【推荐1】China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found it is not true. There are millions of cars. However，people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors－silver，green，red，blue，yellow，whatever you want.

It’ s fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks(人行道). Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’ t provide.

Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather came with my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.

My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的)．To be safe，I stayed with a pack of bikers while cars on the streets came running fast out of nowhere at times. I didn’ t want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.

Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.

I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was pleasant. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.

1. According to the writer, why are bicycles still popular in China today?

A．Because they are safe.

B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive.

C．Because they are colorful and fast.

D．Because they are fast.

2. The writer decided to buy a bicycle because he planned ________.

A．to ride it for fun	B．to use it for transport
C．to experience local culture	D．to improve his riding skills

3. Which of the following best describes（描述）the author’ s biking experience?

A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills.

B．The author was annoyed（烦扰）by the air while riding.

C．The author was encouraged by the other bikers.

D．The author took great pleasure in biking.

【推荐2】Driving to the airport in the early morning, I felt excited. Although I was heading abroad for my first time alone, I felt cheerful and enthusiastic. I was spending the summer in Paris.

While looking for more interesting things to do besides sleeping and eating, I found programs for learning languages abroad, and jumped at the chance to study French in this city known for its art, fashion, food, and culture. As I arrived at the airport where I would leave my family, I still felt only great happiness. I excitedly made my way through security, leaving my loved ones behind.

My connecting flight was in Frankfurt, Germany, 14 hours from Denver. Sitting in a crowded plane watching bad movies couldn’t dampen my excitement. When the woman next to me asked me where I was going, I happily answered and was pleased to note a tone of jealousy in her response.

But when I arrived in Frankfurt, fear and anxiety began to set in. Being in an enormous, busy building in a country where I couldn’t speak the language was frightening, but as I found my way, I gained confidence. When I boarded the second plane and discovered that the flight was less than an hour, I was filled with excitement as I thought of how I would manage in a country with a new language.

When I stepped on the ground of Pairs for the first time, I was extremely happy and excited. I gathered my bags and joined the crowd of people waiting for friends and family. I quickly had my first experience trying to communicate in a language that I had only practiced in school. As I left the airport, I looked for familiar monuments I had read about, but the landscape looked very- ordinary. Then, with one sharp turn, the Eiffel Tower came into view, and I was finally in Pairs.

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．It was the first time that the writer had traveled abroad.

B．In the new term the writer was to study French in Paris.

C．The crowded plane made the writer less excited.

D．The writer flew to Paris via another country.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The writer was travelling with a woman friend of her parents’.

B．Arriving in Paris, the writer saw some family friends waiting for her.

C．The writer was not alone when travelling to the airport in Denver.

D．The writer had great difficulty communicating with people in French.

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The writer’s excitement and happiness on her journey to Paris.

B．The writer’s exciting experiences of studying French in Paris.

C．The writer’s expectation for French art, fashion, food and culture.

D．The writer’s excitement resulting from her first ride on a plane

【推荐3】Don't drive your kids to school. Let them ride a bike to school.

In England 8.3 million children travel to school every day. It is reported that only a small number of pupils cycle to school (under 2%), although one in three children would actually like to.

Experts say that to stay healthy, children need at least one hour of moderate (适度的) exercise every day. But only six out of ten boys and four out of ten girls get that. One of the reasons is that parents have developed a habit of driving their children to school when they could just walk or ride a bike to school.

Teachers often say that children who walk or ride a bike to school are more ready to listen to their classes, ask and answer questions in class than those driven by car, and the school journey is a good chance for children to learn about road safety and other life skills. Also, for many children, riding a bike is more fun than going to school by car.

Most parents know the benefits. Then what's stopping them from letting their kids ride a bike? Safety is the number one worry for them. But actually riding a bike is not as dangerous as parents think it is.

When you decide to buy a bike, you should be aware (意识到) that a bike that is too big or too small is dangerous. Don't try to get a bike that your child will “grow into”. Get the right size in good working order. Generally, 20­ inch wheels are on bikes for 5-8 year old; 24 ­inch wheels are for 9-11 year old; 26 ­inch wheels are suitable for those over 11, and some older children should even take bikes with 28 ­inch wheels, but the main thing is that the bike fits your child.

