My family and I never talked about school as the ticket to a future. I was in the classrooms, but I wasn’t there to learn to write, read or even speak. When it was my turn to read, I wanted to hide. I was 13 years old, but I already hated being who I was.

I had an English teacher, Mr. Creech, who knew I couldn’t read. In one of my first lessons the teacher said that anyone who had a reading age below six had to stand up. I felt so embarrassed. But at the same time, it made me realize that I needed to change the situation. I was determined it wouldn’t happen again. Later that day, Mr. Creech encouraged me and promised he would try his best to help me learn to read. From then on, I never gave up practicing reading.

Now I was 41 years old. One day, I planned to fly back to Texas to visit my friends and family. On my way from the airport, I saw Mr. Creech buying himself a drink. I rushed over and reached into my pocket to pay for him. “Do I know you?” he asked. “Yes, sir, you do know me,” I answered excitedly. “My name is Anthony Hamilton. You taught me English.” The look on his face told me that he remembered the boy he’d once encouraged.

“I’m so glad I had a chance to see you,” I said. “And Mr. Creech, I have great news to share.” I told him I had learned to read. But that wasn’t all. I had become a published author and an active speaker. “The next time you get another Anthony Hamilton in your classroom, please encourage him to read as well,” I added.

The experts say what once worried me has a name: dyslexia (诵读困难症). But I can tell you it was a lack of desire for education.

1.Why did the author want to hide?

A.Because he felt sorry for himself. B.Because he hated being laughed at.

C.Because he couldn’t read at all. D.Because he didn’t have a ticket.

2.Which of the following could best describe Mr. Creech?

A.Considerate and dutiful. B.Demanding and enthusiastic.

C.Emotional and dedicated. D.Friendly and ambitious.

3.Why couldn’t the author read before meeting Mr.Creech?

A.Because his reading age was not long enough.

B.Because his parents didn’t teach him how to read.

C.Because he was afraid of reading before the class.

D.Because he didn’t have inner driving force to learn to read.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A.Mr. Creech taught two students called Anthony Hamilton.

B.The author had become a published author and an active speaker.

C.Dyslexia was the underlying reason that made the author unable to read.

D.The author was grateful to Mr. Creech.

    Recently, a group of scientists decided to find out what the funniest joke in the world was. This was obviously a difficult task, as no two people really agree about what is funny and what is not—especially when they are from different countries.

Here is the joke which the experts decided was the funniest joke in the world：

Two hunters were out in the woods. One of them fell to the ground. He didn’t seem to be breathing; his eyes were closed. The other hunter took out his mobile phone and called the emergency services.

“My friend is dead!” he cried to the operator. “What can I do？”The operator said，“Don’t worry. First, make sure he’s dead.” There was a silence, and then a shot was heard. Bang! The hunter’s voice came back on the line. He said, “OK, now what?”

This is perhaps amusing. Culturally, it depends on us knowing that often hunters are not considered to be very intelligent people, and that often they are quite violent. But perhaps this is not so all over the world. It’s also quite a “black” joke—a joke about something which isn’t really a funny subject. The experts also found the second funniest joke in the world. Here it is：

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After dinner, they went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes woke up. “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.” “I see millions of stars, Holmes,” replied Watson.

“And what do you infer from that? ”

“Well, there are billions of stars ... we are a small part of the universe ...”

“Watson, you idiot!” he said. “Someone has stolen our tent!” I personally think this is better.

Can scientists in the end decide what is funny? Some things are much too complicated, even for scientists.

1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A.Few jokes can make scientists laugh.

B.Only scientists can find out the funniest joke.

C.There are different jokes in different countries.

D.People hold different opinions about what is funny.

2.What does the author think of the first joke?

A.It is not so funny as the experts thought.

B.It is really the funniest joke he has ever heard.

C.It can greatly affect readers’ attitudes toward hunters.

D.It shows that not all hunters are brave and intelligent.

3.We can learn that a person’s understanding of a joke can be affected by ________.

A.the reader’s feeling B.the length of the joke

C.the reader’s cultural background D.the language that the teller uses

4.Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

A.Uninteresting jokes B.Different kinds of jokes

C.The funniest jokes in the world D.Tips on how to make others laugh

    Foods to Eat to Burn More Calories

WATERMELON

Watermelon is brimming with B vitamins which boost your energy levels and curb your need to munch on an extra snack. A cup of diced watermelon contains 46 calories and virtually no fat. Watermelon is a rich source of potassium, dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, magnesium, vitamin C, and iron.

