1 . Why We Need Each Other

John lives alone but is very social. He has many friends with whom he spends a lot of time and sees frequently. However, he feels sad and disappointed because his friendships don’t seem to meet his needs.

Albert lives alone and has two close friends whom he sees occasionally. When he meets with them, he has a good time talking about current events and sports as well as each other’s thoughts and feelings. When he is not at work or in the company of others, Albert does not feel lonely because he spends time engaging in activities that interest and energize him.

Generally, loneliness is a negative condition resulting from a state of aloneness. People who desire more interpersonal relationships than they actually have can develop feelings of loneliness. How much social connectedness a person needs influences how much aloneness they can accept.

However, it is not the number of social relationships that determines whether people feel lonely. Rather, it is the emotional and cognitive reactions (认知反映) the individual experiences in relation to these connections that play a role in experiencing loneliness. For example, social interactions where an individual feels the following are linked with loneliness: distrust, emotional conflict, lack of social support.

John and Albert both live alone and have friends; yet, the one with the more active social life feels lonely. Why? Being alone can result in negative reactions related to loneliness (e.g., sadness, hopelessness) or it can have positive reactions related to loneliness (e.g., spiritual and creative growth, restoring one’s health and energy). John’s relationships don’t seem to provide him with what he needs or wants—enjoyment or meaning—and so he feels very lonely. On the other hand, Albert seems to benefit from the interactions he has with his friends, and also happens to enjoy his time alone. In addition, Albert doesn’t seem to want more interpersonal connections.

Humans, because of necessity, evolved into social beings. Dependence on and cooperation with each other enhanced our ability to survive under such difficult environmental circumstances. Although the survival threats of these circumstances have lessened in today’s world, people continue to have a need to connect with others. Indeed, the lack of such connections can lead to many problems, including loneliness.

In our advanced digital age, one of the common concerns regarding the increasing emergence of loneliness is how we have become less caring of others. At one time, our very survival depended on trusting and supportive relationships. Basically, it doesn’t matter how technologically experienced we become; emotional connectivity remains a central part of being human. We need each other.

1. From the passage, we can know that ________.

A．when being alone, one must have negative reaction

B．much social connectedness leads to one’s loneliness

C．continuous emotional connections with others are still needed

D．technological experiencing has replaced emotional connectivity

2. The writer wants to tell us ________ in writing the fourth paragraph.

A．what determines whether people feel lonely	B．what emotional and cognitive reaction are
C．what are linked with loneliness	D．what we experience in social interactions

3. What does the underlined word “enhanced” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．Improved.

B．Showed.

C．Kept.

D．Questioned.

4. Why doesn’t Albert feel lonely when he’s alone?

A．Because he talks about some popular topics with his friends.

B．Because he has the same thoughts with his friends.

C．Because he spends enough time with his friends.

D．Because he benefits from relationships and enjoys his time alone.

2 .

Everything in our body needs water to work! But sadly, not everyone has access to clean drinking water. In the US, for example, a lot of people living in the countryside get their water from wells and springs—and it can have bacteria in it.

If you drink water with bacteria in it, you might get very sick—some people even die. That’s why people living in the countryside need to clean their water before they drink it. There are a few quite efficient ways to do this. But all of them have at least one disadvantage. Iodine tablets（碘片） have negative side effects on your body if you use them for too long. Ultraviolet（紫外线的）lamps use a lot of energy and filtration（过滤）systems are expensive.

Therefore, we wanted to use a simple energy source. Everyone nowadays carries with them: a smartphone! What if we could clean water with such a common device? Wouldn’t that save a lot of trouble?

We designed a downloadable app and a cheap device that can be plugged into a smartphone to disinfect（杀毒）water（Figure. 1）.

The method that our device uses is called electrochemical disinfection. It uses electric currents（电流）to produce substances that can kill bacteria. In our experiments, we used a smartphone to produce the electric current and copper（铜）wires as a source for the antibacterial substance. Copper ions（离子）are released from the copper wire. These copper ions kill bacteria.

