1 . Las Vegas city in Nevada is built in a desert. The city may be known to the outside world for its partying. But officials have found that there are 21 square kilometers of useless grass. The grass is never laid on, played on or even stepped on. The grass is only there to look nice.

Now, the city is asking the Nevada state legislature (立法机构) to ban useless grass. It is trying to become the first place in America to ban that kind of grass often seen between streets, in housing developments and in office parks.

It is estimated that useless grass makes up 40% of all the grass in Las Vegas and it needs a lot of water to survive. Grass needs four times more water than dry climate plants like cactus. By tearing out the grass, the city could reduce yearly water usage by 15%.

In 2003, the Southern Nevada Water Authority banned developers from planting grass in front of new homes. It also offered homeowners $30 for each square meter of grass they tear out. But fewer people are now using the program. Water usage has increased in southern Nevada by 9% since 2019. And last year, Las Vegas set a record of 240 days without major rainfall. The Colorado River provides much of Nevada’s drinking water. The river could lose more water as climate change affects it.

Water officials in other dry cities said water usage needs to be reduced. But they fear the reaction to reforms like the ones in Las Vegas if their communities do not accept them. Cynthia Campbell is the water resources adviser for the city of Phoenix in Arizona. “There might come a point when city restrictions get too severe (苛刻的) for some residents (居民). They’ll say that is the point of no return for them,” Campbell said. “For some people, it’s a pool. For some people, it’s grass.”

1. Why does Las Vegas city try to ban useless grass?

A．To protect the local people.	B．To beautify the city.
C．To reduce water usage.	D．To reduce waste.

2. What program was carried out in Las Vegas in 2003?

A．Allowing planting grass before new houses.

B．Encouraging the residents to tear out grass.

C．Praising those who signed on the program.

D．Awarding those who reduced water usage.

3. What is implied in Campbell’s words in the last paragraph?

A．Many residents won’t follow the ban.

B．Reaction to the reform will vary personally.

C．Other measures should be taken to protect wetter.

D．Water officials should take many factors into account.

4. Which of the following could be the best title for the text?

A．Las Vegas Plans to Ban Useless Grass

B．A Method Is Adopted to Save Las Vegas

C．Choices between Beauty and Practice

D．Grass Is Important but Useless in Las Vegas

2 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860-1935)

Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness(意识) of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)

When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and in 1981, the first woman to join the U. S. Supreme Court (最高法院). O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

Rosa Parks(1913-2005)

On December 1,1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (抵制). It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.

1. What is Jane Addams famous for in history?

A．Her social work.	B．Her teaching skills.
C．Her efforts to win a prize.	D．Her community background.

2. What was the reason for O’Connor’s being refused by the law firm?

A．Not having training in law.	B．Her little work experience in court.
C．Her identity as a woman.	D．Her poor financial conditions.

3. Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the U.S.?

A．Jane Addams.	B．Rachel Carson.
C．Sandra Day O’Connor.	D．Rosa Parks.

4. What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?

A．They are highly educated.	B．They are truly creative.
C．They are pioneers.	D．They are peace-lovers.

5 . There are a lot of names for people who travel the world—backpackers, tourists, explorers, travelers. Labels (标签) are everywhere but seem especially popular among travelers trying to differentiate (区别) their style of travel. For many travelers, these labels make them feel better over another.

Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods once said, “Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in.” The idea here is that travelers are better at exploring the world than tourists. They dig deep into the culture, drink it up, and get to know a place while a tourist takes pictures and declares to have “done Paris.”

But that’s wrong, we are all tourists.

On the road, backpackers love to talk about how real their travels are and how unreal tourists are. “Look at those tourists over there,” they say. They scoff at others who travel too quickly or to places that they think are not well worth visiting. Nevertheless, they do so while eating hamburgers and drinking beers with other travelers.

The only way to really get to know a place deeply is to live there. If you want to live like a local, find an apartment, get a job, go to work, and do the same things as you did back home.

We are all only passing through a culture, getting a small taste before moving on to the next place. Even if we stay weeks or months, we’re just getting in touch with the surface. As a matter of fact, we are all really just tourists, or explorers, or travelers. Call yourself whatever you want—it’s all the same as we’re all trying to do the same thing—see the world.

So don’t label anyone and don’t let anyone label you. We’re all tourists. We’re all travelers. What we are all doing is more important than what we call ourselves. Let’s just enjoy the fact that we are simply people on the road.

