高中英语外刊--高一(下)阅读理解 50篇 (学生版)-尖子生必备

高一（下）阅读理解

50

篇

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Writing a book review is not like writing a fiction, where you have your freedom to express any

type of literary mood. Here, you are limited within the scope, which is related only to the book or

the literature and nothing else. To write a proper literary review, you should follow some important

dos and don’ts, which are discussed here.

Top 3 dos

Select a literature of your choice and read it thoroughly. If required, you should read it multiple

times, before you really frame up the literary review in your mind. While reading, try to assimilate

the thoughts and philosophy of the author behind the book and also to analyze all the characters and

events described in the literary piece. Start to pen down your

literary analysis

only when you have

a complete understanding of the book, and not before that.

Prepare your write-up based on your understanding of the book. Since you are reviewing the book,

your opinion plays an important role here. If you prefer any particular character or any particular

instance from the book, then expose that character or the situation in your review, to give it more

importance.

Also

determine

your

preference

with

supporting

logic.

Ultimately

it

is

your

understanding of the book, and it can differ from others’ viewpoint. But you should stick to your

opinion.

Follow a proper format to construct your book review. It should have a proper introduction and a

conclusion, other than the usual subject body. Distribute the subject body in chapters and paragraphs,

to

give

a

nice,

structured

look. Also,

add

a

list

of

reference

material

at

the

end

of

the

book. A

structured material always carries a good impression and also, it helps the reader to go through the

article at ease.

Top 3 don’ts

Book reviews are not exactly meant for writing a summary on the books. The objective of writing

a book review is to arouse the curiosity in the mind of the readers. If someone mentions everything

in the summary then the actual intention is lost.

As mentioned earlier, one should not cross your limit to write a literary review. Do not bring up

unnecessary topics to increase the length of the write-up, which is not at all related to the book. The

readers want to learn about the book and not something irrelevant. Also, a smart and crisp writing

helps to create a positive impression.

You can go through reference books or articles on your subject, before you start preparing your

article. But that should be completely with the intention of getting help in your understanding of the

book. These reference items will help to strengthen your grip on the subject. But, you should never

copy a single line of text from any other document or write-up. Plagiarism(

剽窃

), in any form, is a

punishable offence by law. It will also destroy your reputation and close all the future avenues in

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this field.

If you can follow the above dos and don’ts religiously to write a book review, then it is going to be

more original and interesting.

1.

Which

of

the

following

words

is

closest

in

meaning

to

the

underlined

word

“assimilate”in

paragraph 2?

A.

stimulate

digest

stimulate

B.

fertilize

enhance

fertilize

C.

digest

D. enhance

2. The purpose of writing a review on a book is

A.

to

show

your

understanding

of

the

thoughts

and

philosophy

of

the

author

behind

the

book

to show your u

B. to show that you really stick to your own opinion though you’ve read the book

C. to arouse readers’ curiosity to read more books on irrelevant topics

D. to spark readers’ interests in finding the book and reading it

3. Which of the following is NOT true about the “dos”?

A. Before writing a book review, you’d better read it thoroughly or many times.

B. Write down your

literary analysis when reading the book.

Write down you

Before writing

to arouse read

to spark reade

C. If you are interested in certain situation in the book, you can hardly give it too much importance

in your review.

If you are int

D. A good review consists of a proper introduction and a conclusion, as well as a nice-structured

subject body.

A good review

following statements are “don’ts” when writing a summary except

A. going through reference books or articles on your subject, before you start preparing your article

going through

presenting all

B. presenting all the detailed description of the book in the summary

C.

the

thought

or

action

of

putting

anything

irrelevant

to

the

book

into

the

summary

the thought or

any forms of c

D. any forms of copying the text from others’ written work

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There were so many nights when I, as a young boy, had to watch helplessly as my father verbally

and physically abused my mother. I can still recall the smell of alcohol, see the fear in my mother’s

eyes, and feel the hopeless misery that comes when we see people we love hurting each other in

incomprehensible ways.

I would not wish that experience on anyone, especially not a child. If I settle down in those memories,

I can feel myself wanting to hurt my father back, in the same ways he hurts my mother and in ways

of which I was incapable as a small boy. I see my mother’s face and I see this gentle human being

whom I loved so very much and who did nothing to deserve the pain imposed upon her.

When I recall this story, I realize how difficult the process of forgiving truly is. Intellectually, I know

my

father

caused

pain

because

he

was

in

pain.

Spiritually,

I

know

my

faith

tells

me

my

father

deserves

to

be

forgiven

as

God

forgive

us

all.

But

it

is

still

difficult.

The

sufferings

we

have

witnessed or experienced live on in our memories. Even years later they can cause us fresh pain

each time we recall them.

Are you hurt and suffering? Is the injury new, or is it an old, unhealed wound? Know that what was

done to you was wrong, unfair, and undeserved. You are right to be outraged. And it is perfectly

normal to want to hurt back when you have been hurt. But hurting back rarely satisfies. We think it

will, but it doesn’t. If I slap you after you slap me, it does not lessen the sting I feel on my own face,

nor does it weaken my sadness as to the fact

you have struck me. Revenge gives,

at best, only

momentary relief from our emotional pain. The only way to experience healing and peace is to

forgive. Until we can forgive, we remain locked in our pain and locked out of the possibility of

experiencing healing and freedom; locked out of the possibility of being at peace.

Without forgiveness, we remain tied to the person who harmed us. We are bound with chains of

bitterness, trapped. Until we can forgive the person who harmed us, that person will hold the keys

to our happiness; that person will be our jailer (

监狱看守

).

When

we

forgive,

we

take back control

of

our

own

fate

and

our

feelings. We

become

our

own

liberators. Forgiveness, in other words, is the best form of self-interest. This is true both spiritually

and scientifically. We don’t forgive to help the other person. We don’t forgive for others. We forgive

for ourselves.

did the writer mention the story of his father’s abuse of his mom?

A. Because he loved his mom and wanted to fight back someday.

Because he lov

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B. Because his father finally realized his own mistake and was forgiven.

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Because his fa

C.

Because

witnessing

his

mom’s

suffering

is

still

hurting

him

and

has

no

way

to

relieve.

Because witnes

D.

Because

he

felt

that

he

was

spiritually

relieved

from

the

pain

through

forgiveness.

Because he fel

writer wrote the article in order to tell people that

A.

we

may

never

heal

our

pains

or

sufferings

in

the

heart

unless

we

learn

to

forgive

we may never h

we should neve

B. we should never forget the sufferings buried in our hearts

C. we may get tied to the person who harmed us all through life

we may get tie

D. we shouldn’t worry about the pains we caused, since forgiving is always easier than imagined

we shouldn’t

is the 4th paragraph mainly about?

A. Hurting back does no good to relieving one’s own hurts, but forgiving.

B. If someone slaps you, you just slap back, which will lessen your pain.

Hurting back d

If someone sla

C.

The

sufferings

we

have

witnessed

or

experienced

will

live

on

in

our

memories

for

ever.

The sufferings

D. After being

hurt,

if one wants

to

experience healing

and

freedom,

he

should

forget

the

hurt.

After being hu

of the following statements is the closest in meaning to the underlined sentence?

A. In order to help others, we should stop forgiving and fight back.

B. The purpose of our forgiving is not to help other people.

In order to he

The purpose of

Our forgiving

C. Our forgiving is also useful to helping others, though they may have hurt us.

D. Only by forgiving others can we help them to be good people.

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Only by forgiv

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Energy independence. It has a nice sense to it, doesn’t it? If you think so, you’re not alone, because

energy independence has been the dream of American presidents for decades, and never more so

than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for

kicking off the great recession.

“Energy

independence”

and

its

rhetorical

(

修辞的

)

companion

“energy

security”

are,

however,

slippery concepts that are rarely thought through. What is it we want independence from, exactly?

Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there are

reasons that we buy all that oil from elsewhere.

The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle (

涓涓细流

)

of bio- fuel available, and more may become available, but most bio-fuels cause economic waste

and environmental destruction.

Second, Americans have basically decided that they don’t really want to produce all their own oil.

They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas

of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental

protection. To

what

extent

are Americans

really

willing

to

endure

the environmental

impacts

of

domestic energy production in order to cut back imports?

Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy things from

places that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. And although you don’t read about

this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling abut 2 million barrels of

petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.

There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that

steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies

and higher prices. At the same time, we derive massive economic benefits when we buy the most

affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.

1. According to the passage, energy independence will make America

A. ensure international security

B. realize everyone’s dream

C. bring oil prices down

ensure interna

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realize everyo

bring oil pric

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D. sound very attractive

sound very att

2. In the author’s view, bio-fuels

A. keep America’s economy running quickly

B. do not provide a sustainable energy supply

C. prove to be a good alternative to petroleum

keep America’

do not provide

prove to be a

D. can be produced in large quantity in a short time

3. Why does America depend on oil imports a lot?

A. It wants to expand its storage of crude oil.

can be produce

It wants to ex

B. It wants to keep its own environment undamaged.

C. Its own oil reserves are quickly being used up.

D. Its own oil production falls short of demand.

4. The writer’s purpose in the passage is

A. to arouse American’s awareness of the energy crisis

B. to explain the increase of international oil trade

C. to justify American’s dependence on oil imports

D. to stress the importance of energy conservation

It wants to ke

Its own oil re

Its own oil pr

to arouse Amer

to explain the

to justify Ame

to stress the

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The year was 1993 and the Detroit Tigers were playing with the New York Yankees. When my son

began dropping gentle hints that a game would take place at Tiger Stadium on Mother’s Day that

year, I already knew who they were playing with! “Hey Mom, would you like to go to see the Tigers

play with the Yankees?” My senior high son asked with a playful look. I just smiled.

There had been a lot of talk about a new stadium in place of the one that stood proudly on the corner

of Michigan and Trumbull in Detroit. As I sat in the seating section, I wondered how the old place

could actually become a thing of the past. It was so alive; the stadium was full of watchers and the

excitement with two good ball teams and the smell of popcorn.

The announcer recognized all Mothers and each one received a gift which I still have today. Don

Mattingly was a favorite ball player of my son and he was one of many players that made up the

team that beat the Tiger’s that May Day. While we drank our favourite soft drink, we watched the

guy with the number 23 shirt hit a home run during the game. The fans went wild. The Yankees won

11 to 2.

Part of the excitement comes from a visit to the old ballpark. While the music played, everyone

stood and sang Take Me to the Ballgame. It was part of the fun about a trip to the ballpark; and it

didn’t matter who you were cheering for.

The last game played at Tiger Stadium was in 1999 against the Kansas City Royals. We had moved

to South Carolina in 1997, but my son was working in Detroit. The old stadium is still standing; I

guess they just didn’t have the heart to tear down a piece of history. What I didn’t realize at the time

was that it would be the last game I would attend with my now grown son together.

1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A. The writer was a fan of the ball game.

The writer was

B. The ball game took place on the May Day.

C. Her son was one of the ball players.

The ball game

Her son was on

D. The Detroit Tigers would lose the game.

The Detroit Ti

2. What did the writer mainly want to tell us in the second paragraph?

A. People were all expecting a new stadium.

People were al

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B. The old stadium was really too crowded.

C. More people were interested in the game.

The old stadiu

More people we

D. The writer liked the old stadium very much.

3. According to the passage, Don Mattingly

A. was the best player in the Tigers

B. belonged to the Yankees

The writer lik

was the best p

belonged to th

C. was the writer’s favorite ball player

D. wore the number 32 shirt in the game

was the writer

wore the numbe

4. What happened to the Tiger Stadium after the game in 1999?

A. It was torn down.

It was torn do

B. It was used for other purposes.

C. It was still used for the game.

It was used fo

It was still u

D. The music was often played there.

The music was

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(C)

“Does my smile look big in this?” Future fitting-room mirrors in clothing stores could subtly adjust

your reflection to make you look ─ and hence feel ─ happier, encouraging you to like what you see.

That’s the idea behind the Emotion Evoking System developed by Shigeo Yoshida and colleagues

at the University of Tokyo in Japan. The system can manipulate, or in other word, control your

emotions

and

personal

preferences

by

presenting

you

with

an

image

of

your

own

smiling

or

frowning face.

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The principle that physiological changes can drive emotional ones ─ that laughter comes before

happiness, rather than the other way around ─ is a well- established idea.

The researchers wanted to see if this idea could be used to build a computer system that manipulates

how you feel. The system works by presenting the user with a web-camera image of his or her face

─ as if they were looking in a mirror. The image is then subtly altered with software, turning the

corners of the mouth up or down and changing the area around the eyes, so that the person appears

to smile or frown (

皱眉

).

Without telling them the aim of the study, the team recruited (

招募

) 21 volunteers and asked them

to sit in front of the screen while performing an unrelated task. When the task was complete the

participants rated how they felt. When the faces on screen appeared to smile, people reported that

they felt happier. On the other hand, when the image was given a sad expression, they reported

feeling less happy.

Yoshida

and

his

colleagues

tested

whether

manipulating

the

volunteers’

emotional

state

would

influence their preferences. Each person was given a scarf to wear and again presented with the

altered webcam image. The volunteers that saw themselves smiling while wearing the scarf were

more likely to report that they liked it, and those that saw themselves not smiling were less likely.

The system could be used to manipulate consumers’ impressions of products, say the researchers.

For example, mirrors in clothing-store fitting rooms could be replaced with screens showing altered

reflections.

They

also

suggest

people

may

be

more

likely

to

find

clothes

attractive

if

they

see

themselves looking happy while trying them on.

“It’s certainly an interesting area,” says Chris Creed at the University of Birmingham, UK. But he

notes that using such technology in a shop would be harder than in the lab, because people will use

a wide range of expressions. “Attempting to make slight differences to these and ensuring that the

reflected image looks believable would be much more challenging,” he says.

Of

course,

there

are

also

important

moral

questions

surrounding

such

subtly

manipulative

technology. “You could argue that if it makes people happy what harm is it doing?” says Creed.

“But I can imagine that many people may feel manipulated, uncomfortable and cheated if they found

out.”

1. What’s the main purpose of the Emotion Evoking System?

A. To see whether one’s feeling can be unconsciously affected.

B. To see whether one’s facial expressions can be altered.

C. To see whether laughter comes before happiness.

To see whether

To see whether

To see whether

D. To replace the mirrors in future clothing-store fitting rooms.

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To replace the

2. What can we learn about the web-camera image in the study?

A. It recorded the volunteers’ performance in the task.

B. It gave the volunteers a false image.

It gave the vo

It recorded th

C. It attempted to make the volunteers feel happier.

D. It beautified the volunteers’ appearance in the mirror.

3. What does Creed mention as a limitation of the technology?

A. It only changes the areas around the mouth and the eyes.

B. It only works in clothing stores.

It only works

It only change

It beautified

It only makes

C. It only makes subtle changes to people’s expressions.

D. It only deals with a limited number of facial expressions.

It only deals

4. What does Creed’s comment on the moral issues with this technology imply?

A. Nothing is more important than happiness.

B. Technology is unable to manipulate people.

Nothing is mor

Technology is

C. People should make their decisions independently.

D. People should neglect the harm of the technology.

People should

People should

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( C )

The $$19 billion that Facebook Inc. is paying for a smartphone application made jaws drop, even in

Silicon Valley.

But analysts say the purchase of WhatsApp could pay off for Facebook as it takes on Google Inc.

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and other technology giants in the race to be the next big thing in mobile.

