1 . People these days are posting about their lives on social media. But what if you’re a private and introverted person like me? What if you want to live in the moment instead of sharing every bit of your life? To be honest, it’s nobody’s business but your own.     1    

Escaping stalkers (跟踪者).

I’ve been a public person as a jazz vocalist for years. It exposed me to stalkers who felt they knew me, just because I was present everywhere. Needless to say, it brought me much anxiety and stress. At some point I asked myself-is being visible more important than my peace of mind?     2     The answer is a clear NO. I just want to spend life doing what I love with the people I love.

Protecting privacy

    3     I need alone time to process what I’m struggling with and honest real talks with the people I trust. I might share a lesson learned from an experience, but now I won’t. I know that by keeping my life private on social media I may miss out on some connections, but I honor and respect the people in my life who value their privacy, so I am being mindful and protect that.

    4    

Another reason I keep my life private is that I prefer to be in the present moment and appreciate it fully. To be on your phone constantly, or to film everything you do, can be quite disrespectful to the people you spend your time with. You lose out on those spontaneous(自发的) moments and a deeper connection. I choose what I share and when I share it, and the rest is for experiencing life without expectations.

Live your life fully, regardless of whether the world knows it or not!     5     I just want you to know it’s OK if you don’t.

A．Experiencing life

B．Living in the moment

C．Don’t I really care about privacy?

D．Are my followers more important than my friends and family?

E．If you feel like sharing your life openly without hesitation, go for it.

F．Here are my reasons for not sharing my personal life on social media.

G．It can be quite challenging to go through tough moments with everyone watching.

2 . Aren’t mobile phones, QQ, e-mails and WeChat supposed to help us communicate more easily? Sadly, that’s not always. One day, for example, when I was walking through the park with my friend, suddenly his mobile phone rang and he answered it—leaving me alone and cutting our conversation dead! In fact, the park was filled with such people talking on their mobile phones. They talked with other people without even looking at them, or stopping to walk their dogs. Clearly, people preferred talking on the phone to face-to-face contacting.

Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? New communication technology seems to keep people away from each other. With e-mail over the Internet, we can communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With WeChat or QQ, you can have conversations without even meeting that person. Even some food stores are using self-scanner (自助扫描仪) so that you can check yourself out. As the contact between human beings becomes automated (自动化的), my feeling of being disconnected gets stronger. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against machines. I also own a mobile phone, a QQ, a WeChat and an e-mail account. Giving them up isn’t a good idea, because they are useful to have around. It’s just that when they keep us away from human contact, I begin to feel sad. More and more, I find myself answering e-mail instead of talking to people. The technology that helps keep us contact with each other is, in fact, making me feel more lonely.

What is to be done? Well, try to use less technology: no e-mailing people who live nearby, and no letting QQ and WeChat catch you all the time.

1. The purpose of the example in paragraph 1 is to show that people_________.

A．communicate more easily	B．dislike talking face to face
C．prefer talking on phones	D．are good at using phones

2. The underlined word “disconnected” in Paragraph 2 probably means_________.

A．lonely

B．satisfied

C．stupid

D．interested

3. It can be inferred from the Paragraph 2 that_________.

A．technology keeps people busier than before	B．technology is always useful to have around
C．the writer is going to give up phones	D．the writer would like to contact face to face

4. Which is the best title of the passage?

A．Technology and Human Life	B．The Importance of Technology
C．Technology and Human Contact	D．The Development of Technology

3 . All seven people have been rescued from a stricken cable car high above a remote Pakistan valley, a spokesman for the state-run emergency services said.

Pakistani authorities said army commandos (突击队), with the help of civilians, made the final rescues after an operation lasting hours. Floodlights were installed and a ground-based operation reached the remaining two people late on Tuesday more than 12 hours after their cable car was damaged, leaving it hanging unsteadily at an angle.

A helicopter had earlier plucked two children to safety before darkness. High winds meant the air rescue had to be called off. Rescuers used the cable keeping the cable car from plunging (突然向下冲) into the valley as a zip line to rescue three more children. Relatives of those trapped prayed while watching the operation and anxious crowds gathered on both sides of the valley, which is in a mountainous area of Battagram, about 125 miles (200km) north of Islamabad.

