1 . What can be both red or green, round or sharp, big or small, and more importantly, loved or hated by someone? Yes, the answer is chilies(辣椒).
Many of us in China enjoy adding chilies to our food, but did you know that this spicy(辣的) vegetable could also be dangerous? A 34-year-old US man recently ended up in hospital after eating a Carolina Reaper, the spiciest chili people have known so far. After taking just a single bite of one, the man suffered from serious headaches in the following days, reported BBC News.
In fact, eating spicy food causes stomachache and headache. But if chilies are harmful, why do people like to eat this vegetable? So what makes people love chilies so much? The human body is influenced by natural chemicals that produce "a sense of happiness", noted BBC News.
And chilies do good to people in another way. Scientists found that the death rate of those who eat spicy food once or twice a week is 10 percent lower than those who eat it less than once a week. The death rate is 14 percent lower for those who eat spicy food six to seven times a week. This encourages people to eat more spicy food to improve health and bring less death risk at an early age. So, don't worry if you love spicy food. It seems that chilies are actually good for us.
1. Why do people like to eat chilies?| A．Because chilies do no harm to people. | B．Because they can get personal enjoyment. |
| C．Because chili is a kind of vegetable. | D．Because chemicals in chilies make them mad. |
| A．Eating chilies is not dangerous. | B．The US man died in hospital. |
| C．The US man often had headaches. | D．The Chinese enjoy eating chilies. |
| A．The more chilies you eat, the longer you must live. |
| B．Scientists encourage us to add chilies to our food. |
| C．Proper spicy food may improve our health. |
| D．We should eat spicy food six times a week. |
| A．Eating Chilies, A Healthy Lifestyle. | B．A Loved and Hated Vegetable. |
| C．Chili—A Harmful Vegetable. | D．Causes of Stomachache. |
Physicist Stephen Hawking said people should return to the Moon and go to Mars because leaving Earth may be the only way to save humanity. Hawking said that as Earth faces climate change and pressure on natural resources, human beings need to reach beyond our planet.
“We are running out of space and the only places to go to are other worlds,” he said. “It is time to explore other solar systems. Spreading out may be the only thing that saves us from ourselves. I believe that humans need to leave Earth,” he said. “If humanity is to continue for another million years, our future lies in boldly going where no one else has gone before.”
Hawking said human beings should return to the Moon by the year 2020 and Mars by 2025. This, he said, would unite humans in the shared purpose of exploring the universe. “Spreading out into space will completely change the future of humanity,” he said. “I hope it will unite competitive nations in a single goal, to face the common challenge for us all.”
Hawking considered that reaching the Moon, Mars and other planets would get young people interested in space-related sciences.
He said making the first moves into space would “elevate(提升) humanity” because it would have to involve many countries. “Whenever we make a great new leap, such as the Moon landings, we bring people and nations together, ushers in new discoveries, and new technologies,” Hawking said. “ ▲ . It needs a concerted global approach, too. Everyone should join in. We need to rekindle(重新点燃)the excitement of the early days of space travel in the 1960s.”
The European Space Agency has announced a plan to create a “Moon Village” after the International Space Station is taken out of service in 2024. China is also reportedly interested in sending an astronaut to the Moon. The United States is working on sending astronauts to Mars. The US space agency, NASA, hopes to do this by the 2030s.
1. In Hawking’s opinion, what makes human beings leave Earth?| a. Climate change. b. Population growth. c. Water shortage. d. Environmental pollution. e. Pressure on natural resources. |
| A．a b | B．c d | C．a e | D．c e |
| A．To train an astronaut costs a lot of money |
| B．To leave Earth needs a global common effort |
| C．Young people are the future and hope of the world |
| D．Human beings have made the first moves into space |
| A．planned to travel to other solar systems | B．dreamed of being a great astronaut |
| C．made a contribution to the environment | D．encouraged people to study space science |
| A．Leave Earth | B．Moon Village | C．Life in the 2030s | D．Journey to Mars |
3 . When you are feeling unhappy or forget how great you are, these six ways can help make you feel good about yourself.
• Look in the mirror and say to yourself, “I am a special person and there is no one in the world like me. I can do anything,” It may not sound so good, but it really works.
• Do something nice for someone. Helping others always makes you feel good.
• Smile! Be friendly to people you meet. Look for the good things in your friends and family.
• Learn something new! Have you always wanted to design your own room or learn how to swim? Go for it! New challenges (挑战) are fun and give you a sense of accomplishment when you have finished!
