阅读以下文章，并撰写文章的概要。

The famous classical pianist, Kong Xiangdong, surprised his fans last week by giving a concert combining classical music with Chinese folk music. Kong explained that he tried this because he wanted to create something new." As a musician, playing the same music in different cities of the world is very boring, "says Kong. He also feels that playing Chinese folk music on the piano can help bring it to the rest of the world.

Music has always been part of Kong's world. As his mother was a great music lover, he lived with music from birth. But it wasn't always easy for the young Kong Xiangdong. His mother couldn't buy him a piano until he was seven. She had to draw piano keys on a piece of paper so that he could learn to play as early as possible. The 5-year-old Kong would practice on the paper piano as his mother clapped the rhythm. He was made to practice the piano so much that, at times, he thought about giving up. However, he didn't quit, and he became a great pianist. In 1986,at the age of 18,he became the youngest prize winner in Moscow's Tchaikovsky International Competition. He went on to win awards in competitions across the world.

Because of Kong's talent and hard work, he became famous worldwide. But after years of performing, he felt that in some ways he had lost his identity. This is why he went back to his roots and rediscovered the beauty in Chinese folk music. He began experimenting with different styles and his Dream Tour Concert is the result.

Kong's new experiment in Chinese folk music is so important to him that he even changed his appearance. When he arrived at his concert last week, he had shaved off all his hair! Since his music style was new, he decided his hairstyle had to be new too!

Whether Kong is changing his appearance or transforming his music, he is a pioneer in music today. The concert last week was such a success that Kong's Dream Tour Concert is expected to run for the next two years in Beijing, Shanghai, and other main cities before going to Paris and New York.

根据提示，按照要求翻译句子

1.在老师的帮助下，我在英语学习方面取得了显著的进步。（with the help of)

2.上周我们到社区和居民分享节水的一些小窍门，这大大提高了人们的节水意识。（raise awareness,定语从句）

3.尽管实验几次都失败了，他们仍毫不气馁地继续进行。（despite)

4.举办这个活动的目的不仅是帮助我们学习古代中国的历史，还可以使我们承担起保护我们文化遗产的责任。(aim)

5.上周我们邀请李教授给大家做了一场讲座，从他那里我们对于中国的茶文化获得了更多的知识。（定语从句）

    As a teenager ,I was pretty lazy when it came to doing things for my family. I worked hard at school, and sometimes looked after my younger sister .Still ,I found myself regularly resisting the urge to__________out at home with even the simplest things.

Every Wednesday afternoon, for example, my mother__________ me to another town for a piano lesson. During my two-hour lesson, she’d rush to the nearby store and buy a week’s worth of __________.Given the fact that my mom had driven me twelve miles there, twelve miles back, _________for my lesson, and bought me a candy bar, you’d think I’d be very__________ to help her bring the groceries into the house. __________ I wasn’t. I generally just brought in an armload and left the__________for Mom as I ran to my room ,shut the door, and started studying.

Don’t get me wrong: even back in my room, I felt__________ about not helping my mother more. Deep inside, I wanted to change my_________.But I also realized that once I did change, there’d be no going back. _________ I took on more responsibility; my parents would start__________more of me. At age fifteen, I sensed that this one small change would __________ something much bigger: my personal change from a cared-for, spoiled(被宠坏的)child to a more__________,caring and giving young man.

I’ll never forget the Wednesday when I made a(n) __________to jump in and see what happened. Returning home from the__________,I disappeared into my room, as usual. But once inside, I felt that deep and burning__________.Throwing my school books on the bed, I suddenly opened my door and__________back to the garage to help my mother. How happy I felt that day!

Surely, over time, I continued to help out with more housework. The neat thing was, the more I helped out, the__________I felt about myself and my place in my family. As Mom and Dad realized they could__________on me more, our trips became far less stressful, too. In short, it was a win-win situation for everyone.

Sometimes the little things we put off doing the longest__________out to be the simplest things to complete. And feeling happy beats feeling guilty any day.

1.A.work B.cry C.start D.help

2.A.sent B.guided C.walked D.drove

3.A.groceries B.flowers C.fruits D.vegetables

4.A.paid B.fought C.applied D.planned

5.A.nervous B.unwilling C.confident D.grateful

6.A.So B.But C.Thus D.And

7.A.one B.other C.rest D.next

8.A.guilty B.curious C.excited D.doubtful

9.A.shape B.world C.career D.way

10.A.Unless B.Though C.Once D.Since

11.A.warning B.reminding C.informing D.expecting

12.A.tell B.mark C.express D.describe

13.A.responsible B.ambitious C.outgoing D.energetic

14.A.excuse B.statement C.decision D.appointment

15.A.duty B.store C.lesson D.holiday

16.A.anger B.shame C.delight D.pleasure

17.A.called B.looked C.handed D.headed

18.A.better B.smarter C.warmer D.stronger

19.A.live B.press C.count D.focus

20.A.make B.turn C.point D.bring

Read the following passage and then answer the questions

Like so many teachers，I try hard to make each of my students feel they are special. I'm not a mother, so I look at my students as my children. In short year I have the opportunity to touch their lives. I want to teach each child that he or she is special because of who he or she is. During one year of teaching of fifth- grade class, I was shown how important my actions and lessons were.

It was toward the end of January when I started seeing notes passed around. This was unusual because the students had many opportunities to speak with each other while doing class activities. And because the notes were between students who weren't friends.There was not a certain individual initiator(发起人） of the notes nor was there just one receiver. They were simply circulating on a regular basis.

These notes were passed for a few days before I asked several students caught with them why they were being passed. I then lectured the whole class on their disrespect to me as I was trying to teach, while they passed papers. I didn't read the notes but placed them in the trash can.

After a week or two, I thought I had put an end to the note passing because the activity subsided. As January changed to February thoughts turned towards Valentine's day, but there was very little of the usual talk that goes on this holiday. The art teacher taught them to make big envelopes to hold their valentines and those were taped to the desks. I passed out a class list of names, so students could address their valentines. Finally on the day before the holiday, the students asked if they would be having a party. I asked them if they thought the last hour of the day would be a fair arrangement, and they agreed. Later they pushed for a 90 minute time period. And I gave them the old line, we will see how the rest of the day goes first.

On valentine's day we went through the morning lessons with no problem. I was surprised at how calm they were, considering what a holiday like valentine's day could do to ten-year-olds. Before the students went to lunch, I told them we would celebrate when we came back. They finally showed some excitement. When I went back to the cafeteria to pick my students up from lunch, they were not there.The assistant principal said the music teacher had taken them. I walked around the building to the music department and circled back toward the cafeteria. In the doorway was the music teacher who was waiting to greet me. The cafeteria had been cleared with the exception of one chair in the middle of the room. My students all stood before me on the stage as the music teacher walked me to the lone chair in the center of the room.

Candi, my shy little one spoke into the microphone. “We wanted to do something very special for you because you do so many special things for us. We had many ideas but decided you would like this one the very most. We have put together a talent show for you as our present. We hope you enjoy it.

