Reading Comprehension阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

（一）

A

A Guide to the University

Food

The URS Cafeteria is open from 7：00 am to 8：00 pm. It serves snacks， drinks， ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID card. You can add money to your ID card at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria， you can still use the tables to enjoy meals， to have meetings with your friends and even to study.

If you are on campus （校园） in the evening or late at night， you can buy snacks， fast food and drinks in the Lower Cafe located in the bottom level of the Douglas Center. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts， games or TV watching.

Transportation

The URS Express is a shuttle service. The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping center， leaving from the Mattson Center. Operation hours are between 9：00 am and 3：00 pm， Saturdays only. Round trip fare is $2.

Relaxation

The Globe， located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall， is available for relaxing， studying， cooking and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10：00 am to 10：00 pm， closed on Sundays.

Health

The Fitness Center is on the top floor of Douglas Hall. It is committed to physical， emotional and social health. A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost is included in your medical insurance. Hours are Monday to Friday， 9：00 am to 4：30 pm.

1. What can you do in the URS Cafeteria？

A. Have meals and meet with friends. B. Do your homework and watch TV.

C. Buy drinks and enjoy concerts. D. Add money to your ID card and play chess.

2. What can the URS Express do for students？

A. Take them to the Mattson Center. B. Provide them with campus tours.

C. Carry them to the lecture halls. D. Transport them to and from the stores.

3. When and where can you cook for yourself？

A. The Douglas hall， Sunday. B. The Globe， Wednesday.

C. The URS Cafeteria， Friday. D. The Mcmillan Hall， Sunday.

B

Many years ago I worked in a psychiatric hospital. I spent a great deal of time with a gentleman who had been in this hospital for many years. He never had any visitors at all—no family or friends to visit him. He never spoke， or seemed to understand anything that was said to him， nor would he react in any way to a question asked. In this persons history， it appeared that he had a very important career （職业） where his intelligence made him a very successful man. Unfortunately， his career was cut short and he ended up needing complete care.

One morning， I was attending to his needs all the while talking to him about what was happening in the local community. I was busy dressing him after his bath， putting his clothes on， and then helping him to a chair when， totally unexpectedly， he turned to me and joined in a spirited， knowledgeable and focused discussion on a specific local event that I had been talking to him a few seconds before. This lively discussion lasted for no more than thirty seconds and then he suddenly stopped， looked straight ahead and no longer spoke. Despite my efforts to make the discussion continue， he just sat and looked straight ahead.

It was amazing. When he started to speak to me， I thought that I had made a breakthrough that would allow him to leave the hospital for good. Now I think maybe it was a little wonder （奇迹）. I suppose his speech might result from his neurons （神经元） connecting again for a short moment.

Maybe his speaking was just a little “thank you” for the little kindness I gave him. Maybe life is supposed to be like that—a little giving means a lot to others.

4. What can we know about the gentleman from Paragraph 1？

A. His illness was connected with his career. B. He got ill because no family or friends visited him.

C. He could do nothing but react to questions asked. D. His success might have a lot to do with his intelligence.

5. Why did the writer speak to the gentleman that morning？

A. To expect a wonder to happen. B. To show respect for him.

C. To make a conversation with him. D. To make him know what happened.

6. What kind of person is the writer？

A. Quiet and honest. B. Clever and energetic.

C. Caring and kind. D. Brave and talented.

7. What is the best title for the text？

A. Kindness May Work Wonders B. The Importance of Giving

C. Helping Others Is Helping Ourselves D. A Story in the Hospital

C

Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However， whether you are on the mountains， in the waves， or on the grassland， you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.

Some sports are resource-hungry （資源消耗大的）. Golf， as you may know， eats up not only large areas of countryside， but also tons of water. Besides， all sorts of chemicals （化学物） and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses （球场） in good condition. This causes main environmental effects. For example， in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain， golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.

There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You dont need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes， and you dont have to worry about resources and money. Simple and free， power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly， it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious， sleep well and have better weight control.

Whatever sport you take up， you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors， in the countryside or other open space. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all， its free.

8. What do we know about golf from Paragraph 2？

A. It is popular in Portugal and Spain. B. It causes water shortages around the world.

C. It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes. D. It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green.

9. Why does the writer use power walking as an example？

A. It is an outdoor sport. B. It improves our health.

C. It uses fewer resources. D. It is suggested by experts.

10. Which of the following does the writer most probably like？

A. Riding a bicycle. B. Motor racing.

C. Playing basketball. D. Swimming.

11. What is the writers purpose in writing the text？

A. To introduce different types of environment-friendly sports.

B. To discuss the main influence of popular sports.

C. To show us the popularity of outdoor sports.

D. To encourage us to go in for green sports.

D

How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms of food and 120 liters of water per day survive in a desert environment？

In the southwest African country of Namibia， and the Sahara lands of Mali further north， the desert elephant does just that.

Although not regarded as a separate species （物種） from the African elephant， the desert cousin differs in many ways. Their bodies are smaller， to absorb less heat， and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy surfaces. They are taller， to reach higher branches. They have shorter tusks， and most importantly， longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.

Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and waterholes， and have a larger group of families. They drink only every 3 to 4 days， and can store water in a “bag” at the back of their throat， which is only used when badly needed. Desert elephants are careful feeders—they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches， and thus maintain what little food sources are available. Young elephants may even eat the dung （粪便） of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage.

During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase greatly. Desert elephants have sand baths， sometimes adding their own urine to make them muddy！

As we continue to overheat our weak planet， it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt （适应） as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.

12. The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means “___”.

A. remains in the African countries B. drinks 120 liters of water a day

C. manages to live in desert areas D. eats 150 kilograms of food daily

13. Why are desert elephants called “careful feeders”？

A. They rarely destroy trees. B. They drink every 3 to 4 days.

C. They search for food in large groups. D. They protect food sources for their young.

14. The writer answers the question mentioned in the first paragraph with ___ .

A. stories and explanation B. examples and conclusion

C. facts and descriptions D. evidence and argument

15. What does the last sentence of the text suggest？

A. Overheating the earth can be stopped. B. Other animal species are not so adaptable as elephants.

C. The planet will become hotter and hotter. D. Many animals are as smart as desert elephants.

（二）

A

Seaside Traveling

Date： Sunday， October 28， 2018

Time： 9：30 am—1：30 pm

Leader： George Green （0409-413-945）

Meet at Rushall Station， North Fitzroy， for 9：30 am leaving on social ride to Port Melbourne. And back along bike paths （道路）， a rail trail and bike lanes. Returning at about 1：30 pm. About 30 km.

Newport Lakes Bike Path

Date： Wednesday， November 7， 2018

Time： 9：30 am—3：30 pm

Leader： Jopie Bodegraven （0423-151-767）

I discovered the quite new Sunshine to Footscray bike path recently plus a nice part through Newlands Paddock and this ride includes both. Meet at Newport Lakes， have lunch at Buckingham Reserve on Kororoit Creek and finally， reach our haunt （常去之處） in Kensington. About 51 km.

Maribyrnong Trail

Date： Friday， November 2， 2018

Time： 9：30 am—3：00 pm

Leader： Chris Walsh （0412-878-491）

A nice flat （平坦的） ride. Travel via Docklands then out along the Maribyrnong for lunch， returning via Kensington. About 40 km.

Jells Park

Date： Sunday， October 21， 2018

Time： 8：50 am—3：50 pm

Leader： Paul Sierak （0409-381-342）

Catch the 8：56 am train from Westgarth for Jolimont then Richmond to Ringwood. From there riding to Jells Park for lunch. After lunch wandering along the Blind Creek bike paths to Boronia station and taking the train back to Camberwell/Richmond/Flinders Street. About 45 km.

1. Who discovered a new bike path？

A. George Green. B. Jopie Bodegraven. C. Chris Walsh. D. Paul Sierak.

2. If you want to do a smooth ride， you may go on ___ .

A. Sunday， October 28， 2018 B. Wednesday， November 7， 2018

C. Friday， November 2， 2018 D. Sunday， October 21， 2018

3. Which ride will take the longest time？

A. Seaside Traveling. B. Newport Lakes Bike Path.

C. Maribyrnong Trail. D. Jells Park.

B

I was 24 years old and a senior at New York University （NYU）. At the time， I was planning to get a law and business degree and wasnt even job hunting. I walked into the student center to fetch a Coke， but instead found a roomful of students. Clearly， I had accidentally walked into a job fair. As I tried to walk across the hall， a man stopped me， saying， “Hi， my name is Donny Mckenthan. Would you like to work for IBM？” I replied， “No， thank you. Im just going to get a Coke.”

