【推荐1】Astronomers have taken the first ever image of a black hole, which is located in a distant galaxy (星系).The black hole is 500 million trillion km away and was photographed by a network of eight telescopes across the world. It was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT).

The announcement was made in Washington, Brussels, Santiago, Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo. Details have been published today in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Prof Heino Falckc, of Radboud University in the Netherlands, who suggested the experiment, told BBC News that the black hole was found in a galaxy called M87. "What we see is larger than the size of our entire Solar System," he said. "It has a mass 6.5 billion times that of the Sun. And it is one of the heaviest black holes that we think exists. It is an absolute monster, the heavyweight champion of black holes in the Universe."

The image shows an intensely bright "ring of fire", as Prof Falckc describes it, surrounding a perfectly circular dark hole. The bright halo is caused by very heated gas falling into the hole. The light is brighter than all the billions of other stars in the galaxy combined - which is why it can be seen at such distance from Earth. The edge of the dark circle at the center is the point at which the gas enters the black hole, which is an object that has such a large gravitational pull (万有引 力）,not even light can escape.

"It is remarkable that the image we observe is so similar to that which we get from our theoretical calculations. So far, it looks like Einstein is correct once again." said Dr Ziri Younsi, of University College London -who is part of the EHT cooperation.

Chinese scientists were involved in the observation through a telescope in Hawaii. They were also highly involved in follow-up data processing and theoretical analysis, said Shen Zhiqiang, head of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shanhai Astronomical Observatory and a member of the EHT international team.

Shanghai and Taipei were selected as two of the cities to hold news conferences, together with Washington, Brussels, Santiago and Tokyo, a recognition of China's contribution.

"In the fields of astronomy, radio astronomy, and space astrophysics, China has made a significant contribution to this global project," Falcke said.

1. What is the best title for the passage?

A．First Image of a Black Hole Taken

B．How Einstein Discovered a Black Hole

C．How a Black Hole Is Formed

D．A Book about Black Holes

2. Who first got the idea for the project?

A．Shen Zhiqiang.	B．Heino Falcke.
C．Albert Einstein.	D．Ziri Younsi.

3. Why are six cities selected for the announcement?

A．It was the first black hole ever discovered.

B．It took eight telescopes to work together.

C．It was a joint effort of many countries.

D．It's the heaviest of black holes.

4. From the passage we know that in the experiment Chinese scientists ________.

A．started the experiment

B．led the experiment

C．provided the equipment

D．played an important role

5. What does Dr Ziri Younsi tell us about black holes in Paragraph 5?

A．Black holes can swallow up everything in the Universe.

B．Scientists knew about black holes before they see them.

C．Einstein has been proved wrong many times.

D．Black holes might be some make-up stories.

【推荐2】Lying in bed, you command yourself to sleep, eyes fixed on the ceiling. You shut your eyes tight, force your body to relax, and wait for the pleasant sleep to come. But nothing happens. It’s 3 a.m., and you’re still staring at the ceiling.

Such a situation is familiar to us all. Try as we might, it is nearly impossible to consciously will yourself to sleep. Sleep comes to those who let their mind wander and focus on anything other than sleep itself. Count sheep, control your breathing, listen to an audio book, or whatever-so long as it turns your mind from wanting to sleep. This is a common example of “the law of reversed effort”.

The Law of Reversed Effort was first created by Aldous Huxley. “The harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less likely we are to succeed.” Suppose, for instance, that you are learning how to ride a bike. You are instructed to hold the handlebars, to push off with this foot, to pedal at a certain speed, to hold your balance here, and so on. When riding, we know all these instructions, but we do not try to do them. They just happen. In Huxley’s words, it’s “combining relaxation with activity”.

There’s a spiritual way of viewing “the law of reversed effort” as well. It’s something that has a much longer history than Aldous Huxley — it’s the Daoist idea of “Wu Wei”. It is to walk the path that opens up and push the door that gives. Call it fate, divine (神圣的) calling, or whatever, but Wu Wei is to stop doing what you think is right, and to let yourself be pulled by some other power. Wu Wei is the grass bending in the wind. It’s the stick riding down the river.