1. This passage is mainly written for ________.

A．teachers whose students have asked their parents to drive them to school

B．children who have asked their parents to drive them to school

C．parents who drive their children to school

D．parents who drive to work

2. Which of the following benefits of cycling to school is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．It will help children keep healthy.

B．It will make children more active in class.

C．It will make children feel freer.

D．It will be more fun for children.

3. Parents don't allow their children to ride a bike to school mainly because ________.

A．their children don't want to

B．they are worried about their children's safety

C．they don't know what size bike to choose

D．they haven't enough money to buy a bike

4. Generally, what size bike is suitable for a 10­year­old child?

A．A bike with 20­inch wheels.

B．A bike with 24­inch wheels.

C．A bike with 26­inch wheels.

D．A bike with 28­inch wheels

【推荐1】Famous Chinese agricultural scientist Yuan Longping and his research team’s experiment of planting saltwater-tolerant(耐盐的) rice in desert areas of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates(阿拉伯联合酋长国) proved to be a success, with one type of rice producing more than 7.5 tons per hectare(公顷), Xinhua reported.

Saltwater-tolerant rice is designed to grow in tidal flats (潮滩地) or other areas with heavy salt content. It was the world’s first successful case of planting rice in a tropical(热带的) desert area, standing as China’s contribution to improving the ability of people in desert areas to be self-sufficient(自给自足的) in main foods, a move that can protect global food security and improve the desert ecological environment.

In January, the center chose dozens of types of hybrid rice and planted them on small places of desert areas near Dubai. After five months of growth, the center invited experts from India, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other countries for evaluation, and found three types of rice producing more than 6 tons per hectare. In June, a second evaluation will be carried out for middle-season rice.

The technology of saltwater-tolerant rice plays a key role in the success as the natural environment of the Dubai desert is terrible for rice growth. The daytime temperatures could be as high as over 50 ℃, and nighttime temperatures could drop by 30 ℃. Humidity(湿度) stays below 20 percent and there are sandstorms from time to time. The biggest challenge is the desert soil, which is low in organic matter and unable to keep soil moisture as it is totally sand. To make it worse, sea water remains just 7.5 meters below the soil, which makes it easy to be full of salt.

With this success, the center and the private investment office of the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai plan to set up a 100-hectare experimental farmland in Dubai, to test the production costs and cultivation techniques(耕种技术) of the saltwater-tolerant rice and prepare for promotion. The two parties will construct a 100-hectare standard farmland in 2019 and speed up rice planting in 2020.

1. What can we infer from the second paragraph?

A．The tropical desert areas have done well in being self-sufficient.

B．Planting saltwater-tolerant rice can be easily achieved in many tropical desert-areas.

C．Chinese team play a great role in planting saltwater-tolerant rice in desert areas.

D．Saltwater-tolerant rice is designed to grow in areas with heavy salt content.

2. What’s the most difficult thing for rice growth in Dubai desert?

A．Its daytime temperature could be up to 50 ℃ and humidity stays below 20%.

B．It’s just 6.5 meters above the sea water and easy to be full of salt.

C．It is extremely expensive to conduct experiments in tropical desert areas.

D．Its soil is short of organic matter and hard to keep soil moisture.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Dubai still has a lot to do before the saltwater-tolerant rice benefits other areas.

B．The natural environment is the key factor of the success of the experiment.

C．No evaluation will be performed again as the experiment has been successful.

D．The ruler of the Emirate of Dubai thinks little of the result of the experiment.

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．The United Arab Emirates tries to improve the desert ecological environment.

B．Chinese team succeeds in planting saltwater-tolerant rice in Dubai’s desert.

C．The rice experiment is of great importance for the tropical desert-areas.

D．Chinese team help expand the farming of saltwater-tolerant rice.

【推荐3】Scientists at Israel's Tel Aviv University say—they have created the world’s first 3D-printed heart with human tissue and blood vessels. Although the organ is only as big as a rabbit’s heart, the researchers are hoping the technology could one day be developed enough to help human patients in need of a heart transplant.

Lead researcher Tal Dvir said that while other scientists have managed to 3D—print the structure of a heart in the past, this is the first time anyone has printed an entire heart. “Our results demonstrate the potential of our approach for engineering personalized tissue and organ replacement in the future,”Dvir said in a press statement.