I ended up having a wonderful conversation with him about the company but I told him there was no way he could persuade me. I went out for dinner that night with some friends. When I mentioned this story， they couldnt believe I was stupid enough to refuse the interview with this amazing company！ I went home that night， dug out his card from the rubbish and called him back.

After a series of successful interviews， an IBM manager called me to give me an offer. When I asked what the salary （薪水） was， he said something like 18. I thought $18，000 a year was low. So I started to bargain （談判）. He was shocked and explained that the starting salary for all trainees was set in stone.

The next day， I received the offer letter. As it turns out， I misunderstood the offer—I would earn $1，800 a month， not $18，000 a year. That was a great salary back then， so of course， I took the job. A few months later the manager asked me to be placed in sales because I was the only trainee who had tried to bargain over a starting salary！ That comedy of mistake ended up being a wonderful 22-year career at IBM.

4. What was the writer planning to do when he was a senior at NYU？

A. To get a law and business degree. B. To find a good job.

C. To talk with Donny Mckenthan. D. To work for a big company.

5. How did the writers friends feel when they heard the story？

A. Unhappy. B. Unbelievable. C. Interested. D. Excited.

6. Why did the writer bargain over his salary？

A. He misunderstood what the manager said. B. He didnt want to work for IBM.

C. He wanted to be placed in sales. D. He was not satisfied with IBM.

7. What can we learn about the writer from the text？

A. Donny knew him quite well. B. IBM offered him $18，000 a year.

C. He was the only trainee in IBM. D. He has been working in IBM for 22 years.

C

The baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quiet but alert （警覺的）. Twenty centimeters from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully. A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another， this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other， her gaze （凝视） starts to lose its focus—until a third， with three black spots， is presented. Her gaze returns： she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three， just 24 hours after coming into the world？

Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer？ The same experiment （实验）， but with three spots shown before two， shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness？ When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects （a comb， a key， an orange and so on）， changing the number of objects had an influence separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make， as opposed to three？ No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three， or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two； likewise when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.

8. The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the babys ___ .

A. sense of hearing B. sense of sight

C. sense of touch D. sense of smell

9. Babies are alert to the change in ___ .

A. the size of cards B. the color of pictures

C. the shape of patterns D. the number of objects

10. Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats？

A. To reduce the difficulty of the experiment. B. To see how babies recognize sounds.

C. To carry their experiment further. D. To keep the babies interest.

11. Where does the text probably come from？

A. Science fiction. B. Childrens literature.

C. A science report. D. An advertisement.

D

Most parents fear getting letters home from their childrens school. They are usually informing them that their child is in big trouble. But ahead of the SATs exams next week， one school decided to send a letter of a different type.

The headmaster at Buckton Vale Primary School in Stalybridge sent a letter to all pupils in the sixth grade to tell them how special and unique they are. The letter highlights all the natural skills and abilities the pupils have and everything that makes them “smart individuals.

They are told how their laughter can brighten the darkest day and that the examiners do not know the pupils are kind， trustworthy and thoughtful.

The letter has been put on the schools Facebook page and shared more than 9，000 times with more than 7，000 likes.

The letter reads， “Next week you will sit your SATs tests for maths， reading， spelling， grammar and punctuation. We know how hard you have worked， but there is something very important you must know. The SATs test does not assess all that makes each of you special and unique. The people who create these tests and score them do not know each of you in the way that we do and certainly not in the way your families do.”

The letter goes on to say that the tests are not the most important thing in life， adding， “The scores you will get from this test will tell you something， but they will not tell you everything. There are many ways of being smart. You are smart！”

The letter has been welcomed by many parents on Facebook. Lynn McPherson wrote， “Thats great... instilling （逐步灌輸） hope， faith and belief.” And Mary Tilling said， “Every school child receives one of these. Brilliant.”

12. What does the underlined word “They” in Paragraph 1 refer to？

A. Parents. B. Children. C. Teachers. D. Letters.

13. Whats the purpose of the letter sent before the SATs exams？

A. To help students pass the exams.

B. To help students build confidence.

C. To encourage students to do their best in the exams.

D. To encourage students to be responsible for their learning.

14. What message does the letter want to express？

A. Everyone has his own value. B. Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to do it.

C. Students should develop many different skills. D. Smart students dont always perform well academically.

15. The writer gives two examples in the last paragraph to show ___ .

A. the letter was well received B. the letter was of a great help to the parents

C. the parents are easy to please D. the parents support their children

（三）

A

The following books provide tips on how to learn languages for language learners.

The Vocab Cookbook

by Kerstin Hammes

The book is mainly about the best vocabulary learning methods and explains them step by step. It shows you how to choose your best vocabulary learning method， where to find the best system for remembering words forever， how vocabulary learning methods can be turned into your own learning styles， and how remembering grammar is different from remembering vocabulary.

Buy from： Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

Fluent in 3 Months

by Benny Lewis

Benny Lewis， who has been traveling around the world and learning languages since 2003， runs the language-learning blog， Fluent in 3 Months， and works hard to find better， faster， and more efficient ways to learn languages. This book is a collection of tips on how to learn any language quickly. Many of the tips have appeared on his blog， and many tips and resources are available there for readers of this book.

Buy from： Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

How to Learn Any Language

by Barry M. Farber

If youre considering learning a language and are not sure where or how to start， this book will help point you in the right direction. Its full of practical tips on how to study and includes a brief introduction to some of the worlds main languages.

Buy from： Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

Language Is Music

by Susanna Zaraysky

The book makes learning foreign languages fun， easy and affordable through watching TV， listening to music， going to cultural events and other enjoyable activities. Also， it includes suggestions of many online resources you can use to help you learn languages.

Buy from： Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

1. Which book is your best choice if you have difficulty remembering words？

A. Language Is Music. B. Fluent in 3 Months.

C. How to Learn Any Language. D. The Vocab Cookbook.

2. Who uses the blog to help readers learn languages？

A. Benny Lewis. B. Barry M. Farber.

C. Kerstin Hammes. D. Susanna Zaraysky.

3. What is the authors purpose in writing the text？

A. To show the importance of language learning. B. To provide tips on how to learn Chinese well.

C. To introduce some books for language learners. D. To tell the connections between language and music.

B

There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of career （职业）. I wasnt an excellent student. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and just accepted that I wasnt the type to have a career.

I then found myself a job， looking after two little girls. It wasnt too bad at first. But the problems began when my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week， shed give me time off the next. But unluckily， it didnt often work out. I was getting extremely tired and fed up， because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children.

One Sunday， I was in the park with the children， and met Megan， who suggested I get a qualification （資格证书） if I wanted to work with children. I didnt think I would be accepted but the local college were really helpful. My experience counted a lot and I got on a part-time course. Then I left my first job.

Now Ive got a full-time job. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that you could have a career， even if you arent top of the class at school. I really love my job and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important.

4. When staying with the two girls family， the author ___ .

A. was paid for extra work B. often worked long hours

C. got much help from her boss D. took a day off every other week

5. Why did the author leave her first job？

A. She found a full-time job. B. She decided to attend a part-time course.

C. She was tired of children. D. She needed a rest after working extra hours.

6. What is TRUE about the authors present job？

A. She takes it as a part-time job. B. She thinks it helpful.

C. She treats it as a career. D. She makes much money from it.

7. What has the author learned from her own experiences？

A. One must choose the job she likes. B. Hard work makes an excellent student.

C. Qualifications are necessary for a career. D. Less successful students can still have a good career.

C

Are you happy？ If you arent， you need to move near friends who are happy. A new study shows that happiness is infectious （易传染的） and can flow through social groups. And the closer you are to someone happy， the happier youll be.

The study was carried out by the Harvard Medical School. The researchers discovered that a persons happiness depends on the happiness of those around them. They collected data on 5，000 adults between 1971 and 2003. Participants were asked to identify （确认） their relatives， close friends place of residence and place of work. They were also asked questions about whether they enjoyed life， and whether they felt hopeful about the future.

The results were very interesting. The researchers found that those who had happy partners had an 8% higher chance of being happy too. And for those with happy children， this increases to 14%. And finally， those with a happy friend who lives less than half a kilometer away are 42% more likely to be happy. “Most important from our perspective is the recognition that people are more social networks， and that the health and well-being of one person affects the health and well-being of others，” one of the researchers explained. “It makes sense that if people around you are happy， that might have an impact （影响） on your own happiness.” So， in conclusion， the best thing is to have a happy friend who lives less than a kilometer away from you. Do you have one？

8. How did the researchers get their findings？

A. By comparing results. B. By asking questions.

C. By listing figures. D. By giving examples.

9. According to the study， who may have the greatest effect on your happiness？

A. Your partner. B. Your children.

C. Your close friends. D. Your parents.

10. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 3 refer to？

A. The interesting result. B. The happy life.

C. The health of the family. D. The chance of happiness.

11. What is the text mainly about？

A. Happiness and family. B. Happiness and health.

C. Friendship and happiness. D. Friendship and health.

D

Bananas are a good source of various vitamins and minerals. They can help fight against depression and prevent cramps （痙挛）. They can lower blood pressure and protect against heart attacks. To most people， bananas taste great. They add natural sweetness to some baked goods and healthy drinks. So， there are many reasons to eat bananas.

