1 . Four Interesting Science Museums
Polytechnic Museum, Russia
For many guests of the capital, some of the most vivid childhood memories are associated with this museum. A variety of technical fields are presented in 65 halls-Mining, Space, Energy, and Transportation, etc. And the exposition（博览会）is the only museum project in Russia about the history of the bike. The interactive division "Technoplay" is open, where you not only can but also need touch most of the exhibits with your hands. In addition to self-experimentation, for personal requests the museum's experts will show many entertaining experiments.
Eureka, England
The Eureka educational center is a huge complex where modern science and technology are becoming clear, even to kids. The main exhibition is devoted to the human body, the laws of physics and natural things. Visitors can obtain energy or create paper with their own hands. On the area of the Eureka educational park there is a botanical garden and a collection of minerals from the rock types of Finland is presented there.
Deutsches Museum, Germany
In this museum you can see more than 100 thousand different items from windmills（风车）to medical equipment. All aspects of industrial production appear before the eyes. Several museum rooms are arranged especially for children-there are exhibits that entertain kids starting from three.
NEMO, the Netherlands
The largest Dutch research centre stands ready to share its secrets with everyone. This immersion（沉浸）in the world of science and technology will not be dull. All significant information is presented in the form of exciting games. All exhibits are interactive; visitors are allowed to touch, pull and press on anything. The museum is for children from 6 to 16, as well as for their parents-it will be interesting to all.
1. What can visitors do at Polytechnic Museum?| A．Learn how the bike developed. | B．Touch all of the exhibits. |
| C．Watch entertaining movies. | D．Show entertaining experiments. |
| A．Polytechnic Museum. | B．Eureka. |
| C．Deutsches Museum. | D．NEMO. |
| A．It is specially designed for children. |
| B．It is the largest museum in the world. |
| C．It shows information of exhibits in games. |
| D．Some exhibits can be touched or pressed. |
2 . If you walk along the Victorian promenade in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, you’ll notice one bench that sticks out from the rest. Sitting 100 metres from the pier head is a bright yellow sign marking, “The ‘Happy to Chat’ bench: sit here if you don’t mind someone stopping to say hello.”
It was introduced by the police earlier this year to deal with loneliness among the elderly in the seaside town, where pensioners make up a third of the population. The scheme was picked up by CNN, and has attracted followers around the country, as well as in other countries as far away as Canada, Australia, United States and Ukraine.
More than nine million people in the UK say they “often or always” feel lonely, according to the British Red Cross. And the former health secretary Jeremy Hunt described loneliness among the elderly as “our national shame”. With the problem so serious, can something as simple as a bench be effective to solve the problem?
That question led me to Burnham’s promenade on a windy November morning, where I spent hours sitting on the country’s first “chat bench” to see who, if anyone, would strike up a conversation.
After lunch, I got chatting to 67-year-old Ann Davies, who retired a few years ago from her job as the manager of the Sue Ryder charity shop. She has lived alone since her divorce 13 years ago, and spent much of her time volunteering. Otherwise, she explained, she would be at the serious risk of falling into the UK’s large group of older people who “often feel ignored or invisible”.
“Once you get behind that door, you don’t want to come out. And the longer it goes on, the more you don’t want to,” Ann said. “You almost get agoraphobic, and the outside seems very alien and scary. But it’s not. The best thing is to volunteer. You’ve got to have a reason to go out.”
Full of natural wit, it was very easy to warm to Ann after just a few minutes. She explained why she took regular advantage of Burnham’s chat bench, “Even just somebody looking at it is enough — some may say, ‘Oh, this is a good idea. What’s all that about then?’ You start chatting about the bench, and it goes on from there. ‘Are you on holiday? Do you come down every year?’ It’s just natural. Sometimes they’re not even sitting on the bench; they just talk to you standing there.”
As the afternoon wore on and the gloomy sky dimmed further, I called it a day and travelled back to London with my spirits high. Perhaps there is hope for neighborliness after all.
