相关词汇：crow (乌鸦)
Why don’t you drink water as the book told us?
Crows Drink Water
There was only a little water in a bottle which had a long and narrow neck. A fat crow came to the bottle and drank the water by a straw. He was enjoying the water when another thirsty crow went by. Accustomed (习惯于) to the way of drinking water taught in books, the thirsty crow was very surprised. He asked the fat crow, “Why don’t you drink water as the book told us?” The fat crow replied,“Because this method can make me drink water faster.”
2 . It was midnight, and I was on my knees, burying head in my hands. I struggled to
To others, the decision was
Exhausted, I rose to my feet, and made my way upstairs to check on my children, finding each curled up in a
The decision, indeed, was simple. I would
To be sure, I lost a number of business opportunities. But I was available to
Now I have no regrets. I am
| A．put out | B．jump at | C．turn down | D．hold back |
| A．card | B．offer | C．letter | D．essay |
| A．simple | B．smart | C．casual | D．cautious |
| A．carefully | B．nervously | C．critically | D．eventually |
| A．light | B．sound | C．fresh | D．hard |
| A．relax | B．follow | C．rescue | D．inspire |
| A．decline | B．change | C．respect | D．accept |
| A．honour | B．backpack | C．weight | D．project |
| A．publishing | B．preserving | C．exploring | D．accumulating |
| A．devoted | B．connected | C．limited | D．donated |
| A．imagine | B．report | C．embrace | D．adjust |
| A．adapt | B．refer | C．turn | D．head |
| A．heart | B．room | C．mood | D．book |
| A．anxious | B．grateful | C．ready | D．famous |
| A．design | B．hope | C．worry | D．voice |
3 . The US Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) recently asked scientists, lawyers, social scientists and other experts to consider some of these ethical dimension. To give two examples: on privacy, as we let more listening devices into our homes, how do we prevent the data they collect falling into the wrong hands through hacking (黑客) or simply being sold between companies without us receiving any money? Another example: mixed reality, including virtual reality, will become pervasive in the next few years. As we move from headsets to what the IEEE committee describes as “more delicate sensory enhancements” we will use technology to live in an illusory world in many aspects of our lives. How do we balance the rights of the individual, control over our virtual identity, and the need to live and interact on a face-to-face basis while being empowered to live rich lives in mixed reality?
There is, of course, always a tension between innovation and regulation. But it can often seem that giant steps are taken in technology with minimal public discussion. Take the self-driving car: although it may be safer than human drivers and is likely to save more than a million lives a year worldwide, it will also take jobs from drivers, traffic police, sign-makers, car-repair companies, carmakers and more. Is this a bargain we want to make? In taking that decision, have we given thought to a car that knows everywhere we go, decides routes, perhaps, based on paid advertisement from shops along the way—and listens and sees everything we do on board? What will happen to that data and can it be kept safe?
Additionally, while some worry about the uncommon “trolley problem” of whom the car should choose to hit in a strange accident—an old lady or a mother and baby—perhaps the more frequent issue will be how we find out what the algorithm (运算程序) was thinking at the time of an accident, because AIs (Artificial Intelligence) are self-learning and devise their own strategies.
Similar concerns are emerging over the internet of things. Robot vacuum-cleaners already plot cleaning cycles using computer-aided vision that, for some models, is relayed to their manufacturers. As more things at home become connected, they will be hackable and the data they collect saleable.
It’s time for some messy, democratic discussions about the future of AI.
1. Two examples in paragraph 1 are used to________.| A．shed some light on hacking in our modern life |
| B．lead the reader to think of ethical issues brought by hi-tech |
| C．lead in the following example concerning the self-driving car |
| D．list the existing problems that caught the attention of experts |
| A．intelligent | B．powerful | C．widespread | D．skillful |
| A．innovation should be accompanied by guidelines to relieve tension |
| B．more giant innovative steps will lead to fewer public discussion |
| C．disadvantages of the self-driving car will outweigh its advantages |
| D．artificial intelligence fails to have a promising and bright future |
| A．expose some underlying problems in high-technology |
| B．call on professionals to enforce law and order |
| C．illustrate AI’s abilities in self-devising and self-learning strategies |
| D．display our inter-connected computer-aided life in future |
When I was six years old, I visited my grandfather’s farm in Kansas and he sent me into the woods to gather pecans (胡桃) for us to enjoy later. The pecans were about the size of a man’s thumbnail and just about the tastiest snack I’d ever had.
However, pecan picking was really tiring and my little bucket was only half full after working hard for a long time. I thought I wouldn’t let Grandpa down. Just then something caught my eye. A large brown squirrel was a few feet away. I watched as he picked up a pecan, hurried to a tree, jumped up to the trunk and disappeared in a large hole. A moment later the squirrel popped back out and climbed down to the ground to pick up another nut. Once again, he took the pecan back to his hiding place inside the hollow of the tree.