And now there is another. Bananas， it turns out， have a secret weapon which could protect against viruses （病毒）. Scientists are now taking a protein （蛋白質） found in bananas and turning it into a drug that may someday fight viral infections. The secret weapon is called banana lectin， or BanLee. BanLee is a protein that attaches to sugar molecules and keeps viruses out of cells. A virus cannot infect what it cannot enter， and simply dies if it cant infect cells. According to the researchers， BanLee could be one of the first antiviral agents to treat a wide range of viruses， including HIV and even the common flu virus.

BanLee is a modified， or changed， protein. “Remember， when you are eating the banana， the protein is an actual protein， not our modified protein； it is probably going to be chewed by the stomach acid. So we very much doubt whether eating bananas will help you，” says David Markowitz， senior co-author of the study at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

At this point， Markowitz says， there are no plans to test the BanLee protein on humans. Its early days， he says. “Were trying to help people with their health， not harm them. So its good to be cautious about where we are going. We also want to be successful with this drug very much， but were not there.”

It may be early on， but these researchers may want to hurry. A deadly fungus， called Tropical Race 4 （TR4）， has been killing banana crops seriously around the world.

12. Whats the main idea of the first paragraph？

A. Bananas can be used to cure diseases. B. Bananas are of great benefit to our health.

C. Bananas can be cooked in many ways. D. Bananas are a favorite food to most people.

13. What does the “secret weapon” of bananas in Paragraph 2 refer to？

A. A kind of sugar molecule. B. A special virus.

C. A kind of protein. D. A viral agent.

14. What can we learn about the BanLee protein from Markowitz？

A. It comes out to be a failure. B. It will be tested on animals first.

C. Its impossible to be tested on people. D. It will unavoidably do a little harm to health.

15. Why may the researchers want to hurry？

A. The supply of bananas is facing trouble. B. More and more people have serious diseases.

C. Many other countries are doing the same research. D. A deadly virus is killing people around the world.

（四）

A

When it comes to thrilling places to travel to， the nation of Thailand has got to be at or near the top of the list. The beaches of Thailand are simply amazing. Here is a look at the four best beaches in all of Thailand.

Maya Bay

This small beach attracts some huge crowds， but it is still worth a visit thanks to what is widely regarded as some of the best scenery in the entire country. The Maya Bay beach is located on a small island and is only accessible via boat or passenger ferry.

Lamai Beach

For the travelers looking for an unforgettable beach experience during their visit to Thailand， a trip out to Lamai Beach in Samui is a must. The sandy areas are long and wide with plenty of room for everyone. The water is inviting and easy to access.

Patong Beach

Patong Beach is not only one of the most beautiful and popular beaches in Thailand， but it is the largest beach on the popular island of Phuket. The soft white sand is a great place to relax. Some of the many great activities that travelers can participate in during a visit to Patong Beach include jet skiing， kayaking， surfing， diving， snorkeling （浮潜）， swimming， and more.

Haad Rin

Haad Rin is one of the most popular party spots in the country， for both locals and travelers. All month long， during most parts of the year， there are some exceptional entertainment， eating， and socializing （交际） opportunities.

1. Where will you go if you like underwater sports？

A. Maya Bay. B. Lamai Beach. C. Patong Beach. D. Haad Rin.

2. If you want to have a unique beach experience， you are advised to go to ___ .

A. Maya Bay B. Lamai Beach C. Patong Beach D. Haad Rin

3. What can travelers experience at Haad Rin？

A. Relax on the white soft sand. B. Have a good time with the locals.

C. Participate in adventurous activities. D. Learn much culture and history about Thailand.

B

People say that one man cant make a difference， but Abdul Samad Sheikh， a 60-year-old rickshaw （人力車） driver from Bangladesh， has proved that doing a small thing over a long period of time can mean very much. He has planted at least one tree every day since he was 12 years old， which means that he has so far planted a small forest of over 17，500 trees. Imagine if everyone followed his example.

Abdul has worked as a rickshaw driver for most of his life. He makes a little money from his job， which is only enough to put food on the table for his family， but he somehow tries to also buy at least one tree every day. He considers it his duty to the world. Mostly he plants them on government land so nobody can cut them down later. And if he sees anyone cutting a tree， he blames them.

Abdul， his wife Jorna， and four of their children live in two old houses， on a piece of land that is owned by the Faridpur deputy commissioners office. They have no land of their own.

Sometimes， she commands him not to plant trees but he doesnt listen. Abduls 30-year-old son， Kutub Uddin， has never told his father not to plant trees， because he thinks his father does a good thing for society.

Abduls neighbors all know about his daily habit， and praise his work. Whoever can ask of him anything， he will do his best to help. Therefore， Abdul is loved by neighbors.

For his efforts， Abdul Samad Sheikh was recently honored by The Daily Star， and given $1，253 to help him build a better home for his family. The Daily Star hoped everyone to follow his example， and protect the environment.

“I cant do it alone. I need the help of you all，” Abdul said in his speech.

4. What do we know about Abdul？

A. He plants trees with his own money. B. He makes a living by doing different jobs.

C. He plants trees to win his neighbors praise. D. He earns too little to support his family.

5. Why does Abdul plant trees on government land？

A. To get money from government. B. To set a good example to people.

C. To protect them from being cut down. D. To get a place to build his own house.

6. Which of the following can best describe Abdul？

A. Brave and creative. B. Poor but helpful.

C. Careful and patient. D. Active but dishonest.

7. What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to？

A. Driving a rickshaw. B. Planting trees.

C. Making big money. D. Building a better home.

C

Observational humour is based on comments （評论） about everyday life. Comedians who use this type of humour often start by saying， “Have you ever noticed how...？” Then， they make funny comments about everyday things such as work， marriage， children， etc. This trend began in the 1970s with US comedians such as Bill Cosby and Jay Leno.

Slapstick humour is very physical. It involves characters falling down， hitting people or crashing into things. This type of comedy is very common in cartoons such as Tom and Jerry， Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Typical comedians， such as Laurel， Hardy （from The Three Stooges）， Charlie Chaplin， Rowan Atkinson are peoples favorites.

Self-deprecating humour involves making jokes about yourself or drawing attention to your faults. George Costanza from the comedy series Seinfeld uses a lot of self-deprecating humour， often making jokes about his lack of hair， his weight and his shallow （浅薄的） personality. Comedians such as Chris Farley， Conan OBrien， David Letterman and Woody Allen also use self-deprecating comedy.

Toilet humour often focuses on the noises and functions of the body. Its often viewed as rude， impolite and childish， although many people find it very funny. Theres a hilarious scene involving toilet humour in the film Along Came Polly. Reuben （Ben Stiller） is invited back to Pollys apartment （Jennifer Aniston）. After dinner， Reuben accidentally blocks the toilet. In an attempt to unblock it， he uses her hand-embroidered towel （a gift from her grandmother） and an expensive loofah. Eventually， the toilet overflows， leaving Reuben with no option but to leave.

8. What kind of humour is about comments on everyday things？

A. Self-deprecating humour. B. Slapstick humour.

C. Observational humour. D. Toilet humour.

9. Which of the following about slapstick humour is TRUE？

A. It is rare in cartoons. B. It mainly uses body movements.

C. It is widely used by comedians. D. It often laughs at people and things.

10. Which of the following belongs to self-deprecating humour？

A. James often falls down on stage. B. Bill often makes funny comments on work.

C. Joe often laughs at himself about his weight. D. Tom makes a loud noise when he goes to the toilet.

11. If you are interested in toilet humour， you can go to see ___ .

A. The Three Stooges B. Tom and Jerry

C. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck D. Along Came Polly

D

On rainy days， the raincoat and the umbrella have been necessary for people to protect themselves from the rain for centuries. However， Chinese designers are trying to challenge that with a new product called an “umbrella raincoat”.

