【推荐1】Literary Festivals across the Wold

London Book Fair Time: held annually in April for three days Place: London, U.K. The London Book Fair is a part of the London Book & Screen Week. Visitors include anyone who is involved with the creation, distribution, sale or treatment of content. Authors, talent scouts （星探）, editors, designers, and digital gurus（领袖人物）all walk the floor-----meeting, talking, observing, discovering. It’s a great opportunity to meet all kinds of people.

BookExpo America Time: held annually on May or June for four days Place: various cities in the U.S. Unlike most book fairs, BookExpo America doesn’t have a base city. It moves to different places every year —— mostly big cities such as New York, Washington, Los Angles and Chicago. It is the largest gathering in the United States of librarians, booksellers and industry professionals, as well as a great place to discover the latest trends in technology while networking with others in the business, Go to book signing sessions （签书会）with your favorite authors, and participate in panel discussions with top writers while you enjoy breakfast. With hundreds of participating authors, there’s lots to do, see and read.

Frankfurt Book Fair Time: held annually in October for a week Place: Frankfurt, Germany The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world’s biggest and oldest book event with more than 500 years of history, yet it never stops developing with time. Thematic tours are provided, during which trade visitors and the general public can learn more about the Frankfurt Book Fair. Led by experts, these topical tours take interested groups to stands and other locations around the fair that are relevant to specific themes, such as educations, science, kids. With our Book Fair app, visitors have the possibility to take a time-independent, thematic tour.

Tokyo international Book Fair Time: held annually in September for three days Place: Tokyo, Japan Being Asia’s leading book fair, the Tokyo International Book Fair has several sub categories, including the Natural Sciences Book Fair, the Humanities & Social Sciences Book Fair, and the Children’s Book’s Fair. One of the highlights of the event is the e-books expo, which shines a spotlight on the fact that people’s reading habits are switching from printed books to digital books. Besides book products, the newest e-learning software and digital technologies are also presented.

1. How is BookExpo America different from the other three book fairs?

A．It is held in different cities every year.

B．It attracts many famous writers.

C．It displays the latest trends in technology.

D．It is the longest annual book fair.

2. Which book fair providers tours of specific themes?

A．The London Book Fair.

B．BookExpo America.

C．The Frankfurt Book Fair.

D．The Tokyo International Book Fair.

3. What do we know about the Tokyo International Book Fair?

A．It is the most popular book fair in Asia.

B．It is a great place for e-book lovers.

C．It mainly focuses on natural science books.

D．It mainly displays printed books for schools.

【推荐3】

1. The above website is mainly designed for _______.

A．children

B．teenagers

C．teachers

D．businessmen

2. It can be inferred that the website is most probably initiated in _______.

A．America

B．Britain

C．Australia

D．Canada

3. Which of the following is true according to the website?

A．The website is composed of twelve main sections.

B．Individuals and institutions pay the same price for a subscription.

C．We can access the website by various means except on Facebook.

D．Resources can be gained free for about one month after registration.

【推荐1】London is a real treat for museum lovers and museums are a popular destination among London's many attractions. Below is a list of London's top museums.

London Transport Museum

Travel through the museum, which hosts exhibitions （展品展示）about transport with the social and cultural history of London. Inside, you'll find more than 80 vehicles covering 200 years of London's history, including a red Routemaster bus and the world's first underground steam train. There are great posters and artworks too!

Price: Adult ticket: £18.50 per ticket, child ticket: Free. Save £1.50 when purchasing tickets online in advance.

Opening time: 10:00 -18:00 daily.

British Museum

Spend hours wandering the world-famous British Museum, which exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times, collected from around the world. Don't miss the Rosetta Stone and the mummies in the Ancient Egypt collection.

Price: Free. A donation of £5 is recommended. Entrance fee for special exhibitions and some events.

Opening time: 10:00 - 17:30 daily. Open late on Fridays until 20:00.

Natural History Museum

As well as the dinosaur exhibition, the Natural History Museum keeps a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world. See a life-sized blue whale and a 40-million-year-old spider.

