When Joy Warren’s husband of 50 years passed away, her confidence took a knock. Meeting new people and joining in again socially was a frightening thought. Fortunately, just doors away were friendly neighbours Janet and Michael Porter, who knocked on her door and invited her to join them at a local friendship group event.

And it all started from there, explained Joy, 75, “I’ve never been the type to sit still, so despite the fact that I was still sad for Graham, I knew I had to get out and socialise again, but it was difficult to know where to start. That knock on the door was the encouragement I needed.”

From that first neighbourly invitation, Janet and Michael have been there for Joy, inviting her along to take part in regular Oddfellows social events.

She continued, “They made sure I was never alone for too long, and if I didn’t fancy coming with them, there was never any pressure, just a gentle reminder that they were always there. I joined them at all sorts of group meetings and events, from visiting the local dogs’ home to having a catch up at the monthly coffee morning. I signed up to the Oddfellows as a result of the wonderful new friends I made there.”

Joy also found that after losing her husband, she was alone in making decisions about her home and finances, often struggling with what needed to be done.

She added, “Graham used to take care of all that, so it’s been tough for me to figure out what the right thing to do is sometimes. The Oddfellows was a huge help with this as they have a Citizen’s Advice Line for members, which has got me through some complicated times.”

1.How did Joy Warren feel when Graham left her?

A.She was too sad to see anyone.

B.She couldn’t wait to meet new friends.

C.She had no idea how to mix with others.

D.She felt it easy to handle daily affairs by herself.

2.What did Joy Warren do after the first invitation of Janet and Michael Porter?

A.Paying visits to the local nursing home.

B.Making decisions about what needed to be done.

C.Having a get-together at the weekly coffee morning.

D.Participating in Oddfellows activities on a regular basis.

3.How did Joy Warren deal with some complex problems?

A.She worked them out on her own.

B.She relied on her children for advice.

C.She ignored them and escaped from reality.

D.She sought help from Oddfellows’ Citizen’s Advice Line.

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A.Oddfellows, Colorful Social Events

B.Hanging Out With Friendly Neighbors

C.A Neighborly Knock To Cure Loneliness

D.A Friendly Invitation From Lovely Neighbors

    We are delighted to announce that from Monday 17th August, Holker Gardens will once again be open!

Available on our website, tickets are timed (计时) on arrival to ensure everyone can enjoy the wonders of our gardens while maintaining proper self-distancing measures. The time item tells you when to enter the gardens. Please book them in advance.

The gardens will present themselves in a most unusual and unique condition due to a number of factors including the hot weather over recent months and the focus by our team to preserve and protect our national treasures.

Alongside our gardens there will be a simple take-away service available from our cafe offering hot & cold drinks, our famous home-made scones, a selection of tray bakes and freshly made sandwiches. Everything will be served in bio-degradable (可降解的) disposables so you can enjoy what we offer right across the grounds.

We are taking every precaution (预防措施) to ensure both the safety of you and of our staff.

Before we open the gates we will have:

• Deep cleaned each open area

• Clearly placed distancing markers around where needed

• Fixed hand washing and/or hand sanitizer stations (洗手液台) around the site

• Provided our staff members with the appropriate PPE (个人防护装备)

• Timed tickets on our website

• Moved to contactless/card payments only

In return, we need some support from you:

• Please stick to the 2 metre social distancing guidance throughout your visit

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds after using the facilities (设备)

• Make use of the hand wash and hand sanitizer stations across the site

1.What do we know about the tickets to Holker Gardens?

A.They must be purchased on the spot.

B.They show the exact time to enter the gardens.

C.They are presented in a unique and unusual condition.

D.They are heavily discounted on the opening day.

2.Which one can’t be put into the same category according to the passage?

A.Home-made scones. B.Tray bakes.

C.Freshly made sandwiches. D.Bio-degradable disposables.

3.What are visitors to Holker Gardens expected to do during visits?

A.Make all your payments by cash.

B.Wear the appropriate PPE all the time.

C.Stay one meter away from each other.

D.Clean hands for a while after using the facilities.

阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

When Edith heard there was a competition to invent a brand-new machine, she longed to enter. Her idol (偶像), the famous inventor Mathew, was going to be the judge! Edith planned and worked on her invention every day after school. Finally, a huge light-up music box was finished—just in time for the competition. She was sure it would win first prize. Everyone would certainly be amazed when the lights shone and the music began to play.

However, when Edith slowly turned the handle (手柄), nothing happened. The machine needed more power.

Edith turned the handle faster, but no matter how quickly she went, she couldn’t get more than a flash from the lights. There was no way this would win and she had run out of time to fix it.

On the competition night, Edith went to the town hall with a heavy heart. She set up her music machine, feeling like a failure.

Mathew burst through the doors on his bike, whose pedals (脚踏板) gave off light. Everyone cheered excitedly. He got off the bike and walked around the rooms to see the inventions on show. Edith was nervous as he came over. “Can you tell me about your machine?” he asked. “It is a music machine that lights up.” Edith said in a low voice. Mathew clapped happily. “Amazing! Show me how it works.”

Edith turned the handle faster than she’d ever managed before. Terrible slow music started and the lights flashed on and off. Someone nearby laughed. Edith’s cheeks turned red. “Don’t worry.” Mathew smiled, “All my inventions went wrong when I was younger. You mustn’t give up.” Hiding behind the machine, Edith couldn’t wait for the competition to end.

The judging had almost finished when suddenly the lights of the hall went out. No one could get the lights to work and the competition couldn’t carry on. Edith thought for a moment. If only she were stronger, she could have turned the handle of her machine faster and lit up the room. In the dark, Edith could just see Mathew climbing onto his bike, with his pedals glimmering (发出微光).

注意：

1. 所续写短文的词数应为 100 左右；

2. 应使用 5 个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；

3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；

4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。

Paragraph 1:

“Don’t go!” Edith shouted, “I know how to light up the room!”

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Paragraph 2:

Everyone jumped with joy as light and music from the machine filled the room.

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假定你是李华，得知你的英国朋友 Tony 打算举办一个主题为“Moving Moments”的图片展，请根据所给图片写一封邮件，内容包括：

1. 图片场景；

2. 选择理由。

注意：

1.词数80左 右 ；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

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    During my childhood, I had many favorites—my favorite show, song, and my favorite fruit, the watermelon. Because I loved it so much, I was _______ to grow my own. When I told my mother, she _______. She told me it   would never grow, yet I _______ to believe her.

Lacking my mother's _______, I turned to my grandmother. "Jeanne, if you don't run after your dreams, they’ll fly away." She spoke to my heart, _______ me. I became focused on my task, happily _______ over my watermelon   field. I dried seeds and then _______ them in the earth behind my home. Day after day, I watered and _______ the  soil for any signs of growth, and day after day, I was _______. My grandmother encouraged me, "In today's world, your _______ is the one thing no one can take away."

Then, just as I was about to _______, a plant appeared from the ground. I tracked its growth by the minute, _______ every inch it grew. But my mother _______ announced, “We’re moving elsewhere.”

The next year, I was _______ that back in my old home, another child was eating my home-grown watermelon.  But now, as an adult, I _______ that in terrible weather, even with my continuous _______, no plant could grow into a  melon. However, when I was a child, believing was enough.

In _______ the mystery of a person's life, childhood stands as the key to its secrets. _______ my childhood, I realize  my grandmother makes a _______ to my life. She taught me, "If you _______ for your dreams, they can come true." She taught me to believe in “watermelons”.

1.A.brave B.lucky C.satisfied D.determined

2.A.cried B.nodded C.laughed D.yawned

3.A.hoped B.refused C.planned D.decided

4.A.mercy B.support C.promise D.comfort

5.A.amusing B.fooling C.inspiring D.threatening

6.A.slaving B.playing C.wandering D.harvesting

7.A.hid B.threw C.planted D.stepped

8.A.dug B.checked C.loosened D.fertilized

9.A.excited B.relaxed C.ashamed D.disappointed

10.A.dream B.power C.ability D.freedom

11.A.give up B.show off C.pass out D.hang around

12.A.cutting B.recording C.hugging D.pulling

13.A.finally B.proudly C.jokingly D.unexpectedly

14.A.upset B.pleased C.convinced D.impressed

15.A.recall B.realize C.explain D.remember

16.A.care B.report C.argument D.movement

17.A.ending B.holding C.creating D.unlocking

18.A.Making up for B.Breaking away from C.Looking back on D.Putting up with

19.A.journey B.complaint C.reference D.difference

20.A.reach B.ask C.wait D.beg

    Which came first, the chicken or the egg? 1. Philosophers used it as an excuse to argue about cause and effect. What's more, it’s what is known as a paradox—a situation or statement that appears to present contrary facts, both of which can logically be true.