As the name suggests， this wonderful rainwear design combines the raincoat and the umbrella. For starters， it looks kind of strange， and sellers on Chinese websites actually list this fact as the only disadvantage of the product. They actually describe it a little differently—“You will get 100% rate of second glances”—you actually know what it means. Also， like the umbrella， it only protects your upper body from the rain， with the lower body and legs being almost completely exposed （暴露）. However， it does free up both your hands， which is actually the main advantage of wearing an umbrella raincoat.

“But isnt the classic raincoat just better？” I hear you asking. Well， not if you want to show off your dresses while still enjoying some protection from the rain. Even those clear raincoats become foggy in the rain， making it hard for passers-by to admire your fancy dresses. However， with the umbrella coat， they still have a clear view. Other advantages include a lightweight folding （可折疊的） design， two straps that keep it from being blown away by strong winds.

1. Which toy is said to have the special design for childrens safety？

A. No. 1. B. No. 2. C. No. 3. D. No. 4.

2. What toys are fit for three-year-old kids？

A. No. 1 and No. 3. B. No. 2 and No. 4. C. No. 1 and No. 2. D. No. 3 and No. 4.

3. How much will you pay if you buy a robot and a Mini Car？

A. $288. B. $234. C. $154.95. D. $118.95.

B

At thirteen， I was diagnosed （诊断） with a kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks， I could not.

In my first literature class， Mrs Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it， all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said， “Mrs Smith， you see， the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it.”

She glanced down at me through her glasses， “You are not different from your classmates， young man.”

I tried， but I didnt finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home.

In the quietness of my bedroom， the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person， Louis Braille. He lived in a time when the blind couldnt get much education. But Louis didnt give up. Instead， he invented a reading system of raised dots （點）， which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind.

Wasnt I the “blind” in my class， being made to learn like the “sighted” students？ My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed， I was no different from others； I just needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problems， why should I ever give up？

I didnt expect anything when I handed in my paper to Mrs Smith， so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day—with an “A” on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words： “See what you can do when you keep trying.”

4. Why did the author fail to finish the reading in class？

A. He was new to the class. B. He was tired of literature.

C. He had an attention disorder. D. He wanted to take the task home.

5. What do we know about Louis Braille from the passage？

A. He had good sight. B. He gave up reading.

C. He made a great invention. D. He learned a lot from school.

6. What was Mrs Smiths attitude to the author at the end of the story？

A. Angry. B. Impatient.

C. Sympathetic. D. Encouraging.

7. What does the passage mainly tell us？

A. The disabled should be treated with respect. B. A teacher can open up a new world to students.

C. One can find his way out of difficulties with efforts. D. Everyone needs a hand when faced with challenges.

C

Are you so sure your mistakes are just mistakes？ Or could they be building blocks to a success beyond any you imagined？

When my friend Dorothy goes home to visit her family each Thanksgiving， her mother serves the traditional mistake salad. The dish was born many years ago， Dorothy explains， when mother was using a cookbook to make a salad. In the process， mother accidentally included half the salad ingredients from a recipe on the left side of the open cookbook， and half the ingredients from a different salad recipe on the opposite page. Everyone enjoyed the salad so much that she continued to serve it every year. So it was really not a mistake at all.

Then there was the fellow named Alfred， who invented dynamite （炸藥）. When Alfreds brother died， the city newspaper confused the two and printed an abituary （讣告） saying that the deads most notable act was the creation of bombs. Surprised to consider that his name would forever be connected with destruction， Alfred sought to leave a more positive fame to humanity. So he set a prize for people who contributed to world peace. Now the Nobel Prize， established by Alfred Nobel， is the most respected award in the world.

Everything is part of something bigger， and mistakes are no exception. In his brilliant book Illusions （幻影）， Richard Bach explains that every problem comes to you with a gift. If you focus only on what went wrong， you miss the gift. If you are willing to look deeper and ask for the bright， the problem will disappear. You are left only with the learning， and you go forward on your path.

8. What does the underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refer to？

A. The recipe. B. The cookbook.

C. The ingredient. D. The mistake salad.

9. Why did Alfred Nobel set an award for people who contributed to world peace？

A. To beg people to forget he created bombs. B. To expect to be connected with peace.

C. To make the world a better place. D. To show off his fortune.

10. What should we do when we make a mistake according to the passage？

A. Correct the mistake as soon as possible. B. Look deeper and find something better from it.

C. Find the solutions from the book Illusions. D. Find out what causes the mistake and fix it timely.

11. Who will most probably like to read this passage？

A. A cook who is good at making salad. B. A person who wants to earn a reputation.

C. A student who is afraid of making mistakes. D. A writer who is a good friend of Richard Bach.

D

What is the most common cause for people in the UK to ask for leave due to illness？ The answer is not the common cold or flu， but back pain. Back pain affects one in three British adults， costs the country over 5 billion pounds every year and is very difficult to treat. But now Britains National Health Service （NHS） will be offering a new solution： acupuncture （針灸）. The ancient Chinese needle treatment has been around in the UK for many years， but this is the first time it has been officially approved （批准） by the NHS.

Traditionally， doctors in the UK have advised back pain sufferers to stay active， do stretching exercises and take painkillers when necessary. In more serious cases some people are given X-ray treatment or injections with medicines. However， there is evidence that acupuncture may be more effective than expensive X-rays or injections， so patients who have been suffering for over six weeks should be given a choice. As an alternative to acupuncture， patients will be able to choose either a course of spinal manipulation （脊柱推拿）， or a series of special exercise sessions. In the UK， acupuncture is regarded as an aiding treatment， which means medical procedure hasnt experienced serious experiments by which scientists prove some treatments work. While many experts have welcomed the policy to make acupuncture available on the NHS， some are still doubtful about its effectiveness.

Research from the US earlier this month found that similar acupuncture using toothpicks （牙签） which do not stick into the skin could be as good as using real needles. So while some are yet to be convinced， back pain sufferers will be hoping that acupuncture helps get them feeling healthy again.

12. Which is the best way to treat back pain according to the passage？

A. To stay active. B. To be acupunctured.

C. To do stretching exercises. D. To take X-ray treatment or injections.

13. Why are some people still doubtful about the effectiveness of acupuncture？

A. They have other choices. B. Acupuncture is just an aiding treatment.

C. They dont think it could treat back pain. D. Acupuncture hasnt been tested by scientists strictly.

14. What does the author want to prove through the last paragraph？

A. Acupuncture can be an effective treatment for back pain.

B. The effectiveness of acupuncture still needs to be proved.

C. Toothpicks will take the place of needles in the future.

D. Needles are no better than toothpicks.

15. What does the passage mainly talk about？

A. The magic needles. B. The ancient Chinese needle treatment.

C. The ways to treat back pain. D. The reasons for people to ask for leave.

（六）

A

Do you have a favorite beach that you have visited？ If you hesitate to answer， please look at the following.

1. Siesta Key， United States

Siesta Key is on the Gulf of Mexico. It offers safe and clean waters， a big beach， striking sunsets， and excellent seashell collecting. Visitors of all ages go to Siesta Key when the tide is low to find beautiful， large and， sometimes， rare seashells.

2. La Concha， Spain

La Concha beach is in the city of San Sebastian， in northern Spains Basque area.

People come here to surf and swim in the Atlantic Oceans La Concha Bay. They also enjoy walking along the wide， curved beach. La Concha is more developed than other best-known beaches. From the sandy coast， you can see San Sebastians tall buildings and hear the sounds of city life. In fact， it is one of Europes best-known urban beaches.

3. Galapagos Beach， Ecuador

Probably no place on Earth is better known for wildlife than the Galapagos Islands. And the white-sand Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay does not disappoint in that respect. Hundreds of sea turtles build their nests here each year. Visitors may also see marine iguanas， sea lions， flamingos， and lava gulls—birds that are found only in the Galapagos.

4. Elafonissi Beach， Greece

On the Greek Island of Crete， this best beach offers unspoiled （未損坏的） natural beauty. Elafonissi Beach is known for its extremely blue-green-colored waters， pink sand and black rocks.

It is also known for being somewhat difficult to reach. The road to Elafonissi is narrow and takes many sharp turns. But that does not seem to stop people； it is filled with visitors year-round.

1. What can visitors enjoy at Siesta Key？

A. Excitements of the tide. B. Safe and colorful waters.

C. Collections of rare seashells. D. The beauty of the sinking sun.

2. Why is La Concha the most developed beach of the four？

A. It lies in a city. B. It receives the most visitors.

C. It needs to hold water sports. D. It requires restaurants for visitors.

3. Which of the following is hard to arrive at？

A. La Concha， Spain. B. Elafonissi Beach， Greece.

C. Siesta Key， United States. D. Galapagos Beach， Ecuador.

B

I came to study in the United States a year ago. Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor and go to court.