The battle for mobile

Technology giants are fighting for their future as consumers switch their loyalties from personal

computers to mobile devices. By 2015, 5 billion people are expected to be carrying around the tiny

computers in their pockets.

As

a

result,

quick

startups

that

have

outpaced

their

grown-up

rivals

in

building

popular

mobile

services have become takeover targets.

Just last year Facebook offered $$3 billion for Los Angeles-based messaging company Snapchat, but

was turned down. WhatsApp, a tiny California company, was a far bigger prize.

With 450 million users, WhatsApp is the market leader in mobile messaging. Chief Executive Jan

Koum says his company’s goal from the start was “to be on every single smartphone in the world.”

Facebook

is

betting

WhatsApp

can

help

it

go

beyond

competitors

in

messaging,

the

new

communication medium of choice.

Survival at stake (

在紧急关头

)

The

stakes

could

not

be

higher

for

Facebook.

More

people

are

communicating

on

their

mobile

devices rather than sending information to hundreds of friends on social networks. Its very survival

depends on its ability to obtain the new ways people are connecting and sharing.

By that logic, the price Facebook is paying for WhatsApp isn’t so bubbly (

多泡的

), said David

Wessels, a finance professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

“As a stand-alone company, WhatsApp is clearly not worth $$19 billion, period,” Wessels said. “But

by no means would I consider this unreasonable. Would you give away 10 percent of your company

to extend the life of your company?”

A wise investment?

At first, Facebook investors did experience what analyst Arvind Bhatia called “sticker shock” after

learning that Facebook planned to pay $$19 billion for WhatsApp, a company that had declared it

had no plans to make money any time soon.

But investors quickly neglected concerns. Shares of Facebook briefly hit a record high the day after

the sale was announced.

Facebook is certainly not alone in placing sky-scraping evaluations on unproven startups, analysts

say.

Blogging service Tumblr sold to Yahoo Inc. for more than $$1 billion. Dozens more startups are

valued at $$1 billion or more.

Facebook is quick to point out that WhatsApp reached 450 million users faster than any company

in history.

1. The phrase “take on” in the second paragraph most probably means

A. show off

show off

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B. compete with

C. cooperate with

D. object to

compete with

cooperate with

object to

2.75 Why do the technology giants start the battle for mobile according to the passage?

A. Because they all want to become number one in the field of technology.

B. Because all of them wish every customer to use tiny computers.

C. Because consumers prefer mobile devices to computers.

Because they a

Because all of

Because consum

D. Because mobile devices are the latest technology at present.

3. According to the passage, what does the author imply?

A. Facebook’s decision is correct and reasonable.

Because mobile

Facebook’s de

B. Facebook’s decision is incorrect and unreasonable.

C. Facebook’s decision is acceptable but unreasonable.

D. Facebook’s decision is bright but adventurous.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A. The Revolutionary about Mobile Devices

B. Facebook Inc. and WhatsApp

C. How Technology Giants Grow

D. What’s Up with WhatsApp

Facebook’s de

Facebook’s de

Facebook’s de

The Revolution

Facebook Inc.

How Technology

What’s Up wit

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(A)

Rugby looks like a mixture of soccer and American football. In Rugby, players carry the ball, kick

the ball and tackle (

拦截抢球

) one another. Men, women and children play it in more than 120

countries.

Legend says rugby was invented in 1823 at a school in the town of Rugby, England. One of the

school’s students, a young man named William Webb Ellis, was playing in a soccer match. But he

got bored with just kicking the ball, so he picked it up and ran with it. Before long, this new way of

playing soccer became popular at the school. When the school’s students finished their studies, they

moved to other parts of Britain, taking the new game, which they called rugby, with them. Before

long, they and others established rugby clubs throughout Britain and in British colonies around the

world.

By the 1870s, there were many rugby clubs in Britain and elsewhere, but they weren’t all playing

rugby the same way. To solve this problem, representatives from twenty-two teams met and agreed

on official rugby regulations. They also founded an association of rugby teams, called the Rugby

Football Union (RFU).

Today, Rugby Union World Cup tournaments are held every four years. The first one occurred in

1987 with Australia and New Zealand hosting. The next World Cup will happen in 2015 and will be

hosted by England. Thousands of fans will travel to attend the matches and cheer on their favorite

teams. Believe it or not, not one team who’s won the Rugby World Cup has managed to win the

next World Cup! But players and fans don’t mind. They just enjoy the game.

is this article mainly about?

A. An institution for disabled youngsters.

B. An activity which provides recreation.

C. A yearly competition with huge prizes.

D. A community with an interesting history.

did William Webb Ellis do differently?

A. He kicked the ball repeatedly.

B. He beat balls after matches.

He kicked the

An institution

An activity wh

A yearly compe

A community wi

He beat balls

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C. He held the ball in his hands.

D. He threw the ball really well.

He held the ba

He threw the b

did the clubs finally confirm in the 1870s?

A. A united legal defense

B. Plans for new stadiums

C. Standard rules of play

D. Backing for other sports

does this article tell us about the Rugby Union World Cup?

A. How frequently it takes place

B. How mechanical it’s become

C. How officials plan to change it

D. How well journalists cover it

How frequently

A united legal

Plans for new

Standard rules

Backing for ot

How mechanical

How officials

How well journ

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Conventional wisdom says that hardship can make us old before our time. In fact,

a new study

suggests that violence not only leaves longterm scars on children’s bodies, but also changes their

DNA, causing changes that are equal to seven to ten years of premature aging.

Scientists measured this by studying the ends of children’s chromosomes(

染色体

), called telomeres,

says Idan Shalev, lead author of a study published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Telomeres are special DNA sequences which prevent the DNA in chromosomes from separating.

They get shorter each time a cell divides, until a cell cannot divide anymore and dies.

Several

factors

have

been

found

to

shorten

telomeres,

including

smoking,

radiation

and

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psychological stresses such as being treated badly when young and taking care of a chronically ill

person.

In this study, researchers examined whether exposure to violence could make children’s telomeres

shorten faster than normal. They interviewed the mothers of 236 children at ages 5, 7 and 10, asking

whether the youngsters had been exposed to domestic violence between the mother and her partner;

physical maltreatment by an adult; or bullying. Researchers measured the children’s telomeres—in

cells obtained by swabbing the insides of their cheeks — at ages 5 and 10.

Telomeres shortened faster in kids exposed to two or more types of violence, says Shalev. Unless

that pattern changes, the study suggests, these kids could be expected to develop diseases of aging,

such as heart attacks or memory loss, seven to 10 years earlier than their peers.

Shalev says there is hope for these kids. His study found that, in rare cases, telomeres can lengthen.

Better nutrition, exercise and stress reduction are three things that may be able to lengthen telomeres,

he says.

The study confirms a small but growing number of studies suggesting that early childhood adversity

imprints itself in our chromosomes, says Charles Nelson, a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience

at Harvard Medical School.

1. The new study found that

A. violence leaves scars on a child’s mind

B. hardship can change a child’s aging

C. violence can speed up a child’s aging

violence leave

hardship can c

violence can s

D. hardship has a longterm effect on a child’s mind

2. According to the text, telomeres

A. can make a cell die quickly

can make a cel

hardship has a

B. can help prevent DNA from separating

C. become shorter before they die

can help preve

become shorter

D. are at the ends of people’s chromosomes

are at the end

3. All of the following things can shorten telomeres EXCEPT

第

16

页

A. smoking

smoking

B. cell division

C. maltreatment

D. doing exercise

cell division

maltreatment

doing exercise

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A. Violence can cause quick cell division in children’s body.

Violence can c

B. Being treated badly will make a child’s telomeres shorten faster.

Being treated

C. Researchers measured the children’s telomeres from their legs in the study.

D. Children who have shorter telomeres may have a heart attack earlier.

Researchers me

Children who h

体裁

Are

some

people

born

clever,

and

others

born

stupid?

