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Zhang Yuxuan can turn many things into melody（旋律）in her music world—a box of candies,water,pens and glass bottles.She records the sounds around her and mixes them into songs.
Better known as Vicky Xuanxuan on social media,the 15-year-old girl has attracted nearly 1.7 million followers on China's leading video-sharing and livestreaming platform Bilibili and made national headlines.The sudden popularity has brought her opportunities to cooperate with celebrities,such as pianist Li Yundi.
Yuxuan's most hit clip（视频剪辑）—the release of her English song She—has been viewed more than 14 million times and received over 1 million thumbs-up emoji on Bilibili. "In the clip,I tried to let viewers know how the song was created," say Yuxuan,who lives in Shenzhen,South China's Guangdong province.
The six-minute video tells how a melody coming to the ponytailed（梳马尾辫的）schoolgirl's mind during a math class is developed into a beautiful song in half an hour.She records playing the guitar on Apple's music-making app GarageBand,and then mixes vocals and backing tracks.
Inspired by the Hollywood film The Devil Wears Prada,she writes the lyrics for She："She got a beautiful eye/Walk in a line/Smile with her type/She knows all about life/Never ask why/Driving everyone crazy/She has long hair/Tight skirt/She doesn't need a lover or a partner."
Talking about her inspiration for She,Yuxuan says："I really appreciate the protagonist's（主角）confidence and independence in the movie.Women like that are so charming."
The song has amazed people.A Bilibili user says it is a song that "you cannot stop playing time and time again".The video has forced many to reflect on their own productivity,as another user posts：" A student in junior middle school can create a song in half an hour,but I，a college student,can only finish my meal in half an hour."



Why does the author mention Li Yundi in paragraph 2？ ______

A. To tell us how hard Zhang Yuxuan works.
B. To demonstrate Zhang Yuxuan's colourful life.
C. To emphasize how popular Zhang Yuxuan is.
D. To show Zhang Yuxuan's talent for playing the piano.

Which of the following statement is TRUE about She？ ______

A. The lyrics are taken from movie lines.
B. Zhang Yuxuan did it during a math class.
C. A female leading role gave Zhang Yuxuan ideas.
D. She is Zhang Yuxuan's first song.

Which of the following best describes Zhang Yuxuan？ ______

A. Capable.
B. Dependable.
C. Kind-hearted.
D. Selfless.

What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably mean？ ______

A. Zhang Yuxuan has a successful life.
B. Zhang Yuxuan is a musical genius.
C. Zhang Yuxuan cannot eat a meal in half an hour.
D. Zhang Yuxuan is smarter than college students.

In which section of a newspaper may this text appear？ ______

A. Society.
B. Lifestyle.
C. Technology.
D. Opinion.

A city in Sweden has used rainbow-colored garbage recently.It has one of the most impressive recycling records in the world and met the EU's 2020 target of recycling 50% of waste many years ago.
Almost all the citizens in this city follow a strict recycling policy at home.People are expected to sort their household waste into seven separate categories,including food,textiles,cartons and metal.But what really makes the system stand out is the bright color code.
The significance for this becomes clear at the city's recycling factory.The bags are collected altogether,so when they arrive at the factory,they are mixed up.But thanks to those bright colors,scanners can select the bags and separate them easily.One of the benefits of this method of recycling is that there is less cross-pollution （交叉污染物），so more of the recycled waste can actually be used to make new things.The food waste in green bags is processed on site into mud to make biogas,which powers the city's buses.Waste that cannot be recycled is burned at a local factory to produce electricity.This creates greenhouse gases,reducing dependence on traditional fuels,such as coal.
As countries around the world try to improve their recycling degree,some may look up to this city as an example to follow - as long as they think they can persuade their citizens to get sorting work done properly at home.



What makes the system of rainbow-colored recycling so outstanding？ ______

A. The impressive colors of the rubbish bags.
B. The self-control of citizens.
C. The strict recycling policy.
D. The eco-friendly code.

Which of the following statements is true？ ______

A. Rainbow-colored rubbish is commonly seen around the world.
B. When the rubbish bags arrive at the plant,they are mixed up.
C. The food rubbish will not be recycled to make new things.
D. All rubbish is burned to create electricity.

If other countries want to recycle waste like this Swedish city,they first should ______ .

