1 . Do you use emojis to show your feelings? The SwiftKey,a company did research on the number of emojis used in the world.The result shows the top three most—used emojis are happy faces(44.8%),sad faces(14.33%)and hearts(12.5%).
The company also found out people in different countries have their own favourite emojis.
No one can beat.Americans when it comes to their love of pizza.Pizza is the most widely used emoji in the US,as well as the chicken emoji.It shows that compared with other countries,America has interesting food habits.
The French are as romantic (浪漫的)* as we've known all along.They use the heart emoji four times more than people in other countries.
Russians also like using romantic emojis.Maybe it's all those low temperatures that make them look for love—they use more cold weather emojis than any other countries as well.
Surprisingly,it seems that Arabic speakers also like showing love with emojis.Among Arabic speakers,the rose(玫瑰)*emoji is used ten times more than any other group studied.
English speakers that live in the UK like using more lovely emojis.The study showed that British emoji users especially like to send the winking （眨一只眼）*smiley face.
What emojis do you often use?
1. Which emoji is used most often all over the world?A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．The UK | B．France | C．Russia | D．the US |
| A．Each Arabic speaker uses rose emoiis ten times a day . |
| B．Russians use the snow emoji more often than Americans. |
| C．Englishmen like to use winking smiley faces to show love . |
| D．Compared with Englishmen,the French use more lovely emojs . |
2 . Body language is an important part of communication. If you want to communicate well, it's important to understand how to use your body to say what you mean, especially when you're in a foreign country.
If a person is bored, he won't look at the person who is talking to him. He will find other things to do. He may also keep looking at his watch or a clock. If a person is open to you, his arms and legs will not be crossed. And if a person is relaxed, you will know it by looking at his body, and even his breathing(呼吸) is slower.
Here are some examples of body language.
Body language | Feeling |
Sitting with legs crossed | Closed |
Sitting with legs apart(分开) | Open, relaxed |
Walking with hands in pockets and head down | Sad |
Putting hands to cheeks(脸颊) | Think about something |
Hands clasped(紧握) behind back | Anxious or even angry |
1. What can you do if you want to communicate well?
| A．Walk with hands in pockets. |
| B．Use body language to say what you mean. |
| C．Speak in public. |
| D．Say something slowly. |
| A．bored | B．excited | C．happy | D．open |
| A．he will find other things to look at |
| B．he will speak louder |
| C．his breath will be slower |
| D．his breath will be quicker |
| A．If a person walks with his head down, he may be sad. |
| B．When a person is angry, his hands clasp behind his back. |
| C．If a person sits with his legs apart, he may be open and relaxed. |
| D．If a person puts his hands to cheeks, he may want to sing a song. |
| A．Communication | B．Body Language |
| C．Some Feelings | D．Health Problems |
3 . Even the closest star to us, Proxima Centauri, is very far away.
Scientists would love to get a closer look at this star and its planets. But the fastest spaceship ever built would take nearly 75,000 years to get there. That's just too long!
Scientists have come up with a plan—send a group of very tiny spaceships. Why tiny? The smaller something is, the easier it is to make it go fast. They're hoping a group of stamp-sized ships(Star Chips)could travel fast enough to reach Proxima Centauri in just 20 years. There they could take pictures and collect information. If there is any life there, the Star Chips might be able to find it—and say hello from Earth.
Each Star Chip will carry a tiny camera, thrusters, and sensors. It will ride a sail about the size of a picnic table. The plan is to send many, in case some don't make it.
Scientists hope that their tiny Star Chips will be able to reach a speed of 134 million miles(216 million km)an hour. First, the rocket will take the Star Chips to space. Once in space, they will open their shining sails. Then, people on Earth will shoot out lasers at the sails. All those lasers shot at the sails will push the Star Chips so fast that they will reach the moon in just two minutes.
The computer chip at the heart of each Star Chip is tiny like the ones in mobile phones. None of the other technologies has been built yet. The hardest part will be the lasers, which have to be extremely powerful. The team will also need to invent a light, strong, and very shiny material for the sails, and tiny cameras powerful enough to take pictures of planets. And they'll have to find a way to send those pictures back to Earth. There's a lot of work ahead. But if they succeed, the heart of a mobile phone may be the very first interstellar traveler.
