1 . “Fire! Fire! ” What terrible words to hear when I _______ in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, _______ house — the sort that burns easily — and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, opened the door and stepped out into the passage. It was full of _______.

I began to _______, but as I was still only half awake, instead of going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I found it hard to _______. The floor became _______ under my feet. I ran into another room and tried to reach the window for fresh air. Suddenly, one of my feet got caught in something _______ and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a package of clothes, and I picked it up to protect my _______ from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor broke under me and I fell through to the floor below with pieces of _______ wood all around me.

__________, there was a doorway in front, so I put the package over my face and ran. My feet were terribly burned, but I __________. As I reached the cold air outside, my package of clothes gave a __________. I nearly dropped it in my surprise. Then I saw there were many people in the street. A woman screamed (尖叫) as she saw me and came running __________.

“My baby! My baby! ”she cried. Those people cheered loudly __________ she took the smoke­blackened package out of my arms. I almost failed to see who she was — my boss's wife. I had __________ her baby, and I became a hero!

1.

A．hung up

B．called back

C．woke up

D．turned back

2.

A．clean

B．empty

C．strong

D．wooden

3.

A．water

B．smoke

C．books

D．toys

4.

A．run

B．play

C．talk

D．read

5.

A．sleep

B．work

C．hear

D．breathe

6.

A．hard

B．hot

C．cold

D．dirty

7.

A．wet

B．boring

C．soft

D．dangerous

8.

A．hands

B．arms

C．back

D．face

9.

A．burning

B．growing

C．green

D．light

10.

A．Strangely

B．Naturally

C．Luckily

D．Recently

11.

A．gave up

B．set off

C．looked around

D．got through

12.

A．role

B．cry

C．task

D．lesson

13.

A．madly

B．slowly

C．carefully

D．patiently

14.

A．if

B．once

C．as

D．unless

15.

A．hurt

B．saved

C．killed

D．punished

2 . Living alone is hard, especially for old people. Besides, some old homeowners might have trouble bringing food and articles of daily use in from a car. Or they might need someone to tell them where they’ve put their house keys.

College students are trying to find cheap, comfortable places to live without borrowing even more money from a bank. Dorms(宿舍) are a choice for some, but they often come with crowded bathrooms, shared bedrooms. And sometimes university housing is even more expensive than local apartments. A Canadian organization, Toronto HomeShare, noticed both of these problems and came up with a way to solve the problem.

College students usually deal with some housework and provide company while living in comfortable environments without breaking the bank. The old benefit from it spiritually. Nick, a 27-year-old graduate student who lives with 75-year-old Maureen Tara, said, “Coming back home to Tara’s family helps me recover because it’s such a relaxed environment here. If I’ve had a hard day and I’m feeling low, there’s lots of love in the air.”

The level of care that older housemates need is different. Joshua is in a poor state of health. His son thanks the college student living with his dad for his help in dangerous situations when he’s not around. “At least, there is someone to talk to my dad,” says Joshua’s son. Students who’ve moved to a new city, far from their families and the comforts of a home-cooked meal, also need to find peace in their living situation.     

Boston’s Nesterly is a homeshare app for senior/student living pairings, and people living in St. Louis’s Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood can take part in Homeshare St. Louis. The advantages of senior/student homeshare program are clear, and they might just make college students wonder why this wasn’t a choice when they were sharing crowded dorms with others.

1. What is the trouble of the old people living alone according to Paragraph 1?

A．They miss their families too much.

B．They cannot go somewhere far away.

C．They have trouble dealing with daily housework.

D．They cannot save themselves in dangerous situations.

2. What is Toronto HomeShare’s way to deal with the problem of the old and college students?

A．By making them live together.

B．By organizing students to help the old.

C．By making them experience each other’s life.

D．By supporting students’ life with the old’s money.

3. What does the example of Nick show?

A．College students may face great stress.

B．College students do chores to cover their rent.

C．Old people need young people’s help and care.

D．Sharing homes benefits college students spiritually.

4. What does the last paragraph say about the homeshare program?

A．It will include many other services.

B．It is carried out in Boston and St. Louis.

C．It needs to improve its services.

D．It is doubted by college students.

3 . Feeling hungry? Then what’s the easiest way to satisfy your hunger? Many of us will reach for a takeaway menu and order some delicious- but possibly unhealthy -food. And our increasingly busy and stressful lives add to our need to buy ready-made food on the go or delivered to home.

