1 . By the time she turned 18, Khadijah Williams had attended twelve schools. She had lived in shelters, in parks, and in motels, never in a permanent residence for more than a few months. She had been laughed at and looked down upon by students at a dozen schools who thought of her as “different”.
Homeless since early childhood, Khadijah struggled all her life to hide her circumstances from teachers and fellow students. However, academic achievement proved to be a way for her to find confidence in herself again. For instance, at the age of 9, she placed in the 99th percentile on a state exam, and her teacher told her she was “gifted”. From that moment forward, Khadijah decided to do whatever it took to keep herself in that category. “I was so proud of being smart. I often heard my fellow students say, ‘You got the easy way out because you're homeless,’” she told The LA Times. “But I never saw it as an excuse about living a less successful life.”
By the second year of high school, she realized that she could not succeed in getting the education she dreamed of without getting help to go beyond what her current school could offer. She talked to teachers and advisers who helped her apply for summer community college classes, scholarships, and enrichment programs. And in the 11th grade, when she enrolled at Jefferson High School, she decided to complete the rest of her school career there—a decision that meant taking a bus each morning at 4 a.m. and not getting home until 11 p.m.
Here's the end of the story—when Khadijah poured the story of her life into her Harvard University college application, she was accepted.
1. What makes Khadijah confident in herself?| A．Her different personality. | B．Her ability to live well alone. |
| C．Her excellent performance in study. | D．Her fellow students' encouragement. |
| A．It's a really pitiful circumstance. | B．It makes her more strong-minded. |
| C．It offers her more ways to succeed. | D．It's an excuse about working less hard. |
| A．Pass a college entrance exam. | B．Apply for more advanced education. |
| C．Make a decision to complete high school. | D．Become a top student in her current school. |
| A．Twelve Schools Make a Successful Student |
| B．Being Different Means Having More Chances |
| C．Khadijah Williams: From Shelters to Harvard |
| D．Khadijah Williams: Inspiration to Homeless People |
2 . Prashant Mandal shares a small hut with his wife and four kids, lives on less than $2 a day and recently suffered medical debts of more than $4,000 after his teenage son got sick last year. Yet, despite Mandal’s modest earnings, he spends 20 percent of his income on solar energy, an expense which is key to drawing in customers and helping his children to study. Across the globe, about 1.2 billion people live without electricity. Such limitations are not only inconvenient, but they put people in low-income countries at a greater risk of developing serious health condition. People living without electricity typically rely on kerosene lamps and other harmful light sources, which can lead to burns, injuries, poisoning and other risks .
Realizing the need for a more efficient energy source, a handful of for-profit companies have developed business models that enable under-served people to purchase (购买) solar energy, and, in turn, protect themselves and the environment in the process. Simpa Networks, which focuses its efforts on rural India, is such a company that has found a way to make solar energy affordable and accessible to people in need. Customers are charged a small down payment. Then, through its “progressive purchase” model, they pay in advance for a designated (指定的) amount of energy consumption. A number of other companies have found ways to get solar energy into the hands, and homes, of people who typically can’t afford electricity. MPOWERD, a New York-based company, invented an inflatable solar light that is powered by the sun, and is also able to store that energy.
The Luci, which can provide light for up to about 12 hours, is marketed in the developed world as an efficient camping light. Those sales allow the company to keep its production costs down so that they’re actually affordable in low-income countries. “Energy poverty is discouraging but solvable if we all work together,” said John Salzinger, MPOWERD’s co-founder. “Every single consumer’s purchase helps us reduce costs, and then we pass those savings on to those who need affordable lights the most.”
1. Why does the text mention Prashant Mandal in Paragraph 1?| A．To introduce Prashant Mandal’s family. | B．To introduce the topic of the article. |
| C．To show that the electricity is expensive. | D．To state Prashant Mandal’s sufferings. |
| A．Those who live without enough electricity. |
| B．Those who have enough electricity. |
| C．Those who can produce their own electricity. |
| D．Those who are not willing to use electricity. |
| A．It is paid step by step. | B．It is just paid later. |
| C．It is fully paid ahead. | D．It is sold at a discount. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Hopeless. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Optimistic. |
3 . Volunteer Teaching Abroad
TEACH AROUND THE WORLD AND MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF STUDENTS IN COUNTRIES WITH LIMITED RESOURCES
Join a teaching abroad program and help children access the education they need for a brighter future. We know that education is essential for breaking down the barriers of poverty and inequality. We see it every day on our Teaching Projects. By joining us on a volunteer teaching placement, you’ll be able to make this change happen yourself!
