2023届天津高考英语阅读理解专项训练（含解析）

阅读理解
While there are still a lot of unknowns about the coming year, one thing is certain: we need an escape. With a vaccine (疫苗) finally greenlighted, the future of travel is looking up, but what will be the safest trips to take while the world is still in continuous change Think wide open spaces, small-group adventures and responsible tourism. Playing it safe doesn’t mean you can’t get outside your comfort zone and have a novel adventure next year, though. Here are the friendly escapes we’re dreaming of right now.
01 The Great American E-Bike Trip
California to Georgia
Consider a human-powered road trip with a long cycling adventure—made more accessible with some power from an electric assist bike. Discover the beautiful and bizarre (奇异的), from the Mojave country on an e-bike-friendly tour. TDA Global Cycling’s Great American Road Trip can be done in full, or broken down to a 10-day trip to explore one region.
02 Swim with Whale Sharks
Espíritu Santo Island, Mexico
Dubbed “The Aquarium of the World” by Jacques Cousteau, the Sea of Cortez is one of the best spots in the world to swim with whale sharks and sea lions. Located in Mexico’s least-populated state, Baja California Sur, this island has a natural protected UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of it. There are no hotels, but Todos Santos Eco Adventures offers a solar-powered luxury camp experience on the island, private-chef included.
03 Soak in the Natural Wonders
Hokkaido, Japan
While the world waits for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, consider Japan’s last-developed island as a refuge (庇护所) from the crowds. Rugged (崎岖的) and remote, Hokkaido is filled with unique natural wonders and adventures including trekking in untouched forests, fat biking on frozen lakes, soaking in onsens (温泉), or natural hot springs, and searching for the island’s rare red-crowned crane — the only place in Japan you can find the sacred bird.
04 See Kangaroo Island Bounce Back
Australia
Nearly a year after Australia’s bushfires destroyed over 200,000 hectares and killed billions of animals, new life is rising from the ashes. This 96-mile-long island is one of the best places to view Australia’s unique animals in the wild — kangaroos, koalas, wallabies and more. Support the recovery with regenerative (再生的) tourism, critical in reversing biodiversity loss. Swim with sea lions or sip some Jacob’s Creek local wine and watch the kangaroos bounce back.
1．What can you do on the E-Bike Trip from California to Georgia
A．You can learn how to do recycling on the way.
B．You can complete the trip in small separate sections.
C．You can build up your strength with a human-powered bike.
D．You can improve your skills in handling an electric assist bike.
2．What does Swim with Whale Sharks and See Kangaroo Island Bounce Back have in common
A．Animals on both islands are in danger of dying out.
B．They both offer solar-powered luxury camps on the sand.
C．Tourists can experience swimming with certain sea animals.
D．They are both natural protected UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
3．What can we learn from Paragraph 4
A．Visitors can find their quietness on the island.
B．People can skate on frozen lakes on the island.
C．Red-crowned cranes can only be found in Japan.
D．Hokkaido is a remote and least-developed refuge.
4．What does the author want to tell us in the whole passage
A．A long cycling adventure will be the safest trip to take in the future.
B．With appropriate medical measures the tourism industry will pick up.
C．Visitors should keep cautious about bushfires while visiting Australia.
D．Ecosystem has been disturbed since novel adventures became popular.
5．Where can the passage probably be taken from
A．Science on a website. B．Sports in a newspaper.
C．Environment in a book. D．Travelling in a magazine.
Reading is a complex and crucial skill that impacts the youth’s ability to perform as students. Therefore, it’s important to develop reading skills during childhood. A team of researchers focused on the effect of whole-body learning in instruction, known as embodied learning.
The research included 149 children, aged 5 to 6, who had just started school. They were divided into three groups: one that stood up and used their whole bodies to shape letter sounds; a seated group that shaped letter sounds with their hands and arms; and a control group that received traditional, seated instruction during which they wrote letters by hand.
“Our research showed that children who used their whole bodies to shape the sounds of letters became twice as proficient at letter sounds that are more difficult to learn as those who received traditional instruction” says PhD student Linn Damsgaard of UCPH’s Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports.
With regard to difficult letter sounds, she adds, “There are many difficult letter sounds in Danish. These sounds are particularly important because once children become skilled at them, they will be better readers.
Associate professor Jacob Wienecke, who led the study, explains, the primary goal is to learn more about which methods can be used to give beginner readers a good start. The idea is that if, through play and movement, we can learn where their strengths truly lie, we’ll create a form of learning that combines reading with play, and that’s truly positive.”
Previously, the researchers showed that the children felt more motivated by teaching methods which included physical movement. Jacob Wienecke hopes this will provide an opportunity to inspire teachers and school managers to prioritize movement across subjects.
The study also investigated whether a direct effect of embodied learning could be found on children’s reading of words. This was not possible, which might be due to the fact that the children were at such an early stage of their literacy development that they could not yet use their knowledge of letter sounds to read words.
6．What were the participants required to do in the study
A．To pick out difficult letter sounds in Danish.
B．To learn new letters through repeated writing.
C．To learn letter sounds using different approaches.
D．To memorize some letter sounds as soon as possible.
7．How can embodied learning get children actively involved
A．By combining learning with games.
B．By offering them chances to cooperate.
C．By inspiring them to overcome difficulties.
D．By explaining instructions to them patiently.
8．What does the underlined word “proficient” in Paragraph 3 probably mean
A．terrible. B．skilled.
C．delighted. D．fascinated.
9．What does Jacob expect of the research finding
A．Encouraging educators to apply it to teaching.
B．Enabling researchers to carry out further studies.
C．Urging schools to pay attention to physical exercise.
D．Promoting harmonious teacher-student relationships.
10．What does the last paragraph intend to tell us
A．Children prefer learning step by step.
B．Children are too little to use their knowledge smartly.
C．Children lack enough practice to get fully improved.
D．Children’s learning still relies on adults’ instruction.
Canaries, a kind of small yellow songbirds, are more sensitive to carbon monoxide (CO) than people are. Thus they were routinely taken into mines as men went about their work of mining for coal. CO could quickly poison many miners before they even knew what was happening. If a canary stopped singing, this was an indicator of rising CO levels. Now ecologists think they’ve found a “canary” that could predict possible disaster for tropical (热带的) ecosystems—the cricket (a small brown jumping insect).
Crickets are tiny, present in large numbers and, most importantly, noisy. The chirps (唧唧叫声) of individual species are identifiably different. Researchers had previously wondered if ecosystems might be monitored by listening to how the sounds of their crickets change over time.