1. The purpose of Andrew Zimmern’s words in Paragraph 2 is to ________.

A．present amazing experiences	B．tell travelers from tourists
C．get to know different people	D．give an example of misunderstanding

2. Which of the following can best replace the underlined phrase “scoff at” in Paragraph 4?

A．laugh at	B．model after
C．take notice of	D．agree with

3. What do tourists and travelers have in common?

A．They live like locals while traveling.

B．They have a brief experience of places.

C．They enjoy tasty food on the way.

D．They like calling themselves explorers.

4. What does the author imply in the passage?

A．Explore deep into cultures.

B．Make a detailed trip schedule.

C．Just enjoy the trip on the road.

D．Simply be more a traveller than a tourist

7 . The Internet plays a big part in human life. We use it for work and pleasure. We use it to learn a new language. We find advice on it. We use it to connect with family and friends. We use it to stay in touch with events we care about.The list goes on and on.

As far as the Internet being a part of our lives, well, that train has left the station. There is no going back to an Internet-free life. But can using the Internet too much be bad for our health? It might be, say researchers. A new study finds that heavy Internet use may be connected to high blood pressure in a young group: teenagers.

The study results show that teens who spend at least 14 hours a week only online may cause high blood pressure, which makes their hearts and blood vessels(血管) work too hard. Over time, this extra pressure increases the risk of a heart attack. High blood pressure can also cause heart and other diseases.

The Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan did the study. 335 young people, from 14 to 17 years old, took part in it. 134 of the teens were described as “heavy Internet users”. And researchers found that out of these 134 teens, 26 had high blood pressure. The researchers said the study was the first to connect heavy Web use with high blood pressure.

The lead researcher is Andrea Cassidy-Bushrow. She says, “Using the Internet is part of our daily life, but it shouldn’t ruin(毁坏) us.” Ms. Cassidy-Bushrow adds that it is important for teens to stop to have a rest regular from their computers or smartphones and do some kind of physical activity. She also suggests that parents shouldn’t let their children use the Internet for more than two hours a day, five days a week.

1. What does the underlined part “that train has left the station”mean in Paragraph 2?

A．The train has changed its course.

B．Life without the Internet is nowhere to be found.

C．The Internet brings great changes to people’s life.

D．The Internet has improved people’s life.

2. What can we know about the study according to Paragraph 4?

A．There was no similar study like it before.

B．Most of the young people had high blood pressure.

C．Adult people aged above 17 took part in the study.

D．Over half of the teens in the study were heavy Internet users.

3. Which of the following would Andrea Cassidy-Bushrow probably agree with?

A．That teenagers shouldn’t use the Internet.

B．That the Internet will ruin human life in the future.

C．That smartphones are more harmful than computers.

D．That regular breaks are necessary when using the Internet.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Heavy Internet users are mostly teenagers.

B．Every coin has two sides—so does the Internet.

C．Too much Internet use may be bad for teenagers.

D．How to prevent teenagers from using the Internet.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。请将答案填写在文后指定位置。

Have you ever imagined singing together with hundreds of other people while you are at home alone? You can do this in a virtual choir, where members record themselves while     1    (perform) alone on video. These videos     2    (upload) onto the Internet and then put together into one video that can be seen online.

The virtual choir was the idea of Eric Whitacre,     3     award-winning composer and director. Having received a master's degree in     4    (music) composition from the Juilliard School in New York, he applied himself to creating compositions,     5     became quite popular among choirs and singers. This led to the creation of the virtual choir. His first virtual choir, “Lux Aurumque”, had 185 singers from 12 different     6    (country). Since then, the virtual choir has become a worldwide phenomenon and proved to influence the lives of many people     7    (positive).

A virtual choir helps connect ordinary people together, enabling them     8    (add) their voices to those of other individuals and become part of the global community. In addition, it is a wonderful way     9    people around the world to sing with one voice and thus make the world an even     10    (good) place.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

For many parents, making sure that their children get the right amount of sleep can be     1     (stress). This is especially true during high-pressure times such as exams when students study all night for the next day.     2     (unfortunate), it is often counterproductive (适得其反的) because with fewer hours to sleep, the brain doesn’t get enough time to keep     3     they’ve studied the night before.

Poor sleep will have all sorts of negative effects on teenagers,     4     (include) the rise in blood pressure, and impatient behaviors. Without enough sleep, the brain can no longer work     5     (deal) with information properly and use information already     6     (learn).

So, how can parents help? If you think your child needs more sleep, try making gradual adjustments to their sleeping habits. So far, studies     7     (show) improvements in changing sleep patterns. And remember your children are going through     8     period of time in their lives when their brains and bodies are going through a lot of     9     (change). Not only is your job to help make a difference, but it’s also to ride the wave with them. It may not be easy,     10     they will thank you for your help eventually.