Copper can also be dangerous for humans but only in much higher concentrate. We tried to find the perfect balance: where just enough copper ions are released to kill the bacteria, without reaching a harmful level for humans.

With our new device, we were able to kill almost all bacteria in the treated water. Although our device worked really well, we only tested it in a limited laboratory setting—so some things could be different in real life.

We were able to clean three liters（or 8 cups）of water by only using less than 1% of the phone’s battery. However, the disinfection of these three liters took about five hours—which is too long.

Still, all of our tests suggest that it is possible to improve the speed of our device quite easily. When this is done, anyone with a smartphone can use our device to disinfect their drinking water.

Hopefully, our device will be ready for everyday use very soon!

1. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Copper ions can clean the water by killing bacteria.

B．Everyone in the US can afford the filtration system.

C．Cleaning water with phones uses less battery and time.

D．It’s safe to use iodine tablets to clean water for a long time.

2. The writer probably agrees that________.

A．the device will be put into use very soon

B．it’s safe to drink water with lots of copper ions

C．it’s easy to improve the speed of the smartphones

D．the smartphones have been used to disinfect water widely

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Why teenagers love using smartphones.

B．Why smartphones benefit us in daily life.

C．How you can use smartphone wisely in daily life.

D．How your smartphone can make water safe to drink.

4 . There are certain things you never imagine yourself saying.

“I just got a worm(虫子) in my eye!” is one of them.

And yet I did say it—I screamed(惊叫) it, actually.

The family was all here, and we were in the garden when I saw a worm nearby. I asked my 6-year-old grandson to come over and take the worm away. He picked up the worm, studied it quickly and then threw it into the air.

The worm quickly fell back to earth, landing on my face against my left eyelid(眼皮). That’s when the screaming and the jumping up and down started.

You know how they say when you meet a small creature? The small creature is just as afraid of you as you are of it? They lie.

The worm showed no fear. I, however, am still having nightmares(噩梦) about the experience which was several days ago.

The most important thing in all this is that my grandson said he was sorry to me.

I’d just been reading a book that makes a connection between adults doing the slow and hard work of teaching manners to children and greater levels of civility(礼节) in society.

Table manners, language manners, and even manners in dress all show levels of self-control.

Having self-control limits what we say and how we behave, making many of us appear a good deal better than we really are.

Good manners also have the possibility to make mealtime a pleasant experience, even with small children.

All of my grandchildren, except the ones who can’t yet talk, asked to be excused before leaving the table.

It is a sign of respect for others at the table and a sign of respect for the meal itself. It’s also more pleasant than pushing one’s chair back and running for the back yard.

Those tall enough, and even those not tall enough, also take their dishes to the kitchen.

Manners are what civilize(教化) us—around our tables and in our families, homes and communities.

So when a little boy has the courage to apologize(道歉) to the grandma who is screaming and jumping up and down, at least we know that our years of teaching young people manners are paying off—one worm at a time.

1. What can we learn about the writer’s grandson?

A．He enjoys making trouble.

B．He likes playing with worms.

C．He threw the worm at his grandma to play a joke.

D．He realized his mistake and apologized to his grandma.

2. Why does the writer describe her grandchildren’s good table manners?

A．To show how well the children were educated.

B．To prove politeness can lead to good experiences.

C．To show how one should behave during mealtime.

D．To explain why family members should respect others.

3. What is the writer’s main purpose in writing the article?

A．To stress importance of having good manners.

B．To describe how civilized people should behave.

C．To share a worm story about her and her grandson.

D．To give advice to parents on how to teach their children.

6 . My friend, Robert, has a twin sister named Amanda. Though they get along well, there are some things about Amanda and her friends that puzzle Robert. He can't understand how girls can talk for so long. For example, sometimes when he leaves home to play football, Amanda and her friend, Sharon, are sitting on the sofa, talking. When he comes back three and a half hours later, they're still sitting on the sofa, continuing the same conversation on the same topic. One day Robert was so curious that he asked Amanda what they talked about, but she replied, "We're best friends. We talk about almost everything—film stars, pop songs, recipes, everything!"