Amandine Gasc and her colleagues studied cricket populations on Grande Terre Island in New Caledonia, where multiple ecosystems often exist very near to each other. They collected crickets at 12 sampling sites. Four were healthy forest sites, four were shrubland (灌木地) areas, which is often created when people cut down forests, and four were shrubland areas that were turning into forests again. They listened for insects in square zones and ran ten 30-minute collection sessions at each site.
Dr. Gasc described how each ecosystem had, in effect, a distinct “cricket fingerprint”. Species richness varies considerably among the different environments. Of the 20 cricket species found in the healthy forest, 12 were unique to that habitat alone, 2 of the 15 species found in transitioning forests were unique to this habitat and 3 of the 7 shrubland species were unique to shrubland.
Just by looking at the crickets found in a given location, the team found that it was possible to determine whether they were looking at shrubland, forest or shrubland that was changing into the forest. There was no need to examine the other surrounding plants or animals.
What’s more, Dr. Gasc’s team found each habitat contained cricket species that generated their identifiable chirps. This suggests that setting up audio recorders in forests that pick up cricket calls will be an easy, cheap and accurate way to detect the early stages of change in tropical ecosystems.
11．Why did miners take the canary into mines
A．To bring down CO levels.
B．To promote their work efficiency.
C．To offer them some entertainment.
D．To remind them of the potential danger.
12．How did Dr. Gasc and her colleagues carry out their study
A．By analyzing “cricket fingerprints”.
B．By comparing plants in different zones.
C．By observing the changes in landscapes.
D．By referring to previous findings on crickets.
13．What conclusion may Dr. Gasc and her colleagues draw from their study
A．Healthy forests may attract fitter crickets.
B．Crickets are suitable to be indicators in mines.
C．Different species of crickets may sound different alarms.
D．The species of crickets are strongly related to the environment.
14．What’s the point of Dr. Gasc’s studying crickets
A．To enrich the methods of monitoring the crickets.
B．To arouse people’s awareness of protecting crickets.
C．To correct the previous wrong recognition of crickets.
D．To help humans easily monitor environmental changes.
15．Which of the following can be the best title for the text
A．Canaries: miners’ good helpers.
B．How crickets are distributed in tropical areas.
C．Crickets: an early indicator of tropical ecosystem health.
D．Why cricket chirps are collected on Grande Terre Island.
If Natalie Morales had to describe her mom in just one word, she would pick: survivor. That’s because her mom, Penelope Morales had a tough childhood. “Her mother wasn’t ready to be a mom and gave her up to her grandmother,” says Natalie, “I think she often felt in life like she wasn’t wanted and wasn’t loved.”
Penelope Morales put herself through college and it was there that she met Natalie’s dad, who was serving in the military. They fell in love and married, and her life as a military mom of three children became a great adventure. “She basically raised us moving from place to place. I was born in Taiwan, China, but we lived in Panama, Brazil and Spain. And my mom was the constant,” says Natalie, “She would always make sure that when we got home from school, we felt like we had our number-one fan, our champion right there, waiting for us.” Along the way, Natalie learned many things from her mother, which she carries on in her role as a mother of two sons.
As a Mother’s Day gift, Natalie treated her mom to a day of pampering (宠爱). “I want my mom to feel like a queen,” she says. And as part of the surprise, Natalie brought along an old photo of her mother, which she wanted to recreate. “I think it was taken in the mid-60s. So she was in her early to mid twenties. She’s just absolutely a beautiful woman. But she’s looking in the mirror. It’s like not knowing really her future, but knowing where she’s come from,” describes Natalie. “That picture just speaks so much to me. I want her to see what she created in that mirror, and that she gave us all something so great.”
“It’s just an amazing experience to take this picture and have Natalie do it. I could never imagine in my entire life,” says Penelope Morales, who adds that she’s very proud of her daughter, “All I want her is to be happy and to raise her children the same way,” she says.
16．What can be inferred about Natalie’s mother
A．She survived an adventure fortunately.
B．Her mother gave her up because of poverty.
C．At college she met her husband, a schoolmate.
D．Her mother felt that she was nothing.
17．What did Natalie learn from her mother
A．Giving children great love.
B．Moving house constantly.
C．Always picking up children from school.
D．Often taking children on adventures.
18．What did Natalie do on Mother’s Day
A．She treated her mother to a big meal.
B．She took her mother to take pictures.
C．She pleased her mother by polishing an old photo.
D．She gave her mother a big surprise with her sons.
19．What can we say about the gift Natalie gave her mother
A．It was expected.
B．It was a success.
C．It made her mother dependent on her.
D．It brought tears to her mother’s eyes.
20．What does the author mainly want to tell us in the passage
A．Natalie loves and respects her mother very much.
B．Natalie’s mother has suffered too much all her life.
C．Natalie’s mother thinks highly of her daughter’s gift.
D．Natalie’s “survivor” mom deserves the special Mother’s Day gift.
National Music Theater Competition
The 2024 National Music Theater Competition (NMTC) will be held. It was launched in 2011 as the first national competition for the emerging professional music theater soloist (独唱者). NMTC has provided industry connections for past competitors and winners that have led to their success on Broadway and other venues.
Prizes (each prize only for a person)
The champion: $5,000 plus a concert at the next national conference of National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), a $1,000 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard, a Career Management Services package from Stage Door Connections.
The runner-up: $2,500 plus a $500 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard.
The third place: Louise Lerch Prize; $1,000 cash prize.
The fourth place: Bill Hayes Prize; $750 cash prize.
Qualification
Singers aged from 20 to 28 as of September 15, 2023.
Entrance Procedure
Application requires a fee of $900, but for these students of NATS members the fee is $75. Application fees due to cancellation by the applicant won’t be returned. All application materials must be submitted by September 15, 2023. If you are planning to submit your application for the online round, you must complete the submission by September 15, 2023, but you’ll have 30 days after the deadline to upload your audition (试唱) videos. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Where to Audition
The preliminary (预选的) round
Live auditions: November 1 to 10, 2023 in New York City.
Online auditions: Video submission deadline is October 15, 2023.
Semifinal and final rounds
Live auditions: The semifinal round: January 3 to 9, 2024; the final round: January 15 to 20, 2024.
The semifinal and final rounds will be held in New York City as part of the 2024 NATS Winter Workshop.
21．Why was the National Music Theater Competition launched
A．To make people like music.
B．To promote the leisure industry.
C．To popularize Broadway musicals.
D．To seek promising talents.
22．What will the person coming second in the competition get
A．A $500 Gift Certificate and Louise Lerch Prize.
B．$2,500 in prize money and a Gift Certificate.
C．A Career Management Services package.
D．A chance to perform at a concert.
23．Which of the following is a necessity for participating in the competition
A．Being at least 28 years old.
