| 1. 难度：中等 | |
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As doctors and nurses struggle for medical supplies to fight the coronavirus pandemic, help is coming from an unlikely place – high school students. The Career Technical Education Charter (CTEC) High School, US, has been utilizing (利用) its nine 3D printers to make face shields (防护面罩) for healthcare workers on the frontline. Face masks have been particularly challenging to find across the US since the outbreak. Gavin Newsom, Governor of the State of California, announced recently that the state is set to spend $1 billion (about 7 billion yuan) to purchase 200 million masks each month to boost its supply. Valerie Castro, 16, a CTEC sophomore, is part of a team of teachers and students who came up with design tweaks (改进) that cut almost 30 minutes off the time it takes to build a face shield. “That’s what makes this school kind of different,” she said. “Even though all these bad things are happening, we’re able to make an impact positively. It’s like leaving your little mark on the world.” Makerbot, a New York-based company that makes 3D printers, has also helped CTEC to maximize the building process. They’ve been churning out (大量生产) nearly 100 shields each day, and that production rate is set to triple as 20 more 3D printers come online at the school. CTEC staff and students have provided masks to hospitals, dentists, urgent care centers and retirement homes in Fresno County and the surrounding areas in California. “I was shocked,” Stacy Vohra told school staff in a video. “We were so thrilled to have the donation from CTEC. This is something that we’ve been needing.” The entire staff has switched from daily teaching to face shield production, said Jonathan Delano, director of CTEC. When the new 3D printers arrive, some of them will go to students’ houses so kids can help with the hands-on process, Delano said. “That’s how we get through these things,” Delano said. “Our high school focuses on giving back to the community. Students should know the skills they hold can have an impact on a community.” 1.What sets The Career Technical Education Charter High School apart, according to Castro? A.They joined healthcare workers on the frontline. B.They donated about 200 million masks in a month. C.They designed a more protective face shield. D.They made a difference in such difficult times. 2.According to Paragraph 7, what will happen when they triple their production rate? A.They will get 20 more 3D printers from Makerbot. B.They will produce a face shield in less than 30 minutes. C.They will be able to produce about 300 face shields every day. D.They will start to sell their face shields on their school’s website. 3.What does Delano think of CTEC’s face shield production? A.It has boosted the supply of masks in Los Angeles. B.It has interrupted the school’s daily teaching. C.It reminds the students of the value of their skills. D.It challenges students to handle 3D printers by themselves. 4.What is the text mainly about? A.Teenagers helping design and produce face masks. B.3D printing technology being used to produce face masks. C.Donations from high schools to fight the pandemic. D.A high school making contributions by producing face shields.
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| 2. 难度：困难 | |
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The year 2019 saw the end of the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Now, another popular comedy, Modern Family, follows in their footsteps. After 11 seasons the final episode aired on April 8, bringing an end to a sitcom “widely recognized as one of the funniest and most decorated sitcoms of this century”, according to EOnline.