Several military helicopters had earlier in the day flown sorties and an airman was lowered by a set of bands to deliver food, water and medicine. Commandos could be seen on local TV trying to lower themselves on ropes from the helicopters to the cable car. An expert confirmed that the rescue was delicate because the wind created by the helicopters’ blades could further weaken cables holding the car up in the sky.

The children trapped were teenage boys studying at the government high school. The school is located in a mountainous area and there are no safe crossings, so it’s common to use the chairlift. People who live in the northern mountainous regions of Pakistan often use chairlifts for transport from one village to another. In 2017, 10 people were killed when a chairlift cable broke sending passengers plunging into a valley in a mountain hamlet near the capital, Islamabad.

1. How many people were saved 12 hours after cable car was trapped?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Seven.

D．Five.

2. How was the rescue conducted by army commandos and civilians?

A．By cable car.

B．By helicopter.

C．By floodlights.

D．By a zip line.

3. Why did the air rescue had to be called off?

A．The weather condition was tough with heavy rain.

B．The cable was left hanging at a dangerous angle.

C．The air rescue staff were incompetent.

D．The wind created by the helicopters’ blades is strong.

4. What’s the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To inform the underlying accident.	B．To provide background information.
C．To indicate the following settlement.	D．To public the rescuing result.

4 . Nowadays, for many people, buying a house or flat is just too expensive. However, the total amount of rent paid by tenants in Britain in 2017 rose to more than 50 billion-more than double the level of ten years prior. Consequently, a lot choose to share the flat.    1    

The pros? People rent a room and share the kitchen, living room and bathroom to save money.    2    You may not even need to ask; just leave an IOU. Additionally, there’s the fact that you gain access to their social networks. Living with people means meeting their friends, who may then become your friends.    3    Due to the nature of communal living, you’re not just dealing with your own life events. Most likely, there will always be a shoulder to cry on when you need one. But don’t forget to pay back when they need it.

Now the cons.    4    In most cases, the kitchen, for example, will be divided up into designated shelves and areas. Worse, many people may not respect these boundaries. You might well come home to find someone steal your milk or shower gel, and no one owns up to it. Furthermore, there are the unexpected guests. If a flatmate forgets to keep you informed of a party they’re throwing and it can be challenging for you to have a quiet night.

    5    Some people prefer their own space while other s thrive in a social environment. Regardless, for many who lack the means to buy their own property, a flat-sharing is, and will continue to be, a necessity.

A．Lastly, there’s the emotional support.

B．Those flat-sharing can share the secrets.

C．To start with, do you lack private space?

D．There’s limited storage space, for a start.

E．Whether the pros outweigh the cons depends.

F．Then what are the pros and cons of flat-sharing?

G．Also, living with others means that you can pool your resources.

5 . Does it ever seem like something is going on with our attention spans? Gloria Mark, an attention researcher at the university of California, says there is scientific evidence that attention spans have shrunk considerably. “We started studying attention span length over 20 years ago,” Mark said. “In 2003, we found that attention spans averaged about two-and-a-half minutes on any screen before people switched, In the past five, six years, they are averaging 47 seconds on the screen.”

Mark maintains that a shorter attention span has three downsides: The first is that people make more errors when they do attention shifting; second downside is that it takes longer to do something, because we have to adjust to every new task every time we shift; the third downside — maybe this is the worst of all — is that stress increases. When people are working on multiple tasks and they have to shift their attention, their blood pressure rises.

You don’t have to be a professor to guess at the cause of our great distract ability: It’s technology, of course-phones, social media, texting. It might be hard to think of the last time you even had a tech-free hour. So she offered a couple of tips for staying focused: First, when you feel the itch to change tasks, analyze why. If it’s just boredom or procrastination (拖延症), make a deal with yourself to work another 20 minutes, and then treat yourself to a reward.