B．Applying for membership of NATS.
C．Submitting application materials on time.
D．Uploading audition videos by September 15.
24．What do you know about the competition
A．Competitors can enter the semifinal round on January 18, 2024.
B．Both online and live auditions are available in any round.
C．There are three rounds in the competition in total.
D．Application submission deadline is October 15, 2023.
25．What’s the author’s purpose of writing the text
A．To call on people to explore their potential in music.
B．To attract young singers to apply for the competition.
C．To appeal to young singers to become NATS members.
D．To encourage people to enter the musical industry.
ChatGPT is a new AI system that sounds so human in conversations that it could host its own radio programs. Reading between its instantly generated, perfectly grammatical lines, people see different visions of the future. Without doubt, ChatGPT is impressive.
Some compare the emergence of ChatGPT to the impact of the iPhone, but that doesn’t do it justice. ChatGPT, as well as the generative AI that will follow and outsmart it, is more disruptive. And yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the world is upon us. On the contrary, ChatGPT, I would argue, might serve to make us more aware of our irreplaceable human qualities.
Take the creative act, writing in particular, as an example. If you want it to, the AI-powered chatbot always produces something because it has the whole world of online data to draw from. But unlike us; it lacks the consciousness. Thinking is hard, critical thinking even harder, and ChatGPT isn’t good at either. It just restates what has already been said; it is one big recycling machine.
There is another obvious limitation of ChatGPT. Philosopher Harry Frankfurt once claimed: the difference between a bullshitter (胡说八道的人) and a liar is that the liar. A knows what the truth is but decides to take the opposite direction; a bullshitter, however, has no regard for the truth at all. The AI scholar Gary Marcus applies this distinction to ChatGPT. He believes that we have reached a critical point where “the price of bullshit reaches zero and people who want to spread misinformation, either politically or just to make a profit, start doing that plentifully”. Unfortunately, ChatGPT will reproduce misinformation from any of its input sources — it is not an intelligent system that tries to balance or weight different perspectives. In this sense, everything that ChatGPT writes is bullshit.
This is why the so-called AIQ is critical. It is actually an extension and a measurement of our human IQ: our overall knowledge of AI tools, our mastery of clues, and our ethical awareness. ChatGPT is going to change everything and nothing.
Creativity, imagination and ethics — these will all remain unique human domains. It is the AI’s very limitations that will make us appreciate our own.
26．What can we learn about ChatGPT
A．It helps generate an artificial voice.
B．It provides instructions on writing skills.
C．It generates natural language responses.
D．It offers a service for language learning.
27．What does the underlined word “disruptive” in paragraph 2 probably mean
A．Evil.
B．Reliable.
C．Profitable.
D．Revolutionary.
28．What’s the writing purpose of Paragraph 3
A．To show the differences between humans and AI.
B．To describe the limitations of human consciousness.
C．To prove ChatGPT might make humans more aware of their irreplaceable human qualities.
D．To explain why ChatGPT isn’t a big recycling machine.
29．Why does the author consider ChatGPT as a bullshit generator
A．It makes up lies constantly.
B．It can’t tell right from wrong.
C．It often makes unfair judgement.
D．It always takes a neutral standpoint.
30．Which can be a suitable title for the text
A．ChatGPT Makes Us Human
B．ChatGPT Is Causing Panic Now
C．ChatGPT: Treat It Like a Toy, Not a Tool
D．ChatGPT: Why It Is Bound to Generate Bullshit
What would the world be if there were no hunger It’s a question that the late ecologist Donella Meadows would ask her students at Dartmouth College back in the 1970s. She set out to create a global movement. The result — an approach known as systems thinking — is now seen as essential in meeting big global challenges.
Systems thinking is crucial to achieving targets such as zero hunger and better nutrition because it requires considering the way in which food is produced, processed, delivered and consumed, and looking at how those things relate with human health, the environment, economics and society. According to systems thinking, changing the food system — or any other network — requires three things to happen. First, researchers need to identify all the players in that system; second, they must work out how they relate to each other; and third, they need to understand and quantify the impact of those relationships on each other and on those outside the system.
Take nutrition for example. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization tracked 150 biochemicals in food and various databases, which revealed the relationships between calories, sugar, fat, vitamins and the occurrence of common diseases. But using machine learning and artificial intelligence, network scientists propose that human diets consist of at least 26, 000 biochemicals and that the vast majority are not known. This shows that we have some way to travel before achieving the first objective of systems thinking — which, in this example, is to identify more constituent parts of the nutrition system.
A systems approach to creating change is also built on the assumption that everyone in the system has equal power and status. But the food system is not an equal one. There have been calls for a World Food and Nutrition Organization, so that legally binding policies can be applied to all its members. Another way to address power imbalances is for more universities to do what Meadows did and teach students how to think using a systems approach.
A team of researchers has done just that, through the Interdisciplinary Food Systems Teaching and Learning program. Students from disciplines including agriculture, ecology and economics learn together by drawing on their collective expertise in tackling real-world problems, such as how to reduce food waste. Since its launch in 2015, the program has trained more than 1, 500 students from 45 university departments.
More researchers, policymakers and representatives from the food industry must learn to look beyond their direct lines of responsibility and embrace a systems approach, as the editors of Nature Food advocate in their launch editorial. Meadows knew that visions alone don’t produce results, but concluded that “we’ll never produce results that we can’t envision”.
31．What can we learn about systems thinking
A．It offers a new perspective to understand the world.
B．It plays an essential part in meeting big world problems.
C．It has nothing to do with things outside the given system.
D．It requires to know three players in a given system
32．According to paragraph 3, the study conducted by network scientists revealed that __.
A．artificial intelligence is more useful than traditional methods
B．achieving systems thinking requires identifying more components
C．we are unable to gain thorough understanding of our nutritious system
D．some biochemicals are related with the occurrence of common diseases
33．According to the passage, what do we know about the Interdisciplinary Food Systems Teaching and Learning program
A．It is the only way of solving imbalance in our food system.
B．It aims to urge the governments to carry ‘out its food policies.
C．It seeks to solve theoretical issues about food and nutrition boo
D．It has cultivated many interdisciplinary talents since its launch.
34．What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in the last paragraph
A．Results can’t be produced.
B．Vision brings about change.
C．Action matters more than saying.
D．Systems thinking is too difficult to realize.
35．The passage is mainly about __.
A．how to conduct research efficiently
B．how to build a world food organization
C．an approach to solving real-world problem
D．an approach to applying scientific findings
Give a little sunshine!
The Council on Aging (COA) runs a telephone friendship project called the Sunshine Call Program, matching over-60s with a friendly volunteer for a daily chat over the phone. The aim is simple — to help ease the loneliness and repair social networks.