After the accident my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day， he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He said it was reasonable to pay him. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury， Id have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer. Now that he had helped me find a good doctor， it was only fair that I should pay him.

But every day I went to see the doctor， I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time， and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time. The final examination report consisted of ten lines， and it cost me $215.

My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident， yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss （解雇） him. And he made me pay him $770.

Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience， I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that， they played for time … and I left without getting a cent.

4. Why did the roommate offer to help the author？

A. He felt sorry for the author. B. He knew the doctor was a very good one.

C. He wanted the author to have a good lawyer. D. He thought it was a chance to make some money.

5. Why is a good doctor essential for the author？

A. He can be properly treated.

B. He can recover before he leaves America.

C. He can talk with the person responsible for the accident.

D. He can eventually get the responsible party to pay for his injury.

6. What does the underlined word “charge” in the third paragraph probably mean？

A. Raise money. B. Record the cost. C. Ask as a price. D. Pay the money.

7. What conclusion can you draw from the story？

A. One must be very careful while driving a car.

B. Money is more important than other things in America.

C. Going to court is something very common in America.

D. There are more disadvantages in America than advantages.

C

Parents should stop blaming themselves because theres not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it， at certain times a wonderful， reasonable and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal.

Ive seen friends deal with it in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son， right from a child， should stand up whenever anyone entered the room， open doors and shake hands like a gentleman. I saw him last week when I called round. Sprawling （伸開四肢） himself on the sofa in full length， he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in， and his greeting was no more than a quick glance at me. His mother was ashamed. “I dont know what to do with him these days，” she said. “ Hes forgotten all the manners we taught him.”

He hasnt forgotten them. Hes just decided that hes not going to use them. She confessed （坦言） that she would like to come up behind him and throw him down from the sofa onto the floor.

Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture， reach across the table， stare at me and say， “I dont like your dress； its ugly.” One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home.

“Where did we go wrong？” her parents are now very sad. Probably nowhere much. At least， no more than the rest of that unfortunate race， parents.

8. By whom is the text most probably written？

A. A doctor for mental health problems. B. A headmaster of a middle school.

C. A specialist in teenager studies. D. A parent with teenage children.

9. Which word can best describe the boy on the sofa？

A. Lazy. B. Quiet. C. Unusual. D. Rude.

10. What can we infer from the second example about the parents of the two daughters？

A. They feel helpless to do much about their daughters. B. They are too busy to look after their daughters.

C. They have come to hate their daughters. D. They pay no attention to their daughters.

11. What is the authors opinion about “the sudden change” in teenage children？

A. Parents have no choice but to try to accept it. B. Parents are at fault for the change in their children.

C. Parents should pay still more attention to the change. D. Parents should work more closely with school teachers.

D

The Earth has a force that pulls things toward itself. We call this force gravity （重力）. This is something we live with all the time and we take it for granted and hardly ever think about it. But it is the most important factor in rocket operation and must be overcome if we are to get anywhere in space or off the ground at all.

Take the throwing of a ball as an example. The harder the ball is thrown， the faster and higher it will go. What is the secret？ Its speed. If we could throw the ball hard enough it would go up and up forever and never come down. The speed at which it would have to be thrown to do this is known as escape speed. Of course， we cannot throw a ball hard enough because the speed required to escape completely from the Earths gravity is seven miles per second， or over twenty-five thousand miles per hour.

Once escape speed has been reached by a spacecraft， no further power is needed. A rocket aimed at the moon， for instance， will “coast” （滑行） the rest of the way because the Earths gravity cannot then pull it back， and there is no air resistance （阻力） in space to slow it down. This “coast” is known as “free fall”. That does not mean the rocket is falling down towards the Earth but that it is traveling freely in space without the aid of power， like a bicycle coasting downhill.

Free fall is an important feature of space travel as it would be impossible to carry enough fuel to provide powered flight all the time.

12. What is the most important factor for a rocket to escape from the Earth？

A. To travel as fast as it can. B. To overcome the Earths gravity.

C. To get away from the air resistance. D. To have strong power in its operation.

13. How fast will a rocket go to escape completely from the Earths gravity？

A. Seventy miles per second. B. Seven thousand miles per hour.

C. Twenty-five thousand miles per hour. D. Twenty-five thousand miles per second.

14. When a bicycle “coast” down hill， it ___ .

A. still needs much power B. runs freely to all directions

C. does not need any further power D. does not meet with air resistance

15. Why is it unnecessary to provide powered flight in space all the time？

A. The Earths gravity cannot be overcome.

B. Few spacecrafts complete their flight operations.

C. Free fall takes the place of the Earths gravity pull.

D. No more power is needed after the reaching of escape speed.

（七）

A

Four Creators Who Want to Make Your Life Easier

Munyaradzi Gwatidzo

—From Astro Mobile

As an orphan growing up in one of Zimbabwes poorest areas， Gwatidzo was very interested in electronics. With a big family to care for， Gwatidzo taught himself to repair phones. Gwatidzo in 2011 built his own brand， Astro Mobile. Astro now provides employment to over 2，000 people with various job opportunities.

Cherae Robinson

—From Tastemakers Africa

Tastemakers Africa is a mobile app aiming to revolutionize the African travel and leisure space. Through the app， travelers and curious locals can book personal experiences. Its founder， Cherae Robinson， has always been passionate about Africa and through her personal adventures got an opportunity.

Neku Atawodi

—From Malaik

How does one go from a sports scientist to a founder starting a crowdfunding platform in only four months？“I am passionate about Africa and impressed by the teaming spirit of the African youth，”she said，“A group of angel investors backing a business can really lead it to success！”

Richard Bbaale

—From BanaPads

BanaPads is not yet available to the market in Africa but its original story alone is pretty inspiring. Having watched his older sister miss school for a week every month because their guardians could not afford clean towels， Richard Bbaale sowed a seed for a business he would later start.

1. Gwatidzo began to repair phones mainly because of ___ .

A. his interest in phones B. his responsibility for his family

C. his intention to set up a brand D. his wish to provide more jobs

2. What does Robinson try to achieve？

A. Helping locals earn more. B. Helping visitors save money.

C. Making it easier to book tickets. D. Making travel more comfortable.

3. Whose app is under the process of research and development？

A. Bbaale. B. Atawodi. C. Robinson. D. Gwatidzo.

B

Plastic bags are a popular container in most parts of the world， but they are also a major source of pollution which take hundreds of years to break down， and as they do， tiny pieces can poison soil， lakes， rivers and oceans. Therefore， environmental experts urge people to reuse and recycle plastic bags.

Maryland artist Allita Irby does just that. It starts with the morning newspaper， and the plastic bag that the paper comes in. The mixed media artist recognized its rich possibilities about three years ago. “As I was taking the newspaper out， I felt the texture （質地） of these bags. They were soft. I just looked down and realized it would take three to make a braid （发辫）. Ill just put a few main materials in just to make it strong enough.” Since then， Irby has been using plastic bags to create abstract lines in her art works.

Before using plastic bags in her works， Irby used natural materials like feathers， leather and dried plants， all of which contain elements that represent her Native American ancestry and identity， like one of her works called “Navaho Bundles”. “I was making a hair style， a Navaho hair style when the hair was heavy and it was looped （使绕成圈） back on itself. I took the piece and looped it back onto itself and secured it with a tie.”

Ms Irbys neighbors praised her ability to turn waste into treasure. Some people， like Charlotte Hogan， asked the artist to teach them how to create art from used plastic bags. One of Irbys neighbors Aleta Meyer expressed her surprise， “Ive never given any more thought to what to do with a plastic bag. This is definitely different.” Her another neighbor Shirley Watts plans to show others her art. “I want to make a masterpiece that I can put in a frame and put it on my wall and then I know that I did it，” she said.

Allita Irby says anyone can do it and all you have to do is open your eyes and bring the outside in.

4. Whats the first paragraph mainly about？

A. The conditions of making plastics. B. The background of the story.

C. The reason for using plastics. D. The importance of plastic bags.

5. What can we learn about Allita Irby？

A. She will never use plastic bags herself. B. She pays much attention to her hair style.

C. She was born in a Native American family. D. She only uses plastics to make art works now.

6. What do Allita Irby， Charlotte Hogan， Aleta Meyer and Shirley Watts have in common？

A. They are active in protecting the environment. B. They learn art from the same master.

C. They live in the same neighborhood. D. They are all mixed media artists.

7. What do you know about Allita Irbys art works before she used plastic bags？

A. They are made of natural materials. B. They are similar to Navaho hair styles.

C. They are actually tools used in daily life. D. They offer Irby the inspiration to recycle plastic bags.

C

Crying is the sign of the rawest （最原始） of human emotions. We cry when we cant hold inside what we feel any more. We cry when were at our best， and when were at our worst. I mean all of us， men included.