Not so secret anymore, I thought. I dashed over to the tree and looked into the hole. It was filled with pecans! Golden pecans were right there for taking. This was my chance. Handful by handful, I scooped all of those pecans into my bucket. Now it was almost full! I was so proud of myself that I couldn’t wait to show Grandpa all the pecans.
I ran back and shouted, “Look at all the pecans!” He looked into the bucket and asked, “Well, well, how did you find so many?” I told him how I’d followed the squirrel and taken the pecans from his hiding place.
Grandpa congratulated me on how smart I’d been in observing the squirrel and his habits. Then he did something that surprised me. He handed the bucket back to me and put his arm gently around my shoulders.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
“That squirrel worked very hard to gather his winter supply of food,” he said.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
I picked up that little bucket full of pecans and carried it back to the tree.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . During a period of two months, the east coast of Florida was hit by three major hurricanes!
When we
This was the first time we had ever
Although I had been trying to plant all the right plants to
The hurricane season affected me in a very
| A．woke up | B．stood up | C．looked up | D．turned up |
| A．Generally | B．Gradually | C．Normally | D．Suddenly |
| A．garden | B．room | C．balcony | D．office |
| A．dropped | B．appeared | C．remained | D．landed |
| A．heard | B．drawn | C．seen | D．caught |
| A．color | B．name | C．shape | D．sight |
| A．symbol | B．concept | C．belief | D．wonder |
| A．attract | B．feed | C．drive | D．impress |
| A．formally | B．finally | C．regularly | D．constantly |
| A．task | B．joy | C．hope | D．plan |
| A．track | B．mind | C．view | D．shadow |
| A．common | B．casual | C．strange | D．positive |
| A．informed | B．warned | C．reminded | D．cured |
| A．message | B．hobby | C．subject | D．chance |
| A．buying | B．changing | C．receiving | D．planting |
6 . Amazing and perfectly beautiful, The Midnight Library is everything you’d expect from the genius storyteller, Matt Haig. I picked it up from our readers’ recommendations (we asked our readers to send in some of their favorite recent books) and I can see why it won Best Fiction of 2020 in the Good Reads Choice Awards.
The story follows Nora Seed, a woman who is struggling and feels like nothing in her life has gone according to plan. While the initial chapters of the book are quite sad, Nora finds herself given a chance to start over in the Midnight Library, a magical place full of books of all the different paths her life could have taken. Nora is forced to stay in the library and try out different versions of her life until she finds the life she most wants to live.
I loved the idea that no dream or fork in your road is insignificant, and that they all lead us to become different versions of ourselves. In one life, Nora is an Olympic swimmer. In another, she is a glaciologist living on a boat off the coast of Antarctica. The novel reveals in a beautiful way that the potential we all have within us is impossible to measure, and that we have the possibility to be happy in many different versions of life.
It also discusses how dangerous it can be to live your life with regrets. The Midnight Library revealed to Nora that even if you make very different choices, you may uncover a deeper appreciation for your current home and the people in your life. It is your perspective that matters.
I really loved the fantasy and magical realism in this novel, and I would love for this to be turned into a series where we get to explore The Midnight Library of other characters’ lives as well.
1. What can we know about the author of the text?| A．He should be an editor. | B．He is the friend of Matt Haig. |
| C．Magical realism books are his favorite. | D．He shares a similar experience with Nora. |
| A．A magic library. | B．The harm of regret. |
| C．The exploration of life. | D．Ways to make correct choices. |
| A．In a novel. | B．In a magazine. | C．In a history book. | D．In a biography. |
| A．To thank readers who introduced the book. | B．To honour Matt Haig, the author of the book. |
| C．To share the author’s opinions on the book. | D．To publicize the book to people who are struggling. |
Be yourself and always follow your heart. Never let anyone change who you are. This is the lesson I have learned from my childhood experience when I figured out I wasn’t invited to the party, Bridget’s party.
One morning, I got off the bus and saw my friends except me hugging under the tree where we used to stand. The circle seemed tighter as I approached；the white invitation cards being hastily stuffed into backpacks gave it away. I knew as well as the entire universe that Bridget’s party was this weekend. Bridget was the most popular girl in our class. She was thin and beautiful, always wearing fabulous clothes and fine makeup.
Why hadn’t she invited me? My feet were too big? No. Maybe. My face was broken out? Why did she invite every person in my group except me? I tried to think of any interactions I’d had with Bridget recently. A few days earlier, we’d been partners during a sixth period project. I was determined to get the project done and she was absorbed in looking at fashion magazines. She barely spoke to me except to say, “You’re so serious. You know, you should smile more."
Soon, I had overheard all the details about the party. They were going swimming. It was a sleepover. They were renting scary movies and were going to stay up all night. Each time someone mentioned the party, I smiled weakly and nodded, with my stomach in knots.