Sheila, 77, a retired teacher, lived alone. She has been receiving calls from Rianne, a volunteer, for over two months. “Talking to Rianne is something I really look forward to — a breath of fresh air. We talk about everything — theatre, her work, books we’ve read. . . Listening to someone else’s life enriches 2011 and gives you something positive to focus on. ‘ “At the beginning, I had no expectation of how the phone calls would go, but it’s wonderful that it’s led to a genuine friendship. Rianne helps me a lot. . . ”
Are you ready to add a little sunshine to a senior’s life The Sunshine Call Program initially links a volunteer with an isolate (独居的) senior for a daily call When comfortable the volunteer introduces a second senior to the call. Then another, until there are four seniors to one volunteer on what is essentially a conference call. Without having to leave the house, you will help the seniors meet and make new friends. They will then exchange phone numbers to chat on their own and reduce their isolation.
What are the volunteer qualifications
Volunteers must have access to the Internet and be willing to be trained on the use of a chat app. COA will provide all supplies required to make the calls. Besides, volunteers must agree to participate in monthly meetings with other volunteers and guest speakers. All volunteers must be willing to provide a recent Criminal Record Check, the cost of which will be borne by COA．And the most important volunteer qualification is a sense of caring and a desire to help seniors in the community!
If you wish to volunteer with our Sunshine Call program, never hesitate! Just CLICK HERE to fill out the application form.
36．Why does the passage mention Sheila’s experience
A．To show her loneliness
B．To share a sweet memory.
C．To stress the value of COA．
D．To praise Rianne’s kindness.
37．One of the responsibilities of volunteers is__________.
A．making weekly calls to seniors
B．visiting seniors during holidays
C．introducing new friends to seniors
D．teaching seniors to use smart phones
38．If you want to be a volunteer, what are you required to do
A．Learn the use of a chat app.
B．Prepare a computer by yourself.
C．Offer a letter of recommendation.
D．Have relevant working experience.
39．What is the purpose of the passage
A．To inform the readers of COA．
B．To invite seniors to sign up for COA
C．To introduce volunteer work in COA．
D．To advertise for new volunteers for COA．
40．Which of the following is the passage probably taken from
A．A newspaper for teenagers.
B．A website of an organization.
C．A guide for travelers.
D．A magazine for the elderly.
It was the day of the big cross-country run. Students from seven different elementary schools in and around the small town of 100-Mile House, British Columbia, were warming up and walking the route through thick evergreen forest.
I looked around and finally saw David standing by himself off to the side by a fence. He was small for ten years old, with messy red hair. But his usual big toothy grin was absent today. I walked over and asked him why he wasn’t with the other children. The only response he gave me was he had decided not to run. What was wrong He had worked so hard for this event! David’s cerebral palsy (脑瘫) prevented him from walking or running like other children, but at school his peers thought of him as a regular kid. He always participated to the best of his ability in whatever they were doing. It just took him longer. He had stubbornly run a total of twenty three kilometres in practice runs to prepare for that day’s two-and-a-half-kilometre run, and he had asked me to come and watch. We sat down together on some steps, but David wouldn’t look at me. I quietly said, “David, if you don’t want to run today, no one is going to make you. But if you’re not running because you’re afraid someone is going to laugh, that’s not a good enough reason. There will always be someone who will laugh and say mean things. Are you going to let them get in your way If you really want to run, David, then you run!” I held my breath as David took this in. Then he looked at the field and said, “I’m gonna run.”
The starter’s gun sounded. But he had only gone a few metres before he tripped and fell flat on the ground. My heart sank. As I started to shout encouragement, David picked himself up and started again. All the other runners had disappeared over the hill. But it didn’t matter. He had worked for it, and he wouldn’t give up!
I waited anxiously by the finish line as the most runners completed and another race had begun. Still no David! I started to feel sick. Had I done the wrong thing Could he have become lost Finally, a small figure emerged from the forest. David raised his arms in triumph as he crossed the finish line to wild cheers and applause. He caught my eye, flashed me a toothy grin and said, “That was easy!”
41．What made David unable to run like other children
A．His mental problem.
B．His physical condition.
C．His laziness.
D．His hesitation.
42．David decided to run because ___.
A．he was encouraged to
B．he wanted to be the first
C．he was laughed into doing it
D．he knew it was a shorter distance
43．Which of the following can best describe David
A．Brave and talkative.
B．Out-going and kind-hearted.
C．Lively and hard-working.
D．Optimistic and strong-willed.
44．By using the phrase “a toothy grin” in the last sentence, the writer intends to tell us about David’s ___.
A．competence in finishing a run
B．positive attitude towards life
C．ability to win cheers and applause
D．efforts to catch others’ attention
45．Which of the following is the proper theme of the text
A．Never judge a book by its cover.
B．Well begun is half done.
C．Where there is a will, there is a way.
D．Many hands make light work.
Every April I am troubled by the same concern—that spring might not occur this year. The landscape looks dull, with hills, the sky and the forest appearing gray. My spirits ebb, as they did during an April snowfall when I first came to Maine 15 years ago. “Just wait,” a neighbour advised. “You’ll wake up one morning and spring will just be here.”
And look, on May 3 that year I awoke to a green so amazing as to be almost electric, as if spring were simply a matter of flipping a switch. Hills, the sky and the forest revealed their purples, blues and greens. Leaves had unfolded and daffodils were fighting their way heavenward.
Then there was the old apple tree. It sits on an undeveloped lot in my neighbourhood. It belongs to no one and therefore to everyone. The tree’s dark twisted branches stretch out in unpruned (未经修剪的) abandon. Each spring it blossoms so freely that the air becomes full of the scent of apple.
Until last year, I thought I was the only one aware of this tree. And then one day, in a bit of spring madness, I set out with pruner to remove a few disorderly branches. No sooner had I arrived under the tree than neighbours opened their windows and stepped onto their porches (门廊). These were people I barely knew and seldom spoke to, but it was as if I had come uninvited into their personal gardens.
My mobile-home neighbour was the first to speak. “You’re not cutting it down, are you ” she asked anxiously. Another neighbour frowned as I cut off a branch. “Don’t kill it, now,” he warned.
Soon half the neighbourhood joined me under the apple tree. It struck me that I had lived there for five years and only now was learning these people’s names, what they did for a living and how they passed the winter. It was as if the old apple tree was gathering us under its branches for the purpose of both acquaintanceship and shared wonder. I couldn’t help recalling Robert Frost’s words:
The trees that have it in their pent-up buds
To darken nature and be summer woods
One thaw led to another. Just the other day I saw one of my neighbors at the local store. He remarked how this recent winter had been especially long and complained of not having seen or spoken at length to anyone in our neighbourhood. And then, he looked at me and said, “We need to prune that apple tree again.”