Each student performed for me that day, there was dancing, singing, a roller blade routine set to music, a piano piece, a poetry reading. Every child did something in that show. I watched in disbelief. They had organized an entire variety show on their own. There was a master of ceremonies, props, scenery and equipment. All the notes that had been passed weeks before were plans for after school meetings to prepare and organize the show. They had asked for the help of the music teacher to help them get permission to use the stage and operate the sound system.

After an hour long performance to an audience of one beaming teary-eyed teacher, the show ended with all the students lined up on the stage. Together they said, “We knew the best gift we could give you would be a part of us. Happy Valentine's day.”

I have never felt so much love on valentine's day for the students and for being a teacher.

Questions 1 to 5. Judge if the following statements agree with the information given in the passage. Choose A for TRUE if the statements agree with it; choose B for FALSE if the statements don’t agree with it; choose C for NOT GIVEN if the information the statements carry is not mentioned anywhere in the passage.

1.The teacher regarded her students as her own kids because she didn’t have a child.

2.The students in her class didn’t respect the teacher and always passed on note in class.

3.Her students practised their performance for the talent show at school every day.

4.Her students were too young to show interest in Valentine’s day.

5.The students showed their love to the teacher in an unexpected way with the help of the music teacher.

Questions 6 to 9. Match the following words with their meanings in the passage. Note that there are four choices more than you need.

6.circulating

7.subsided

8.taped

9.beaming

A.recorded

B.died down

C.smiling

D.shining

E.stuck

F.passing around

G.moving easily

Question 10. Choose the best answer from A, B, C or D.

10.What is the best title for the passage?

A.My gifted and loving students B.Special gifts on Valentine’s Day

C.Love first, teaching second D.A memorable talent show.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has spread far and wide. Because of this, countries around the world have implemented containment measures(实施遏制措施)to help stop the virus in its tracks. As more and more people stay inside to stay safe, the outside world seems to have become much quieter. In fact, scientists have seen this change in their research, too.

Seismologists–scientists who study earthquakes–have heard less seismic(地震的)noise recently. Seismic noise is made from vibrations(震动)in the ground that are caused by things like ocean waves and human activity, such as construction work and traffic. This noise makes it difficult for scientists to pick up seismic activity that is made at the same frequency.

Thomas Lecocq,a scientist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, located in Brussels, was the first to notice this phenomenon.

According to Lecocq, the amount of seismic noise in Brussels has been reduced by about 30 to 50 percent since mid-March. Interestingly enough, this is around the same time Belgium started its containment measures.

Because of this reduction in background noise, scientists like Lecocq have been able to pick up on smaller earthquakes that some seismic stations–like the one in Brussels–wouldn’t have been able to before.

This phenomenon isn’t unique to Brussels, though. Once Lecocq shared his findings online, seismologists from all over the world echoed similar findings.

Celeste Labedz, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology, mentioned in a tweet that Los Angeles also experienced less background noise.

Researchers from the UK, France and New Zealand also noted a decrease in background noise since containment measures were put in place.

These global efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus have helped to shed light on seismic activity that may have gone unnoticed. It also shows that people are listening to health officials and following lockdown guidelines.

“From the seismological point of view, we can motivate people to say,‘ You feel like you’re alone at home, but we can tell you that everyone is home.…Everyone is respecting the rules.’Lecocq told CNN.

1.What did seismologists find out recently?

A.More smaller earthquakes are likely to happen.

B.Less seismic activity has been detected recently.

C.Seismic noise is caused by vibrations underground.

D.Reduced seismic vibration makes Earth quieter.

2.What can we learn from Paragraphs 4-8?

A.More data on smaller earthquakes is being collected.

B.More seismic noise is being picked up.

C.Scientists will shift their focus to smaller earthquakes.

D.Future big earthquakes can be more accurately predicted.

3.The underlined word “echoed” in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to“______”.

A.questioned B.demanded C.explored D.repeated

4.What can we conclude from the text?

A.human activities cause more seismic noise than ocean waves.

B.The drop in seismic noise is unique to Europe.

C.The phenomenon proved that people are following the lockdown rules.

D.Many seismologists wanted tighter restrictions for their research.

    Are you fed up with staring at a computer screen for hours straight just to review your classes? It’s a problem that many of us encounter(遭遇).So why not pick your headset and learn via a podcast?

Podcast, or boke, refers to a range of audio programs on different audio platforms. According to China Daily, podcasts have become popular among young Chinese people who would like to enjoy the peace and power of learning through sound.

Established in 2012, China’s largest online audio platform, Ximalaya saw its subscribers pass 600 million by December 2019.Among these users over 46 percent were born between 1990s and 2000s.On average, active users listen to podcasts for nearly three hours per day.

The emergence of domestic(国内的)online radio platforms and the convenience brought about by smart devices are certainly two reasons for the popularity of the format.Its flexible nature also makes it a winner among the young audience.

“Audio is a good medium for content that can break the limit of time and space,” Jiang Feng, vice-president of Ximalaya, told China Daily. He added that podcasts have become an important channel for people to acquire information and knowledge .It also can accompany listeners in many different circumstances including working ,studying, exercising, traveling and just before going to bed.

Apart from providing company, the new media form also gives people a platform to speak out about important issues.

A senior high school student who wanted to be admitted to the Central Academy of Drama failed his national college entrance examination twice. He talked about the pressure he faced on an audio program called Please Listen, launched by Mango TV on Feb 19,2020.The program was designed to relieve audiences’ worries by sharing their own stories.

Podcasts tend to be a discussion, and just like real life conversations, they follow a flexible structure and usually last for at least an hour. More often than not, you can’t summarize two or three important points from those conversations, like you could from articles. They often do not have conclusions, either. It’s a very freeform medium that is very friendly to listeners,” Pan Aijuan,a podcast listener and book editor at a publishing house, told China Daily.

At the same time, the use of podcasts trains people to first listen to others before offering one’s own opinions. It helps build up our patience and listening skills. Cheng Yanliang, a co-founder of the podcast Left and Right, stated that“ audio programs can filter（减缓）those bad-tempered people who would lose patience after reading several paragraphs and start writing awful comments to insult others”.

With such advantages,“ podcasts are entering the mainstream(主流)in China”, noted China Daily.

1.Why does the author mention Ximalaya in the third paragraph?

A.To inform the readers of its fast development.

B.To show the impact it has on users.

C.To discuss the characteristics of podcasts.

D.To demonstrate the popularity of podcasts in China.

2.What is the main aim of the audio program Please Listen?

A.To help audiences ease their worries.

B.To amuse audiences in different ways.

C.To allow audiences to comment on current affairs.

D.To give audiences a platform to acquire knowledge.

3.Why does Pan Aijuan think podcasts are friendly to listeners?

A.They can accompany listeners in different circumstances.

B.They provide listeners with a sea of information.

C.Their content usually follows a flexible structure.

D.It is quite easy to draw a conclusion from a podcast.