Or

is

intelligence

developed

by

our

environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some

extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius

out

of

a

child

born

with

low

intelligence.

On

the

other

hand,

a

child

who

lives

in

a

boring

environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings.

Thus the limits of person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits

will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number

of ways.

It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the

blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we

take two unrelated people at random from population, it is likely that their degree of intelligence

will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very probably

be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have

similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.

Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might

第

17

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说明文

词数

305

限时

8

分钟

send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would

soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth

plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with

each other, but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.

1. Which of these sentences best describes the writer’s point in Paragraph 1?

A. To some extent, intelligence is given at birth.

B. Intelligence is developed by the environment.

To some extent

Intelligence i

C. Some people are born clever and others born stupid.

Some people ar

D. Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment.

2. It is suggested in this passage that

A. close relation usually have similar intelligence

close relation

Intelligence i

B. unrelated people are not likely to have different intelligence

unrelated peop

C.

the

closer

the

blood

relationship

between

people,

the

more

different

they

are

likely

to

be

in

intelligence

the closer the

D.

people

who

live

in

close

contact

with

each

other

are

not

likely

to

have

similar

degrees

of

intelligence

phrase “ at random” (Line 3, Para.2) means

A. purposely

B. intendedly

C. aimlessly

purposely

people who liv

intendedly

aimles sly

D. independently

independently

4. The best title for this article would be

第

18

页

A. What Does Intelligence Mean?

B. On Intelligence

On Intelligenc

What Does Inte

Environment Pl

C. We are Born with Intelligence

We are Born wi

D. Environment Plays a Part in Developing Intelligence

体裁

说明文

词数

301

限时

9

分钟

(B)

Mountain

regions

are

not

just

playgrounds

for

the

richer

citizens

on

the

planet,

however.

The

disappearing snows of Mount Kilimanjaro are a worrying sign that nowhere is safe from the adverse

effects

of

human

actions.

The

United

Nations

has

identified

three

main

areas

that

need

to

be

addressed to ensure the future safety of the world’s mountains. These are: the protection of mountain

ecosystems,

the

encouragement

of

peace

and

stability

in

mountain

regions,

and

assistance

for

mountain people to maintain their ways of life.

From the busy cities of India to the farmlands of California, more than half the world’s population

is dependent on mountains for their fresh water supply. Global warming, deforestation, mining and

heavy farming seriously damage breakable mountain ecosystems and put vital fresh water sources

at risk.

Mountain regions host a large proportion of the world’s wars. From Afghanistan to the Balkans and

the Andes to many parts of Africa, territorial

（领土的）

and drug related conflicts have damaging

effects on the local environment and the lives of the local people. Fighting makes essential tasks

such as farming impossible. Land mines make large areas of potential farming ground unusable.

Also schools, roads, bridges and other important infrastructure

（基础设施）

are left in ruins.

Mountain people are among the poorest, least represented groups on the earth. They face many

hardships and each day can be, “a test of survival”. Damage to mountain ecosystems worsens their

situation and leaves them even more unprotected to disease and ‘natural’ disasters such as floods

and

landslides.

It’s

been

recommended

that

forest

profit

should

be

reinvested

in

mountain

communities and the people living there should be given a stronger political voice. Their fate is in

many ways directly connected with that of people living at sea level.

There

is

an

old

motto

for

visitors

to

the

countryside

which

advises

them

to

leave

nothing

but

footprints.

It is still as relevant today as it always was. Unfortunately, the size of our footprints seems

to be getting larger.

第

19

页

1. What the writer discussed in the previous sections is most probably about .

A. mountain ecosystems

B. mountain regions

C. mountain people

D. mountain sports

2.

“__________”.

A. direct

B. harmful

C. positive

D. powerful

direct

mountain regio

mountain peopl

mountain sport

harmful

< br>positive

powerful

< /span<>

3.

__________.

A. inadequate supply of fresh water

B. impossible farming

inadequate sup

impossible far

mountain peopl

C. mountain people’s poor living condition

D. ruined infrastructure

ruined infrast

4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. Mountain people have enough political voice to protect themselves.

B. More money should be raised to establish mountain communities.

C. Worsened ecosystems put mountain people’s lives under threat.

第

20

页

Mountain peopl

More money sho

Worsened ecosy

D. Visitors to mountains have left nothing but large footprints.

Visitors to mo

体裁

说明文

词数

289

限时

7

分钟

(A)

Exhausted, covered in mud and extremely hungry, a team of Swedish athletes sat down for a meal

as they prepared to take on a dangerous 20-mile race through the rainforest. As they opened their

canned meat, Lindord noticed a worn, miserable dog staring at him out of the corner of his eye.

Feeling sorry for him, Lindord fed him a meatball and thought nothing of it, but as the team stood

up to continue their race, the animal started to follow them — and he didn’t stop. As the group

navigated the final two stages of the 430-mile Adventure Racing World Championship, the dog

befriended them and was eventually given the name Arthur.

Every exhausting task the team faced, Arthur did the same. He swam alongside them while they

kayaked

（划单人艇）

down rivers, dragged himself up hills during hikes and pulled through knee-

deep mud during races. When he was tired, they stopped for a break and when he got stuck in the

mud, they pulled him out.

Before one section of the race — a 36-mile kayak around the coast — organizers warned the team

that taking Arthur along posed a risk to his and their safety. They tried to set off without him, but as

they left, he jumped into the water beside them and started paddling

（趟水）

in desperation. Lindord,

heartbroken by the sight of Arthur struggling in the water, picked him up, put him in the kayak and

let him stay for the rest of the journey.

After six days, they finished the race successfully. “I came to win the world champion. But, I got a

new friend at last.” said Lindord on his way back to Sweden together with Arthur.

1. Lindord gave Arthur a meatball because __________.

A. Arthur had helped him a lot alongside

B. Arthur looked tired and sorrowful

C. he planned to set off without Arthur

D. he wanted Arthur to follow them

第

21

页

Arthur had hel

Arthur looked

he planned to

he wanted Arth

2. Which of the following best describes Arthur’s performance in the race?

A. He survived all the hardship the team experienced.

B. He overcame all the difficulty alone but successfully.

C. He posed all the risk to the team and broke their hearts.

D. He struggled in desperation, yet his efforts didn’t pay off.

3. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A. Adventure – exhausting but successful

B. Arthur – Lindord’s four- legged friend

C. Gratitude – keep you company

Adventure – e

He survived al

He overcame al

He posed all t

He struggled i

Arthur – Lind

Gratitude – k

D. Growing Pains – how a dog was trained

Growing Pains

体裁

说明文

词数

455

限时

9

分钟

（

A

）

Warner Brothers has announced more Harry Potter movies are on the way. The studio is working

with

Potter

author

J.

K.

Rowling

to

create

a

new

franchise

(

特需经营权

)

of

movies

based

on

“Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them”, which is a fictitious textbook in the Harry Potter

world. The story will also follow the adventures of the book’s author, Newt Scamander. Rowling,

for the first time, will pen the screenplay.

It comes as no surprise that Warner Brothers is trying to keep the Harry Potter franchise going. The

films alone have earned $$7.7 billion at the box office. The franchise has probably almost doubled

those earnings on home video and TV sales. Then there’s the many Harry Potter products that fans

still snatch up.

But at some point, Harry Potter could seem old hat and that’s not something Warner Brothers wants

to see happen. So executives had three choices: restart the franchise, come up with continuations or

spin off part of the Potter world into a new movie.

第

22

页

Without books to support the new stories, the upcoming movies could be a tougher sell for Warner

Brothers. Harry and friends won’t appear at all in the new movies which will be set in New York 70

years before Harry Potter heads to Hogwarts.

The new stories will also net video games, products and enhance Rowling’s website.