Price: Free. Entrance fee for some of the special exhibitions and events.

Opening time: 10:00 - 17:50 daily. Open late on the last Friday of each month. Closed 24 - 26 December.

The Design Museum

The Design Museum is the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form. Check out the regular exhibitions showcasing the rich creativity found in all forms of design, and its importance to our world.

Price: Adult ticket: £10.00, child ticket: £5.00 （children under 6 go free）.

Opening time: 10:00 - 18:00. Open except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

1. Which museum attracts fans of Ancient Egypt most?

A．British Museum	B．Natural History Museum
C．London Transport Museum	D．The Design Museum

2. What is special about the Natural History Museum?

A．It is free of charge.

B．It closes on Christmas Day.

C．It collects special animals in the world.

D．It exhibits rarest mummies in the world.

3. How much do tickets of the Design Museum cost for children aged 3 and 7?

A．Free

B．£5

C．£10

D．£15

【推荐3】Four Places to Visit Before You Die

Santorini, Greece

It is actually an island of Cyclades. There are a lot of islands in this city and sunbathing around any of these would be an unforgettable experience. The most ideal period of the year to go to this miracle is from April to September.

Sydney

It is the most populous city of New South Wales in Australia. Its Harbor Bridge is the most famous tourist's place in the world. Every year, the celebrations of new year take place at this bridge where millions of people gather from the world to welcome the new year.

Rome

It is also called the center of Western civilization. The Colosseum(罗马圆形大剧场) which is the world's most iconic monument is also in Rome. There is no one who wishes to return from Rome without seeing this monument. Moreover, The Pantheon and Piazza Navona are also worth visiting in Rome.

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal, located in the city of Agra in India is also called the monument of love. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in love of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1932. It is located at the South bank of Yamuna River. Its ivory white color attracts the tourists from a distance.

1. Which of the following is a natural wonder?

A．Santorini, Greece.

B．Sydney.

C．Rome.

D．Taj Mahal.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The best time to visit Santorini is spring.

B．Sydney is the most populous city in Australia.

C．The Colosseum is a must-see of visitors to Rome.

D．All the four amazing places mentioned are in Europe.

3. What's the main purpose of this passage?

A．To persuade people to travel before dying.

B．To introduce four amazing places worth a visit.

C．To make some comparisons of four amazing places.

D．To advertise four amazing places for a travel agency.

【推荐1】The idea that animals can remember past experiences seemed so absurd that few researchers bothered to study it. Surely only humans could be capable of “episodic” memories — recalling a trip to the grocery store last Saturday, for example. We now know that we were mistaken — and a study from the animal world might even help us improve how we treat Alzheimer’s disease(阿兹海默症).

Crystal and her students conducted a study of whether animals are capable of episodic memory. First, they trained 13 rats to memorize 12 odours(气味). They built a special rat “area” with 12 stops, numbered 1 to 12, each scented with a different odour. When the rat identified the odour in a particular stop on the route, such as second-to-last or fourth-to-last, it received a reward. Then the researchers changed the number of odours and watched to see if the training had taken hold: would the rats identify the second-to-last and fourth-to-last odour in the sequence(次序), even if the number of odours was different? This ensured that the rats were identifying the odours according to their position in the sequence, not just by smell. “We wanted to know if the animals can remember a lot of items and the order in which those items occur,” Crystal said.

After a year of these tests, the team found that the rats succeeded in the task about 87 percent of the time. Further tests confirmed that their memories stuck with them, and wasn’t influenced by other memories.

The new genetic tools such as gene-editing allow scientists to create rats with an Alzheimer’s-like condition, making them the perfect subjects to test new Alzheimer’s drugs. In the United States alone, the number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s will increase from 5.8 million today to 14 million by 2050 as the population ages. If rats with episodic memory can help to break the Alzheimer’s code, this thief of the past might finally be defeated.

1. Which of the following can be an “episodic" memory?

A．To work out math problems.	B．To imagine a future scene.
C．To recall an early experience.	D．To speak out a person’s name

2. How did the rats get their reward in the experiment?

A．By finishing the twelve stops.	B．By making out the smell in a specific stop.
C．By drawing a circle in their position.	D．By identifying the name of different odours.