4.How can podcasts influence people’s personality according to the text?

A.They can make people more cheerful.

B.They can make people more patient.

C.They can make people lose their temper more easily.

D.They can help break the habit of insulting people online.

根据写作要求，短文内容，写出一篇连贯完整的短文。词数不少于60。

When the Bayside campus of Shekou International School (SIS) are still kept shut because of the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching activities at the school have been resumed(继续) online since Feb. 3rd, 2020.

The school is using popular apps and software for online learning. Video conferencing(视频会议) and office automation are used to help teachers keep track of students’ conditions and communicate with their workmates across the world. Teaching online also offers a new experience to the teachers to update their teaching methods and to step out of their comfort zones.

Staying in Phuket, Thailand, science teacher Riley Laird records videos on a 10-year-old green sea turtle named Marlin and the local turtle sanctuary(收容所) as part of the online classes on ecosystems for Grade 7 students. “I want to connect our learning with the reality. The sanctuary sends us updates on the turtles’ health and progress. They say that Marlin is likely to be released(放生) into the sea in mid-June,” says Laird.

Rebecca Wallace is a Grade 4 teacher at the school, staying in her mother’s home in New York. From 8 p.m. to midnight every day, she starts teaching mathematics and arts to her students living in different time zones. Though teaching nearly around the clock, Wallace says that she is getting to know the students better in terms of their homes, family and even pets.

Greg Smith, head of SIS, names the online teaching period a “new normal” at the school. “Students are now more skillful at using technology than before. They see that communication is the most powerful part of being an effective learner and can use the tools to shrink(缩短) distance and time. The “new normal” will offer more choices for connection to the world and more focus on creating real solutions,” he says.

According to the school, 68% of its students are staying in Shenzhen while 27% of them are staying abroad for the epidemic.

假如你是建华中学的李华，你的英国好友Jim发来邮件询问你疫情期间在家进行线上学习的情况。请你给他回复邮件，内容包括：1. 介绍线上学习的经历；2. 分享你对线上学习的看法并说明理由。

Dear Jim,

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours

Li Hua

根据写作要求，短文内容，写出一篇连贯完整的短文。词数不少于60。

Four teams of mountaineers set out on a race to conquer (征服) an unclimbed mountain peak in the Himalayas. The Canadian team chose a long, but safe route, while the British, Chinese and Russian teams chose a faster but steep and dangerous route up the mountain.

When night fell, the teams made camp on the mountainside. But the next morning, the sun rapidly rose air temperature and the strong wind caused a heavy snowfall, which led to a terrible avalanche. The disaster struck and some members of the British, Chinese and Russian teams were swept away and killed. But the Canadians didn’t know what had happened.

It was an hour after the disaster and there was no hope of finding any survivors. The leaders of the British, Chinese and Russian teams, met to discuss how to successfully keep all the survivors alive.

The table above was a summary of what they could collect. The leaders made a final decision that they had to find a way to conquer the mountain and put their flags on the peak.

假设你是领队之一，请你联系加拿大领队David，告知你们的遭遇和决定，并向对方求助。内容包括：1. 你们的遭遇及目前的困难；2. 你们的决定及理由；3. 向对方求助。

Dear David,

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Steve

根据短文内容以及写作要求，请写出一篇连贯完整的短文。词数不少于60。

Callie heard a knock and pulled open the door. Her favorite neighbor, Mrs. Baker, stood there. “The city is letting us use the empty lot(空地) for a garden,” she explained. “We need help cleaning up our garden on Sunday.” “Sure!” Callie said cheerfully. “I will be there to help!”

The next morning when Callie arrived at school, her friend Tamara was waiting for her, who had a surprise for Callie. “My mom bought tickets for us to go to Fun World this Sunday.” Tamara said. The girls had been waiting for months for the new amusement park to open.

Callie’s heart dropped. “But Mrs. Baker is expecting me to help,” she said. Tamara looked disappointed. “Can’t someone else do it? I want you to go to Fun World with me! ”

Callie worried about her problem for the rest of the day. Her mother noticed her mood. “I know you want to go with Tamara and also help Mrs. Baker. Think carefully about your choices. You need to make your own decisions, but I know you will do what is the best.” Her mother said.

Callie spent the rest of the evening thinking about her decision.

The next day at school, Callie told Tamara that she was unable to go to Fun World. Tamara tried to understand, but Callie could tell Tamara was disappointed. The girls hardly spoke for the rest of the week.

On Sunday, Callie met Mrs. Baker at the garden. “Your mother said you made a(n) difficult choice. Thank you for giving a hand today.” Callie smiled as she cleaned with a large trash bag.

“Do you need any help?” a voice behind her asked. Callie turned, surprised to see Tamara. “I know you made a(n) promise to clean up the garden, and I wanted to come help you. My mom said she could take us to Fun World next weekend.”

With joint efforts, they finished the cleaning early. Both Callie and Tamara realized that once a promise is made, it needs to be kept.

假设你是Tamara，请你写一篇日记记述你决定帮助好友Callie打扫空地的过程。内容包括：1. 得知Callie的决定后，你的心情；2. 你做出决定的过程及感悟。

June, 7th , 2020 Clear

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

根据节选小说内容，回答问题。

“Hello,”said Bruno.

“Hello,”said the boy.

The boy was smaller than Bruno. He wore the same striped pajamas that all the other people on that side of the fence wore, and a striped cloth cap on his head. He wasn’t wearing any shoes or socks and his feet were rather dirty.

When Bruno first approached the boy, he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, staring at the dust(尘土) beneath him. However, after a moment he looked up and Bruno saw his face. It was quite a strange face too. ... When the boy looked at him, all Bruno could see was an enormous pair of sad eyes staring back.

Bruno was sure that he had never seen a skinnier or sadder boy in his life. He thought that he had better talk to him.

...

Bruno stared at the boy and considered asking him why he looked so sad but hesitated(犹豫) because he thought it might sound rude. He knew that sometimes people who were sad didn’t want to be asked about it; sometimes they’d offer the information themselves and sometimes they wouldn’t stop talking about it for months on end, but on this occasion, Bruno decided that he should wait before saying anything.

Bruno sat down on the ground on his side of the fence and crossed his legs like the little boy and wished that he had brought some chocolate with him or perhaps a pastry that they could share.

“I live in the house on this side of the fence,” said Bruno. ... “I can see right over the fence from there. I’m Bruno, by the way.”

“I’m Shmuel,” said the little boy.

...

“... How old are you?” Bruno asked.

Shmuel thought about it and looked down at his fingers and they wiggled in the air, as if he was trying to calculate(计算). “I’m nine,” he said. “My birthday is April the fifteenth nineteen thirty-four.”

Bruno stared at him in surprise. “What did you say?” he asked.

“I said my birthday is April the fifteenth nineteen thirty-four.”

Bruno’s eyes opened wide and his mouth made the shape of an O. “I don’t believe it,” he said.

“Why not?” asked Shmuel.