• Start to write a story. Turn off the TV and let your imagination(想象) fly! Write down your thought, dreams or anything you want! It can help to express (表达) your feelings.
• Stay with your family. We all need our family time. Talk with your mom or dad or maybe even your cousin.
1. The passage may be from ________.| A．a science book | B．a magazine | C．a story book | D．school rules |
| A．be special | B．be sure | C．feel tired | D．feel nice |
| A．成就感 | B．忧伤感 | C．挫折感 | D．信任感 |
| A．You should always look for the good things of others. |
| B．Stay alone at home as much as possible. |
| C．Learn something new and go for it! |
| D．Keep a diary to express your feelings. |
| A．Do Your Best to Make Friends. |
| B．It’s Never Too Late to Learn. |
| C．Six Ways to Feel Good about Yourself. |
| D．Always Smile to Your Life. |
4 . Traveling can be a fun way to have a good holiday. But what will you do if you’re a student and don’t have enough money for a trip? Don’t worry. Here’s some useful advice.
Save: This may be the most important preparation for traveling. Cut costs and save money so you’ll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.
Plan ahead （提前）: Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought in a hurry. Giving yourself several months to get ready can save more.
Travel in groups : Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By traveling with others you can share costs and experience together.
Choose places: Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a less-known place. Smaller towns may have many interesting activities and sights.
Use the Internet or travel books: No matter where you go, study the places you will visit and decide what to see. The net can help to save money. Some useful websites such as www. travelcity. comand www. economy-travel.com are good. Travel books will give you the information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.
1. Before your trip, the most important thing you should do may be to .| A．decide where to go | B．buy tickets ahead |
| C．cut costs and save money | D．get information on the Internet |
| A．not to buy tickets ahead | B．not to go to well-known places |
| C．not to share costs with other people | D．to buy anything they want to buy |
| A．should pay more money |
| B．should make more friends |
| C．should use the Internet and travel books |
| D．can get useful life experience from your parents |
| A．Plan Your Trip Cleverly | B．Where to Travel |
| C．Find the Cheapest Hotels | D．Look for the Cheapest Restaurants |
5 . If you're reading this right now, you are probably interested in learning English as a second language. But these days, fewer college students in the United States are studying foreign languages themselves.
The Modern Language Association (MLA) is a group in the US that tracks language studies. It has found that the number of US college students who were studying a foreign language dropped by 9 percent from 2013 to 2016. And the number is still smaller and smaller.
One reason for this could be that students don't think mastering(掌握) a foreign language is practical. After the global financial crash(金融危机) of 2008, many students have chosen majors(专业) that are "safer" for finding jobs. These include majors like business management and nursing.
Also, college students have more choices these days. There are many majors now, such as digital arts(数字艺术), that we didn't have in the past. with more choices than before, students are less likely to choose foreign languages.
But failing to learn a second language could take away potential(潜在的) job chances for US students in the future. As countries within the global economy become more connected, they will need more foreign language speakers.
"The reality of the 21st century job market is that Americans will be compared for a job…they will be compared to a multilingual candidate(掌握多种语言的候选人)," Clayton Lewis wrote for US Newes.
1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?| A．Many people are learning English as a second language. |
| B．It's interesting to study English as a second language. |
| C．Fewer college students are learning foreign languages. |
| D．College students can't learn foreign languages by themselves. |
| A．The reasons why fewer students study second language. |
| B．The influence that the global financial crash has on Students' major choosing. |
| C．Digital arts is the popular choice among college students these years. |
| D．Language learning is not a "safe" major anymore. |
| A．Not being able to speak a second language is a failure. |
| B．It will be easy for Americans to find jobs in the future. |
| C．Countries all over the world are more connected now. |
| D．Mastering a second language is important. |
| A．Less Language Learning | B．Language Learning Influences Jobs Getting |
| C．Learning a Foreign Language | D．The Importance of Choosing Majors |
6 . Chinese buyers used to prize foreign brands, thinking that products made by American or European companies are of higher quality (质量) than Chinese ones. Increasingly, that’s no longer the case.
Chinese people born before 1985 generally think that foreign brands are better than Chinese ones, the billionaire William Li told Business Insider during a recent interview on CCTV 9. But for those who were born after 1985, it is a different picture.
“When I first went to the United Kingdom in 1997, I thought that the difference between China and Europe was quite big,” Li said. “But for those born in the 1990s, when they visit Europe or the US, they do not think there is a big difference.”
The change in thinking among Chinese buyers is showing up in many markets in China where western companies used to control. A study by Credit Suisse published in March found that young Chinese buyers are increasingly showing a “home brand bias”.