Hitting our screens in 2009, the show claimed 22 Emmys in total, an American award that recognizes excellence in television. At its peak the show attracted over 9 million viewers for its relatable family dynamic, loveable characters and mockumentary (伪纪录片) style. In this format, characters can convey their own thoughts and feelings directly to the audience via a short sit-down interview. Over the course of the series, fans have witnessed the Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan (家族), an extended Los Angeles family, overcome the trials and tribulations of any modern family, including death, adoption and mental health. The big family’s highs and lows have made it so relatable that we see them as part of our own family and care about their stories. From fights between siblings (兄弟姐妹) to parental disagreement about children’s education, the show, despite being a comedy, deals with serious modern issues that are familiar to the audience. Despite its success, showrunners admitted that the sitcom had been running on fumes (后劲不足的) during the last few seasons. The final episode went as expected, with the growing branches of each family going their separate ways following one giant on-screen embrace involving every cast member. As the camera cut to each departing family member, Jay Pritchett, the patriarch (大家长) of the family, expressed an important theme of the show. “Life is full of change. I learned a long time ago you can fight it, or you can try to make the best of it. And that’s a whole lot easier if you’ve got people helping you face whatever life throws at you,” he said emotionally. Just as the final episode concluded, fans were treated to one last heartfelt moment. As each family switched off their porch (门廊) light, Claire asks Phil (a couple in the show) what they’ll do now that their kids have grown up and moved on. Phil said, “Leave the porch light on – they come back,” a subtle (巧妙的) hint that the show might someday return. 1.How can we define Modern Family? A.A mockumentary series about an extended family’s history. B.Sit-down interviews about people’s emotional problems. C.A comedy encouraging people to adapt to changes. D.A sitcom about funny family stories and social issues. 2.Why has Modern Family appealed to the audience so much? A.It applies a variety of shooting formats. B.It won the most Emmy Awards. C.Its characters, plot and style are quite relatable. D.It teaches them how to deal with challenges in life. 3.What does the underlined phrase “trials and tribulations” in Paragraph 3 probably mean? A.fears B.problems C.changes D.boundaries 4.What does Modern Family convey to us, according to Jay Pritchett? A.Parenting and education are important. B.Fighting is the best way to handle changes. C.Life will be easier if you are able to get help. D.Changes in life shape a harmonious family.
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| 3. 难度：中等 | |
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Almost everyone has heard the expression, “the calm before the storm”. It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument. British sailors coined the phrase in the late 1600s; they noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become static and the winds would drop. But why is it often so calm before a storm? Science has given us the answer. According to US infotainment (资讯娱乐) website HowStuffWorks, a calm period occurs because many storms, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, draw in all the warm and humid air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as “fuel for the storm, like petrol in a car”. Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. As the air descends (下降), it becomes warm and dry. Warm, dry air is stable, so once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm. This same process also causes the “eye of the storm” in hurricanes and tornadoes. In these conditions, the calm occurs in the center of the storm because of the strong rotating (旋转的) winds. The Weather Network has a tip for working out how far away a storm is. First, count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. Roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. So, for example, if you count nine seconds, the storm is about 3 kilometers away. A good gauge (评估) is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away. However, due to the complexity of storm system, not all storms are preceded by calm. Given the right conditions, some storms announce themselves with heavy rain and chilling (寒冷的) winds. So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. That’s the most reliable and sensible way to predict the next display of nature’s temper (脾气). 1.What is the main idea of Paragraphs 4 and 5? A.To explain how a storm comes into being. B.To support previous research on storm clouds. C.To explain why a peaceful period occurs before a storm. D.To show how dangerous a storm can be in certain situations. 2.If there are 15 seconds between a flash of lightning and a thunder clap, how far away is the storm? A.Three kilometers. B.Four kilometers. C.Five kilometers. D.Six kilometers. 3.What can we learn from the last paragraph? A.It is not always quiet before a storm. B.Storms have a big influence on life. C.Heavy storms don’t usually last for a long time. D.Weather reports may fail to predict a storm.
