When my daughter was in primary school, she brought home four small twigs（嫩枝）one day. Her school gave these twigs to the students to plant. None of them looked very hardy, but with hope for the future, I planted them in our backyard. Over the years, because of an accident with the lawnmower（割草机）and poor soil, three of them died. Only one survived. It grew crooked（弯弯曲曲的）and very slowly. It never got very tall. In the end, it looked more like a fat bush than a tree. A few years ago, I noticed that it was starting to die. The lower branches were becoming bare（秃的）.Only the top third of the tree was still green. Last summer I did my best to save it by feeding it a lot of fertilizer（肥料), but it didn’t work.
Later one morning, I went out and looked at it again. I was wondering whether it would be better to just cut it down. It would make mowing the lawn easier. As I walked over to take a closer look at it, however, I noticed something moving within the leaves. It was a robin（知更鸟）patiently building a nest in the topmost branches. I smiled when I looked at it. I thought maybe this old tree was still useful. It might not be healthy or pretty, but it was still giving a bird a home. This tree made me know that all of our lives have purpose. It doesn’t matter if we are young and strong of old and sickly. Until our last breath, we have things to do, love to give, and joy to share.
We can help to make this world a better and more beautiful place.
1.What made the three trees die, according to the writer?
A.The grew out of small and hardly twig.
B.The daughter didn’t plant them correctly.
C.The soil around them was not rich.
D.There was no sunlight in the backyard.
2.What did the only remaining tree look like a few years ago?
A.It was straight and tall.
B.It grew fat very quickly.
C.It looked like a bird's nest.
D.There were not many leaves on it.
3.The underlined word “topmost” in Paragraph 2 mean __________ in Chinese.
A.顶端的 B.侧面的 C.最多的 D.高级的
4.What might the writer do with the tree later?
A.He might cut it down.
B.He might leave it as it is.
C.He might build more nests on it.
D.He might take away some of its leaves.
5.In the story, the writer aims to tell us that_____.
A.we should take care of animals and plants
B.we are living in a beautiful world
C.every living thing has its own purpose
D.we should work hard until our last breath
Which topic drew the most attention from people around the world in 2019? It was climate change, according to three well-known English dictionaries.
The Oxford, Collins and Cambridge dictionaries chose climate emergency（气候紧急状态）,climate strike （罢工） and upcycling（升级改造）,as their ―Word of the Year‖. This tells us that climate change was a widely-discussed issue（重要议题）in 2019. Climate emergency means a situation in which urgent（紧急的）action is needed to reduce climate change. ―Climate strike refers to people leaving work or school to call for more action to protect the environment. ―Upcycling refers to making new items out of old or used items to reduce waste.
Climate change has already affected（影响）the world in many ways. Take Venice for example. Because of climate change, Venice experienced the worst flooding it has seen in the last 50 years in 2019.Many stores, restaurants and hotels were flooded. This caused serious damage totaling hundreds of millions of euros（欧元）.
Although we’ve known about global warming for a long time, our large companies and governments have been slow to respond to it. The year 2019 might have been the turning point that will finally encourage（鼓励）our leaders to take responsibility（责任）.
Decades ago, when the science on the climate issue was first increasing, the impacts（影响）could be seen as an issue for future generations,‖ Katharine Mach, a Stanford University climate scientist, told The New York Times. It’s surely our responsibility now.
However, simply realizing that climate change is a threat(威胁) is not enough. We must take real action before it is too late.
1.According to the three dictionaries, people in 2019 cared about ________the most.
A.environmental protection B.international business
C.recycling services D.the overuse of natural resources
2.The flooding in Venice is mentioned to_________.
A.prove that Venice is not a safe place to visit
B.explain why Venice suffered serious damage
C.show how climate change has affected the world
D.explain how the climate changed in 2019
3.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph4 mean?
A.Large companies and governments haven’t known anything about global warming.
B.Large companies and governments didn’t take action at once when facing global warming
C.It’s only large companies and governments’ responsibility to solve the problem of global warming
D.Large companies and governments have done a lot to solve the problem of global warming.
4.What does Mach mean in Paragraph 5?
A.Many scientists are working on the climate issue.
B.The climate issue will affect only future generations.
C.Future generations will suffer more than us.
D.It’s our responsibility to deal with climate change.
5.This passage is probably______.
A.a notice B.a story C.a piece of news D.a poem
What inspires you to work hard? Having your own goals is important. Good sleep also helps. But as it turns out, having a plant on your desk can improve your work as well.
Mike Robinson, an engineer from Canada, owns his own small company. One day, his wife suggested picking out some plants and putting them on his workers’ desks.
Robinson doubted the idea at first. What good would plants do? He thought they might even be distracting（让人分心的). But he decided to try out the idea.
First, Robinson bought 20 plants for his workers. He asked each worker to make a small sign that said ―My name is___ and write their own name on the sign. Then, they put the sign on the plant they chose and took it back to their desk. Soon Robinson found that his workers were working much harder and getting along much better than before. It could because his workers formed ―friendships" with their plants. They would take good care of them, and in turn, take more care with their work. Plants can help to create a relaxed atmosphere（氛围）as well.