A. persuade citizens to use as much traditional fuel as possible
B. forbid citizens to create greenhouse gases
C. not allow citizens to create any waste
D. talk people into sorting household waste in a correct way

Where is this text most likely from？ ______

A. An announcement.
B. A poster.
C. A magazine.
D. A science fiction.

Music brings out the best in people,especially in the morning.If you usually wake up feeling sleepy,turn on your music playlist and play your favorite hits.You'll feel instantly happier,and more productive.
It lowers cortisol （皮质醇） levels.You can feel less stressed by listening to your favorite music,according to a study.The stress hormone,cortisol,will lower,and it seems that music speeds up the recovery time after a stress-causing event.So it's only logical that starting your day with a good song can relieve stress caused by external factors,and it will serve as a good start to the day.
Besides,it increases dopamine（多巴胺）levels.Music can increase the production of the dopamine hormone,which is one of the "happy" hormones directly connected to pleasure.It will help to relieve certain negative feelings of anxiety and depression.So if you wake up feeling down,turn on your music playlist.
Listening to music can strengthen your immune system.The sound of the tunes helps the body to produce more antibodies and natural killer cells.These cells can help you attack any viruses you might contract（感染）.Basically,your immune system will be more effective at fighting any illnesses.
It stimulates memories.Music can help you remember more,no matter if you like upbeat or slow tunes.Your cognitive（认知的）function will improve once you put your jingle on,and over time,you'll benefit from a stronger memory,according to a study.
It also promotes your creativity.Before heading to the computer desk or laptop,put your headphones on and listen to some music,especially happy tunes.It seems that this type of jingle will make you a more creative person,so all those ideas you were waiting for will flood in.And if you start your workday by being more productive and kicking off all the points on your to-do list,it will definitely make you feel good about yourself.



What changes will listening to music bring to our body？ ______

A. Any viruses will be defeated.
B. Our stress will be reduced.
C. We will not suffer from depression.
D. The dopamine levels will be decreased.

Which of the following songs can make us most creative？ ______

A. The Sound of Silence.
B. Symphony of Fate.
C. Moonlight on the Second Spring.
D. Jingle Bells.

How does the author develop the passage？ ______

A. By making analyses.
B. By giving definitions.
C. By giving examples.
D. By making comparisons.

What's the passage mainly about？ ______

A. The ways of strengthening our immune system.
B. The advantages of improving our cognitive function.
C. The benefits of listening to music after waking up.
D. The methods of speeding up the stress recovery time.

While elephants born without tusks（长牙）are not unheard they normally form just 2 to 6 percent of the population.However,that is not the case at Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park,where an astonishing 33 percent of female elephants born after the country's conflict ended in 1992 are tuskless.While that may appear to be just a coincidence,Joyce Poole,an elephant behavior expert,has another theory.The researcher thinks we may be witnessing unnatural evolution of the species due to the constant hunting of elephants for valuable ivory.
Poole says before the country's 15-year-long conflict,the park was home to over 4，000 elephants.However,by the time the conflict ended in 1992，about 90 percent of them had been killed for ivory to get money.Of the less than 400 survivors,over 50 percent of adult females had no tusks.Therefore,it is not surprising that the park's tuskless elephant population has grown greatly.
This is not the first time researchers have observed a great change in the population of elephants.At Zambia's South Luangwa National Park and Luangwa Game Management Area,areas which were heavily hunted in the 1970s and 1980s,35% of elephants 25 years old or older and 13% of those younger than 25 are now without tusks.A 2008 study published in the African Journal of Ecology found that the number of tuskless females at the Ruaha National Park in Tanzania went from 10.5 percent in 1969 to almost 40 percent in 1989，largely due to illegal hunting for ivory.
The recent ban on ivory in both the US and China should help get rid or a least reduce,elephant hunting.However,scientists are not sure how long it will lake for elephants with a higher rate of tuskless females,to change the trend.



What is the probable cause of the phenomenon mentioned in Paragraph 1？ ______

A. Illegal hunting.
B. Constant fanning.
C. A pure coincidence.
D. Natural evolution.

Why did people kill so many elephants during the conflict in Mozambique？ ______

A. To get money by selling ivory.
B. To develop new decorations.
C. To provide food for local people.
D. To make ivory products.

Which of the following had the earliest record on tuskless elephants？ ______

A. Gorongosa National Park.
B. South Luangwa National Park.
C. Ruaha National Park.
D. Lupande Game Management Area.

What does the underlined phrase "the trend" in the last paragraph refer to？ ______

A. Elephants facing greater danger.
B. Elephants growing more slowly.
C. Fewer female elephants staying alive.
D. More female elephants being tuskless.