Watermelon is one of powerful foods to eat to burn more calories. Watermelon is also high in lycopene, the antioxidant that lower your risk of macular degeneration, heart disease, and cancer. With 90 percent water, watermelon is filling you up but are not filling you out. Enjoy fresh watermelon juice, smoothie, or use it any summer fruit salad you like.

GRAPEFRUIT

Grapefruits speed up your metabolism and help burn a lot of calories. This fruit will help feel full faster and longer. According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database, one half of a grapefruit contains around 53 calories. Moreover, grapefruit is rich in fiber that may help stabilize your blood glucose levels. You can add grapefruit to your fruit salad, smoothies or drink a grapefruit juice.

CELERY

The secret of celery is very simple： it contains less calories and helps burn more than you eat. Celery mostly consists of water and that's why it is good as a part of a balanced diet

However, this food is not suitable for celery diet only as your body won't get the necessary minerals and nutrients. So the best decision will be to combine it with some other foods.

WHOLE GRAINS

Studies show that whole grains are healthier than refined grains and that they lower the risk of getting a chronic disease. This type of grains is also a good part of a diet as it takes more time to digest and you won't get hungry for a longer period of time. Whole grains are rich in various vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates but low in fat.

GREEN TEA

Rich in antioxidants green tea boosts your metabolism and helps lose weight, which is just fantastic for ladies, isn't it? Simply enjoy a cup of hot fragrant green tea and do a great favor to your body.

1.To balance blood glucose levels, you'd better take            in regularly.

A.green tea B.whole grains

C.watermelon D.grapefruit

2.From the passage we can know that _______.

A.grapefruit contains more calories than watermelon.

B.whole grains are healthier because they contain more water and various minerals.

C.both grapefruit and green tea can help speed up metabolism for those who are eager to lose weight.

D.having celery diet before a cup of green tea can help get enough nutrients to lose weight.

3.Which column can we read this passage in the newspaper?

A.Book Review B.Health

C.Entertainment D.Learning Kit

假定你是李华，你校交换生David对兵马俑十分着迷。请你写封邮件邀请他聆听一场有关兵马俑的讲座，要点包括:

1.时间、地点；

2.主讲人；

3.主题及内容。

注意：

1.词数80左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：兵马俑terracotta warriors

Dear David,

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

阅读下面短文，根据所给情节，使之构成一个完整的故事。

Mr. Ellet gave George a bright silver dollar for a New-year gift . Little George thought of all the fine things he might buy with it. The ground was all covered with snow; but the sun shone out bright, and everything looked beautiful. So he put on his hat , and ran out of home. As he went skipping along, he met some boys throwing snowballs. George soon engaged in the sport, He sent a ball at James Mason, but it missed him, and broke a window on the other side of the street. George feared someone would come out of the house and find him. So he ran off as fast as he could. As soon as he got round the next corner, George stopped, because be was very sorry for what he had done. He said to himself, “I have no right to spend my silver dollar, now. I ought to go back, and pay for the glass I broke with my snowball. I will go and pay for it. If it takes all my money, I will try not to be sorry. I do not think the man will hurt me if I pay for the what I have done.”

He went up and down the street, and felt very sad. He wished very much to buy something nice. He also wished to pay for the broken glass. At last he said, “It was wrong to break the window, though I did not mean to do it. It is only fair to pay the gentleman for his loss” George started off, and felt much happier for having made up his mind to do what was right. He rang the doorbell. When a gentleman came out, George said, “Sir, I threw a snowball through your window. But I did not intend to do it. I am very sorry, and wish to pay you. Here is the dollar my father gave me as a New Year gift.” The gentleman took the dollar, and asked George if he had no more money. George said he had not.

注意：

1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；

2.应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键字语；

3.续写部分分为两段，每段开头语已为你写好；

4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键字语。

Paragraph l: 

So, after asking George his name, and where he lived, the gentleman called him an honest boy, and shut the door, 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2:

George very honestly told his father all about the broken window. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Not long ago, Linda was sting by a hospital bed in Houston, Beside her _______ her 88-yearold father. His heart was _______ It needed surgery. What _______ her as much as his heath was that all day the two of them bad _______ in nothing but depressing small talks. They had always had good _______. But now he seemed to be _______ with the hospital, talking about the disappointing food, the _______ tests, and the demanding doctors. His once wide-ranging _______ seemed to have been limited to the size of the room. “It is really _______  to sit with a person in a hospital” Linda said. One day, something __________ the eye. It was a book that some friend had __________ as a gift. Her father had always been a __________ but lately he didn't have the energy or focus to read. She __________ the book and started to read it out loud. “ __________ it changed the atmosphere and __________”she said. That afternoon, Linda read to her father for an hour. It was a __________ and a pleasure for both of them. Reading gave the daughter away to __________ with her father and help him in a situation that was otherwise out of her __________. Listening allowed the father to __________ on the sound of her voice out of the hospital and back to the intellectual engagement.