Eating options are endless, and new technology means we can feed our desires at the push of a button. Takeaway delivery apps make ordering food quick and convenient, and during the recent coronavirus（冠状病毒）crisis, it provided a lifeline to those stuck at home with nothing to cook or who lacked the skills to prepare a meal for themselves. It’s estimated that in the UK alone, people eat three million takeaway meals a day, and the three biggest delivery apps together offer a choice of 100 dishes from 60, 000 restaurants.

It’s no wonder we are tempted to skip the grocery shopping, bypass the kitchen, and enjoy something that someone else has prepared. But ordering a pizza, a spicy curry or a box of noodles, can come at a price both financially and to our health. Eating too much processed and unhealthy fast food has some effect on obesity and the risk of developing certain diseases. A few years ago, The BBC Good Food Nation Survey found that most people ate fast food on average two days per week. But, in the 16 to 20-year-old category, one in six ate fast food at least twice a day.

Of course, reducing salt, sugar and fat is one way to make takeaway food healthier, as well as offering smaller portion sizes. But the best advice is to find a cooking book and try making your own healthy meal. And if you haven’t got time, try ordering a healthier alternative from the menu.

1. What has made ordering and delivering takeaway food easy?

A．The fast-pace lifestyle.	B．Takeaway delivery apps.
C．The coronavirus crisis.	D．Lack of cooking skills.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．Processed food is usually sold at a low price.

B．It’s unbelievable for people to enjoy fast food.

C．Fast food does less harm to the health of adults.

D．The youth consume fast food more frequently.

3. According to the article, how can you eat most healthily?

A．Preparing meals yourself.	B．Eating in large restaurants.
C．Eating takeaway occasionally	D．Adding vegetables and fruit.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．The popularity of takeaway.	B．The necessity of cooking at home.
C．The harm caused by takeaway.	D．The dilemma takeaway faces.

4 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the sentences given below. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

Designer Dolls Become Desirable Collectables

Kan Hui, senior stage set designer based in Beijing, stands in front of vending machine (自动售货机) in a shopping center. She feeds in the money and a paper box rolls out.     1     Dolls are not just toys for little girls any more. They have become desirable collectables for many young Chinese under the age of thirty.

Molly, a little girl with curly hair, wide eyes and pouting lips, is one of the best-selling dolls in China. Each Molly sells for 59 yuan and there are over one hundred editions of the doll in different series. For doll fans, it is an affordable way to build an “art” collection.

In fact, what has made collecting designer dolls a new phenomenon is the concept of a “blind box”. As the name implies, consumers have no idea which specific doll from a series they will get until they open the box.     2     Over 400 million Molly dolls are reported to have been sold throughout the country last year!

    3     Psychologists say that collectors are trying to bring some order and meaning to their lives. That may be true, but I think they do it just because it is fun and sometimes educational. I have a friend who collects beer bottles. He does not recycle them for money. Instead, he has them lined up in neat rows on shelves, and over 200 of them are from more than 30 different countries—a good way to learn about geography.

Collecting Molly dolls is probably fad (一时的风尚) that will be replaced by another one eventually.     4    

A．The uncertainty about the product has undoubtedly increased sales of these dolls.

B．Designer dolls satisfy the spiritual needs of young Chinese consumers.

C．She can hardly wait to open the box and is excited to discover inside limited-edition (限量版) Molly doll.

D．However, it will definitely give the pleasure you want, and enjoy collecting it.

E．The small toys fit in the palm of your hand and come dressed in cute costumes.

F．Have you ever wondered why people build a collection of things?

5 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. suitable       B. unfortunately       C. worsen       D. afford       E. risk       F. expensive G. ideally       H. provide       I. solution       J. remain       K. concern

In recent weeks, many parents have realized the difficult truth about school this fall because of COVID-19. Hoping for a better     1    , parents around U.S. have started organizing “pandemic (流行病) pods”, or home schooling pods, for the fall, in which groups of 3 to 10 students learn together in homes under the guidance of the children’s parents or a hired teacher.

For parents who can organize and     2     them, pods seem like an easy choice. “I don’t believe that the online courses for that age group are     3    . Kids at this age really need that multimodal sensory learning (多模式感官学习).” one parent said.

These pods could     4     families with a schooling choice that feels safe—yet also allows kids to have fun and build social skills. However, it also has unavoidable shortcomings.

Depending on how the pods are set up, they may offer parents break. But given that pods can be     5    , complicated to organize and self-selecting, it is possible that they are most popular among wealthy families, experts say, and may     6     educational inequality.