This is what you can expect from our teaching volunteer opportunities:
Work with children and young people in elementary schools, high schools or colleges
Learn from and support local teachers as a teaching assistant
Contribute to lessons and get real classroom experience
Get a first-hand perspective on global education and its challenges
We have short and long-term teaching abroad placements available. If you’re passionate about a specific subject or have the experience, let us know. We can make sure you’re at a project that’s the best fit for you. We have:
Programs for volunteers wanting to teach English
Placements for volunteers interested in teaching basic computer skills
Opportunities for volunteers wanting to teach physical education abroad
Our programs run year-round, and you can join a trip at any time. It’s ideal if you’re looking for summer teaching programs abroad, or interested in teaching during the school year.
Interested? Just click the following link to fill in an application form!
1. What can volunteers expect from the teaching volunteer opportunities?| A．Receive support from the local teaching assistants. |
| B．Choose any subject and work place as he like. |
| C．Experience the teaching process in person. |
| D．Help to deal with problems in global education. |
| A．Call on readers to be a volunteer teacher to teach abroad. |
| B．Introduce a volunteer organization. |
| C．Explain why teaching abroad is important. |
| D．Persuade the readers the importance of volunteering. |
| A．On a text book. | B．On a website. |
| C．On a travel guide. | D．On a newspaper. |
4 . Robots that can cook are in growing demand in the United States. The increased demand comes at a time when restaurants are trying to put some distance between their workers and customers during the COVID-19.
In a few weeks, White Castle restaurants will test a robot arm that can cook French fries and other foods. The robot, called Flippy, is a product of Miso Robotics, a company based in Pasadena, California.
Robot food service was becoming popular even before the coronavirus pandemic (冠状病毒). Hospitals, college dining areas and other places tried to meet demand for food while keeping labor costs low. Robot chefs appeared at places like Creator, a restaurant in San Francisco. Now, some say, robots may become necessary for the food service industry. “I expect in the next two years you will see much more robotic adoption (采用) in the food space because of COVID-19,” Jain said.
Some people say, robots can lower the demand for labor. At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, cafe workers used to spend six hours per day making salads, notes Tonya Johnson, the school’s director of nutrition services. But two years ago, the university added a Sally, a kind of robot that now makes around 40 salads per day. By adding Sally, the school was able to cut a job opening in its cooking staff. Johnson said, “I think the pandemic has made us realize how much we need more equipment like Sally.”
Miso Robotics co-founder and chief Buck Jordan said fast food restaurants are already having trouble finding workers, partly as a result of a losing population of young workers. Jordan added that his company’s position is that “automation (自动化) is not a choice”. He added, “You must automate in order to survive in the future.”
1. Why is robot food service becoming popular?| A．It can take the place of human beings in the future. |
| B．It can shorten the distance between workers and customers. |
| C．It can make all kinds of delicious food in a very short time. |
| D．It can meet the demand for food and reduce the cost of labor. |
| A．It is just a common robot like others. | B．It is useless to improve the speed of work. |
| C．It helps the school employ fewer workers. | D．It makes as many salads as workers. |
| A．Worried. | B．Supportive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent |
| A．To tell us an increasing need for robot cooks in US restaurants. |
| B．To advertise robot cooks. |
| C．To introduce a new food service to deal with COVID-19. |
| D．To complain about the difficulties in finding enough labor workers. |
5 . Nowadays, kuakuaqun or praise groups have become more and more popular on the Internet, Their aim is to comfort young people. These groups provide words of support for those who are unhappy.
Spending just a little money, you can enter such a group. Share your problems or success, and you will receive positive messages soon. These messages, mostly from strangers, will help you feel better. A leader of one of the groups talks about his first purpose, “I want to help people learn to praise others and accept others, praise.”
I like the idea of kuakuaqun. However, I think getting praise from strangers online isn’t very useful in the long run. This is especially true when you are paying for the praise. These people don’t know you, so the praise may not be earnest. Real and meaningful praise comes from the people you know.
With this in mind, we should try to praise our friends and family members when they need some encouragement. Simply saying to a classmate, ‘I like you’, can lift his or her confidence. Being kind to others is easy. And it adds the necessary sweetness to make everyone’s life better.
