results show that 71.9 percent of the young couples have help from their parents in taking care of their kids.

Grown up as the “single-child”, the only child in a family since the family planning policy (政策) was adopted in 1979, this generation depends much on their parents.

The parents of the “single-child” generation focused more on their children’s physical well-being rather than their attitudes and values, according to some psychologists.

The research also found that the “double single-child couples” follow a rather traditional value system.

Survey shows that 27.5 percent of them got married after dating for one to two years, 25.2 percent two to five years, and 20 percent didn’t tie the knot until dating for five years. Also, 30 percent of the couples were schoolmates, while 43.8 percent were introduced by someone.

Since their marriage is based on enduring relationships, 65.2 percent of the husbands and 62.9 percent of the wives think that compromise and tolerance are necessary in their marriage. Meanwhile, 21.7 percent of the husbands and 37.1 percent of the wives support the idea that happiness is the key standard for a marriage.

1. The best title for the text should be ______.

A．The Problem of the Single Child

B．Single-child Family Planning Policy

C．Mom and Dad, Take Care of My Kid Please

D．A Recent Survey by Women of China

2. Which of the following statements is NOT supported in the text?

A．Most “double single-child couples” in China depend much on their parents.

B．Less than 40 percent of the wives think happiness is of significance in marriage.

C．43.5 percent of the double single-child couples surveyed have children.

D．The parents of the “single-child” generation care more about their education.

3. What does the underlined part “tie the knot” mean in the text?

A．get tied	B．get married
C．have kids	D．have jobs

5 . Waste can be seen everywhere in the school. Some students ask for more food than they can eat and others often forget to turn off the lights when they leave the classroom. They say they can afford these things. But I don’t agree with them.

Waste can bring a lot of problems. Although China is rich in some resources, we are short of others, for example, fresh water. It is reported that we will have no coal or oil to use in 100 years. So if we go on wasting our resources, what can we use in the future and where can we move? Think about it. I think we should say no to the students who waste things every day. Everybody should stop wasting as soon as possible.

In our everyday life, we can do many things to prevent waste from happening, for example, turn off the water taps when we finish washing, turn off the lights when we leave the classroom, try not to order more food than we need, and so on. Little by little, everything will be changed. Waste can be stopped one day if we do our best.

1. What may happen in 100 years?

A．We may still have enough oil.

B．We may still have enough coal.

C．We may have a little oil.

D．We may have no coal or oil to use.

2. Which of the following is right?

A．Waste brings problems.

B．Waste can bring no problem.

C．China is rich in fresh water.

D．Students never waste things.

3. Which is the best title of this passage?

A．Stop Wasting

B．School Life

C．Waste in the School

D．Rich Resources in China

6 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Every boy and every girl expects their parents     1     (give) them more pocket money. Why do their parents just give them a certain amount? One main purpose is to let kids     2     (learn) how to manage their own money. The amount of money     3     parents give to their children to spend as they wish     4     (differ) from family to family.

Children are expected to make a     5     (choose) between spending and saving. At first, some young children may spend all of the money soon after they receive it. Parents     6       (advise) not to offer more money until it is the right time. By doing so, these children will learn that     7     (spend) must be done with a budget.

Pocket money can give children     8     chance to experience three things they can do with the money. They can spend it by giving it to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. They can save it     9     future use.

Saving     10     (help) children understand that costly goals require sacrifice. Saving can also open the door to future saving and investing for children.

7 . After her own experience using a service dog, Tabitha Bell understands how helpful a service dog is. Having learnt from her doctor that many people were unable to afford a service dog, Tabitha decided to start the organization Pawsitive Pawsibilities (Paws), which raises money to help people buy service dogs.

Amazing Kids (AK)：What has been the most difficult part of managing Paws?

Tabitha Bell(TB) ：It is always a struggle ( 难事) to come up with new and creative ways to raise money.

AK：What are the different ways that Paws raises money?

TB ：We have done dress competitions in my middle school and then my high school. I have done a benefit concert( 慈善音乐会) in my high school which I hope to continue in college. I put on my first

Super Paws 5k run in Utah and we are organizing our second for October in California. So we would love to have as much participation (参与) as we can get!

AK：How do you choose a puppy­owner match?

TB：After we have a meeting with the person who needs a dog, we send them to a dog trainer and let the trainer make the final decision. The person will discuss with the trainer what jobs the dog has to do and then the trainer will find a dog that he thinks will suit the owner.

AK：What are your plans for the future?

TB：This fall I'm going to be attending the University of California, Berkeley. I am hoping to use my skills I get to encourage others and lead Paws to reach hopefully the whole nation.

1. What can we learn about Tabitha Bell?

A．She is good at training dogs.

B．She depends on a service dog to live.

C．She was studying at university when starting Paws.

D．She started Paws because of her doctor's suggestion.

2. What does Tabitha Bell find most difficult when working with Paws?

A．Matching a dog with an owner.