But we never see other men cry. In no western culture has it ever been acceptable for men to shed （流淚） more than a single tear， and even then its reserved for grand victories， defeats and deaths. Dutch research suggests that women cry， between three and five times more than men. Generally men and women cry over the same things—deaths， break?ups and homesickness， primarily， but researchers believe that men cry more often than women when it comes to positive events.

I want to admit Im a bit of a cryer. However， having never really experienced deaths in my life， a few weeks ago I experienced what it means to really， truly， pour my heart out in tears.

See， my dog—and 24/7 companion—was killed by a car right outside my house. Being a witness to this painful event left me in shock for a good hour， but then the floodgates opened. Over the next 48 hours， I might have cried 20 times. Once or twice crouched （蹲） on the floor with my head in my hands and tears were the only outlet.

It is suggested in the book Adult Crying： A Biopsychosocial Approach that theres certain pleasure in crying. It helps ease stress when there is no other way to express ourselves.

In those days after my dogs death， I remember thinking， “Ive got to stop this crying”. It felt unmanly. It felt like a sign of weakness. Ive since realised that tears are for everybody； theyre not gender-specific. They show we have sympathy， allowing us to get rid of stress and just feel.

8. What does the first paragraph mainly talk about？

A. Crying is a raw human emotion. B. Crying is an emotion beyond control.

C. Crying is an emotion showing sadness. D. Crying is an emotion showing happiness.

9. Whats the difference between men and women in crying according to Dutch research？

A. They cry over different matters. B. They cry at different times of life.

C. Women cry more often over deaths. D. Men are more likely to have tears of joy.

10. The author thought his crying over his dogs death to be ___ .

A. the sign of strength B. a sign of weakness

C. a way of being womanish D. a way of reducing emotional stress

11. What can be the best title for the text？

A. Men， Never Cry Like Women B. Men， Its OK to Cry Sometimes

C. Crying Solves Psychological Problems D. Crying Explains Differences Between Men and Women

D

Ever wonder why playgrounds only belong to children？ When you reach your mid-twenties， you arent expected to enjoy yourself as freely as you would in your teenage years. Why is such enjoyment limited to a particular age group only？ A major culprit is our societys custom about achieving lifes goals and improving in a career path. But today， well be turning our attention to a less-known reason—the absence of playing equipment for older generations.

The solution is easy and difficult at the same time. Easy， because the obvious way of correcting is to have playground equipment for adults placed in parks and on playgrounds together with ones meant for younger generations. And it is difficult because not many companies make such equipment and encouraging older people to visit such locations frequently is a hard task. Not many people would like to leave a few hours out of their already-busy routines （日常事務） to play. However， some companies have started installing （安装） equipment big and strong enough for average-sized adults.

Could gyms provide the service？ It depends on how you plan to use the gym space for fun purposes， and mostly， theyre used to gain fitness only. And none of the time spent at the gym for this reason is considered to be enjoyable since it is not fun at all. When was the last time you saw somebody lifting 150 pounds with pleasure？ Never.

But if you modernize gyms and aim to provide activities other than fitness ones， then yes， gyms could be used for fun purposes. Weve already seen examples including table tennis and badminton in gyms and they are all great ways to get new adults and older people to have fun on a regular basis like children.

12. Which of following can replace the underlined word “culprit” in Paragraph 1？

A. Cause. B. Concern. C. Disadvantage. D. Effect.

13. What can we know from the second paragraph？

A. Companies are unable to produce equipment for adults.

B. Children dont want to share the playground with others.

C. Most adults are unwilling to play on the playground due to the full schedule.

D. Playground equipment for adults shouldnt be put together with the childrens.

14. What will the author mostly agree to？

A. The government should provide playing equipment for adults.

B. Gyms should be modernized to satisfy all age groups needs.

C. The playground is supposed to belong to children only.

D. It is a waste of money to go to gyms on a regular basis.

15. What best describes the relation between the paragraphs？

（八）

A

Are you a creative person？

Are you looking for a challenging and unique work environment？

Picture yourself at CRIENGLISH.com.

Positions open to native English Speakers Only.

Video reporters/editors：

● Video-editing experience with an understanding of Final Cut Pro software.

● Resourceful and creative when it comes to finding original stories.

● A comfortable demeanor （舉止） in front of the camera.

● Enjoy working with others in a team-oriented environment.

News presenters：

● Journalistic and radio experience， good news-writing skills.

● Able to work the night and early morning shifts.

● Team spirit and flexibility.

Biz News Reporter/Presenter：

● Journalistic experience， particularly in the field of business news.

● Good reading and presentation skills.

● Able to work at irregular hours.

Copy editors：

● Journalistic experience and good news-writing skills.

● A good command of the English language.

● Able to work at irregular hours.

Music DJs：

● Well-versed （精通） in music types like in pop， country， contemporary， etc.， but not hard rock and heavy metal music.

● Personal charm on the air.

● Related experience.

For job possibilities， please email your CV， demos and preferably photographs to job@cri.com.cn. The CV should include such information as your citizenship， age， academic degree， working experience， contact numbers and， if you are already in China， type of visa. Thanks.

1. Which of the following positions requires irregular work hours？

A. Video reporters & News presenters. B. News presenters & Biz News Reporter.

C. Biz News Reporter & Copy editors. D. Copy editors & Music DJs.

2. What must you do to apply for the positions above？

A. Work long hours. B. Have related working experience.

C. Have team spirit. D. Live in English-speaking countries.

3. Whats the authors purpose in writing the passage？

A. To advertise a website. B. To attract some talents.

C. To introduce a radio station. D. To organize a company.

B

I have dreamt of taking a trip to Hawaii since I graduated but the best thing always needs waiting. I took a trip with my friends to Haleakala National Park which lies in Hawaii.

When we arrived at Haleakala National Park we were advised to watch the early morning sunrise. I was lost in the sightseeing that afternoon so I could hardly wait to meet the sunrise. In the next morning we all jumped out of the bed very early at 3 oclock and walked to the rocks by the seaside. In the first half an hour we imagined how wonderful it would be when the first light came out through the thick clouds and how soft it would be when the light touched our skin， so we waited and waited. However， another half an hour later I gradually lost my patience since there was nothing but the chilly darkness and I felt that I was frozen to death. But my friends were still extremely cheerful.

Nearly another one hour later a word “Amazing！” burst out from Judy and we all shouted to welcome the light orange greatness which is really unbelievable. Until today I dare say that it is the most impressive sunrise in my life. But waiting in the morning darkness is also the one I can not wipe out forever.

Waiting sometimes is really a hard thing for most of us as it needs patience and strong-willed determination but what about the result after that？ It might turn out to be pleased， unbelievable and satisfied. So it is really worthwhile to wait for the best.

4. When did the author and his friends see the first light of the sunrise？

A. About 3 oclock. B. About 4 oclock.

C. Nearly 5 oclock. D. Nearly 6 oclock.

5. Whats the meaning of the underlined word “chilly” in Paragraph 2？

A. Total. B. Cold. C. Terrible. D. Interesting.

6. Whats the authors attitude towards waiting for the sunrise？

A. Excited all the time. B. Afraid all the time.

C. Firstly excited then afraid. D. Firstly excited then impatient.

7. What does the author want to tell us by this passage？

A. His friends and he took a trip to Hawaii. B. Hawaii is a good place to enjoy the sunrise.

C. He enjoyed the most wonderful sunrise in his life. D. Sometimes it is worthwhile to wait for the best.

C

It is reported that in the near future robots and humans will probably work together to create jazz. A singing robot is being taught to create jazz with human being in a project.

Antonio Chella from Italy is working with a Telenoid robot. To start with， the Telenoid will be trained to imitate （模仿） the movements and simple sounds made by a human singer， and then connect music with different human emotions.

Previous robots had the ability to find common connections between things. But Chella suggests that a conscious robot be able to go a step further and find new connections. The Telenoid is of this kind. “This work raises interesting questions about the connection between consciousness （意識） and music creating，” says Philippe Pasquier. A musician needs a physical body.

Pasquier argues that the robot musician is faced with a big challenge. “Its software has already been developed and it can imitate The Beatles， a famous band. However， what made The Beatles famous were not only their songs but their wonderful performance of the songs，” he says.

It is not clear how a robot would perform music in a new way. But by imitating humans， the Telenoid robot could provide some useful information. What is important is that human musicians often listen to and compare music made by others for a long time before creating music of their own. So the Telenoid robot had better listen to more jazz music first.