3. What did Crystal’s team find about the rats?

A．They could understand simple words.	B．They could hold their attention for long.
C．They could memorize the order of items.	D．They are not influenced by disturbance.

4. In which section of a magazine may this text appear?

A．Entertainment.

B．Art.

C．Education.

D．Science.

【推荐2】Once there was a man who liked eating mangoes. One day, he climbed up to the top of a tree to get the sweetest mangoes, where the branches(枝条) were thin. He picked a few fruits. But when trying to climb down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, he caught a branch and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call for help. Some villagers immediately came with a ladder and sticks, but could do little to help him.

Then a wise man arrived. People were very curious to see what he would do, as he was famous for solving people’s problems in the area. He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man. Everybody was surprised. The hanging man started to shout, “What are you doing? Are you crazy? If I could just come down, I would give you a good beat!”

He then used all his skill and strength to reach the branches which were safe to land. Finally he made it! Everybody was amazed. “Where is the old man?”shouted the angry man. “Oh, he didn’t wait for you to beat him,”said a villager. “I will beat him hard!”shouted the man. Then someone said, “Hey, wait a minute. He is the only one who helped you. He is the one who provoked you and led you to help yourself.”

The man thought for a moment and admitted, “Yes, he led me to try my best and save myself.”

1. When the villagers came under the tree, they found that ______.

A．they were unable to save the hanging man

B．the hanging man was still on the top of the tree

C．the hanging man actually was not in great danger

D．the ladder was not strong enough to save the hanging man

2. What was the wise man’s method of saving the hanging man?

A．Telling him how to use his skill and strength.

B．Hitting him and letting him fall off the tree.

C．Pushing his fear from his mind.

D．Leading him to save himself.

3. What the hanging man said to the wise man shows that ______.

A．he was thankful for the wise man’s help

B．he didn’t know the wise man’s purpose

C．he wasn’t surprised at the wise man’s action

D．he was angry because no one was trying to help him

4. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word in Para.3?

A．Excited.	B．Angered.
C．Surprised.	D．Cheered.

【推荐3】“Can I have a glass of hot water?” This is a very common question for Chinese customers in a restaurant．For many Chinese people, nothing is more common than drinking hot water every day.However, the simple habit is like a mystery to some from other countries.

For many Westerners, the idea of drinking hot water is very strange.However, most Chinese people think the Americans' habit of drinking ice water is equally odd and even unhealthy.Some seniors would even carry a tea kettle when they travel, since their Chinese stomachs refuse to take the cold water from the tap.Drinking hot water is considered to be healthier among Chinese people.Traditional Chinese medicine explains drinking cold water leads to an imbalance in temperature.Chinese doctors are encouraging more people outside China to take on the habit of drinking hot water, especially for women.

But in Western countries, drinking hot water isn't common.Westerners often take drinks with ice, not just on hot days but almost every day.

There is a story online that a British man, who has been in Beijing for over five years, visited a local cafe when going back to England.He was waited on by a friendly waitress and in a British accent said, "Can I have a glass of hot water? Please?" The waitress' eyes widened.She was so confused."To… to… to drink?" she doubted.Eventually, the man received the steaming liquid but felt cold stares from every corner of the cafe.

Westerners are as curious about why Chinese people drink hot water as Chinese are about why Westerners drink cold water.This cultural difference is not a simple issue(问题), but related to history, culture, and science.

As a matter of fact, many teenagers now rely on bottled water for daily drinking.With the younger generation growing up, will drinking hot water become a less popular life habit? Who knows!
1. What does the underlined word “odd” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．common	B．strange
C．satisfying	D．convenient

2. Who is specially advised to drink hot water by Chinese doctors?

A．Westerners	B．Chinese
C．Women	D．The elderly

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Drinking hot water is very good for health.

B．Drinking cold water is very harmful for health.

C．Different drinking habits are probably related to different cultures.

D．More and more people will use bottled water for daily drinking.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards teenagers drinking bottled water?