1. Scientists plan to invent the Star Chip mainly because it .| A．could send messages to other planets | B．could take photos and collect information |
| C．could find life in other stars and planets | D．could be small enough to travel much faster |
| A．make sure Star Chips won't be hit in space | B．send Star Chips to space from Earth safely |
| C．open the strong and shining sails of Star Chips | D．give Star Chips enough energy to travel in space |
①The way to send pictures back to Earth.
②The strong and shiny material for the sails.
③The tiny cameras able to take photos of planets.
④The chip as small as the ones in mobile phones.
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ |
| C．①②④ | D．①③④ |
| A．A Chip with Great Power | B．A New Coming Spaceship |
| C．A Big Problem about Star Chips | D．A Great Trip to Proxima Centauri |
4 .
Safety tips for taking the bus | |
| Wait for the bus · Always arrive at your bus stop early. If the bus is late, please stay at the bus stop. · Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before you get on. · Make sure that you have your bus card or money ready before you get on the bus. Get on the bus · If you are on a bus with seat belts, make sure to wear yours. · Make sure you know where the emergency exits are when there is an emergency. · Do not run or jump on the bus. · Respect other people. 1) Do not kick the seat in front of you. 2) Do not leave trash behind on the bus. 3) Treat the bus driver with respect. | Get off the bus · Take off your headphones before you get off the bus, as you may not notice the danger around you. · Get off the bus in a right way. Do not push, or run. · Never cross the road in front of a bus. · Cross the road after the bus has moved on and you can see clearly in all directions · Please tell the bus driver if there is an emergency.  |
1. If the bus is late, it's better to ______________.
| A．catch the last bus | B．wait at the bus stop |
| C．leave the bus stop | D．call the bus company |
a. Getting on the bus while it's still moving.
b Respecting other passengers.
c Wearing headphones while getting off the bus.
d. Crossing the road in front of the bus.
| A．a b c | B．a b d | C．a c d | D．b c d |
| A．At a train station | B．At a bus stop. |
| C．In a newspaper. | D．In a fashion magazine. |
5 . The supply of water is causing increasing an uncomfortable feeling to scientists in many countries. In these countries, it is fast becoming an important social and economic problem. The water requirements depend on various facts. An obvious one is the amount needed for household use in baths, showers, washing-machines, toilet and so on. The amount of water used in industry is greater than in the houses. Textile works are major users. A lot of water is also used in agriculture: in irrigation and in the keeping of animals.
In some under-developed countries the daily water consumption* is as low as two or three gallons* while in other countries it reaches 100 gallons a person. As standards of living improve, an increased rate* of consumption must be expected. At the same time, many countries are making a great effort to set up sew industries: to create jobs and get money through exports*. Unluckily, the degree of pollution of the water used in modern industries is often very high and prevents the water from being used again. More water will also be needed in future years for agricultural purposes; with enough water supplies deserts will be transformed and become rich crop-growing areas.
Although the natural supply of water (It comes from fall of rain, snow, etc.) is at present far larger than the world's total requirements, this supply is not distributed and full use cannot be made of it. The conveyance* of water over long distances is too expensive to be practicable, and many of the world's great rivers contains a lot of fresh water which can never be of much real use. For the world's immediate needs, men must now look to new sources of fresh water, and they must develop technologies for recovering fresh water from salt water. Every country is trying to find ways to turn salt water into fresh. In the past, expense had been a difficulty to the widespread use of desalination* plants, but recent technologies has finally made this method reasonable. Some areas, such as Kuwait, are almost totally dependent on external supplies and would be in a dangerous position. Whatever the methods used, scientists are confident that the supply of fresh water will be increased but they point out that the cost will increase correspondingly.
1. In some countries, the amount of water used by each person every day is very low. An important reason for this is that _____.| A．living standards are not high | B．a lot of water is used in industry |
| C．technologies are not improving | D．it is expensive to carry water a long way |
| A．it is no longer largely dependent on water from the sea |
| B．some areas do not prevent the water from being used again |
| C．it is possible to get large numbers of fresh water from the sea |
| D．some countries are creating jobs and get money through exports |
| A．Textile works need much more water than in the houses. |
| B．The water requirements depend on the number of students. |
| C．Desalination plants can’t be used because of long distances |
| D．Scientists can’t find new methods to supply fresh water now. |
China's high-speed train, the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou, already has the World's fastest average speed. It covers 1,069 kilometers in about 3 hours.