There are many moments in life when trying harder makes things worse. When you have a mosquito bite, a broken bone, or a nosebleed, you leave it be. Picking and tapping only worsen the problem. So, too, with a lot of life’s major moments.

1. Why is the example of the failure to falling asleep mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．To show how common sleep loss is.

B．To introduce the Law of Reversed Effort.

C．To recommend effective ways to get to sleep.

D．To prove the impossibility of willing ourselves to sleep.

2. What might help us learn riding a bike according paragraph 3?

A．Making reversed effort.	B．Trying our best to practice.
C．Riding in a relaxed manner.	D．Remembering to follow instructions.

3. Which might be an example of “Wu Wei” according to the text?

A．Ignore a mosquito bite.	B．Sail against a strong wind.
C．Will yourself to sleep when suffering sleep loss.	D．Remind yourself of instructions when riding a bike.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Science of Falling Asleep	B．The Ways of Handling Sleep Loss
C．The Law of Reversed Effort in Daily Life	D．The Art of Letting Go: Wu Wei in Action

【推荐3】No one can change the weather. Nobody can control the weather. But if we read correctly the signs around us, we can tell what the more important changes in the weather will be. This way of telling what the weather will be like on the following day or two is called weather forecasting.
For many centuries and in all countries, people have studied the weather and tried to make weather forecasting. Rings around the sun are a sign of coming rain. That many people feel their joints(关节) hurt is a sign of wet weather. Some birds fly high if the weather is fine, but they fly near the ground if rainy or stormy weather is _____ If you see a rainbow during rainy weather, this is a sign that the weather will become clear and fine. Such rainbows come in the evening. If the stars twinkle clearly at night, then fine weather will continue. If a fog appears in the morning just above a river, then the day will be warm. If the sunset is mostly red in colour, then the following day will be fine. If a rainbow appears in the morning, rainy weather will probably come.
Most of the above sayings have been made by the people who have used their eyes and brains to make weather forecasting.
1. Which is true about weather forecasting?

A．Weather forecasting is a way of telling what the weather will be like.

B．Weather forecasting is a report about the weather.

C．Weather forecasting is a sign of coming rain.

D．People can change the weather forecasting.

2. Which of the following can be used here to replace the underlined phrase “on the way”?

A．continuing

B．reducing.

C．coming.

D．disappearing.

3. Which of the following signs can tell the weather will probably be rainy?

A．Some birds fly high.

B．A rainbow appears in the morning.

C．The sunset is mostly red in colour.

D．Fogs appear in the morning just above a river.

4. The best title of the passage is _______.

A．Weather forecasting plays an important role in our life

B．Weather forecasting can bring people some signs of weather

C．Weather is forecasted only by eyes and brains.

D．People can predict weather by experience in daily life

【推荐1】In the past decade, the use of social media has grown in a way that no one could have guessed. It has turned some teenagers into celebrities (名人) and turned the famous into the infamous, overnight.

A key feature of social media, however, is its volatility. Trends come and go, disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared. So, what are the key social media trends of 2018?

Short video apps took the world by storm.

Why are these short videos — which are rarely longer than a few minutes — so popular? Jiang Yige, Singapore-based analyst at FengHe Fund Management, has a theory. Short videos are “just right to fill in the little gaps in our busy schedules,” he told CNBC.

These videos — apart from being very convenient — are important to teenagers because they allow them to express themselves, according to TeenVogue.

The sense of community that users of short video apps get is another appealing feature. Liza Koshy, a user of the US app Musically who has over 2 million followers, said that she was thrilled when anyone said that her video had “inspired” them. “It’s really cool ... because I think as social creators that’s what we all are,” she added.

Live streaming is another feature of our social media life that now seems as natural as sunrise. It’s a pretty neat idea: You can watch anyone, anywhere, live.

However, China has taken live streaming to a whole new level. In China, more than 100 million viewers monthly watch a live streaming video. Forbes thought that a number of factors had led to the popularity of live streams.Among them is viewers’ ability to interact while remaining anonymous.

