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阅读下面短文，在空白处填人1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式.

The Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. It was created thousands of years ago 1. (guide)agricultural production.

Grain in Ear(芒种)，the 2. (nine)solar term，begins on June 5 this year and signifies the ripening of wheat. Regions neat the Yangtze River 3. (be)about to enter the Plum Rains season. Plum Rains，often 4. (occur)during June and July，refer to the long period of continuous rainy or cloudy weather. It happens to be the time for plums(李子)to ripen，5.explains the origin of its name. Green plums contain a variety of natural and high-quality organic acids and are rich in minerals. 6. ，fresh plums are acerbic(酸的)and need to be boiled before serving. There was an allusion(典故)that Cao Cao and Liu Bei，two central figures in the Three Kingdoms period(AD 220—280)，talked about 7.(hero)while boiling green plums.

“An Miao”(meaning seedling protection)is a traditional farming activity of southern Anhui province that 8.(practice)since the early Ming Dynasty(1368—1644). People make different types of bread with wheat flour and color them with vegetable Juice. The bread is used 9. a sacrificial offering(祭品)to pray for a good harvest and people’s 10. (safe).

    At first，a Belgian man thought the noise coming from his outdoor planter was annoying pigeons. It ____ to be Europe’s largest owl—four of them.

One of the world’s largest owls，the Eurasian eagle owl，set up ____ in Jos Baart’s third-storey apartment planter. ____ the mother owl’s three chicks hatched，they’ve taken to watching ____ through the window with their new landlord(房东).

In video footage，the huge，fluffy chicks can be seen standing at attention in ____，eyeing the television screen ____ Baart’s shoulder.

Their ____ mom typically watches over her hatchlings from behind a bush for six to eight hours at a stretch each day，seemingly a little more ____ of Baart and her babies’TV-watching habits.

They seem to have grown ____ to each other now，but not so long ago，Baart，thought they were ____. “I thought，damn，those pigeons again，”he says. He was proven ____ one day when he arrived home and the large mother owl took ____ right in front of him. “You can see how ____ they are，”Baart says in the footage. “They’re not scared at a11. ”

Eagle owls typically nest on cliffs and ledges，but are sometimes known to ____abandoned golden eagle nests. They have no natural predators and a long lifespan of 20 years in the ____，but can live up to 60 years in captivity(圈养).

1.A.holds on B.turns out C.1ives up D.gives away

2.A.camp B.time C.business D.shop

3.A.Before B.Until C.Once D.Since

4.A.video B.footage C.games D.TV

5.A.sense B.way C.row D.hurry

6.A.over B.on C.off D.by

7.A.less-diligent B.less-friendly C.gentle D.ambitious

8.A.careless B.patient C.cautious D.sensitive

9.A.addicted B.accustomed C.attached D.opposed

10.A.annoyances B.guests C.friends D.enemies

11.A.fake B.true C.right D.wrong

12.A.fright B.flight C.care D.place

13.A.cute B.tense C.relaxed D.alert

14.A.leave behind B.stand up C.put up D.take over

15.A.region B.nest C.wild D.field

    Do you have difficulty falling asleep at night? If so, here is a piece of advice for you：listen to some soft music.

1. . This works for sleepers of all ages，and even for those with sleeping problems. Soft music can help us fall asleep faster，wake up less during the night and feel more rested in the morning. You may not notice the effects overnight，though. 2. .

Why can soft music help us sleep better?The reasons aren’t clear yet. It may have something to do with the relaxing effect of a good song. Music can have real physical effects，too. Soft music can lower our heart rate and slow down our breathing. 3. .

Scientists say that for most people，music that has 70 beats per minute works best. 4. . Familiar songs work well，too. You may need to experiment to make your own playlists. If you are not sure how many heats a song has in a minute，you can find out by entering its title into songbpm. com. And remember to get the volume right. 5.. Otherwise，you may be woken up by the sudden silence.

It is very important to get enough high-quality sleep. Before you go to bed tonight，play some soft music. Then，just prepare to be rocked off to dreamland!

A.This prepares us for sleep

B.Make sure that the final piece is one that slowly fades out

C.It would take as many as three weeks to see any improvements

D.Therelore，folk music is something that anyone can understand

E.Classical，jazz and folk music are usually more effective than other musical styles

F.Scientists have found that soft music can help to improve sleep quality and quantity

G.Music plays a more important role in our life than just being a source of entertainment

    The sixth mass extinction is not a worry for the future. It’s happening now，much faster than previously expected，and it's entirely our fault，according to a study puhlished Mooday.