“No,” said Bruno, shaking his head quickly. “I don’t mean I don’t believe you. I mean I’m surprised, that’s all. Because my birthday is April the fifteenth too. We were born on the same day.”

Shmuel thought about this. “So you’re nine too,” he said.

“Yes. Isn’t that strange?”

“Very strange,” said Shmuel. “Because there may be dozens of Shmuels on this side of the fence but I don’t think that I’ve ever met anyone with the same birthday as me before.”

“We’re like twins,” said Bruno. “A little bit,” agreed Shmuel.

Bruno felt very happy all of a sudden...

1.How did Bruno feel about the boy at the first sight?

2.After hesitation, what did Bruno decide to do?

3.Why did Bruno stare at Shmuel in surprise?

4.Why did Bruno feel very happy all of a sudden?

5.What kind of boy do you think Bruno was? And why?

    The fight is on to get rid of air pollution in our cities. While the best solution in the long-term would be to ban fossil-fueled cars, that won’t help the millions who are dying in the meantime, and so some high-tech solutions are now on the cards.

London’s air pollution problem has been getting worse for years. In March 2016, ten London pigeons became famous. These pigeons took to the sky, wearing backpacks monitoring air pollution. Once in the air, the backpacks sent live air-quality updates to the smartphones of the Londoners below.

Another promising approach can be found in Beijing. A seven-metre-high “Smog Free Tower”, designed by a Dutch scientist, Daan Roosegaarde, opened in Beijing’s 751 D Park in September 2016. It is a huge, outdoor air purifier. Airborne particles (颗粒) are sucked into the tower and caught by a dust-removal plate. Finally, clean air is blown out of the other end. “Changing smog particles does not take much power.” Roosegaarde said.

As for what to do with the collected PM waste, he has currently set up a business making jewellery out of the waste. Prince Charles owns a set of “smog free” cufflinks (袖扣). If collected on at a big scale, Roosegaarde believes it could even be used as a building material.

Mexico City has an alternative solution. Looking to Nature to maximize the surface area of a building, Allison Dring, a Berlin-based architect, managed to catch light and wind from all sides. She is now making a building material by burning agricultural crop by-products in the absence of oxygen. “It means that you are actually taking carbon (碳) out of the sky, transforming it into a material, and then using it to build,” says Dring.

The fight against outdoor air pollution is really just starting. Even if none of the ideas take off, at least Prince Charles’ cufflinks, the special building surface and pigeons wearing back-packs will have brought the issue more to the public’s attention.

1.The underlined words “on the cards” in Para.1 probably mean ________.

A.hardly to achieve

B.widely questioned

C.very likely to happen

D.publicly welcomed

2.The ten pigeons in London were used to ________.

A.monitor air pollution

B.warn Londoners

C.update weather forecast

D.promote backpacks

3.What can we learn about the Smog Free Tower?

A.It can catch light and wind.

B.Its power consumption is high.

C.PM waste from it can be reused.

D.It is the first air purifier in the world.

4.What’s the best title for the passage?

A.When can humans get rid of smog?

B.Why is technology used to fight smog?

C.How are the world’s cities fighting smog?

D.What makes smog a worldwide problem?

    When the Bayside campus of Shekou International School (SIS) are still kept shut because of the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching activities at the school have been resumed online since Feb. 3rd, 2020.

The school is using popular apps and software for online learning. Video conferencing and office automation are used to help teachers keep track of students’ conditions and communicate with their workmates across the world. Teaching online also offers a new experience to the teachers to update their teaching methods and to step out of their comfort zones.

Staying in Phuket, Thailand, science teacher Riley Laird records videos on a 10-year-old green sea turtle named Marlin and the local turtle sanctuary as part of the online classes on ecosystems for Grade 7 students. “I want to connect our learning with the reality. The sanctuary sends us updates on the turtles’ health and progress. They say that Marlin is likely to be released into the sea in mid-June,” says Laird.

Rebecca Wallace is a Grade 4 teacher at the school, staying in her mother’s home in New York. From 8 p.m. to midnight every day, she starts teaching mathematics and arts to her students living in different time zones. Though teaching nearly around the clock, Wallace says that she is getting to know the students better in terms of their homes, family and even pets.

Greg Smith, head of SIS, names the online teaching period a “new normal” at the school. “Students are now more skillful at using technology than before. They see that communication is the most powerful part of being an effective learner and can use the tools to shrink distance and time. The “new normal” will offer more choices for connection to the world and more focus on creating real solutions,” he says.

According to the school, 68% of its students are staying in Shenzhen while 27% of them are staying abroad for the epidemic.

1.Riley Laird records videos on Marlin to ________ .

A.connect learning with the reality B.rescue the endangered turtles

C.study the ecosystem of the turtles D.show his pet to the class

2.Rebecca Wallace teaches around the clock, because ________.

A.she and her students live in different time zones B.she needs to look after her mother in the daytime

C.she enjoys chatting with her students D.she has many lessons each day

3.According to Greg Smith, online teaching ________.

A.builds up a new relationship among students B.makes teachers step out of their comfort zones

C.results in the skillful use of technology D.helps create new education system

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A.To advertise an international school. B.To evaluate the online learning apps.

C.To suggest effective learning methods. D.To introduce online teaching attempts.

    Four teams of mountaineers set out on a race to conquer(征服) an unclimbed mountain peak in the Himalayas. The Canadian team chose a long, but safe route, while the British, Chinese and Russian teams chose a faster but steep and dangerous route up the mountain.

When night fell, the teams made camp on the mountainside. But the next morning, the sun rapidly rose air temperature and the strong wind caused a heavy snowfall, which led to a terrible avalanche. The disaster struck and some members of the British, Chinese and Russian teams were swept away and killed. But the Canadians didn’t know what had happened.

It was an hour after the disaster and there was no hope of finding any survivors. The leaders of the British, Chinese and Russian teams, met to discuss how to successfully keep all the survivors alive.

The table above was a summary of what they could collect. The leaders made a final decision that they had to find a way to conquer the mountain and put their flags on the peak.

1.What kind of route did the Chinese team choose?

A.A long but safe route. B.A short but dangerous route.

C.A separate but flat route. D.An unknown but steep route.

2.What disaster struck the three teams?

A.High temperature. B.An avalanche.

C.Strong wind. D.A heavy snowfall.

3.What is the table about in the passage?

A.The supplies and equipment they had left.

B.The plan of their follow up climbs.

C.The survey of their damages and injuries.

D.The difficulties they would meet.

4.The three leaders decided to__________.

A.give up the race B.keep climbing

C.ask for help D.look for the survivors

5.Where is the passage most probably from?

A.A business newspaper. B.A health guide.

C.A culture magazine. D.A nature journal.

    Callie heard a knock and pulled open the door. Her favorite neighbor, Mrs. Baker, stood there. “The city is letting us use the empty lot(空地) for a _________,” she explained. “We need help cleaning up our garden on Sunday.” “Sure!” Callie said cheerfully. “I will be there to help!”