What about you? Does your classroom have any plants? If not, you might want to ask your teacher about this.
You and your classmates could take turns taking care of some plants in your classroom? It could be a nice way to make your classroom more lively and get to know your classmates even better.
1.The story is mainly about_______.
A.how to get inspiration for your work.
B.how having a goal helps with your work.
C.why good sleep is important for your work
D.how plants can improve your work
2.What did Robinson think of his wife’s suggestion at first?
A.His company was too small to do it.
B.He didn’t think it would be different.
C.He thought it would cost too much money.
D.He didn’t want to try it.
3.What did the workers write on their signs?
A.Robinson’s name. B.Their plant’s name.
C.Their company’s name. D.Their own names.
4.Why did the workers work harder and get along much better than before?
A.Because Robinson gave them much more money than before.
B.Because looking after plants helped them take more care with their work.
C.Because the plants helped the workers become good friends with each other.
D.Because Robinson’s wife helped create a relaxed atmosphere for the workers.
5.In the writer’s opinion, having plants in the classroom______.
A.creates a crowded atmosphere
B.takes up too much time
C.helps students build good friendships
D.distracts students from their studies
Sweden, a small country in northern Europe, recently earned the title of ―world’s most reputable(声誉好的) country. Many visitors go there every year. Let’s take a look at what you can experience in this country.
Drive your own dog sled
Dog sledding(雪橇) is one of many exciting winter activities in Sweden. Many companies run dogs sledding tours with Siberian huskies. Sarek National Park in northern Sweden is one of the best places to enjoy dog sledding.
See the aurora(极光)
If you are brave enough to challenge the cold on winter nights, you can enjoy one of nature’s most amazing shows – the aurora, also known as the northern lights. These green, red and purple lights dance across the sky from October to March. If the night is clear, you can see them from anywhere in northern Sweden. But the best place to see them is the Abisko National Park.
Sleep in hotels made of ice
The world’s first ice hotel, called Icehotel, opened in 1990 in Sweden. It is the biggest ice hotel in the world, taking up over 6,000 square meters. Almost everything in the hotel, including bedrooms, chairs and glasses, is made of ice. The hotel’s average temperature is around -5℃. Visitors have to sleep in sleeping bags. If you can’t stand the cold, there is also a warm place to stay next to the hotel.
1.You can go on a ________ sledding tour in Sweden.
A.deer B.bear C.dog D.horse
2.What do we know about the aurora?
A.It is usually seen from October to March.
B.You can see it during summer.
C.Sweden is the only country where you can see the aurora.
D.The aurora is a man-made light show.
3.Icehotel is different from other hotels because ________.
A.it is the biggest hotel in the world
B.it is very warm
C.it is made of ice
D.it will disappear over time
4.According to the passage, which of the following is wrong?
A.There are two national parks mentioned in the passage.
B.Sweden isn’t a big country with the title of ―world’s most reputable country‖.
C.There are so many exciting winter activities in Sweden.
D.If the night is clear, you can see the aurora from anywhere in Sweden.
5.From the passage, we know that ________.
A.Swedish people like to travel
B.Sweden is very cold during winter
C.Sweden isn’t a good place to live
D.summer in Sweden is boring
Once upon a time, there was a little candle standing in a room ______ other candles. Most of other candles were much ______ and more beautiful than her. She had no idea ______ she was there, and the other candles made her feel rather ______ and not important. She wanted to leave away.
When the sun went down and the room began to get ______, she noticed a man walking ______ her with a box of matches (火柴). She thought that the man was going to set her on fire. No, no! she cried ______, ―Don’t ______ me, please! But she knew that she could not be heard, so she got prepared for the pain that would surely follow.
To ______ surprise, the room was full of light. She wondered where it came from ______ the man extinguished (熄灭) his fire stick. To her ______, she realized that the light came from her. Then the man struck another match and, one by one, lit the other ______ in the room. Each one gave out the same light. Over the next few hours, she ______ that her wax(蜡) was beginning to flow slowly. She knew that she would ______ die, and finally understood why she had been created. My ______ in my life is to give out light until I die, she said. And that’s exactly what she did.
1.A.covered with B.filled with C.filled in D.covered in
2.A.larger B.easier C.hotter D.smaller
3.A.when B.where C.what D.why
4.A.perfect B.free C.awful D.happy
5.A.shiny B.dark C.clear D.thick
6.A.around B.from C.toward D.behind
7.A.in time B.in fear C.in danger D.in control
8.A.burn B.leave C.pull D.fight
9.A.his B.he C.she D.her
10.A.since B.if C.while D.though
11.A.regret B.sadness C.shame D.happiness
12.A.candles B.books C.posters D.crayons
13.A.repaired B.noticed C.faced D.hoped
14.A.only B.still C.soon D.just
15.A.duty B.dream C.result D.plan
—I felt so sad when I saw tigers in the zoo, because they had to stay in cages.
—________. I think they should go back to the forests.
A.I’m sorry to hear that B.It doesn’t matter
C.Not at all D.Don’t worry