Boys and girls have different attitudes towards friendship. Friendships between girls are usually based on shared feelings and support, but friendships between boys are based on shared activities or interests. A boy is likely to be careful about sharing his feelings with his close friends. A girl's closest friend, however, might be eager to tell her about something that has happened in her life.

Many studies worldwide show that girls have more friendships than boys. In fact, many teenage boys cannot name a single best friend. When asked, they hesitate before answering, "My best friend? I can't think about that. I am busy with my homework, and I have so many different friends that it is hard to choose just one best friend.”

Girls who have been asked can usually answer the question without pausing, “A best friend? Of course. We have a lot to share with each other. We do a lot of things together such as talking and shopping.”

We have to realize: boys share activities, while girls share feelings. The qualities that boys and girls consider important in a friend seem to be the same, regardless of（无论）the basis of these friendships. The important thing to remember is that both of them are friendships. We all need friends in our lives.

1. Robert wonders________.

A．why Amanda and her friend talk so long

B．why girls answer the question with pausing

C．what attitudes girls have towards friendship

D．what Amanda and her friend were curious about

2. The word "hesitate" in Paragraph 3 probably means "________".

A．are slow to speak	B．are shy to speak in public
C．share feelings secretly	D．are eager to tell the answers

3. What do you know about friendships from the passage?

A．Boys and girls both make sure what friendships are.

B．Friendships are the most important among girls and boys.

C．Girls like to share their attitudes to friendships with friends.

D．Boys and girls have the same idea on the qualities in a friend.

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Teenagers' Friendships	B．Different Attitudes towards Friendships
C．The Qualities of Friendships	D．Everybody Needs Friendships

7 . Do you have trouble remembering things you’ve read? Scientists at RMIT University in Australia have come up with a new font (字体) that can help you remember—by making words harder to read.

Fonts are used to make letters look a certain way on computers or in books. If you’re writing a report, you can give a different look to the words in your report by choosing a different font. For example, you can make them look like they might look in a book, or you can make them look like handwriting.

Scientists have discovered that people often remembered things better if it was a little bit harder for them to read. The scientists learned that if you are reading words that are difficult to recognize, your brain has to work a little bit harder to make sense of the words that your eyes are seeing. This extra work helps your brain remember the ideas better.

Sans Forgetica

Now scientists at RMIT in Australia have taken this idea and created a font just for remembering things. I he font, called “Sans Forgetica”, is a little bit harder to read, on purpose.

The name of the font is a joke of sorts, “Sans” means “without”. When it’s used for fonts, “Sans” usually describes a font with simple lines. “Forgetica” sounds like the famous font “Helvetica”. But taken together, the name “Sans Forgetica” means “Without Forgetting”.

There are two main things that make the font harder to read and easier to remember. Probably the most obvious one is that all of the letters have gaps (缺口) in them. When the letters have these gaps, the brain has to fill in the gaps to recognize them. This makes readers slow down and pay attention to what they read.

The other surprising thing about Sans Forgetica is it slants (倾斜) backwards. You may be used to seeing words written in italics—letters that slant toward the right. Stephen Banham, who helped create Sans Forgetica says, “Backslants are only used in maps to show the position (位置) of rivers.”

1. Why was Sans Forgetica created?

A．To help people recognize difficult words.	B．To help students practice handwriting.
C．To help students write special reports.	D．To help people remember things.

2. What idea have the scientists taken to create Sans Forgetica?

A．Reading words with more letters exercises brains.

B．The font with simple lines helps people read quickly.

C．Working hard to recognize words improves memory.

D．People like to read things that are a little hard for them.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Letters in Sans Forgetica font slant toward the right.

B．Letters that slant toward the left are uncommonly used.

C．Gaps in letters make people interested in what they read.