Some might say the chicken came first, since you can’t have an egg without a chicken to lay it. But others might argue the egg came first, since all chickens begin life inside of an egg. A paradox, right? 2. “It’s pretty easy to understand,” said Jasmina Wiemann, a scientist at Yale University. “The egg is much older, evolutionarily(进化地) , than the chicken.”

Chickens, as we all know, probably became domesticated (驯养) about 10,000 years ago. 3. These animals are known as jungle fowl or Gallus.

4. Dinosaurs, birds, reptiles and even mammals that lay eggs evolved about 300 million years ago, Wiemann said. This pushes the origins of the egg back even further.

By the way, if you thought it strange to see mammals are put into a group with egg-laying animals, you should know that egg-laying is part of our evolutionary history. And female humans today still produce eggs through a process called ovulation. The soft eggs without shell stay inside of humans. 5.

A.Eggs existed even long before this.

B.This question has its roots in ancient Greece.

C.The answer remains mysterious even if you ask a specialist.

D.Eatable eggs came into being hundreds of millions of years ago.

E.The answer is rather simple if you talk to an ancient expert about it.

F.But the animals that they developed from date back to 21 million years ago.

G.Even stranger, some mammals still reproduce by laying eggs that survive outside the body.

    When I'm surfing the Web, I want to be attracted by articles on Europe's political history, but I end up reading trivia (琐事) such as a menu from a Michelin restaurant. Why am I not curious about the things I want to be curious about? Curiosity feels as if it's outside your control, but if you understand what causes curiosity, you might be able to direct it a little bit better.

Humans will give up the known benefit to explore the unknown. In one experiment, subjects were asked to choose one of four photos, each carrying some chance of paying a cash prize. Photos appeared again and again, so subjects learned to pick the best-paying. But when a novel photo appeared, they chose it quite more often. This preference for novelty is the reason why producers regularly change product packaging and advertising.

We're super curious when we sense that the environment offers new information to add to what we already know. Note that your brain calculates what you might learn in the short-term—your long-term interests are ignored. That' s why a cardiac surgeon (心脏外科医生) who is excited about her job will find a conference presentation on the operation boring if her brain decides that the talk won't add to her knowledge. However, when her friend persuades her to attend a lecture on arts, her brain may calculate that this will be a rich source of information—and she finds herself interested.

Why not just search for topics you truly want to learn about at present? That sounds logical, but a search for a topic like "universe" will lead to thousands of results. And there is no way of knowing which offers the just-right match to your present knowledge that will maintain (维持) your curiosity. You'll probably end up like the surgeon at the boring conference talk.

Albert Einstein advised a young student to "never lose a holy curiosity." But the challenge is changing its focus from something short-lived to something more lasting.

1.What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A.It seems difficult to control our curiosity.

B.It's no hard task to fully understand curiosity.

C.Trivia can always attract everyone's attention.

D.Europe's political history is too boring to focus on.

2.Why does the cardiac surgeon find attending the art lecture interesting?

A.She is tired of her present job.

B.She often attends art exhibition.

C.She finds it can expand her knowledge.

D.She considers it does good to her work.

3.What can we learn from this text?

A.Subjects were more likely to choose repeated photos.

B.Well-matched results offer no way to maintain our curiosity.

C.Einstein suggested it was challenging to awaken the short-term curiosity.

D.Keeping our curiosity focused on the long-term interests is quite an effort.