However, the boom in social media may be having side effects too. Fake news is one serious problem it arguably causes. Material shared on these platforms is often not checked for accuracy. The most basic content can be false and can sway users one way or another. We use social media all the time; that doesn’t mean that we understand the influence it is having on us. We should be mindful of both the time we spend on it and its impact on our minds.

1. The underlined word “volatility” in Paragraph 2 possibly means “being 　　”.

A．changeable	B．steady
C．promising	D．violent

2. According to Liza Koshy, short videos are very popular because 　　　.

A．they are very convenient

B．they help people kill time

C．they provide a sense of community

D．they allow people to express themselves

3. What can we learn about social media from the text?

A．The information from social media is highly reliable.

B．When it comes to social media, people know short videos best.

C．People can’t communicate with each other without social media.

D．There is still much room for social media to make improvement.

【推荐2】LIANG TAO sold 80 pink Givenchy bags in 12minutes． Becky Fang sold 100 Mini Cooper cars in just five． Both are wanghong， literally "red﹣hot on the web"． Every day millions of Chinese search social media for wanghong posts or tune in to live﹣streams for wanghong's opinions on everything． The fans are helping this new Chinese Internet star to make money out of their popularity﹣and to shake up the country's e﹣commerce industry in the process．

A few of wanghong have been hired by luxury brands． Jaeger﹣LeCoultre， a Swiss watchmaker， hired Papi Jiang for a video ad targeting young urbanites （都市人）， including her 27m fans on Sina Weibo， a Twitter﹣like microblog． Zhang Yi of iiMedia Research， a consulting firm， estimates that up to 15% of sales on shopping sites like Taobao or social﹣media apps such as WeChat are influenced by wanghong's public support． The length of a dress might be decided by a survey of a wanghong's fans； its launch date might be based on the number of hits， shares or comments it collects， some of which can cause last﹣minute design changes．

This poses a new challenge for retailers （零售商）， whose supply chains must respond ever more quickly to wanghong's opinions． Whereas previously a company would look for a celebrity to match its image， wanghong and their admirers are shaping goods．

Another challenge comes directly from wanghong themselves． They increasingly make money not merely from online support or advice but by launching their own e﹣commerce stores． Sales of goods accounted for just under half of wanghong earnings of 53bn yuan （﹩8bn） in 2016， estimates Analysys， a Chinese market﹣research firm （the rest came mostly from live﹣show tips and adverts）．

Some wanghong are going a step further． In November Becky Fang launched her own clothing line． Part of her motivation， she says， was that the brands she supported did not always match the trends she was sharing with her followers． By creating her own brand， Becky's Fantasy， she have full control of the quality． She also gains a new income． For the time being only 3﹣5% of wanghong follow Becky Fang's example， iiMedia Research estimates． But t expects the model to become an industry in its own right， including entertainment and e﹣commerce， and driven by online data．

1. Why can wanghong use their popularity to make money？

A．Because they are Internet stars．

B．Because they use social media．

C．Because their opinions influence fans．

D．Because they can shake the e﹣commerce industry．

2. What is the characteristic of the products supported by wanghong？

A．It is fans﹣based．

B．It is social﹣media﹣based．

C．It is design﹣shared．

D．It is youth﹣targeted．

3. What are the challenges for retailers？

A．Online support and advice．

B．Increasing sales of goods online．

C．Quick responses to the market changes．

D．Wanghong's opinions and e﹣commerce stores．

4. Why do some wanghong create their own brands？

A．Because they want to attract more fans．

B．Because they want to share with their followers．

C．Because they want to set up a new industry model．

D．Because the brands they speak for can't satisfy their fans．

【推荐2】Children spend more time messaging each other on phones and websites than talking in person, a survey has revealed. Text messages and social networking sites have become the common mode of youngsters aged 8 to 14.

A survey of modern childhood found that many youngsters are conscious that they are spending too much time on their computers and enjoy themselves the most when playing outside. But the lure (诱惑) of electronic products proves too strong for a quarter, while a fifth say their parents don’t like them playing outside because they are worried about strangers and injuries.