Second, picture yourself at the end of the day. What do you want to have accomplished? What do you want to feel? “A concrete visualization of yourself sitting on the couch, you know, watching your favourite show is really good motivation,” she said.

The internet has this incredible resource available to us, so rather than be upset by it because it distracts us, how can we turn that around and instead find value from it? And how can we utilize our time best when we use the resources from the Internet without getting exhausted from it? These questions are what Gloria Mark will focus on in her subsequent research.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．Negative effects of short attention spans.	B．Benefits of long attention spans.
C．Causes of short attention spans.	D．Ways to deal with short attention spans.

2. What does the underlined word in para. 3 probably mean?

A．Necessity.

B．Courage.

C．Desire

D．Choice

3. Which of the following may Gloria Mark suggest?

A．Imagining what you will accomplish at the end of the day is a waste of time.

B．Multitasking is a good way to extend our attention span.

C．It is necessary to think twice before shifting your tasks.

D．We’d better say no to the internet sometimes as it distracts us.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Are Our Attention Spans Getting Shorter?	B．How Do We Live with the Internet?
C．Is Multitasking Possible?	D．What Can We Do to Make Our Attention Spans Longer?

6 . Everyone likes to feel that he or she is special. Unfortunately, many of us grow up believing that we’re not special at all. We wish that we could be better at sports or more attractive. We wish we had nicer clothes or more money. Like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, or the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz, we believe we’re not good enough just as we are. In the movie, the Scarecrow wishes that he had a brain. The Tin Man wishes he had a heart, and the Lion wants courage. In the end, each of them realizes that he already has what he needs.

Most parents want us to be the best we can be. They sometimes try to encourage us to do better by comparing us to others. They mean well, but the message we often get is that we’re not good enough. We begin to believe that the only way we can be special is by being better than someone else, but we are often disappointed. There will always be someone out there who is better than we are at something. There are plenty of people around who may not be as smart as we are but who are better at sports. Or they may not be as good looking, but they have more money. So it is unfeasible for us to be better than everyone else all the time.

Like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, we all want. what we believe will make us better people. What we don’t realize is that often we already have inside us the very things that we seek. Parents sometimes forget to tell us that we are special, that we are good enough just as we are. Maybe no one told them when they were growing up, or maybe they just forgot. Either way, it’s up to us to remind. them from time to time that each of us, in our own way, is special. What we are is enough.

1. By discussing the characters in The Wizard of Oz, the writer mainly wants to show __________.

A．we could be more attractive	B．we want to be the best we can be
C．we are not good enough just as we are	D．we already have inside us what we want

2. What does the underline d word “unfeasible” mean in the text?

A．Important.

B．Impossible.

C．Unlucky.

D．Unhappy.

3. This passage is most likely written by a _________.

A．teacher

B．parent

C．teenager

D．coach

7 . ①Have you ever thought about what’s more important, looking fashionable or feeling comfortable? You might have noticed many people choosing style over comfort and some even go to extremes(极端)to follow fashion. But we should remember: being fashionable isn’t everything. It’s more important to be healthy.

②Some people believe that they need to be a certain size to look good. So, they start extreme diets(日常饮食) that are not good for their health. They might not eat meals or eat too little, which can make them feel sick. Is it a healthy way to live?

③Also, many girls wear shoes with very high heels. They might think high heels make them look taller. But these shoes can actually hurt their feet and make it hard to walk comfortably, and it can increase risks of falls. Some even wear tight(紧的) clothes that influence blood circulation(循环), making it hard to breathe. Should we put fashion over comfort and physical health?

④Besides, some boys and girls spend a lot of time and money changing their hair color. The material they use is usually harmful to their health. To make their hair straight or curly, they also use tools that are hot enough to burn their hair. But using these tools too often or at very high temperatures can make the hair dry or even burnt. Is it really worth it to risk our health, spending so much time and money?

⑤So, let’s rethink what’s really important. Is it fashion or is it our well-being? Clothes or hairstyles don’t tell us anything about a person’s character. Instead of spending a lot of time choosing clothes, we could use that time to do fun things with friends. And instead of following extreme diets let’s eat properly and exercise regularly. Remember, your worth is not decided by your appearance, but by who you are as a person.