Scientists used fatty tissue taken from human patients to create the heart. Some material in the tissue was reprogrammed to become stem cells. The remaining material was processed into a hydrogel. They used the hydrogel as a printing：“ink”. This method is key to removing the risk that the implant will be rejected by the patient’s body. The team’s next step is to cultivate the organs in a lab and to teach them how to“behave”like hearts. Dvir’s 3D-printed hearts can currently contract, but the cells still need to develop a pumping ability. His team eventually plans to test the hearts in animals.

“Maybe, in ten years, there will be organ printers in the finest hospitals around the world, and these procedures will be conducted routinely, ”Dvir said. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 610, 000 people die of this disease in America every year—amounting to about 1 in every 4 deaths. There are currently more than 3700 people waiting for a heart transplant in the United States, according to data from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

1. What is the purpose of creating the 3D-printed heart?

A．To develop 3D-printed technology.	B．To study the hearts of rabbits.
C．To connect hospitals with universities.	D．To help patients receive a new heart.

2. Why does the author mention the current situation of heart disease patients?

A．To appeal to hospitals to reduce medical fees.

B．To show the need to improve the new technology.

C．To urge researchers to develop effective medical devices.

D．To introduce the main reason for heart disease to the public.

3. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The course of the research.	B．The importance of the research.
C．The material of the 3D-printed heart.	D．The method of the 3D-printed heart.

4. What’s Dvir’s attitude towards the new technology?

A．Disapproving.	B．Doubtful.
C．Positive.	D．Indifferent.

【推荐1】People have gown taller over the last century, with South Korean women shooting up by more than 20cm on average, and Iranian men gaining 16. 5cm. A global study looked at the average height of 18 year-olds in 200 countries between 1914and 2014.

The results reveal that while Swedes were the tallest people in the world in 1914, Dutch men have risen from I2th place to claim top spot with an average height of 182. 5cm. Latvian women, meanwhile, rose from 28th place in 1914 to become the tallest in the world a century later, with an average height of 169. 8cm.

James Bentham, a co-author of the research from Imperial College, London, says the global trend is likely to be due primarily to improvements in nutrition and healthcare. “An individual's genetics has a big influence on their height, but once you average over whole populations, genetics plays a less key role, " he added.

A little extra height brings a number of advantages, says Elio Riboli of Imperial College. "Being taller is associated with longer life expectancy," he said. "This is largely due to a lower risk of dying of cardiovascular（心血管的）disease among taller people.”

But while height has increased around the world, the trend in many countries of north and sub-Saharan Africa causes concern, says Riboli. While height increased in Ugands and "Nigeria during the early 20th century, the trend has reversed in recant yeas, with height decreasing among 18-year-olds.

“One reason for these decreases in height is the economic situation in the 1980s," said Alexander Moradi df the University of Sussex. The nutritional and health crises that followed the policy of structural adjustment, he says, led to many children and teenagers failing to teach their full potential in terms of height.

Bentham believes the global trend of increasing height has important inaolications. “How tall we are now is strongly influenced by the environment we grew up in," he said. "If we give children the best passible start in life now, they will be healthier and more productive for decades to come."

1. What does the global study tell us about people's height in the last hundred years?

A．There is a remarkable difference across cantinents.

B．There has been a marked increase in most countries.

C．The increase in people's height has been quickening.

D．The increase in women's height is bigger than in men's.

2. What does James Bentham say about genetics in the increase of people's height?

A．It counts Jess than generally thought.

B．It outweighs nutrition and healthcare.

C．It impacts more on an individual than on a population.

D．It plays a more significant role in females than in males.

3. What do we lean about 18-year-olds in Uganda and Nigeria?

A．They grow up slower than their peers in other countriea.

B．They are actually shorter than their earlier generations.

C．They find it hard to bring their potential into full play.

D．They have experienced many changes of government.

4. What does James Bentham suggest we do?

A．Watch closely the global trend in children's development.

B．Make sure that our children grow up to their full height.

C．Try every means possible to improve our environment.

D．Ensure our children grow up in an ideal environment.

【推荐2】A handful of stencils (模板) and three pens sound like materials for a child’s art project. But researchers have now used these tools to draw functional health monitors directly on human skin.

Wearable sensor technology, which helps doctors Check a variety of health indicators (指标), has in recent years advanced   from heavy equipment to flexible patches (贴片). These sensors can be expensive, however. They also tend to follow skin imperfectly, making them sensitive to the wearer’s move. Researchers say that a new drawn-on-skin electronics system could offer a solution to both problems.