The “I Generation report” suggested that youngsters are increasingly health-conscious and skeptical (持怀疑态度的) of commercialization, including gender-based labelling on toys and pop videos released by singers. More than half of those questioned care about eating healthily and one in 10 lectures their own parents about the food they are eating or buying, 42 percent of those questioned own a smartphone, with 36 percent admitting spending more time communicating with friends via instant messaging, such as texts or networking websites, than talking in person. Only one child in 100 said that being happy, having a loving family and being clever were taken as the most crucial (决定性的) elements in their lives.

Cary Cooper, the professor of organizational psychology and health at Lancaster University, said social media were contributing to youngsters becoming more independent. They had a sense of individuality due to exposure to a range of media.

The survey follows major state-backed research which found that youngsters are turning their back on drink, drugs and smoking. It found a dramatic drop in the number of secondary school students trying and regularly using drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Some analysts said that thanks to the rise of social media, millions of teenagers are spending their time at home in their rooms rather than out on the streets.

1. What is the topic of this article?

A．Childhood.

B．Time.

C．Media.

D．Life.

2. Why can’t 25 percent of the children get away from electronic products?

A．They are not allowed to hang out long.

B．They are protected from strangers and injuries.

C．They enjoy themselves most when playing outside.

D．They can’t resist the temptation of the products.

3. The survey of modern childhood found that many youngsters ______.

A．are fans of the pop videos released by singers

B．message each other more rather than chat in person

C．are doubtful about possessing the latest smartphones

D．pay no attention to their lifestyle nowadays

4. The attitude of Cary Cooper towards social media is ______.

A．objective	B．negative
C．supportive	D．unclear

5. The last paragraph is written to show ______.

A．the benefits of social media	B．the drop of taking drugs in youngsters
C．the exposure to a range of media	D．youngsters are becoming more conscious

【推荐3】Free and secure accommodation, no bills and even the odd home-cooked meal. It sounds like the perfect living arrangement for cash-strapped students.

Two mothers believe they have devised (提出)a way for struggling students to save on accommodation costs when they leave home to study at university.

Kate Barnham and Amanda Flude have launched Student Swaps, an online accommodation forum (论坛)for parents and students, in advance of the introduction in September of ￡3,000 higher education top-up fees.

Their website says, “The principle behind Student Swaps is to enable students to literally swap (交换) family homes.” The website will hold a database of students who would like to swap and link them with suitable matches. So those from one town / city could swap with those from a different town / city.

The site describes itself as offering a “cost-free accommodation alternative… at a time of growing student debt”. There is no charge for the service at the moment but Ms Barnham and Ms Flude intend to introduce a ￡10 annual fee if it becomes established.

However, the National Union of Students (NUS) has warned that, while the scheme may sound appealing to struggling freshers, it lacks any formal regulation.

Veronica King, NUS vice-president of welfare, said, “The fact that this scheme has even been suggested is evidence to the high levels of debt students now face on graduation.” Recent research has shown that students are more likely to live at home in coming years, in a bid to cut down on the cost of a degree.

“This is worrying, as it may mean that students choose their university on the basis of where it is, rather than because it offers the best course for them. It also means students will miss out on what is for some a key part of the student experience—living away from home.”

1. A “cash-strapped” student means one who __________.

A．lacks money	B．prefers to stay at home
C．is careful with money	D．wants to change cash

2. What is Kate Barnham and Amanda Flude’s purpose of launching Student Swaps?

A．To provide cheaper accommodation for students.

B．To let students stay close to their universities.

C．To help students spend less on accommodation costs.

D．To let students exchange ideas freely online.

3. What can students do on Student Swaps?

A．They can find students to exchange homes with.

B．They can make friends with students from a different city.

C．They can borrow money to pay for their higher education.

D．They can voice their opinions against the rising cost of a degree.

4. Now many students would prefer a university _________.

A．which can give them free accommodation

B．which is not far away from their homes

C．which offers the best courses

D．which can offer home-cooked meals

5. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．High Cost Troubles University Students in UK.

B．Students Swaps is Welcomed by Students in UK.

C．Two Mothers’ Good Intention to Help Students in UK.

D．Website Helps Students Live at Someone Else’s Home.