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| 4. 难度：中等 | |
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When I tell people I wrote a book with my dad, they usually say, “It must be nice to think of the legacy (留下来的东西) you created with someone who means so much to you.” This was a beautiful idea, but it was not the way I, or my dad, ever thought about the cooperation. Though we created something we’re proud of, “nice” is not the word either of us uses to describe the process. “It was more confrontation (对抗) than cooperation,” my dad likes to say. I agree. When we landed a book deal, we began a writing journey that was more difficult than either of us had anticipated, but also far more rewarding. For almost three years, we met once or twice a week at my parents’ house and talked daily to plan and outline each chapter. After these meetings, one of us would write a rough draft that the other would build on. I wanted the book to focus on positive vices (不良习惯): such as moderate (适度的) chocolate. However, my dad felt the book should include chapters dealing with things like walking and spending time with family. Ultimately , I saw it his way. He said the book was about more than just good vices. It was about encouraging people to enjoy life in healthy ways. Writing this book was a reminder that our family members share not only our faults but also our strengths. My dad is smart, funny, critical and caring. He has a strong passion for the truth. I hope I share these great qualities. For this book, he researched each topic with an enthusiasm I’d never seen from him, and he insisted that we constantly question and critically analyze every piece of information – even our own conclusions. He was determined to cooperate with me on a book, not because he couldn’t write one on his own, but because he believed that we could create something better together than we could alone. I’m not sure if our cooperation led to better writing, but I’m sure it led to a better writing experience. Writing this book was difficult, sometimes more difficult than past projects, but it was never lonely. 1.How would the author describe the writing process according to the first 3 paragraphs? A.Nice. B.Struggling. C.Relaxing. D.Disappointing. 2.What is Paragraph 5 mainly about? A.A healthy lifestyle. B.The theme of the book. C.How the author and his father worked together. D.Why the author wanted to write the book. 3.What can we learn about the author’s father? A.He is not good at writing. B.He lacks confidence in himself. C.He likes to criticize others’ works. D.He likes to get to the bottom of things. 4.What did the author learn from the cooperation with his father? A.It’s important to make a plan before work. B.Their cooperation resulted in a better book than the author expected. C.It’s worthwhile to work with someone close to you. D.Communicate more when there is an argument.
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| 5. 难度：简单 | |
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When you sleep, do you ever realize that you are dreaming? If yes, then you have had a lucid dream (清醒梦). 1. Only some people are able to have them. Now, scientists have found ways to help more people to have lucid dreams, Live Science reported. Denholm Aspy from the University of Adelaide in Australia found that certain skills are key to helping people have lucid dreams. First, people can train themselves to figure out whether they are dreaming or not. For example, someone may look at a clock, look away, and then look back. 2. Then, they might dream about this trick while sleeping. But in their dreams, the time on the clock may change very quickly. So people know they are dreaming. Another trick is to wake up after five hours of sleep. 3. During this time, repeat the words, “The next time I’m dreaming, I’ll remember that I’m dreaming.” Then, go to bed again to enter rapid eye movement (REM，快速眼球运动) sleep. In REM sleep, people are more likely to be aware of their dreams. Scientists found that those who used these tricks had a 17 percent success rate at having lucid dreams. 4. In a lucid dream, people might study a hobby and then become better at it in real life, according to Aspy. For example, you might learn to play the piano in a lucid dream. 5. A.Then, stay awake for a while. B.The time should stay the same. C.This was far higher than if they did nothing. D.People learn new skills faster in a lucid dream. E.It is hard for most people to have a lucid dream. F.Then, your real-life piano skills might improve. G.Some people will need more time to fall asleep and have a dream.
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| 6. 难度：中等 | |
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Here’s an awkward confession (承认): I’ve cried at every job I’ve had. I always find it difficult to___ my emotions. And each time I’ve___ exactly why these emotional moments are considered so taboo (忌讳的). Is it a universal truth that you just can’t cry at work ? As someone puts it on the internet, as professional women, we’re dealing with the great expectation to “be __ in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire” while also making enough money to pay rent. __ , my eyes get a little watery just thinking about it. So if crying at work is unavoidable – yet taboo – what is an ambitious young woman to do to __ after one of these embarrassing incidents? My usual routine after an in-office __ is to remove my contact lenses, have a massive iced-coffee, and ___it never happened (until it happens again). Clearly, I’m no expert