D．The brain pays no attention to the gaps in Sans Forgetica font.

9 . Life of children is competitive. For example, in kindergarten, some children can do something faster or better than other children can. In school, some children do very well in spelling or they always win in sports.

Every child likes winning because it gives children a good feeling about themselves and makes them proud. But learning to lose is just as important as learning to win. Research has shown that losing games is helpful for children.

Melody Brook, a therapist（治疗师）in Texas-says that the experience of coping with（处理）loss is helping children to understand other children in the same position. A child that has never lost a game will not realize that everyone struggles in life.

Losing a game is the only way for children to learn from their mistakes and think about strategies（策略）to improve. When children improve their skills and win the next time, they do not only get better at the sport or game, but they also learn something new. Learning new things increases children’s confidence and their self-belief and they start to be proud of their abilities.

Finally, losing shows children that they need to work hard in order to have success because good things are not just handed over to them. These situations also help children to lose with grace（优雅）in front of others and to be seen as a fair loser.

Children need to practice losing in order to be able to cope when they lose in a competition in front of their peers. Children who do not experience losing can grow up to be anxious, because they start seeing the possibility of not winning as some form of harm and they cannot deal with situations that do not go their way.

The feelings of losing and moving on are special skills children need to develop in order to deal with negative experiences in life when they become older. It might not seem fair to children that one kid can do something faster or better than they can, but children must understand that everyone has different talents and that it is impossible to be good at everything.

1. According to the writer, losing ________.

A．tests the talents of children	B．means unfair to the children
C．gives children chances to improve	D．is a kind of serious harm for children

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．After the children experience losing, they become helpful.

B．If the children work hard, they will feel proud of themselves.

C．Children need to create the situation of loss in their daily life.

D．Children need to develop skills to deal with negative experiences.

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

A．What Can Children Do to Grow up?

B．What Can Children Learn from Losing?

C．Why Is a Competition Important for Children?

D．Why Does Losing Make Children Feel Anxious?

10 .

The Guitar

The sound coming from Alper’s room was awful. His mum opened the door.

“Son, I’ve got a headache. Can you give it a rest?”

“But I’m practicing the guitar.”

“Practicing? Your mouth is open all the time. And you keep shouting. We send you to a guitar course but it’s a waste of time and money! Didn’t they give you songs you’re supposed to practice with?”

“Oh, I do play those songs sometimes. They’re really boring though, I play with my heart. It’s a lot more fun that way.”

“It’s disturbing the neighbours. Last night, Mr. Arif from upstairs said that your singing sounded as if you had fallen into a pot of boiling water!”

Alper likes writing lyrics（歌词）. But he had no music for his words. He couldn’t write music. He bought the guitar because he thought that he only needed to touch the guitar and beautiful music would just come out on its own. But instead it was only practice, practice, practice. Not real music.

His mum’s words really made him upset. He picked up his guitar and went to the park. He played the guitar and started to sing his song on the bench.

At that moment, some young people walked into the park. A boy had a clarinet （单簧管）in his hand and the other boy had a drum. A girl took out her violin. Then they started to play. First the drum, next the clarinet, then the violin. They were all doing their own things. The music didn’t go together. The instruments didn’t go together. But when they put together, it sounded fantastic. They were making their own kind of music!

The park was getting more and more crowded with people attracted by the young group’s music.

Alper slowly walked towards the group of young people. He began to sing the song he had written himself. The one he didn’t know how to compose（作曲）. The words fitted the music now!

He left his guitar on the grass and now started to sing out loud.

Alper was finally happy. Maybe this was all he had ever wanted.

1. Alper was ________ when his mum opened the door.

A．boiling water	B．writing lyrics
C．practicing the guitar	D．having a good rest

2. Alper bought the guitar ________.

A．to play it in the park	B．to help him write music
C．to have a guitar course	D．to know some young people

3. Alper was finally happy because ________.

A．his song attracted his mum	B．his guitar was very fantastic
C．he could play the guitar very well	D．he found the right music for his song