8. What will the Telenoid robot be taught to do first？

A. Communicate with human beings. B. Connect music with human emotions.

C. Live and work comfortably with human beings. D. Imitate the movements and simple sounds of a human singer.

9. What does Pasquier think of the Telenoid robot？

A. It will replace human musicians soon.

B. It may have trouble performing music.

C. It will become more popular than The Beatles.

D. It can find connections between things that humans cannot find.

10. What can be the best title of the passage？

A. The Telenoid， Future Robot Musician B. How to Teach Robots to Perform Music

C. The Right Music Robots Should Listen to D. Differences Between a Human Singer and a Robot Musician

11. In which part of a newspaper would we most probably read this passage？

A. Arts. B. Entertainment. C. Science. D. Education.

D

Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father， “But， Dad， you cant be healthy if youre dead.”

Dad， in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run， had forgotten to wear his safety belt—a mistake 75% of US population make every day. The big question is why.

There have been many myths about safety belt ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago. The following are three of the most common.

Myth Number One： Its best to be “thrown clear （扔出去） ” of a serious accident.

Truth： Sorry， but any accident serious enough to “throw you clear” is able to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing. And chances are that youll have traveled through a windshield （擋风玻璃） or door to do it. Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty-five times in cases where people are “thrown clear”.

Myth Number Two： Safety belts “trap” people in cars that are burning or sinking in water.

Truth： Sorry again， but studies show that people knocked unconscious （昏迷） due to not wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situations， not to be trapped in them.

Myth Number Three： Safety belts arent needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour （mph）.

Truth： When two cars traveling at 30 mph hit each other， an unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to diving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10 metres.

12. What did Elizabeth mean by saying “But， Dad， you cant be healthy if youre dead”？

A. Her father was driving at great speed. B. Her father didnt have his safety belt on.

C. Her father was running across the street. D. Her father didnt take his medicine on time.

13. Why is it very dangerous to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident？

A. You may get caught in the car door. B. You may be knocked down by other cars.

C. You may get seriously hurt thrown out of the car. D. You may find it impossible to get away from the seat.

14. Some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe ___ .

A. the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident B. they will be unable to think clearly in an accident

C. they will be caught when help comes D. cars catch fire easily

15. What is the advice given in the text？

A. Never drive faster than 30 miles per hour. B. Use the safety belt to save yourself in a car accident.

C. Never forget to wear the safety belt while driving. D. Drive slowly while youre not wearing a safety belt.

（九）

A

Smart phones are so common these days. Its a wonder that our pets dont own one. But they dont necessarily have to. These four apps will help you take care of your best furry friend from dog training to first aid.

Pet First Aid

Price： $3.99

Pet First Aid helps you provide the basic care and attention that your four-legged friend might need in a medical emergency. The application shows owners how to treat illnesses with helpful videos， pictures and articles on subjects like cuts， wound treatment and more. A section called Pet Info lets you enter in information about your pets including when they had their last vaccinations （疫苗接種）， any medicines they take， or information about any diseases or conditions your animal suffers from.

Paw Card Pet Tracker

Price： Free

Paw Card helps you keep a record of your loved ones important information. Use it to record your pets medical contacts， vaccinations， identity cards， medical conditions and medicines. Additional characteristics include a drawing showing your dogs weight over time.

Dog Park Finder

Price： Free

Dog Park Finder helps you locate dog-friendly parks and training locations in your area （USA locations only）. The app includes information on more than 2，200 off-leash （无需给狗拴链的） areas， user photos and more than 6，500 reviews， so you can have fun with your dog off the leash.

Dog Book

Price： Free

Dog Book is a social networking application for dogs. Like Facebook， users can share with other people whats going on in their dogs life， share photos， and find great animal-friendly places to meet up.

1. The app Pet First Aid is different from the other three mainly in ___ .

A. size B. price C. position D. application

2. What application can you use if you want to keep a record of your dogs weight？

A. Paw Card Pet Tracker. B. Dog Park Finder.

C. Pet First Aid. D. Dog Book.

3. Which one is the best choice if you want to find dog training locations？

A. Dog Book. B. Pet First Aid.

C. Dog Park Finder. D. Paw Card Pet Tracker.

B

Everybody has one of those days when everything goes wrong. This is what happened to Harry.

He got up one morning very late because he had forgotten to wind up （設定） his alarm clock. He tried to shave （刮脸） quickly and cut himself. When he got dressed he got blood all over his clean shirt， so he had to find another one. The only other shirt that was clean needed ironing （熨烫）， so he ironed it. While he was ironing it， there was a knock at the door. It was the man to read the electricity meter. He showed him where the meter was， said good-bye and found that the iron had burnt a hole in his shirt. So he had to wear the one with the blood on it after all. By this time it was very late， so he decided he couldnt go to work by bus. He telephoned for a taxi to take him to work. The taxi arrived and Harry got in and began to read the newspaper.

In another part of the town， a man had killed a woman with a knife and was seen to run away in a taxi. When Harrys taxi stopped outside his office， a policeman happened to be standing there. He saw the blood on Harrys shirt， and took him to the police station. He was kept till 3 oclock in the afternoon before the police were sure that he was not the man they wanted. When he finally arrived at the office at about four， his boss took a look at him and told him to go away and find another job.

4. Why did Harry wear the shirt with blood on it？

A. He had only one shirt. B. His only other shirt needed ironing.

C. The iron had burnt a hole in his only other clean shirt. D. He cut himself and got blood all over his shirt.

5. What is the correct order of the story about Harry？

a. Harry ironed his shirt.

b. There was a knock at the door.

c. Harry wore the shirt with blood on it.

d. Harry got blood all over his clean shirt.

e. The man who read the electricity meter came.

A. a， e， b， d， c B. a， e， d， b， c

C. d， a， b， e， c D. e， a， d， b， c

6. Why was Harry taken to the police station？

A. His taxi stopped outside his office and a policeman happened to be there.

B. There was blood on his shirt and he was in a taxi.

C. The murderer was seen to run away in a taxi.

D. A man killed a woman with a knife.

7. Why did Harrys boss tell him to find another job？

A. He was late for work. B. He had killed a woman.

C. There was blood on his shirt. D. He had been kept by the police.

C

Traffic problems are an everyday concern in many cities， including Washington， D. C. A growing number of Washingtonians are turning to bicycles to get to and from work. In fact， the number of commuters （上下班往返的人） who use bicycles has doubled in the city since 2007.

Ralph Buehler teaches urban planning at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University， popularly known as Virginia Tech. He has written a book about urban biking， called City Cycling. He says there is a reason why urban bike tiding is now becoming more popular.

“Over the last 60 to 70 years， cities in America have been adapted to the automobile.”

“Most cities took advantage of the money coming for the interstate highway system， from the federal government， starting in 1956. There was a 90 percent federal match （補贴） so the cities only had to put up 10%. It was very tempting （诱人的）.”

In the years after World WarⅡ， many Americans moved to suburban communities， just outside major cities. They decided to travel great distances to and from work in exchange for a home in the suburbs. Their cars became a symbol of freedom.

But today， many people believe they can save money by living in the city.

Greg Billing is with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. “When a person makes a change from using a car to using a bike， he/she is saving anywhere between $8，000 and $9，000 a year.”

Ralph Buehler says governments save money when people use bicycles. “Building bicycling facilities is much cheaper than building and maintaining road facilities or public transport.”

Washington， D. C. has also taken steps to protect bike riders. It approved a safe passing law and created areas on the road between cars and bikes.

The United States Census Bureau says 4% of the citys workers ride to work by bike. The only city on the East Coast with more bike commuters is New York.

8. What can we know from Ralph Buehlers statement？

A. Urban biking has been popular in the last 60 to 70 years.

B. Cities didnt use the money from the government wisely.

C. A lot has been invested to build bicycling facilities in cities.

D. The federal government supported building public transport.

9. What do many Americans prefer to do in the years after World War Ⅱ？

A. Travel long distances a lot. B. Live out of the major cities.

C. Go to and from work by bike. D. Rent houses rather than buy ones.

10. What do Ralph Buehler and Greg Billing agree with？

A. More people using bicycles can save money. B. Government should build more bicycling facilities.

C. Public transport develop too rapidly in recent years. D. The cost of living in cities is lower than in the country.

11. What is the passage mainly about？

A. Traffic problems are an everyday concern in many cities.

B. Washington， D. C. has taken steps to protect bike riders.

C. More people in Washington， D. C. go to work by bike.

D. Bikes lead to new problems in Washington， D. C.

D

Alpacas （羊驼） are members of the camel family， having lived in South America for thousands of years. Their fur gives the animals a teddy bear-like appearance. Alpacas are too small to be used as animals of burden but are valued only for their fur. Generally， their lifespan is around 15 to 20 years.