on the right professional response. So I spoke with my personal finance coach, Ashley Feinstein Gerstley, to see if she had any __ for reducing the humiliation (丢脸). “It’s so __ , but telling yourself not to cry usually __ making you cry more,” she says. “You’re using all your energy to hold it together, but there’s so much pressure that the tears will almost unavoidably come. If you do get upset, it can be helpful to __ yourself from the situation. Take a minute to get it together, and come back ready to have a more composed (镇静的) exchange.” Maybe there’s some __ in crying. I’ve definitely found that __ the taboo can lead to greater relationships with __. I’ve noticed how tears have helped solve a disconnection or problem that might __ have gone unsolved. To be honest, I’m hoping to recognize, if not celebrate, the rare office cry as a hidden skill for greater future. 1.A.describe B.contain C.maintain D.distinguish 2.A.understood B.remembered C.wondered D.explained 3.A.fearless B.curious C.cautious D.flexible 4.A.Thankfully B.Finally C.Gradually D.Frankly 5.A.compete B.communicate C.recover D.celebrate 6.A.training B.practice C.discussion D.disaster 7.A.prove B.pretend C.believe D.expect 8.A.tips B.plans C.choices D.answers 9.A.boring B.complicated C.different D.embarrassing 10.A.turns to B.comes to C.ends up D.leads up 11.A.protect B.ban C.separate D.excuse 12.A.benefit B.purpose C.lesson D.interest 13.A.respecting B.breaking C.following D.improving 14.A.friends B.relatives C.colleagues D.neighbors 15.A.still B.otherwise C.similarly D.therefore
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| 7. 难度：中等 | |
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阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。 Everyone has their own unique fingerprint; 1. makes fingerprints an ideal way to unlock smartphones. However, this may be 2. (safe) than we think. Scientists at New York University and Michigan State University in the US have developed a set of fake fingerprints. They say that the prints 3. unlock any fingerprint-enabled smartphone up to 65 percent of the time. The artificial fingerprints 4. (create) by using many common features found in human prints. They work 5. taking advantage of the way smartphone scanners check a fingerprint. The fingerprint scanners 6. (use) in smartphones are so small that they only read parts of fingerprints. So they have to take many scans of your finger or thumb (拇指) 7. they work properly. Smartphones also let users save several finger and thumbprints. Since a print only has to match one of the saved images 8. (unlock) the phone, the scanner is more likely to make mistakes. Although the scientists have only tested their findings in computer simulations (模拟), 9. (worry) about the safety of using fingerprints are reasonable .They warn that the technology used to create artificial fingerprints is improving 10. (extreme) fast.
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| 8. 难度：中等 | |
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假设你是红星中学学生李华。目前，随着全球新型冠状病毒肺炎确诊病例数量不断攀升，你的英国笔友Jim发来邮件向你询问在家抗疫和学习的注意事项，请你给他回信，内容包括： 1. 表达关心；2. 介绍经验；3. 分享感受。 注意：1. 词数80左右； 2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。 提示词：新型冠状病毒肺炎 the novel coronavirus pneumonia 或 COVID-19；疾病的大流行 pandemic Dear Jim, ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Yours, Li Hua
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| 9. 难度：中等 | |
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阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。词数应为150左右。 Ali and his younger sister, Zahra, lived with their parents in a poor neighborhood. Their mother was very sick and their father was struggling to find a job, and they had only a little money with which to buy food. As they had not paid the rent for several months, the landlord was breathing down their necks. One day, Ali took Zahra’s shoes to a shoe repairman to be fixed, but he lost them on the way home. It wasn’t until he got home that he realized he had lost the shoes. He was afraid that his parents would be angry and disappointed, so he begged his sister to keep it secret. Zahra agreed and the two decided to share Ali’s running shoes. Zahra’s school hours were in the morning, so she would wear them first. After school, she would rush back and give them to Ali. He could then run to his school, which began in the afternoon. Although he ran as fast as he could, Ali often arrived late and was warned by the school. Ali heard about a long distance race that was held for the boys in the city. When he learned that the third prize was a new pair of shoes, he decided to take part. He ran home excitedly and promised his sister that he would win her the new shoes. The day of race arrived. Ali had a strong start, but halfway through the race he began to get tired and his legs began to ache. Getting more and more exhausted he thought only of Zahra and his promise to her. Dreaming of the new shoes he would win for his sister gave him strength, and he stayed right behind the two fastest runners, determined to finish third. Suddenly, as the finish line drew near, another runner collided (碰撞) with Ali from behind and he crashed to the ground. 注意： 1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右； 3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好； Paragraph 1: Ali looked up and saw the other boys rushing ahead. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 2 Filled with delight, Ali walked home quickly. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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