The next morning when Callie _________ school, her friend Tamara was waiting for her, who had a _________ for Callie. “My mom bought tickets for us to go to Fun World this Sunday.” Tamara said. The girls had been waiting for months for the new amusement park to open.

Callie’s heart dropped. “But Mrs. Baker is _________ me to help,” she said. Tamara looked _________. “Can’t someone else do it? I want you to go to Fun World with me! ”

Callie worried about her _________ for the rest of the day. Her mother noticed her mood. “I know you want to go with Tamara and also help Mrs. Baker. Think carefully about your _________. You need to make your own decisions, but I know you will do _________ is the best.” Her mother said.

Callie spent the rest of the evening thinking about her decision.

The next day at school, Callie told Tamara that she was _________ to go to Fun World. Tamara tried to understand, but Callie could __________ Tamara was disappointed. The girls hardly spoke for the rest of the week.

On Sunday, Callie met Mrs. Baker at the garden. “Your mother said you made a(n) __________ choice. Thank you for giving a hand today.” Callie smiled as she cleaned with a large trash bag.

“Do you need any help?” a voice behind her asked. Callie __________, surprised to see Tamara. “I know you made a(n) __________ to clean up the garden, and I wanted to come help you. My mom said she could take us to Fun World next weekend.”

With joint efforts, they finished the cleaning __________. Both Callie and Tamara realized that once a promise is made, it needs to be __________.

1.A.match B.garden C.class D.party

2.A.looked for B.graduated from C.arrived at D.joined in

3.A.surprise B.warning C.decision D.suggestion

4.A.following B.expecting C.encouraging D.allowing

5.A.annoyed B.scared C.excited D.disappointed

6.A.problem B.explanation C.challenge D.dream

7.A.chances B.relationships C.choices D.interest

8.A.who B.where C.why D.what

9.A.unsure B.unprepared C.unable D.unwilling

10.A.test B.tell C.accept D.agree

11.A.difficult B.clear C.different D.important

12.A.answered B.turned C.refused D.greeted

13.A.attempt B.change C.guess D.promise

14.A.hurriedly B.slowly C.early D.quietly

15.A.shared B.broken C.given D.kept

假定你是学生会主席李华，你校外教Jack对学生会即将组织的“中国美食节”活动很感兴趣。请你用英语给他写一封信，邀请他参加这次活动，内容包括：

1.活动的目的；

2.活动的时间和地点；

3.活动的内容（至少两项）。

注意：1.词数100左右；

2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

下面短文中共有10处语言错误，请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1、每句不超过两个错误；

2、每处错误及其修改均限一词；

3、只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）.

Last Monday, we were having our Chinese class while the teacher suddenly slipped and fall. We were all worried about her. One of the boy carried her on the back, under the help of some others, to the clinic immediately. It turned out that her right leg was breaking and she had to stay in hospital. The following day, we went to visit her with flowers. Seeing her lying in bed with leg wrapped in bandages, we felt sorry for her and hoped that she would recover soon. Lucky, this Thursday she returned back to the class in a wheelchair to give us lessons. We were both deeply moved and proud of have such a responsible teacher.

    Last year I decided to tell my family that I didn't want or need anything for my_________, but I wanted them to think of a way to share a_________in their world-for me. My husband and two adult children all did something_________and wonderful.

The week of my birthday my husband went to a local cafe and told a waitress that he wanted to_________pay for the breakfast of a family. The waitress was_________and said it was her last day at work there and this had never _______. When the family_________eating，the waitress told them their bill had been paid. The mom and dad stood up, trying to_________who might have done it, but my husband was outside watching the whole thing. He told me he had such a _________feeling in his heart and he would like to__________it a few more times.

My son bought gift cards at another local coffee cafe and__________them to his 4-year-old daughter. He asked her to__________some people and tell them that she wanted to__________them a cup of coffee because it was her grandmother’s birthday. One dad said he would__________have thought to include his little girls in something like this and that he was going straight home to tell them about it so they could make a(n)__________plan with all his daughters ________. My daughter was on a tight budget so she spent the week smiling more at people, being__________, and letting someone go before her at the market. She just took the time during my birthday week to slow down and be kind to a(n)__________and her co-workers.

When we finally all got together for Mother’s Day and my birthday, everyone was in tears as each person ________what they had done. As you can see, it was the__________birthday ever!

1.A.birthday B.graduation C.weekend D.future

2.A.story B.belief C.kindness D.responsibility

3.A.crazy B.different C.private D.silly

4.A.partly B.normally C.quickly D.secretly

5.A.frightened B.concerned C.surprised D.disappointed

6.A.failed B.mattered C.existed D.happened

7.A.considered B.finished C.admitted D.suggested

8.A.see B.support C.imagine D.remember

9.A.wonderful B.familiar C.natural D.terrible

10.A.say B.discuss C.do D.appreciate

11.A.threw B.gave C.attached D.returned

12.A.guess B.change C.teach D.choose

13.A.find B.offer C.heat D.sell

14.A.never B.still C.just D.also

15.A.honest B.balanced C.similar D.official

16.A.asked B.included C.helped D.followed

17.A.prouder B.smarter C.stronger D.gentler

18.A.classmate B.gentleman C.enemy D.stranger

19.A.shared B.practiced C.recorded D.watched

20.A.biggest B.longest C.best D.quietest

    Leading health experts from the CDC and the WHO have made it clear that reducing the effects of coronavirus（新冠病毒）means staying hone as long as possible.1.They give some ideas as follows：

Don’t let the news control your rest.

The coronavirns situation seems to change by the hour, resulting in a number of people feeling necessary to constantly check their phones for news. That can not only be stressful at any time, but also it can affect your ability to relax if you surf news before going to sleep. Dr. Rosmarin says, “It’ s not a good time to watch the news.”2.

Don’t argue with people who seem unconcerned about the crisis.

You might face pressure from friends or family to attend gatherings when you aren’t comfortable being in groups. You may be upset because they aren't following the instructions: staying at home. 3.So you’d better avoid the meaningless argument.

4.

Do laundry on Sundays? Keep doing it on Sunday. Not going to work? Get dressed anyway. Maintaining a regular routine will go a long way toward helping you avoid feelings of disorganization.

Don’t hesitate to seek help if you need it.

5.For people already struggling with anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, or depression, fears over coronavirus can be especially disruptive. Always seek professional help if depression, you feel overwhelmed.

A.Arguing about it isn’t productive.

B.Don’t ignore your regular routine.

C.You cannot solve the mental problems all by yourself.

D.Don’t forget to remind your family to respect your boundary.

E.What can you do to make your staying home beer than before?

F.But how to deal with the mental tension, such as being upset and nervous?

G.Sleep is important to a healthy system, and giving yourself an opportunity to relax is important.

    Dog owners walked about 23minues longer each day than non-dog owners In a new study, dog owners took 2,760 additional seps—compared to people who didn’t have a dog at home. Bu here’s the real good news: That extra exercise was done at a moderate（适度的）pace, which means it could help adults meet their recommended weekly totals for physical activity.

