Reading Comprehension阅读理解

（一）

第一节

A

Things to Do on a Sunny Day in San Francisco

San Francisco doesnt take its sunny days for granted. Once the sun comes out and the temperatures rise， everyone races to seize a spot to take in an unbelievable city view or heads to one of their favorite attractions.

Find Thrills at a Theme Park

Experience thrill rides and attractions at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom， North Americas only theme park of wildlife， sea life and thrilling rides. Its a wonderful entertainment experience for the whole family， with one-of-a-kind adventures across three worlds.

Cruise （乘船游览） on the Bay

Sail under one of the “Modern Wonders of the World”. Watch sea lions and seals at play. And learn all the secrets of the fantastic city by the Bay. For people who like the thrill of speed and wind in their hair， the seasonal Rocket Boat （May—October） is the option for you.

Tour AT&T Park

Its home to the famous baseball team San Francisco Giants from April to October every year， but you can take a tour inside AT&T Park any time for a “players eye view”. Youll have access to the baseball field， the visitors clubhouse， the press box and so on.

Ride a Bike over the Golden Gate Bridge

Explore the beautiful， bike-friendly streets and waterfront paths of San Francisco all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge with an all-day bike rental from Blazing Saddles. Their easy-ride bikes， combined with their new， free mobile app full of helpful tips and sightseeing suggestions， make the self-guided tours easy and fun for everyone.

1. What can tourists do at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom？

A. Experience thrilling rides. B. Learn all the secrets of San Francisco.

C. Take a players eye view over a park. D. Admire the scenery of the Golden Gate Bridge.

2. Which event attracts tourists loving speed and wind most？

A. Find Thrills at a Theme park. B. Cruise on the Bay.

C. Tour AT&T Park. D. Ride a Bike over the Golden Gate Bridge.

3. Which of the following offers tourists a free mobile app？

A. Watching wildlife. B. Sailing on the bay.

C. Visiting a baseball field. D. Renting a bike from Blazing Saddles.

B

Robert Vallieres hikes for miles， often three times a week， climbing the high mountains， just to get a glimpse of his beloved birds.

Many years ago， as a young engineer in the army， Vallieres was struck in the head in a task in Gulf War， which ended his military career and left him fighting for his life. He was 28 years old and battled stress， survivors guilt and PTSD （創伤后应激障碍）. “When youre disabled and you really cant move too much， youre wondering if death is nearby，” he said.

Despite his condition， Vallieres still had to be a father to his little boy—a curious child who helped jumpstart his love for birds.

One day， his three-year-old son noticed a bird and asked his father what kind it was. Vallieres bought a bird identification book and started learning along with his son. He bought some small telescopes and the two began observing birds together near their home in New Hampshire.

Then came another turning point. Vallieres saw an ad in the newspaper for a birding trip in New Hampshires White Mountains and signed up.

Now its his joy and renewed purpose to track and save the peregrine falcon and the bald eagle—two species nearly wiped out by the chemicals used for killing pests. Its hard physical work for anyone， which needs patience， keen observation skills and time. But Vallieres is a natural at it， because his military training made him a perfect match， especially in reading maps and navigating.

Vallieres says not only does his volunteering help with physical fitness， but also his mental state. “To find rhythm （韵律） or purpose in life besides myself，” says Vallieres， “I shouldnt get stuck on myself but have a way out.”

4. What led to Vallieres leaving the army？

A. Life failure. B. Severe injury. C. Love for his son. D. Love for birds.

5. How did Vallieres start his new rhythm in life？

A. By climbing mountains often. B. By observing birds together with his son.

C. By strengthening the military training. D. By signing up for protecting birds.

6. Why is Vallieres suitable for the volunteer work？

A. For his habit of reading. B. For his experience in army.

C. For his devotion to career. D. For his talent in drawing maps.

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

A. A Volunteers Story of Saving Birds B. An Inspiring Story of Self-motivation

C. A Soldiers Story of Healing Through Birds D. A Moving Story Between a Father and His Son

C

Some of the most famous scientific discoveries happened by accident. From the microwave oven to penicillin， scientists trying to solve a problem have sometimes found unexpected things. This is exactly how we created phosphorene nanoribbons （磷烯納米带）—a material made from one of the universes basic building blocks， which has the potential to revolutionize a wide range of technologies.

Wed been trying to separate layers of phosphorus crystals into two-dimensional sheets. Instead， our technique created tiny ribbons one single atom thick and only 100 or so atoms across， but up to 100，000 atoms long. We spent three years improving the production process， before announcing our findings. The two-dimensional ribbons have a number of remarkable properties （属性）. Their unbelievable width allows their properties， such as whether and how they conduct electricity， to be controllable. They are also very flexible， which means that they can follow any surface theyre put on perfectly， and can even be twisted.

More than 100 scientific papers predicted the transformative potential of these ribbons， should it be possible to create them， across a range of technologies—some as many as five years before the publishing of our discovery in Nature. Perhaps the most important of these is in the area of battery technology. The structure of phosphorene nanoribbons means that the charged ions （帶电离子） that power batteries could soon move up to 1，000 times faster than they currently possible do. This would mean a significant decrease in charging time， alongside an increase in capacity （容量） of approximately 50%. Such performance gains would provide massive boosts to the electric car and aircraft industries， and allow us to use renewable energy more readily， even on grey， calm days.

8. What does “we” in the text refer to？

A. Scientists. B. Inventors. C. Publishers. D. Technicians.

9. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about phosphorene nanoribbons？

A. Its shape. B. Its origin. C. Its structure. D. Its characteristic.

10. What would reduce charging time according to the scientific papers？

A. The cleaner source of energy. B. The bigger batteries of tiny ribbons.

C. The increasing capacity of batteries. D. The faster moving speed of charged ions.

11. What is the text mainly about？

A. The amazing development of battery technology.

B. Unexpected inventions made in humans history.

C. A new material created accidentally by scientists.

D. Significant changes brought by wonderful discoveries.

D

Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier， and have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal advisors give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants. But in the executive （主管） circle， beauty can become a liability.

While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder， it is harmful to a woman.

Handsome male executives were thought as having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to account for their success.

Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was connected not with ability but with factors such as luck.

All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Why are attractive women not thought to be able？ An attractive woman is considered to be more feminine （有女人味的） and has an advantage in traditionally female jobs， but an attractive woman in a traditionally manly position appears to lack the “manly” qualities required.

This is true even in politics. “When the only clue is how he or she looks， people treat men and women differently，” says Anne Bowman， who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness of political candidates. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs， one of men and one of women， in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again， in the order they would vote for them.

The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men， but the women who had been ranked most attractive unchangeably received the fewest votes.

12. What does the underlined word “liability” in Paragraph 1 probably mean？

A. Trust. B. Difficulty. C. Disadvantage. D. Benefit.

13. What belong to “manly qualities” most probably according to the text？

A. Courage and unattractiveness. B. Strength and attractiveness.

C. Honest and unattractiveness. D. Strength and courage.

14. Bowmans experiment shows that when it comes to politics， attractiveness ___ .

A. has nothing to do with ones work B. turns out to be a disadvantage to men

C. has as little effect on men as on women D. is more of a disadvantage to women

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

A. To warn women pay more attention to appearance. B. To stress the effect of appearance on both sexes.

C. To give advice to job-seekers who are attractive. D. To discuss the advantages of being attractive.

第二節

Tips on Living in the Present

Weve all been asked that question “Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years？” 16 While thinking ahead is important， it often causes unnecessary stress. Thus， living in the moment is the right choice and the tips below will help you.

●17 If not， it will only ruin all the good things happening now. If you focus on the future too much， it makes the present irrelevant. What will be， will be and stressing about something isnt going to change that.

●Be spontaneous （自发的）. Saving for a house， but your friend invites you on a last-minute group tour？ 18 Group holidays with all your friends dont come around often and as you get older and people start their families， they are less likely to happen. Good memories will always be precious.

●In order to fully live in the present， surround yourself with people that make you feel good. 19 So， if you find yourself doubting your achievements and feeling less than someone， take a step away from them for a while until you no longer feel negatively about the differences in your lives and achievements.

●Put yourself first and stop trying to please everyone else. You are your own number one， and looking after yourself before anyone else is the most important. Work towards the goals you want to achieve， not the ones others want you to achieve. If you want to travel alone， thats ok， and if you dont， thats ok too. 20

A. Go for it！

B. Follow your heart！

C. Fully appreciate the moments of today.

D. Stop worrying about what hasnt happened yet.

E. Just make sure anything you do is done for you！

F. But actually most of us dont have the answers to that.

G. Its easy to get caught up in others lives and compare your achievements.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（二）

第一節

A

The islands of Malta and Gozo are brilliant for a family holiday， packed with fun places to visit whatever your childrens ages. The islands small size means everywhere is within easy reach.

Sandy beaches and swimming spots

One of Maltas best beaches for families is soft-sanded， sheltered Golden Bay. Older children can try activities such as stand-up paddle boarding， sailing or windsurfing， while the gentle slope of the beach makes it easy for younger kids to safely paddle in the sea.

Eating out

Children are welcome at most restaurants， though more up-market places often only accept older kids. There are often kids menus that tend to offer pizza， but you can always ask for a half portion （份量） of a starter dish （portions are huge in Maltese restaurants）. With a wide range of cuisines on offer， children are bound to find something theyll like. Maltese food is strongly influenced by Italian cuisine， so theres pizza and pasta galore， and some kids will love the national dish-fried rabbit.

Accommodation

Try to schedule at least a few days on Gozo as there are lots of self-catering farmhouses with pools to rent and its even easier to get around than Malta. Smaller hotels in Valletta usually only accept older children.

Transport and other tips

The easiest way to get around Malta and Gozo is to drive， but the local bus service is reliable， easy to use， and fairly inexpensive. Buses are frequent between major towns， but only roughly hourly to and from smaller places. Ferries run between Malta and Gozo， and you can take tourist boats over to Comino.

l. What can younger kids do on the islands of Malta and Gozo？

A. Try windsurfing. B. Experience paddling.

C. Do sailing. D. Go swimming.

2. What can we learn about Maltese food？

A. It has much to do with Italian cuisine. B. Pizza is offered to younger kids.

C. Fried rabbit is the most popular among visitors. D. Portions are small for children.

3. What transportation may be the best choice for visitors in Malta and Gozo？

A. Buses. B. Ferries.

C. Tourist boats. D. Motor vehicles.

B

It was a village in India. The people were poor. However， they were not unhappy. After all， their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.

Then one day， some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frogs legs. However， they did not have enough frogs of their own， and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.

This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around， and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. An agreement was reached， and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time， the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didnt last long.

The change was hardly noticed at first， but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often， and there seemed to be more insects around.

The villagers decided that they couldnt just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides （殺虫剂） and medicines. Soon there was no money left.

Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frogs. They hadnt been useless. They had been doing an important job—eating insects.

Now with so many frogs killed， the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases. Now， the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.

4. What can we learn about the villagers from Paragraph 1？

A. They worked very hard for centuries. B. They dreamed of having a better life.

C. They were poor but somewhat content. D. They lived a different life from their forefathers.

5. Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs？

A. The frogs meant money. B. The frogs made too much noise.

C. They wanted to please the visitors. D. Frogs did harm to them.

6. What might be the cause of the childrens sickness？

A. The foods they ate were bad. B. There were too many insects.

C. The visitors brought in diseases. D. The pesticides were overused.

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

A. Health is more important than money. B. Good old days will never be forgotten.

C. The harmony between man and nature is important. D. Happiness comes from peaceful life.

C

A “smart city” that features pedestrians， green spaces and self-driving vehicles will be built in Shenzhen. It will be a model that could be applied to other urban developments after the coronavirus （冠狀病毒）， the projects architect said.

The ambitious city-within-a-city， called “Net City”， will be a 2 million square meter neighborhood in the southeastern city of Shenzhen， consisting of Tencent offices and residences for its employees， as well as public entertainment venues and parks.

“With fewer streets for cars， green garden roofs on buildings and the use of artificial intelligence （AI）， Net City is a model for the future of city building，” said Jonathan Ward， a design partner at NBBJ， a United States-based architecture firm.

“This moment strengthens the need to think about designing spaces， buildings and… plentiful indoor-outdoor spaces which are good for overall human health， perhaps even more so during a pandemic （流行病），” Ward said.

Besides， NBBJ considers a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle with rooftop solar panels and well-designed systems for capturing and reusing waste water. Planners also looked at projects for future sea level rises to ensure that buildings are better protected against climate change.

“The city will use technologies such as artificial intelligence，” Ward said. “Mangroves and other nature-based features will also be employed. For example， to help mitigate the impacts （影响） of climate change.”

Smart cities are a part of Chinas plan to recover growth amongst a global economic downturn， authorities said. More than 500 smart cities are being built across China， according to government data， equipped with sensors， cameras， and other devices that can collect data on everything from traffic and pollution， to public health and security.

8. What can we learn about the Net City？

A. It will start after the coronavirus. B. It is a city model in conception.

C. It is an example of city development. D. It lies in northeastern Shenzhen.

9. What is the special feature about the Net City according to Ward？

A. Emptying plenty of space. B. Putting people and environment first.

C. Using new materials. D. Focusing on economic development.

10. What does the underlined word “mitigate in Paragraph 6 probably mean？

A. Ease. B. Increase. C. Remove. D. Strengthen.

11. What is the main purpose of the last paragraph？

A. To emphasize the topic for the text. B. To add some background information.

C. To summarize the text. D. To give an argument to support the opinion.

D

There is more of a connection between food and culture than you may think. On an individual level， we grow up eating the food of our culture. It becomes a part of who we are. Many associate food from our childhood with warm feelings and good memories and it ties us to our families， holding a special and personal value for us. Food from our family often becomes the comfort food we seek as adults in times of frustration and stress.

On a large scale， traditional food is an important part of culture. It also operates as an expression of culture identity. Immigrants （移民） bring it wherever they go， and it is a symbol of pride for their culture and means of coping with homesickness.