1. Words of support of kuakuaqun are mainly from _________.| A．Students | B．Strangers | C．Relatives | D．classmates |
| A．to fight with others | B．to make friends with others |
| C．to draw some pictures | D．to praise others and accept others’ praise |
| A．勇敢的. | B．大量的. | C．真诚的. | D．虚拟的. |
| A．a book | B．a magazine | C．a computer | D．an online group |
6 . Children born in the past four decades had the luxury of being the center of their parents’ attention. The entire family’s resources were poured into their education and well-being.
However，when the same resources are split between two children，the amount distributed to each one is going to shrink.
According to the Hangzhou Daily，when there are two children in the family，parents tend to choose public schools instead of private schools，which are usually more expensive. Each child is enrolled in fewer after-school training classes.
But having a second child may cure some deep-rooted problems in China’s traditional family education.
Having two children in the family can help to prevent one child being spoiled by too much attention，according to People’s Daily. It also spares the only child from the pressure of shouldering parental expectations all alone. Taking care of a sibling also enables children to gain a sense of responsibility，cooperation，obedience and caring.
China’s public education system is also expected to shift. Currently，there are not enough vacancies in kindergarten and schools to accommodate the potential increase in children.
“It’s not only the enrollment capacity of educational institutions that will feel the pressure. People are also placing more emphasis on the quality of education，”Peng Xizhe， director of the Population and Development Research Policy Center at Fudan University，told China Education Daily.
He predicts the government may have to invest more to support the educational system as a result of the new family planning measure.
1. What can children benefit from a two-child family?| A．They can have less pressure. |
| B．They can study in private schools. |
| C．They can get much more attention. |
| D．They can take more after-school training classes. |
| A．hold | B．adapt | C．solve | D．consider |
| A．People are placing more emphasis on the quality of education. |
| B．The government may have to invest more to support the educational system. |
| C．The new family planning measure will challenge the current educational system. |
| D．The educational institutions will feel the pressure that their capacity is not enough. |
| A．To show benefits of owning two children. |
| B．To persuade people to bear more children. |
| C．To encourage people to have only one child. |
| D．To introduce the impact of two-child policy. |
7 . New technology is making it possible for people to make videos of people appearing to say things they never actually said. The videos are known as “deepfakes”.
The word “deepfake” is a combination of “deep learning”(an important part of artificial intelligence) and “fake” (not real). Deepfake software allows people to replace part of a video with another video image. The result is a fake video.
The software allows you to put your face over the face of a talking president or movie star. This process will make your face speak in the voice of that president or movie star. Many people are worried the technology will be used to trick voters. Lawmakers, intelligence officials and media experts have expressed concern about deepfakes. They warn the false videos could be used to threaten America’s national security.
“We have entered a new world where it is going to be difficult to know how to believe what we see,” said Hany Farid, a researcher at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He added, “the opposite result is also worrying. People will become so used to seeing false videos that they will be more likely to doubt a real video. ”
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) is already working to develop technologies to identify fake images and videos. But Senator Rubio says, now the identification is difficult and takes a very long time.
“It takes advanced technology to be able to show that it’s not real. And by the time that’s done, it’s been widely used.”
Rubio and other lawmakers say people will need to take more responsibility to identify fakes.
1. What is “deepfake” software used to do?| A．Kill some virus. | B．Make fake videos. |
| C．Make excellent movies. | D．Benefit stars and leaders. |
| A．False videos might mislead people. |
| B．It was too difficult to use the software. |
| C．Private information might be given away. |
| D．Some people might be addicted to “deepfakes”. |
| A．It is really difficult to identify fake videos. |
| B．The technology “deepfake” has been banned. |
| C．The government is responsible for identification. |
| D．National security is being threatened by “deepfake”. |
| A．Ways to identify fake videos. |
| B．People’s different views on “deepfake”. |
| C．A new technology with a bright future. |
| D．A worrying new technology “deepfake”. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
The rapid develop of the Internet in China has brought us greatly convenience in our daily life and work. We can get whichever we need online. But I do not agree on this opinion, because sometimes I found many students playing the computer games, which makes them fall behind in study. In my opinion, the Internet should be a good tool for us communicate with others rather than an invention for a fun. What’s more, it will do harm to us if we spend too much time look at a computer. In summary, I hope every student value this great invention but makes good use of it.
9 . Coca-Cola, which reportedly produced more than 3 million tons of plastic packaging in 2017, announced Thursday it wants to “help fix the world’s plastic waste problem one community at a time.”