46．The main function of the first paragraph is .
A．to attract the readers’ interest B．to suggest the theme of the story
C．to introduce the setting of the story D．to explain why he would prune the apple tree
47．By saying that “my spirits ebb” in the first paragraph, the author means that .
A．he feels blue B．he feels relieved
C．he is surprised D．he is tired
48．The apple tree mentioned in the passage is most likely to .
A．have been abandoned by its original owner
B．be regarded as a delight in the neighborhood
C．have been neglected by everyone in the community
D．be appealing only to the author
49．According to paragraph 4, why did the neighbors open their windows and step onto their porches
A．They were surprised that someone unknown was pruning the tree.
B．They wanted to prevent the author from pruning the tree.
C．They were concerned about the safety of the tree.
D．They wanted to get to know the author.
50．According to the passage, which of the following statement is TRUE
A．The tree brought about great changes to the neighbourhood.
B．The author was the only one who cared about the apple tree.
C．The author stepped into the personal gardens of his neighbors.
D．The neighbors were angry to see the author’s effort to prune the tree.
51．It can be inferred that the author’s neighbour mentioned in the last paragraph most cared about .
A．the neighbourhood gathering B．how to pass the long winter
C．when spring would arrive D．the pruning of the apple tree
I was born a bookworm. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read: It was almost like breathing to me. My fictional worlds took me to all the places I needed to go and I experienced everything indirectly.
My father was in the military service when I was a child, so we moved every two years, but we insisted on going to bookshops wherever we lived. He would take me to the nearest bookshop every Saturday morning and wait patiently while I browsed (随便看看)—after all, the choosing of a new book is something that cannot be rushed. And so started my lifelong love affair with bookshops.
One day I was thinking up the setting for How to Find Love in a tiny bookshop when a feeling of calm, contentment, and excitement came over me. It was a feeling of perfect happiness. That was my light bulb moment: My book would be set in a bookshop, and I could explore what books meant to each of my characters and how they had shaped their lives.
The book isn’t just about discovering romantic love. It’s about finding the love of books: something that can sustain you throughout your life, and provide escape, entertainment, education, comfort, wonder. And, as I learned from my own father, it’s a love you can share with everyone. There is nothing more satisfying than sharing something you have read with someone else, knowing they will love it as much as you do.
But if we are to keep bookshops alive, we need to use them, and to encourage the next generation to make them a part of their life and view bookshops as a treat, a pleasure, an adventure, a gateway, so they become something we can’t live without. Thus my challenge to you, fellow readers, is to go to your local bookshops as often as possible and come out with something that might change your life.
52．Why did the author often move when he was a child
A．Because her father loved travelling.
B．Because her father was in the army.
C．Because her parents divorced.
D．Because her parents wanted to find a better school for her.
53．Which word best describes the author’s relationship with bookshops as a child
A．Distant. B．Casual.
C．Inseparable. D．Cooperative.
54．What does the underlined part “light bulb moment” in paragraph 3 mean
A．A moment of relief. B．A moment of peace.
C．A moment of sudden shock. D．A moment of sudden inspiration.
55．What might the book How to Find Love talk about
A．How books affect people’s lives. B．Romantic stories of the author’s parents.
C．How bookshops become popular. D．Touching stories between father and daughter.
56．What does the author call on readers to do
A．Purchase her books. B．Go frequent book shopping.
C．Share books with others. D．Sponsor local bookshops.
Why did humans evolve to walk upright Perhaps because it’s just plain easier. Make that “energetically less costly,” in science-speak.
Bipedalism — walking on two feet — is one of the defining characteristics of being human, and scientists have debated for years how it came about. In the latest attempt to find an explanation, researchers trained five chimpanzees to walk on treadmill while wearing masks that allowed measurement of their oxygen consumption. The chimps were measured both while walking upright and while moving on their legs and knuckles. That measurement of the energy needed to move round was compared with similar tests on humans and the results are published in this week’s online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It turns out that humans walking on two legs use only one quarter of the energy that chimpanzees use while knuckle-walking on four limbs. And the chimps, on average, use as much energy using two legs as they did when they used all four limbs.
However, there were differences among chimpanzees in how much energy they used, and this difference corresponded to their different gaits and anatomy. One of the chimps used less energy on two legs, one used about the same and the others used more, said David Raichlen, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona.
“What we were surprised at was the variation,” he said in telephone interview. “That was pretty exciting, because when you talk about how evolution works, variation is the bottom line, without variation there is no evolution.”
Walking, on two legs freed our arms, opening the door to manipulating the world, Raichlen said. “We think about the evolution of bipedalism as one of first events that led hominids down the path to being human.”
The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the L. S. B．Leakey Foundation.
57．The underlined word “Bipedalism” means .
A．moving sideways B．walking upright
C．walking on four legs D．running fast
58．Why did chimpanzees wear masks in the experiment
A．Masks protect chimpanzees from any harm.
B．Masks help chimpanzees walk steadily.
C．There was heavy smoke in the room.
D．Masks helped to measure how much oxygen chimpanzees consumed.
59．We can infer that scientists .
A．have no idea on how human walking on two legs came about
B．have had different views on why chimpanzees walk on four legs
C．have had different views on how human walking on two legs came about
D．have had similar views on how human walking on two legs came about
60．What does the fourth paragraph mainly deal with
A．How did chimpanzees save energy B．Why didn’t chimpanzees walk on two legs
C．David Raichlen researched into chimpanzees. D．Different chimpanzees consume different energy.
61．According to the passage humans walk upright in order to .
A．conserve energy B．differ from other animals
C．free their brains D．strengthen their legs
If you’re a runner who secretly hates running, here’s some good news: settling into a leisurely jog rather than an all-out run may actually be better for your health in the long term.
A team from Denmark followed over 5, 000 people taking part in the Copenhagen City Heart Study, and tracked whether they were non-joggers, or joggers who kept a slow, moderate (中等的), or fast pace. The participants’ health was tracked over the next 12 years, and so was their mortality (死亡率): 28 of the joggers and 128 of the non-joggers died.
The connection was this: Joggers of mild and moderate intensity had a lower risk of death than the fast joggers. In fact, the lowest mortality risk was that of the mild intensity joggers. The fast-paced joggers had about the same mortality rate as sedentary (久坐的) people. This suggests that there may be an upper limit to hard exercise, after which the benefits fall off.
“The U-shaped association between jogging and mortality suggests there may be an upper limit for exercise amount that is best for health benefits,” said study author Peter Schnohr. “Anything more is not just unnecessary; it may be harmful.” From the current study, jogging just three times per week, for less than 2.5 hours per week was associated with the lowest overall mortality risk.