1. What is the bench mentioned in the passage used to do?| A．To let the walkers have a good rest. | B．To make the environment more beautiful. |
| C．To provide a special place for people to chat. | D．To spread pensions from one person to another. |
| A．It is a serious problem needing attention. | B．It can be a great burden to the country. |
| C．It does great harm to old people’s health. | D．It needs to be solved by British Red Cross. |
| A．By cleaning the “Happy to Chat” bench frequently. |
| B．By talking with other old people whenever possible. |
| C．By spending time offering a helping hand to others. |
| D．By calling on the public to pay attention to old people. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Disapproving. | D．Concerned. |
3 . “Funny”, a made-in-China emoji, seems to have recently moved beyond China. Now, it is more than an emoji, but a cultural expansion.
● Reaching Global Markets
A series of “funny” emoji-based bolsters (抱枕) have attracted the attention of Japanese customers. Even if one bolster is more than three times as expensive as in China, it doesn’t kill their desires to buy it. One Japanese customer Miki said, “They are just so cute and I bought three bolsters at one time for my family. And every time I see them, my mood just brightens suddenly.”
A Japanese netizen Kiro Kara said, “I think the emoji implies very complicated meanings. My dad will send it when he doesn’t agree with someone but he has to say something and behave politely.”
● Addition to Domestic Social Media
Compared with Japanese impressions of the “funny” emoji, Chinese netizens prefer to use emoji to tease one another on social media.
One commonly seen online comment is, “We strongly suggest stopping the usage of the emoji. Because every time other people send me the emoji, I feel very uncomfortable and consider myself as a fool.”
Regarded as the most popular emoji, the “funny” emoji has received much attention since its release in 2013. In fact, the “funny” emoji is the updated version of its original one; “funny” has a smiley mouth, two eyebrows and a naughty look. All these characteristics present users a sense of satire (讽刺).
● In Everyday Use Abroad
It's not the first time the Chinese emoji takes the world stage. Earlier this year, one emoji from the Chinese basketball celebrity Yao Ming has been spread through the Middle East region. In a city in southern Egypt, Yao’s smiling emoji has appeared frequently in local traffic signs to remind people the road ahead is one-way. Many locals do not know Yao Ming but are familiar with his emoji and nickname “Chinese Funny Face”.
As a new online language, emojis have become a necessary part of people’s daily life, helping people express their views in a more vivid and precise way. Also, it can help foreigners learn about Chinese culture. But how to properly use “the fifth innovation in China” without hurting others and turn them into commercial advantages still need answers.
1. Why do the bolsters attract Miki’s attention?| A．They are inexpensive. |
| B．They help reach an agreement. |
| C．They help brighten the mood. |
| D．They are helpful to express desire. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．promote the emoji worldwide |
| B．teach us how to use the emoji |
| C．explain the meaning of emoji |
| D．show us the popularity of the emoji |
4 . Social media is taking over our lives: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and now, TikTok. These social media platforms have transformed from a way to stay connected to an industry where even kids can make money off their posts. While this may seem like another opportunistic innovation, it’s really full of hidden false realities.
The median income (中位收入) recorded in the United States of America was about $63,000 in 2018. TikTokers can make anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000 for a TikTok brand partnership, and TikTokers with over a million followers can make up to $30,000 a month — $360,000 a year. They are making more than the average person trying to feed their family and keep a roof over their heads, simply by posting a 15-second video.
This is mad in more ways than one. Not only is it an overpaid “job”, it promotes undeserved admiration from viewers and a false sense of reality. Many of these famous TikTokers are still teens, and the effects of fame at such an early stage in life might cause issues later in life, such as mental illness. Teens between the ages of 13 and 17 make up 27% of TikTok viewers, who can be easily influenced by what they are watching. They can put a false sense of self-value into who they look up to and what they represent: money, fame, being considered conventionally attractive.
While TikTok has become a great tool for marketing, it’s important to understand how this content affects young viewers. If we’re constantly consuming content that hsows us all we need to do to be successful is be conventionally attractive and post a 15-second video featuring a new dance, it will challenge our knowledge of what really makes someone successful and will in turn affect our individual work ethics (伦理). What about the people who miss birthdays and family holidays due to their jobs and aren’t getting paid nearly as much as these TikTokers?