More than 90% of young Chinese buyers would prefer to buy home appliance brands, according to the study. Meanwhile, home companies producing food, drinks, or personal care products increased their share of the market by 3. 3% over the last ten years to nearly 70%.
“Chinese buyers, especially the younger ones, don’t just believe that foreign brands are better.
Right now, Chinese buyers think China is good and‘Made in China’is not bad at all,” Charlie Chen, head of China buyer research at Credit Suisse, told South China Morning Post in March.
The Chinese smartphone market is controlled by home companies—Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi. Apple is the only foreign brand in the top five, but it has lost large ground to the home brands in recent years. Its market share is believed to be down to 37% from a 2015 high of 54%.
1. What is this passage mainly about?| A．The quality of “Made in China”. |
| B．The change in Chinese buyers’ thinking. |
| C．Chinese products in the eye of foreigners. |
| D．Difference between older and younger Chinese buyers. |
| A．More and more foreigners go to buy Chinese products. |
| B．Foreign products are more expensive than Chinese ones. |
| C．More and more Chinese buyers prefer Chinese products. |
| D．Older Chinese people don’t like foreign products any more. |
| A．Apple had a market share of 54% in 2015. |
| B．More than 90% of young Chinese buyers prefer home brands. |
| C．Chinese people born before 1985 think that foreign brands are better. |
| D．William Li found a big difference between China and Europe in 1997. |
| A．Credit Suisse. | B．CCTV 9. |
| C．South China Morning Post. | D．Business Insider. |
| A．Chinese products get more popular at home |
| B．Young Chinese are crazy about foreign brands |
| C．“Made in China” is welcomed all over the world |
| D．Apple has lost large ground to Huawei in China |
7 . When Emma Yang was 7 or 8 years old, her grandmother got Alzheimer’s disease(阿尔茨海默病) . It made her grandmother lose her memory. She couldn’t even know her own family members. Yang, now 14, decided to create an app to help people with this disease.
Her app is called Timeless. It uses facial recognition technology. Alzheimer's patients can use the app to look at photos of their friends and family. The app will tell them who the person is and how they're related to the patient. If a patient doesn't recognize someone in the same room, they can take a picture and the app will try to identify them.
Yang got the idea after seeing how facial recognition is used in different areas, especially health care. She worked with a tech company to create the facial recognition software that her app uses. She learned to code (编码) for the iPhone for the first time in the process.
The app is still in development. Yang is trying to raise money through crowdfunding (众筹) so she can take the next step-letting patients try a pilot version (实验版本) of the app. Though some may think that the app is too hard for older people to use, Yang is hopeful. "If you introduce it to them the right way, it's actually possible for them to use it and it can really help them live better." she said.
Memory expert Katherine Possin agrees. Possin said looking at photos on the app can help patients feel more social. It can also improve their memory, she added.
1. Emma Yang's app was created to help people ________.| A．who like taking photos | B．who have Alzheimer's disease |
| C．who have lost their family members | D．who are too old to take care of themselves |
| A．It can cure diseases. | B．It can tell good strangers from bad ones. |
| C．It can recognize faces. | D．It can talk to patient. |
| A．Confident | B．Hopeless | C．Disappointed | D．Doubtful |
| A．introduce a famous memory expert |
| B．show how popular the app is |
| C．explain the app's usefulness from an expert's point of view. |
| D．show that the app also works for the healthy people. |
| A．Facial Recognition Technology | B．Alzheimer’s Disease |
| C．Yang’s Grandmother | D．“Timeless” Memories |
What do you think of when you see a man with a white painted face, wearing white gloves and a black hat? In the West this scene might come to mind when they think of mime. Mime is the art of acting without using speech. The word can also refer to a person who performs this art. This type of art has grown and changed over the centuries. What began as a simple form of communication is now a form of theater.
▲
Mine is one of the earliest forms of self-expression. As languages were developing, humans still used their bodies to speak. Mime first became an art form in ancient Greece. Silent actors performed everyday scenes using gestures(动作). These plays often taught a lesson about values. When the Romans got control of Greece, they took the art of mime back to Italy. There they made it their own. Even after the fall of the Roman Empire, mime remained.
In the mid-1500s mime became a form of street performance in Italy. Mime performers wore masks and acted out comedies. Because masks hid their faces, they could make fun of any part of a situation in society. Everyone enjoyed the performance— young and old, rich and poor.
Mime also traveled around Europe. Because their art had no words, there was no language problem. Mime became especially popular in France. French performers created famous mime characters which shape today's mime.