Parents around the world often urge children over and over-wash your hands!It can be difficult,however,to get children to remember to wash.But what if washing hands was connected to a fun creative activity？What if instead of simply reaching for the soap,a machine could drop it right into your hand？
Well,such a machine was recently built by a boy and his sister in the US state of Maryland as part of a creative competition.The not-for-profit Rube Goldberg Organisation is holding the competition.
Every year,the Rube Goldberg competition assigns a specific task,considering inventions that use complex systems to carry out a simple everyday task.At first,the task for 2020 was supposed to be "turn on a light".But when the COVID-19 happened,the task was changed to "drop a bar of soap into someone's hand".
Those taking part in the competition are schoolchildren.But with schools closed to slow the spread of the virus,organisers changed the rules.This year,the team can include any family members and people were asked to send in recordings of the machines to compete.One thing has not changed：the machine must complete the task in less than10 steps.
In Maryland,the Diel family wanted to enter.So,Caitlin and her brother Ben designed and built their own Rube Goldberg machine.Next,they had to demonstrate that it could complete the task-throwing the soap just right to be caught in someone's hand.After 106 failed attempts,they finally had success.With their video demonstration,they can now enter the competition.
Dr Anne Glowinski teaches child psychiatry（精神病学）at Washington University School of medicine in St.Louis.She said that "creativity and play" connects with children.It is better than the message. "We have to wash our hands because of this horrible virus," Glowinski added.



What might be a task of inventions assigned by the Rube Goldberg competition？ ______

A. Exploring nature.
B. Sweeping the floor.
C. Writing a novel.
D. Painting the house.

What change has been made to the rules of the competition this year？ ______

A. All kinds of inventions are admitted.
B. A video of the entry is qualified to enter.
C. Teachers are encouraged to get involved.
D. The task must be finished within 10 steps.

What does Glowinski think of the invention？ ______

A. Practical.
B. Unnecessary.
C. Economical.
D. Complicated.

What's the purpose of the text？ ______

A. To advocate the habit of washing hands.
B. To call on schoolchildren to compete in a contest.
C. To encourage more inventions from everyday items.
D. To introduce a contest making handwashing fun for kids.

Standing on the edge of the plane,my tandem skydiving（双人跳伞）instructor,Bill,asked "Do you have any last words？" "Yes," I said,joking. "I hope my parachute opens."
I'd never felt more alive as Bill and I stepped out and started our freefall.Those first few seconds were amazing.As we reached 4，000 feet,I felt a parachute open above us.This,I was told,would slow us down for a smooth descent（下降）.So why were we still traveling so fast？I looked up：The parachute was flopping unopened in the wind.I started to freak out.I could hear Bill swearing as he tried to fix whatever had gone wrong.Seconds passed,which felt like forever,until finally our emergency parachute opened.Except it got caught in the first one,making both parachutes useless.I asked Bill,"Are we going to die？" He said he didn't know.At that moment,I just felt guilty.I'd brought my family along for the day.I'd invited them along to watch me die.
We hit the ground.I was immediately breathless,and an unimaginable pain shot up my back as we bounced into a lake on a golf course（高尔夫球场）.Gathering all my strength,I turned to face Bill.He started screaming.We were found by some golfers.My mother and sister cried uncontrollably as Bill was put into a helicopter,and I was placed into an ambulance.The next four or five months were intense.I had broken my back.After being discharged（出院）from the hospital,I locked myself in my bedroom and took painkillers.I became terrified of the outside world.
After years of therapy（治疗）and hard work,the deep physical and mental pain is healing.I heard that Bill made a full recovery and returned to skydiving.I was always terrified of being myself and doing the things I wanted.Now I've learned that I need to be fearless.There's nothing like falling from 15，000 feet without a parachute and surviving to force you to make the most of every day.



How did the author feel before skydiving？ ______

A. Worried.
B. Excited.
C. Terrified.
D. Guilty.

What happened during the tandem skydiving？ ______

A. Bill didn't open the parachute in time.
B. The author stayed calm the whole time.
C. Something went wrong with the parachutes.
D. The author couldn't breathe during the freefall.

How did the accident influence the author？ ______

A. He had constant pain in his head.
B. He became crazy about extreme sports.
C. He developed a serious mental problem.
D. He became more confident in himself.