Alpacas are social animals that live in family groups made up of a male， females and their young. They are gentle， elegant， curious， intelligent and observant. They are safe and pleasant to be around， moving gracefully and slowly around the field， and are therefore unlikely to run into or over anyone， even small children. Occasionally， an alpaca will spit and kick， but the soft-padded （有爪墊的） feet usually do little more than just “get your attention”.

Because these animals are environmentally friendly and need so little grass and food， you can usually raise from two to eight alpacas on an acre of land with grass or hay. A single， 60-pound bale of hay can generally feed a group of about 20 alpacas for one day. Alpacas also require access to plenty of fresh water to drink.

Alpaca fur is used for making knitted and woven items， just as sheeps wool is. These items include blankets， sweaters， hats， gloves， scarves， a wide variety of textiles （针织品） in South America， and sweaters， socks， coats and bedding in other parts of the world. The fur comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru， 12 as classified in Australia and 16 as classified in the United States.

12. According to the text， alpacas can be best used ___ .

A. to protect home B. to carry heavy goods

C. for long distance rides D. for children to play with

13. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably mean？

A. Alpacas kick cant hurt you. B. Alpacas want to draw your attention.

C. You must look out for alpacas attack. D. You should pay more attention to alpacas.

14. How much hay do you need a day at most if you have 5 acres of land to raise alpacas？

A. 180 pounds. B. 120 pounds. C. 100 pounds. D. 60 pounds.

15. Which is TRUE about alpacas ccording to the last paragraph？

A. Alpaca fur is a kind of sheeps wool.

B. The US produces the most alpaca fur in the world.

C. Alpaca fur is only used for making sweaters in Australia.

D. Alpaca fur produced in Peru comes in the most natural colors.

（十）

A

Looking for a great summer read？ Kid reporters from Time For Kids have reviewed the seasons hottest new books. They have recommended a list of kid-approved page-turners to our readers. Whether youre fond of mysterious， fantastic or realistic fictions， theres always one that suits you.

Three Bird Summer

By Sara St. Antoine

Reviewed by Camryn Garrett

Genre： Realistic Fiction

Number of pages： 256

Whats the basic story line？

For his entire life， 12-year-old Adam has spent summers at his grandmas cabin on Three Bird Lake. But this year things are different. His parents have divorced. Apart from that， Adams cousins wont be vacationing at the cabin with him. Also， Grandma seems to be acting differently. At first， shes just a bit more forgetful than usual. But after spending more time with her， Adam realizes Grandma is “slipping”.

There are new neighbors at the cabin this summer， including a girl at Adams age named Alice. At first， Adam isnt interested in spending time with her. But as time goes by， their friendship flourishes （繁榮）. Throughout this unusual summer， Adam searches for hidden treasure with his new friend and begins to uncover family secrets as well.

Are the characters believable？

The characters are believable because they dont have cookie-cutter （雷同的） personalities. Adam is quiet and shy and finds girls difficult to understand. Alice is adventurous and unlike any girl he has ever met. Readers will likely see aspects of their personalities in the characters and recognize their friendship too.

Who would like this book？

Anyone who appreciates memories of family vacations or summertime in general will enjoy the vivid imagination that fills Three Bird Summer. Readers will fall into the story， almost as if theyre actually spending the summer exploring Three Bird Lake with Adam and Alice.

1. While spending his summer at his grandmas cabin this year， Adam ___ .

A. became friends with his cousins B. annoyed his grandma occasionally

C. played with Alice in the fields nearby D. developed a friendship with a little girl

2. Why is the book likely to appeal to kids？

A. It describes country life. B. It talks about school life.

C. It is related to their experience. D. It is written in simple words.

3. What is the purpose of writing the text？

A. To praise a writer for his great work. B. To recommend a good book to readers.

C. To encourage readers to do more reading. D. To discuss how to spend summer holidays.

B

Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize， and the first person to win it twice. However， few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.

Born in September， 1897， Irene Curie was the first of the Curies two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars， Irene studied in their own school， and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sevigne in Paris.

Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War Ⅰ began， Irene went to help her mother， who was using X-ray facilities to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognized in the form of a Militarys Medal by the French government.

In 1918， Irene became her mothers assistant at the Curie Institute （研究所）. In December， 1924， Frederic Joliot joined the Institute， and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.

Like her mother， Irene combined family and career. Like her mother， Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize， along with her husband， in 1935. Unfortunately， also like her mother， she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity （輻射能）. Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17， 1956.

4. Why was Irene Curie awarded a Military Medal？

A. She won the Nobel Prize with Frederic. B. She contributed to saving the wounded.

C. She received a degree in mathematics. D. She worked as a helper to her mother.

5. Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederic Joliot？

A. At the Curie Institute. B. At a military hospital.

C. At the University of Paris. D. At the College of Sevigne.

6. When was the second child of Irene Curie and Frederic Joliot born？

A. In 1897. B. In 1926. C. In 1927. D. In 1932.

7. Irene Curie is different from her mother in that ___ .

A. she died from leukemia B. she worked with radioactivity

C. she won the Nobel Prize once D. she combined family and career

C

Think about the different ways that people use the wind. You can use it to fly a kite or to sail a boat. Wind is one of our cleanest and richest power sources， as well as one of the oldest. Evidence shows that windmills （風车） began to be used in ancient Iran back in the seventh century BC. They were first introduced to Europe during the 1100s， when armies returned from the Middle East with knowledge of using wind power.

For many centuries， people used windmills to grind （磨碎） wheat into flour or pump water from deep underground. When electricity was discovered in the late 1800s， people living in remote areas began to use them to produce electricity. This allowed them to have electric lights and radio. However， by the 1940s， when electricity was available to people in almost all areas of the United States， windmills were rarely used.

During the 1970s， people started becoming concerned about the pollution that is created when coal and gas are burned to produce electricity. People also realized that the supply of coal and gas would not last forever. Then， wind was rediscovered， though it means higher costs. Today， there is a global movement to supply more and more of our electricity through the use of wind.

8. What can we know about windmills from the text？

A. They were invented by European armies.

B. They have a history of more than 3000 years.

C. They used to supply power to radio in remote areas.

D. They have rarely been used since electricity was discovered.

9. What was a new use for wind power in the late l9th century？

A. Sailing a boat. B. Producing electricity.

C. Grinding wheat into flour. D. Pumping water from underground.

10. Why was wind used again to produce power in the 1970s？

A. Wind power is cleaner. B. It is one of the oldest power sources.

C. It was cheaper to create energy from wind. D. The supply of coal and gas failed to meet the needs.

11. What would the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows？

A. The advantage of wind power.

B. The design of wind power plants.

C. The worldwide movement to save energy.

D. The global movement towards producing power from wind.

D

When we first gave our daughters （then 13 and 15 years old） cellphones for emergencies， we made them sign an agreement in which we strictly ruled where and when they could use their phones and even we could check their every text message. However， in less than a year， we lost control of the situation.

There is a terrible reality that almost every teenager sends between 50 to 100 messages a day—some as many as 300， and 70% of teenagers admit hiding their online behavior from parents. According to a study， teenagers need as much sleep or more than they get as children—thats between 9 and 10 hours of sleep a night， but only 20% of them are getting it. When they dont get enough sleep， they perform poorly in school， feel very hungry， are more likely to have flu and are very emotional.

Recently， we adopted a “check in at tuck in （蓋被子时交手机）” rule at our house， an idea I learnt from a parenting expert. It is very simple. At bedtime， when we “tuck in” our children for the night， they must “check in” their phones. They will probably bargain like this，

“But I use it for my alarm clock.”

“Ill wake you up.”

“My friends might need me.”

“If there is an emergency， they can call the fixed phone and Ill wake you up.”

A few weeks ago， when I drove my younger daughter to a friends house for a sleepover， she handed me her phone. “I guess I should check this in now， since you wont be there to tuck me in tonight. Ill call you from Ellies phone if I need you.”

12. Parents buy cellphones for their children to ___ .

A. control their online behavior B. make them work hard

C. replace alarm clocks D. keep in touch in case of emergency

13. Whats the purpose of writing the first paragraph？

A. To show the writers family life. B. To lead to the topic of the passage.

C. To introduce the writers two daughters. D. To advise parents to buy cellphones for children.

14. What are the results of sleeping less according to Paragraph 2？

A. a， b， c B. a， b， d C. a， c， d D. b， c， d

15. Which is probably the best title for the passage？

A. How to Take Control of Children B. How to Assist Children with Cellphones

C. How to Help Children Sleep Well at Night D. How to Get Children off Cellphones at Night