There have been a lot of mixed messages about the “right” amount of exercise and what intensity is best. The World Health Organization has suggested that the current 150 minutes per week recommendations are strenuous for most people to tackle, and that expectations should be lowered, since, after all, anything is better than nothing. Everyone probably has a level of activity that feels best to him or her. But at least the growing consensus seems to be that more — if you’re pushing yourself very hard— is not necessarily better. And it may even be worse.
62．What was the study designed to find out
A．The relation between exercise amount and health.
B．The difference between non-joggers and joggers.
C．The advantages of jogging over running.
D．The common causes of death from exercise.
63．Who will face the highest mortality risk according to the study
A．Those jogging just three times per week. B．Those jogging 150 minutes per week.
C．Those fast-paced joggers. D．Those slow-paced joggers.
64．What might Peter Schnohr agree with
A．The early bird catches the worm. B．Wealth is nothing without health.
C．To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short. D．Enough exercise brings about happiness.
65．What does the underlined word “strenuous” in the last paragraph mean
A．Intense. B．Wide-ranging.
C．Necessary. D．Far-reaching.
66．What would be the best title for the text
A．Why Jogging May Be Better For Your Health Than Running
B．Can Jogging Increase Your Weight
C．How Does Jogging Affect Your Health
D．How Often Should Beginners Run
Online Courses
The Path to Contentment
What you’ll learn:
·Ancient Chinese philosophy and how to apply it to live a better life
·Tools needed for self-awareness and sensing the world around you
·The philosophical theories of Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi
Length: 13 weeks
Effort: 1-2 hours per week
Price: Free; add a certificate for CNY678
Institution: Harvard University
Language: English
Start Talking with 1. 4 Billion People
What you’ll learn:
·Mandarin (普通话) vocabulary used in daily life
·Highly practical expressions in given Mandarin contexts
·Listening skills for communicating with Chinese native speakers
·Some basic and frequently used Chinese characters
Length: 6 weeks
Effort: 2-3 hours per week
Price: Free; add a certificate for CNY336
Institution: Tsinghua University
Language: English
Mandarin Chinese for Business
What you’ll learn:
·Mandarin phrases and expressions for business negotiation
·Chinese business culture and etiquette (礼仪)
·Proper Chinese languages for finding business partners, contract signing, and maintaining business relationships
Length: 6weeks
Effort: 4-10 hours per week
Price: Free; add a certificate for CNY1, 020
Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Language: English
Hong Kong Cinema Through a Global Lens
What you’ll learn:
·Critical and historical thinking skills through analyzing the interconnected relationship between the global scene and local lives in Hong Kong films
·The impact of globalization on your own society through analyzing Hong Kong cinema
Length: 5 weeks
Effort: 4-6 hours per week
Price: Free; add a certificate for CNY342
Institution: The University of Hong Kong
Language: English
67．Which course should you take if you are interested in Chinese philosophy
A．The Path to Contentment.
B．Mandarin Chinese for Business.
C．Start Talking with 1.4 Billion People.
D．Hong Kong Cinema Through a Global Lens.
68．What do the two courses of the same length have in common
A．Both are given by Tsinghua University. B．Both are open to Chinese beginners.
C．Both are designed for businessmen. D．Both are about language learning.
69．Which school provides the course Mandarin Chinese for Business
A．Harvard University. B．Tsinghua University.
C．Massachusetts Institute of Technology. D．The University of Hong Kong.
70．How much does it cost to get a certificate for the course on films
A．CNY336. B．CNY342. C．CNY678. D．CNY1, 020.
71．What language are the four courses taught in
A．Chinese. B．French. C．English. D．Japanese.
If you’re new to a school or you are shy or tend to not get out of your comfort zone, making new friends at school might seem like a challenge. Luckily, you can overcome that challenge by looking for people with the same interests as you and by being friendly when you meet new people. Also, participate in after-school clubs and events whenever you get the chance, since that will help you meet people outside of class!
Look for people who have the same hobbies as you.
You’re more likely to be friends with someone if you have something in common with them. Try to find clubs or groups based on your favorite hobbies, then join them to meet like-minded people. Also, pay attention to people who spend their free time doing the same things you love to do.
If you’re a passionate reader, join a book club, go to public readings, or start a conversation with someone who carries novels around with their textbooks.
Spend time around people who show kindness.
Finding someone who will treat you well and support you is more important than popularity. Avoid spending time with people who talk bad about others or put them down. Instead, look for people who invite others to sit with them at lunch, who encourage others when they speak up in class, or who are always willing to help when someone needs a hand.
Introduce yourself to new people whenever possible.
When you’re around someone you don’t know, it is not unusual to just sit there quietly, especially if you’re shy. However, you and the other person will both be more comfortable after a simple introduction. Make eye contact with the person, smile, and try to seem warm and relaxed instead of nervous or anxious. Then, break the ice by talking about whatever is going on around you.
Keep the conversation going with open-ended questions.
When you start talking to someone, try asking them questions about what they like to see what you have in common with them. However, avoid simply asking yes or no questions, since one-word answers don’t necessarily keep a conversation alive. You can ask questions about whatever you’re already talking about, or you can change the subject if you feel that ran its course.
72．Who is the passage intended for
A．Teachers. B．Students. C．Parents. D．Adults.
73．If you are fond of reading, you can ________.
A．join a club to make friends
B．approach people with lots of hobbies
C．spend your free time meeting different people
D．talk to people with the same interests
74．According to Paragraph 4, who is more likely to be a good friend
A．One who enjoys the popularity.
B．One who talks bad about others.
C．One who wants to help you.
D．One who always put others down.
75．According to Paragraph 5, what should you do first when you meet someone you don’t know well
A．Start with a warm handshake.
B．Make eye contact with the person.
C．Start with a brief introduction of yourself.
D．Start by talking about a serious topic.
76．You should avoid asking yes or no questions to ________.
A．keep the conversation going B．end the conversation
C．show kindness D．respect others
Hearing aids usually bring to mind images of ugly, ineffective devices mainly worn by the elderly. But this ill repute is quickly changing, as they’ve recently taken a turn thanks to two innovators, Dr. Marco Vietor and Paul Crusius, who now lead the fastest-growing hearing aid company in the world—.
’s years of research led to the development of two game-changing hearing aids—the Silk and Styletto. These impressive devices pack cutting-edge technology in designs that are practically invisible. They also use a unique way that has been clinically proven to deliver better-than-normal hearing so you can clearly understand speech in any environment. With additional features like Bluetooth and rechargeability, today’s hearing aids are attracting even younger customers skilled in tech.