Many immigrants open their own restaurants and serve traditional dishes. However， the food does not remain exactly the same. Some materials needed to make traditional dishes may not be readily available， so the taste and flavor can be different from what they would prepare in their home countries. Additionally， immigrants do not only sell dishes to people from the same countries as them， but to people from different countries. Therefore， they have to make small changes about the original dishes to cater to a wider range of customers. Those changes can create new flavors that still keep the cultural significance of the dishes.

We should embrace our heritage （傳统） through our cultures food but also become more informed about other cultures by trying their food. It is important to remember that each dish has a special place in the culture to which it belongs， and is special to those who prepare it. Food is a window into culture， and it should be treated as such.

12. What role can food play in culture according to Paragraph 1？

A. It arouses a feeling of homesickness. B. It implies national identity.

C. It reflects a countrys history. D. It shows family culture.

13. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to？

A. The specific traditional food. B. The national culture.

C. The traditional expression of food. D. The old-fashioned taste.

14. Why do some immigrants have to change the original dishes in their restaurant？

A. To attach cultural importance to the dishes. B. To announce their new life in a foreign land.

C. To make the dishes popular among customers. D. To present their own food culture in a new way.

15. What is the authors attitude towards different food cultures？

A. Negative. B. Balanced. C. Conservative. D. Ambiguous.

第二節

While its wonderful to share a special trip and new experience with friends or family， theres an attractive case for travel alone from time to time. Solo travel can work for anyone， and here are good reasons why you should try it.

You neednt discuss with others.

It can be challenging to talk over a trip and time away from work with another busy person in your life. 16Usually， these challenges can be overcome by simply planning far in advance. However， if you cant find a travel partner on short notice， it may be the perfect time to pack your bags and go anyway.

Youre your own great company.

If you rarely spend significant time alone， you may be surprised at how enjoyable it can be. 17 Depending on the destination， a solo trip can be a powerful and life-changing experience. Imagine sitting on a peaceful beach at sunset or taking an inviting morning hike alone. 18

Meet new people.

If you are a born open person， traveling alone can be a wonderful way to meet locals and make new friends. Often， people who are alone appear more approachable to others. 19 You could even join a group of like-minded people for yoga on the beach. The key is to keep an open mind while keeping safety in mind， especially in a foreign land.

20

For some reason， service at hotels and restaurants seems better when youre traveling alone. People tend to admire those who travel by themselves.

A. Enjoy great service.

B. Do something you enjoy.

C. Just accompany yourself.

D. If things dont go well， the entire trip can be terrible.

E. You could be chatting with some interesting folks at a sidewalk cafe.

F. You can enjoy such a hike without making conversation with anyone.

G. And its even more difficult when you try to make plans with a group.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（三）

第一節

A

As a leading Chinese language school and a cultural exchange institute in China， Global Exchange Education Center has been providing Mandarin （or Putonghua） language courses and cultural exchange programs for over a decade.

How to Apply for Our Programs：

●In order to apply for all of our programs， you must be at least 18 years old， in good health， and a senior high school graduate.

●Application Procedure for Chinese Language Programs

Step 1 Send us a completed application form by email or fax;

Step 2 Send us $60 application fee after receiving our email confirmation;

Step 3 Arrange the payment transfer;

Step 4 Plan the trip to Beijing.

●Application Procedure for Chinese Business Internship （实习） Program

Step 1 Send us a completed application form with your CV and personal statement for the program by email or fax;

Step 2 Send us $310， including $60 application fee and $250 internship placement deposit， after receiving our letter of acceptance for the program;

Step 3 Arrange final payment transfer after receiving our second confirmation;

Step 4 Plan the trip to Beijing.

●Personal Statement for Applicants for Chinese Business Internship Program

You should state why you want to take this program， what your expectations of the program are and how you will make use of this program in your future career.

● Application Deadlines

The applications for most programs are reviewed on a rolling basis. You are encouraged to submit your application ahead of the application deadlines.

●Confirmation

Having received your application， Global Exchange Education Center usually sends out an email confirmation for the booking within 2—5 working days.

1. What is the total application fee for both of the programs？

A. $370. B. $310. C. $250. D. $120.

2. If you want to apply for Chinese Business Internship Program successfully， you should ___  .

A. send the application form by post B. send personal statement and CV only

C. get confirmed at least twice D. make a travel plan in Beijing

3. What is necessarily included in personal statement for applicants？

A. The application deadlines. B. Their feedback on the program.

C. Their purpose of taking the program. D. An email confirmation for the booking.

B

I was a bit late for work， so I was in a hurry. On the way， I was thinking about my work schedule to sort out， my immediate work to be done. But I felt a little dizzy， so I thought about having some coffee or tea in the nearby restaurant. When I was moving towards the restaurant， I sensed someone was following me. I turned around and saw a boy standing behind me.

I really couldnt guess whether he was asking money or what. Anyway， I thought for a while， then gave him a small note and walked away. But he was not satisfied with that. He still followed me. I asked in confusion， “What now？” He started doing some beautiful dance steps.

Then I entered the restaurant. It was Saturday， and obviously the restaurant was almost full. The waiter put the menu in front of me. “Tea only！” Two minutes later， the tea was served. I was really impressed with their serving the tea so quickly. Through the window， I was surprised to see the boy was still dancing.

When I came out of the restaurant， the music was changed. The song “Come along if you feel... because I am happy” was started. I loved the song so much that when I heard this song， my body movement was changed. My steps began. To my surprise， I saw the boy ran towards me and started dancing before me. He didnt allow me to go， and he forced me to dance. I never expected that situation， but without thinking anything， I danced with him. Believe me or not， within two or three minutes， I found that I was not alone. We were accompanied by fifty to sixty young boys and girls.

The way the people were dancing， trust me， was worth seeing！ Regardless of their age or the place， they were simply dancing to get happiness.

4. Why did the author decide to go to a restaurant？

A. She was a little late for work. B. She wanted to sort out her work.

C. She wanted to refresh herself. D. She found herself being followed.

5. What impressed the author most in the restaurant？

A. The lovely song.  B. The quick service.

C. The number of guests.  D. The taste of tea.

6. What happened after the author started to dance with the boy？

A. Many other people joined them. B. The author was left alone.

C. The authors body movement began. D. The music in the restaurant changed.

7. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us？

A. The crowd forgot their ages. B. Dancing means happiness to the people.

C. The crowd are very kind-hearted. D. The dancing steps are beautiful.

C

For visitors， Teller Lake in Colorado looks like a fishbowl filled with thousands of gorgeous goldfish. However， to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department they are a group of dangerous species that could end up destroying the lakes ecosystem.

The problem is that these fish arent native to the lake， which means they have no predators （捕食者）. This allows them to multiply in large numbers. The officials believe that most of them are a result of a few unwanted pet goldfish that were thrown into the lake.

While that may appear to be a kind thing to do， it is extremely dangerous， not to mention illegal. Thats because as the non-native species grow in numbers. They compete with the existing fish for food sources like small insects. Given that there is only a limited supply of resources， this could result in the goldfish overpowering the native fish species. In the case of Teller Lake， the officials are particularly worried that the goldfish will move downstream and affect the population of some of the endangered native species that live there. Another major cause for concern is the diseases the goldfish may be carrying.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists， therefore， have no option but to remove the fish from the lake in the most efficient manner. The fish will then be fed to injured birds like eagles and ospreys.

Experts say that most owners believe they are doing the “right thing” by returning their pets to the wilderness. However， saving one pet often results in destroying the areas ecosystem and hurting other animals. According to experts， the best way to dispose of unwanted fish or any other animal is to get advice from the people that sold the pet.

8. Why did the goldfish appear in Teller Lake？

A. They were born into the lake. B. They were brought in by the officials.

C. They were abandoned by their owners. D. They were raised by some biologists.

9. How is the lakes ecosystem likely to be influenced by the goldfish？

A. New diseases may be brought in. B. Native fish may be eaten by them.

C. The lake water may be polluted. D. Food sources may increase.

10. What will happen to the goldfish after theyre caught？

A. Theyll be killed at once. B. Theyll be used as bird food.

C. Theyll be set free. D. Theyll be raised in the fishbowl.

11. The underlined phrase “dispose of ” in the last paragraph probably means “______”.

A. attend to B. take over C. get rid of D. hold on to

D

We pick the upbeat tunes for parties and workouts， and save the low-key songs for romantic or sad moments. Its hardly a new idea that music is mixed with our emotions. But how have our favorites changed over the decades， and what do these changes say about Americas shifting emotional landscape？

Researcher E. Glenn Schellenberg set out to examine songs popular in America during the last five decades， using a selection from Billboard Magazines Hot 100 charts， hoping to learn how emotional cues （提示） in music， such as tempo （slow to fast） and mode （major or minor key）， have changed since 1960.

The most striking finding is the change in key. Songs written in a major key tend to sound warm and high-spirited， while songs in a minor key can sound darker and more melancholic （憂郁的）. Over the last few decades， popular songs have switched from major to minor keys. Broadly speaking， the sound has shifted from bright and happy to something more complex. The study also finds Americas popular songs have become slower and longer. What is even more interesting is that our current favorites are more likely to be emotionally ambiguous， such as sad-sounding songs being fast or happy-sounding songs being slow.

A possible explanation for the changes is that the more contemporary music reflects the hardships that our society has gone through. However， Schellenberg believes that the steady increase in length and decrease in tempo doesnt support the idea of growing difficulties fully because it would mean our problems have increased steadily over the last fifty years. He suggests that popular songs have become more complex over time because Americans are becoming more diverse and individualized in their musical tastes.

Though we can only guess about the specific causes of this evolution in music， Schellenbergs initial observations have helped to open the door to research on the link between emotion and music consumption. Perhaps someday well learn more of the secrets behind the music we love and the times we live in.

12. Why did Schellenberg start the study？

A. To change music styles. B. To explore changes in music.

C. To select Americans favorite music. D. To examine the creation of music.

13. How has the sound of American popular songs changed according to the finding？

A. It is often sadder and darker. B. It has become warmer and shorter.

C. It is longer and more complex. D. It tends to be composed in a major key.

14. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about？

A. The influences of the study. B. The diversity of musical tastes.

C. The causes of the music changes. D. The features of Americas society.

15. What is the authors attitude to the study？

A. Positive. B. Skeptical. C. Disapproving. D. Ambiguous.

第二節

Being a teenager can be challenging with your hormones （荷尔蒙） going wild. 16 Here are some really useful tips for you to have enjoyable teenage years.

Setting individual expectations.

Everyone is different， especially in their teenage years. 17 Some teens prefer to spend their teenage years with friends， while others prefer to study and work; some prefer to be quiet wallflowers， while others are loud and dont care if they stand out.

18

For lots of people， the teenage years are full of worries. Stop paying so much attention to them！ Many worries are based on what other people think， rather than what you think. Go ahead and do what you want to do; choose your own path in life， and dont worry about what others think of your choices！

Work to improve your social skills.

Some teens have trouble with social interaction （互动）， with the reasons behind it varying. Since social interaction is necessary in order to succeed， its important to learn how to cope with shyness and social anxiety. Consider working with a friend or a family member of close age to develop your social skills. 19

Keep good relations with your family.

Many teenagers become bad-tempered， extremely quiet， and stop valuing family as much as they used to. Try to avoid this. Family is one of the most important connections in your life. 20 And plus， you see them every day. Why not make it nice to spend time with them？

A. Develop your sense of self.

B. Realize that the teen years are not all alike.

C. But that doesnt mean you cant enjoy the teen years.

D. It may not replace new social exchanges， but its good practice.

E. Its a completely necessary part of all relationships you develop.

F. Family members probably worry about you during your teenage years.

G. Theres really no “way” to enjoy being a teenager except for the “way” you make on your own！

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（四）

第一節

A

Companies with Kid CEOs

Maxine Marcus， The Ambassador Company

Unlike many young CEOs， 17-year-old Maxine Marcus built a service， not a product. Her company， The Ambassador Company， helps big companies and brands understand the teen viewpoint—and ensures that their efforts to connect with them succeed.

Brandon and Sebastian Martinez， Are You Kidding

This pair of brothers creates some pretty stylish socks for their company， Are You Kidding. They include fun， colorful designs for kids and adults， but their Charity line， which designs special socks for various charities like Special Olympics， Autism Awareness， and Big Brothers Big Sisters， may be their most popular and meaningful designs.

Benjamin “Kickz” Kapelushnik， Sneaker Don

Benjamin was just 15 when he decided to turn his passion for sneakers into a business， dealing in hard-to-get， limited edition kicks. He started out by paying friends to stand in line when new shoes were released but now has connections with retailers （零售商） to help him get the most sought-after shoes in bulk （批量） for Sneaker Don. He currently counts star athletes and musicians， including DJ Khaled and P. Diddy， among his clients.

Mihir Garimella， Firefly

This 18-year-old Stanford freshman has a number of projects already under his belt， including creating a homework app to replace paper planners and working on technology to help with accidental injuries in a soccer game. But his latest work， Firefly Autonomy， involves building autonomous drones （无人机） that can go into dangerous or difficult locations， from inspecting equipment to conducting.

1. What does The Ambassador Company provide？

A. Technology. B. Socks. C. Opinions. D. Equipment.

2. What makes Are You Kidding popular？

A. Its homework app. B. Its soccer game. C. Its potential clients. D. Its Charity line.

3. Where can people buy sports shoes？

A. The Ambassador Company. B. Are You Kidding.

C. Sneaker Don. D. Firefly.

B

Ashley Powers mother bought a computer for her when she was eight. When she was thirteen， she was surfing the Internet on a regular basis， but she couldnt find anywhere for teenagers to meet and talk. And one day she thought， “If I had my own website， Id make it a really interesting site for teenagers.”

Consequently， when Ashley was sixteen， she started her own website called GooseHead. She had no idea how big a success it would be， but three years later， the site was the most successful teen site in the US！ It was getting 100，000 hits every day， and Ashley had about 30 employees.

After a few years， the website closed down. Then Ashley， who lived in Los Angeles， was asked to write a book called The GooseHead Guide to Life. The book is about how to design a website and start a business. It begins with a section called “All About Ashley”， where Ashley tells readers what its like to be the boss of a company when youre only sixteen—not always easy！

In her book， Ashley talks about the problems that teenagers have today plus the importance of friendship. She also focuses on being independent. “Learn to love your friends but not rely on them. I did that by creating GooseHead on my own.”