Here’s Rowling on the upcoming franchise:

It all started when Warner Brothers came to me with the suggestion of turning “Fantastic Beasts and

Where to Find Them” into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander,

the supposed author of “Fantastic Beasts”, realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for

so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As

Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of

my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.

As I considered Warners’ proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn’t get rid of. That is how I could

express my own idea for a film to Warner Brothers.

Although it will be set in the worldwide community of wizards (

巫师

) where I was so happy for

seventeen years, it is neither a previous work nor a continuation to the Harry Potter series, but an

extension

of

the

wizarding

world. The

laws

and

customs

of

the

hidden

magical

society

will

be

familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start

in New York, seventy years before Harry gets underway.

1. The phrase “snatch up” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “_____”.

A. rush to purchase

B. give up reluctantly

C. make profits from

D. take away by force

2. What made Rowling accept Warner Brothers’ proposal?

A. Her eagerness to try writing for the screenplay.

B. Her unwillingness to see others write the story.

C. The attraction of earning more at the box office.

Her eagerness

rush to purcha

give up reluct

make profits f

take away by f

Her unwillingn

The attraction

D. The film company’s promise to enhance her website.

第

23

页

The film compa

3. It is implied in the passage that creating and selling the new movies may be _____.

A. inspiring

inspiring

B. embarrassing

C. disappointing

D. challenging

emb arrassing

disappointing

challe nging

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Warner Brothers’ expanded partnership with Harry Potter author.

B. Warner Brothers’ success and development in Harry Potter series.

C. Rowling’s view on the upcoming franchise of Harry Potter movies.

D. Rowling’s creative ideas for the cooperation with Warner Brothers.

Warner Brother

Warner Brother

Rowling’s vie

Rowling’s cre

体裁

Once upon a time, staying a healthy weight was easy. To lose weight you simply had to practise the

reverse of home economics --spend more than you earned. Unfortunately for many, but perhaps not

surprisingly, it turns out that people are rather more complicated than bank accounts.

To stay a healthy weight, you need a hormone (

荷尔蒙

) called leptin to work properly. It sends “I’m

full”messages from the fat cells up to the brain, where they go, among other places, to the same

pleasure centers that respond to drugs like cocaine. Fat people produce plenty of leptin, but the brain

doesn’t

seem

to

respond

to

it

properly.

Last

year

researchers

at

the

Oregon

Research

Institute

scanned the brains of overweight people and found their reward circuits

（线路）

were underactive.

They were eating more to try to get the enjoyment they were missing.

There’s a lot of evidence for the fact that most, if not all, of us have a set point around which our

weight can vary by about seven to nine kilos, but anything beyond that is a real struggle. Making

changes is hard, particularly if your body is working against you. So why not reject the traditional

approaches and try some new methods, based on the latest research, that work with your body rather

than against it.

第

24

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说明文

词数

336

限时

8

分钟

Several years ago researchers at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore reported that when

they gave rats very little food one day and allowed them to eat plenty the next, they showed virtually

all the benefits of a permanent calorie restriction diet. The same goes for humans, according to Dr

James Johnson.

How does it work? Besides forcing the body to burn fat, it may also cause hormonal changes. Most

people say that the diet takes a bit of getting used to, but is not as grinding as trying to cut back on

an everyday basis.

Older dieters may remember something called brown fat. Unlike the undesirable white stuff; this

was a dieter’s dream. Instead of storing excess energy as fat, brown-fat tissue burned it off to keep

you warm--at least in mice. Brown fat fell out of favor because researchers couldn’t find much in

humans but now, thanks to the New England journal of Medicine, it's back in fashion. The idea is

to expose people to cold temperatures. They then make more brown fat and their weight drops.

1. According to the findings of the Oregon Research Institute,

A. overweight people get less pleasure from eating the same amount

B. overweight people enjoy eating more than the others do

C. people will become overweight if they eat more than they need

people will be

overweight peo

D. people are more likely to be overweight if they produce less leptin

people are mor

2. The method used by the National Institute on Aging can be summarized as “

A. no diet at all

no diet at all

B. diet on a daily basis

C. diet every other day

D. diet permanently

diet on a dail

diet every oth

diet permanent

3. The word “grinding” in the Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to

A. effective

B. realistic

C. unreliable

effective

第

25

页

< /p>

realistic

unreliable

D. miserable

miserable

4. The author’s purpose in writing is to

A. compare the various ways of cutting calories

B. recommend the new methods of losing weight

C. point out the misconceptions of losing weight

D. clarify the common myth about weight loss

compare the va

recommend the

point out the

clarify the co

体裁

Which tablet computer should YOU be buying: They are this year's must have... and there's a style

to suit everyone

？

Best for young children

LeapPad Explorer 2, ?68

Aimed at children between three and nine (though a nine- year-old might find it a little

simple), it

comes in pink or blue and with five built-in education games (you can buy more). Besides, the

LeapPad does not allow access to the internet — so it is impossible for your child to stumble across

anything inappropriate.

Pros: The education games are well- designed, the built-in video camera is a fun way to play at being

a film director.

Cons: Some of the games are shockingly expensive. And the power adaptor is not included.

Best for teenagers

iPad 4th generation, ?399-?659

The iPad is still the market leader, and for good reason. If the teenager in your house enjoys playing

computer games, the latest offering from Apple is

the one to choose.

Pros: No other tablet can compete with the near one million ‘apps’ (the name Apple created for

specially-designed downloadable programs) available for the iPad.

Simple to use, even for those

who usually struggle with technology.

Cons: Considerably more expensive than most competitors.

第

26

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说明文

词数

451

限时

5

分钟

Best for working parents

Microsoft Surface, ?399-?559

Tablets are brilliant for leisure — but what if you want to do a bit of work? No tablet can yet compete

with

a full-size laptop computer, but

this is the only tablet

that allows you to use Microsoft Word,

Excel and Powerpoint (they are all pre-installed and included in the price) and you

can buy a pretty

lovely

mini- keyboard for typing letters and emails, which also doubles up as the cover.

Pros: The Surface is good for watching movies — a bonus when stuck in the airport on a business

trip — and surfing the internet.

Con: The keyboard is an expensive add-on — costing up to ?109. It might be cheaper to buy a laptop

(though a tablet is much smaller and li ghter).[

来源

:

学

科

,

网

Z,X,X,K]

Best for bookworms

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, ?109

Nearly all tablets let you download books. It's a great way to take a mountainous pile of hardbacks

on holiday without stuffing your suitcase.

But most tablets have a shiny screen — which can be very distracting when you're trying to read.

The Paperwhite is different: its matt screen and crisp black lettering imitate the look of words on

paper brilliantly. And yet you can still read the words in the dark.

Pros: Easy

on the eye, excellent battery life, 180,000 free books (if you subscribe to the Amazon

Prime customer loyalty service) plus hundreds of thousands more to buy.

Cons: No TV, films, games, internet or camera.

1.

The underlined phrase ‘stumble across’ most probably means ‘___________’.

A. meet with

B. quarrel with

C. compare with

D. compete with

2. Which of the following about Surface is NOT TRUE?

A. The keyboard will add to the cost.

B. The keyboard can serve as a cover.

The keyboard w

meet with

quarrel with

compare with

compete with

The keyboard c

第

27

页

C. You have to pay extra to install Microsoft Word.

D. You can watch movies or surf the Internet with it.

You have to pa

You can watch

3. If you are a game lover, which tablet is least likely to be your choice?

A. LeapPad Explorer 2.

B. iPad 4th generation.

C. Microsoft Surface.

LeapPad Explor

iPad 4th gener

Microsoft Surf

D. Amazon Kindle Paper

Amazon Kindle

4. If you want to add something to your prepared PPT for a presentation at a meeting, which tablet

is most helpful?