But knows it’s not just about tech and design. They’ve put an enormous effort into the entire experience to make hearing care more accessible and more affordable. “Everyone should be able to hear well to live well,” Crusius says. “And it’s very individual. Each person’s hearing loss is different and requires a personalized approach to find the best solution.”
“We hear with our brains, not our ears. And it takes at least 30 days for our brain to adjust and relearn how to hear again with new hearing aids,” Dr. Vietor says. “To guarantee your best outcome with hearing aids, we developed the industry’s first 30-day program, Hearing Success Program, so customers have that extra level of care and knowledge to succeed.”
And it’s working. has now helped more than 100,000 customers improve their hearing. Their A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and 5-star rating on the customer review platform, Trustpilot, speaks for itself.
’s “never corporate” and “customer first” approach also helps drive the company’s success, encouraging employees to act like owners and put customers first. “We’re investing heavily in shaping our company culture,” Crusius says. “Individuals who work at say they are here to do more than a job. They’re helping change lives all around the world.”
77．What does the underlined part “this ill repute” in Para 1 refer to
A．Hearing aids being too expensive to afford.
B．Hearing aids ignoring the needs of the elderly.
C．Hearing aids developing at a really slow pace.
D．Hearing aids being poor in design and function.
78．What does Para 2 mainly talk about
A．The popularity of ’s hearing aids.
B．The innovations in ’s hearing aids.
C．The benefits brought by hear.som’s hearing aids.
D．The effort ’s made to develop hearing aids.
79．What does the Hearing Success Program aim to do
A．Add attractive features to hearing aids.
B．Help customers adjust to new hearing aids.
C．Find the possible causes for customers’ hearing loss.
D．Educate people about the consequences of hearing loss.
80．What can we infer about ’s employees
A．They take pride in their work.
B．They lack a sense of belonging.
C．They reject the company culture.
D．They cooperate well with review platforms.
81．What does the passage focus on
A．Products and services of a hearing aid company.
B．Hearing problems in the elderly.
C．The company culture of .
D．Younger customers’ interest in hearing aids.
Time and time again, I hear someone ask why anyone would want to keep an “ugly” building or a building that is dirty and clearly in need of work. I think you could say we preservationists (文物保护者) look at buildings through a different angle — an angle that can see the swan in the ugly duck, the story in the simple lines, the book behind the cover.
Take the Queen Emma Building for example. While people may remember that building being named as one of the ugliest buildings in town, the angle from which a preservationist will view the building is that it is uniquely constructed with an artistical brise-soleil (遮阳板) to block the sun. The designer used standard concrete bricks to form a decorative wall. Unfortunately, the brise-soleil was removed in 2011, making the building look like many of the contemporary buildings in town.
Sometimes people remember a beautiful site that was replaced by a “horrid” piece of architecture and can’t get over their anger, even when that building becomes an important part of our story. This is particularly true in San Francisco where many preservationists themselves dislike anything newer than the Victorian era. Yes, it was a tragedy that many failed to appreciate the Victorian buildings and let many get torn down several decades ago, but those losses also tell another important story. It tells the story of the 1950s and 1960s when there was hope for a more equal society with inexpensive housing for the working class. Should that history be wiped from our memories
Preservation is not just about keeping pretty, well-kept buildings, but about conveying parts of our history —not just the history of huge events, but the story of how everyone used to go to a certain corner market. Our history cannot be told only in buildings that meet someone’s criteria of beauty; sometimes our history is painful, but no less important.
82．How do preservationists see buildings
A．They focus on their value rather than appearance.
B．They pay great attention to ancient buildings.
C．They are devoted to repairing famous buildings.
D．They prefer ugly buildings to beautiful ones.
83．What does the author think of removing the brise-soleil of the Queen Emma Building
A．It’s confusing. B．It’s pleasing.
C．It’s regrettable. D．It’s unbelievable.
84．Why were many Victorian buildings in San Francisco torn down
A．To wipe the history of the Victorian era.
B．To make land available for cheap housing.
C．To work off the deep anger of the working class.
D．To restore the architecture before the Victorian era.
85．What is the author’s intention of writing this passage
A．To introduce some buildings with historical value.
B．To explain the reason why architects make ugly buildings.
C．To praise the work of preservationists
D．To stress the importance of preserving ugly buildings.
86．Where does the text probably come from
A．A culture paper. B．A science book.
C．An environment report. D．A travel magazine.
Best Basketball Classes for the Pre-Teen Years in Fremont, CA
HoopSphere Basketball Academy
(510) 806-8992
You are not simply in a class at HoopSphere, but are joining a basketball journey. Confidence, adaptability, communication skills, teamwork, leadership, discipline, and hard work are all main byproducts of what we teach. These qualities all impact our students in everything they will do. We have many experienced coaches and our team is accustomed to working with all ages and levels. They are not only caring and passionate, but also outstanding teachers and communicators.
Mon - Sat: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Sun: Closed
Mission Hoops Academy
(510) 936-1336
We have our own indoor facility and all our coaches have experience at collegiate and professional level. We are an establishment where individuals from all walks of life can work together to become skilled athletes and respectable persons through the disciplined teaching of basketball and life skills.
Mon - Fri: 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Sat: 8:30 am - 12:00 pm
Sun: Closed
Coach Mickey
(408) 431-7950
We specialize in coaching group basketball training’s (2-4 players). A majority of our experience has been coaching kids from ages 5-15. We create a fun environment for our players but when necessary we will challenge them physically and mentally. Our main focus is on the fundamentals and applying these skills in competitive games.
Mon - Fri: Closed
Sat: 8:00 am - 12:30 pm
Sun: 8:00 am - 12:30 pm
SSB Basketball Academy
(510) 794-4888
SSB Basketball Academy was founded to expose today’s youth to the game of basketball in a fun manner. At SSB, we recognize that not all kids learn the same way and not all kids have the same goals. For some, basketball is just another form of recreation. Others may want to pursue the game more seriously. Our curriculum is designed to challenge and attract your child no matter his or her motives.
Mon - Sun: 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
87．What is the additional benefit of attending the class at HoopSphere
A．Personal growth. B．Outstanding basketball lessons.
C．The progress of basketball skills. D．Increased knowledge of basketball.
88．If you want to reach the level of a sportsman, you can best call ________.
A．(510) 794-4888 B．(510) 936-1336
C．(408) 431-7950 D．(510) 806-8992
89．In Coach Mickey’s class, ________.
A．having fun is the most important thing
B．there is no age limit of the participants
C．mastering and using basic skills are the major aims
D．participants can play basketball on Friday afternoon
90．Which basketball class allows you to join on Sunday afternoon
A．HoopSphere Basketball Academy. B．Mission Hoops Academy.