Richard Colyer, president and creator of Metaphor, Inc., had his own view on this issue.
“It sounds great that kids can make money for doing the latest dance moves in a 15-second video, but we should feed the minds of kids and not just their bank accounts. TikTok can be great if used properly. Money alone is not good, technology alone is not good and connectedness can be bad if it’s only online.”
Again, as a fellow consumer of TikTok, I do enjoy the app when I have some time to kill and need a good laugh. I’m not against someone making a living on entertainment, but what does getting famous of a 15-second video teach young people?
1. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Social networking. | B．Making money on social media. |
| C．A job offered by TikTok. | D．Staying connected to the Internet. |
| A．They tend to live an adult life too soon. |
| B．They are forced to pay for certain services. |
| C．They may abandon other social media. |
| D．They are likely to develop false values. |
| A．TikTok can be a positive influence if teens employ it wisely. |
| B．Young TikTokers should be banned form making money. |
| C．It is better to involve education on investment in TikTok videos. |
| D．Contents of videos need checking before their release online. |
| A．Say No to TikTok. | B．Join Young TikTokers |
| C．TikTok — A Mine of Money | D．A Job vs An Entertainment |
5 . It was 7:15 a.m. and Gary Messina was on his morning run along New York City’s East River. Suddenly something caught his eye — a man screamed for help
David Blauzvern and John Green
Fifteen minutes later, a rescue boat turned
Blauzvern remembers being
As for the rescuers, each of them was at work by 10:30 a.m. “I was a bit late,”
| A．after | B．for | C．as | D．once |
| A．dropped | B．landed | C．threw | D．packed |
| A．heart | B．control | C．hope | D．strength |
| A．supporting | B．adjusting | C．pushing | D．tapping |
| A．back | B．straight | C．still | D．up |
| A．current | B．wall | C．boat | D．pole |
| A．out | B．up | C．in | D．down |
| A．accident | B．disaster | C．panic | D．threat |
| A．pressed | B．brought | C．pulled | D．taken |
| A．signaling | B．allowing | C．demanding | D．convincing |
| A．away | B．aboard | C．apart | D．aside |
| A．safety | B．relief | C．aid | D．comfort |
| A．health | B．mood | C．condition | D．identity |
| A．complained | B．reported | C．admitted | D．argued |
| A．experience | B．excuse | C．reputation | D．memory |
6 . “There's no place like home.” This English saying has much truth in it: the best place to be is surrounded by our treasured possessions and our loved ones and with a roof over our head. And for many young adults, it's the only affordable place to stay; somewhere where they can receive first-class service from mum and dad. But this comes at a price!
In some countries, it's quite traditional for people in their late teens and early 20s to live at home with their parents, but in other places, flying the nest to start their own independent life is very desirable. But there's been a growing trend, in the UK at least, for young people to return home to live—or not to leave home at all.
A survey by a price comparison website found that 18% of adult children in the UK said they were moving back home because of debt, compared with 8% last year. More young people had lost their jobs, and others couldn't afford their rent compared with the previous year. So, it's easy to see why they're increasingly becoming home birds.
Emma Craig from Money supermarket says “parents are trying to look after their children more. If your child comes home and you see them struggling to pay their bills, you feel more awkward asking them for rent or to contribute. It tugs (猛拉) on your heartstrings more.”
With parents buying new furniture and upgrading their Wi-Fi for the benefit of their children, it's easy for the returning children to put their feet up and make themselves at home. That's before they learn a home truth—that one day it might be their own kids who'll be checking into the hotel of mum and dad!