A. LeapPad Explorer 2.

B. iPad 4th generation.

C. Microsoft Surface.

LeapPad Explor

iPad 4th gener

Microsoft Surf

D. Amazon Kindle Paper.

Amazon Kindle

体裁

Ask a group of elderly people what it was about their lives that made them happiest overall, and

they’ll probably mention some warm relationships with family and friends. If you’re satisfied with

your social life, according to psychologists, you tend to be satisfied with life in general.

From the point of my 50s, I’d say that sounds about right. Some of my happiest moments are the

ones I spend with my husband, a few close relatives, and a handful of very good friends who know

me well and like me anyway. But the more I read about how social media are interfering with (

干

扰

) good old- fashioned friendship, creating virtual bonds that can’t quite take the place of real ones,

第

28

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说明文

词数

441

限时

10

分钟

the more I wonder just how today’s 20-somethings will look back on their own lives when they’re

my age.

After all, much crucial relationship building work is done in the 20s. According to research by the

late Bernice Neugarten of the University of Chicago, who helped launch the academic study of

human

development,

people

choose

most

of

their

adult

relationships,

both

friends

and

lovers,

between the ages of 22 and 28. The friends we make in our 20s are not only best friends forever;

they’re also our first truly chosen friends. And choosing how to commit to these friendships is an

essential psychological task of the 20s.

But with so much of friendship in this age group now being developed online, an essential question

is what the effect of that interaction is. A study, conducted in 2010 by Craig Watkins and Erin Lee

of the University of Texas at Austin, investigated the Facebook habits of 776 young people between

the ages of 18 and 35. “Whether it is a wall post, a comment, or a photo,” they wrote, “young

people’s

engagement

with

Facebook

is

driven,

primarily,

by

a

desire

to

stay

connected

to

and

involved in the lives of friends who live close by, far away, or have just entered into their lives.”

This kind of constant contact can be efficient, but it can also be upsetting. For one thing, it adds a

new layer of concern to a young person’s already-heightened awareness of social ranking, giving

appearance-conscious young people yet another thing to worry about. “I see other 20-somethings

feeling pressured to constantly keep up a public image, especially a public image online,” wrote

Ariana Allensworth on the group blog. “Folks are always keeping the world informed one way or

another about what they’re up to, where they’re at, what projects they’re working on. It can be a bit

much at times.” Not the most fertile ground for real-world friendship.

1. According to the passage, the 20s is an age for people to

A. have a good public image

B. keep themselves informed

C. look back on their own lives

D. develop critical relationships

2. Which of the following is a disadvantage of making friends online?

A. It makes people pay less attention to social ranking.

B. It robs people of the happy moments spent with friends.

C. It keeps people away from their family and close relatives.

第

29

页

It makes peopl

have a good pu

keep themselve

look back on t

develop critic

It robs people

It keeps peopl

D. It prevents people from keeping in contact with their friends.

It prevents pe

3. What was the aim of the study conducted by Craig Watkins and Erin Lee?

A. To know about the 776 young people’s Facebook habits.

B. To find out how social media affect real-world social life.

C. To help young people stay connected to the lives of friends.

D. To investigate what kind of people prefer online interactions.

4. The author may agree that

A. old-fashioned friendship can help create virtual bonds

B. there’s no need for young people to make online friends

C. real-world friendship is a better choice for young people

old-fashioned

To know about

To find out ho

To help young

To investigate

there’s no ne

real-world fri

D. online friendship is an inevitable trend in the modern world

online friends

第

30

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体裁

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词数

186

限时

7

分钟

Do you want to get

home

from

work knowing you have made a real difference in someone’s life? If

yes. Don’t care about sex or age! Come and join us, then you’ll make it!

Position: Volunteer Social Care Assistant

(No Pay with Free Meals)

Place:

Manchester

Hours: Part Time

We are now looking for volunteers to support people with learning disabilities to live active lives!

Only 4 days left. Don’t miss the chance of lending your warm hands to help others!

Role:

You will provide people with learning disabilities with all aspects of their daily lives. You will help

them to develop new skills. You will help them to protect their rights and their safety. But your

primary concern is to

let

them know they are valued.

Skills and Experience Required:

You will have the right values and

great

listening skills. You will be honest and patient. You will

have the ability to drive a car and to communicate in fluent written and spoken English since you’ll

have to help those people with different learning disabilities. Previous care-related experience will

be a great advantage for you.

1. What does the underlined part mean?

A. You’ll make others’ lives more meaningful with this job.

B. You’ll arrive

home

just in time from this job.

C. You’ll earn a good salary

from

this job.

D. You’ll succeed in getting this

job.

2. The volunteers’ major responsibility is to help people with learning disabilities

A. to get some financial support

B. to properly protect themselves

C. to learn some new living skills

D. to realize their own importance

to get some fi

You’ll make o

You’ll arrive

You’ll earn a

You’ll succee

to properly pr

to learn some

to realize the

第

31

页

3. Which of the following can first be chosen as a volunteer?

A. The one who can drive a

car.

The one who ca

B. The one who has done similar work before.

C. The one who has patience to listen to others.

The one who ha

The one who ha

D. The one who can use English to communicate.

4. The text serves as a

A. a reminder to social workers

B. an advertisement for helpers

a reminder to

The one who ca

an advertiseme

C. a document on appealing for volunteers

a document on

D. an introduction about a social care organization

an introductio

第

32

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体裁

说明文

词数

358

限时

15

分钟

The

city

of

Los Angeles

is

finally

getting

serious

about

retrofitting(

翻修

)

the

soft

wood

frame

apartment buildings and the weak concrete ones that are at risk of collapsing during a substantial

earthquake. A concrete building without adequate steel reinforcement can crumble to the ground, as

some did in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, killing dozens.

The first step is to take a list of the 29,000 apartment buildings that were built before 1978, when

the building code was changed to require stronger wood frame and concrete buildings. The second

step will be the analysis of those buildings by structural experts to see if they should be retrofitted,

which needs essential professionalism. Then comes the stage to decide who pays for the work that

needs to be done, Landlords? Renters? Taxpayers? The step posed the biggest obstacle to all parties

involved.

Actually under L.A.'s rent control law, property owners can pass on 100% of the cost of ‘essential’

retrofitting work to renters. Some favor this pass-through move, arguing that many mom-and-pop

landlords of small buildings are as cash-strapped as one can imagine, if not more so.

However, the reality is that, like many landlords, the insolvency of most renters will finally make

the retrofitting an empty talk. Besides, the cost of retrofitting should not fall on any one group as

this work is done to prevent people from being killed in earthquakes. Protecting buildings serves

the interests of renters, property owners and the city as a whole, which qualifies it as a matter of

public safety issue so that L.A. government needs to find ways to shoulder some burden of the cost.

It has been decided by the city government that the government will get involved, trying to find

ways to reduce costs for landlords for the retrofitting projects, and the government is establishing a

law to create a tax reduction for retrofitting for landlords. It's not clear at this point how much tax

the state could afford to give up, or how much tax cut owners can get. Some even say that the actual

financial

assistance

landlords

can

get

is

far

less

than

is

expected.

However,

what

it’s

known

definitely now is that Los Angeles must not allow retrofitting to be put off although the money issue

poses a big problem. The bottom line is the human life rather than money.

1. According to the passage, which issue is the most essential in deciding the future of the city’s

retrofitting project?

A. Having all the parties involved aware of the importance of retrofitting.

B. Making a list of all the buildings that were built before a certain date.

Having all the

Making a list

C. Deciding professionally on whether the listed buildings need retrofitting.

D. Working out adequate ways to provide financial support for retrofitting.

第

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Deciding profe

Working out ad

2. According to the passage, the underlined word insolvency is closest in meaning to ______.

A. not having enough money to pay debts

B. poor relationship with landlords

C. unwillingness to participate

D. unfair treatment received

3. Which of the following is implied about the retrofitting project?

A. Most L.A. apartments are of Soft wood frame or of weak concrete.

Most L.A. apar

not having eno

poor relations

unwillingness

unfair treatme

B.