Mime like a Professional
Want to try mine? To communicate only through body language; no talking allowed. Watch people's facial expressions and gestures closely and practice copying them. Create a story to act out—this will be more interesting to your audience. No props(道具)? No worries! You can create anything you need out of thin air. The most important thing is to believe your illusion(假象). If you believe it's real, your audience will, too!
1. The underlined word "mime" in the first paragraph means ____________| A．哑剧 | B．独幕剧 | C．木偶剧 | D．皮影 |
| A．art | B．acting | C．theatre | D．communication |
| A．only performed for kids | B．gave people pleasure |
| C．danced in the street | D．painted their faces white |
| A．Mime through the Ages | B．Mime in Anciont Greece |
| C．Mime for Different People | D．Mine around the World |
9 . In 2017, when the high-speed train Fuxing left Beijing for Shanghai at a speed of 350 km/h, it amazed the world. It is China's newest high-speed train and also the fastest train in the world.
There were 2,959 high-speed trains running across China by 2016. They make up 60 percent of the world's total high-speed trains. Chinese companies have also built more than 10 high-speed railways in Europe, Southeast Asia and South America. And the high-speed trains has become a new name card for China.
Besides the high-speed trains, many other innovations（创新）have also changed people's lives in China.
For example, though bike sharing is not new itself, China has made it much more convenient and popular. When the Chinese bike sharing companies reached Singapore and Britain months ago, users there were excited and couldn't wait to post photos of themselves riding the bikes on social media.
Cashless payment has become a lifestyle choice in China, it is common that people in China go shopping with no cash in pockets. Many people just pay with their mobile phones by scanning a quick respond code from the seller. Even a person selling vegetables has a QR code. Many foreigners have experienced lives without carrying any cash in China. They say they can't do it when they are back home in Europe.
China is now in a great time and is never what it used to be. It has made great achievements in innovation, which has surprised people all over the world. They are true pictures of national power. It seems that China is really leading in some ways. And Chinese people have every reason to believe in an even brighter future and be proud of our country.
1. According to the passage, what can we do by scanning the seller's QR code?| A．We get a lot of cash immediately. |
| B．We can get what we want for free. |
| C．We can pay for what we want to buy. |
| D．We can get money from the seller. |
| A．China has built the fastest high-speed train in the world. |
| B．Nowadays cashless payment is quite common in Europe. |
| C．China is the only country where people can use sharing bikes. |
| D．China is now the first in every part of people's lives in the world. |
| A．China leads in innovation |
| B．Science develops very quickly |
| C．China faces many chances |
| D．Science catches the world's attention |
10 . Recently, the decision to include eyesight as part of high school entrance exam has caused a heated discussion. Students in the city of Changzhi, Shanxi province will be tested on their "physical health", including eyesight. Those who fail to meet the requirement of "normal" eyesight will not get the full five points in their high school entrance exam, which decides if students can get accepted by the high school of their choice.
"In recent years, I have noticed that the No.1 problem that needs attention is poor eyesight. What makes this so terrible is that these students don't wear glasses. They even hate to say they have this problem, because they seem greatly ashamed. But how can you learn if you can't see well?" says Alexander, an American teacher in China.
However, not everyone holds the same view. Some believe that environmental problems can influence the eyesight. Eye illnesses, accidental injury（受伤）and improper use of eyes can also cause poor eyesight. Each of these should be considered before making this decision. It seems unfair, not well considered and may fail to reach the goal.
Here is what I think. First, why some students have shortsightedness is that their parents have it. Second, some being shortsighted is most probably a result of hard work. If those who work hard get lower scores than those who do not, tell me where fairness is? Third, rich families can afford expensive treatment of shortsightedness while common family cannot. I just feel so sad for students nowadays, for they are already under such heavy stress from the competitive environment.
1. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?| A．All Chinese students will be tested on "physical health", including eyesight. |
| B．Some students don't like wearing glasses because they feel ashamed. |
| C．Some people hold the view that it's not fair to include eyesight in high school entrance exam. |
| D．Shortsightedness can be passed down to children by their parents. |
| A．be for | B．not care about | C．be against | D．be pleased with |
| A．Paragraph 1 | B．Paragraph 2 | C．Paragraph 3 | D．Paragraph 4 |
| A．Eyesight test has become more important in high school entrance exam. |
| B．It's a great idea to include eyesight in high school entrance exam. |
| C．Should eyesight be included in high school entrance exam? |
| D．Patents warmly welcome the decision to include eyesight in high school entrance exam. |
