Internet has been a powerful force fueling economic growth across Europe, North America and Asia over the past several decades. Further globalization will bring far more profits in the future. To help those countries in poverty and expand trade worldwide to benefit all the mankind, Africa is the next frontier（地区）for the internet.
Digital reforms have taken off quickly in Africa, partly because the younger generation is more ready for adoption of new technologies. Compared to aging populations in developed countries, the average age in Africa is 19.2 years old. While less than half the population has access to electricity, two-fifths own a mobile phone.
With the growing demand for being connected, a number of mobile carriers are now seeking to expand network coverage in Africa. Governments of African countries are also pushing for the network construction as they recognize that communications and renewable energy play an important role in the development of their countries.
In recent years, the majority of the investment（投资）into Africa has come from China. Direct investment from China has grown 40% annually over the past decade, far more than investment from other economic partners, including the US. Huawei, ZTE and China Telecom have all entered the field. Huawei recently announced that it was launching a 5G transport network in South Africa, the first company to expand 5G network in this area. Meanwhile, Western governments are planning to do more to invest in Africa to maintain their economic relationships with it. That has received support from many tech giants like Facebook, which recently announced plans to lay a 37,000 kilometers of subsea cable network to build a direct high-speed internet connection between 16 countries in Africa with Europe and the Middle East.
Expanding network connectivity across Africa will open up digital services that many of us take for granted, like mobile banking, e-education and online shopping. Because the global economy is so closely linked, the increase in internet access will not only power economic growth and create new markets in Africa, but encourage development in other fields and around the world.
1.Which factor contributes to the rapid success of technology revolution in Africa?
A.The aging population. B.Coverage of the internet.
C.The easy access to electricity. D.The youth’s willingness to try new technology.
2.All the efforts to expand network to Africa are mentioned EXCEPT_______ .
A.Support from Western big firms
B.China’s huge investment into Africa
C.Connections between Europe and the Middle East
D.Encouragement of governments in African countries
3.According to the passage, which saying does the author seem to believe?
A.Efforts will pay off.
B.A friend in need is a friend in deed.
C.Technology is a double-edged sword (双刃剑).
D.Mankind is a community with a shared future.
4.What will the author probably talk about in the following paragraph?
A.Background information of African digital reform.
B.The worldwide technological support given to Africa.
C.The development of other countries in the past century.
D.Detailed potential benefits of African network expansion.
Adolescent girls seem to use eye rolls as a means of daily communication. Adults on the receiving end often think it a rude manner. Actually, the meanings behind the manner tell us a lot about what it’s like to be a teenager.
Adolescents usually hate being told what to do, and will unconsciously resist even suggestions with which they agree. Imagine a girl who is planning to put on her warmest coat when her well-meaning mother urges her to bundle up. Not a cell in her body is willing to respond with a sincere “Great idea, Mom! I was just thinking the same thing.” But the girl still wants to be warm. With an eye roll the girl advertises her resistance while doing as she intended all along.
Since teenage girls desire independence strongly, taking orders can be especially annoying for them. So how should Mary respond when her parents say she can’t go out until she unloads the dishwasher? She sees no point in fighting back, but still wants to broadcast her objection. Again, by rolling her eyes while putting away the plates, Mary proves that she’s an independent young woman.
Girls also roll their eyes to cover their sorrow. Anna, who is hurting over a fight with a friend, might shoot a skyward look when her dad asks gently, “How’s Julia? She hasn’t come over for a while?” What seems to be a rude behavior might actually be the girl’s brave attempt to hold herself together. Unwilling to rely on her parents for support, Anna turns her dad away with an eye roll to avoid bursting into tears in his presence.
Of course, girls occasionally use eye-rolling as an immature act of aggression. But more often than not, teenage eye-rolling serves as an efficient solution to the typical challenges adolescents face. And it presents adults with a choice: you can take the. behavior personally, or you can try to see things from their perspective.
1.What does the underlined phrase “bundle up” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.Tie up. B.Hurry up.
C.Put on warm clothes. D.Keep cool.
2.What is Mary’s reaction to her parents’ demand in Paragraph 3?
A.She doesn’t obey the order.
B.She displays her annoyance anyway.
C.She fights back against her parents strongly.
D.She proves her independence by putting away the dishes.
3.When Dad inquires about her friend softly, Anna.
A.refuses his kindness. B.bursts into tears
C.relies on him for support D.looks at the sky all the time
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.What’s Behind Eye Rolling? B.What Does It Mean to Be a teenager?
C.How to Understand More About Girls? D.Why Do Teenage Girls Roll Their Eyes?
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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