The research, published in BMC Public Health, focused on adults 65 and older, who tend to be less active than younger people. The study included 43 dog owners and 43 non-dog owners, all of whom were monitored continuously for three week-long periods. When they compared the two groups, the researchers found that dog ownership was associated with a large, potentially health-improving effect.

Dog owners walked about 23 minutes longer each day than non-dog owners, 119 minutes versus 96 minutes on average. They also took an additional 2,760 steps, and had eight fewer continuous periods of sitting down. Most of that extra walking was done at moderate pace, defined as 100 or more steps a minute. Dog owners walked at this pace for 32 minutes a day, versus just 11 minutes a day for non-dog owners.

The World Health Organization（WHO）recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week. This increased walking time alone could just about satisfy that requirement, say the researchers—so it makes total sense that 87 percent of dog owners in the study met these guidelines, versus just 47 percent of non-dog owners.

Co-author Nancy Gee says that pet ownership may help older adults get more activity or maintain their current activity level for a longer period of time. “This could improve their chances of a better quality of life, improved or maintained cognition（认知）, and perhaps, even overall longevity（寿命）,”she said.

Here at Health, we’ ll add that caring for pets has been shown to have plenty of other physical and mental health benefits, as well. As animal lovers ourselves, we’ re happy to add one more to the list.

1.What can we learn about the research？

A.It was targeted on old people.

B.It was sponsored by the WHO.

C.It had an undesirable effect on dog owners.

D.It took the mental health of dog owners into consideration.

2.What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 3？

A.To present the results of the research.

B.To show the guidelines of the research.

C.To describe the process of doing the research.

D.To explain the reasons for conducting the research.

3.What does Nancy Gee think of owning a dog?

A.It is too expensive.

B.It is time-consuming.

C.It enables older adults to live a healthy life.

D.It helps young adults to keep a healthy routine.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Non-pet owners enjoy more pleasure

B.Animal lovers are more generous

C.Young people walk less today

D.Dog owners walk way more

    Travelers to the Arctic islands of Svalbard would find a rough, ice-hardened land, sheltering polar bears in its frozen landscapes. This group of Norwegian islands is the land of the “midnight sun” with almost 24 hours of sunlight during the winter months. It is also home to one of the most important storage facilities in world farming — the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

The seed vault was opened in 2008 in an effort to safeguard the world’s food supply for future generations. Svalbard is the perfect frozen environment to house seed samples, set inside an Arctic mountain at 130 meters above sea level, so it is unlikely to be flooded. Low humidity , geological stability, and the surrounding permafrost can keep seed-keeping places cool, dry, and usable for centuries.

Seed gene banks from around the world have sent food crops seeds for safety in case a natural disaster or environmental damage destroys existing supplies. Worldwide there are more than 1.700 seed gene banks that store seeds locally and many choose to send back-up samples to facilities like the Svalbard’s vault.

There is space in the global vault for 4.5 million different crop varieties with each variety storing on average 500 seeds, meaning it can house 2.5 billon seeds. There are around one million seed samples from 80 institutes in the vault at present so there is a lot of spare capacity for the vegetables, grains, peas and beans that are banked annually. On the top of that, there are rare flowers from the Myanmar rain forests.

The largest numbers of samples in the vault are varieties of rice and wheat. The seed vault has been listed as one of the most influential projects of the past 50 years for its efforts. Seeds themselves are not kept for farmers or gardeners to grow produce. Their true value is as a genetic resource in plant upbringing to create new crop varieties.

1.What makes Svalbard a global seed vault?

A.Its eco-friendly tourism. B.Its rich supplies of food.

C.Its favorable environment. D.Its strong sunlight in winter.

2.Why do many seed gene banks send food crop seeds to the Svalbard’s vault?

A.To protect them from climate changes. B.To exchange them for new crop seeds.

C.To make sure of the safety of food supplies. D.To compare them with new crop varieties.

3.What can be inferred about the Svalbard’s vault from Paragraph 4?

A.It values plant different types of plant. B.It has little space for newcomers.

C.It is costly for most institutes. D.It sees a big increase in seed samples every year.

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A.To explain how to store seeds safely. B.To introduce an influential seed vault.

C.To seek sponsors for world seed vaults. D.To call on seed institutes to work together.

    Former Starbucks Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz grew up in a poor family in New York City. As a child, he could hardly dream about starting an international business. In 1961, the whole family was left with no income because his father broke an ankle working as a truck driver. Watching his father lying on the bed, Schultz decided to do something different in life. Schultz played football in high school and managed to get an athletic scholarship to Northern Michigan University. He became the first graduate from university in his family.

Schultz’s first job after finishing school was in sales at Xerox，where he sold word processors. Then he took another job in sales at Hammarplast, a housewares（家居用品）business. However, he grew impatient with these two jobs soon. Schultz first came across Starbucks while still working for Hammarplast. He was struck by the passion（热情）and courage of the founders Gerald Baldwin and Gordon Bowker. It took a whole year for Schultz to persuade Baldwin and Bowker to hire him as the head of marketing. The new position meant that Schultz was going to travel around the world and represent Starbucks.

His life changed when the company sent him to an international house wares exhibition in Milan. A new idea occurred to Schultz when he saw the Italian strong coffee tradition. The people in Italy had a personal relationship with coffee. After Schultz came back to America, he wanted to replicate the Italian tradition in Starbucks. The founders felt differently. He then decided to leave Starbucks to start his own coffee company. The new company caught on quickly. Eventually, it managed to buy Starbucks. Schultz became the CEO of Starbucks. Corporation and he is one of the wealthiest people on the planet.

1.What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?

A.Schultz wasn’t well paid at Xerox.

B.Schultz himself is a coffee enthusiast.

C.Schultz wasn’t satisfied with his first two jobs.

D.Schultz had made a success of his housewares.

2.What was the turning point in Schultz’s career?

A.Starting his own coffee company.

B.Meeting the founders of Starbucks.

C.Going to an international exhibition in Milan.

D.Becoming the head of marketing of Starbucks.

3.What does the underlined word “replicate” in the last paragraph mean?

A.Appreciate. B.Copy.

C.Observe. D.Record.

4.What can we learn from passage？

A.Every coin has two sides.

B.Life is just the luck of the draw.

C.Tomorrow is another day.

D.Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

    The best thing to start your day is a good breakfast. In fact, many people believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In China, porridge with pickles (咸菜), baozi, noodles, soybean milk and youtiao are common breakfast foods. What are breakfasts in other countries like? Let’s take a look!

US

In the US, a good Sunday morning starts with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon or juicy sausages, and soft pancakes with butter and sweet syrup on top. On busy weekdays, most people in the US like to eat cereal with milk, bread and fruit for breakfast. Some people also drink coffee. 

Canada

Canada is the largest producer of maple syrup. People usually have pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast. Canadian bacon is a popular dish for breakfast as well. Canadian bacon is quite unlike the crispy bacon of the United States. It tastes more like ham and is served in thin round slices.