Ashley says that The GooseHead Guide to Life is not a book of teenage advice. “It isnt a book thats going to tell you what to do. I hope you can work that out yourself，” she says. “I just want to provide a little inspiration to teenagers. Maybe after reading my story， youll start your own website！ But perhaps youve got a better idea. Well， if I were you， Id just do it， whatever it is. Maybe it wont work—but maybe it will.”

4. Why did Ashley start GooseHead？

A. To promote the sale of her book. B. To update her mothers computer.

C. To teach teenagers how to use the Internet. D. To create a platform for teenagers to communicate.

5. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about？

A. Ashleys website. B. Ashleys book.

C. The problems Ashley has solved. D. The advice Ashley gives to teenagers.

6. What can we learn about The GooseHead Guide to Life？

A. It serves to fuel teenagers motivation. B. It is meant to give teenagers tips.

C. It advises teenagers to depend on friends. D. It is about ways to be the boss of a company.

7. What does Ashley inspire teenagers to do？

A. Buy a copy of her book. B. Follow their dream.

C. Start their own website. D. Be a model for others.

C

Bees play a vital role in the world. Unfortunately， bees are dying by the second.

The main purpose of bees is to make honey. Honey， shockingly， does not exist for human consumption; it is essential to the insects. Honeybees store honey in their hives （蜂箱） in order for the bees to have energy for their flight muscles and for heating the hives during the winter period. They collect pollen （花粉） which supplies protein for young bees to grow.

According to National Honey Board， the increased production and quality of agricultural crops as a result of honeybee pollination are valued at more than $14.6 billion per year. These insects are responsible for over 70 percent of the fruits and vegetables we eat today， including apples， grapes， coffee， beans， and broccoli.

So if they are so valuable to agriculture， why do they keep dying off？ A key suspect seems to be pesticides （殺虫剂）. Honeybees who are exposed to pesticides result in the damage to their neurological functions， specifically memory or behavior. And thats why the majority of worker bees disappear and leave behind a queen， plenty of food and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen. There are several other causes of the decline of bees， including the destruction of natural habitats， like woodlands， forests， and other habitats for bees. Climate change is also a factor in the decline of the wild bee population.

Actually， there are a variety of methods to help the bee population grow. One way is to start your own organic garden by planting bee-?friendly plants. Pesticides are used in both industrial practices and even in your home， so it is best to find organic seeds and weed killers.

8. Why do honeybees store honey in their hives？

A. To provide enough honey for humans. B. To draw protein out of honey for young bees.

C. To attract other insects and make hives stronger. D. To strengthen bee muscles and heat hives in winter.

9. Apples and beans are mentioned in Paragraph 3 to show that bees ___ .

A. supply human beings with basic food B. mainly live on these agricultural crops

C. are of great importance to fruits and vegetables D. can bring in more money for farmers every year

10. What is most likely the cause the worker bees leave their hives behind？

A. The lack of food. B. The abuse of pesticides.

C. The climate change. D. The destruction of the habitats.

11. What would the author probably discuss in the following paragraph？

A. Another way to save bees. B. Tips for choosing seeds.

C. More methods to plant green organic fruits. D. Causes of the decline in the wild bee population.

D

There are many programs for high school students today that help lonely teenagers deal with loneliness. However， loneliness is not only an issue for teens but also an important and rarely acknowledged one in the elderly.

In Britain， Tracey Crouch was appointed to be the first Minister of Loneliness in order to address the issues caused by loneliness. This is the first time such a position has been created.

In Britain， there are around 9 million people who say they are lonely frequently. In Germany， a study conducted by Ruhr University Bochum found that 20 percent of people over the age of 85 felt lonely， and 14 percent of those between age 45 and 65 felt socially lonely. In the United States， more than 25 percent of the population lives alone， more than 50 percent of those are unmarried.

Loneliness is generally associated with heart disease， overweight， and anxiety. Additionally， the stress from loneliness can cause your cells to change on a molecular level that reduces its abilities to defend your body against diseases. In fact， doctors believe having feelings of loneliness is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day in regard to its effect on health！

In Britain， the new Minister of Loneliness will help introduce government policies on the issue and fund a charity—an organization for helping people in need， to devote their efforts towards aiding loneliness. There are charities that link lonely seniors to high school students in order to give them a line of communication whenever they feel lonely！

The possibilities for the new Minister of Loneliness are endless. For example， she can provide education services to household businesses so that they can identify lonely customers if they see one. Loneliness fits into the category of being a social issue that must be monitored by the entire community in order to help those in need. Therefore， government involvement in medical services and care for seniors and others is vital for happy seniors.

12. How does the author develop Paragraph 3？

A. By listing some statistics.

B. By pointing out similarities and differences.

C. By giving examples of different kinds of loneliness.

D. By comparing different cultures in different countries.

13. What does the underlined word “equivalent” in Paragraph 4 probably mean？

A. Relevant. B. Similar. C. Opposite. D. Superior.

14. What will the Minister of Loneliness do？

A. Do housework for lonely people. B. Develop friendships with the elderly.

C. Help fund charities to aid lonely people. D. Communicate with anxious school students.

15. What is the text mainly about？

A. Loneliness is an issue for the elderly. B. Loneliness affects old peoples life worldwide.

C. Many teenagers suffer from loneliness. D. Britains Minister of Loneliness settles loneliness.

第二节

Im an ironworker in New York City， one of 100 or so ironworkers who are now working on the steel frame of a new building in Times Square. 16 Many of todays ironworkers are descendants （后代） of the men who built New Yorks first high buildings. My great-grandfather helped build the Empire State Building. My father and grandfather were also ironworkers.

To me， ironworkers are the kings of construction. We make the frame that the other workers build on. 17 You look at the New York skyline and think， “I helped build that.” Also， we work hard， we play hard， and we get on well together.

Whats an average day like？ 18 Eight hours a day， from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. Were moving all the time.

Next， Id like to work on something really important like my great-grandfather did. 19 He helped build it and I helped take it away.

If you want to do the same job as mine， you need to be strong， really strong. 20 It usually takes about a year to get used to it. You cant work and hold on with one hand at the same time. Many guys try it once， then back off and say， “This is not for me！”

A. We never stop in this job.

B. We have real pride in our work.

C. You also have to be OK with height.

D. You have to move them into place all the time.

E. Ironwork is a trade that is still handed down from father to son.

F. Or like my father did， who helped build the World Trade Center.

G. Ironworkers depend on each other for their lives， and the pay is good.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（五）

第一節

A

TODAY， Friday， November 12

JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at the Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West， Sheen.

DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at the Lord Napier， Mortlake High St， from 8 am to 8 pm. Tel： 682-1158.

SATURDAY， November 13

JAZZ Lysis at the Bulls Head， Barnes. Admission 60p.

MUSICAL HALL at the Star and Garter， Lower Richmond Road， Putney， provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel： 789-6749.

FAMILY night out？ Join the sing-along at the Black Horse. Sheen Road， Richmond.

JAZZ the John Bennett Big Band at the Bulls Head， Barnes. Admission 80p.

THE DERBY ARMS， Upper Richmond Road West， give you Joe on the electric accordion （手風琴）. Tel： 789-4536.

SUNDAY， November 14

DISCO Satin Sounds Disco， free at the Lord Napier， Mortlake High Street， from 8 am to 8 pm.

FOLK MUSIC at the Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-members 70p.

Tel： 688-4626.

HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at the Bull， Upper Richmond Road West， East Sheen.

1. Where can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band？

A. At the Derby Arms on Friday. B. At the Lord Napier on Sunday.

C. At the Bulls Head on Saturday. D. At the Black Horse on Saturday.

2. If you want to spend Saturday with your family， where should you go？

A. Jazz at the Bulls Head. B. Heavy Music at the Bull.

C. Disco at the Lord Napier. D. The sing-along at the Black Horse.

3. Where can you hear the Norman Chop Trio？

A. At the Derby Arms on Sunday. B. At the Lord Napier on Friday.

C. At the Black Horse on Saturday. D. At the Star and Garter on Saturday.

B

My mother has always been a follower of traditional methods when it comes to anything. She cooks traditional food， likes dressing up traditionally and likes the traditional way of shopping. She loves going to markets and going from one shop to another to find out what suits her best. She can walk miles when it comes to shopping along with her friends. She knows all the local markets and shops and knows very well where she can get best discounts.

However， now she always gets tired when she goes out in the market. So one day I decided to introduce a new shop， which is much larger than usual markets and where she can also get discounts. I am talking about online gift stores. She has a basic knowledge of computers and can operate computers. At the beginning， she was doubtful about shopping from these online gift shops because she wasnt too sure about the quality of the products.

One day I decided to get her some branded things so that she could build trust in these shops. I ordered a Timex watch and a Sisley handbag for her. She never bought things online. But when they were delivered as a gift， she jumped for joy. She could not believe that I had ordered these gifts for her despite her being not much positive about online shops. However， after she saw both the products， she was assured that these online gift shops sent the promised brands and products， she loved her new watch and handbag.

After this experience she ordered a gift for her friends wedding. She chose a gift basket that could be made according to her requirements. They sent a beautifully decorated basket with fine wines and chocolates. The basket was so artistically decorated that it became her friends favorite gift. Since then she has been consistently shopping online.

4. What can we learn about the authors mother from Paragraph 1？

A. She lives in a traditional way.    B. She likes shopping very much.

C. She is kind and very humorous.    D. She always leads a simple life.

5. Why does the author decide to introduce a new shop to his mother？

A. It is much larger. B. The goods are much cheaper.

C. The local shops cant satisfy his mothers needs. D. His mother cant go shopping as before.

6. What did the authors mother think of shopping online at first？

A. She thought it was a good idea.    B. She thought goods online were cheap.

C. She doubted the quality of the goods. D. She worried about the difficulty in operation.

7. The author decided to buy his mother some branded things to make her ___ .

A. feel his deep love B. trust in shopping online

C. happy in her later years D. surprised on Mothers Day

C

Tea， the most typical English drink， became established in Britain because of the influence of a foreign princess， Catherine of Braganza， the queen of CharlesⅡ. As a lover of tea since her childhood in Portugal， she brought tea?-drinking to the English royal court and set a trend for the beverage in the 17th century. The fashion soon spread beyond the circle of the nobility to the middle classes， and tea became a popular drink at the London coffee houses where people met to do business and discuss events of the day. Many employers served a cup of tea to their workers in the middle of the morning， thus inventing a lasting British institution， the “tea break”. However， drinking tea in social settings outside the workplace was beyond the means of the majority of British people. It came with a high price tag and tea was taxed as well.

Around 1800， the seventh Duchess of Bedford， Anna Maria Russell， began the popular practice of “afternoon tea”， a ceremony taking place at about four oclock. Until then， people did not usually eat or drink anything between lunch and dinner. At approximately the same time， the Earl of Sandwich popularized a new way of eating bread—in thin slices， with something like jam or cucumbers between them. Before long， a small meal at the end of the afternoon， involving tea and sandwiches， became part of the British way of life.

As tea became much cheaper during the 19th century， its popularity spread right through all corners of the British society. Thus， tea became Britains favorite drink. In working-?class households， it was served with the main meal of the day， eaten when workers returned home after a days labor. This meal has become known as “high tea”. Today， tea can be drunk at any time of the day， and accounts for over two?-fifths of all drinks consumed in Britain—with the exception of water.

8. What is mainly discussed about tea in the text？

A. Its development in Britain. B. Its popularity in Europe.

C. Its influence around the world. D. Its traditional ways of drinking.

9. What does the “the beverage” in Paragraph 1 probably refer to？

A. Tea drinking. B. Coffee houses.

C. A way of drinking tea. D. A choice of drinks.

10. Why was tea unable to be accepted as a common drink in Britain in the 17th century？

A. It was merely served in London. B. It was taxed as an alcoholic drink.

C. It was forbidden in business settings. D. It was too expensive for most people.

11. How is the text developed？

A. By analyzing cause and effect.    B. By making comparison.

C. By following time order. D. By giving examples.

D

In 2011， the old style Malta buses were taken off the road and replaced by modern vehicles. Most of the old buses were deserted， a few were sold， and about 100 of them were put into storage in the hope of showing them in a museum at some stage.

A pre-2011 visit to Malta wouldnt have been complete without a ride on one of the colorful buses. Until 1973 you could tell the destination of the bus just by looking at its color—Sliema was green and white， Zabbar was red and white with a blue stripe （条纹） etc. Later， the buses all had numbers. For a while， they were all painted green and white before the “final” orange， yellow and white.

In their prime， walking around the Triton fountain at the Valletta bus station， you would have found it very difficult to see two buses of exactly the same design. Most of them had locally built bodies. On the front of the buses were carried names like Dodge， Leyland， Bedford etc. You were equally likely to find football pennants （錦旗） and the like decorating the cabs. Real bus experts would have recognized that these were there mainly for decorative reasons， and were seldom an accurate reflection of the vehicles origins.

Nowadays much more modern buses are to be found at the Floriana bus station. They are more environmentally friendly and possibly even more comfortable than the older types. However， I miss the old buses. I remember， when you boarded your bus， you had to prepare the correct change to pay the usually bad-tempered driver as you got on. If you were seated anywhere near the front， you would have noticed that most drivers sat well to the right of their steering wheel. The reason for this， as any Maltese would tell you， was to leave space for their pet to sit alongside them. I wonder where the pet sits these days.

12. What makes a pre-2011 visit to Malta special according to Paragraph 2？

A. Traveling in colorful buses. B. Using buses with stripes.

C. Painting buses bright colors. D. Telling destinations through colors.

13. What does the underlined word “prime” in Paragraph 3 mean？

A. Painful time. B. Exciting time. C. Moment of fantasy. D. Moment of glory.

14. What can we learn about Malta buses when they were popular？

A. They were of the same pattern. B. The decorations reflected their origins.

C. Most were uniquely designed. D. They were mostly decorated with football pennants.

15. How does the author feel about the old style Malta buses？

A. Comfortable. B. Environment-friendly.

C. Safe. D. Memorable.

第二節

Ways to Build Strong Friendships

If a friend needs help with an unpleasant thing， or if he or she just needs a shoulder to cry on， be there for them. 16 This is a good way to attract the kind of friends you want in your life.