Imagine, one day, getting out of bed in Beijing and working at your office in Shanghai in only 2 or 3 hours, and then, after a full day of work, going back home to Beijing and having dinner there by high-speed train.
Sounds unusual, doesn't it? But it’s not impossible with the development of China's high-speed railway system. And that's not all. China has an even greater high-speed railway plan - to connect the country with Southeast Asia, and Western Europe in the end.
China is trying to enlarge its own high-speed railway to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years, reaching London and Singapore at last.
China has planned three such projects. The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via* Vietnam and Malaysia. Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and possibly to Germany. The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe.
If China's plan for the high-speed railway goes forward, people could zip over from London to Beijing in under forty-eight hours.
1. From the passage we know working in Shanghai and _____ in 2 or 3 hours will be possible by high-speed train.| A．shopping in Singapore | B．fishing in Malaysia |
| C．having dinner in Beijing | D．riding horses in Kazakhstan |
| A．Russia | B．Germany | C．Vietnam | D．Uzbekistan |
| A．2 | B．3 | C．10 | D．15 |
From plastic bottles and straws to disposable coffee cups, humans produce a lot of plastic waste. Plastic pollution has become a global issue. To solve this problem, many companies and designers are starting to turn to nature for inspiration, the Telegraph reported. They have made products out of plants and vegetables, which will help to reduce plastic waste.
Bamboo is a fast-growing plant. Some species can grow about 60 cm a day, which makes bamboo ideal for making consumable products, such as drinking straws and paper. If we cut down a bamboo plant to make paper, within weeks another fully-grown bamboo plant will be ready for harvesting. In addition, bamboo drinking straws and paper are organic, clean and low-carbon.
There are many different kinds of squash. The one you are most familiar with is probably pumpkin. But did you know squash can be made into cups? Creme, a US company, has created squash cups. The company first grows a squash inside a 3D-printed mold Then, the vegetable is dried out. This makes it watertight. After it is dried, you can use it to drink. When you’re done drinking from it, this environmentally-friendly cup can be used as fertilizer.
Look at this bottle packaging. Does it look like plastic? Actually, it is made out of the mycelium that comes from mushrooms. Mycelium is found on the underside of certain mushrooms. It looks like very thin thread. Ecovative Design, a US company, mixes agricultural waste and mycelium from mushrooms together. Over time, the mycelia fibers begin to grow around the waste, binding it together to form a shape. The mushroom fibers need six days to grow, and decompose within 180 days in the soil.
1. According to the passage, squash can be used to be made into cups because ____________.| A．It can grow 60cm a day. | B．It can decompose easily in the soil. |
| C．It could be made with 3D easily. | D．The straws made of squash are organic, clean and low-carbon. |
| A．All the products made of these plants are environmentally friendly. |
| B．Bamboo can be used to make drinking draws because it grows very fast. |
| C．Products made of plants have become very popular. |
| D．Ecovative Design makes bottle packaging from mushrooms. |
| A．Introduce another kind of plants. | B．Tell the importance of these plants. |
| C．Ask people to protect plants. | D．Explain why we use plant-made products. |
| A．Human and nature | B．Inspiration from plants |
| C．Protection of plants | D．Some new inventions |
The energy needs of human beings are growing faster and faster. Even though we have realized that overuse of every natural resource has done more harm than good, we continue to depend heavily on environmental unfriendly power sources, like coal. It’s time for us to face the problem and find a new way to power our electricity-driven lives.
Recently, a team of scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a desk lamp that needs no electricity to work. By making plants glow, they created the greenest light source for ever.
They hope their discovery could lead to plant lights replacing electric lights. One day, even light that trees produce can replace street lights. Professor Michael Strano, lead author of the research, explained that his team wants to create continuable light sources and help the environment. He said, “ The vision is to make a plant that will work as a desk lamp—a lamp that you don’t need electricity. The light is powered by the energy metabolism of the plant itself.”
The researchers got the idea for their lightening plants from fireflies. They looked at the matter in fireflies that makes them glow. They created nanoparticles that hold the matter. They then put the nanoparticles into plant leaves to make them glow. The scientists were able to make plants glow for nearly four hours. Professor Strano said, “Our goal is to perform one treatment, when the plant is young or grownup, and have it last for the lifetime of the plant.” He thinks plant lights will be a part of our life in the future. He said, “We think this is an idea whose time has come.”