Humans have already wiped out hundreds of species and pushed many more to the brink of extinction through wildlife trade，pollution，habitat loss and the use of toxic substances. The findings published in the scientific Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences( PNAS)show that the rate at which species are dying out has accelerated in recent decades.

Gerardo Ceballos González，a professor of ecology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and one of the authors of the study，said approximately 173 species went extinct between 2001 and 2014. “173 species is 25 times more extinct species than you would expect under the normal extinction rate. ”he told CNN in an email. He and his team found that in the past 100 years，more than 400 vertebrate(脊椎动物的)species went extinct. In the normal course of evolution，such extinctions would have taken up to 10，000 years，they said.

Mass extinctions are just as severe as their name suggests. There have been five mass extinction events in the Earth’s history，each wiping out between 70％and 95％of the species of plants，animals and microorganisms. The most recent，66 million years ago，saw dinosaurs disappear. The past events were caused by catastrophic changes of the environment，including massive volcanic eruptions or collision with an asteroid.

The sixth mass extinction the one happening now—is different：scientists say it’s caused by humans. The researchers also said the current coronavirus(冠状病毒)crisis shows people’s recklessness(鲁莽)towards nature can seriously hurt themselves. Many endangered species are dying in large numbers due to the trade in wild animals and plants.

1.What does the underlined word“toxic”in Para. 2 mean?

A.Poisonous B.Useful

C.Alternative D.Environment-friendly

2.How does the writer convince readers of the seriousness of the mass extinctions?

A.By listing reliable statistics.

B.By imagining a picture of the extinctions.

C.By mentioning some news from CNN.

D.By explaining the history of the extinctions.

3.What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A.To tell the difference between the fifth and sixth extinction.

B.To explain the cause of the coronavirus crisis.

C.To warn humans to get rid of their wrong actions.

D.To show the writer’s concern about the endangered species.

4.What does this article mainly talk about?

A.The changes of the environment do harm to wildlife.

B.The sixth mass extinction is much faster than expected.

C.Mass extinctions are just as severe as their name suggests.

D.The current coronavirus has arisen from the illegal trade.

    For the most part, American children aren’t great at math. But Chinese children tend to be excellent. It’s consistently found Chinese students at the top of the academic pile and Americans much nearer the bottom.

In Lenora Chu’s book “Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School”, she begins to reveal the cultural differences that lead to this gap. The differences she notices in children’s focus and discipline are dramatic, but she also notices cultural differences that influence how Chinese schools are run, and the reason why its students test so well. Along with factors such as highly trained teachers and an emphasis on memorizing before pursuing deeper understanding, the difference comes down to a belief that has begun slowly making its way across the US: achievement is the result of hard work, not natural ability.

This approach comes from a firm belief that anything is possible with hard work, with chiku, or “eating bitter”. Studies show that for kids who score poorly. Chinese teachers believe a lack of effort—rather than of smarts — is to blame.

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, author of “Mindset (心态)”, is responsible for making up the terms “growth mindset” and “fixed mindset”. Chinese students are trained to have a growth mindset: if they aren’t doing well, they’11 work harder, and they’ll be successful. American children tend to be trained to have a fixed mindset about academics: their abilities are largely predetermined and static. If they aren’t doing well, it’s because they’re not good at it.

In America students are told that learning is fun and easy. But real learning is actually very difficult and takes suffering and anxiety. If you’re not willing to go through that you’re not going to learn deeply. The downside is these students often give up when something gets hard or when it’s no longer fun.

1.According to Lenora Chu, what contributes most to the Chinese students’excellent academic performance?

A.School operation model. B.The emphasis on memorizing.

C.High-qualified teachers. D.Chinese culture.

2.According to Chinese teachers, students failing an exam are______.

A.lazy B.slow

C.unfocused D.foolish

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to Carol Dweck’s theory?

A.A majority of Chinese students are born excellent learners.

B.American students tend to believe learning ability is genetically determined.

C.Amerlcan students should choose a Chinese school to achieve success.

D.American students are lacking in a fixed mindset, compared to Chinese students.

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A.Students should study in a fun way.

B.American students are always anxious about their study.

C.American students have no difficulty in learning deeply.

D.Diligence plays an essential part in learning.