According

to

L.A.

rent

law,

landlords

and

renters

share

the

cost

for

retrofit

work.

According to L

C.

According

to

government

decision,

owners

will

mainly

be

responsible

for

the

retrofit.

According to g

D.

Government

will

pay

mainly

for

the

retrofitting

work

as

it

relates

with

people’s

life.

Government wil

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The likelihood of weak apartment falling in big earthquakes.

The likelihood

B. The background of LA apartment retrofit and its financial solution.

The background

C. The argument between landlords, renters and governments over money issues.

D. The importance of LA government’s involvement in life-saving projects.

The argument b

The importance

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词数

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分钟

Our website is presenting to you the world’s leading museums and gallaries:

Smithsonian Institution,

Washington, D.C.

The Smithsonian

is one of the world’s leading research and museum complexes, with 19 museums

and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and various research stations. More than 137 million

objects detailing America’s history are exhibited here. There’s so much to see that, if you spent

every day and night looking at the exhibits at normal pace, in ten years you’d see only ten percent

of the whole. Therefore, it’s wise to head out with a plan. Focus on some famous exhibits at two or

three different museums.

Le Louvre,

Paris, France

The

Louvre

was

a

medieval

fortress

and

the

palace

of

the

kings

of

France

before

becoming

a

museum two centuries ago. The addition of the Chinese architect I. M. Pei’s stylish glass pyramid(

金

字塔

) shocked many when it was opened to public in 1989 as the new main entrance, yet it somehow

works and has won compliment in the country, combining the palace’s various elements to make

the museum stand out as the most shinning diamond on the French artistic crown. The museum’s

collections, though failing to excel in numbers, are among the most important in the world.

The Acropolis Museum,

Athens, Greece

The amazing groundfloor gallery

houses were found from the slopes of the Acropolis(

卫城

). Its

amazing see-through glass floor provides a walk over history, with a view of the archaeological(

考

古的

) digging. Smaller settlements have been dug out, providing glimpses of Athenian life. Despite

its lack of variety in exhibits and limited collections, the Acropolis attracts audience by, for the first

time, allowing visitors to take in the stone exhibits, which are displayed in open air characterized

by changing natural light.

State Hermitage,

St. Petersburg, Russia

Russia

may be isolated from the artistic centers of the US or West Europe, but

the Hermitage

has

managed

to

acquire

a

spectacular

collection

of

world

art—three

million

items

in

numbers. The

museum occupies six buildings along the Neva River, the leading structure being the candy-like

Winter

Palace. This

gloriously

blue-and- white

structure

was

finished

in

1764

and over

the

next

several centuries was the main residence of the czars

（沙皇）

. The museum’s leading attraction is

Western European art—in 120 rooms in four buildings ranging from the Middle Ages to the present

day.

1. Compared with the other three, which of the following is not geographically distinguished in art

history?

A. Smithsonian Institution.

Smithsonian In

第

35

页

B. Le Louvre.

Le Louvre.

The Acropolis

C. The Acropolis Museum.

D. State Hermitage.

State Hermitag

2. Which of the following enjoys the largest number of exhibit collections?

A. Smithsonian Institution.

B. Le Louvre.

Le Louvre.

Smithsonian In

The Acropolis

C. The Acropolis Museum.

D. State Hermitage.

State Hermitag

3. The new Le Louvre entrance was recognized by French people because ______.

A. it was designed by a famous foreign architect

B. it was constructed in a very fashionable style

it was designe

it was constru

C. it demonstrates the joint effect of different factors

it demonstrate

D. it exhibits the diamond on the crown of a French king

it exhibits th

4. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A.

If

you

plan

well,

you

can

view

most

exhibits

of

Smithsonian

Institution

during

one

visit.

If you plan we

The Winter Pal

B. The Winter Palace used to serve as the home for Russian kings.

C.

For

preservation,

the Acropolis

Museum

exhibits

are

not

allowed

to

be

exposed

to

sunlight.

For preservati

D.

The

Russian

domestic

art

works

are

the

most

attractive

collections

in

State

Hermitage.

The Russian do

第

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第

37

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体裁

说明文

词数

419

限时

10

分钟

Stephen

Glenn

is

a

famous American

research

scientist

who

has

made

several

very

important

medical breakthroughs. Many people were dying to know the secrets to his fantastic achievements.

To unveil the mystery, a newspaper reporter interviewed him asking why he was able to be so much

more creative than the average person. What set him so far apart from others?

Having assumed to hear wordings like innate curiosity for science or hard work, the reporter was

surprised to have him respond that, in his opinion, it all came from an experience with his mother

that occurred when he was about four years old. He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from

the refrigerator when he lost his grip on the slippery bottle and it fell, spilling its contents all over

the kitchen floor - a real sea of milk!

When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of shouting at him, giving him a lecture or chastising

him, she said,

huge pond of milk. Well, the damage has already been done. Would you like to get down and play

in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?

Indeed, he did. After a few minutes, his mother said,

like this, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order. So, how would

you like to do that? We could use a sponge, a towel or a mop. Which do you prefer?

sponge and together they cleaned up the spilled milk.

His mother then said,

carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let's go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with

water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it.

if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it.

What a wonderful lesson!

This renowned scientist then remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didn't need to be

afraid

to

make

mistakes.

Instead,

he

learned

that

mistakes

were

just

opportunities

for

learning

something new, which is, after all, what scientific experiments are all about. Even if the experiment

‘doesn't work,’ we usually learn something valuable from it.

Wouldn't it be great if all parents would respond the way Steve's mother responded to him?

1. According to the passage, a newspaper interviewed Stephen Glenn in order to ______.

A. persuade him to treat some dying patients

B. find out his differences with ordinary people

C. hear about his opinions about medical science

D. know about why he was so successful

persuade him t

find out his d

hear about his

know about why

第

38

页

2. According to the passage, the underlined word ‘chastise’ is closest in meaning to ______.

A. pursuing

B. punishing

C. praising

D. educating

3. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Steve spilled the milk bottle to make a milk sea on purpose.

Steve spilled

pursuing

punishing

praising

educating

B. Steve’s mother allowed him to play some time with the spilled milk.

C. Steve’s mother let him choose the tool himself to clean up the milk

D. Steve’s mother led him to try out ways to tightly hold the milk bottle.

4. What ordinary mothers can learn from Steve’s mother is that ______.

A. never put milk bottle where little kids can get hold of

never put milk

Steve’s mothe

Steve’s mothe

Steve’s mothe

B. appreciation of kids’ behaviours is important to their growth

C. mothers should teach kids to learn from their own mistakes

D. kids should learn to become scientists from childhood.

appreciation o

mothers should

kids should le

体裁

How does someone step up to a cash machine and withdraw money from an account holder half

第

39

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说明文

词数

448

限时

10

分钟

world away? Even when the debit card is still in the victim’s wallet? It is easy, actually, say experts.

The recipe for creating fake cards is right there on the Internet.

It

is

often

called

“white

card”

fraud.

Criminals

somehow

get

their

hands

on

the

electronic

information stored on a legitimate card’s magnetic stripe. Generally, it’s stolen from a retailer or

payment

processor’s

database,

as

happened

when

thieves

last

year

broke

into

computers

at

CardSystems

Solution

Inc.

Luckily

for

the

criminals,

Cardsystems

didn't

store

just

account

numbers—it even stored customer’s secret codes that were never meant to be copied on magnetic

stripes. Stolen “mag stripe” data is the holy grail for card thieves. Then they take the stolen data and

write it onto a new, blank card—a card that’s often plain white and they are off to the bank.

To show me how easy it was, two executives from MagTek Inc, one of the largest markers of credit

card

stripe

readers

gave

a

demonstration.