1. Why do some people go on extreme diets according to the passage?

A．Because the diets are healthy.	B．Because they just want to look good.
C．Because they want to save time.	D．Because they want to save money.

2. What is the writer’s purpose of using a question in each paragraph?

A．To ask for help from readers.	B．To tell how to spend time and money.
C．To describe the latest fashion.	D．To lead readers to think about the topic.

3. What does the underlined word “well-being” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Growth.

B．Health.

C．Warmth

D．Wealth.

4. Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?

A．

B．

C．

D．

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What did the two men plan to do?

A．Attend a sailing race.

B．Travel between two islands.

C．Get away from their country.

2. How did the two men feel about the adventure?

A．Relieved.

B．Optimistic.

C．Upset.

3. How were the two men rescued?

A．They were found by a passing boat.

B．They boated to the nearest shore.

C．They found a floating device.

9 . Since March, BBC journalists have been visiting schools across the country to teach students how to find out fake news. The visits have included up to 1,000 middle and primary schools. They follow a year-long study by BBC. The study found that nearly half of 12 to 15-year-olds find it difficult to tell fact from fiction on social media.

Fake news refers to news stories that you see on TV or the Internet that are partly or completely false. Some of the stories may have some true facts, but still include some lies. Fake news is sometimes created to get clicks and increase profits. Sometimes it is written to get attention or make people think in a certain way.

For example, a nuclear leak at the Fukushima power plant in Japan in 2011 caused an unexpected reaction in China. Fear buying of salt happened in many countries overnight after false news stories saying that iodized salt can protect against radiation. The stories added that sea salt produced in the future might not be safe to eat, as it could be polluted by the leak.

Fake news has had a bad influence on the media industry and society. It may influence public opinion and cause fear or anger. People may also lose trust in the media and become confused about realistic topic and events, BBC said.

Do you know if it’s false? Here are some tips for finding out fake news.

1. Check the information that comes from. Reliable sources include main stream media like CCTV and authoritative organizations like the United Nations.

2. Be careful about headlines. The headlines of fake news stories are often catchy.

3. Check the data. You can probably trust it if the numbers are from a national or international office report.

1. What have BBC reporters been teaching students in the UK?

A．How to conduct surveys.	B．How to broadcast radio programs.
C．How to tell fake news from real stories.	D．How to write news reports for the BBC.

2. Which of the following can be used to spot fake news?

A．Fake news contains many true facts.	B．Fake news always contains some lies.
C．Most of the news on the Internet is fake.	D．Fake news is the news that is completely false.

3. Which is NOT the reason for fake news being created?

A．To make more money.	B．To catch people’s attention.
C．To get clicks from the readers.	D．To compete in the media industry.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．BBC journalists also write fake news.	B．Fake news can cause social problems.
C．People have no trust in the media now.	D．Nuclear leaks in Japan didn’t influence China.

10 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容或括号内所给词的恰当形式填空。

When the fire alarm woke her up at 6:50 a.m., Cloe Woods immediately took action.     1     5-­year-­old girl jumped out of bed and found herself     2     (surround) with heavy smoke. Remembering     3     she’d learned on a school field trip to the local fire department in Kenner, Louisiana, she went to wake up her blind grandmother, Claudia Arceneaux, 76, who had lost her sight nine     4     (month) earlier.

Cloe told her grandmother to hold her shoulder as they walked out of their home. Once outside, started looking for water,     5     (think) she could put the fire out herself.

The fire was eventually put out. A firefighter praised Cloe for her     6     (brave)．

“Cloe is ahead of my time,” Shone Arceneaux, Cloe’s mom, said     7     (proud). “Who knows what could have happened     8     it hadn’t been for Cloe? Of course, we owe great thanks     9     Cloe’s school for providing Cloe with the chance to learn about fire safety.”

The family is now at a hotel while the house     10     (repair). Meanwhile, Cloe’s school is raising money to help the family recover.