17 When your friend tells you a secret， keep it secret from others. Be someone that people know that they can rely on. If you show this quality to your friends， they will appreciate it and will be reliable in return.

Be a good listener. Many people think they have to appear very interesting. 18 Listen carefully to what people say， remember important details about them， ask questions about their interests， and take the time to learn more about them.

Stress your good qualities. Show others what makes you stand apart from the crowd. Talk about your interests and hobbies. Everyone has interesting stories to tell—dont be afraid to share yours. 19 People love to be around someone who makes them laugh.

Choose your friends wisely. As you make friends with more people， you may find that some are hard to get along with. Sometimes you may even realize that certain friendships are unhealthy. 20 Cherish those friends who are a positive influence in your life， and do your best to be a positive influence in theirs.

A. Be a reliable friend.

B. Keep your promise to your friend.

C. Be respectful of their decisions and share yours with them.

D. Besides， a little humor always keeps a conversation light and happy.

E. In this case， walk your way out of the friendship as politely as possible.

F. Being a loyal friend will attract other people to you who value this quality.

G. Far more important than that， however， is the ability to show that youre interested in others.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（六）

第一節

A

The National Postal Museum is divided into galleries that explore Americas postal history. Visitors will have a full picture of the creation and fantastic varieties of postage stamps.

World of Stamps

Video images bring stamps to life and attract visitors who explore the surrounding displays. Visitors encounter the worlds first postage stamp—the 1840 Penny Black and learn how it revolutionized communication. Stamp images， including Dr Martin Luther Kings “I have a dream” speech and the stamp that helped raise almost $72 million dollars for breast cancer research， explain how stamps have shaped history and honored people and places worldwide.

Gems of American Philately

Visitors have the opportunity of examining 13 of the most rare and highly valued stamps in the world of the stamp collection， including the most famous American stamp of all， the 1918 Inverted Jenny. A video explains why the Inverted Jenny and other stamps displayed here are the most valuable. The treasures in this area are rarely available for public viewing. Each tells a story about an important event in US history.

Mail Marks History

The markings on mail provide valuable clues to the surprising ways mail has been transported over time， including challenges and even disasters encountered along the way. You will understand these markings by following the journeys of three historic letters.

Connect with US Stamps

Visitors explore their own connections with stamps. At three touch screen tables， they create their own stamp collection based on the topics that interest them most. They can also create their own stamp designs. Visitors have the chance to view videos in which stamp designers talk about their craft， stamp collectors explain what they collect and why， and footage （片段） shows the process of making stamps.

1. What can you do at World of Stamps？

A. Donate money to cancer research. B. Learn more about the importance of stamps.

C. Photograph some nice stamps on display. D. Listen to a speech by Martin Luther King on video.

2. What can you see at Gems of American Philately？

A. Some famous designers in the US. B. Some newly published stamps in the US.

C. Some of the most valuable US stamps. D. Some important public reviews of stamps.

3. Where can you see how stamps are created？

A. Connect with US Stamps. B. Gems of American Philately.

C. Mail Marks History. D. World of Stamps.

B

Tricia Hurt， her husband Brian， and their son Brady were out enjoying a fishing adventure on Marsh-Miller Lake in Wisconsin when they found a baby bear in huge suffering. According to locals in the area， the little bear had been running on land with a plastic tub （盆） on his head for three to four days， but he somehow got into the water， worsening his condition.

The bear could be seen swimming in fear and shifting away from the family as they edged the boat closer. He was terrified， but the tub was quickly filling with water and he was in danger of drowning.

“Go a little faster， Brady. Get in front of him，” Tricia instructed her son to navigate the boat closer to the animal. Brian got close to the bear and tried to pull the tub out， but it had become too slippery. Brian lost his control， but he wasnt discouraged because the bears ear had managed to come loose. That meant the plastic wasnt impossibly stuck and he just had to get closer.

The rescue lasted about five minutes and they made several attempts before the tub finally came off. Brady circled the boat around to the bear and his father gave one last try that set the animal free. Once it came off， the bear was able to swim easily to the shore and catch a much-needed break.

The family was extremely relieved as Tricia called out to the sailing animal， “Swim happily.”

“We were so excited！ We did our good deed for the day. We will never ever do this again， and it felt good to help the poor bear. You dont like to see animals struggle.” Tricia later said in an interview.

4. What happened to the bear？

A. He was drowned on the lake. B. He was hurt by hunters.

C. He got a tub on the head.    D. He got trapped by the locals.

5. Who pulled out the tub？

A. Tracy. B. Tricia. C. Brian. D. Brady.

6. What drove the family to help the bear？

A. A curious mind. B. The gratitude for animals.

C. The reward by the locals. D. A sympathetic heart.

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

A. Family Outing—Timely Rescue B. Tubs Banned—Animals Saved

C. Never Too Late to Save Animals D. An Exciting Family Adventure

C

For over a century， the Nashua River in Massachusetts provided power for mills （工廠）， which gave jobs to thousands of people. Over the years， these paper， cotton， wood， and woolen mills had dumped their waste into its waters.

By the 1960s， the Nashua River was about as polluted as any river could get. Its waters ran red or green or blue with dye （染料） from paper mills situated on its banks. The fumes from this dye blackened paint on the buildings near the river.

Then along came Marion Stoddart with a simple but overwhelming idea—clean up the Nashua. This was no-one-woman campaign. Stoddart encouraged the paper mills and the business community to form partnerships to reclaim the river. She carried jars of dirty river water to local officials to demonstrate the seriousness of the problem. Stoddart talked with business leaders about economic problems. She talked with environmentalists about the long-term problems of pollution.

Stoddart knew that the State Water Pollution Control Board would have the final say on forcing the clean-up. When she spoke to the board， she insisted that the Nashua should be made safe for swimming. They thought her goals were unrealistic.

However， the partnerships Stoddart had helped form and the volunteers who were drawn to her cause never gave up. They all realized that cleaning up the river was in everyones best interests. By 1993， several water treatment plants had been built， and a conservation area called a “greenway” had been created along the banks of the river.

Today mills are still operating along the river， but there are also fish in the river. The Nashua River welcomes boaters， naturalists， and even swimmers. None of this would have been possible without a woman of vision and a community working together.

8. What does the underlined word “reclaim” in Paragraph 3 probably mean？

A. Rescue. B. Enlarge. C. Monitor. D. Explore.

9. What is the boards attitude to Stoddarts goal of improving the river？

A. Supportive. B. Doubtful. C. Ambiguous. D. Cautious.

10. What kind of person is Marion Stoddart？

A. Independent and broad-minded. B. Determined and far-sighted.

C. Intelligent and creative. D. Stubborn and proud.

11. What can we learn from the no-one-woman campaign？

A. Everything will be fine. B. Prevention is better than cure.

C. Many hands make light work. D. Failure is the mother of success.

D

Finding a mountain goat resting high on a cliff might thrill many of the millions of tourists who visit Wyomings Grand Teton National Park every year， but park officials say it might be time for the bearded animals to go.

The problem， according to the park， is that Grand Tetons 100 or so mountain goats threaten about 80 bighorn sheep. The bighorn sheep numbered as many as 125 just a few years ago. The strong goats spread disease and compete with bighorn sheep for food. Unlike small-sized bighorn sheep， Grand Tetons mountain goats arent native to the park. They were introduced to the park in the 1960s.

Grand Teton spokeswoman Denise Germann said， “Weve got a management responsibility to protect the native species. After hearing from the public on the proposal in January， park officials expect to decide as soon as mid-February on what to do about the mountain goats.”

The goats are reproducing rapidly. Now might be the best time to reduce the animals before theyre too many to bring under control， according to the Park Service.

One wildlife biologist who studies bighorn sheep praised the proposal. Mountain goats original habitat is nowhere close to where theyve been introduced in the US to provide hunting opportunities， said Rob Roy RameyⅡ， with Nederland， Colorado-based Wildlife Science International， Inc.

Wildlife managers should get rid of mountain goats not only in Grand Teton but elsewhere to help struggling bighorn sheep， Ramey said. “Unfortunately， state wildlife agencies sell non-native wildlife viewing opportunities to the public，” Ramey said. “This is not a zoo in the wilderness. It should really be for native wildlife.”

12. What can we learn about the bighorn sheep in the park？

A. Their size is huge. B. Their number is decreasing.

C. They arrived in the 1960s. D. They threaten local species.

13. How did the public help park officials protect the bighorn sheep？

A. By providing suggestions. B. By driving away mountain goats.

C. By volunteering in the park. D. By taking over Grand Teton National Park.

14. How does Germann feel about the bighorn sheep？

A. Curious. B. Proud. C. Satisfied. D. Concerned.

15. Why did people bring in mountain goats in the beginning？

A. To offer hunting chances. B. To attract more visitors.

C. To satisfy wildlife managers. D. To increase diversities of sheep.

第二节

Youre growing up. That means youre probably experiencing lots of changes， all at once.  Your body is changing. It might even seem as if your entire self is changing. It can be confusing and even scary.        16        And its good！

Growing up means that you can do more， learn more， and start to make your mark on the world. In order for that to happen， your body produces chemicals called hormones that help both body and mind grow. Hormone levels change constantly， rising  and  falling.        17        But its partly to blame for intense motions， surprising reactions， and mood swings.

Because of the way your brain develops， it is somewhat ruled by emotion now and through your teen years. As a result， growing up can seem like an emotional roller coaster！        18

● Take care of yourself. If you eat right， sleep enough， and get good exercise， your brain will be much more able to deal with the stress.

●        19        When  you  feel  your  moods  swinging  or  youre  upset，  or confused， some quiet time will allow you to gather your thoughts and get calmer.

● Practice relaxing your body and deep breathing when you wake up and when you go to bed.        20        Plus， when stuff happens during the day， youll be able to calm yourself quickly with a deep breath or two before you react. Your body is changing.

A. Take a time out.

B. But the truth is， it happens to every teen.

C. Exercise regularly to keep physically fit.

D. It will help you fall asleep and start the morning right.

E. This changing is needed for your bodys development.

F. Here are a few things you can do to make the ride smoother.

G. Usually， these feelings settle down when you realize what is going on.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（七）

第一節

A

Celebrate Take Your Child to the Library Day with Free Events

Libraries across Long Island will offer a variety of face painting， crafts， games and shows this Saturday in celebration of Take Your Child to the Library Day. Here is how libraries around Long Island will celebrate.

Harborfields Public Library

Young children can spend the morning singing and dancing with Ms Diane Young. Children of all ages can participate in a get-to-know-your-library hunt from 12 pm to 2 pm and 2 pm to 4：30 pm， with a prize awarded to everyone who finishes the hunt.

When： 11：00 am—4：30 pm Where： 31 Broadway， Greenlawn

More information： Free and open to all， tickets are required for the magic and comedy show; 631-757-4200， harborfieldslibrary.org

Patchogue-Medford Library

Spend the day with the very hungry caterpillar taking photos， playing games and making caterpillar crafts. A library representative will be on hand to talk about library programs and services. “Its a chance for families to come and connect with the library and to learn all about the services that we offer and good for families to spend time together，” said Patchogue-Medford Library childrens librarian Elizabeth Ramos.

When： 1：00 pm—3：00 pm Where： 54-60 East Main Street， Patchogue

More information： Free and open to all; 631-654-4700， pmlib.org

Henry Waldinger Memorial Library

Children 3 months to 13 years can color and create bookmark crafts. The first 25 children will receive a free book. The library will also raffle off （抽獎） a basket of books and other goodies.

When： 10：00 am—4：00 pm Where： 60 Verona Place， Valley Stream

More information： Free and open to all， preference given to Valley Stream library cardholders; 516-825-6422， valleystreamlibrary.org

Connetquot Public Library

Kids can spend the morning making crafts and taking green screen photos. There will also be a balloon artist and raffles.

When： 11：00 am—12：30 pm Where： 760 Ocean Avenue， Bohemia

More information： Free and open to all; 631-567-5079， connetquotlibrary.org

1. Which activity needs tickets for admission？

A. The magic and comedy show. B. Taking green screen photos.

C. The morning singing and dancing. D. A get-to-know-your-library hunt.

2. Which number can you call to join in family activities？

A. 631-757-4200. B. 631-654-4700. C. 516-825-6422. D. 631-567-5079.

3. Which library will offer some free books？

A. Harborfields Public Library. B. Patchogue-Medford Library.

C. Henry Waldinger Memorial Library. D. Connetquot Public Library.

B

Day in and day out， Rose， a neat， well-dressed， dark-haired young woman carries out her work at an office in a business park near Cambridge and spends hours studying pictures of children being abused. She watches the images again and again， looking for the tiniest details that might deliver a young victim from hell. They might be as small as the titles of books on a table， the action of making the bed or the images on the posters on the wall—anything that might provide a clue （線索） to the place where the child is suffering， and might finally lead the police to the abuser.

How can Rose bear to do such work？ And all that for a salary of less than $23，000 a year？ She said her motivation in joining the work was to protect the public. “When I first started this job， there was anger at the beginning. But when you see what the children have to endure， you know someone has to be there to protect them. If I can play a small part， I will help make a difference.”

The 33-year-old woman is enthusiastic about her job. Rose and her team have done what they could to put the childrens life back together. They are very proud of what they have done.

The nature of her work has changed her for the better. “Im a lot more focused on the positive， much more relaxed about the world. I enjoy the good people around me，” she says. Rose thinks that her job is a bit like giving blood. Maybe you dont like doing it， but someone has to. She regards it as her duty to help abused children.

4. What is Roses job？

A. Managing a big business park. B. Studying images on the posters.

C. Teaching and looking after abused children.  D. Finding clues that help save abused children.

5. What does the underlined word “endure” in Paragraph 2 probably mean？

A. Suffer. B. Change. C. Enjoy. D. Expect.

6. Why are Rose and her team satisfied with their job？

A. They will earn more than before. B. The number of abused children will be reduced.

C. Children will live a happier life than ever before. D. Parents will know how to protect their children.

7. What can we infer from the last paragraph？

A. Roses life makes her popular.      B. Rose changes herself for the better.

C. Rose makes a difference to the world.    D. Roses job positively affects her life.

C

In a new study published on the Journal of Avian Biology， researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico tracked the behavior of house finches （家朱雀） on the main campus of the university in Mexico City.