What did the author eventually realize？ ______

A. Safety first.
B. Fear can lead to failure.
C. Cooperation matters.
D. Seize and cherish every day.

A group of scientists in labs spread across Europe,the U.S.and Nepal have been working on Qomolangma "remotely".The project's goal is to turn the world's highest mountain into a huge climate laboratory.
During April and May last year,a team of more than 30 biologists,glaciologists,geologists,meteorologists,and geographers fanned out across Qomolangma's southern side,conducting fieldwork high on the mountain. "We believe the best way to get a full scientific picture of Qomolangma is not just to do one kind of science," says Paul Mayewski of the University of Maine,the leader of the effort.
Each individual study promises a unique picture of the mountain's climate—past,present,and future.Ice cores will allow scientists to go back in time—tens,hundreds and perhaps thousands of years to learn about the environment.Snow and water samples give a look at what's happening on the mountain,today,including the future of the glaciers.The team also fixed a network of automated weather stations,which will document upcoming weather trends for years to come.
One of the hardest tasks fell to Mayewski's colleague Mariusz Potoeki,who hoped to drill ice cores at several places on the mountain,including the South Col（25，938 feet） and the top of Qomolangma（29，035 feet）.The job required a specially designed drill system powered by batteries,and an excellent team to figure out how to prevent the cores from becoming liquid during their long journey back to the University of Maine's laboratory for analysis.
Potocki abandoned his summit attempt due to the crowds of normal climbers.To his relief,Potocki succeeded in taking the highest ice core ever recovered,at just above Camp Four—26，312 feet above sea level. "The ice doesn't lie." Mayewski says. "The very idea that the highest part of the planet hasn't been spared from human activity ought to be a real wake-up call for everybody."



Which way does Paul Mayewski suggest to fully study Qomolangma？ ______

A. Working on it remotely in labs.
B. Teaming up with more countries.
C. Doing many kinds of science.
D. Turning it into a real lab.

Why does the team analyze ice cores？ ______

A. To document upcoming weather change.
B. To get a unique picture of climate trends.
C. To know more about the past environment.
D. To predict the future of the mountain.

What difficulty did Mariusz Potocki face？ ______

A. Improving the special drill system.
B. Drilling the oldest ice cores at some places.
C. Conducting fieldwork above Camp Four.
D. Delivering frozen ice cores to the lab.

What can we infer from the last paragraph？ ______

A. Potocki got ice cores at 29，035 feet.
B. Human activity has affected Qomolangma.
C. Ice cores can serve as a warning for us.
D. Normal climbers helped with Potocki's work.

When my friend suggested going to the op shop（二手商店），instantly I thought "I hope no one I know sees me".It was the same when my cousin commented on my new furniture and Japanese,fine-bone-china bowls and asked where I got them.They were from the local op shop but instead I said "from the antique shop".
Many people in my Greek-Cypriot community would look down on me if I said I shopped at the op shop.They may pity me,consider me poor,a failure.Immigrants sacrificed their families and homes for a better life.Buying a house and having enough money to live comfortably,to educate your children and see them also live comfortably,are a big part of the immigrant dream,But has this dream made us materialistic at the cost of our own planet？
Our love for purchasing the latest trendy clothes or furniture,then donating them when we are tired of them has become normal.I was once like this.But after watching the documentary The True Cost I learned donated clothes that don't get sold are sent to developing nations,many of them ending up in landfills（垃圾填埋地）.In addition,your new dress requires electricity and materials to make.But if you buy a second-hand dress,that's one less dress in a landfill and one less new dress to be made.
A friend introduced me to op shopping only a few years ago.My first item was a dress she gifted me.It was lovely and I loved it.Nobody could tell it was second-hand.This opened me up to purchasing more second-hand high quality branded clothes.Once I visited a friend and was impressed by how she decorated her apartment. "It's all second-hand," she said.I couldn't believe it.The truth is a lot of things sold at the op shop are in new or almost new condition.That's when I made the decision to only buy second-hand things.
Selling second-hand things isn't anything new but what the planet needs is more buyers.There is so much excess （过量） production in the world.So stop feeling ashamed,and let's get shopping.



What kind of feeling is expressed in Paragraph 1？ ______

A. Pride.
B. Embarrassment.
C. Delight.
D. Sympathy.

What are many people in the author's community like？ ______

A. They are probably materialistic.
B. They care about the environment.
C. They think highly of op shopping.
D. They look down upon immigrants.

What was the author encouraged to do after visiting her friend's apartment？ ______

A. Watch the documentary The True Cost.
B. Donate more to local charities.
C. Avoid shopping too much.
D. Stop buying new things.