Within

minutes,

I

was

withdrawing

money

from

my

account using a plain white piece of plastic at an A

TM. And the key is to get an encoder.

Andy and Paul Deignan are brothers who both work for MagTek. Both came by to show me how

easily thieves can manufacture scores of fake codes. MagTek sells both card readers, which are seen

in

stores

across America,

and

card

encoders,

which

very

few

people

should

ever

see.

Encoders

actually write

information onto that

mysterious piece of magnetic

tape on the back of the card.

Banks use them to create credit cards. Readers cost about $$100. Encoders cost between $$1500 and

$$2000 except on eBay, where stolen encoders can sell for as little as $$500. Armed with one, someone

can create credit and debit cards that work exactly like the cards produced by financial institutions.

For demonstration purposes, the Deignan brothers took my debit card, dropped it in an encoder,

copied the data from the back, and handed the card back to me. Then they took a piece of white

plastic, a second card, inserted that into the encoder, and essentially pasted my ATM information

onto the second card. The process took less than 15 seconds.

The walk to the nearest cash machine took longer. Within a minute, I had taken a white piece of

plastic and withdrawn $$100 from my own checking account. Obviously, with slightly different data

and a PIN number, I could have taken the money from someone else’s account. With a database of

stolen information, I could have withdrawn money from hundreds of accounts.

1. What does “white card” fraud refer to?

A. A person who sells fake credit card to retailers or payment processors.

A person who s

B.

Thieves

withdraw

money

from

a

cash

machine

with

a

plain

card

and

stolen

data.

Thieves withdr

People buy sto

C. People buy stolen or salvaged encoders from the Internet.

D. People can create credit and debit cards to cheat financial institutions.

第

40

页

People can cre

2. What is an encoder used for according to the passage?

A. Identifying account numbers from a credit card.

B. Creating magnetic tape on cassette tapes.

Identifying ac

Creating magne

Stealing data

C. Stealing data from a retailer or payment processor’s database.

D. Writing information onto magnetic stripes on the back of the card.

3. The purpose of this article is probably to

A. tell people how to make a fortune.

tell people ho

Writing inform

explain how a

B. explain how a credit card is used when buying things.

C. warn people not to use credit card to pay for anything.

D. expose a fraud that is often used these days.

4. What is likely to be talked about in the next paragraph?

A. Some other way to withdraw money at an ATM.

B. Where to buy card readers and card encoders.

warn people no

expose a fraud

Some other way

Where to buy c

C. How to protect yourself against the “white card” fraud.

D. The disadvantages of using credit card on the Internet.

How to protect

The disadvanta

第

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体裁

说明文

词数

450

限时

9

分钟

In America, the following birthdays are especially meaningful:

ONE: Whether we remember it or not, most of us had a very happy one-year-old birthday, at least

our

parents

and

family

did.

Our

first

birthday

is

an

occasion

for

our

parents

and

loved

ones

to

celebrate and tell the world that they've had us for one whole year. Hooray!

SIXTEEN: Sweet Sixteen, Sweet Sixteen? What's so sweet about this birthday? Perhaps because

sixteen marks our coming of age, which is the interim period between childhood and adulthood. It's

a very brief and unique stage in our lives. A time when we are becoming an adult, yet still haven't

lost our childhood innocence.

EIGHTEEN: This is the day we become legal adults in the eye of the law. We can now assume full

responsibility for all aspects of our lives. We no longer need our parents' consent to go on fieldtrips,

to rent a R-rated movie, to have a medical procedure done, to get married, etc. If a teacher has a

problem

with

our

grades,

he

comes

directly

to

us. And

if

a

doctor

wants

to

discuss

a

medical

condition, he speaks only to us.

TWENTY-ONE: Most Americans celebrate this birthday with excessive partying and drinking. 21

is the legal drinking age in America. In other words, the day we turn 21 is the day we enter a whole

new social plane. We can order a glass of wine with our dinner or enjoy a highball at a classy cocktail

lounge without the fear of being charged with underage drinking. In addition, being 21 gives us

access to bars, clubs and casinos. In America, all establishments that serve alcohol require us to

show proof of age before entrance is granted or services are rendered.

THIRTY: The Big Three-O. What's so special about this birthday? In my opinion, 30th birthday is

the day of introspection and reflection for many people. We look back at what we've done with our

lives so far and decide if we are happy with where we are? Thirty is a critical age. We are not old

but we're also not young. In other words, it's not too late for us to do the things that we've always

wanted to do, but we should start on them soon because time is flying by. In other words, thirty is

the age of many important questions: Do I want to get married? Do I want to have children? Should

I marry the woman I met three years ago? Am I happy with my career? Do I have a future in this

line of work? Is it too late to change professions? Should I start saving money to buy a house soon?

1. According to the passage, at which age can American enjoy the best of two different stages of

life?

A. Sixteen

B. Eighteen

Sixteen

第

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Eighteen

C. Twenty-one

Twenty-one

D. Thirty

Thirty

2. Which of the following is NOT the true meaning of celebrating the birthdays?

A. Parents celebrate the first birthday of their babies to express their love.

B. The age of 16 stands for a short but sweet transitional stage of life.

Parents celebr

The age of 16

C. People become physically and mentally mature on their 18th birthday.

D. Americans are allowed to drink by the law at the age of 21.

3. From the context, we may learn that probably introspection means

A. making decisions.

B. having new plans

C. starting a new life

D. thinking deeply

4. The purpose of writing this passage is

A. to tell people how Americans celebrate their birthdays.

to tell people

making decisio

People become

Americans are

having new pla

starting a new

thinking deepl

B. to discuss about the value of American families and their life

to discuss abo

C. to point out the American birthday tradition should be maintained.

D. to illustrate the importance of different ages in the American’s life.

to point out t

to illustrate

第

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词数

314

限时

10

分钟

What is the meaning of “madness”? In the US every March, it’s 64 men’s college basketball teams

playing 63 games in less than a month. But it’s not just the tournament that’s a little crazy—people

all over the country also go mad trying to predict the winner.

Even billionaire investor Warren Buffet seems to be going crazy

. In late January, Buffet announced

that he’ll give $$1 billion (6.1 billion yuan) to anyone in the US who can correctly predict the winners

of all 63 games this year, Reuters reported.

Each year, in the week before the first round begins, people usually print and fill out March Madness

brackets. A brackets is a kind of diagram that lists all the teams that play each other in the first round,

leaving blank spots for all of the rounds after that. In offices and classrooms all over the US, people

compete

to

fill

out

the

most

accurate

bracket.

Some

people

compete

for

prizes,

like

money

or

expensive gifts, while others do it for personal glory.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the sports media company ESPN has held a national bracket

contest every March for the last 16 years. And in all that time, not a single person has ever correctly

predicted all 63 game results.

So, will anyone win Buffet’s billion? While it’s unlikely, the person with the best shot is probably

Craig Gilmore, a business analyst in Virginia, US. Last year, Gilmore beat over 8 million others in

ESPN’s contest, correctly predicting 50 out of the 63 games, including that No 1-ranked Louisville

would beat No 4-ranked Michigan for the championship. Gilmore has said that he filled out that

bracket pretty quickly—after first drinking four glasses of beer. “I didn’t overanalyze it,” he told

ESPN, “I just kind of went with my gut.”

That’s funny—he doesn’t sound mad at all, does he?

does the author mention Warren Buffet in the article?

A.

To

show

the

excitement

and

popularity

of

predicting

the

winner

of

the

tournament.

To show the ex

To show how pe

B. To show how people have tried to make money from other’s madness.

C. To invite readers to predict the winner of March Madness.

D. To introduce the bracket contest ESPN holds each year.

of the following statements is true according to the article?

A. March Madness has been held in the US for the last 15 years.

第

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To invite read

To introduce t

March Madness