Another     7     about pods is that families may not know how to minimize Covid risks. Pods shouldn’t have more than five kids     8    , said Saskia Popescu, an infection prevention expert. When you add together the teacher and all of the kids’ family members, a seemingly small pod ends up including dozens of people, and the more people in it, the greater the     9     for coronavirus exposure (接触). Furthermore, families in learning pods shouldn’t socialize with people outside the pod unless they wear masks and     10     socially distant, Dr. Popescu said. Pods should have clear rules on wearing masks and washing hands.

6 . Praising Kids

Parents praise their kids whenever they do anything that seems to be something remarkable. Jenn Berman, PhD, a family therapist says, “We’ve gone to the opposite extreme of a few decades ago when parents tended to be stricter.” Parents have come to believe that by giving kids heaping portions of praise, they improve their self-esteem and confidence.    1    Too much praise can backfire, it seems, and, when given in a way that’s insincere, make kids afraid to try new things or take a risk for fear of not being able to stay on top where their parent’s praise has put them.

    2    Not giving enough praise can be just as damaging as giving too much. Kids will feel like they’re not good enough or that you don’t care and, as a result, may see no point in stretching themselves for their accomplishments.

So what is the right amount of praise?    3    If praise is sincere and genuine and focused on the effort not the outcome, you can give it as often as your child does something that deserves a verbal reward. “We should especially recognize our children’s efforts to push themselves and work hard to achieve a goal,” says Donahue, author of Parenting Without Fear, “One thing to remember is that it’s the process not the end product that matters.”

Your son may not be the best basketball player on his team, Donahue says. But if he’s out there every day, shooting baskets, running drills, and playing hard, you should praise his effort regardless of whether his team wins or loses because it’s above and beyond the norm. Praising the effort and not the outcome can also mean recognizing your child when he has worked hard to clean the yard, cook dinner, or complete a history assignment, Donahue adds.    4    

A．Kids know when your praise is sincere and when it's not.

B．Still, don't go too far in the other direction.

C．But in fact, it may be just the opposite.

D．Experts say that the quality of praise is more important than the quantity.

E．Children develop a sense of competence by seeing the consequences of their actions, not by being told about the consequences of their actions.

F．But whatever it is, praise should be given on a case-by- case basis and be proportionate to the amount of effort your child put into it.

7 . The Red Cross is known for carrying out some of the most heroic acts in the world. There are Red Cross societies in 190 countries all over the world. Their task is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of sudden serious situations by organizing volunteers and the people who want to donate(捐献).

In 1860, Swiss businessman and social activist, Jean Henri Dunant, saw the effects of war, and countries not prepared or able to deal with the suffering of those who had been injured in the Battle of Solferino during the second War of Italian Independence. Dunant organized a group of volunteers to help bring water and food to the injured, to help with medical treatment, or to write letters to the families of those who were dying. After that moment, he knew that more had to be done, and he wrote the book, A Memory of Solferino, which encouraged the public to create an organization which would help the wounded. His writing encouraged more people to support him in creating the International Federation of the Red Cross. And in 1863, International Committee of the Red Cross was founded.

The modern-day Red Cross does more than nursing soldiers during wartime. The group began to devote itself largely to disaster relief (灾难救援) and epidemic (流行病) treatment. It has achieved even greater service in humanitarian (人道主义的) programs that serve continuously in both peace and war.

One of the easiest ways you can help the Red Cross is to make sure you are able to donate blood and make an appointment at the Red Cross website. But, donating blood isn’t the only way you can help out —the Red Cross also encourages you to donate your time if you can, along with other things the modern-day Red Cross wants you to know.

1. What does the underlined word “alleviate” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Reduce.	B．Report.
C．Express.	D．Find.

2. Why did Dunant write A Memory of Solferino?

A．To make more people know the Red Cross.

B．To ask more people to help the wounded.

C．To let people see the cruelty of wars.

D．To call on people to stop wars.

3. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To introduce the Red Cross website.

B．To explain the Red Cross’s future work.

C．To show how the Red Cross helps needy people.

D．To encourage people to offer help to the Red Cross.

8 . 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。

British people spend more time watching TV, gaming and using mobile phones and computers than sleeping. The research     1     was conducted by a communication agency found that Britons use technology for 20 minutes     2     (long) than they spend sleeping. The average UK adult uses technology for eight hours and forty-one minutes per day. One of the biggest     3     (reason) for this is broadband and Wi-Fi. People spend more time on the Internet. A large number of people are on the phone or online while    4     (watch) television. Watching television     5     (be) the most popular activity. Adults watch     6     average of three hours a day.