Britain

The British breakfast is similar to the American breakfast. A basic British breakfast consists of fried eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, baked (烘) beans, and tomatoes. These foods are popular among young people in Britain. Usually, British people have coffee, tea or milk to drink. Some people also like to drink orange juice.

Japan

Most people in Japan these days – at least in big cities – eat a quick Western-style breakfast like eggs, toast, juice and coffee. Those who prefer more traditional foods are likely to have tea and miso soup with rice. Steamed rice is necessary for a Japanese-style breakfast. People also add nori seaweed or a little raw egg to their rice.

1.On busy weekday mornings, most people in the US prefer _____.

A.scrambled eggs, crispy bacon or juicy sausages

B.soft pancakes with butter and sweet syrup on top

C.ham, scrambled eggs and pancakes

D.cereal with milk, bread and fruit

2.Maple syrup is popular in _____.

A.America B.Canada C.Britain D.Japan

3.The British-style breakfast includes _____.

A.scrambled eggs, mushrooms and baked beans

B.fried eggs, sausages with sweet syrup

C.bacon, sausages, mushrooms and noodles

D.fried eggs, sausages, tomatoes with coffee or tea

假定你是李华，你的美国网友Jack来信说下个月就要参加汉语水平考试了，他感到非常紧张。请你就此给他回一封电子邮件，内容包括：1. 给予安慰； 2.备考建议； 3. 你的祝愿。

注意：

1. 词数不少于100个词。

2. 可适当加入细节，使内容充实，行文连贯。

3. 开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。

参考词汇：汉语水平考试 Chinese Proficiency Test

Dear Jack,

Glad to have received your letter!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。

修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

Dear Sir or Madam,

News came which the teachers from Asheville School in America would pay a visit to our school for communication. Having read your requirements, I am willing to be one of the volunteer.

I am Li Hua, a Senior 3 student. I think I am qualified of the job. I have a good command of orally English, which can make me to communicate with foreigners freely. What’s more, I was always ready to help others and full of spirit of devotion. Aimed to do the work well, I’d like to receive any necessary training, and do whichever our school requires. Believe me, I’ll make full preparation and there is no doubt that I will be an outstanding volunteer.

I would appreciate you if you could take my request into consideration.

Yours,

Li Hua

It was Sunday and I was returning from my sister’s place. I left_______thinking that I might get a seat in the metro (地铁) and it would be a rather easy_______. But since my bad luck was_______me everywhere, I couldn’t get a seat. I_______and made my way straight to the end of the compartment. I_______there leaning on the side rails. I was feeling very_______about myself.

After few_______I got a seat. Just then, entered a_______lady supported by the metro staff and she sat next to me. I helped her out of the wheelchair and made her sit. I_______my MP4 player and pushed the earpieces just to keep all the________thoughts from my head. Just then I heard the lady calling me. She introduced herself to me and asked about me. I________my best possible smile and answered that much only and pushed ________my earpieces.

She went on________and I had to take out my earpieces and keep them back in my bag. She told me she was a student at Ramakrishna Mission Ashram and goes there________. It gives her peace and strength. The strength to keep going________her to enjoy the human life as much as possible. She then gave me one of Swami’s________and also recited some of verses. She kept on talking for the most of the time and I was very________listening to her.

We were so busy in talking that we didn’t even________our names and I didn’t notice it until we came to our train station and we went our ways.________she left, I opened the booklet she gave and read inspirational________. There and then, I understood that whatever may come, it should not hamper our hopes and our expectations.

1.A. carefully    B. early    C. slowly    D. luckily

2.A. tour    B. voyage    C. travel    D. journey

3.A. approaching    B. attending    C. following    D. attacking

4.A. entered    B. remained    C. stayed    D. insisted

5.A. left    B. lay    C. sat    D. stood

6.A. low    B. confident    C. proud    D. special

7.A. points    B. passages    C. stops    D. seats

8.A. wealthy    B. crippled    C. learned    D. stubborn

9.A. searched for    B. pulled off    C. picked up    D. took out

10.A. positive    B. objective    C. negative    D. valuable

11.A. forced    B. changed    C. created    D. offered

12.A. up    B. ahead    C. down    D. back

13.A. questioning    B. talking    C. arguing    D. quarreling

14.A. constantly    B. commonly    C. instantly    D. regularly

15.A. forbids    B. warns    C. helps    D. reminds

16.A. gifts    B. books    C. records    D. pictures

17.A. attentively    B. angrily    C. nervously    D. anxiously

18.A. remember    B. explain    C. understand    D. exchange

19.A. Since    B. After    C. Before    D. When

20.A. letters    B. notices    C. messages    D. purposes

Ways To Reduce Food Waste At Home

The Environmental Protection Agency's goal is to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. It's an extreme goal. However, the change starts at home and luckily there are countless easy ways to help.

1.How many times do you do a shopping before checking your fridge first? Over time I've learned that nothing feels as good as using up every single thing in my fridge. So, always do a quick check before shopping. Even better, make a list of what food needs to buy.

2.We love a good deal, but when it comes to food shopping, don't overload your cart with what you don't need. Remember that five dollar bag of apples is only a steal if you use them all up before they go bad.

Store your food properly. Rotten or spoiled food is very unpleasant. The easiest way to avoid food waste is storing your produce in ways that preserve freshness. If you have extra fruits and vegetables, freeze or preserve them so you can keep their deliciousness for weeks. 3.

Cook smarter. Does your recipe only call for half an onion? 4. Secondly, save the other half for other dishes. That many carrots from the farmers' market? Save the tops and make a salad.

Compost. Compost refers to organic material that can be added to soil to help grow plants. What do we mean by organic material? Fruit and vegetable peels, eggshells, tea bags, fruit pits, and the like. 5. Just freeze them and find a local compost drop, like a community garden or farmers market.

A.Check your fridge.

B.Quit buying a lot.

C.Look in your trashcan(垃圾桶).

D.Foods that rot easily should be eaten first.

E.You can take note of all the food you waste.

F.First of all, that recipe needs to get its act together.

G.In another word, everything you're used to throwing in the trash.

    A new app aims to help parents interpret what their babies want based on the sound of their cry. The free app ChatterBaby, which was released last month, analyzes the features of a baby's cry, to help parents understand whether their children might be hungry, fussy (大惊小怪) or in pain. While critics say caregivers should not rely too much on their smartphones, others say it's a helpful tool for new or tired parents.

Ariana Anderson, a mother of four, developed the app. She originally designed the technology to help deaf parents better understand why their babies were upset, but soon realized it could be a helpful tool for all new parents.

To build a database, Anderson and her team uploaded 2,000 audio samples of baby cries. She used cries recorded during ear piercings and vaccinations (接种) to distinguish pain cries. And to create a baseline for the other two categories, a group of moms had to agree on whether the cry was hungry or fussy.

Anderson's team continues to collect data and hopes to make the app more accurate by asking parents to get specific about what certain sounds mean.