“When I was a kid, he would read to me, it became opportunities to repay a debt of __________ “Linda said.

1.A.lay B.followed C.stood D.waited

2.A.breaking B.beating C.weakening D.recovering

3.A.troubled B.attracted C.astonished D.moved

4.A.believed B.taken C.joined D.engaged

5.A.relationship B.conversations C.friends D.manners

6.A.dissatisfied B.careful C.popular D.generous

7.A.impressive B.simple C.practical D.endless

8.A.collections B.interests C.diets D.visitors

9.A.traditional B.enjoyable C.hard D.worthwhile

10.A.covered B.met C.blinded D.rolled

11.A.accepted B.held C.read D.brought

12.A.patient B.reader C.listener D.doctor

13.A.picked up B.looked up C.put up D.made up

14.A.Usually B.Generally C.Immediately D.Occasionally

15.A.habit B.idea C.surroundings D.mood

16.A.challenge B.relief C.talent D.pity

17.A.connect B.agree C.chat D.live

18.A.mind B.sight C.hands D.heart

19.A.travel B.reflect C.call D.put

20.A.honor B.money C.service D.gratitude

When Chinese researchers successfully figured out the genetic structure of the novel coronavirus in January, many people thought a vaccine(疫苗) would soon follow.  1.  

First, scientists must work together to understand the structure of the virus and develop potential vaccines to fight against it.  2.  After passing animal tasting, clinical trials of the vaccine are then done on humans. Finally the vaccine needs to be approved by officials before it can be made available to the public. All of the steps are necessary to make sure that the new vaccine is safe for people to use.  3.  With technological advancements and government funding (资金), the time it takes to develop vaccines can be reduce.

CEPI, an international organization that develops vaccine, for example, is funding programs that focus on making a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. About 35 companies and academic institutions, including the US company Moderna, funded by CEPI, are searching for a COVID-19 vaccine.  4.  Once a vaccine is ready, 100 million doses (剂量) could be made within a year, according to Modena’s CEO Stephane Bancel.

 5.  Not only do they help to save individual lives, but they also help the local and even the global community.

A.This is why a vaccine is developed.

B.But that’s a lot easier said than done.

C.However, experts say vaccines are unlikely to be available

D.Once these first vaccines are made, they are tested on animals.

E.Sometimes, this process can take as long as 10 to 15 years to complete.

F.Even though vaccines take a long time to develop, they are very important.

G.A few have begun testing in animals, while Moderna’s attempt has started human trials.

    Implanted (植入的) devices, such as heart pacemakers, are a valuable part of modern medicine. Their use, however, is limited by the need to renew their batteries and this is a particular problem for those inside the wearer’s head. Therefore, a way to power such implants without replacing their batteries at all would thus be welcome. And Dr Hyuck Choo and his colleagues think they have one. They plan to collect the necessary energy from the vibrations(震动) that occur when someone is talking.

DrChoo’s power plants are small sheets of lead zirconate titanate, a material that produces electricity when it vibrates. He knew that sheets of the size he chose have a resonance (共振) at around 690Hz. This is well above the normal range of the human voice. Using larger sheets would lower the resonance frequency. So he sought to lower a sheet's resonance frequency without increasing its area by caring a special shape out of it. And it worked!

When Dr Choo and his colleagues tested the carved sheets by exposing them to a range of frequencies and monitoring the amount of electricity generated, they found that the voltage was between 100Hz and 120Hz (approximately the common frequencies of adult male vices), and also between 200Hz and 250Hz (the female voice s common frequencies). And, although the amount of power produced is not huge, it seems adequate for the task.

As Dr Choo reported at a conference on January 26, he and his team were able to harvest a tenth of a mill watt per square centimetre of lead zirconate titanate from the voice of a man talking at 70 decibels (分贝), which is normal speaking volume, and tents from someone shouting at 100 decibels Implants usually require a tenth of a mill watt or less to function so this suggests a practical device might be within reach-especially as the vibrations produced by the voice travel efficiently up through the skull, meaning the generator could be put into an implant.

1.What limits the use of implanted devices?

A.The shape of the devices. B.The effect of the vibrations.