The study looked at technology and groups of different ages. It     7     (find) that six-year-olds understand it the same as 45-year-olds. People understand digital technology most when they are 14 or 15. Technology is changing the way people communicate with each other. Scientists warn that we are becoming more antisocial (孤僻的). They say people are moving away from face-to-face conversations because they are using technology too     8     (frequent). They add that people are becoming     9     (addict) to their smart phones.    10     the other hand, technology also means people are working at home after they finish work and get home from work.

9 . Binge-watching (追剧) your favorite TV series is bad for your brain. Dr. Randall Wright, based in Texas, said the need to watch episode (集) after episode has a similar influence on the brain to gambling (赌博). What’s more, it often leads to social loneliness, snacking on junk food and a shortage of exercise and sleep, which, over time, is bad for the brain.

When you let auto play start the next episode, you can find out what happens next and your brain receives good feedback, Dr. Wright wrote in an article. This right-away satisfaction is similar to gambling where even after a win, you are not satisfied and want to continue playing. With binge-watching, you are not satisfied with stopping after episode five and want to continue watching. This cycle coupled with the snacking and the long time sitting can lead to unhealthy changes in your brain and body over time.

Dr. Wright said, “Binge-watching itself is not bad. It becomes problematic when you are watching a third, fourth or fifth episode instead of doing healthy activities.” But he said it is possible to avoid the bad influence of binge-watching with four tips, including staying away from salty, fatty, calorific foods, exercising before a binge-watching, setting an alarm for sleep and balancing TV viewing with socializing.

If you add these tips to your binge-watching practice, you can create lasting healthy habits and still enjoy the now-and-then binge-watching time without hurting your brain.

1. What might “it” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Gambling.	B．Binge-watching.
C．TV series.	D．Brain.

2. In what way is binge-watching like gambling?

A．The long time sitting.	B．The changes of feeling.
C．The snacking on junk food.	D．The immediate satisfaction.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The tips on how to develop a healthy lifestyle.

B．The reasons why binge-watching is problematic.

C．The ways to keep away from binge-watching.

D．Do’s and don’ts of binge-watching.

4. What may be the best title of the passage?

A．Ill Health: The Result of Addiction

B．Healthy Habits: A Must of A Better Life

C．Binge-watching: A Killer of Your Brain

D．TV-Viewing: Gradual Harm on Your Health

10 . “The price of books for our students is just getting higher and higher and，combined with the rising cost of tuition，it’s killing these students，”said Peter Jason，a college professor. “Remember，students are one of the poorest groups of people in America. Almost half of them have at least one part-time job. In fact，one of my students has three jobs. And she still manages to have high scores and go to school full-time. ”

Textbook prices are traditionally high. Adding to that problem, many college teachers change textbooks year after year; they either upgrade to a new edition or switch to an entirely different textbook. This further hurts students because if an instructor no longer uses a particular textbook，that book has no resale value.

Dr. Jason decided to make reading a little easier and a lot cheaper for his students by writing his own book on public speaking. “Many books have an increased price because of CD-ROMs，lots of color photographs and pictures. I talked to my students，and many of them，like me，prefer to keep things simple! So，a few years ago，I wrote my own textbook. Compared to most other public speaking books，mine is half the number of pages，and one-third the price. That is，$30 instead of $90.   When I wrote a second edition last year，students only had to buy the 35 new pages, For only $7. 00，they had almost a new book. Now my loose-leaf textbook enjoys great popularity among the students. Maybe in the future more writers and publishers will try it. ”

1. What did Dr. Jason say about students at college?

A．They are short of money.

B．They need better textbooks.

C．They should do part-time jobs.

D．They are trying to get high scores.

2. What did Dr. Jason decide to do to help the students?

A．To choose cheaper textbooks.

B．To write a textbook himself.

C．To speak to his students.

D．To use old textbooks.

3. How much does a public speaking textbook usually cost?

A．About 7 dollars.	B．About 30 dollars.
C．About 37 dollars.	D．About 90 dollars.

4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A．Dr. Jason’s textbook has CD-ROMs and nice pictures.

B．More writers and publishers will write simpler textbooks.

C．Dr. Jason teaches public speaking at a college.

D．Dr. Jason’s textbook is not well received.