The team created an artificial nest lining （內衬）， which includes feathers， cotton， hair and cigarette ends. Then， after the birds eggs had hatched， they replaced the original lining with the new one to make sure the nests were pest free. The researchers then added live ticks （壁虱） to the mix， while dead ticks were added to other linings.

It seems that urban house finches use more cigarette ends to line their nests when theyve been invaded by ticks. And， those whose nests were given live ticks increased their cigarette end weight by about 40 percent more than those where dead ticks had been used， according to New Scientist. The technique is likely a form of self-medication， the experts explain， as its thought that the chemicals in cigarette ends can help to keep off the pests.

While this behavior may have its benefits， the researchers say its also possible that the use of cigarette ends in the nests could have negative effects. “It is a matter of concern that cigarette ends， being poisonous， are part of house finch nests in Mexico City，” the authors explain in the paper， “but we have not come across evidence of long-term costs of using this material.”

According to the researchers， a thorough evaluation will be necessary to determine the real effects of using cigarette ends， whether they are positive or not. But they explain， the findings do suggest that the cigarette ends are linked to the presence of ticks and likely play a role in keeping them away.

8. What does the underlined phrase “the mix” in Paragraph 2 refer to？

A. The former nests. B. The artificial lining. C. The cigarette ends. D. The original lining.

9. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about？

A. The findings of the experiment. B. The application of the research findings.

C. The theory related to the recent research. D. The reasons for house finches using cigarette ends.

10. What did house finches do when live ticks were found in their nests？

A. Eat ticks out. B. Replace the original lining.

C. Build their nests firmer. D. Use more cigarette ends.

11. Which word best describes the authors attitude to the study？

A. Skeptical. B. Conservative. C. Objective. D. Tolerant.

D

Skyscrapers are the symbol of urban life. City people are used to seeing tall buildings and apartments. Farms， on the other hand， are associated with rural life. However， there are experts who think skyscrapers should become farms to meet the increasing food needs.

By the middle of this century， some scientists suggest， almost 80% of the earths population could live in cities. In addition， the population could increase to 9.1 billion people during that time yet the amount of land available for farming will be the same. If current farming practices dont change， we will need an area of new land to produce enough food for the planet.

Vertical farms， where urban farmers could grow crops in environmentally friendly skyscrapers， could be the solution. In spite of concerns over high costs， experts want to make it a reality and use these skyscrapers to grow crops.

Vertical farms would have many advantages， supporters say. Unlike traditional farming， vertical farming could be free of chemicals and diseases. Besides， crops would not suffer from problems like flooding. Finally， vertical farms would reduce the cost and negative effects of transporting food over long distances.

Some argue that although crops growing in a tall glass building would get natural sunlight during the day， it wouldnt be enough. For this reason， vertical farms would need additional light sources， such as artificial light.

Another way of growing fresh food is to build urban farms on rooftops. This more practical approach may be more achievable than the idea of farms in skyscrapers， researchers suggest. Experts agree that innovative （革新的） farming practices are needed to support the need for more food at affordable costs， both to the farmer and to the consumer， but the best ideas could be yet to come.

12. What primary problem could vertical farming settle？

A. Poor state of rural life. B. Shortage of food supply.

C. High cost for transporting crops. D. Environmental pollution by traditional farming.

13. What is the advantage of vertical farming？

A. It can produce organic food. B. It requires little care.

C. It can benefit transport industry. D. It needs very low cost.

14. What is a big challenge to make vertical farming a reality？

A. Lack of farmable land. B. Crop diseases.

C. Limited light sources. D. Climate conditions.

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

A. Future Food Needs B. Symbol of Urban Life

C. Farming on Rooftops D. Farms of the Future

第二節

The Art of Conversing

Arguments are sure to happen. 16 But arguments can often lead to positive change—if you argue correctly.

Argue well.

17 In a healthy argument， ones own goal should be to make the problems clear， to communicate the upset behind the problems， and to really move toward a solution. The minimum goal should be to preserve the relationship well enough to keep communication alive.

What not to do.

Nothing kills a healthy argument like a personal attack， and personal attacks are a big no-no if you want an argument to end positively. For example， while I was making a public speech， someone interrupted and then corrected me. 18 I completely lost my temper， attacking that person directly and personally. Clearly I shouldnt have done that.

Dont be afraid of the heat.

Its true that personal problems must be left at the door. 19 Conflict is acceptable in an argument as long as you stick to the subject. Attacking the other person is not useful. That kind of argument closes down the willingness on both sides to keep talking.

20

If you do find yourself in the thick of one， listening with an open mind can bring about a quick end to the argument and perhaps a positive solution.

A. I later ended up in an argument.

B. Many people see arguments as a bad part of life.

C. Learning how to voice a different opinion works.

D. Unpleasant arguments are just around the corner.

E. But that doesnt mean arguments wont get heated.

F. By actively listening， many arguments can be avoided.

G. There certainly is such a thing as a “healthy argument”.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（八）

第一節

A

Plan your vacation. The following four places are your fantastic destinations. You can enjoy a completely different experience.

Panama

Costa Rica and the Caribbean often enjoy much more popularity than Panama， but visitors should consider the center American country if they want a “less-crowded paradise”. The travel site states， “Here， horses are still the primary means of transportation and local fishermen serve fresh seafood and fruit from their home kitchens for roughly $6 a plate.”

Israel

If youre looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience， National Geographic Travel says visitors should head to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter with thousands of pilgrims. If the crowds get too huge， visitors are told to take a boat ride to King Herods 2，000-year-old Masada fortress （要塞） or set off on a peaceful morning boat ride across the sea of Galilee.

Svalbard

If youre a fan of winter activities， but are in need of some sun， then perhaps a trip to Svalbard is a good choice. National Geographic Travel notes， “The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is located about 620 miles south of the North Pole. In late spring， the sun never falls below the horizon—meaning you can take in all the Vitamin D you desire.” Popular activities in the area include hiking and wildlife spotting.

Namibia

During spring， Namibia is regarded as the perfect destination with reduced travel costs on cooler evenings. In late May， National Geographic Travel says that the watering holes start to dry up again， which attracts giraffes and black rhinos from their hiding spots. If youre fond of adventurous exploration， head to the Namibia Desert for a spot of sand boarding.

1. What can visitors do in Panama？

A. Hike in the mountains. B. Ride a boat across the sea.

C. Taste fresh seafood. D. Enjoy full-day sunshine.

2. What does Svalbard and Namibia have in common？

A. They allow visitors to play in the sand. B. They offer the chance to watch animals.

C. They help visitors to save more money. D. They mainly focus on adventurous travels.

3. Where will a history lover most probably go？

A. Panama. B. Israel. C. Svalbard. D. Namibia.

B

In our everyday lives we meet situations in which we take many things for granted. We only treasure things when they are gone. This is a sad truth of human nature. One day， I found myself as a witness to a similar situation.

One evening， I left work and boarded the train. After entering， I noticed something unusual. The center of the car had a few empty seats while both ends were crowded with people standing. I didnt pay much attention and sat down on one of the empty seats. I sensed a funny smell. It wasnt long before I noticed a homeless person sleeping on three seats in front of me. He was bleeding from his nose. Why wasnt anyone helping him？

His clothes were torn and he was giving off a strange smell. Along with the smell， his eyes were dull， watery， and red. Occasionally he scratched himself and people looked at him as if he had committed a crime. As the train stopped at stations and more people came in they covered their noses and faced away from him. All the seats around him were empty.

Suddenly， he began to swear at the people around him. A plain-clothes police officer who looked like a construction worker took out his certificate and showed it to the homeless man. The officer， not wanting to touch the homeless man， told him his rights and directed him to exit the train. As the officer walked the man out of the train， the homeless man turned around and said “MY HOME！” and started crying.

A man doesnt value things until they are gone. If he didnt have a home， at least he had freedom. Now he has neither. No one wants to help someone who wont help himself.

4. How did the author feel at first in the car？

A. Annoyed. B. Puzzled. C. Sad. D. Calm.

5. How did people react to the homeless man？

A. They caught him and called the police. B. They gave up their seats to him.

C. They disliked and avoided him. D. They stared at him curiously.

6. We can learn that the police officer ___ .

A. was very rude to the man B. went off the train with the man

C. forced the man to leave the city D. sent the man back to his home

7. What does the author think of the homeless man？

A. He is a loser of life. B. He is worth our respect.

C. He is very funny. D. He is a sad type.

C

Burning coal to provide energy adds planet-warming carbon dioxide， or CO2， to Earths atmosphere. As the planet heats up， experts warn that simply cutting greenhouse gas emissions （排放） will not be enough to avoid possibly disastrous levels of global warming. CO2 must also be obliterated from the atmosphere， they say.

Existing experimental machines that remove CO2 directly from the air are too costly to be widely used. But a new report from the US National Academy of Sciences， Engineering and Medicine says effective carbon-removal technology already exists. It is not costly， or even complex science. Its forests.

The report explains that planting trees and overseeing forests are cost-effective ways to clean the air. They also work well across large areas. Forests used to cover much of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. In the state of West Virginia， a kind of mining known as strip mining （露天開采） left the land there bare， without trees. Now experts are working to bring back the forests that once covered much of the state.

West Virginias Monongahela National Forest is home to a rare group of trees. They are called virgin （原始的） woods; they have never been touched by humans. Shane Jones， a biologist with the US Forest Service， says the trees there were missed by mistake when the surrounding forest was cut down for wood many years ago. That mistake turned out to be a good thing; red spruce （云杉） forests such as those in the Monongahela are extremely effective at taking CO2 out of the atmosphere and locking it into the soil.

Experts say， nature offers powerful tools to fight climate change.

8. What does the underlined word “obliterated” mean in Paragraph 1？

A. Prevented. B. Cleared. C. Preserved. D. Stored.

9. What is the advantage of forests compared with the existing experimental machines？

A. They release more oxygen. B. They store more CO2.

C. They save more money. D. They absorb CO2 faster.

10. Why does the author mention West Virginia in Paragraph 3？

A. To stress planting trees is practical for clean air.

B. To prove the area is unsuitable for human survival.

C. To indicate trees are difficult to live on such poor soil.

D. To show people in the state are now living a hard life.

11. What can we learn about the red spruce trees？

A. They can only be found in Monongahela National Forest.

B. They were given the name virgin woods for beauty.

C. They were cut down for wood by farmers.

D. They could store carbon dioxide in the soil.

D

Quilting is the process of sewing together fabric （布料） to make one large piece of fabric. In my family， quilting and sewing is a tradition that has been passed down through the generations. My mother says her great-grandmother would occasionally travel around New York State to sew clothing for other families.

In the United States， quilting was a craft （手藝） that started as a necessity and eventually became much more. In 1862， the US government offered millions of acres of land to Americans who wanted to move west. This allowed families to settle on land that they could eventually own. They often built their own homes and lived off the vegetables in their gardens and the livestock they had. Sewing was very important for women because they were responsible for clothing their families and keeping them warm.

Quilting also became a chance for women to socialize with each other. They would gather for so-called “quilting bees”， where they would meet up and work on one quilting project together. This provided a much-needed relief from the lonely life of living on a large piece of land.

Throughout history， the different patterns on American quilts have conveyed all kinds of information. From then， we can tell where a person lived， what region of the world they originated from， or sometimes a story is told in pictures on a quilt.

Even today， women still gather to quilt together in a show of friendship and a love for the craft， just like the old days. My sister has tried quilting a few times， and hopefully， her two daughters may one day continue this family tradition.

12. What do we know about quilting？

A. It is a lost traditional craft. B. It is a major means of making a living in the US.

C. It is a craft that has become a cultural symbol. D. It is a way to carry on the American history.

13. What is the main purpose of Paragraph 2？

A. To introduce a new topic for discussion. B. To summarize the previous paragraph.

C. To add some background information. D. To praise the US governments policy.

14. What does the underlined word “This” in Paragraph 3 refer to？

A. Working on the land. B. Participating in “quilting bees”.

C. Designing a quilting project. D. Clothing the family.

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

A. To instruct how to sew together fabric. B. To show the skills of quilting in old days.

C. To tell about the struggle of women. D. To appeal for the preservation of quilting.

第二節

The sea has always interested man. From it he can get food， minerals， and treasure.        16        But he could not go far beneath its surface.

17        However， he is not a fish. He must breathe air， so he cant stay under the water for a long time. To explore deep water， man faces even more dangers and problems.

A diver who wants to stay under water for more than a few minutes must breathe air or a special mixture of gases.      18

He can carry a tank of air on his back and breathe through a nose and a mouthpiece. Water weighs 800 times as much as air. Tons of water pushes against a diver deep in the sea.        19

When a diver is under great pressure， his blood takes in some of the gases he breathes. As he rises to surface， the water pressure becomes less. If the diver rises too quickly， the gases in his blood form bubbles （气泡）. The diver is then suffering from the bends （减压病）. The bends can cause a diver to double up in pain.        20

A. They can even kill him.

B. His body is under great pressure.

C. Man wants to explore deep into the sea.

D. For thousands of years， he could sail on it.

E. Scientists are trying to find more about the sea.

F. The water pressure can cause a diver to breathe with difficulty.

G. He can wear a diving suit and have air pumped to him from above.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（九）

第一節

A

To get from New York City （NYC） to Chicago， there are several transportation options. Consider the pros and cons of each option to chose the best one for you.

Time Cost Best for

Train 20 hours from $70 seeing scenery

Flight 3 hours from $48， but varies widely getting there quickly

Bus 19 hours from $38 travelers on a budget

Car 12 hours from $60 stopping for attractions

By train

Traveling by train from NYC to Chicago is a relatively long journey. Trains go from Penn Station in Manhattan to Union Station. The route is serviced by Amtrak， via the Lake Shore Limited or Cardinal to Chicago or by changing trains either in Washington DC or Pittsburgh. You can purchase tickets in advance by Amtrak or in person at Penn Station.