1. The scientists in the US have created a special desk lamp by using ________.| A．coal | B．plants | C．fireflies | D．electricity |
| A．about one day | B．nearly six hours |
| C．the time they’re alive | D．about one sixth of a day |
| A．To stop using power sources. | B．To make plants live longer. |
| C．To protect our environment. | D．To create new kinds of plants. |
| A．Scientists believe plant lights will be widely used in the future. |
| B．Scientists got the idea of plant lights from electrical desk lamps. |
| C．Scientists have slowed down the energy needs of human beings. |
| D．Scientists have planted a new kind of trees to replace street lights. |
9 . You're chatting with friends on the phone, but you can't help looking through shopping websites in the meantime. You're having lunch alone in the dining hall, but it only feels right when you start playing a show on your phone- as if it's a necessary“ side dish”.
We're now living in a world that is filled with information. It seems unnatural to do only one thing at a time. It's as if we're all suffering from a recent article called“ multitasking OCD”(多任务强迫症)With news reduced to 140 characters and communication increasingly by emojis (表情符号), we have developed the ability to focus our attention on several activities and devices (电子设备) at once" Sabry Omani, founder of Pulpix website, once wrote.“ We need something exciting to keep us interested and to fight off boredom.”
But perhaps "fighting off boredom" is not the only reason. My own obsession with multitasking mainly comes from the fact that everyone around me seems to study all the time. Each minute I'm not taking in something new feels like a waste of time. So I always have my headphones on, whether I'm commuting, exercising or walking in the park. I'm forever listening to something—a course on classical music, or on new media management, and heaven knows what else—just so I can keep up with the world. People who can't stay away from social media are known by "FOMO"'(fear of missing out): They have to be updated about what their friends are doing and saying. But I'd guess that “FOFO” better describes me—“fear of falling out".
No matter what reason you're doing it for. “multitasking” is already a part of the modern lifestyle. Just make sure you make the most out of it.
1. The writer mentions "side dish" in Paragraph 1 to .| A．show why people live a busy life | B．show that people today often feel lost |
| C．describe what "multitasking OCD" is like | D．say people like to compare with each other |
| A．it can help them to communicate better | B．it can help them out of being bored |
| C．they hope to finish more things at a time | D．they are excited about multitasking |
| A．interest | B．doubt | C．talent | D．surprise |
| A．wants to stay ahead of her friends | B．thinks it is boring to do one thing at a time |
| C．doesn't want to get left behind by others | D．wants to have something to be different from others |
After years of research and testing, the hybrid car was developed and put on the market. It's an interesting and exciting new improvement in today's world as we look for better ways to protect the quality of the air we breathe and save our natural resources.
The quality of our air is affected by many different things. But one of the largest sources of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline which is used to power a car's engine. The EPA has set national standards to help control the level of harmful pollutants sent off into the air, and the automobile industry has acted by producing a hybrid car that uses less gas and therefore causes less pollution.
A hybrid car is a combination of a regular car that runs on gasoline and an electric car that is battery powered. Some people tend to think that since the hybrid car is partially electric, you have to plug it in to charge it. But that's not how it works. The 144 volt battery pack is actually recharged through the energy that is produced when the car's brakes are used. This is referred to as "regenerative braking", because it produces electricity.
Although the hybrid car still runs on gasoline most of the time, this helps it use less gas than a regular car. When the driver stops at a traffic light, the engine automatically shuts off to save fuel. Then, as soon as the driver puts the car in gear and touches the gas pedal, the engine starts back up.
Have you ever ridden in a car with someone who ran out of gas? That probably wouldn't happen if you were riding in a hybrid car. It flashes a warning on its computer screen that says, "I am low on gas". When it completely runs out, the warning reads, "YOU ARE NOW OUT OF GAS!" Then the electric power supply kicks in to let the driver travel a few more miles to a gas station.
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．The hybrid car will be put on the market. |
| B．Hybrid cars run faster than regular cars. |
| C．When the hybrid car stops at a traffic light, the driver will get a warning. |
| D．The burning of fossil fuels is one of the largest sources of air pollution. |
| A．a high-tech discovery | B．energy saving |
| C．a new invention | D．a combination of two things |
| A．it allows the car to come to a quick stop | B．it gives the driver a smoother ride |
| C．it produces energy to charge the battery | D．it can control the speed of the car |
| A．They use less gas than regular cars. | B．They're safer to drive than most cars. |
| C．They're more modern than other cars. | D．They cost less than regular cars. |