C.The need for continuous power. D.The difficulty in producing the battery

2.What problem did Dr Choo have to solve in Paragraph 2?

A.To renew the batteries of the implants.

B.To make the resonance above the human voice.

C.To pick out suitable material for his power plants.

D.To ensure the resonance of the sheets fit in with the human voice.

3.What does “the task” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A.Exposing the sheet to sounds. B.Powering the implanted devices.

C.Lowering a sheet's resonance frequency. D.Monitoring the electricity produced.

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A.The voice powered device is likely to be available.

B.A man has to shout loudly when using the device.

C.The device will be put into production after the conference.

D.The generator should be put into the skull when used.

    Robert has never had an art lesson or even visited a museum in fact. he has spent a good part of his life mopping floors. But when he began painting on canvas (帆布) at age 60—after years of sketching (素描) people on the subway -he knew he had found his passion. “I was very lonely” he said, “It made me feel good to create something beautiful.”

Now, Robert, 75, is debuting (首秀) his collection of colorful scenes and landscape at New York City’s Outsider Art Fair, the premier showcase for self-taught artist. “It feels great to say I am an artist. I was always told that I didn’t have any talent. I became something from nothing.” adds Robert.

Abandoned by his parents to an orphanage at age 7, Robert was on his own by the time he was 15, working the counter at a Schrafft’s restaurant in Manhattan and street-bustling for money on the side. At Scharafft’s, one of his regular customers was a former school teacher Marian O’Conner, who taught him to read and later left him enough money to buy a modest apartment. “She told me someday I would be something,” said Robert, who considered O’Conner his second mother. “So I kept going.” In 2009 artist Daniel Belardineli discovered Robert’s work on the walls of the town hall and arranged his first art show. “It was like a left blow,” he said, “I saw these raw drawings that jumped out with emotion.” Whatever comes next, for Robert it has all been worth it. “I have had a lot of hard times,” said Robert, “But my art kept me going. Good thing happen to those who wait.”

1.Why did Robert begin painting on canvas?

A.He was inspired by an art museum.

B.He was told that he was talented in painting.

C.He felt passionate about painting beauty in life.

D.He was invited to the New York City’s Outsider Art Fair.

2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A.He lived up to the expectation. B.He knew nothing about painting.

C.He rose to fame from an unknown. D.He had no trouble becoming famous.

3.According to Daniel Belardineli, Robert’s painting is probably____.

A.subtle and life-like B.dull but meaningful

C.healing and peaceful D.primitive but powerful

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A.A natural born artist B.A lonely orphan

C.A caring teacher D.A lucky dog

    If you are traveling abroad, whether for business or pleasure, sooner or later you will find yourself in a local restaurant. The following dos and don’ts may help you behave properly in different countries.

France

“People don’t only insist on outstanding food and fine wine--they also set great store by good manners for eating at least in up-market restaurants,”. says Stephane Calmeyn. The French are old-fashioned about paying the bill to. “Women are often given a menu with no topics.” says Calmeyn.

Brazil

“In many restaurants, the bill is already equally divided by the number of people in your party.” Brazilian people traditionally keep track of how much they owe. “You collect your empty bottles under or next to the table, so that you can simply count them up at the end of the night” says Zampil.

Norway

In Norway it is perfectly acceptable to lean across someone to get the salt, pepper or butter “We call it Norwegian arms. The custom means you aren’t constantly troubling other guests to pass you this or that.” explains Carina Mælen. Another thing you are allowed to do is toast with an empty glass. “Because a toast is considered a symbolic action, and there is no need to always wait until every last person has filled their glass.” says Mælen.

Argentina

You won’t catch people sharing a table with strangers in an Argentinian restaurant, “They expect to be free from strangers’ attention.” says Daniel Weigandt. Invited to a friend’s home for dinner? “Whatever you do, don’t be early or even punctual. Ideally you should get there 10 to 15 minutes late!”

1.What is traditional about dining in France?

A.The bill is often equally divided. B.Gentlemen usually settle the bill.

C.Customers collet their empty bottles. D.People make a toast with empty glasses.

2.Why do people have Norwegian arms at table?

A.They prefer not to bother others. B.They consider it as a symbolic action.

C.They can’t wait to fill their gasses. D.They would like someone to pass the sauce.

3.Which of the following countries values privacy most?

A.Brazil. B.France. C.Norway. D.Argentina.

4.What is the purpose of the text?

A.To offer travelling tips to visitors. B.To introduce different table manners.

C.To encourage people to eat heathy food. D.To recommend restaurants in some countries.