By plane

Flying to Chicago is the fastest and most convenient way to travel there from NYC. The major carriers include JetBlue， Delta， United， and American Airlines， as well as budget carriers including Southwest and Spirit Airlines.

By bus

Bus service from NYC to Chicago is a long journey， too. Greyhound is the only company that services this route and buses depart from Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan and arrive at Union Station. These buses offer Wi-Fi service.

By car

Youll drive through New Jersey， Pennsylvania， and Ohio， and then along the Michigan and Indiana border until you go around the southern tip of Lake Michigan and back up into Chicago. While this trip is long， the most significant advantage of traveling by car is that there are a few interesting places to stop along the way.

1. How should you go to Chicago from NYC if you want to save money？

A. By train. B. By plane. C. By bus. D. By car.

2. Where can you buy train tickets to Chicago？

A. Union Station. B. Penn Station. C. Delta. D. Greyhound.

3. What is the advantage of driving to Chicago from NYC？

A. Saving more money. B. Spending less time.

C. Enjoying scenery. D. Staying in NYC for a long time.

B

The summer I was ten， my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was not that we could take drawing classes or painting classes but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum， she made us read about artists and painting styles. It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool？

First we had to read about ancient Egyptians and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny， but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldnt see what was so great about art.

On our last visit to the museum， something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it， a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle， and you could tell by the mothers expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldnt stop looking at this painting！ I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made！ It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.

4. What is the aim of the mothers plan for the kids？

A. To ask them to read about artists. B. To take them to visit the museum.

C. To introduce them to the world of art. D. To show them different painting styles.

5. What was the authors experience in the museum before the last visit？

A. She liked many paintings. B. She hardly enjoyed herself.

C. She came to feel her mothers love. D. She got to know the pictures of fat babies.

6. What made the author go through a change that summer？

A. One of Marys paintings. B. Her mothers instruction.

C. Paintings by artists in the Middle Ages. D. A strange way of painting.

7. What is the text mainly about？

A. The value of learning. B. The effect of art.

C. The importance of curiosity. D. The power of family education.

C

Clenching （緊握） your fist could be enough to help you get a grip on your memory.

Research suggests that balling up the right hand and squeezing it tightly actually makes it easier to memorize lists.

Later， when it is time to get back the information， it is the left hand that should be clenched. It is thought the movements activate brain regions key to the storing and recall （回忆） of memories.

The American researchers suggest those who are short of a pen and paper should try the trick when attempting to remember a shopping list or phone number.

In the study， volunteers were given a rubber ball and asked to squeeze it as hard as possible before trying to memorize a list of 72 words.

They squeezed the ball again a couple of minutes later， ahead of recollecting as many of the words as possible.

The first group of the volunteers used their right hand on both occasions， and the second group their left. The third group clenched their right fist ahead of memorizing and their left ahead of recall and the fourth did the opposite. The fifth group held the ball but did not squeeze it.

Those who squeezed with their right hand， followed by their left， remembered the most words.

The next best were the volunteers who made a fist with their right hand both times， while those who didnt squeeze at all did better than those who led with their left.

It is thought that the movement of clenching the right fist activates a brain region that is involved in storing memories， while squeezing the left hand awakens an area that is key to getting back information.

Lead researcher Dr Ruth Propper said， “The findings suggest that simple body movements—by temporarily changing the way the brain functions—can improve memory.”

8. According to the research， if you want to recall something in your memory， it can help to clench ___ .

A. your right hand B. your left hand

C. both of your hands at the same time D. your left hand first， and then right

9. What does the underlined word “trick” in Paragraph 4 probably mean？

A. Experiment. B. Game. C. Cheat. D. Method.

10. Which group in the experiment remembered the fewest words？

A. The first group. B. The second group.

C. The fourth group. D. The fifth group.

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

A. To make known the result of the experiment.

B. To state that good memory benefits from labor.

C. To show the function of body movements in memory.

D. To tell that memory depends mostly on the right hands.

D

For all the technological wonders of modern medicine， health care—with its fax machines and clipboards—is out of date. This outdated era is slowly drawing to a close as the industry catches up with the artificial-intelligence （AI） revolution.

Eric Topol， an expert in heart disease， thinks AI will be particularly useful for such tasks as examining images， observing heart traces for abnormalities or turning doctors words into patient records. It will be able to use masses of data to work out the best treatments， and improve workflows in hospitals. In short， AI is set to save time， lives and money.

The fear some people have is that AI will be used to deepen the assembly-line culture of modern medicine. If it gives a “gift of time” to doctors， they argue that this bonus should be used to extend consultations， rather than simply speeding through them more efficiently.

That is a fine idea， but as health swallows an ever-bigger share of national wealth， greater efficiency is exactly what is needed， at least so far as governments and insurers are concerned. Otherwise， rich societies may fail to cope with the needs of ageing and growing populations. An extra five minutes spent chatting with a patient is costly as well as valuable. The AI revolution will also enable managerial accountants to adjust and evaluate every aspect of treatment. The autonomy （自主权） of the doctor will surely be weakened， especially， perhaps， in public-health systems which are duty-bound to cut unnecessary costs.

The Hippocratic Oath holds that there is an art to medicine as well as a science， and that “warmth， sympathy and understanding may outweigh the surgeons knife or the chemists drug”. Theres lots of sense in it： the patients of sympathetic physicians have been shown to recover better. Yet as the supply of human carers fails to satisfy the demand for health care， the future may involve consultations on smartphones and measurements monitored by chatbots. The considerately warmed stethoscope （聽诊器）， placed gently on a patients back， may become a relic of the past.

12. What is Dr Topols attitude toward AIs coming into medicine？

A. Concerned. B. Doubtful. C. Optimistic. D. Cautious.

13. What does the author attach more importance to？

A. Medical costs. B. National wealth. C. Longer consultation. D. Greater efficiency.

14. Why does the author mention the Hippocratic Oath？

A. To prove the bright future of AI. B. To tell the benefit of AI.

C. To show the advantage of a human doctor. D. To stress the importance of medical equipment.

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

A. Health Care and AI B. AI and Its Applications

C. Doctors and Patients D. Dr Topol and Digital Medicine

第二节

There are lots of things to pay attention to when the new school year starts. Although it is exciting for students， this yearly transition can also be a big source of stress. 16 Here are some ways to make your back to school experience as smooth as possible.

Get organized. 17 You can set up a system that you can use right from the beginning of the term. Some students find that a colorful binder （活页夹） helps them keep all their assignments in order. Others might benefit from keeping a weekly plan in a notebook.

Make a schedule. Outline a daily plan for school projects， social events and activities. Make sure you record your assignments in the same place every week. Next， we suggest separating assignments into smaller， manageable steps， and then ordering those steps according to the project due date. 18 Finally， these steps will help you learn the time management skills.

19 One of the most important things you can do to ensure a great school year is to understand how you learn best. Some children absorb information by listening; other students do best when information is conveyed visually， through charts or illustrations.

Remember to take breaks. 20 As time goes by， they also seem to get fuller. Dont forget to build breaks into your routine. Even a two-minute walk around the house or quick snack can work wonders for a busy brain. We all need to take moments to reset our minds.

A. Identify your learning style.

B. Focus on the most effective time.

C. You can join a famous organization.

D. Make sure your study is free of the mess.

E. The beginning of the year can feel good for everyone.

F. Luckily， you can deal with it well through some efforts.

G. You can use the plan to manage daily homework and study time.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（十）

第一節

A

Smart Kids Festival Events

Smart Kids is a collection of one hundred events scheduled in October. This year， it is experimenting with Pay What You Decide （PWYD）. That is， you can decide to pay what you want to or can afford， after you have attended an event. You can pre-book events without paying for a ticket in advance. Here are some of the directors picks.

◆Walk on the Wild Side

Not ticketed， Free

Join storyteller Sarah Law to hear science stories about animals. Along the way youll meet all sorts of beautiful creatures and discover life cycles and food chains. Best suited to children aged 5—9. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

◆Introduction to Waves

Pre-book， PWYD

Subjects range from sound waves to gravity waves， and from waves of light to crashing waves on the ocean. Mike Goldsmith explores the fundamental features shared by all waves in the natural world.

◆Science in the Field

Not ticketed， Free

This storytelling night features a scientist sharing his favorite memories of gathering first-hand data on various field trips. Come along for inspiring and informative stories straight from the scientists mouth. Join Mark Samuels to find out more in this fun-filled workshop.

◆Festival Dinner

Pre-book， ￡25 per person

Whether you want to explore more about food， or just fancy a talk over a meal， join us to mark the first science festival in London. Which foods should you eat to trick your brain into thinking that you are full？ Find out more from Tom Crawford.

1. What event belongs to PWYD？

A. Walk on the Wild Side. B. Introduction to Waves.

C. Science in the Field. D. Festival Dinner.

2. Who will talk about experiences of collecting direct data？

A. Sarah Law. B. Mike Goldsmith.

C. Mark Samuels. D. Tom Crawford.

3. What do the four events have in common？

A. Family-based. B. Science-themed.

C. Picked by children. D. Filled with adventures.

B

The other day a big， ugly， black bat found its way to the bathroom of my house and hung， upside down， over the toilet bowl. As “the man of the house”， I was asked to rid the house of the awful creature. Then that old feeling started to come over me. It was the same feeling I experienced when I was sent down the stairs in the middle of the night to see what made a noise. The feeling can be summed up in one word—trapped.

All men， I think， sometimes have had that feeling of being trapped in some male role. It may be something as simple as having to carve the chicken before it is served， or having to pretend that you know something about car engines when the car wont start. However， women nowadays seem to have the freedom to be themselves. They can repair cars or be fire fighters. Yet men appear to be more afraid to do something different. Its as if being a man is not what you are， but what you do and the way you do it.

As I came towards the fierce and frightening bat， I wondered what would happen if I had simply told my wife that I wont do it—that she could get it out， or else call someone in the morning. But I couldnt do that！ I am the man！ I slowly opened the window and closed the toilet bowl cover. I then， carefully， lifted the broom over my head and swept the bat out the window. Just like that， it was gone.

My wife was so pleased and in the morning， my son thought I was a hero. They asked me how I had got rid of the bat. I started to tell them—but then stopped. A man doesnt talk of such things.

4. Why does the author mention the old feeling in Paragraph 1？

A. To recall the old days. B. To show his fear of darkness.

C. To predict his fight with the bat. D. To highlight the situation of being trapped.

5. What does the author mean by mentioning womens freedom in Paragraph 2？

A. Men are forced to bear household burdens. B. Men have to live up to social expectations.

C. Women are free to choose their jobs. D. Women are equal to men in workplaces.

6. The last sentence of the text implies that the author ___ .

A. believes silence is gold B. feels proud of himself

C. will do what he has to do D. will be what he wants to be

7. How does the author sound in the text？

A. Angry. B. Humorous. C. Desperate. D. Serious.

C

Cars could soon be communicating with each other using 5G to make drivers aware of upcoming dangers， scientists claim. The ultra-fast mobile Internet would allow for rapid information transmission and could make divers aware of black ice pot holes or other dangers up ahead.

Several car manufacturers are already integrating 5G into their vehicles， including as a tool to welcome the coming of self-driving vehicles. Experts believe the high-speed connection will also improve the reliability and capability of automated vehicles to the point where they will be safer than the manual cars being driven today. They predict the number of road traffic accidents—which according to the World Health Organization （WHO） account for more than 1.3 million deaths and up to 50 million people injured worldwide every year—will drop thoroughly as a result.

Dr Dimitrios Liarokapis， a member of the research group， said： “With the help of 5G， an early warning system that alerts （給……报警） drivers is possible within the next few years. Cars that are close enough to the danger area will send warning messages to other cars around them using short-range communication technologies， but also to cars further away using 5G， fast and reliably. Then those cars will transmit the same information to cars near them and so on， forming a joined-up， multi-vehicle communication chain that stretches far and wide.”

Automotive giant Ford is already working on connected cars. Earlier this year it revealed its intention to fit 80 percent of its vehicles with technology that warns drivers about upcoming road accidents， bad weather and traffic jams. The system pools data from other connected road users， emergency services and the authorities and sends it from the cloud directly to the car. Alerts are shown on the cars dashboard display warning the driver about what lies around the corner.

8. How can 5G help reduce road accidents？

A. By offering the fast mobile Internet. B. By helping drivers overcome dangers.

C. By offering practical safety programs. D. By helping WHO calculate traffic accidents.

9. What is the function of the communication chain？

A. To track other vehicles. B. To send warning messages to drivers.

C. To collect drivers information. D. To send the traffic situation to emergency services.

10. What can we expect of the cars in the future？

A. They will be safer. B. They may be easier to drive.

C. They may replace manual cars. D. They will be more personalized.

11. What can we infer from the last paragraph？

A. Cars of Ford are the most intelligent. B. Warning messages are shown on phones.

C. Ford is the first producer to use 5G. D. Connected cars are equipped with 5G.

D

Nuclear powers danger to health， safety， and even life itself can be summed up in one word： radiation.

Nuclear radiation has a certain mystery about it， partly because it cannot be detected by human senses. It cant be seen or heard， or touched or tasted， even though it may be all around us. There are other things like that. For example， radio waves are all around us but we cant detect them or sense them without a radio receiver. Similarly， we cant sense radioactivity without a radiation detector. But unlike common radio waves， nuclear radiation is not harmless to human beings and other living things.

At very high levels， radiation can kill an animal or human being totally by killing masses of cells in vital organs. Even the lowest level of radiation can do serious damage. There is no level of radiation that is completely safe. If the radiation does not hit anything important， the damage may not be significant. This is the case when only a few cells are hit， and if they are killed completely， your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones. But if the few cells are only damaged， and if they reproduce themselves， you may be in trouble. They reproduce themselves in a deformed way. They can grow into cancer. Sometimes this does not show up for many years.

This is another reason for some of the mystery about nuclear radiation. Serious damage can be done without the victim being aware at the time that damage has occurred. A person can be irradiated （輻射） and feel fine， then die of cancer five， ten， or twenty years later as a result. Or a child can be born weak or liable （有……倾向的） to serious illness as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents.

Radiation can hurt us. We must know the truth.

12. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about nuclear radiation？

A. Its powerful. B. Its insensible. C. Its harmful. D. Its undetectable.

13. What does the underlined word “deformed” in Paragraph 3 mean？

A. Unnatural. B. Normal. C. Usual. D. Improper.

14. What can we infer about radiation from the text？

A. Its damage can be spread among relatives. B. Its lowest level can lead to cancer.

C. It has nothing in common with radio waves. D. It can kill living creature by killing a few cells.

15. What is the authors main purpose in writing the text？

A. To discuss the cause of cancer.

B. To introduce the nuclear power.

C. To uncover the mystery about radiation.

D. To tell the importance of protection against radiation.

第二節

Since the 1980s eco-tourism has grown and grown. It is the fastest growing type of tourism.

If done well， eco-tourism has several advantages. It is kinder to the environment.  This means that more natural habitat is protected and that the resources for building come from sustainable （可持续的） sources. Another advantage is that people in the developed world through eco-tourism get to experience places of great natural importance as well as communicating with the local people.

However， there are some disadvantages of eco-tourism. It is felt by some environmentalists that any human activity will cause disorder in the routine of animals.

Another problem for local people is that they are expected to pose for cameras and dance etc. for money.  The tourists are destroying the culture that they are paying to protect.

Eco-tourism tries to go to the places far away from other communities. These places are often not well policed. There is nothing stopping people taking money from tourists as well as doing environmentally unfriendly activities.

It might be better to take pictures of animals rather than kill animals， but given the choice the animals would sooner not have people around. It seems whether eco-tourism should be allowed should be judged case-by-case， and that the local people must be considered.

A. It ends people to touched parts of the world.

B. And these activities will also damage the eco-system.

C. People walking through the forest may do much harm.

D. And it encourages developers to consider the natural environment more.

E. This is good for both parties： they both can better understand each other.

F. It discourages the local people from practicing their traditional lifestyles.

G. It seems that the disadvantages often outweigh the advantages of eco-tourism.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（十一）

第一節

A

Welcome to Windsor Castle， the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Windsor is one of the official residences （住所） of the Queen， who sometimes stays here.

Audio tours

Free audio tours are available on leaving the Admission Centre at the start of your visit. There is a descriptive audio tour for blind and poor-sighted visitors.

Guided tours

Visitors can explore the history of the Castle through a tour of the precincts （管辖区） with an expert guide. Tours depart at regular intervals throughout the day from the Courtyard and finish at the entrance to the State Apartments.

Visitors with children

For those visiting with children， a special family tour and various activities are offered during school holidays and at weekends. Please note permission in the State Apartments. However， baby carriers are available to borrow.

St Georges Chapel

Visitors arriving at the Castle after 15：00 from March to October are advised to visit St Georges Chapel first before it closes.

Refreshments

Bottled water can be purchased from the Courtyard and Middle Ward shops. From April to September ice cream is also available. Visitors wishing to leave the Castle for refreshments in the town may obtain re-entry permits from the castle shops. Eating and drinking are not permitted in the State Apartments or St Georges Chapel.

Photography and mobile phones

Non-commercial photography and filming are welcomed in the Castle. Photography， video recording and filming are not permitted inside the State Apartments or St Georges Chapel. Mobile phone must be switched off inside the State Apartments and St Georges Chapel in consideration of other visitors.

Security

As Windsor Castle is a working royal palace， visitors and their belongings should get through airport style security checks. For safety and security reasons a one-way system operates along the visitor route.

1. Where can a visitor apply for a free audio tour？

A. In the Courtyard. B. In the State Apartments.

C. At the Admission Centre. D. At St Georges Chapel.

2. What is specially offered to visitors with kids？

A. A free toy. B. A pushchair.

C. A security guard. D. A baby carrier.

3. Who can get re-entry permits？

A. Visitors eating outside St Georges Chapel. B. Visitors buying water from the Courtyard.

C. Visitors wishing to eat outside the Castle. D. Visitors buying gifts in the castle shops.

B

Nine years ago， a few days before Christmas， I was a director at a company in San Francisco， and I was called into a meeting that was already in progress. That meeting turned out to be my exit interview. I was 64 years old at the time. It wasnt completely unexpected. I signed a pile of papers and left the company.

So， 40 plus years of employment was over. I had a good reputation and background. Retirement was not a choice for me. I wanted to do something. And then an idea came into my mind， born from my concern for our environment. I wanted to build my own business， designing and producing biodegradable （可生物降解的） packaging from waste. This is called clean technology， and it was really meaningful to me. It could help reduce billions of pounds of single-use plastic packaging wasted each year.

Five years later， Im delighted and proud to share with you that our income has doubled every year and we have no debt. Meanwhile， I have a wonderful partner， and weve won more than 20 awards for the work that weve done.

And I am doing the most rewarding and meaningful work of my life right now. But what I really long for is to find other first-time entrepreneurs （企業家） who are my age. I want to connect with them.

So I want to do something about that in a few years. I want us to start talking more about people who dont become entrepreneurs until they are seniors. And then connecting all of them across industries， regions and countries—building a community.

4. What happened to the author nine years ago？

A. He retired from his former company. B. He failed an interview.

C. He lost his job as a director. D. He changed his job to a better one.

5. Why was the new business meaningful to the author？

A. It was beneficial to the environment. B. It developed a clean technology.

C. It provided jobs for lots of people. D. It brought in quite a lot of money.

6. What is the authors attitude to the development of his own company？

A. Cautious. B. Doubtful. C. Ambiguous. D. Positive.

7. What does the author plan to do in the future？

A. Do something else about environment. B. Help people who want to become successful.

C. Meet more people from different backgrounds. D. Build a community for senior entrepreneurs.

C

Every day around the world， thousands of people with little or no scholarly training in art history walk into museums. They may or may not read notice boards that share relevant information of the artworks or artists. Imagine， before being permitted to direct their eyeballs to the art on the walls， museum visitors were required to read a 15- or 20-page introduction to each piece or each artist. How many people would go to museums if that were the case？

Yet this seems to be the expectation when it comes to reading classic literature. Classic novels typically come with 15- or 20-page introductions， which often include spoilers， assuming that readers do not come to classic books to discover， be absorbed in， and be surprised by the story world. Also， apparently， we mustnt read classics alone， without experts guiding our experiences.

However， classic literature is in a unique position to show us that were not alone in our pains and joys. By taking us out of our time， classic books free us to see beyond the set of beliefs we stick to and to connect human experiences that remain alive across time and place. What could be more grounding， more comforting， than seeing ourselves in the battles， longings， and pleasures that have played out across hundreds， thousands of years of human history？ Our personal engagement is the first step of a longer journey of discovery that deepens our knowledge and understanding of ourselves and our world. We may， for example， feel for Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter though we despair of the world she lived in.

While were letting go of things， lets stop worrying about understanding everything. We cant. It will be fun if we embrace curiosity， the pleasure of working out a mystery， and our common relationships as humans. We can feel， for example， the power of self-sacrifice in Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities even when we lack full understanding of the cultural references and language.

8. According to Paragraph 1， most museum-goers .

A. enjoy reading notice boards B. understand the artworks well

C. lack professional art knowledge D. share common interest in artworks

9. What does the underlined word “spoilers” in Paragraph 2 probably mean？

A. Story writers. B. Readers expectations.

C. Guiding experts. D. Plots given away in advance.

10. What prevents readers enjoying reading classics according to the text？

A. Showing curiosity about the writers. B. Letting go of things.

C. Trying to understanding everything. D. Working out mysteries.

11. What does the text mainly tell us？

A. Readers can find more fun from classics. B. Reading classics is a personal exploration.

C. Experts need to give readers better guidance. D. Classic literature benefits readers a great deal.

D

Blind imitation is self-destruction. To those who do not recognize their unique worth， imitation appears attractive; to those who know their strength， imitation is unacceptable.

In the early stages of skill or character development， imitation is helpful. When I first learned to cook， I used recipes and turned out some tasty dishes. But soon I grew bored. Why follow someone elses way of cooking when I could create my own？ Imitating role models is like using training wheels on a childs bicycle; they help you get going， but once you find your own balance， you fly faster and farther without relying on them.

In daily life， imitation can hurt us if we subconsciously （下意識地） hold poor role models. If， as a child， you observed people whose lives were bad， you may have accepted their fear and pain as normal and gone on to follow what they did. If you do not make strong choices for yourself， you will get the results of the weak choices of others.

Blessed is the person willing to act on their sudden desire to create something unique. Think of the movies， books， teachers， and friends that have affected you most deeply. They touched you because their creations were motivated by inspiration， not desperation. Creative people have an endless resource of ideas. The problem a creator faces is not running out of material; it is what to do with the material knocking at the door of imagination.

Study your role models， accept the gifts they have given， and leave behind what does not serve you. Then you can say， “I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors tragedies and story， and know that they are cheering on.”

12. Imitation proves useful when you ___ .

A. know you are unique B. lose the balance of life

C. begin to learn something new D. get tired of routine practice

13. What should we do to avoid the bad result of imitation？

A. Forget daily fear and pain. B. Choose the right example.

C. Ask others for decisions. D. Stay away from stars.

14. What is the trouble a creator faces？

A. The lack of strong motivation. B. The absence of practical ideas.

C. Not knowing how to search for more materials. D. Not knowing how to use imagination creatively.

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

A. To highlight the importance of creativity. B. To criticize the characters of role models.

C. To compare imitation with creation. D. To explain the meaning of success.

第二節

We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life， but most of us dont do a very good job.        16

So， you have to give a speech and you are terrified. You get nervous， you forget what you want to say， you talk too long， and you bore your audience. Later you think， “Thank Goodness， its over. Im just not good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again.”

Cheer up！ It doesnt to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion？ Why are you speaking？        17        Spend plenty of your time doing your research. Then spend plenty of your time organizing your material. Use as many examples as possible， and use pictures， charts， and graphs if they help you make your points more clearly.        18        Dont talk over their heads， and dont talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Just remember： Be prepared. Know your subject， your audience， and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop.        19        Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.

If you follow these simple steps， you will see that you dont have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact， you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches！ Youre not convinced yet？        20

A. And be yourself.

B. Never forget your audience.

C. Give it a try and see what happens.

D. Take several deep breaths before your speech.

E. Dont talk about what you arent familiar with.

F. Then， gather as many facts as you can on your subject.

G. This article gives some advice on how to give a good speech.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（十二）

第一節

A

The London Exhibitions You Cant Miss

Mary Quant

The fashion exhibition at the V&A this summer moves to street-smart designer Mary Quant， whos considered highly influential in the trends of the 1960s， playing a big part in the popularity of the mini-skirts and hot pants. In this exhibition， see more than 200 clothing pieces as well as photographs and designs that will transport you back to the decade.

Tickets： ￡12

Dates： Sunday， 16 February—Sunday， 6 April

Van Gogh and Britain

The exhibition at the Tate Britain brings together 50 pieces Van Goghs classic works. His relationship with Britain is an early focus： he spoke and read English well and was devoted to British literature. See Van Goghs collection of British books before arriving at his paintings.

Tickets： ￡22

Dates： Wednesday， 27 March—Sunday， 11 August

Diane Arbus： In the Beginning

This display of Diane Arbus works has been put on by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It covers the first half of her career， featuring more than 100 photographs taken across New York landmarks such as Times Square and Coney Island， more than two-thirds of which havent been seen in the UK before.

Tickets： ￡14

Dates： Until Thursday， 6 May

Don Mccullin

More than 250 photos taken by British photojournalist Don McCullin over the past six decades are on display at the Tate Britain. See shots from one of the UKs most famous war photographers reporting in Vietnam， Northern Ireland and Syria， as well as photos taken of working-class life in Londons East End. The pictures offer a fascinating insight into more than 60 years of conflict and poverty around the world.

Tickets： ￡18

Dates： Tuesday， 5 February—Monday， 6 May

1. Which exhibition brings you back to the sixties？

A. Mary Quant. B. Don Mccullin.

C. Diane Arbus： In the Beginning. D. Van Gogh and Britain.

2. How much should you pay to enjoy paintings？

A. ￡12. B. ￡14. C. ￡18. D. ￡22.

3. What can you see at the exhibition of Diane Arbus？

A. Designs and photos of clothing. B. Van Goghs collection of British books.

C. Shots of famous New York sights. D. Photos reflecting poverty around the world.

B

“I have cancer，” Mom said and held me in a tight hug. I could feel her chest shaking as she tried not to cry but failed.

For all of my twenty-four years， my mom had been supportive. Strength and protection had always flowed from her to me. Now I knew it would have to flow the other way.

Mom didnt stay down for long. After the shock of breast-cancer， she armed herself with a notebook and a pen and a thousand questions for the doctors. She took notes on white blood cell counts and medications （藥物） with long names as though she were studying for entrance exams into medical school. “The not-knowing is the worst，” she said.

The operation was successful. The chemo （化疗） was the harder part. I went with Mom to every chemo treatment. She rarely complained， though her hair was gone and her toenails and fingernails fell out one by one. She joked that she could save money on nail polish and put it toward the doctor bills， even though she never wore nail polish. “Cancer can take my hair， my nails， my health， my very life. But it cant take my smile，” Mom said.

Mom learned to share her fears with me， and it formed an even deeper bond between us. Yet I am certain there were fears she didnt share because she was still protecting me—worries she only shared with Dad. Even in the darkest hours， she would just joke about the cancer. Mom always said， “When you look your greatest fear in the eye and laugh at it， you take away some of its power.”

Mom was one of the lucky ones. She did beat her cancer， though not without scars. From her， Ive learned I may not get to choose what I face， but I do get to choose how I face it.

4. What does the last sentence in Paragraph 2 mean？

A. There were other ways to treat cancer. B. Knowledge of cancer would be helpful.

C. Mom had to stay stronger to beat cancer. D. I should be the one being there for Mom.

5. Which of the following words can best describe Mom？

A. Humorous and generous. B. Considerate and ambitious.

C. Optimistic and determined. D. Caring and knowledgeable.

6. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about？

A. The fear Mom shared with me. B. The ways Mom faced fear.

C. The jokes Mom told me. D. The bond Mom and I formed.

7. What lesson did the author learn from Mom？

A. Luck counts in beating diseases. B. Complaint does no good to ones health.

C. Positive attitudes get one through hardships. D. Sharing feelings helps reduce sufferings a lot.

C

There is a problem each of us faces in following advice on emotional healing： apologizing is difficult. We are trapped in what we think of ourselves by holding onto our pride. We can be selfish and not willing to admit our most obvious mistakes. Pride eats away at us as we argue or ignore the mistake.