The soda giant is doing so by providing $ 5.4 million for recycling programs in cities like Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Houston. In these cities, partners, like the Green Blue Institute and the Recycling Partnership, which receive the money, will work together to improve recycling rates.
“We focus on areas where we have the ability to make the biggest influence on communities through the funding and expert skills of Coca-Cola employees,” Carlos Pagoagoa, Coca-Cola’s group director of community partnerships, said in a statement. “In each city, local partners will work together to identify barriers to recycling on a local level and test a range of solutions,” he added. “We hope the learnings from these ‘model markets’ can offer solutions to other cities facing similar challenges.”
As part of the effort, the Recycling Partnership and the city of Atlanta, where the cola company’s headquarters are based, will send street teams out to open recycling carts and leave citizens cards informing them what they can and can’t recycle, and let them know how their efforts work.
“Two of the most urgent problems with recycling in the U.S. today are lack of access, followed by pollution in recycling,” Keefe Harrison, CEO of the Recycling Partnership, said in a statement. “We know from the success of Atlanta in 2017 that the citizens want to recycle, and that communicating with them in the street works.”
Last year, Coca-Cola announced its task to collect and reuse a bottle or can for each one it sells, and increase the amount of its products out of recycled materials to 50% by 2030. The brand also aims to make all its packaging fully recyclable by 2025.
1. What’s the passage mainly about?| A．Coca-Cola decides to produce less plastic packaging. |
| B．Coca-Cola will build a plant to recycle plastic waste in different cities. |
| C．A soda giant intends to help deal with plastic waste in communities. |
| D．A soda giant announces its marketing goals. |
| A．By offering funds and techniques. | B．By providing experts and employees. |
| C．By building recycling plants. | D．By advertising on TV. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Successful. | C．Discouraging. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．Coca-Cola produces more than 3 million tons of plastic packaging every year. |
| B．Coca-Cola chooses cities like Atlanta, Boston and Denver according to the size. |
| C．Street teams will be sent out to tell local people what to recycle. |
| D．Coca-Cola intends to increase its products to 50% by 2030. |
10 . The English language is changing, and you are responsible! Whether we consider changes in grammar, spelling, pronunciation, or the very vocabulary of the language, you have played your part and continue to do so.
When we first learned basic grammar and spelling, perhaps in elementary school, we might have gotten the impression that these things were sacred. The rules that apply to such things might have been presented as unchanging and unchangeable. While this way might be helpful for teaching children, it is far from accurate.
The English language, like many others, is a living, growing, ever-evolving thing. Like it or not, you are involved in this change. These changes take many forms. Grammar and spelling have changed greatly over the years and centuries, with the spelling differences in different countries today a reflection of this. While the language of a thousand years ago might be called English, most of us would hardly recognize it today as the same language.
The first involves changes in the pronunciation of words. Many are familiar with the differences between the British and American ways of pronouncing certain words. In addition to these differences, the pronunciation of many words has changed over the years because of how you have decided to pronounce them. For example, consider the word "err." The traditional pronunciation of this word rhymes with the word "her." Older dictionaries show this to be the primary or only pronunciation. However, in recent years, more and more people have been pronouncing it so that it sounds like "air." Another change in the language involves the addition and removal of words. The makers of dictionaries decide which words deserve to be officially adopted as part of the English language. Through the centuries, many words have come from other languages. In fact, English has probably done this more than any other language in the world, which is why spelling and pronunciation rules for English have so many exceptions.
Of course, many slang words have been just short-lived fashions that have died out quickly. Others, though, have been adopted by mainstream society and become respectable, as have many technical terms. So then remember, the next time you repeat the newest expression to hit the street, or make up your own words, you may be contributing to the future of the English language.
1. When we begin to learn English, we think _________.| A．it is interesting to pick up a new language | B．English rules are wrongly presented in fact |
| C．grammar and spelling rules are unchangeable | D．only adults have the ability to affect a language |
| A．we can change the English language |
| B．many languages are changing over years |
| C．English has changed little in the past 1,000 years |
| D．there were main changes in grammar and pronunciation |
| A．people speak in different ways | B．people have adopted foreign words |
| C．it has been affected by American English | D．makers of dictionaries often change them |
| A．Foreign words involved in English. | B．The British speaks differently from Americans. |
| C．English language is changing over years. | D．You can change the English language. |