A．opposed(反对的)	B．supportive
C．negative	D．unclear

【推荐2】Severe plantar fasciitis (足底筋膜炎) meant I’d been a full-time wheelchair user since I was 12. By the time I was 16, I just wanted my leg off. It took six years for the doctors to operate as they insisted on waiting until I was older and in a good enough place mentally. I held off until I finished my degree. Afterward, with an artificial leg fitted, the world felt like a different place. I’d not walked in years. Suddenly I was a lot taller and no longer in any pain.

When I was in a wheelchair I discovered a real love for sport. I started to compete in wheelchair racing, and soon found I was good at discus (铁饼) throwing. I started competing in Tough Mudder (an endurance event series), progressing from walking with crutches to blade (小腿假肢) running. I now compete in sports internationally and have won the silver medal for adaptive judo at the World Judo Games.

At the time of the surgery I worked as an accountant, but I soon realized I didn’t want to be sitting in an office all day as I’d been in a wheelchair for so long. Therefore, as soon as the revision surgery was complete, I handed in my notice.

My career took a different path after I was asked to be a guest presenter for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. Now I speak to schools, colleges and organizations about a wide range of subjects such as disability, discrimination, disability in sport, and perseverance. I share my own personal stories, whether that’s how I lost my leg and what I learned from it, my perseverance, and how I followed my dream.

Now most of my income comes from working as a motivational speaker, which I’ve been doing full time for a year. I love what I do, and if I continue to inspire others to do what they want to in life, then I’m happy.

1. How did the author probably feel after his leg was cut off?

A．Anxious.

B．Relieved.

C．Hopeless.

D．Annoyed.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The author’s passion for sports.

B．Awards the author won playing sports.

C．What sports the author is good at.

D．How the author prepared for Tough Mudder.

3. What do the underlined words “handed in my notice” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Quit the job.

B．Asked for leave.

C．Got promoted.

D．Spread the news to others.

4. What’s the main reason for him to be a motivational speaker?

A．It was his dream during childhood.

B．He enjoys the fame it brings him.

C．It brings him money and a sense of fulfillment.

D．He wants more people to care about the disabled.

【推荐3】When people see machines that respond like humans, or computers that perform amazing functions, they sometimes joke about a future in which humanity will need to accept robot overlords(霸主). But buried in the joke is a seed of unease. Science-fiction movies have ever shown us about artificial intelligence (AI) that escapes its creators’ control.

Even in the real world, not everyone is ready to welcome AI with open arms. In recent years, as computer scientists have pushed the boundaries(界限) of what AI can accomplish, leading figures in technology and science have warned about the frightening dangers that artificial intelligence may pose to human beings, even suggesting that AI could destroy the human race. But why are people so frightened about the idea of AI?

Elon Musk is one of the famous voices that have raised red flags about AI. In July 2017, Musk told people at a meeting of the National Governors Association, “I have exposure to the very cutting-edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned about it. I keep sounding the alarm bell. But until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don’t know how to react, because it seems so impossible. ”

Earlier, in 2014, Musk had labeled AI “our biggest existential threat”, and in August 2017, he declared that humanity faced a great risk from AI.

Physicist Stephen Hawking, who died on March 14, also expressed concerns about AI, telling the BBC in 2014 that “the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”

It’s also less than reassuring that some programmers—particularly those with MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts—seem determined to prove that AI can be terrifying.

1. What are top scientists in AI worried about?

A．It has wonderful functions.

B．It contributes too much to movies.

C．It may end the human race some day.

D．It’s ability to bury our seeds in jokes.

2. What is Elon Musk’s attitude toward AI?

A．Disapproving.	B．Ambiguous.
C．Understanding.	D．Supportive.

3. What could AI do in Stephen Hawking’s opinion?

A．Be a great threat to human beings.

B．Learn the human emotions like fear.

C．Predict the future of the human race.

D．Turn horrible tales into scary stories.

4. Which part of a newspaper is the text most probably taken from?

A．Technology.	B．Health.
C．Culture.	D．Nature.