When having my favorite English class, I found myself just unable to concentrate on the short stories we were supposed to be reading in class. Maybe she didn’t invite me because of my coat. It is pretty ugly compared to some of the other girls’ coats. I should have bought another color. Maybe I should smile more but I just can’t get into smiling at people unless I know them really well. But I just couldn’t pretend to be the person I wasn’t. I felt sick.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
At lunch, my friend Kate who had been invited came over to me, trying to show off.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I was about to let it go when Bridget invited me as a substitute for a girl who couldn’t come.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
When my little brother Tom was four, Mom said something like “I’d give anything to have a few more hours in the day.” And Tom said, “Why don’t we buy a bigger clock?” If time worked that way, I could have used an extra-big clock last week!
Our teacher had asked us to make an art project showing how plants eat, “I can’t believe we only have two nights to finish it,” Noah said with a sigh. “I have no idea how I’ll get mine done.”
I didn’t say anything. Not because I was nervous—I wasn’t nervous at all. 1 love art projects! In fact, I was so relaxed that I didn’t work on the project at all on Monday night. I planned to start the minute I got home from baseball practice on Tuesday. But there was just one thing.
I forgot baseball would run later than usual because it was the day of Baseball Buddies, which happens every month, and it’s a chance for us older students to practise baseball with the adorable younger kids. The second I got home, I threw the entire craft box (手工盒) onto the kitchen table, took out my “How Plants Eat” paper, and started to work. But just then, the telephone rang.
It was my friend Ollie, who said his grandmother Abuela had just made cookies and wanted to know if I’d come help decorate them. I love decorating cookies, and I love, love, love Abucla’s world-famous Thanksgiving cookies that only happen once a year!
I had no choice. I had to go. Ollie and I put all the star cookies with red jam filling in one group, and all the snowflakes with white cream-cheese filling in another. It was 7 o'clock when I finally got home.1 planned to work on my project right after we ate. But then another interruption hit me.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Just as I was about to start, Dad said, “Joanna, it’s your turn to do the dishes.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Looking at the big “F” on my paper, I started to reflect on what I had done these days.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It was my twelfth birthday, and what I really wanted most was a new bicycle. But I knew that my family couldn’t afford one, so I settled for a bedside table with lockable drawers, a safe place to keep my private stuff.
We went to the charity shop where we found an old dark one. It didn’t look too cool, but I thought that I would paint it to make it look better.
After we took it home, I was getting ready to paint it. When I pulled the drawers out. I felt something stuck to the back. I reached in all the way, and guess what? A sealed bag with some papers in it.
When I opened the bag, I realized that the papers were official documents. And, wrapped in them were a bunch of ten and twenty dollar bills! Talk about finding a treasure! And on my birthday!
“Is this some kind of joke?” I said aloud. I went ahead and read the papers, and it turned out to be a will. Some old lady was leaving her savings for her son and grandchildren.
My mind was going crazy. Was I the luckiest twelve-year-old ever? With this money I could buy the coolest bicycle. Who knows?
I began counting. When I reached a thousand dollars, my mother was knocking on my bedroom door. I quickly closed the drawer with the money in it.
“Do you want some help? Is everything all right?” she asked.
No, everything was not right. Actually, my stomach was growling (低吼).
“I’m okay,” I lied.
When my mother left my room, I lay on my bed, starting thinking. What a dilemma (窘境)! I wished there were some one I could talk with. Could I keep it and get all kinds of stuff for me and my family? It wouldn’t be too bad for me to keep it, if I shared it...right? Thoughts ran through my mind. But I really didn’t need someone else to give me the answer.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I finally made a decision and called my parents into my bedroom.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Though surprised, the shop owner helped find the family’s telephone number.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10 . A former student of mine is now a teacher at my high school. She walked by me in the
As I reflect on this
It calls to mind a popular quote — “Let us not grow tired in doing
| A．hall | B．office | C．gallery | D．classroom |
| A．immediately | B．casually | C．rarely | D．potentially |
| A．upsets | B．pleases | C．puzzles | D．warns |
| A．catch | B．forget | C．keep | D．remember |
| A．participation | B．fortune | C．character | D．prejudice |
| A．comforted | B．thanked | C．believed | D．encountered |
| A．interaction | B．negotiation | C．decision | D．cooperation |
| A．colors | B．interests | C．words | D．tastes |
| A．confusion | B．proof | C．exercise | D．wisdom |
| A．instead of | B．because of | C．except for | D．regardless of |
| A．little | B．nothing | C．wrong | D．good |
| A．helpful | B．faithful | C．grateful | D．delightful |
| A．facing | B．questioning | C．getting | D．stealing |
| A．thrown away | B．called off | C．figured out | D．passed on |
| A．teaching | B．science | C．economy | D．communication |