    Soft cries came from the back seat about halfway through road trip home. Allison heard her 2-year-old daughter’s voice asking: “Ruff? Ruff?” She suddenly realized her daughter’s favorite toy dog, Ruff, had been left behind at the Doubletree, a hotel in the capital. Allison said she felt terrible about forgetting her daughter Juniper’s comfort companion. As soon as the family unloaded the car that night, she called the hotel and learned that Ruff was in the lost-and-found and would be mailed to them in a day or two.

Three days later, a box arrived at the Allison’s home addressed to Juniper. Inside, next to Ruff, she found a tin of cookies, a note and some photos, which showed how Juniper’s toy dog had spent her solo vacation at the Doubletree. “Dear Juniper,” the note read, “thanks for letting us borrow Ruff for a day! Don’t worry, she didn’t work hard and we gave her plenty of playtime! Hope you and Ruff visit us again soon! Love, Doubletree Team.” The funny photos were taken by front-desk clerk Maria. The photos showed her talking on the phone, using a computer, hanging out at the hotel swimming pool and sleeping in the middle of a king-size bed.

“Juniper couldn’t stop laughing as she looked at the photos,” said Allison, who runs a photography business. “The love and care they put into doing this is unbelievable. A lot of times, when kids lose their toys or toy animals at a hotel, they might never see them again.”

She decided to write a post about the hotel’s kind deed on the Internet. She included photos she had taken of Juniper after she was reunited with her dog. “I wanted to do something to cheer people up during the pandemic (疫情), and it seems to have worked,” she said. “People started sharing it almost immediately.”

1.When did Allison find Ruff missing?

A.Half way to the hotel. B.On the way home.

C.When she called the Doubletree. D.After she unloaded the car.

2.What does the underlined word “her” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A.Juniper. B.Allison. C.Maria. D.Ruff.

3.Why did Allison write the post on the Internet?

A.To thank the clerk at the Doubletree.

B.To advertise her photography business.

C.To make people happy during the pandemic.

D.To share the photos of Juniper with the toy dog.

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A.A Lost Toy Dog B.A Warm-hearted Clerk

C.An Unbelievable Post D.A Careless Mother

    For 65 years, Women of Achievement has been shining a spotlight on the outstanding women. Here are 4 out of 10 finalists in 2020.

Susan Katzman

After a 36-year career with Saint Louis Public Schools, Susan Katzman has aimed at improving lives around. She co-founded the CORO Women in Leadership Alumnae program, an effort for program graduates to continue the work in the community on behalf of women. “My final goal is to make sure that there are fair opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender (性别) or race,” Katzman says.

Sherrill Jackson

After defeating her breast cancer (乳腺癌), Sherrill Jackson co-founded the Breakfast Club, Inc., an African American breast cancer support group now in its 22nd year. “Our task is to provide education, awareness, resources and support for our community about breast cancer and its prevention,” Jackson says.

Jennifer Hillman

The past 20 years, Hillman has focused on charity work—providing support in areas of education, health care, and local businesses. In 2015, Hillman set up the Hillman Scholars program for high school students. She is far more creative to organize the program not only providing funding for students, but also filled with special events and networking opportunities.

Carlene Davis

For 37 years, Carlene Davis has developed her days to teaching children from kindergarten to eighth grade. An operation, though, resulted in Davis’ retirement (退休). However, she never stops. After Davis got to feel better, she continued to teach fourth-graders at Montessori Schools and also began volunteering for American Association of Retired Persons.

1.Who is the co-founder of the CORO Women in Leadership Alumnae program?

A.Susan Katzman.

B.Sherrill Jackson.

C.Jennifer Hillman.

D.Carlene Davis.

2.What do we know about Jennifer Hillman?

A.She fights for gender equality.

B.She started a charity program.

C.She enjoyed teaching children.

D.She suffered from breast cancer.

3.What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?

A.They are truly creative. B.They are highly educated.

C.They work for a better society. D.They open up fair opportunities.

假定你是李华，上个星期你去一家动物园游玩，发现有些游客偷偷触摸大熊猫甚至有些游客给大熊猫投食。请你就此给该动物园的负责人Mr. Charles写一封邮件，内容包括：

1. 自我介绍；

2. 反映情况；

3. 希望园方加强监管，阻制伤害动物的行为。

注意：1.词数100左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：大熊猫giant pandas，细菌bacteria

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