B．Finding experienced dog trainers.

C．Reaching out for more people in need.

D．Working out good ways to collect money.

3. Who has the final say（发言权）on which dog to choose for a person?

A．The person's doctor.

B．The dog trainer.

C．The dog owner.

D．The manager of Paws.

8 . How often do you exercise? A new study finds that most kids aged 12 to 15 aren't getting enough physical activity. The results are based on about 800 kids. As part of the study, the young teens tracked and reported on their own activity levels, and took physical exams.

The US fitness guidelines recommend an hour or more of physical activity every day. According to the study, only 1in 4 kids in the US get enough physical activity.

“It's certainly very worrying to see that our kids are engaging in such a limited amount of physical activity each day,” said Dr. Stephen Pont. He is an expert on children's health.

Few kids in the survey met the guidelines for physical activity that raises the heart rate and makes them breathe harder. Overall, about 25% said they got an hour of that kind of violent exercise every day. Kids also reported on which activities they did most often outside of the school gym class--basketball for boys and running for girls.

The study found that obese（肥胖的） teens were less active than normal-weight girls and boys. Overweight girls were slightly less active than normal-weight girls, but levels were similar among overweight and normal-weight boys. The study also said that the overall obesity rate for children aged 2 to 19 is 17%, or about 12.5 million kids.

“There's always room for improvement,” said health expert Tala Fakhouri, who was the lead author of the study. She also said the results provide useful information to help with fitness campaigns such as Lets Move, which was launched by Michelle Obama in 2010. To inspire kids to eat right and get in shape, Michelle visited schools and held exercise events. She also called on schools to offer regular gym classes.

The study also suggests kids who get physical education at school may get better grades.

1. What is the result of the new study?

A．It is important to take physical exams

B．Most US kids don’t get enough exercise

C．Kids should get physical activity every day

D．800 kids don’t get enough physical activity.

2. What's the purpose of the campaign Let's Move？

A．To help kids to keep fit.

B．To hold exercise events.

C．To offer regular gym classes.

D．To provide useful information.

3. According to the study, the children with enough exercise

A．do better in their studies

B．try their best to get in shape

C．be more willing to help others

D．be less active than fat children

4. What does the underlined word “launched” in the sixth paragraph probably mean？

A．visited	B．stopped
C．started	D．improved

9 . What happened to the man's son?

A．He got hurt in an accident.

B．He fell into a river.

C．He lost his bike.

10 . When two ninth-grade students found smoke coming out of the back of their school bus early Tuesday morning，their bus driver knew just what to do. Thanks to her _______ thinking，more than 50 students’ lives were _______.

While _______ a group of 56 students to their middle school in Duncan，South Carolina，on Tuesday，Teresa Stroble noticed the heavy _______ rising from the back of her bus. She _______ pulled the bus over，evacuated(疏散) the students，and radioed the transportation office to ask _______ to call 911. Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after the fire began and quickly _______ the fire，which CBS News reported was so _______ that people driving by were able to feel its heat inside their cars. Parents of the children on the bus were _______ the fire，but thanks to Stroble，the news they received was all ____________ not a single child had been hurt.

Since then，Stroble，who has been a bus driver for seven years ____________ also works as a teacher’s assistant(助教)，has been ____________ for her brave actions. “We are so ____________ of our bus driver，” headmaster Scott Turner told local CBS News. “She was ____________ .She also kept the students calm. She made sure they were safe. She didn’t leave the bus ____________ they all left. She is our ____________ today.”

The local fire department is still unsure what ____________ the fire，but some say that this 1995 ____________ has been known to have wiring and electrical problems. ____________ ，we’re so happy that Stroble was able to ____________ on her feet and keep everyone safe and sound.

1.

A．careful

B．deep

C．kind

D．quick

2.

A．saved

B．shown

C．gotten

D．checked

3.

A．bringing

B．driving

C．inviting

D．walking

4.

A．gas

B．water

C．smoke

D．heat

5.

A．gradually

B．suddenly

C．finally

D．immediately

6.

A．anyone

B．someone

C．everyone

D．another

7.

A．found out

B．turned down

C．put out

D．cut down

8.

A．large

B．wide

C．fast

D．bright

9.

A．tired of

B．angry about

C．surprised at

D．worried about

10.

A．new

B．simple

C．good

D．active

11.

A．or

B．and

C．but

D．so

12.

A．praised

B．encouraged

C．helped

D．supported

13.

A．sure

B．fond

C．certain

D．proud

14.

A．serious

B．mad

C．calm

D．positive

15.

A．after

B．until

C．if

D．because

16.

A．hero

B．friend

C．teacher

D．leader

17.

A．controlled

B．fixed

C．ordered

D．caused

18.

A．topic

B．bus

C．source

D．detail

19.

A．Also

B．Besides

C．However

D．Later

20.

A．think

B．focus

C．stand

D．look