It happened to me. I have had too much pride and selfishness to apologize to a loved one I hurt. When I did want to apologize， I couldnt bring myself to face the other person. This is the pride Im talking about. Maybe apologies come difficult for men because theyre expected to be dominant （占優势的）. Its like the joke that a man never asks for directions when lost. Ladies are more emotionally open than guys and are willing to express it. Still， both genders wonder how to correctly apologize.

In shifting the focus on apologizing away from you， what does not apologizing do to other people？ They feel hurt that you are not willing to communicate your mistake. They lose trust in you as you hide behind your mistake avoiding reality. They become angry with you， wondering why you do not tell them the truth. They may begin to counter your lack of apologies by not apologizing themselves and from this the relationship goes downhill as the two of you get caught in a power struggle.

You need to communicate your mistakes. A mistake you made is like a scratch and by not apologizing you are making the scratch a deeper wound and rubbing salt into it. You need to stop hurting the other person and yourself by learning to apologize. There is real power in apologizing and emotional healing.

8. People find it hard to apologize for their mistakes because of their ___ .

A. emotional feeling    B. being trapped in lies

C. ignorance to mistakes D. sticking to their pride

9. Why are men more unwilling to make apologies？

A. They arent willing to tell the truth. B. They dont intend to hurt other people.

C. They dont want to be considered weak. D. They arent good at expressing themselves.

10. What will be the bad effect if you refuse to apologize for your mistakes？

A. You will be mad at yourself. B. You will lose confidence in yourself.

C. Other people wont pay attention to you. D. The relationship will get hurt and go worse.

11. What can we infer from the last paragraph？

A. Mistakes would turn into deeper scratches. B. Communication can stop you making mistakes.

C. Apologizing is good for you and other people. D. Emotional healing relies on the power of apologizing.

D

The media has negative effects on the physical and psychological well-?being of society. People spending hours in front of a television or surfing the Internet experience eye problems. Lack of physical activity leads to obesity problems. The media influences public opinions and impacts the choices that people make. The media has led to a general opinion that thin is in and fat is out. This makes the overweight feel out of place. They are ready to starve themselves to lose weight， which has led to increasing cases of eating disorders.

The media has， in its own way， changed peoples outlook on life. It is the interface （界面） through which millions look at the world outside. The media claims to describe the “today”， but not all types of media show the truth. With the intention of stressing their point or grabbing greater attention from the masses， the media exaggerates things to a certain degree. Not everyone is able to filter out that element. Most believe everything to be real， especially kids and teenagers.

Media sources are so many in number and all of them so convincingly make their point that it is hard to distinguish between right and wrong. Thus while a certain amount of exposure to the media is essential for introducing ourselves to the world outside， excessive exposure， uncontrolled access and belief without thought wont lead us anywhere. They will only make the negative effect of the media more obvious.

Media descriptions give rise to stereotypes， affecting your mindset. Advertisements carry subliminal （潛意识的） messages influencing buyers psychology， or carry direct messages that bear a negative influence. Its not possible to protect yourself completely from the effects of the media， even if you limit the exposure. And there are so many things you see around you， without choosing to watch them. The only way to protect yourself from them is to not allow them to influence you. Dont take media descriptions at their word. Dont believe in them without thinking. Think twice before following or falling for anything.

12. How does the media affect people？

A. It misshapes peoples concept of beauty. B. It disturbs peoples sleeping routines.

C. It helps people eat right. D. It raises peoples awareness of exercise.

13. What does the underlined phrase “filter out” in Paragraph 2 mean？

A. Accept. B. Convey. C. Remove. D. Interpret.

14. What message does the author convey in Paragraph 3？

A. Better late than never. B. Every coin has two sides.

C. A watched pot never boils. D. Learn to walk before you run.

15. What does the author advise us to do in the last paragraph？

A. Dont expose ourselves to the media.

B. Dont be too curious about things around.

C. Develop our self-?confidence and self?-control.

D. Use our head to judge properly in face of the media.

第二節

16        This date was the old mid-winter festival in pre-Christmas times， around the time of the longest night and the shortest day. Christmas in the 21st century has many traditions： Christmas trees， cards and presents. Shops can make about 60 percent of their years income in the three months before Christmas， so most shops get ready for it in October.        17        The first time this happened was in 1867 when Macys famous shop in New York， stayed open until midnight on Christmas eve.

18        This tradition was started by the Germans as early as 700 AD. In the northern countries， winter is cold and dark and most trees are decorated with lights and colored glass balls which give people hope that spring will come.

Father Christmas is known across the world with his white hair， red coat and big bag of toys. Young children are told that he lives in the north of Finland and makes toys for them.        19

On Christmas Day a traditional meal is eaten， usually a turkey and a rich， spicy cake. Some people hate Christmas.        20        They love seeing family and friends; they also love the traditions. Love it or hate it， Christmas is a time to look back over the old year and forward to the new one.

A. Christmas is around the corner.

B. It was really beautiful indeed.

C. Others feel it is a magical and exciting time.

D. Since about 400 AD， Christmas Day has been celebrated.

E. By mid-December， almost every shop and street has a Christmas tree.

F. The shopping centers are beautifully decorated and stay open late at night.

G. By tradition， he brings the toys to children at night， on the night before Christmas.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______

（十三）

第一節

A

Point Reyes

At Point Reyes you will find trails， historic buildings and visitor centers where visitors can enjoy all aspects of the unique area. Visitors can enjoy camping， hiking and biking. Point Reyes National Park also features the Point Reyes Lighthouse and visitor center， and at the visitor center you can learn all about the lighthouse and for the very adventurous tourists a trip down the 308 stairs to the lighthouse is a great option.

Big Sur

Big Sur is a region in California with many wonders to offer visitors. The Los Padres National Forest is an excellent destination for hiking. Throughout the forest there are many trails， including trails allowing visitors to walk along the coastline. In addition， Big Sur is also a fantastic destination for wildlife viewing. This region is one of the few places where the majestic bird can be seen.

Yosemite National Park

Located in central California， Yosemite National Park is an amazing destination for recreational enthusiasts， especially rock climbers. Climbers travel from around the world to take on the challenges presented at Yosemite. There are many other recreational activities to enjoy， including biking， hiking， backpacking and many more. Yosemite Valley has a wide range of attractive sights， and waterfalls.

Joshua Tree National Park

Located in southeastern California， Joshua Tree has some amazing sites to see. There are many nature trails， hiking trails， as well as options for mountain biking and rock climbing. Visitors to Joshua Tree can enjoy the beautiful desert ecosystem. At Joshua Tree you can look into the dense star clouds of the Milky Way， and see clearly. These star clouds are especially dense and bright to the south near the horizon.

1. How can visitors go to the Point Reyes Lighthouse？

A. By bike. B. On foot. C. By air. D. By boat.

2. What can visitors do in Big Sur？

A. Climb rocks. B. Hunt birds. C. See the sea. D. Enjoy historic buildings.

3. Where can you go if youd like to experience the desert ecosystem？

A. Point Reyes. B. Big Sur.

C. Yosemite National Park. D. Joshua Tree National Park.

B

One morning more than thirty years ago， I entered the Track Kitchen， a restaurant where everyone from the humblest to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly， unshaven man， who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.

We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide rang of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee， I asked， “May I get you something？”

“A coffee would be nice.”

Then I bought him a cup of coffee. We talked more， and he accepted another cup of coffee. Finally， I rose to leave， wished him well， and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked， “How did you get to know Mr Galbreath？”

“Who？”

“The man you were sitting with. He is the chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”

I could hardly believe it. I was buying， offering a free breakfast， and feeling pity for one of the worlds richest and most powerful men！

My few minutes with Mr Galbreath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with respect， no matter who I think they are， and to meet another human being with kindness and sincerity.

4. What does the underlined word “disheveled” in Paragraph 1 mean？

A. Unfriendly. B. Untidy. C. Gentle. D. Strange.

5. Why did the author buy coffee for the old man？

A. To show his concern. B. To start a conversation.

C. To show his politeness. D. To thank the old man.

6. How did the author probably feel after he talked with his friend？

A. Proud. B. Pitiful. C. Surprised. D. Regretful.

7. What can we learn from the story？

A. We should learn to be generous.

B. It is honorable to help those in need.

C. People in high positions are not like what we expect.

D. We should avoid judging people by their appearances.

C

Next time you toss rotten lettuce or moldy （發霉的） berries， think about this： globally， according to the Food and Agriculture Organization， we waste more than a third of the food we produce.

To fight that lad， a group of Swedish graduate students in the Food Innovation and Product Design program at Lund University have come up with a way to use produce that is about to go to waste—and to help people who have limited access to food.

Theyre calling it FoPo Food Powder， and its exactly what it sounds like： dried， powdered， shelf-stable fruits and vegetables， which can be dropped into relief efforts after natural disasters or distributed in low-resource areas where fresh food and refrigeration are both hard to come by.

Kent Ngo， the leader of the group， said growing up in the Philippines hed seen how typhoons and other natural disasters cut people off from their food supply， and how important it was to have food options that were easy to access in a relief situation.

“Today a relief bag for humanitarian disasters contains various foods such as strawberry jam， peanut butter and peas in tomato sauce. We think that an easily transported pack of cheap dried food powder with high nutritional value would fit in perfectly，” Ngo says.

The makers of FoPo are currently running a pilot program in Manila. For their first run， theyre drying calamansi， a kind of orange that Ngo says tastes like a mix of lime and tangerine （橘子）. There is a large quantity of it， its not available in other places， and it is easy for their Philippine manufacturing program to dry and powder. Also， to broaden their reach， theyre working with commercial distributors and producers that want to use FoPo in their food products， like cake mixes and ice cream. Consumers can also add it into food or drinks， or use it in baking.

“I was a bit surprised that the calamansi powder lasted so good，” Ngo says. “I cant wait for the mango and pineapple powder.”

8. Why did the students make the powder？

A. To earn money. B. To help the poor.

C. To reduce the waste. D. To do a graduate program.

9. What do we know about the FoPo Food Powder？

A. It is of little nutritional value. B. It can be kept for a long time.

C. It got the name after the inventor. D. It is specially for natural disasters.

10. What can we infer about the pilot program？

A. Its marketed three kinds of powder. B. Its won the approval of the consumers.

C. It started with the powder of a popular fruit. D. It got support to promote the products.

11. What does Ngo think of the powders？

A. Needing to be improved. B. Better than expected.

C. Environmentally friendly. D. Ready for mass production.

D

Many people have bought insurance， either life or property （財产）， commercial or compulsory. Yet some people know little about it and some even misunderstand its nature and function.

Insurance is the sharing of risks. Nearly everyone is exposed to a risk of some sort. The house owner， for example， knows that his property can be damaged by fire; the shipowner knows that his ships may be lost at sea; the breadwinner knows that he may die at an early age and leave his family poorer. On the other hand， not every house is damaged by fire nor every ship is lost at sea. If these persons each put a small amount of money into a pool， there will be enough to meet the needs of the few who do suffer losses. In other words， the losses of the few are met from the contributions of the many. This is the basis of insurance. Those who pay the contributions are known as the insured and those who manage the pool of contributions as insurers.

The legal basis of all insurance is the policy. This is a printed form of contract on a piece of paper in best quality. It states that every year the insured shall pay an amount of money， which is called the premium （保险费）; in return， the insurer will pay an amount of money or compensation for losses if the risk or event insured against actually happens.

The premium for insurance naturally depends upon how likely the risk is to happen， as suggested by past experience. If companies fix their premiums too high， there will be more competition in their area of insurance and they may lose business. On the other hand， if they make the premium too low， they will lose money and may even have to drop out of business. So the ordinary forces of supply and demand keep premiums at a level satisfactory to both the insurer and the insured.

12. What does the underlined phrase “the pool of contributions” in Paragraph 2 mean？

A. Money paid by the insurers. B. Each premium.

C. Money paid by all those insured. D. The cost of administering insurance.

13. Why can insurance business gain profit according to the text？

A. More and more people buy insurance. B. The firms have sound management.

C. The premium is increased year by year. D. Only a few of those insured suffer losses.

14. What if insurance premiums become too high？

A. Not many people insure themselves. B. Insurers will pay more for losses.

C. Insurers have to be more competitive. D. Insurance companies will not make money.

15. What is the purpose of the text？

A. To explain an insurance policy. B. To introduce insurance business.

C. To persuade people to be insured. D. To warn people of possible losses.

第二節

How to Feel Worthy

16        It might be when spending time around others or when youre by yourself but its often spurred on by feeling that others are more successful， privileged or more clever than you. The following tips may help you get out of the suffering situation.

17        Comparison weakens your self-reliance and causes you to feel less than， because instead of concentrating on what you have， you only see what you dont have. Think of a bloom （花）—it blooms amid many other blooms and does not compare itself to all those blooms; instead it does what it was made to do––bloom.

Learn how to appreciate other peoples achievements.        18        If you appreciate other peoples work， others will always appreciate you， which is a form of respect and satisfaction that adds to your sense of self-worth.

Make new friends. Surround yourself with like-minded people. In this way， you can create your own space， and you will feel worthy.

Stop criticizing yourself. Every person has certain limits––you are not a super human who can （or even should） do everything.        19

Involve yourself in community services， you will feel confident.        20        You will feel worthy， when you see the love for yourself reflected in other peoples eyes.

A. Avoid comparing yourself with others.

B. Try to ignore others who are surrounding you.

C. There are times in life when you may not feel worthy.

D. Instead， enjoy your own individual qualities and abilities.

E. Criticizing others does little to help build your self-worth.

F. Therefore， think of yourself before others can help you relax.

G. Often helping others further shapes and builds up your character.

16. _______  17. _______  18. _______  19. _______  20. _______