C．Coach Mickey. D．SSB Basketball Academy.
91．Who will be least interested in this article
A．Parents who want to play basketball themselves.
B．Parents with kids who want to learn some basketball skills.
C．Young students who would like to develop a hobby.
D．Young students who like to play basketball and improve themselves.
One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might someday get lost in a “sea of technology” rather than experiencing the natural world. Fear-producing TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnect between kids and the great outdoors, which will change the wild places of the world, its creatures and human health for the worse, unless adults get working on child’s play.
Each of us has a place in nature we go sometimes, even if it was torn down. We cannot be the last generation to have that place. At this rate, kids who miss the sense of wonder outdoors will not grow up to be protectors of natural landscapes. “If the decline in parks use continues across North America, who will defend parks against encroachment (蚕食) ” asks Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods.
Without having a nature experience, kids, can turn out just fine, but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives. That applies to everything from their physical health and mental health, to stress levels, creativity and cognitive (认知的) skills. Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents — and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it; research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component and that play in nature fosters (培养) leadership by the smartest, not by the toughest. Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child. The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world. A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes. We really need to value that more.
Kids are not responsible. They are over-protected and frightened. It is dangerous out there from time to time, but repetitive stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood rite (仪式) of passage.
Everyone, from developers, to schools and outdoor citizens, should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring, taking friendship in fields and woods that cement love, respect and need for landscape. As parents, we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature. This could yet be our greatest cause.
92．The main idea of Paragraph 2 is that ________.
A．kids miss the sense of wonder outdoors
B．parks are in danger of being gradually encroached
C．Richard Louv is the author of Last Child in the Woods
D．children are expected to develop into protectors of nature
93．According to the passage, children without experiencing nature will ________.
A．be less healthy both physically and mentally
B．be over-protected by their parents
C．keep a high sense of wonder
D．change wild places and creatures for the better
94．According to the author, children’s breaking an arm is ________.
A．the fault on the part of their parents
B．the natural experience in their growing up
C．the result of their own carelessness in play
D．the effect of their repetitive stress from computers
95．What does the underlined word “cement” in the last paragraph mean
A．Weaken. B．Strengthen. C．Lower. D．Decease.
96．In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to ________.
A．blame children for getting lost in computer games
B．encourage children to protect parks from encroachment
C．show his concern about children’s lack of experience in nature
D．inspire children to keep the sense of wonder about things around
When you think of Microsoft, Bill Gates comes to mind immediately; however, numerous sources reveal the company’s co-founder, Paul Allen, was also instrumental in the brand’s success. The documentary Inside Bill’s Brain recently revealed many facts of the world’s famous billionaire, including their friendship.
Gates and Allen met in 1960s at Seattle’s Lakeside School when Gates was in eighth grade. Allen was two classes ahead. The students landed in hot water with the school when they worked on computer terminals. Since they were rare at the time, it cost people up to $60 to use them. Allen and Gates were fascinated by the terminals, but the expenses proved too high. They worked out a way to use the system for free in exchange for helping the school repair them. Gates later mentioned the terminal as the object that brought the two together.
In the 1970s, Allen was a programmer in Boston, while Gates was a student at Harvard University. Gates quickly changed his focus and sped through the most advanced computer and mathematics courses Harvard offered. In 1975, Gates made a decisive call to a company that had built a personal computer called the Altair 8800. Gates offered to develop software for the system. The firm accepted and paid him $3,000 plus royalties(版税). In the same year, they co-founded Microsoft, which is a team effort between Allen and Gates.
It was Allen who persuaded Gates to drop out of college to pursue software development. Plus, he came up with the Microsoft name and suggested focusing on its goal of providing software for small computers, rather than the earliest models that filled entire rooms. Later some frictions appeared between himself and Gates; however, they repaired them soon. Bill’s wife, Melinda, says, “I often saw them sit for hours. They were like two little boys laughing together over these old stories.”
Allen and Gates both possessed brilliant minds. Allen and Gates’ collaboration made Microsoft possible. We shouldn’t lose sight of the people who help us along the way. Finding a business to work with those who support us sincerely and cheerfully is the surest path to accomplishing our goals.
97．What does the underlined word “instrumental” in Paragraph 1 probably mean
A．Helpful. B．Delighted. C．Surprised. D．Forgettable.
98．What is the second paragraph mainly about
A．How Bill Gates fixed the terminal problems.
B．How Bill Gates became a computer expert.
C．How Allen and Gates became friends.
D．What Allen and Gates shared in common.
99．When Bill Gates studied at Harvard University, ________.
A．he wanted to leave the university soon B．he had a clear plan for the future
C．he built the first personal computer D．he founded Microsoft by himself
100．Which can best describe Paul Allen
A．Flexible and creative. B．Adventurous and active.
C．Forward-looking and supportive. D．Ambitious and considerate.
101．What can we learn from the last paragraph
A．Sincerity is the key to success. B．A faithful friend is hard to find.
C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. D．Two heads are better than one.
参考答案：
1．B 2．C 3．A 4．B 5．D
【导语】本文是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍的是疫情后外出旅行探险的好去处。
1．细节理解题。根据01 The Great American E-Bike Trip部分的“TDA Global Cycling’s Great American Road Trip can be done in full, or broken down to a 10-day trip to explore one region.(TDA全球自行车的伟大的美国公路之旅可以完成全部，或分解成一个10天的旅行，探索一个地区)”可知，从加利福尼亚到佐治亚州的电动自行车之旅可以完整完成，也可以分成10天来完成。由此可知，此处的自行车之旅可以分段完成。故选B项。
2．细节理解题。根据Swim with Whale Sharks部分中的“Dubbed “The Aquarium of the World” by Jacques Cousteau, the Sea of Cortez is one of the best spots in the world to swim with whale sharks and sea lions.(科尔特斯海被雅克·库斯托称为“世界水族馆”，是世界上与鲸鲨和海狮一起游泳的最佳地点之一)”和See Kangaroo Island Bounce Back部分的“Swim with sea lions or sip some Jacob’s Creek local wine and watch the kangaroos bounce back.(与海狮一起游泳，或啜饮雅各布溪当地的葡萄酒，观看袋鼠的反弹)”可知，这两处的共同之处在于可以体验与某些海洋动物一起游泳。故选C项。
3．推理判断题。根据Soak in the Natural Wonders部分的“While the world waits for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, consider Japan’s last-developed island as a refuge (庇护所) from the crowds.(当全世界都在等待2021年东京奥运会的时候，把日本最后一个开发的岛屿当作一个远离人群的避难所)