1. Which proverb might show the young British's living conditions?| A．A lazy youth, an awful age. | B．East or west, home is best. |
| C．Two heads are better than one. | D．Nothing comes wrong to a hungry man. |
| A．The popularity of living independently. | B．Looking after their old parents. |
| C．The economic problem they face. | D．Their parents' offer to help them out. |
| A．Understandable. | B．Worried. | C．Doubtful. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．Flying the net is becoming popular at present. |
| B．Returning to live with parents comes at a price. |
| C．It's easy for parents to receive their returning children. |
| D．Home birds think it quite natural to live with their parents. |
7 . With people wearing face masks to protect themselves from being infected with the novel coronavirus, a concern now is how they are dealing with their used masks. As used face masks may carry the coronavirus, they shouldn't be carelessly thrown away as waste. Since the virus can survive for one or two days in wet conditions, the used masks may become a new source of infection.
Given that the garbage sorting has recently been carried out in only a few cities, mixed waste commonly exists. The mixture of polluted masks and recyclable waste may cause a possible danger to rubbish collectors when they put hands in the garbage cans to collect recyclable items. What's worse, if someone just throws a used mask on the street, someone might pick it up, or try to collect it to sell second-hand.
With the spread of the novel coronavirus, there has obviously been a high demand for protective equipment such as face masks among ordinary people, with the resulting generation of a huge quantity of what may be considered medical waste. Thus, the problem is how to deal with this mass of medical waste, particularly the used face masks outside of hospitals. Communities should have special trash cans around to collect used masks. If these are not provided, people should put the waste into plastic bags before casting them aside, so they are not exposed to the air.
As the main risk of medical waste is infectivity, disinfection, whether by steam, chemicals or microwave, is very important. According to regulations, only licensed companies should collect, transport and do the final management of medical waste. For example, medical waste must be collected in special containers,and be transported in special vehicles by qualified people.
1. What problem is described in paragraph 1?| A．Used masks may cause infection. | B．Used masks are difficult to recycle. |
| C．The virus spreads quickly in wet conditions. | D．The novel coronavirus infection is worsening. |
| A．The causes of sorting garbage. | B．The ways of recycling used masks. |
| C．The harm of using second-hand masks. | D．The risk of handling used masks improperly. |
| A．Destroying rubbish. | B．Throwing waste. | C．Marking rubbish. | D．Reusing waste. |
| A．It costs a lot to collect and transport medical waste. |
| B．The hospital infection is mainly from medical waste. |
| C．The rules of dealing with medical waste are very strict. |
| D．License companies should be responsible for infection. |
8 . Instead of going on a trip or buying herself new clothes:Xiao Tong from Wuhan, Hubei province,chose to celebrate her senior high school graduation in a different way. She went to a beauty clinic to have plastic surgery on her nose."I want to make a good impression and start my university life with a brand-new look,"the 18-year-old told Changjiang Daily.
Like Xiao Tong,many young Chinese are anxious about their looks, and more and more subject themselves to plastic surgery.Young people do it for different reasons,and improving self-confidence is one of them.
Wang Fang,18,from Beijing, felt that her eyes were too small. In 2019,after she got in university,Wang had a minor operation done on her eyelids."Before I had the surgery, I had a negative view of myself.Therefore,I had no confidence,"Wang told Beijing Youth Daily.
But Jiang Wenxiu of the Department of Psychiatry, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University in Jiangsu,advised that people should think twice before going under the knife. ＂Medical beauty apps only show how great plastic surgery can be,"Jiang told China Daily. ＂They leave out all the negative things."
Today beauty clinics are well aware that these young students are mostly short of money,so they use summer discounts, installment plans and other ways to attract their attention.
Xiao Zhen,17,from Chengdu,Sichuan province,is one of the victims. She took out a loan(贷款） of about 20,000 yuan to get plastic surgery.But the large sum of money became a big burden. She had to drop out of school and go to work to pay off the loan.
Besides the financial burden, potential health risks of plastic surgery also need to be considered.
＂If you have big problems with your look, you should wait until you are a full adult, and then decide if you want to do something about it,"Jiang said."Then,with a stable(稳定的）mind,you can consider inner and outer beauty,and whether plastic surgery is for you.”