Pediatrician Eric Ball pointed out that evaluating cries can never be an exact science. ''I think that all of the apps and technology that new parents are using now can be helpful but need to be taken seriously, '' Ball said. ''I do worry, that some parents will get stuck in big data and turn their parenting into basically a spreadsheet (电子表格) which I think will take away the love and caring that parents are supposed to be providing for their children.''

But Anderson says the aim of the app is to have parents interpret the results, not to provide a yes or no answer. The Bells say it's a win-win. They believe they are not only helping their babies now but potentially others in the future.

1.How does the app judge what babies want?

A.By collecting data.

B.By recording all the sounds.

C.By analyzing the sound of their crying.

D.By asking parents about specific messages.

2.Who was the app designed for in the beginning?

A.Deaf parents. B.All new parents.

C.Ariana Anderson. D.Babies often crying.

3.What can we know according to Ball?

A.Parents should use the app wisely.

B.The app can provide an accurate result.

C.Parents and babies are addicted to the app.

D.The app makes babies love their parents.

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.App Knows Why Babies Cry B.App Prevents Babies Crying

C.Parents Build Babies' Database D.Parents Overrely on Smartphones

    One afternoon, after finishing shopping in a supermarket, my family and I went to the check-out. I suddenly thought we didn’t need any of the junk, and we abandoned all of those, saving $300.

That got me thinking about all our pointless expenses in life. With a promise that we’d stop if it was killing us, I convinced the family to take the leap into frugality. The rules were that we would buy nothing for 30 days except absolutely essentials.

Our adventure began with a great start. By 9 a.m., my wife, Ruth, had already made cakes from old strawberries and picked flowers I didn’t even know we had in the garden. I cleared the car by hand for the first time for years. I read and returned the neighbor’s newspaper before he woke up. Total spending on the first day: $0.

As days turned into weeks, we became so proficient(熟练的) at living frugally. We started riding our bikes to save gas. My child’s finger painting was recycled as gift wrap for the home-made presents. We started to use an Internet application like Skype for free phone calls and ask neighbors with gardens for extra vegetables and herbs.

In the end, we saved more than $2000 by not spending for a month. When we began, I imagined we would rush out the moment we were done and buy a lot of things in the supermarket. Then maybe hit the mall or go to the movies.

1.What can we infer from the passage before that very afternoon?

A.The family had often spent money randomly.

B.The family had had higher income and living standard.

C.The family had adopted an advisable habit of saving money.

D.The family hadn’t expected they would have financial problems.

2.How many things were mentioned about what the family did to save on the first day of the “30 days”?

A.Two. B.Three. C.Four. D.Five.

3.The end of the story suggests that the family______ .

A.stopped halfway because of unexpected things.

B.could barely put up with the life of frugality.

C.would return to normal after the “30 days”.

D.succeeded in saving and changed their spending habit.

4.What is this passage mainly about ?

A.A new idea coming up to save gas. B.A family’s managing their daily life.

C.A family’s attempt not to buy anything . D.A family’s way of solving life problems.

    The bristlecone pine is the longest-living thing on the earth. These trees, with their strangely-shaped, wind-beaten limbs(枝干), can live up to 5000 years. But experts worry that a warming climate in some areas may threaten its future.

Researchers say warmer weather is permitting a similar kind of tree, the limber pine, to take over good growing places from the ancient bristlecone. They say the tree is being crowded out of mountainous areas where it grows.

“The bristlecone pine is the oldest individually growing organism,” researchers say. They grow in high mountain forests in eastern California, Nevada and Utah. In those mountains, the trees face high winds and extreme temperatures, which leave them with twisted limbs and shapes. “Even in such tough conditions,” Brian Smithers, a researcher at the University of California, said, “the limber pine is taking all the good spots.”

The limber pine is the bristlecone’s distant relative and competitor. It can also live a long time-up to 2000 years. And it is usually found at lower altitudes, where temperatures are warmer. However, according to a three-year study which centered on trees that have started growing in the last 50 years in California’s White Mountains, most of the trees growing at higher altitudes were limber pines.

Scientists compared the competing species to two old men in a very slow race up a mountainside. This race between such slow-growing trees takes thousands of years. They say climate change is causing the competition.

Smithers said the bristlecone pines are not in danger of disappearing. But he assumes they could be crowded out of some places where they have grown for thousands of years.

The researchers say the findings show how climate change can affect the two kinds of trees. The information, they say, can help scientists understand more complex forests.

1.What’s the function of Paragraph 1?

A.To introduce a topic. B.To summarize the whole passage.

C.To describe the appearance of a tree. D.To praise the hard work of the experts.

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

A.There will be older trees sent out of those mountains.

B.There will be more places covered with bristlecone pines.

C.There will be better limber pines replacing the ancient ones.

D.There will be fewer bristlecone pines growing in those areas.

3.According to the passage,the reason why limber pines can grow at higher altitudes is_________.

A.the high winds

B.the changing climate

C.the difficult conditions

D.the extreme temperatures

4.What is the researchers’ attitude towards the future of the bristlecone pine?

A.Positive. B.Negative. C.Concerned. D.Enthusiastic.

    What is China’s High-Speed Rail (HSR)? Generally speaking, a rail network that offers 200–350 kph trains is an HSR network. Now, China has the largest high-speed rail network in the world. There are “4 vertical lines and 4 horizontal(水平的) lines” for the main China HSR network. This means there are four north–south high-speed rail lines and four east–west high-speed rail lines. They are the basis for the China high-speed rail network.

The four north–south HSR lines

Beijing–Shanghai Route

* Length: 1,318 km

* Design speed: 350 kph

It connects two popular cities and reduces the journey time from 12 hours to 5 hours (2 hours by air).

Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Route

* Length: 2,240 km

* Design speed: 350 kph

It is the longest passenger-transport dedicated high-speed rail line in the world. It connects North China, Central China, and South China.

Beijing–Harbin Route

* Length: 1,300 km

* Design speed: 350 kph

It connects Northeast China with the national capital, Beijing. It cuts the journey time from 12 hours to 6 hours between Beijing and Harbin.

Hangzhou–Shenzhen Route

* Length: 1,600 km

* Design speed: 250–350 kph

It connects the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta. The Hangzhou–Ningbo section is passenger-transport dedicated. The rest trip is mixed for passenger and cargo (货物) transport.

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1.What can we infer from the passage?

A.China has the largest rail network in the world.

B.Hangzhou-Shenzhen Route makes a stop at Ningbo.

C.Beijing–Hong Kong Route is the longest high-speed rail line in the world.

D.Beijing–Harbin Route takes the shorter journey time than Beijing-Shanghai Route.

2.What may be discussed following “The four north–south HSR lines” ?

A.The four vertical HSR lines. B.The four horizontal HSR lines.

C.Big events for China’s High-Speed Rail. D.The future development of China’s High-Speed Rail.

3.From which is the text probably taken?

A.A research paper. B.A health magazine.

C.A China travel guide. D.A financial newspaper.