A team led by biomedical engineer Faheem Ershad of the University of Houston first developed a conductive (导电的) ink that is safe to use on human skin. The researchers loaded the ink into ballpoint pens, then placed a stencil made of tape on a volunteer and followed within it to draw the simple circuit diagram (电路图). Within five minutes the ink dried to create a working sensor. The researchers then taped on an electrical line to provide power and send data to a computer.

Using just this type of ink, the team measured the electrical activity of heart and muscles. Because the sensor stuck perfectly to the skin, wearers could walk around without jarring it, which reduced data quality. The ink didn’t take in sweat and was easily removed with a wet paper towel and soap.

For more advanced equipment, Ershad’s team used two additional inks: one served as a semi-conductor (半导体), and the other acted as an object to prevent electricity. Zheng Yan, a biomedical engineer at the University of Missouri, and his colleagues have developed similar technology using pencils and paper, but their method is limited to passive conductors that cannot introduce energy into a circuit. Ershad says that he hopes to create high-tech sensors to discover health indicators ranging from elements in sweat to the brain’s electrical activity.

The researchers plan to eventually make their sensors truly wireless by combining more advanced ink-based circuits. After that achievement, they say, people could use affordable sets of stencils and pens to carefully watch their own health at home.

1. How does the new wearable sensor technology work?

A．By placing a stencil to send health data.

B．By applying a conductive ink to human skin.

C．By loading a safe ink to a working sensor.

D．By drawing simple circuit diagram with pens.

2. What does the underlined word “jarring” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Shaking.

B．Accessing.

C．Curing.

D．Hiding.

3. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A．Hospitals will increase the cost of testing health indicators.

B．Researchers aim to make advanced wireless ink-based sensors.

C．A safe sensor will be applied to make human skin less sensitive.

D．Yan’s team has developed a technology to lead energy into a circuit.

4. What is the text mainly talking about?

A．A child’s art project helping check health indicators.

B．A conductive ink sensor sending data to a computer.

C．An electronics system checking brain’s electrical activity.

D．A pen-and-ink method producing wearable health equipment.

【推荐3】Experts say farmers will need to produce about 70 percent more food by the middle of the century. They predict that 9 billion people will need to be fed worldwide by 2050. The prediction means experts will need to develop more effective farming methods that cause less harm to the environment to produce more food. Experts say living things called bacteria could help achieve that goal. A bacterium is an organism.It is so small that it can be seen only with a microscope.

Researchers are finding extremely small organisms in the ground. One gram of soil contains between 100 million and one billion bacteria. Bacteria are taking part in a healthy ex- change with the plants that share the soil. Around plant roots, bacteria change chemicals in the air and soil into food for the plants. The bacteria include the material known as fungi(真菌). Some bacteria act as bodyguards. They produce anti-bodies and other chemicals to fight harmful bacteria.

Plants make sugar through a process called photosynthesis (光合作用).This happens when a plant receiving light changes water and carbon dioxide into food. Much of the sugar is pumped down through the roots. There, it is turned into sugar-based food and released into the soil. That is done to get bacteria to help the plants grow better. Some of the organisms turn chemicals in the air and soil into food that the plants can eat.

The biosciences company Novozymes already sells one kind of fungi. It has found a way to produce it in very large quantities and offer it to farmers as.a bio-pesticide (生物农药).A bio-pesticide protects crops from animals and bacteria. If so, farmers can harvest more crops.

1. What do the experts’ statistics in paragraph 1 show?

A．Bacteria have a good effect on farming.

B．There will be more harmful bacteria in 2050.

C．There's no need to worry about the problem of future food.

D．More food will be needed to feed more people in the future.

2. What's the connection between plants and bacteria according to paragraph 3?

A．Bacteria can't live without plants.	B．Plants get benefit from bacteria .
C．They make sugar cooperatively.	D．They compete for more sunshine.

3. What does Novozymes do?

A．It sells crops and animals.

B．It beautifies the environment.

C．It provides farmers with materials free of charge.

D．It produces fungi as a bio-pesticide.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Crops of High Quality Need Developing

B．Bacteria May Help Meet Food Needs of the Future

C．A Large Quantity of Farmland Should Be Improved

D．Diseases and Pests Can Be Controlled in the Future