1. Why does the author mention Xiao Tong in the first paragraph?| A．To explain what plastic surgery is. |
| B．To praise her bravery to live a different life. |
| C．To show the popularity of plastic surgery. |
| D．To introduce a new way to start university. |
| A．Freedom. | B．Education. | C．Health. | D．Confidence. |
| A．Admiring. | B．Worried. | C．Cautious(谨慎的） | D．Satisfied. |
| A．Popular plastic surgery. |
| B．Never take plastic surgery. |
| C．What makes plastic surgery popular? |
| D．Show your confidence in plastic surgery. |
9 . Art is food for the soul, and children learning art actually get advantages. Here are some advantages of learning art for children.
Art helps increase creativity.
Art allows children to understand the world and express themselves in a creative way.
Art helps build confidence.
Children who take part in performance classes get the chance to speak in front of people they don't know.
Art is about creating something out of nothing. A child will ask himself/ herself how to express a certain feeling through a dance or a facial expression, and how to use his/her feelings to create a piece of music that would tell a story. All these skills will help the child in his/her future life.
Art helps develop patience and determination
Children who learn new music instrument know how hard it is to achieve progress.
Art helps increase responsibility.
| A．Art helps kids express themselves. |
| B．Art helps improve problem-solving skills |
| C．They can learn that there is no perfection. |
| D．It allows them to get over the fear of facing strangers |
| E．No two children will come up with the same art piece. |
| F．The only way to master it is through continuous practice. |
| G．Through art, children realize that their actions affect others. |
10 . How would you feel about celebrity(名人) deaths? Despite this person being a perfect stranger, it can feel kind of like you've lost an acquaintance or even a friend, when a beloved celebrity dies. It's not quite the same, of course. You have no memories of times you hung out, or no cards they sent you. Instead, it's a different kind of grief(悲痛), one marked by big screens crowded stadiums, and a unique feeling of love and admiration you've probably never felt for someone you actually know.
If you've ever cried or felt sad for days about a celebrity's death, you're certainly not alone. According to expert Rachel O'Neill, feeling grief after a celebrity's death is common because we form personal attachments to celebrities. "Celebrities' presence is felt in our lives," she says. "Maybe they represented an ideal, something you hoped that you could be. Or perhaps the celebrity held a particular important memory in your life---for example, they starred in a TV show that you watched growing up. In those cases, the death can feel like a loss of that particular part of your past."
It can also be more than a connection to your past, but a joyful part of your everyday life, according to therapist Cynthia Catchings. "Celebrities may provide us with laughs, comfort entertainment, excitement, or sense of escape. When a celebrity we feel connected to passes away, it can feel like losing someone close to us because they may have been integral in some of our happiest or saddest moments, "Catchings says . "They made us laugh, they made us cry, but most importantly, they helped us forget about our difficult moments when we needed it most."
Still, it can feel strange to grieve someone you didn't actually know. But both O'Neill and Catchings agree that it's a totally normal way to feel for any number of reasons---the most understandable of which is that death is just sad.
It doesn't matter that you didn't know the celebrity in person. If you're experiencing grief, O'Neill says, it's important to give yourself space to feel it. "Remembering the celebrity in whatever way you feel will be helpful,"she says. "Some people find comfort in sharing their memories on social media and connecting with other users who are also experiencing grief and loss.”
The more we feel, the more we grow, however painful. That's why medical officer Neeraj Gandotra says you should use your grief over a celebrity to prepare you for grief you might feel down the road. "Use the feelings of loss as an opportunity to have a more academic discussion about what happens when someone dies." he said. " This discussion can help prepare one for when someone close to them dies. The topic is healthy and a great opportunity to find areas where you could improve, and even change the direction of your life for the better."
1. What does O'Neill think of feeling grief over a celebrity's death?| A．It can bring back painful memories. |
| B．It is very natural for people to do so |
| C．It makes ordinary people suffer stress. |
| D．It improves interpersonal relationships. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Attractive. | C．Important. | D．Normal. |
| A．To understand the pain of growing up. |
| B．To make good use of the sense of grief. |
| C．To adopt positive attitude towards life. |
| D．To try to seek some comfort in daily life. |
| A．The important roles celebrities play in life. |
| B．The effect of a celebrity's death on people. |
| C．How people should deal with their sadness. |
| D．Why people grieve the deaths of celebrities. |