What's the purpose of the text？ ______

A. To entertain.
B. To advertise.
C. To persuade.
D. To describe.

When you walk with a backpack,do you know how the things inside move from side to side？Now scientists have figured out how to tap into that movement to produce electricity.
Picture a pendulum （摆锤） fixed to a backpack frame and stabilized with springs on either side.The pack's weight is attached to the pendulum,so the pendulum swings side to side as you walk.Then a machine is driven by that swinging movement,and spits out electrical current to charge a battery.
Volunteers carried the pack while walking on a running machine and wore masks to measure the flow of O₂ and CO₂.Walking with the slightly swinging 20-pound load,the device（设备）did not significantly affect the volunteers' metabolic （新陈代谢的） rate compared to when they carried the same weight fixed in place.In fact,the energy-harvesting pack reduced the forces of acceleration they'd feel in a regular pack,which might mean greater comfort for a long hike.And the device did produce a steady trickle（涓流） of electricity.If you up the load to 45 pounds,the swing of the pack could fully charge a smart phone only after 12 hours.The details are in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
The device produces electricity from human movement and has been identified as a workable solution to providing a renewable energy source for portable electronic devices.It is particularly useful for those who work in remote areas,as these people often carry a lot of weight in a backpack for their exploration.
But here's a real conundrum：the energy-harvesting device currently weighs five pounds.The researchers say that's about four pounds too many to be a smart alternative to batteries.So they hope that more research lets them lighten the load,to ensure the pack charges you up without weighing you down.



What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about？ ______

A. How the device works.
B. What the device looks like.
C. Who the device is designed for.
D. Why scientists designed the device.

Which of the following describes the device？ ______

A. It greatly affected the volunteers metabolic rate.
B. It harvested energy as the volunteers walk.
C. It failed to produce steady electricity.
D. It was useless for a long walk.

What does the underlined word "conundrum" in the last paragraph mean？ ______

A. Problem.
B. Method.
C. Bond.
D. Decision.

What will the researchers try to do next？ ______

A. Increase the charging speed of their device.
B. Find smarter alternatives to batteries.
C. Reduce the weight of their device.
D. Put their device on the market.

Japan is known to have higher than average rates of stomach cancer,Recently,the town of Kaneyama in Yamagata Prefecture decided to get its 6，000 residents （居民） tested.
However,the frozen urine samples（尿样）are not tested in conventional ways.Instead,Professor Masao Miyashita and his team are using them in a trial to determine if specially trained cancer-sniffing dogs can accurately detect the disease.Though the study is still in its early stages,Miyashita is thrilled with the results.He said, "In our research so far,cancer detection dogs have been able to find signs of cancer with an accuracy of nearly 100 percent."
Researchers have known about the animals' superior sensory skills for decades.However,their ability to detect cancer in humans came to light in 1989，after a dog sniffed out early-stage malignant melanoma（恶性黑色素瘤）on a patient's leg in London.Since then,scientists from many countries have conducted studies to test dogs' great skill at identifying cancer chemicals.
While most dogs can be trained for the task,researchers say the best candidates are dogs that are precise,quiet,and perhaps even a little shy.The training process is similar to how dogs are taught to learn any trick — by rewarding them with treats!However,it takes much longer because the dogs have to learn to separate the "cancer scent （气味）" from the thousands of organic compounds（有机化合物） in the human body.Researchers begin by exposing the dogs to urine samples from people with cancer,people with other diseases,and patients with no health issues,Once the dogs are able to accurately identify cancer,they are further trained to detect particular kinds of cancer.
Successful as they may be,experts think dogs are unlikely to replace conventional tests.For one,it takes about seven years and costs as much as ＄45，000 to train a single dog.Klaus Hackner,a researcher and physician who studies dogs detecting cancer in breath samples at Krems University Hospital in Austria,is also not convinced dogs can be relied upon alone.Patients,therefore,have to receive further tests to confirm if they have the disease.



What do we know about the cancer-sniffing dogs mentioned in Paragraph 2？ ______

A. They have done a great job.
B. They are trained in a special way.
C. They can easily learn to distinguish cancer.
D. They can be seen in many Japanese hospitals.

What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 3？ ______

A. Offer readers some advice.
B. Add some background information.
C. Summarize the previous paragraphs.
D. Introduce a new topic for discussion.

What kind of dog is suitable for the cancer-sniffing job？ ______

A. Smart and brave.
B. Active and faithful.
C. Strong and patient.
D. Careful and peaceful.

What is Klaus Hackner's opinion on cancer-sniffing dogs？ ______

A. They should work as a team.
B. They need to receive more training.
C. They can replace doctors in detecting cancer.
D. They should be used together with traditional tests.